The Bond That Even Gods Cannot Break

Still on the damp cave floor, both girls looked suspiciously at the warning that had never appeared before.

"Leveled up?" Sophia asked, attempting to analyze what that meant.

Noticing Sophia's thoughtful expression, Melissa quickly took the lead in the conversation.

"It means we've accumulated enough experience, so we've become stronger," 

Trying to explain something that would be common sense for anyone who has played a game, she shrugged while focusing on the floating window.

"How did we gain the experience needed to level up? After all, since we arrived in this dungeon until now, we've spent most of our time running away and not doing anything productive," Sophia pointed out.

"In games, experience comes when we kill monsters... but I think practicing tasks related to your class should also yield experience..." As she spoke, Melissa's voice gradually lowered until it was almost inaudible.

"Wait... so we get stronger by kissing each other?!" When Sophia spoke what was on Melissa's mind, both girls blushed red and looked away from each other.

After a few seconds, the first warning disappeared and was replaced by others, a sound in their minds notified the arrival of the new windows.

["1" experience point available for use]

[A class skill has been unlocked]

The next two warnings were still strange to Sophia, although she understood the second one, the first one was confusing. Noticing this, Melissa quickly began to explain, while disguising the lingering embarrassment in the air.

"I believe the experience point is to increase one of our attributes by 1 unit."

Hearing the explanation, Sophia began to think for a moment. Finally finishing wiping off her makeup, she began to speak.

"The [Couple's Fortitude] gives us a temporary five-point boost, so this would be a permanent one, right?" Noticing Melissa's nod, she continued, "Ms. Cosmos, when we increased our agility, how did it affect your body?"

Melissa was momentarily surprised when she noticed that Sophia had returned to addressing her by her last name, but she didn't let it show on her face. For a moment, looking at her legs, she spoke.

"It was like I became lighter. If I were to give an example, a distance that would have taken at least a minute was completed in just over 40 seconds." She closed her eyes and then crossed her legs, her mind focusing on the sensation she had experienced before. "It was as if my instincts and reflexes had changed. Damn, if you hadn't chosen agility, I would probably have been stung by one of those bees without even reacting."

Listening to Melissa's opinion, the silver-haired girl reflected on what to do.

"Assuming we'll gain at least one point per level, I'd like to focus on our safety first. So, I suggest we invest in endurance or vitality, what do you think?"

Her idea was plausible considering the situation they were in. Sophia would never want to go through the experience of watching Melissa with less than 10 HP again. Understanding this, the brown-haired girl spoke.

"Sounds good to me, snow curls. Let's put it into vitality first and see what happens."

Both nodded, and the available point notification disappeared. At the same time, the vitality unit digit increased by one unit, totaling 11.

"We've reached 100/110 HP," Sophia commented while looking at the status window. "So each point is equivalent to 10 HP units?" She reflected, her shrug to Melissa's gaze showed that she also didn't know. "Okay, how should we handle the other message?"

The floating notification of the new ability disappeared when it caught the girls' attention. Guiding their minds to the class description, below the first three, a new window appeared.

---

[Oath of Love and Protection]

Your bonds to protect your lover have proven strong and determined. By swearing to be the guardian of your lover by kissing the back of their hand, like a knight, access to a second class will be unlocked for one hour. The oath can be taken by both partners, provided that a different class is selected.

Cooldown time: 1 day for the same class per lover.

Currently available classes: 1

---

The new ability that appeared on their panel made Melissa whistle in surprise, and Sophia placed her available hand on her chin in contemplation.

"So we gain access to another class... This implies other abilities, right?" The thought of finally having more things to defend herself brought Sophia some relief.

"Yes, but it's only for an hour, and only one of us at a time." Melissa studied the description while furrowing her brow.

"As there's a line specifically for currently available ones, it means we'll have another one in the future. For now, let's consider it lucky," she focused her attention on the panel, and immediately the list of classes for selection appeared.

---

[Spirituality of the Druidess.]

Your bond and respect for nature are your main factors. Understanding the forest will make it easier to navigate and know the different sources of life within it.

+100 Mana

Class Abilities: 1

[Natural Balance]

Shape the nature around you with your desires. The greater the desired change, the more mana required for it.

---

"They are... normal?" Sophia commented, uncertain.

All the abilities involved magic, something she had never imagined in her life until now. However, the fact that they didn't contain anything of a sexual nature like her main class surprised her.

"Druidess? What's a druidess?" Ignoring the descriptions of the abilities, Melissa just tried to decipher the unfamiliar words.

"It's a concept of European origin. Druidess is the feminine conjugation of Druid. In Celtic society, they were individuals with various roles such as healers, doctors, legislators, or clergy." Sophia explained. "Of course, as this idea was passed through different peoples and cultures, it ended up being altered. More generally, their focus is on seeking balance, connecting personal life to the spiritual source present in nature."

Listening to Sophia's explanation in a teacher-like manner, Melissa began to think about where she had seen something similar.

"Wait, so they are the ones who talk to animals and control trees? I've seen them in RPGs, although I never cared to learn the name," Melissa asked, still analyzing the skills window.

"That would be the versions from Irish sagas. In those, druids are portrayed as powerful sorcerers with the ability to communicate with animals. Like all the others, the bond with nature is also strong," Sophia replied.

When the two girls finished analyzing the received ability, they decided it was necessary to test it as soon as possible. The fact that they had entered their first battle unaware of their defense capabilities was still fresh in their minds and bodies.

"So... who will try it first?" Taking the lead, Sophia asked.

Melissa was already significantly better physically. So, she replied, "The conditions to activate this ability are easier than the others..."

She began to look away, and then she said.

"I'll try first since I'm feeling better. You should rest for now."

Agreeing with the statement, the silver-haired girl extended her free right hand.

"Hm... So... Go ahead." Turning the back of her hand upward, she spoke timidly.

"All I need to do is touch it with my mouth, right...?" Holding Sophia's trembling hand, she asked.

"'Like a knight.' If this is a reference to medieval customs, you should kneel on one of your knees."

Sophia could see how red Melissa was, and even though the thought of teasing her crossed her mind, she couldn't do it when her own cheeks felt so hot that they seemed to be on fire.

"So... Hm..." Without finishing constructing a sentence, Melissa knelt on her right knee and slowly kissed Sophia's hand.

In her mind, the system's voice resonated, asking which class she desired. Thinking about the only available one at the moment, a greenish glow quickly enveloped her body. The large green flash of light lasted only a second before disappearing.

"Are you okay?!" Sophia exclaimed, her vision slightly dazed by the change in brightness in a dimly lit cave.

In the source of the light, still with her lips on Sophia's hand, was the same Melissa as always. However, some changes were clearly noticeable.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Melissa asked, noting Sophia's astonished gaze. "Huh...? Hyaaaah!"

Without having her question answered, the girl let out a pleasure-filled scream like never before. Confused by Sophia's sudden action, she was left speechless when a soft hand touched her ear.

"W-What the hell was that?! What are you doing? Hyaah!" The same sound was made again, and she bit her lips.

Violent waves of heat spread across the lobe of her ear, slender fingers began to touch at the base and went up to the tip, tracing the entire outer length.

"It's bigger... doubled in size." Unaware of the strange moans, Sophia, in a trance, continued to fondle Melissa's ear.

Her curiosity was justified; after her vision adjusted, Melissa's delicate ears had become longer. Their tips arched and glowed faintly in a rosy blush.

Oblivious to Sophia's attention, the shivers and tickles caused by the touch made Melissa's body arch backward. She had never felt ticklish in her ears before. Once she had read that ears were an erogenous area of the human body when stimulated, but the exploration of her newfound weakness was too much for her. Melissa was completely at the mercy of Sophia's innocent touches.

"C-Can you stop that!?" Afraid of moaning again, Melissa used her hand to grab Sophia's curious fingers. Her breathing was heavy, and she could feel her stomach and thighs get warm for some reason.

Sophia finally noticed what she was doing; after a slight jump of surprise, she began to apologize.

"S-Sorry! They changed so quickly that I..." Her agitated voice made her confusion evident. Somehow, the past few days had made it difficult for her to maintain the ice queen aura she had always had.

When her gaze moved away from Melissa's two elongated ears, she noticed how the tips of her brown hair were now slightly tinted green.

No, it wasn't just that. Even her eyes, once amber, were now entirely emerald green. The sensation was like watching a shining jewel, yet it still conveyed a calm similar to a gentle breeze in a flowery field.

Noticing how Sophia was still staring at her in surprise, Melissa moved to the edge of the lake, bringing the startled Sophia along. Her now emerald-green eyes looked at her reflection in the murky water, and she immediately shouted.

"I turned into a damn elf?!" Her only available hand touched her still-warm ears. In shock, she opened her status window once again.

Name: Melissa/Sophia

Race: Human    Level: 2

Class: Hedonistic Ritualist Secondary Class: Druidess Spiritualist

HP: 102/110 Strength: 10 Agility: 10 Resistance: 15 Intelligence: 15 Vitality: 11 Mana: 100

 

"I don't think it's an elf. Based on Irish myths, druidesses were also known for their pointed ears," Sophia pointed out, analyzing the stats. "We also recovered 2 HP points, so I think as long as we're not injured, it will gradually rise to the maximum."

Unconsciously, she touched her rosy lips. 

"Okay, we're losing focus here; we have less than an hour to test this." Pushing her concern to the back of her mind, Melissa tried not to pay attention to how Sophia touched her lips. "Now we have mana points, so we can use magic, finally something that seems otherworldly!"

She shouted the last part in an attempt to lift her spirits. After moving back to drier ground, Sophia started to talk.

"If we understand the description correctly, even though I can't select the class now, when one hour is up, I should be able to take over the role. Is that right?" The white-haired girl asked while closely observing the changes in Melissa's body.

"I think so, but it will take a whole day for me to be able to use it again, so we better save it for when it's necessary," Melissa retorted. "So, what should I do?"

"Now that we have mana points, try doing something. Remember to try to keep it small to not spend it all at once." Listening to Sophia's instructions, Melissa extended her free left hand against the vegetation on the wall.

Although the concept of magic existed on Earth, it was all mere fiction. Simply telling someone that they can now fly wouldn't mean they would know how to do it. Having the power to act and knowing how to execute it are two completely different things.

However, until now, all their abilities have been activated merely with their intention. Thus, Melissa pondered that they must be receiving assistance from the system. By projecting her intention in her mind, she slowly felt something within her being drained. Controlling the flow of this imaginary faucet to match the action, relying on pure instinct, an action that could only be described as magic occurred.

"Oooh...!" Sophia exclaimed in excitement, even her newly built icy demeanor melting.

Slowly, one of the entwined vines on the wall brought down one of the bright, fruit-sized lanterns, securely landing it in Melissa's free hand.

The girl, who now had slightly green-tinted brown hair, tossed the small glowing orb up a few times before taking a big bite from its shiny surface.

"Wait, what if it's poisonous!" A startled cry came from Sophia.

Licking a slightly yellowish drop running down her cheek with her tongue, Melissa threw the uneaten half of the fruit to Sophia.

"It's not poisonous... I really have no idea how to explain how I know this, but it's safe to eat." Melissa just shrugged at her explanation.

Although still apprehensive, Sophia, much to Melissa's surprise, didn't doubt her assertion and slowly ate the fruit.

"It's a bit sour... it reminds me of green grapes, but the texture is like an apple."

After finishing the sour fruit, Sophia turned to Melissa and spoke.

"I believe the class must give you some knowledge about flora." She placed her hand under her chin and continued, "Knowing what is edible or not will help us from now on. With this, we've achieved our three goals: shelter, water, and food."

"Yes, yes, Snow curls. Now, look at this!"

Melissa lay back on the stone floor, snapping her fingers as small mosses grew in size, creating a large green bed.

"Cool, huh?" Rolling onto the bed that formed beneath them, Melissa's arrogant smile appeared on her face.

Touching the soft green moss bed, Sophia showed a concerned look. "Are you sure this moss is safe... right?" The idea of getting an infection at this moment was not pleasant in her mind.

"Of course it is, snow curls." Jumping on the resilient bed, each impact was absorbed by the spongy surface.

At that moment, a gentle breeze came through the thin holes in the ceiling. Both girls then finally realized that they were still wet and at serious risk of hypothermia.

"S-So cold!!" They both exclaimed in unison.