One Last System

"Those terms..." the monster spoke, only to cut its sentence short.

To say it hesitated would be a blasphemy against its power and status born out of it. Yet, even if I didn't call it a hesitation, the monster still took its sweet time to form a proper reply.

"I accept them," it said, finally removing the threatening part of its aura.

"Aaah..." I released a euphoric sigh as I fell to my knees.

"Arthur!" Mia shouted, rushing to catch me before I could fall face-first to the ground.

"It's okay..." I muttered, using all the techniques I learned in my stay in this world to end up resting my head on top of Mia's lap. "Just let me rest for a little, could you?"

Now that the pressure part of the monster's aura was gone, I could finally take a proper breath and allow my body to relax.

"What are you doing?" the monster asked, the threatening tune returning to its voice.

"I'm about to die from exhaustion," I replied softly, not bothering to raise my voice above the level of a whisper. "I need to get some rest if you want me to fight," I added before glancing over at the meteor that appeared as but a tiny dot in the distance. "And it's still going to be a while before it hits," I added.

Then, rather than wasting my time on the monster who lost its status as an immediate threat in my eyes, I immersed myself in the feeling of Mia's soft thighs below my head.

"Just take it easy," Mia whispered, bringing her hands to my cheeks as she started to gently caress them. Following that up with a quick peck she left on my forehead, Mia moved her hands and slowly massaged different parts of my body.

The sides of my neck, shoulders, chest, and even my back. Whenever Mia's hands touched, I could feel my muscles slowly relaxing and finally taking the breather they carved for the past few weeks.

"I'm sorry to use you like that," I whispered, revealing my genuine concern. Yet, as I opened my eyes up to look at Mia's face, there was an only endless surprise in her eyes.

Yet, she didn't chastise me for making some kind of mistake either. Instead, she raised her hand to wipe her hair off her face and reveal her lovely, caring smile to me.

"Instead of apologizing for something you never had to be sorry for, I would be far happier if you thanked me for it instead," she said.

That was it. That simple sentence was accompanied by her lovely smile and affection burning in her eyes.

That was the one thing I ever hoped to get in the relationship. Just the affection and genuine concern over my well-being.

"Thank you, Mia," I said, following the girl's advice.

Mia's lips curled up, forming an even greater smile. With my head on her lap, I could feel a small shiver that shook her body.

"I'm glad I can be of use to you," Mia whispered as she leaned over my ear. Her hand then moved back from my body only to rest on the top of my head as she started to brush my hair with her fingers.

For the next few moments, I could rest.

It was that simple and that straightforward.

Ever since I bitchslapped my way out of the sect and decided to reach Mia's place, I didn't have a single moment of rest.

Sure, I occasionally slept in the Inns that I encountered; I even happened to have a meal once or twice. But in the general rule of thumb, if I wasn't fighting, then I was traveling. And if I was neither fighting nor traveling, then I was putting all my focus on cultivating.

And now, with my head resting comfortably on Mia's soft thighs while my scalp relaxed under the delicate touch of her fingers, I allowed myself to fully relax.

'To think that I would get my first, proper rest only when the meteor with another monster is about to come crashing on us,' I thought, rolling my eyes underneath the cover of my eyelids.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but is there anything you want me to do?" Hera asked, indicating that she approached my side while I had my eyes closed and guard lowered.

"Actually, there is," I replied leisurely, not bothering to open my eyes. "I'm sorry, mister massive bear, but how am I supposed to refer to you?" I suddenly called out, keeping my volume exactly the same as before.

"You might call me a protobear, for all the bears of this world, were made in my image," the massive beast replied while keeping its eyes locked on the approaching threat.

'What are you, an ancestor to all the bears?' I thought, rolling my eyes over the fact that this ridiculous answer made me lose focus over how enjoyable my rest was.

"Protobear it is," I muttered, taking a moment to swallow my saliva. "In that case, I need you to try to shave away at the energy of the incoming monster," I explained before turning my attention back to Hera. "On your part, I hope you can try to collect those discarded bits of energy and use them to grow stronger."

Even though I didn't know Hera for long, one thing about our situation changed that made me change my mind about allowing her to regain her power.

Before, she could turn out to be a worthy opponent for me. In other words, earlier, I considered her a potential threat. But right now, with her fate hanging on the thin strand of how long I would keep up the bullshit with this protobear...

"Do you want me to do anything with that energy once I consume it?" Hera asked while throwing a quick glance toward the monster.

Even without opening my eyes and only sensing the surroundings with my aura, I could tell that she was pretty scared about talking about this topic. In the end, the very reason why the protobear turned hostile in the first place was the stray marks of that energy on me!

"Hey, you won't mind this girl clearing up the battlefield from that nasty energy?" I asked while rustling my head to the sides to allow my head to enjoy Mia's thighs even more.

"I won't," the monster replied, moving for the first time in a long while just to shake its castle-sized head. "But why does it sound like you are not going to fight?"

For a moment, I pitched a battle with myself.

I could either be honest and likely annoy the beast or give it a long explanation that likely would conclude before the violet monster would attack us...

Or I could just ignore him to a certain degree.

"I nearly died because of you," I replied, opting to go for the third route. "I need to rest for a while now. That's why I want you to shave away that filthy power of the monster that's about to attack us," I added, only for my lips to stop when Mia leaned her upper body forward, only to sandwich my head. Her lap was below my head, her stomach pressing against the top of my scalp, her chest flattening directly against my face, and her hands coiling around my chin.

'What a divine pillow,' I thought, ignoring all the world around as I immersed myself fully in the experience of Mia's warmth, smell, and softness.

"How are you going to save that innocent person from the insides of that monster, then?" the monster asked. It clearly didn't care about my wish to take a few minutes of a damned rest!

"Can you let him regain his strength?" Mia asked, tightening her grasp over my head as if she wanted to coat it fully in her warmth, protecting me from everything outside. "You nearly killed him. It's hard for anyone to stand up and fight right after that!" she continued to speak, tensing up all around me with every word.

'She needs to calm down,' I thought, unable to help but worry about her own safety. Yet, enclosed within the confines of her body and too tired to move all that much, I couldn't really do anything to stop her.

Or could I?

After all, while not directly in my mouth, didn't her nipples danger right around it?

'Mia!' I shouted in my thoughts, hoping to pass the message across as I jerked my head to the side. And when I felt the slightly harder surface, I instantly latched on to it with my lips.

"And since you already proved you can defeat him, what do you need Arthurs's help for?! Do you even have some dece... AAH!" Mia's rant turned into a surprised moan when my teeth bit down on her nipple.

"Shave away at its energy," I spoke directly into the delicate skin of Mia's tits. Yet, even though my words were silent, I had no doubt the protobear heard them.

'On the other hand, this has to be the best microphone I ever spoke to,' I thought to myself, only to bring my lips up and suck up Mia's breast once again.

"Arthur!" Mia whined softly, more surprised than annoyed. She then raised her upper body up a little, making sure not to move too far to forcefully pull her flesh out of my lips. "This isn't really the time..." she added in a slightly panicked voice as if she only now recalled the fact that she was butt naked and out in the open.

"How could there be a better time?" I asked, turning around and raising up from Mia's lap only to bring my head to her level and bring our lips together.

"Aah..." Mia moaned with disappointment when I pulled my lips away.

"I need to jump into action the second I see an opportunity," I stated, only to lean in for another kiss. Yet, this time, instead of just satisfying myself with the taste of Mia's lips, I pressed her down, as if I was about to ravage her.

But there was no such intention in my mind. Sure, spending several hours with Mia's naked body plastered all over my back and unable to satisfy my natural desires conditioned me to be ready for it at any time...

Yet, I would need to hit my head on something really hard to actually go for it when a monster was about to attack us.

No.

Despite my actions looking like a perfect example of seduction, there were all aimed at something else.

And it was putting myself between Mia and the direction where the attack would come from.

'If she were aware of it, she would never agree to stand behind me,' I thought, already knowing Mia's desires a little.

"If that's what you want..." Mia replied with hesitation, her mind pushing her in a direction I didn't expect. She then pushed her knees apart before catching my head and forcing it down on her soft bust.

For a moment, I could only make some muffled sounds as Mia blocked my mouth with the soft skin of her breasts.

"And I have long decided to never deny your advance," Mia added before wrapping her hands behind my back and pulling me on top of herself.