The Kiss of Survival
I was in hell.
My body trembled, pain shooting through every nerve.
Blood dripped from my lips, staining the ground beneath me.
I was exhausted.
Lily, too, had collapsed into her slime form, barely holding herself together.
The battlefield around us was littered with dead monsters.
Lily had killed most of them.
I had only managed to finish off the ones she weakened—stealing the kills like a cheap RPG player.
Still, the effort wasn't wasted.
My stats had skyrocketed.
---
[Ethan Cross - Status]
Stamina: 12
Strength: 17
Agility: 10
Defense: 20
Aura: [Not Yet Awakened]
Mana: 15 (Currently 0)
---
But none of that mattered now.
Because we were done.
Spent.
If another monster attacked…
We were dead.
I leaned back, staring at the countdown in the sky.
[Time Remaining: 23 Hours 56 Minutes]
Just one more day…
And then, as if the world hated me—
More monsters appeared.
Three of them.
They weren't goblins.
They were bigger. Stronger. Faster.
Their glowing eyes locked onto us.
Lily tried to move—
But she collapsed again.
I willed my body to stand—
But it refused to listen.
This was it.
The end.
I thought about Emma, my parents, my little sister.
Then… I thought about Alicia.
The time we spent together flashed before my eyes.
I smiled bitterly.
Funny.
I had only known her for a day.
And yet… she was already an important part of my life.
The monsters charged.
Lily curled up beside me, accepting our fate.
I took a deep breath and screamed.
"SYSTEM! DO SOMETHING!"
And then—
A quest appeared.
---
[NEW QUEST: SURVIVE]
Requirement: Kiss Lily on the lips.
Reward: Unlock new skill [Slime Shield].
---
…What?
I blinked.
Then I laughed.
"Seriously?!"
I was about to die— and my system wanted me to kiss Lily?
…Well.
I had nothing to lose.
I turned to Lily.
"Lily… transform into your human form."
She tried.
Her body wobbled, struggling—
But only her face changed.
Good enough.
I cupped her soft, warm cheeks.
"Lily…"
She stared at me.
"I love you."
And then, I kissed her.
She gasped—then kissed me back.
And then—
BOOM.
A surge of power exploded from within me.
A golden aura surrounded us, healing our injuries instantly.
A protective barrier formed around us, shimmering with an iridescent glow.
---
[New Skill Unlocked: Slime Shield]
Effect: Creates an indestructible shield for 24 hours.
Bonus: Fully heals you and your bonded partner.
---
The monsters attacked—
But the moment they touched the shield, they were launched backward.
I stared.
Lily, now fully healed, stood up with a grin.
She turned to the monsters—
And unleashed hell.
Her slime body stretched, morphed, and impaled every creature in sight.
In mere minutes, it was over.
She turned back to me and collapsed into my arms.
"Hey…" she pouted. "What did you do earlier?"
I scratched my head. "I don't know, but it worked."
She narrowed her eyes. "Do it again."
I blinked. "What?"
Before I could react—
She kissed me.
I tensed.
It was… soft. Warm.
She pulled away, licking her lips. "Mmm~ It feels good."
I turned red. "H-Hey!"
She tilted her head. "So this is what that human was doing with you… I see."
I sighed. "Lily, it's called a 'kiss'."
She nodded, eyes sparkling. "Kiss…"
Then she grabbed my face.
"I want more."
And she attacked my lips again.
---
Love and Jealousy
After ten minutes of Lily kissing me like a starved animal, I finally managed to stop her.
"Lily, we have to go."
She pouted. "But I want more kisses."
I exhaled. "I have to meet someone important."
She paused. "…Important?"
I nodded. "More important than you."
She froze.
Her expression darkened.
Without another word, she wrapped herself around my neck like before.
Her love meter, which had been at 90, suddenly stopped increasing.
…Did I just make her mad?
I sighed. "Let's go."
We started moving—
And then—
I froze.
Because standing in front of me, on the desolate battlefield—
Was someone I never expected to meet.