It was truly a wonderful day.
While it was still with the Summer mother and daughter—the three of them engaging in close, affectionate time together—which wasn't fundamentally different from before, Alex certainly had an amazing time.
The apron baking session in the kitchen was incredibly stimulating. This kind of experience is unique, and only a mature friend like Mrs. Summer had that special, comforting flavor. They didn't just confine themselves to the kitchen; the living room, the hallway, the entrance, the stairs... everywhere bore the marks of their shared activities and laughter.
Deep into the night... Three people lay comfortably on the bed in Mrs. Summer's bedroom. This large room had become the usual gathering spot for the trio. Elara often spent time here whenever Alex arrived. After all, they were a close mother-daughter pair and a tight-knit friendship group.
"Mmm..." Exhausted after a long day of activities, the weary girl nestled against Alex's left side. She wore comfortable pajamas, covered by a thin blanket that barely concealed her smooth skin, which was largely exposed to the night air. The girl was fast asleep, one arm looped around Alex's neck, her small head resting on his shoulder. Occasionally, she made little smacking sounds. Mrs. Summer, on the other side, was much the same—her body covered by pajamas, fast asleep. She was utterly worn out.
As for Alex, he wasn't asleep. He was checking his system panel.
📊 System Attribute Panel
Attribute Value
[STR] 20
[AGI] 20
[INT] 50
[END] 20
[❤] 50
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He had accumulated a significant number of Heart Points lately, and his attributes had seen some growth. The reason he hadn't spent all his Heart Points was that he felt his attributes were sufficient for the moment—all except for his mental power. There was no helping it; the [Time] ability was simply too taxing, requiring an endless supply of mental energy.
"It's about time I learned a new skill," Alex thought, having spent this time studying the various skills available in the panel. He had his eye on a particular ability. There were too many ordinary skills, making them visually overwhelming. However, one of the Special Skills was quite intriguing.
[Nurturing Essence]: Able to extract a Nurturing Essence from a friendly individual, which possesses certain mysterious healing and energy-restoring effects. The explanation was simple, yet seeing it immediately reminded Alex of a certain life-sim anime. Nurturing Essence... and it cost 20 Heart Points! This indicated that the Special Skill was anything but simple. Even if it wasn't as powerful as [Absolute Control], it certainly wouldn't be weak.
"With this ability, I can extract an essence of positive energy from a friend's body... even if the target is just resting. After all, I'm extracting a Nurturing Essence, not a physical fluid." Alex murmured to himself, one arm around the mother and the other around the daughter. He wondered what kind of Nurturing Essence could be drawn from a well-rested, comfortable person. He was quite curious.
"Purchase." 20 Heart Points were deducted, leaving 30.
He decided to continue dumping the remaining points into the [INT] attribute. He had a feeling that although he was currently dealing with everyday friends, supernatural beings might appear in the future. A high [INT] offered strong resistance to things like illusions, and he desperately needed powerful mental energy to sustain the [Time] ability. "Phew, that's certainly specialized," he thought, looking at the 30-point increase to his [INT] attribute, which had now skyrocketed to 80.
Compared to his [STR] and [AGI] at a mere 20, his allocation was indeed biased. However... the clarity of his mind and the power surging through his body told Alex that the points were well spent, and his thoughts were significantly sharper.
Of course, more than the attribute increase, Alex was interested in his new ability, [Nurturing Essence]. He wondered what the actual experience would be like. Although he had acquired the ability, he didn't feel any immediate change...
Could he really extract this Essence? Alex closed the status window. Using the thin moonlight filtering through the curtains, he looked at the sleeping friend beside him. He blinked, gently pulled Elara's arm from his neck, and rested his head near Mrs. Summer's shoulder. He wondered what the effect would be on his mental fatigue.
He focused his mind. With just a thought, the [Nurturing Essence] ability activated. A subtle current of mental energy flowed from Mrs. Summer's resting form into his mind.
"Holy cow, it works!" With just a thought, the ability activated, allowing him to extract this mysterious fluid of positive energy. The effect... it wasn't immediately obvious, but he felt a slight relief from his mental fatigue. He knew it was definitely more than just a simple boost.
"Ugh..." Mrs. Summer stirred, letting out a soft moan from the interruption. Instinctively, she hugged the boy's head, cradling him close. Alex, satisfied, deactivated the [Nurturing Essence] ability, worried about potential energy drain if he continued. He glanced over at Elara beside him. He was curious to know how the girl's Essence would compare to the mother's. Heh, I'm rather looking forward to checking the data.
Sunlight spilled onto the floor through a gap in the curtains. It was already early the next morning.
Elara was not woken naturally; she was roused by movement, feeling someone constantly shifting near her...
"Mmm, Alex?" The movement near her shoulder could only belong to Alex. Sleepily opening her eyes, she confirmed it—the boy was leaning over her.
Blinking, she put her hand on the boy's head, her slender fingers running through his hair, gently patting him.
"Alex, why are you... again so early in the morning? Wait—" Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt that something was wrong.
While this rascal often burrowed his head into her shoulder for comfort, this time... Why is he making that focused, strange expression on my side? Elara was stunned, clearly seeing the boy's unusual concentration. She was frozen, shocked.
"I... Alex, are you... practicing a new skill?"
Alex: "..." Beside them, Mrs. Summer, who had just woken up, watched the scene, utterly speechless.