"It looks like the rain isn’t stopping anytime soon."

  Sophia sighed, her blue eyes watching the fine raindrops trickling between the branches. The distant echoes of thunder made her realize the storm would take quite some time to pass.

  "That’s fine. It’s not like we could explore in this darkness anyway," Melissa shrugged, wrapping herself in a bnket of green moss. Her arms trembled from the cold, even through her hoodie.

  After deciding they needed to take shelter, the two had constructed a modest safe space inside the hollow of one of the rge trees, utilizing Sophia’s secondary css abilities. They built walls of moss and branches around the tree, and Sophia had carefully arranged rge leaves to redirect the rainwater away from their hideout.

  "The description of the secondary css always mentioned an enhanced understanding of nature. I didn’t fully grasp what that meant in the dungeon, but now that we’re in this forest, it’s like I can instinctively pinpoint the safest spot," Sophia remarked with curiosity, feeling her long ears vanish as the effects of her secondary css faded.

  "Let’s forget about the complicated stuff for now, okay? We need to rest. I can barely feel my feet, and I’m drenched in sweat."

  Melissa’s protest made sense. From the fight against the Dream Eater to their conversation with Dianthus, the two girls had accumuted a considerable amount of exhaustion.

  "Alright, alright," Sophia said with a smile, finishing her work by sealing the entrance to the hollow tree with more leaves and branches.

  With that done, she sat down beside Melissa but refrained from covering herself with the moss bnket.

  "You’re not going to sleep?" Melissa asked, noticing that Sophia had only leaned against the wall without showing any intention of resting.

  "Even though we built this shelter a bit above the forest floor, I’ll stay awake for a while longer, just to make sure we’re safe. You can sleep first. If I hear anything approaching, I’ll wake you up."

  Sophia adjusted herself to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with Melissa, hoping the small amount of heat escaping from her own body might warm her beloved. However, when she gnced at Melissa, expecting to see her with her eyes closed, she was met with a determined gaze instead.

  "I know you’re right, but I don’t like the idea of resting alone."

  As the thunder outside the shelter grew louder, Sophia noticed Melissa’s trembling fingers. She understood. The girl she had observed for much of her life had endured the same things.

  Waiting in an empty house where no one ever returned, and the silence of an orphanage where no one cared about her existence. Melissa knew what it was like to endure difficult nights alone, and more than anything, she didn’t want Sophia to keep experiencing the same.

  Just as the silver-haired girl was about to say something, a notification appeared before their eyes.

  --- Daily Mission: Cleanse the tired body of your lover. Rewards: +1 random item, +1 experience point for all attributes. Warning: Failure to complete the daily mission will result in a penalty. ---

  The sudden appearance of the floating red panel made both girls nearly jump in surprise.

  "Wait, is this serious? It’s the middle of the night! Why is the system giving us a daily mission now?!"

  Melissa protested, her expression flustered as her eyes scanned the mission’s content with agitation.

  "If we consider that by 'daily,' the system means issuing the task at least twenty-four hours after it’s been completed, then receiving it now isn’t wrong. It’s been a little over that time," Sophia deduced naturally, resting her hand on her chin. "As we agreed before, it’s my turn to do this, right?"

  Hearing Sophia’s deduction, Melissa’s jaw dropped. She wasn’t wrong. If Melissa thought about it carefully, it had indeed been more than a day since they st completed the daily mission, which was just before their battle with the Forest Guardian.

  "Are you serious? We have to do this now, in the middle of a storm?" Melissa’s expression twisted as her tearful eyes locked onto the girl beside her.

  At this point, Melissa had no issue with the content of the mission itself. She was perfectly fine with Sophia bathing her. The problem was having to leave the shelter they had worked so hard to build, venture out into the freezing rain, and search for a water source at night. It was far from ideal.

  "No way we’re using rainwater. We still have some of the water we collected from the underground river. Want to try using that? It’s probably better than heading outside."

  Pulling off the rough moss bnket, Melissa opened her inventory, counting the remaining makeshift containers of fresh water they had. However, before she could put her pn into action, she felt a warm hand grasp hers, pulling her body close against two soft mounds beneath a white bzer.

  "W-What!?"

  Caught off guard, Melissa found herself pressed against Sophia’s warm chest. Tilting her head up, she met the blue eyes looking down at her with a gentle smile. Warm breaths escaped Sophia’s lips, visible as faint white mist in the cold night air.

  "Melissa, did you know that many animals regute their temperature and clean themselves using their tongues?" Sophia said softly. Her hand swiped the floating panel, removing all of Melissa’s clothing through the inventory system. Her moist lips neared Melissa’s ear, and a gentle tongue slid across the lobe before she continued. "Cats, for instance, don’t just groom themselves. They also lick one another to strengthen bonds."

  "Nyaaah!" Melissa’s body reacted instinctively, releasing a moan of pleasure as Sophia’s tongue trailed slowly down her neck.

  Melissa could barely keep up with Sophia’s expnation. Now, a warm tongue slid along her face, fervently cleaning the sweat that had accumuted. It felt as though Sophia was savoring the sweetest honey.

  "S-Snow Curls?!"

  Melissa didn’t understand what Sophia meant until she felt the warm tongue trace a thin bead of sweat along her colrbone.

  "Kyaah!" A loud moan escaped her lips as an unfamiliar and exhirating sensation flooded her mind.

  The sweet melody of Melissa’s voice reached Sophia’s ears, and the delightful taste on her tongue left her craving more. Her wide-open eyes could only focus on Melissa’s trembling form, responding to each careful touch.

  "Now, hold still. I’m going to clean every single part of you~" Sophia whispered, her tone both pyful and commanding.

  Humming softly, Sophia pressed Melissa gently against the wall. With a slight wetting of her lips, she trailed her tongue along the girl's skin.

  First, she licked the area around Melissa’s neck again, savoring the defined curve of her colrbone like a feast for her senses. Then, she moved downward toward her underarms. Each time her tongue glided along the sensitive center, delighting in the sweet taste of her beloved, she felt Melissa's body give small, involuntary jolts at the stimution.

  "S-Sophia... no! D-Don’t tease me."

  Helpless against the relentless tongue, Melissa felt a trail of saliva escaping her parted lips. The waves of pleasure clouded her mind, leaving her body trembling in short, erratic movements.

  "I’ll get there soon; just hold on a bit longer. A thorough cleaning can't be overlooked," Sophia whispered, her voice teasing yet resolute, as she continued her meticulous work.

  Wiping away Melissa's dripping saliva with a gentle kiss, Sophia finally made her way down to the girl's breasts. The warmth of the modest mounds was no more intense than the pink peaks that attracted her gaze.

  Taking care to moisten them as much as possible, she licked the nipples that were beginning to harden several times from top to bottom.

  “Nhmm...”

  Melissa couldn't contain the explosion that was coming, the heat that had previously only accumuted in her chest was gathering between her legs. Her thighs rubbed against each other so many times while her lover's warm lips pyed with her breasts pushing her mind to the limit.

  “I-I'm going to... I will... Aaah... Hyah!”

  Arching her back, Melissa spread her legs as her love juice oozed out of her body from the orgasm. Her free hand, unable to keep the cause of that delicious sensation away from her, pulled Sophia tightly towards her face so that her lonely lips could feast on hers.

  As kissing became a routine part of their days, the girls grew more skilled in their exchanges and began to experiment with new approaches. Without needing to say a word, each took turns doing whatever they desired during their intimate moments.

  Melissa, despite her more assertive personality, was the gentler of the two. She loved encasing Sophia’s tongue with her lips, sucking and licking repeatedly as if treasuring something priceless. Occasionally, she’d lightly nip at Sophia’s soft lips, savoring the quiet gasps and moans that would escape. When they sought a moment of calm, they’d simply leave their mouths open, letting their tongues intertwine and py for long stretches of time.

  Sophia, on the other hand, wasted no opportunity to cim Melissa's lips entirely for herself. With her free hand cupping the back of Melissa’s neck to keep her close, Sophia would relentlessly explore every angle of her beloved’s mouth. Her movements were broad and deliberate as if determined to cover every inch until Melissa’s entire mouth was drenched in her saliva.

  Their hearts raced, overflowing with happiness, leaving them incapable of focusing on anything or anyone else but the person in front of them.

  The passionate kiss finally ended when Sophia pulled back slightly. A thick strand of saliva still connected their lips, and their flushed faces and locked gazes betrayed how much neither wanted the moment to end.

  “Sophia... I love you.” Melissa’s amber eyes, glistening with tears, revealed her yearning to continue.

  Sophia, her silver hair framing her adoring gaze, found Melissa’s tenderness irresistible. She adored how vulnerable Melissa became when she was being loved. Yet, she knew their mission still awaited.

  “Now, I’ll clean the most important part,” Sophia said with a smile.Hearing this, even though she was already filled with pleasure, Melissa felt her face heat up even more as Sophia spread her legs and y down in front of her.

  The blue-eyed girl felt her heart race more and more as she watched Melissa's entrance open slightly, the love juice she had released dripping down her inner thighs.

  “Such a mess~”

  Sophia didn't even need to moisten her lips. Carefully, as her cheeks pressed against Melissa's soft pair of thighs, she slid her tongue into the girl's vaginal walls.

  “Sophia... Ah!” Her mind, on the verge of delirium, had its reason compromised by what was in front of her. The sight of Sophia intensely licking her most intimate part with such passion didn't allow her to hide her voice.

  “Nhmm...” Sophia's wet voice as she drank Melissa's nectar matched her completely hot face.

  Melissa had no strength or reason to resist Sophia's advances and used her legs to pull the girl towards her. Their intertwined hands clenched tighter as the hot tongue traced her clitoris and licked the warm walls inside her, she felt another wave of pleasure flood her mind.

  Unable to resist any longer, Sophia couldn't stand just licking. With force, she pressed her whole face against Melissa's slit and began to suck with intensity.

  “Aaaaah...! Fuck!”

  The girl screamed when she felt her lower lips being completely submitted to Sophia.

  “Aah...! Mhmh...! Sophia...!”

  The voice calling her name between moans made Sophia understand that she was being encouraged to go on. Without a moment's hesitation, she continued to suck and lick without stopping. Not even when Melissa began to tremble because she was reaching her limit did Sophia allow herself not to give her more love.

  “A-Aaah! Cumming... Nhmm! Aaah! Sophia!”

  All at once, a huge amount of love juice exploded out of Melissa. Not daring to let a single drop escape, Sophia used all her passion to drink it all down. The heavenly nectar of her beloved entered her mouth and warmed her stomach. Sophia had never imagined herself doing anything like this, but she loved every second of it with all her being. She wanted more; she desperately sought more of Melissa's love. Her fervent tongue stimuted the already sensitive cavern to get as much as possible.

  As she continued to come non-stop, Melissa felt an intense electricity run down her spine. The waves of pleasure that flooded her mind wouldn't let her think of anything else but bringing her closer to Sophia, hugging her with all her might.

  After several minutes spent catching her breath, Melissa finally loosened her hold on Sophia, just enough to let her sit upright again. Wasting no time, Melissa climbed onto Sophia’s p, using her inventory to remove the clothes that covered her ample chest.

  “This is a new definition of a pillow,” Sophia chuckled softly, cradling Melissa as she rested her head against her bare chest.

  Melissa, too exhausted to respond, adjusted herself as comfortably as she could in Sophia's embrace, pulling the mossy bnket over both of them for warmth.

  “You know... back when I used to sit in that room, waiting for either of my parents to come home, the nights felt so empty and slow. It was like I was the only person in the world.” Sophia’s fingers gently traced through Melissa’s hair as her face leaned closer, seeking the comforting warmth of her partner’s skin. “But now, I don’t have to wait for anyone to come back. The only person I need is already here in my arms.”

  Her words were filled with sincerity, barely concealing the growing urge to kiss Melissa even more. Yet, as she held the now-warmed body of her beloved, Melissa’s sleepy voice reached her ears.

  “Sophia...”

  “Hm? What is it?”

  “When I had to spend nights alone in the orphanage, I was always scared of everything. Dark nights, storms, bad people.” Melissa clung to Sophia with gentle touches, the warmth and comfort of her presence bringing an immense sense of peace. “But I’m not afraid of it anymore... because I know you’ll always be here with me.”

  Melissa whispered as she snuggled even closer, her voice softening further, a clear sign she was on the verge of sleep.

  Using her free hand, Sophia embraced the drowsy girl even tighter. She leaned in, bringing her lips close to Melissa’s ear.

  “Good night, Melissa. I love you.”