Inside the underground shelter...

"Haaa... Haa..."

Jake and Grace leaned against the wall of the shelter, finally allowing themselves to breathe.

Jake’s heart was still racing from the close call.

He had never felt so much adrenaline in his life.

But if he hadn’t taken that chance, who knows what would have happened if they had simply waited for the two sides to finish fighting.

But now that they were safely back inside the shelter, Jake no longer cared about the clash between Scarlet and Hector’s forces.

Sure, he knew Scarlet, but they weren’t close enough for him to risk his life... or Grace by getting involved.

As if sensing his pounding heart, Grace pressed herself tightly against him, her golden eyes filled with relief and admiration.

"That light just now... it was different," she murmured, blinking up at him. "It was so much brighter and more powerful than the last time."

Jake gently stroked her golden hair, feeling the tension slowly drain from both of them.

"Yeah... I mixed a burst of my new aura with your Light Manifestation. They really complement each other really well and become much stronger together."

"Aura?"

Grace tilted her head cutely, but then she remembered that only those with Rare classes and above could properly wield aura.

Her golden eyes widened in surprise and joy.

"Jake! Could it be you...?"

Seeing her reaction, Jake smiled proudly.

"That’s right. I’ve advanced my base class to Rare."

Hearing his words, Grace’s eyes sparkled with pure happiness and awe.

She hugged him a little tighter, careful of his injuries, her soft body pressing warmly against his.

"Rare class... Jake, you’re amazing!" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

She was genuinely overjoyed for him.

Meanwhile, Jake gulped slightly, very aware of the amazing soft flesh squishing tightly against his chest.

Even through the pain in his ribs, the sensation of Grace’s massive, warm breasts pressing against him made his body react instinctively.

The thin fabric of her shirt did almost nothing to hide how full and soft they were.

’Dammit... it must be the Sex Fiend skill...’

Jake decided to blame it all on the new skill.

Then, he cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Ahem... Yes, and my new Rare Class is called Aura Warrior."

Jake then opened his updated status.

[Name: Jake Bond]

[Class: Aura Warrior (Rare)]

[Unique Class: Bonds Captain (???)]

[Strength: Above Average]

[Intelligence: Above Average]

[Vitality: Above Average]

[Agility: Above Average]

[Endurance: Above Average]

[Luck: Legendary]

[Skills:]

Basic Combat Mastery (Passive – Lv.1)

Aura (Passive – Lv.1) (NEW)

Aura Manipulation (Lv.1) (NEW)

Light Manifestation (Lv.1)

Slash (Lv.1)

Charisma (Passive – Lv.1)

Battle Adept (Passive – Lv.1)

Instinct (Passive – Lv.2)

Bonds (Passive – ???)

State Allocation (???)

Class Appraisal (Lv.1)

Sex Fiend (Passive)

[Upgrade Points: 1400]

[Crew (Pirate): Grace Lightborn]

"...But it seem there aren’t too many changes yet," Jake murmured, mostly to himself.

"But I’ve gained a new passive skill called Aura and another called Aura Manipulation. It feels like I can now generate and control inner energy more easily. And I could feel that it should work really well with your Light Manifestation."

Grace listened intently, her golden eyes sparkling with excitement and pride.

"Actually, I don’t know too much, but I heard that Aura is a skill that complements all kinds of abilities," she explained softly. "It can strengthen other skills, make them more powerful, or even change how they work. That’s why many strong people try so hard to awaken it..."

She tilted her head cutely and continued.

"But I heard that normally, when someone reaches a Rare Class, they only gain a passive Aura skill... not Aura Manipulation."

Jake blinked when he heard this.

It seems that must be a unique skill of the Aura Warrior class.

The reason he chose this class over Sea Knight was precisely because of its all-rounder nature.

He knew he would only gain more skills in the future, so having a strong, flexible foundation like Aura Warrior felt like the smartest long-term choice.

And it seemed to be the right decision after seeing how much more powerful Light Manifestation became after infusing it with aura.

Grace smiled brightly and nuzzled closer, her massive, soft breasts squishing even more firmly against his chest.

"I’m really happy for you, Jake," she whispered, her voice full of genuine joy.

Jake gulped again, very aware of how good she felt pressed against him.

His body was reacting strongly despite his injuries.

Grace seemed to notice his slightly heavier breathing.

She looked up at him with soft, understanding golden eyes and a shy little smile.

"Jake... you’re so tense," she said gently, her hand resting on his chest. "If the pain is bad... or if you need me to help you feel better... you can tell me. I don’t mind at all."

Her cheeks flushed a soft pink as she added quietly...

"And I want to take care of my strong Captain..."

The air in the shelter felt warmer and heavier.

Grace who was acting coy, suddenly blinked as a seductive little smile curved her lips.

Because she felt a pair of rough palms currently kneading her plump rear.

She licked her lips slowly, her golden eyes turning hazy with desire.

"Mmm... Jake..." she whispered hotly, pressing her soft, curvy body even closer against him.

Her massive breasts squished firmly against his chest as she shifted her hips, deliberately pushing her plump pale ass back into his hands.

For some reason, her heart was filled with intense longing for Jake’s affection.

Jake’s hands instinctively squeezed her soft, full ass cheeks harder, feeling the soft warmth flesh flow through his fingers.

He opened his mouth.

"Grace, let..."

Grace’s heart fluttered, expecting some sweet or lewd words.

She looked up at him with eager, hazy eyes.

But his next words made her blink in surprise.

"...let us train."

Jake spoke seriously, his voice low and resolute, even as his hands continued to squeeze and knead her juicy rear possessively.

Grace froze for a second.

She tilted her head, looking adorably confused.

"Train...?"