The next morning, I opened my eyes with difficulty.
My body felt much more relaxed than the night before. Although some effects of the aphrodisiac still lingered, they had at least diminished enough for me to think clearly.
However, as soon as I finished waking up, I discovered that there was something right in front of my face.
A large golden screen floated in the air, welcoming me.
I narrowed my eyes and tried to read its contents.
[Congratulations!]
[Your bond with your summon has been strengthened.]
[Reward obtained: SSS — Shared Body]
I blinked several times, unable to believe what I had just read.
Then I covered my face with both hands and let out a sigh laden with despair.
"How demeaning..."
I stared at the ceiling with a gloomy expression.
"Obtaining a skill through... a blowjob."
Throughout my life I had obtained skills by stealing them, snatching them from my enemies, or killing creatures that possessed exceptional talents. I had never imagined that this method of obtaining them existed.
I shook my head and focused on the screen again.
The fact that the method of obtaining it was shameful didn't mean the reward was too. If I had received an SSS-rank skill, the least I could do was check its usefulness.
I sighed and opened the description.
[SSS — Shared Body]
[The stats of the summons are shared with the user, depending on the level of affinity that exists between them.]
[Current percentage of shared stats: 0.01%]
I stared at the last line for a few seconds.
"That's very little..."
A measly 0.01%? That was all I got after such an experience?
I was about to close the window, but then an idea crossed my mind.
Goliath possessed stats that exceeded 18,000 points. Even if I only received an insignificant fraction of them, the result could be considerable.
But the most important thing wasn't the amount I obtained at that moment.
There was a word in the description that caught my attention.
Summons in plural.
My eyes opened a little wider.
"It can't be..."
If the skill worked as I imagined, it wasn't limited to Goliath. I could share the stats of all the summons I obtained in the future.
And that meant my growth wouldn't depend solely on training my own body or leveling up.
I could increase my power with each new summon.
Furthermore, the percentage depended on affinity. If I managed to strengthen my bonds with them, perhaps the amount of stats I could share would also increase.
However, before letting myself get carried away by enthusiasm, I decided to check whether my stats had changed.
I opened my status window.
[Name: Varka Lakan Saberius]
[Race: Primordial Homunculus]
[Level: 1]
[Specialty: None]
[Stats]
[Strength: 14 + FN {2.2}]
[Defense: 11 + FN {1.8}]
[Magic: 12 + FN {2}]
[Luck: -1]
I frowned.
It seemed that the shared stats were identified with the initials "FN," placed next to the original values.
Although that explained part of the change, there was something that still didn't add up.
Even after delivering the final blow to Zarleurio, my stats had barely increased. Taking into account the strength of that troll and the experience I must have obtained from defeating him, the result was disappointing.
"That's too little..."
I crossed my arms, pensive.
"At the very least, I expected to reach thirty points in one of my stats. Why the hell did I increase so little?"
I mentally reviewed what had happened during the fight.
Could part of the experience have been transferred to Goliath? It was possible, but even so, I should have obtained enough to notice a more significant difference.
Unless...
My eyes slowly shifted toward the race section.
[Primordial Homunculus]
I stared at those two words.
There were races whose growth required enormous amounts of experience. Dragons, high-ranking demons, and leviathans were some examples. Their bodies possessed extraordinary capabilities, but developing their full potential could take centuries.
However, homunculi didn't usually belong to that category.
At least...
"Could it be because of the word 'Primordial'?"
Maybe that body wasn't an ordinary homunculus. Perhaps its nature imposed special conditions for leveling up or developing its attributes.
That would explain why my stats increased so slowly and why I was still stuck at level one.
I brought a hand to my chin.
"I suppose it's not that bad..."
I closed the status window and prepared to keep thinking.
Then I heard a slight movement beside me.
The sheets began to stir.
I slowly turned my head.
Goliath was just waking up. He was still hugging my torso, with his face relaxed and the long pink twin tails spread across the pillow.
He yawned with an adorable expression, as if there were no worries in the world.
"Booooaaah... Good morning, Master."
I stayed silent for a few moments.
"Good morning."
Goliath began to sit up slowly. However, when he finished waking up and seemed to remember what had happened the night before, his cheeks acquired an intense reddish tone.
He looked away toward a corner of the room.
I scratched my head, feeling equally uncomfortable.
"Ah, right... Last night."
The memory hit me full force. For a moment, I didn't know what to say.
Finally, I lowered my head.
"I'm sorry..."
Goliath looked at me again, confused. His cheeks were still flushed.
"Why are you apologizing, Master?"
"For last night," I answered, avoiding his eyes. "For forcing you... or, at least, for putting you in a situation like that."
The words weighed on me more than I expected.
A brief silence fell between us.
Then, Goliath offered a small smile.
"You don't have to apologize, Master. In fact... I think I'm the one who should thank you."
I raised my head, bewildered.
"Thank me?"
Goliath looked away toward the window. The morning light softly illuminated his face, and his expression acquired an unusual seriousness.
"That's right. You were the one who suffered the most intense effects of the aphrodisiac. And even so, you didn't throw yourself at any of the women we found."
I stayed quiet.
He was right.
I had had to fight against my own instincts throughout the entire journey back. Even when my body threatened to betray me, I had managed to keep my distance and take those people to a safe place.
Goliath continued speaking.
"You took them to the village, made sure they were safe, and then you pulled away so you wouldn't put them in danger. Not even when you yourself needed help did you stop worrying about them."
His fingers gently gripped the sheet.
"When I went out to look for you and found you in that state, I felt terrible. You were suffering and I didn't know how to help you. That's why I tried to do something..."
His voice faded at the end of the sentence. His cheeks flushed again and I remained motionless, not quite knowing how to respond.
Goliath began to fidget nervously with his fingers. For a few moments, he kept his gaze down, until he finally gathered the courage to look me directly in the eyes.
Then he smiled. It was a radiant smile, so sincere and warm.
"So don't worry, Master. Besides... I enjoyed it too. Hehe."
I stared at him.
"Huh?"
For an instant, my mind went blank. However, upon seeing that carefree expression, I couldn't help but let a small smile appear on my face.
I sighed and extended a hand toward his head, gently ruffling his pink hair.
Goliath closed his eyes with satisfaction, like a little cat.
For some reason, that small interaction managed to relax me. However, just as I was beginning to feel that the situation had stopped being awkward, a question crossed my mind.
"Right, Goliath. Did the aphrodisiac affect you too?"
My hand stopped on his head.
The reaction was immediate.
Goliath's face flushed red all the way to his ears. He looked away and began pressing the tips of his fingers together, unable to maintain eye contact.
"Hehe..."
A nervous little laugh escaped his lips.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Why are you reacting like that?"
Goliath lowered his head even further, while his fingers continued to move restlessly. I got the impression that my summon was trying to hide something from me.
"Wait a moment... Don't tell me that..."