Chapter 162Cling

"Thank you for tolerating my selfishness..." Lana expressed—hands over her lap and bowing apologetically after she and Jason reunited with Lillie, Mallow, Ren, Runa, and Sweetie in the sitting room.

"What were the two of you doing all this time? Having sex...?" Selene questioned curiously, having arrived while Jason and Lana were away. Bowie was with her, sleeping atop a perch while she, Lillie, Mallow, and Ren sat and ate snacks around the room's central table.

"We didn't..." Lana answered plainly, shaking her head before glancing back at Jason and stating, "Not that I didn't want to. A certain someone never took the initiative..."

"...?"

Confused by Lana's accusation, Jason considered asking when he had the opportunity to take the initiative, but resisted. For reasons he could only speculate about, Lana had asked that he keep what they had done together a secret. To that end, he forced a wry smile and asked, "Would you like to go first tonight...?"

"I would," Lana confirmed, her expression serious as she responded with a firm, resolute nod.

"Oh! Can I go second, then?" Selene questioned, her eyes lighting up as she unabashedly revealed, "I've tried touching myself and using a bunch of different items to recreate the sensation, but they were all kind of lame. I thought of asking Elio for help, but his penis doesn't get big like Jason's does.

"..."

"Of course it doesn't..." Lillie responded, exhaling in exasperation before reminding Selene that Jason was different from other boys and that they were supposed to be keeping the concept of sex a secret. Meanwhile, as he and Lana took their positions around the table, Jason couldn't help but feel a sense of incongruence as he was the only one who seemed to care that Selene had considered having sex with her brother...

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"Ugh...it feels like I'm going to be pulled into the sky..." Mallow remarked softly, hugging herself and rubbing her arms as she gazed up at the pitch-black sky of Jason's Sanctum.

"Mmn...it's best that you don't stare directly up..." Jason affirmed, placing his hands on Mallow's shoulders before changing his mind and electing to embrace her supportively from behind.

"Oh? So warm~" Mallow hummed, closing her eyes and settling into Jason's embrace. She was still trying to process everything he and Lillie had revealed. But Jason's warmth and willingness to comfort her went a long way toward making her feel that everything would be okay.

"Could this be what the interior of a Poké Ball is like...?" Lana questioned, her eyes wide and brows raised as she looked around, more curious than concerned.

"It's certainly possible. Though, it should be noted that the environments rendered within Poké Balls are digital. Everything here, on the other hand, is real," Lillie stated, her melodious tone tinged with a hint of pride as she stood with Runa in her arms, prepared to answer any questions that Lana, Mallow, and Selene might have about the Sanctum and its facilities.

"Is that why it's so empty? You haven't been able to bring in enough soil and grass...?" Selene questioned, staring down at her smartphone, which displayed a bird's-eye view of the Sanctum—courtesy of the camera her Rowlet, Bowie, was carrying. It showed that, except for the running path and grassy strip circling Sanctum's equator, much of its surface was still a black void.

"If I were to populate it with just soil and grass, I have more than enough AP to cover the surface..." Jason remarked, elucidating, "But since the AP I use to install environmental modules isn't returned when I remove them, I need to consider each installation carefully."

"How much AP do you have...?" Selene questioned, glancing at Jason with wide, inquisitive eyes.

"Personally? Around 350,000..." Jason revealed, a wry smile adorning his face. In reality, his current AP reserves were 1,739,500. However, as more than a million of that stemmed from his association with Cynthia, he didn't consider it his.

"And how much does it cost to purchase soil and grass?" Selene asked, raising her padded, gauntlet-covered left hand and forearm for Bowie to perch upon as he completed his circuit.

"Inert soil costs 1,000 AP. Fertile, farm-ready soil costs 3,000 AP. And grass-topped soil costs 2,000 AP per block," Lillie answered, raising her chin and puffing her chest.

"That's right," Jason confirmed, nodding.

"What about sand and water...?" Lana questioned, her large blue eyes gleaming with expectation as she asked, "If you had enough AP, would it be possible to create a lake or a beach for fishing and swimming?"

"Both fresh and salt water are actually pretty cheap, costing only 100 and 150 AP per cubic meter," Jason revealed, gesturing with his chin to where the Small Spirit Pond was located before expanding, "But since we're able to import them from outside, it's better to invest in resources and facilities that provide tangible benefits. That pond over there, for example, has the effect of boosting stamina recovery and natural regeneration by 300% for one hour after consumption."

"You have a pond...?" Lana asked, not waiting for Jason's response before she ran over to the aforementioned pond—located several tens of meters away—to inspect it.

"That girl loves to swim..." Jason remarked, watching with mild incredulity as Lana stripped down to her sukumizu-style swimsuit, entered the waist-deep pond, and promptly submerged herself. He knew she liked exploring water, but he didn't expect her to suddenly go off on her own to take a dip mid-conversation...

"Should we join her...?" Mallow asked, looking back and up at Jason over her shoulder as she revealed, "I recently purchased a new bikini. Want to take a look?"

"Sure...?" Jason responded, releasing his hold on Mallow's body so that she could remove her top and shimmy out of her form-fitting shorts. He couldn't help but feel that things were derailing. But instead of insisting that they continue with the tour and explanation of his System, he took a moment to note that the rest of the group was undressing before pulling his own shirt over his head...

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"Oh, wow...this is waaaaaaaaay better than that pond..." Selene sighed contentedly, sinking into the hot spring next to Lillie and Runa. The way she slumped and relaxed her body with her knees spread was nothing short of careless, but while Lillie and Mallow couldn't help but take note of it, neither pointed it out.

"It does feel nice, doesn't it? And if it has the effects that Jason and Lillie say it has, we should bathe here often..." Mallow asserted, glancing off to the side, where Jason was seated behind and lathering Lana's body at the showers.

"I apologize for keeping this place a secret from everyone until now. But you can rest assured that the spring's effects are authentic. They've been verified by no fewer than three independent research teams," Lillie stated, following Mallow's gaze.

"What's up? Why are the two of you looking over at Jason and Lana...?" Selene asked, causing the duo in question to perk up and look over with raised brows and confused expressions.

"Oh, it's nothing major," Mallow stated, waving her left hand and smiling mischievously as she noted, "I just couldn't help noticing that Lana really enjoys keeping Jason to herself~" in a playful, sing-song tone.

"And? Is it wrong for me to want to spend time with my boyfriend?" Lana questioned, her eyes half-lidded, and a prominent flush tinting her poutily puffed cheeks.

"Not at all~" Mallow hummed, finding Lana's behavior more adorable than intimidating.

"Hmmmn? Should I get Jason to wash me as well...?" Selene questioned, glancing down at her body and imagining Jason hugging her from behind, his hands and fingers dutifully and methodically washing her. She usually had Elio wash her back, shoulders, and feet. But as she imagined Jason in his place, a fluttery feeling permeated her chest...

"Jason's hands are large but soft. And since he regularly practices giving massages, he knows precisely where and how to caress a woman's body to make them feel comfortable~" Lillie hummed, prompting Ren, who had been practice-swimming in the spring's deep end, to emerge and confirm, "Mnn...Ren really likes it when Jason washes her body..." while glancing in his and Lana's direction.

"Unfortunately, I only have one pair of hands. And it's nearly time for dinner..." Jason reminded, forcing a smile. He wouldn't refuse if everyone got out of the spring and demanded he wash each of their bodies in turn. But since a certain part of his body was already poking Lana's lower back, fully visible to anyone who elected to steal a glimpse, he was trying to get in and out of the hot spring as quickly as possible...

"Then you should hurry and finish washing me properly..." Lana asserted plainly, guiding Jason's right hand between her thighs. She could naturally feel his penis pressing against her back. But since he had already refused when she asked if he wanted to stick it inside her, she used a chiding tone to spur him to continue.

"Right..." Jason responded faintly, his already tender face warming as he used his fingers to carefully cleanse both the outside and inside of Lana's vagina. She had insisted that it be thoroughly cleaned for that evening. So while Mallow and Selene laughed and made a series of teasing remarks at his and Lana's expense, he did his best to maintain a straight face and get the job done...

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Unable to sleep with Lillie and Mallow at his sides and Lana generating heat like a furnace atop him, Jason eventually extricated himself from the sleeping beauties' embraces—reassuring them that everything was okay and telling them to return to sleep before making his way to the bathroom to rinse his face with cold water.

'I need to start spending time with more mature women...' Jason thought, raising his gaze to meet his reflection's, staring back at him with what he interpreted to be a self-deprecating glower. He would be lying if he said it hadn't felt incredible to hold Lana's slender waist, her insides adhering to him tighter than a fitted glove as he did her from behind. But now that the pleasure had faded and he was no longer going with the flow of things, he couldn't help but feel he had crossed a line...

Though girls like Lana and Iris were unquestionably legal, even by the standards of his former world, Jason had always preferred women with fuller, particularly buxom figures. He greatly appreciated Lana's earnest, straightforward, and seemingly dauntless nature. But he couldn't help but wish she were ten to twenty centimeters taller—with breasts that couldn't fit in the palms of his hands...

'Stop it...you should feel grateful that so many exceptional women are willing to give you the time of day...' Jason reminded himself, closing his eyes and leaning forward with his hands flanking the sink. As he did, he couldn't help but recall the last time he was in such a position, his hands resting flat on the counter as he purposely traced his tongue around Iris's nipples—her hands embracing his head as she reassured him that he was doing well...

"..."

Realizing for the n-teenth time that he was worrying about things that, compared to threats like Team Rainbow Rocket, didn't matter, Jason ran the faucet and rinsed his face with cold water for a second time. The fact of the matter was that he had accepted Lana as his girlfriend as she was. Expecting or asking her to change wasn't fair to her. So, even if his spring was capable of promoting her growth, he needed to be willing to reassure her that she was perfect as she was...

*ssshnk*

Reacting to the bathroom door sliding open, Jason looked to his right and found Lana standing at the entrance in pale, bluish-green pajamas with a wavy seafoam pattern around the sleeves and hem. The completed outfit came with matching, loose-fitting shorts. But as Jason invariably lowered his gaze, he couldn't help but notice that Lana wasn't wearing anything to cover her lower half...

"..."

"I need to pee..." Lana muttered faintly, holding Jason's gaze for several seconds before entering the bathroom fully, closing the door behind her, and stepping past him to take a seat on the toilet. Jason initially thought to leave her to his business, but as he turned to depart, Lana called out to him in a hushed but direct voice, asking him to stay so she could have him confirm that he hadn't damaged anything. Unable to refuse, Jason stood nearby, both his and Lana's faces turning red as she stared at him intently and spent nearly a full minute emptying her bladder...

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