CHAPTER 317: ...ARE YOU TELLING ME I WAS LEAKING POINTS?

[Confirmed. Coins deducted. Perks installed.]

"Do I need to review my new abilities?" Ethan asked, still not moving.

[Optional.]

"Later," he murmured, dismissing the overlay with a subtle thought.

The warmth of the morning returned like it had never left, a slow, drowsy tide settling back over his skin and breath.

The filtered sunlight softened the edges of the room, casting everything in a golden haze that seemed too peaceful to be real.

The sheets no longer felt like fabric but like memory—something that wrapped around you and asked for nothing.

In the background, the low hum of the dorm’s climate system murmured against the silence, present but unintrusive, like the quiet breathing of a house that knew its occupants were still asleep.

Evelyn’s hand shifted again, fingers brushing lightly against his chest—not gripping or checking, just... connecting, like she wanted to remind herself he hadn’t left.

Everly, behind him, was still tangled against his side, her leg curled possessively over his hip, body tucked along his back in a way that made it feel like they were one organism, not three.

There was a silence here that didn’t ask questions. And for a moment, he let it hold him.

His breath matched theirs—slow, steady, unburdened. He wasn’t a myth or a monster or some heir to secrets too old to name.

Not here. Not in this bed. Here, he was just Ethan. Warm, surrounded, and alive.

But some things don’t stay quiet for long.

His mind tugged.

"System," he whispered internally, careful not to disturb the girls. "Why did you go quiet during the riot? Or even the college event? You didn’t say a word through any of it."

The answer didn’t rush him. It came like someone who had waited for permission to speak.

[Because it wasn’t my moment.]

He frowned slightly at the ceiling, brow creasing.

"What does that mean?"

[You didn’t need me. The growth that happened there wasn’t system-assisted. It was personal. That path was yours. I only speak when I’m meant to support. Not override.]

He didn’t respond right away. It wasn’t defensive. It wasn’t cold. If anything, it felt honest—like the kind of truth you rarely got from anyone, even the people you trusted.

It didn’t feel like praise.

But it felt like respect.

He exhaled once, soft and slow.

"...And Lilith?"

The name came gently, not from frustration but from curiosity. He still didn’t understand why nothing had triggered during their closest moments.

No system alert. No synchronization. Not even a trace of a bond message.

[Your tier is incompatible. Your bloodline purity is too low. She is Queen-Class. Fully anchored. You are not strong enough to synchronize with her. Not yet.]

He nodded once, more to himself than anything.

"That... makes sense."

No resentment. No drama. Just a quiet acknowledgment. Lilith hadn’t flinched under his aura because his aura hadn’t yet evolved enough to reach her.

Something was grounding in knowing that. He wasn’t being denied. He just wasn’t there yet.

Behind him, Everly’s breath deepened—her grip tightening slightly in her sleep, as if her body knew he’d started thinking again.

Evelyn, still nestled into his chest, pressed closer, her breath brushing his collarbone.

A smile tugged at his lips.

Maybe he hadn’t claimed a Queen yet.

But these two?

They’d given him everything without waiting to be asked.

That counted.

He let his body relax again, sinking back into the warmth, letting the air settle—

Until the system spoke again.

[Also, Master...]

His eyes didn’t open. But his brow twitched. "Now what?"

[You’ve been missing coin multipliers.]

"...Excuse me?"

[Your recent interactions with the Moonshade twins generated multiple conditional intimacy bonuses. You failed to claim three backdated emotional reward chains.]

One eye cracked open. "...I what?"

[You exceeded overflow capacity. Points were redirected into a temporary storage loop. Passive absorption reached its cap.]

"...Are you telling me I was leaking points?"

[Reframed: You were emotionally generous but statistically inefficient.]

He shifted slightly, and immediately Evelyn sighed in protest, nuzzling closer. Everly groaned and muttered something about pillows, half-asleep but stubborn in her grip.

He exhaled again, settling back into place.

"...Fine. What do I need to do?"

[Open the new tab: Intimacy-Based Ability Boosts.]

The interface flickered open again, its borders soft and blue, as if the system knew not to disturb the tone of the moment.

A glowing symbol blinked near the bottom, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.

He selected it.

The tab expanded—clean formatting, quiet lines of text rolling out like they’d been waiting weeks to be read.

[Partner Sync Buffs – Status: Eligible]

[Emotion Depth Tiers – Moonshade Twins: Level 3 Achieved – Trust Imprint Confirmed]

[Intimacy Replay Index – 6 Recorded Instances]

[Bonus Pool – Claim Pending: +2,100 Points, +1,750 Coins]

"...You mean I’ve had unclaimed points this whole time?"

[You exceeded safe storage parameters. Passive gain rerouted. Full bonus accumulation now restored.]

"You’re saying I’ve been throwing away free upgrades."

[Correct. Your efficiency ratio dropped 63.8% during peak bonding moments.]

"You... tracked that?"

[Of course.]

He rubbed at his face with one hand.

"You’re enjoying this."

[My satisfaction index is not relevant. But... yes.]

He stared at the floating numbers momentarily, then finally asked, "So what do these ’Intimacy Boosts’ actually do?"

[Would you like a simplified summary or a categorized breakdown?]

"Short version."

[Pending Activation:

– Dream Bond Persistence

– Synchronization Reflex Bonus

– Pleasure Resonance Feedback Loop

– Emotional Recovery Aura (Passive)

– Subconscious Partner Calming Pulse]

He blinked. "In normal-person terms?"

[Your presence now soothes your partners. You can stabilize emotional spikes passively.

Memory impressions from intimacy now linger during sleep. Shared moods affect aura expression. Physical response time improves when protecting bonded individuals.]

"...So I’m basically a walking emotional Wi-Fi router now."

[Correct. With premium bandwidth.]

He groaned softly.

"And how many of these are because of the twins?"

[All five.]

He tapped the claim button without hesitation.

[+2,100 Incubus Points acquired.]

[+1,750 Incubus Coins received.]

The numbers slid smoothly into place. The meter inched closer toward his next tier threshold.

He closed the window and was about to sink back again when something else tugged at his memory.

"...Wait."

His eyes narrowed slightly.