Starting With an SSS-Rank Goddess Summon!

Evelyn, completely mesmerized by the beauty of the ancient tradition, unknowingly reached out her hand.

Her smaller leather-gloved fingers wrapped tightly around Silas’s large calloused hand.

Silas blinked in genuine surprise, looking down at their joined hands, and then up at her Kitsune mask.

But he didn’t pull away.

He gently squeezed her fingers back, turning his attention to the dancing dragons.

It was a truly beautiful breathtaking display.

For a few minutes, the blood, the syndicates, and the looming death match faded into the background.

...They were just two tired people enjoying a festival.

At the end of the long intricate play, the drums slowed to a deep heartbeat.

The black and red dragon bowed its massive head, and the white dragon intertwined its long, silk body around its rival.

The two dragons settled peacefully against the cobblestone, warming up to each other in a symbol of harmonious balance.

The massive crowd erupted into deafening joyous cheers, tossing handfuls of pink cherry blossom petals into the air.

Evelyn reluctantly let go of Silas’s hand as the crowd dispersed.

They continued walking down the sidewalk as the noise returning to normal.

”That was incredible,” Evelyn blabbed enthusiastically, her voice uncharacteristically light and full of wonder. ”The coordination required to move those silk constructs without tangling the mana lines is top-tier. I am really thankful that you pushed me to stay here and see it with you, Silas...”

Silas smiled beneath his Oni mask, glad he could bring a fraction of normal joy to her chaotic life.

Suddenly, Evelyn stopped walking. She snapped her fingers with an epiphany striking her brain.

”I know exactly where we can stay without using our IDs in this district,” Evelyn announced, her dark eyes shining with sudden mischievous brilliance.

Silas blinked, crossing his arms.

”Are you sure? It has to be completely off the grid.”

”I am positive,” Evelyn nodded. But as she spoke, a sudden blush crept up her neck, visibly reddening her pale skin even behind the edges of her mask.

She quickly grabbed his sleeve again, forcefully carrying him off down a side street.

Ten minutes later, they arrived in front of their destination.

Silas stared up at the massive gaudy building.

It was painted entirely in a blinding shade of neon pink, decorated with glowing pulsing heart-shaped runes.

The sign above the automatic sliding doors read ”Lover’s Rest” in bright cursive holographic letters.

It was a classic Love Hotel.

”Uhh...” Silas muttered, his brain completely short-circuiting as he stared at the sleazy architecture.

”Do not make this weird,” Evelyn commanded him fiercely with her own face burning as she forcefully dragged him through the automatic glass doors and into the heavily perfumed lobby.

The lobby was decorated in tacky red velvet wallpaper and plush, curved sofas.

Soft incredibly sleazy jazz music played through hidden speakers.

They walked up to the front desk.

The receptionist, an older woman wearing far too much makeup and a low-cut blouse, looked up at the broad-shouldered young man in the demonic mask and the petite young woman in the Kitsune mask.

She didn’t ask for names, IDs, or guild affiliations as discretion was the entire business model.

The woman smiled a wide inappropriate smile, instantly jumping to the most degenerate conclusions.

”Welcome, young lovers,” the woman purred, sliding a heavy brass key across the counter.

She didn’t even bother charging them upfront. ”I have a room for you... Room 402, top floor. It has a reinforced reinforced bed frame.”

Evelyn snatched the key, trying to walk away, but the woman leaned over the counter.

”You two should procreate like wild beasts tonight,” the receptionist encouraged them shamelessly, winking at Silas. ”Make sure to do it loudly! We pride ourselves on a lively atmosphere!”

Silas stared at the woman in horror.

’Elu already milked me...’

The woman suddenly reached into a glass bowl on the counter and grabbed a handful of small glowing blue capsules.

She forcefully shoved the pills directly into Silas’s large hand.

”Here, big guy, take some stamina boosters on the house,” the woman urged him enthusiastically. ”You are going to need them to last longer with a fiery girl like her! Make sure you fill her up good!”

Both Silas and Evelyn physically cringed, their souls trying to leave their bodies to escape the agonizing excruciatingly awkward conversation.

”We are leaving now,” Silas stated flatly, grabbing Evelyn by the hood of her sweater and speed-walking directly toward the velvet-lined staircase.

They practically sprinted up the four flights of stairs.

As they climbed higher into the building, the noise became undeniable.

Muffled thumping, heavy panting, and loud explicit moans echoed from almost every single closed door they passed.

’Are people really this constantly sexually active?’ Silas wondered to himself, genuinely disturbed by the volume of reproductive energy happening around them.

Not that he minded but then again, he wasn’t here with his girls or he would have joined in... If they wanted...

’Elu would though, she’s kinky like that but for Morwenna... I’m not so sure.’

They finally got to room 402 and shoved the key into the lock. They burst inside, slamming the heavy wooden door behind them.

Strangely, despite the sleazy exterior and the terrifying lobby, the room was incredibly clean.

’Damn...’

Silas had fully sworn that the bedsheets would be filthy and the floors sticky, but it was actually quite luxurious.

A massive circular bed sat in the center of the room, positioned beneath a large mirror bolted to the ceiling.

Evelyn didn’t waste a second admiring the decor.

She immediately raised her hands, extending her dense blue mana outward.

She expertly wove a complex soundproof barrier, sealing the entire room off from the horrific moaning sounds of the hallway.

She then reached deep into her cargo pocket, pulling out a small sleek metallic gadget.

She tapped the button on the top.

BZZZT.

A silent invisible localized EMP wave pulsed outward from the device, instantly sweeping the room.

Within seconds, Silas heard the distinct popping sounds of several hidden recording devices, cameras, and audio bugs hidden in the lamps and mirrors violently short-circuiting and dying.

”There,” Evelyn exhaled a massive breath of relief, putting the EMP gadget away. ”We are finally alone... It is quiet, it is secure, and nobody knows we are here.”

They were going to be locked in the same intimate room with a massive circular bed for the next few hours, but Silas genuinely didn’t mind.

It was a necessity, and they were both exhausted.

Silas walked over and sat down heavily on the edge of the plush bed with the mattress sinking under his weight.

He unbuttoned the top of his heavy trench coat to vent some heat.

”What is the exact time right now?” Evelyn asked, walking over to the small attached bathroom to inspect the facilities.

Silas reached into his pocket, pulling out his smartphone. He tapped the screen, checking the digital clock.

”It’s exactly 9:00 PM,” Silas reported, shaking his head.

Time was flying by so incredibly fast today.

He had woken up in the real world and now he was sitting in a Valoria City Love Hotel.

”I am going to call Martha quickly to check in,” Silas told her, unlocking the phone.

”Okay, it’s safe to broadcast through the barrier,” Evelyn called out from the bathroom.

She poked her Kitsune mask out the door. ”I am going to take a quick bath to wash the rest of the alleyway grime off my skin.”

She closed the bathroom door, and seconds later, Silas heard the sound of rushing water.

Silas hit the call button. The line rang twice before a familiar warm voice picked up.

”Master Silas!” Martha answered happily. ”Is everything going well with your business meeting?”

”Yes, Martha, it’s fine,” Silas lied smoothly, omitting the part about the suicide bombers and the blood-sport tournament. ”But I wanted to let you know that I will be out for quite a while. I have a lot of paperwork to sort through, and I won’t be able to come back home tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow or so.”

”Oh, I completely understand, Master,” Martha replied, her voice taking on a sudden motherly tone. ”You are a growing, successful young man. It is only natural that your ’meetings’ run late into the night...”

Silas frowned. ”It really is just business, Martha.”

”Of course it is,” Martha agreed entirely too quickly.

There was a brief pause, followed by a hushed serious whisper. ”But Master Silas... please, make sure to use proper protection tonight. Before the woman you left with uses your child to lock you down and extract heavy child support from your new funds.”

Silas stared at his phone in blank disbelief.

Martha genuinely thought he was out trying to impregnate Evelyn in a hotel room right now.

’But...’

Silas couldn’t help it as he burst out laughing.

”I will keep that advice in mind, Martha,” Silas chuckled, shaking his head. ”Just make sure Lia finishes her homework and stays safe.”

”Always, Master. Have a wonderful night,” Martha promised, hanging up the call.

Silas shut his phone off, tossing it onto the bedside table.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and closed his eyes.

He needed to focus. He was going to be in a brutal, bare-knuckle fist brawl with dozens of trained enhanced criminals in a few hours.

And with the null-stone bands clamped to his wrists, he wouldn’t be able to project any of his vast oceanic mana outside of his physical body.

But the receptionist had specifically stated the rules.

You couldn’t use mana outside but she never said anything about circulating mana internally.

Silas wanted to use his internal mana to activate the Second Form of his Tide-Blade Arts: Rip Current Perception.

Usually, this technique required him to project a wide thin film of water into the air around him, allowing him to physically feel the subtle shifts in air currents and perfectly read the weak points of his enemies.

That was exactly how he wanted it to function in the cage tonight.

He wanted to see their physical weak points without expending a single drop of mana outside of his body.

If he could achieve that, he could strike them with precision, ending massive brawls instantly with a single devastating punch to a flaw in their stance.

Silas focused his mind, drawing the crushing weight of his Gold Core up through his chest.

He tried to carefully manifest the thin, magical film of water directly behind his own retinas, keeping the spell entirely contained within his own skull.

He pushed the mana into his eyes.

Instantly, a sharp stinging pain flared behind his ocular nerves.

”Ugh...”

Silas gasped with his eyes flying open.

His vision was completely blurred, like he was trying to look through a thick pane of frosted glass underwater.

The light of the room smeared into painful streaks of neon pink.

He blinked rapidly, cutting off the mana flow until his vision slowly cleared.

He tried again... He used different, highly complex variations of the internal mana flow, trying to thin the water film, trying to mix it with energy.

But every single attempt yielded the same terrible result. It just blurred his vision, making him effectively blind.

He let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples.

It was a brilliant theory, but the execution was immensely difficult to master on such short notice.

Click!

The sound of the bathroom door unlocking broke his concentration.

Silas looked up, his instincts expecting Evelyn to walk out fully dressed and ready to plot their tournament strategy.

As the wooden door swung open, a thick humid cloud of warm steam rolled out from the bathroom, carrying the sweet scent of cheap hotel soap.

Evelyn stepped out into the bedroom.

She wasn’t wearing her oversized gray hoodie or her baggy cargo pants.

She had apparently washed her clothes in the sink and hung them up to dry as she was currently wearing nothing but a small, incredibly thin white hotel towel wrapped securely around her chest.

Her dark hair was soaking wet, clinging to her pale damp shoulders. A blush painted her cheeks as she realized how compromising the situation was.

”I had to wash my clothes, they smelled like gore even with the spell so I am drying them s—” Evelyn started to explain defensively, taking a step forward onto the carpet.

But her wet bare foot caught the slick, polished brass transition strip separating the bathroom tile from the bedroom floor.

Evelyn mistakenly slipped as her balance completely vanished.

”Haah...”

She let out a sharp gasp with her reflexes instantly kicking in.

She threw her arms out wildly, managing to twist her body and catch her balance just before she could crash violently onto the floor.

She managed to stop herself from falling so she was safe.

But in the frantic twisting motion to save her balance, her arms had abandoned the towel.

The thin white fabric slipped cleanly from her chest. It fell silently to the floor, pooling in a damp heap around her ankles.

Evelyn froze.

She stood there, undeniably naked in the center of the brightly lit neon-pink hotel room.

Silas, still sitting on the edge of the circular bed, still wearing his dark trench coat and his terrifying metal Oni mask, blinked his golden-ringed eyes.

He stared directly at her exposed flawless form, his brain completely flatlining as it tried to process the sudden escalation of events.

”...Oh?” Silas muttered with the single syllable echoing loudly in the quiet soundproof room.