SSS Rank Awakening: The World Beyond Redemption

Rael stared at the very beautiful girl still wrapped around him. Then he looked down at himself.

He was completely naked. No shirt. No pants. Nothing. He could feel her body heat against his chest.

Why? Where are my clothes? And what is this woman doing in my bed?

He glanced around carefully, making sure it really was his room. The walls and layout were the same, but the place felt different—brighter, softer, almost girly. The air carried a faint, clean scent instead of the stale smell he had expected. Someone else had clearly been living here while he was gone.

The girl stirred at the sound of him shifting. She opened her eyes slowly. Grey eyes, still hazy with sleep, focused on him in confusion.

Rael’s mouth went dry. She slowly sat up, and the blanket slipped. He could see everything. Her breasts were large, impossible to ignore. He had never seen a naked girl before. His mind simply stopped.

The only word that managed to leave his mouth was:

”Pink.”

She squinted at him. ”What are you saying?”

Rael jerked his head away, face burning. ”Excuse me... you’re not wearing a shirt.”

The girl looked down at herself then at Rael then again at herself. Consciousness returned all at once. Her eyes widened. She let out a sharp scream and yanked the blanket up to cover her chest.

The sudden pull dragged the blanket completely off Rael’s legs.

Now she could see him.

Rael looked down at himself—already reacting—and then back at her. She couldn’t seem to look away. He had no idea what was going through her head. He quickly covered himself with both hands.

The silence that followed was thick and painful.

He slowly understood the situation, at least partly. He had somehow returned from the Dream Realm to the exact place he had left. He had no idea how long he had been gone. And this girl had clearly bought or moved into his apartment. Any second now she would start screaming for the authorities.

He turned toward her carefully, trying to keep his voice calm.

”Wait. I can explain.”

She raised one hand, still clutching the blanket to her chest with the other. ”Wait, wait. I can understand the situation on my own.”

Rael blinked. ”Really? You can? How do you know?”

She pulled the blanket tighter and stood up, keeping her body covered as best she could. Her figure was impossible to miss even then—very full in the chest and hips. She grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at him.

”Cover it.”

He caught the pillow and quickly placed it over himself.

She bowed her head slightly, face already red. ”I’m sorry.”

Rael stared. ”What? Why are you apologizing?”

”I’m sorry... I don’t remember your name.” Her voice was quiet, thick with embarrassment. ”I forget things after I get drunk. Even after we... did it... I still don’t remember your name.”

Rael’s thoughts stalled for a second. She thinks we had sex.

He could use that. If he played along, maybe he could get out of this without the authorities getting involved.

”It’s okay,” he said carefully. ”I can understand. I’m not hurt.”

She looked at him, still flushed. ”Thank you for understanding.”

The tension in the room eased just a little. She glanced around with pink cheeks.

”I’m going to get dressed. Where are your clothes? I can give them to you.”

Rael looked around the floor. ”To be honest... I also don’t know where my clothes are.”

She searched the room for a moment, bending slightly to look under the bed and then Rael could see her ass he turned his head again, then she straightened up again. ”I can’t find them either. Wait—the last guy who lived here left some clothes behind. Maybe I can find those for you.”

”Thank you,” Rael said, trying not to let the irony show. She was about to offer him his own clothes.

She started to turn away to change. He spoke before she could leave.

”Wait. Can I know your name?”

She stopped. Her ears turned red. ”I... also didn’t tell you my name.”

Rael quickly shook his head. ”Wait, wait. Maybe you told me and I forgot.”

She nodded, clearly choosing to believe the lie because it was less humiliating. ”Sa... Samantha Ross.”

She looked at him again. ”Could you tell me your name again I promise I will not forget it this time.”

Rael hesitated only a fraction of a second.

”Rael Blac— Ashborne. Rael Ashborne.”

He could not risk giving his real family name. Not until he knew whether she was safe or not.

Samantha nodded once more, still embarrassed, and left the room to find clothes.

Rael sat on the edge of the bed, pillow still covering him, and let out a quiet breath. He was oddly proud of how he had handled it. Instead of ending up with a crime report, he had received apologies.

But something else caught his attention.

Before he awakened, he had never been able to sense much around ordinary people at that time everyone was equal. But now he could feel the density of mana in the air around her. It was thick. Heavy. Controlled.

She was powerful. Very powerful.

Right now, he was nowhere near her level.

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[Strom2warden thanks for the golden ticket.]