Humans possess a remarkable talent for forgetting. No matter how earth-shattering the news, how scandalous the crime, or how magnificent the achievement, time always provides a fresh curtain to draw over the past. Today's headline is nothing more than tomorrow's dust.
Charlie had been absent from the public eye for over a week. No matter how brilliant his record as the rising Level 6 "Solo Leveling" had been, his image quickly faded from the collective memory of the masses. The hot topics dominating Orario had shifted; the city's focus was now fixed on Bell Cranel—the Little Rookie who had caused an uproar in the Entertainment District—and the collapse of the Ishtar Familia at the hands of Freya, culminating in Ishtar's own Divine Ascension.
Specifically, the latter topic occupied the minds of the majority of men in Orario.
With Ishtar's erasure, her absolute control over her children vanished. Many women previously ensnared in slavery or forced into the brothels were suddenly liberated from the shackles of Ishtar's Falna. Some, like Aisha Belka, chose to remain as free-agent adventurers or sought sanctuary in new Familias.
Following that decisive victory, the Freya Familia technically took over Ishtar's entire territory. However, the Goddess of Beauty had zero interest in continuing her predecessor's sordid enterprises. To her, the assault was purely a maneuver to "protect" Bell, not a grab for financial gain.
This was the aspect that had caused widespread anxiety among the men of Orario. For years, the Ishtar Familia had monopolized the Entertainment District. Their fall was seen as the end of "earthly paradise" in the city. After all, in the brutal, high-pressure world of adventuring, the need for nightlife was a reality that could never be fully erased.
However, those fears proved to be exaggerated.
Though the Entertainment District lay in ruins after Freya's brutal invasion, the trade did not truly vanish. The surviving former members of Ishtar and the independent courtesans still had to make a living. Many chose to continue their old professions independently or in small clusters now scattered throughout the darker corners of Orario.
So, while the grand, legal "Pleasure Quarter" was finished, the trade simply moved into the shadows. Male adventurers now had to seek their "entertainment" more privately, in places that didn't draw the eye.
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Somewhere deep within the gloomy depths of the Knossos labyrinth.
Enyo—the mastermind pulling the strings behind the El Dorado Resort bombing, the one responsible for the forced homecoming of five gods and the chaos now being forgotten by the populace—sat calmly in a chair. The room was nearly pitch black, illuminated only by the dim flicker of a magic lamp that cast long, distorted shadows against the stone walls.
"Even though the explosion of a hundred Fire Stones failed to kill Solo Leveling, he didn't walk away unscathed." Enyo murmured, his voice sounding like a echoing demonic whisper. "A week has passed and he hasn't shown his face once. That can only mean one thing: he is in hiding, nursing wounds that are severe beyond measure."
A wide grin spread across his face, which remained shrouded in darkness.
"This is the perfect window to act. Currently, Solo Leveling is in the weakest period of his life. I cannot let this golden moment slip through my fingers."
Enyo leaned back, taking a long breath as if inhaling the scent of impending ruin.
"Ahhh... to imagine that I will succeed in snuffing out a hero before he even had the chance to fully mature... it's truly thrilling. Destroying the world's hope before it can truly shine is the most exquisite form of art."
An intense wave of excitement surged through Enyo's body as he envisioned Charlie's destruction. To him, killing someone of that caliber wasn't just a task; it was a gratification that fed his twisted hobbies.
"Banshee."
From the dark corner of the room, a woman emerged, draped in an aura of thick, stagnant death. She stood silently, awaiting her master's command.
"Mobilize the remnants of Evilus to attack Solo Leveling's residence. Tell them the man is dying and crippled by his injuries. Use that bait to ensure they charge in with total brutality."
"Understood, Enyo-sama." the woman replied, her tone respectful and devoid of emotion.
The figure known as Banshee bowed briefly before turning and vanishing into the labyrinth's gloom, carrying orders that would soon ignite the fires of war at Charlie's doorstep. Enyo remained, staring at the dim light of his lamp with eyes hungry for the coming spectacle.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
In the heart of the bustling city, Ais sat on a park bench, nibbling on her favorite Jagamaru-kun snack.
Ideally, she wanted to head straight for the Dungeon, but Riveria had insisted she take a rest. Thus, she was reluctantly wandering the city with a snack in hand.
(But my desire to grow strong quickly remains unchanged...)
Feeling a pleasant breeze brush against her shimmering blonde hair, Ais closed her eyes, thinking that it was actually quite nice to relax like this once in a while.
"It's been a long time since Charlie and I met. Is he perhaps on an expedition?"
Suddenly, the image of a certain silver-haired man flashed in her mind—the man with whom she shared the most intimate of bonds, the one to whom she had surrendered her innocence. As soon as she thought of Charlie, something foreign began to stir within her.
(It's happening again...)
Ais felt a wave of heat travel from her lower abdomen through her entire body. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and unconsciously, her thighs pressed together, rubbing restlessly beneath her skirt. There was a strange "itch" deep within her—a constant throb that made her feel uncomfortable yet longing for something she couldn't quite articulate.
She didn't understand this physiological phenomenon. As a girl raised under Riveria's strict gaze with nothing but vengeance on her mind, the concept of lingering physical desire was a great mystery. Ais only knew that every time Charlie's face crossed her mind, her body reacted in a way that made her feel like she was losing control.
"Strange... my body feels so hot." she whispered in confusion, yet the discomfort—a mix of pleasure and agitation—demanded her attention.
For some reason, lately, this feeling had been growing stronger than ever. The "emptiness" down there seemed to ache for fulfillment, making her breath hitch.
"I'm going to Charlie's place."
Ais finished the rest of her Jagamaru-kun quickly, as if the speed of her eating could dampen the thumping in her chest. Unable to bear the strange sensation tormenting her body any longer, she stood up with resolve and headed toward the Empyrean Citadel, seeking an answer to the restlessness burning inside her.
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