Chapter 159: A Souvenir

Warm morning sunlight streamed through the master bedroom’s panoramic glass walls, casting a soft golden glow over the white sheets. High above District 1, the imperial capital was already bustling with early traffic, but inside the eightieth-floor suite, all was quiet.

Evren slowly opened his eyes. He felt completely rested, relaxed, and comfortable against the mattress.

Beside him, Amber was still fast asleep. Her long black hair was splayed across his bare chest and shoulder, the dark strands contrasting against his skin. Her cheek rested right over his heart, rising and falling with every steady breath she took.

Evren kept his arm wrapped around her waist, resting his palm on the smooth curve of her hip.

A moment later, Amber shifted. A soft murmur left her lips as her eyelashes fluttered open, revealing warm, dark-brown eyes clouded with sleep.

She blinked against the bright morning light, then looked up into Evren’s face. When she saw him smiling down at her, a sleepy smile spread across her lips.

"Good morning, Chairman," Amber whispered in a voice still husky from sleep.

Evren chuckled, running his fingers through her thick black hair. "You didn’t call me Chairman when you were bouncing on top of me a few hours ago."

Amber’s eyes went wide. A bright pink blush rushed up her neck and filled her cheeks, completely shattering her cool vice-chairman composure.

"Evren!" she gasped, laughing as she buried her face straight into the crook of his neck. Her small fist tapped his chest in mock annoyance. "You promised you wouldn’t tease me about that."

"I never promised anything," Evren smiled, kissing the crown of her head. "Besides, you were incredible."

Amber let out a contented sigh, resting her chin on his collarbone. She looked out through the glass walls at the sprawling city below, her dark eyes growing thoughtful.

"Sometimes I still think I’m dreaming," she said softly, her fingers tracing the hard muscle of his chest. "From being discarded and hated by my clan because they thought it was the end of my road... I thought my life was over."

She looked back up at Evren. "Now I’m up here with you. Whole, happy, and loved."

"You earned every bit of it, Amber," Evren said, cupping her cheek. "And we’re just getting started."

As Evren looked into her eyes, he felt a strange, warm sensation hum at the back of his mind.

At first, he thought it was Kinetic Flow, but it didn’t feel like a warning before an attack; it felt like a clear, open wire connecting his thoughts directly to hers. He could sense her deep affection, her calm peace, and her trust without her speaking a single word.

Curious, Evren focused on that mental thread.

’Can you hear me, Amber?’ he asked silently in his mind.

Amber’s body went completely still. Her dark-brown eyes snapped open wide, staring right into his face. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

’Evren?’ her voice echoed directly inside his head, clear as a bell. ’Is that... are you talking in my mind?’

Evren grinned, speaking aloud. "It’s the soul-bond. Our minds are linked now, so we don’t even need a radio or a phone to talk."

Amber stared at him in amazement, her chest heaving with excitement. ’This is unbelievable. No matter how far apart we are, I can always reach you?’

’We can test the distance out later to be sure,’ Evren replied in her mind. ’Right now, it feels completely seamless.’

Amber beamed, leaning up to press a lingering, warm kiss to his lips. "I love this. You’re never getting rid of me now, Chairman Evren."

"I never planned to," Evren replied with a soft smile, pulling her close for another quick kiss.

Amber smiled, pulling back and tossing the white linen sheets aside. She swung her long legs off the mattress, feeling completely invigorated.

She stood up on the plush carpet beside the bed, completely naked. The morning sunlight poured over her body, highlighting every soft curve. Her full breasts sat proud with dark rose tips, dipping into a slender, tight waist before flaring out into smooth, shapely hips and long, toned legs.

As she stretched her arms over her head, her round backside tightened, arching her lower back in plain view.

Evren leaned back against the headboard, taking in every inch of her. He felt a sudden, familiar rush of heat surge straight down to his groin.

Amber caught him looking. Instead of covering herself up, she offered him a slow, wicked grin, giving her hips a small sway.

"Like what you see, Chairman?" she teased with a seductive glint in her eyes.

"You know I do," Evren said with a low chuckle. "Keep standing there like that and you won’t make it out of this room today."

Amber laughed, snatching her silk robe from the armchair and slipping her arms through the sleeves. She tied the belt around her waist, though the silk still clung to her curves.

She walked over to the edge of the bed, bending down to pick up her small crimson silk panties from the carpet where Evren had tossed them the night before.

Instead of putting them on, Amber walked over to Evren’s nightstand. With a mischievous smirk, she draped the crimson panties neatly right beside his wristwatch and wallet.

"What are you doing?" Evren asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Leaving you a souvenir for your desk," Amber said, leaning over the bed to kiss his cheek. "A reminder of who owns your bed."

Evren shook his head with a grin. "You’re getting bolder by the day."

"Only for you," Amber whispered, standing back up and tying the silk belt around her waist.

"I’m going to my suite to take a long, hot bath," she added with a teasing smile. "I smell like you, and while I love it, we have people to meet today."

"Take your time," Evren said. "I’ll see you in the dining room for breakfast."

Amber gave him one last playful wink before gliding out of the master bedroom, the door clicking softly shut behind her.

Once she was gone, Evren took a deep breath, resting his head back against the pillow. He looked over at the crimson silk on his nightstand and chuckled under his breath.

Then, he focused his mind and called up his private interface.

A warm golden light flashed across his retina, the translucent golden screen hanging in the air right before his eyes.

The notification log from the night before was still displayed at the top of his vision:

[HEROINE #1: AMBER STERLING DEVOTION SURGED: 97% ➔ 100% (MAXIMUM)!]

[CONGRATULATIONS! FIRST HEROINE REACHED TOTAL DEVOTION!]

[STATUS UNLOCKED: ABSOLUTE SOUL-BOND!]

[SPECIAL MILESTONE REWARD: 1x SOVEREIGN HARMONY BLESSING (TIER-MAX) UNLOCKED!]

[PERK: ZERO-LATENCY TELEPATHIC SYNERGY & COMBAT RESONANCE ACTIVE!]

Evren nodded with deep satisfaction.

Then, his eyes dropped to the secondary prompt flashing in bright gold:

[PENDING MILESTONE REWARD AVAILABLE IN SYSTEM QUEUE:]

[1x S-RANK FORTUNE WHEEL SPIN (EARNED VIA HEROINE #3 CALISTA VESPER 50% MILESTONE)]

[WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPIN NOW? (YES / NO)]

Evren didn’t hesitate. "Yes. Spin the wheel."

The golden screens dissolved into a massive wheel covered in intricate golden runes. Twelve distinct segments glowed with different colored lights, ranging from rare skills to ancient relics and specialized traits.

With a low hum, the wheel began to spin. Golden sparks trailed behind the blur of colors as the wheel picked up speed.

It spun faster and faster before the friction slowed it down. The pointer ticked past legendary armor sets, rare spatial blueprints, and high-grade elixir formulas.

Finally, the pointer clicked once, twice, and snapped firmly into place on a jagged purple-and-gold slot. A chime echoed in Evren’s ears, followed by bold golden text filling his screen:

[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE UNLOCKED S-RANK ACTIVE SKILL: HEAVENLY LIGHTNING!]

[SKILL TYPE: HIGH-TIER ELEMENTAL MANIPULATION (LIGHTNING AFFINITY)]

[DESCRIPTION: GRANTS THE USER COMPLETE MASTERY OVER HIGH-VOLTAGE CELESTIAL ELECTRICITY.]

[APPLICATIONS:]

WEAPON & BODY INFUSION: COAT BLADES, FISTS, OR ARMOR IN HIGH-VOLTAGE CURRENT TO DELIVER EXPLOSIVE PARALYZING SHOCKWAVES. CONDUCTIVE RESONANCE: COMBINES WITH FROST WEAPONS (FROST-BANE CLEAVER) TO SIMULTANEOUSLY FREEZE AND SHATTER ENEMY DEFENSES WITH SUPERCONDUCTIVE BURSTS. RANGED THUNDER STRIKES: DISCHARGE COMPACT LIGHTNING SPEARS OR CHAIN ARCS ACROSS WIDE BATTLEFIELDS WITH ZERO CAST TIME.

[PASSIVE BENEFIT: LIGHTNING REFLEXES — PERMANENT +30% BOOST TO REACTION SPEED AND TACTICAL BURST ACCELERATION!]

A wave of intense, powerful energy surged through Evren’s chest. It flowed down his arms and into his blood vessels, filling every nerve with fresh energy.

It wasn’t painful at all. His dense Titan body easily absorbed the electrical current, seamlessly connecting the lightning power to his core.

Evren held up his right hand and opened his fingers.

With a simple thought, a faint flicker of blue-and-gold electricity sparked across his palm. It twisted into small, crackling arcs that danced playfully between his knuckles, humming with pure, high-voltage power. The sharp scent of fresh ozone filled the air around the bed.

He didn’t even have to chant or channel mana heavily. It obeyed his will instantly, as natural as breathing.

Evren closed his hand into a tight fist. The lightning snapped shut, vanishing into his skin without leaving a mark.

"Lightning infusion," Evren muttered, a dangerous grin spreading across his face.

Up until now, he had relied purely on his raw Titan strength, raw aura, Kinetic Flow, and the frost edge of his cleaver. But against higher-tier dimensional bosses, having an elemental power that moved at light-speed and bypassed physical armor was a massive upgrade.

If he coated his Frost-Bane Cleaver in high-voltage lightning, the combined frost and electrical shock would shatter armored monsters before they could even hit the ground.

Evren dismissed the system screen with a mental command, the golden glow fading from his eyes.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, feeling completely energized. Looking out at the sprawling capital bathed in morning sunlight, a quiet confidence settled over him.

A faint smirk touched his lips as he headed toward the bathroom. Today was going to be a big day, and he already had a few surprises lined up.