Dawn had just broken over the Entertainment District, the golden rays of sunlight slowly replacing the red glow of the lanterns still lit along the streets. Normally, at this time, the area would begin to quiet down after a night filled with flirtatious laughter and the seductive calls of entertainers. However, this morning was different.
The Entertainment District was still bustling, not because of lingering customers, but due to a massive commotion happening in the middle of the main street.
The courtesans, who usually relaxed after a night of work, now gathered in front of the brothels, watching the rare spectacle unfolding before their eyes. Not just them, but also the gods who frequented this place for worldly pleasures.
Although gods and mortals could share beds, they could never have children together due to the fundamental differences in their life essence. Thus, for some gods, such earthly pleasures were one of their main forms of entertainment.
However, today, their entertainment wasn't the beautiful women, but a young man fighting against the entire Ishtar Familia!
From the balconies of the luxurious brothels, the gods watched with great enthusiasm.
"Oho, this is interesting! Not only is that young man daring enough to cause a commotion in the Entertainment District, but he's also openly fighting members of the Ishtar Familia? HAHAHA, incredible!" Exclaimed a silver-haired god with an excited expression.
"I bet he'll lose in three minutes." Another god chimed in while sipping his wine.
"Three minutes? Ahaha, are you kidding? He's even holding his own against Androctonus (Phryne Jamil)!"
"Hmph, even though Androctonus is disgusting, she's still a Level 5 adventurer."
"But look at that young man. He doesn't even seem pressured. What level do you think he is?"
"Hmm... maybe Level 5? Or is he just holding out for a bit before losing?"
The gods enjoyed the spectacle as if they were watching an intriguing stage play.
However, among them, one figure was more surprised than the rest.
On the highest balcony, a man in an orange fedora leaned against the wooden railing, his eyes fixed on the battle below.
"Isn't that... Charlie Avalon?" Hermes whispered to himself.
He recognized the young man. After all, Charlie was the only member of the Hera Familia in Orario, and he also had close ties to one of the Goddesses of Beauty, Aphrodite.
There was no way Hermes could forget Charlie with all his uniqueness.
"Why is the Ishtar Familia after him...?" He muttered, quickly piecing together various possibilities in his mind.
However, it only took one conclusion for him to understand the situation.
"Of course... This must be Ishtar's doing."
Hermes knew that Ishtar was always obsessed with defeating Freya. And since Charlie had caught the attention of both Aphrodite and Freya, it was only natural that Ishtar wouldn't sit idly by.
"Haaahhh... So this is just another rivalry between goddesses, huh?" Hermes sighed.
But something else caught his attention.
Charlie shouldn't have been able to fight evenly with Phryne Jamil.
According to the latest information he had, Charlie had just received his Falna from Hera and had only been promoted to Level 2 not long ago.
Yet now, the young man was fighting a Level 5 adventurer without showing any signs of being overwhelmed.
Hermes frowned. "Wait... this doesn't make sense."
The first possibility that came to his mind was that Charlie had lied about his level.
But he quickly dismissed that thought.
"No, that's impossible."
Although the gods had sealed their Arcanum, some passive abilities remained. One of them was the ability to detect lies.
Mortals couldn't lie in front of the gods.
When Charlie said he was Level 1, Hermes knew he wasn't lying.
"So how is he able to match Androctonus? Then... could it be...?"
His wild thoughts began forming a bold theory—one that was almost unbelievable.
"The only possible explanation, though it's too extraordinary to believe, is that Charlie has leveled up from Level 1 to Level 5 in a short amount of time!"
"But that should be impossible!"
"No matter how talented someone is, leveling up that quickly is unprecedented!"
However, the more Hermes thought about it, the more plausible his theory seemed.
"If that's the case... then this kid is a monster. Plus, Charlie contracted with Spirit, something only heroes from the Age of Heroes before the gods descended to the lower world could do."
"Ah, Zeus, making your grandson a hero in this era will be harder than we planned. It seems a true hero has emerged in this age. We're really unlucky."
But there was one thing Hermes didn't know—his assumption wasn't entirely accurate.
Charlie wasn't Level 5, but Level 4. However, his attribute stats were so extraordinarily high that they broke historical records, allowing him to challenge opponents above his level without much difficulty.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
On the wide streets, the battle between Charlie Avalon and Phryne Jamil continued relentlessly.
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*
The morning, which should have been quiet in the Entertainment District, was now filled with the sounds of violent clashes and impacts that shook the ground. The buildings around them trembled every time the two exchanged blows.
'Damn it! Is Level 4 really this strong? Or has my combat instinct deteriorated after indulging in pleasure for so long?'
Phryne, who had initially underestimated her opponent, began to change her expression to one of seriousness. Her heart was filled with rage—a man dared to fight her and hadn't fallen after dozens of attacks? That was unforgivable!
"Hahaha! You're quite tough, sweetie!" Phryne licked her thick lips with glee. "But enough playing around! Now I'll crush you completely!"
*WHOOSH!*
Suddenly, her speed and attack power increased drastically!
With the full strength of a Level 5, Phryne stomped the ground, creating a small crater as her massive body shot forward with speed that defied her size.
Her fist shot out, tearing through the air with brutal force!
*BOOM!*
Charlie barely moved from his spot, but with a slight shift of his feet, he managed to dodge the punch by a hair's breadth. However, the shockwave from Phryne's punch was strong enough to crack the wall behind him.
"Just standing there, huh? How arrogant!" Phryne growled, then swung her fists again and again!
*DUS!* *DUS!* *DUS!*
The sound of air being displaced echoed with each of her punches. Every attack left craters in the ground, creating swirling dust around them.
*WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!* *WHOOSH!*
Their movements were so fast that they were hard to follow with the naked eye. The Amazonesses, who had initially gathered to watch the battle, were forced to step back, afraid of being caught in the crossfire of the intense fight.
Some of them even fell to the ground due to the pressure of the shockwaves.
"What the hell...?! The captain is fighting seriously?!"
"Damn, that guy is still keeping up?!"
"No way! He's supposed to be only Level 2!"
"..."
Meanwhile, in the midst of the battlefield, Charlie remained silent, his eyes focused on his opponent. He paid no attention to the disgusting words spewing from Phryne's mouth.
*WHOOSH!*
As Phryne attacked again, this time with both hands, Charlie vanished from her sight!
"What—?!"
*BAM!*
A counterattack came!
In a split second, Charlie appeared beside her, his foot planted firmly on the ground. He activated Physical Enchant, and his leg slammed into Phryne's ribs with incredible force!
*DUGGG!*
A shockwave rippled through the air.
Phryne's massive body was sent flying, crashing into the ground multiple times before finally slamming into a building behind her. The wooden and brick walls shattered, leaving a large hole in the shape of her body.