Chapter 171: I Wake Up with a Naked Woman in My Bed?

Max slowly woke up, still tangled in the sheets and nursing a headache.

He stretched slightly across the bed.

And then he felt something.

Something warm beside him.

His hand brushed against soft skin.

Max slowly opened one eye.

And froze.

There was a woman lying next to him.

Naked.

Long red hair cascading over the sheets.

Max felt every single one of his mental functions shut down at the same time.

"...Huh?"

The woman was sleeping with her back to him, partially covered by the blankets.

Max blinked several times.

His brain desperately tried to process the information.

Red hair.

Soft skin.

Bed.

Naked.

His mind connected the dots at alarming speed.

’...Elanor?’

His heart lurched so violently he thought he might die on the spot.

’WAIT.’

He tried to remember the previous night.

Dinner.

The conversation about their wedding.

Moonlight asking what a wedding was while stuffing her mouth with food.

After that...

...he was pretty sure he had gone back to sleep alone.

Max felt his soul slowly leaving his body.

’No way.’

He looked at the woman again, still peacefully asleep.

’Did it actually happen?’

He tried to remember something.

Anything.

A conversation.

A kiss.

An impulsive decision.

Alcohol.

But there was nothing.

And that only made him panic harder.

’Did I have my first time and NOT REMEMBER IT?’

That was devastating for a guy his age.

Max felt such overwhelming embarrassment that he immediately decided the best possible strategy was to pretend he was still asleep until he died naturally.

Yes.

Perfect plan.

Very mature.

He slowly started turning toward the other side of the bed.

Then he heard a woman laughing.

But it definitely was not Elanor’s voice.

Max froze again.

He slowly turned his head.

And watched as the woman’s hair began changing colour.

Red.

Blue.

Green.

Gold.

Violet.

The colours flowed like paint drifting underwater.

Max slowly closed his eyes.

"...Of course."

Again. Another dream.

The woman finally turned toward him with an amused smile.

Atlas.

She rested one hand against her cheek while watching him.

"What’s wrong?" she asked playfully.

She adjusted herself more comfortably against the headboard, barely covering her body with the sheets.

"Does being like this with me bother you?"

Max grabbed a pillow and immediately covered his private parts.

Atlas burst out laughing.

"There’s no need to hide," she said with absolute amusement.

"After all, I already know your body."

"Stop saying things like that!"

Max practically choked on his own words.

Atlas kept laughing.

"You’re very easy to embarrass, dear Max."

Max took a deep breath.

"Don’t change the subject."

He pointed at her.

"What are you doing here?"

Atlas tilted her head slightly.

"I needed to speak with you again."

Her smile faded a little.

"Since our last conversation..."

She stared directly at him.

"...you haven’t made much progress."

Max frowned.

"I’m doing things."

"Oh really?"

Atlas raised an eyebrow.

"You’re not finding the one responsible for the summoning rituals."

She raised one finger.

"You’re not sending the beings back to their worlds."

Another finger.

"You haven’t even tried to send that human girl, Chloe, home."

Max sighed.

"Give me a little more time."

He rubbed a hand over his face.

"I’ve only just started trying to inform the others."

Atlas did not look particularly impressed.

"Besides..." Max continued.

"...Seraphine has probably already found the place where they’re performing the rituals."

That made Atlas let out a small laugh.

"Really? You sent a woman to solve your problems in a place that dangerous?"

She looked at him with amusement.

"What were you planning? Saving another damsel in distress?"

Max opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Atlas tilted her head.

"Why didn’t you go yourself?"

Max fell silent for a few seconds.

And then a horrible thought struck him.

Seraphine had gone alone.

To a possible interdimensional summoning site.

With unknown creatures.

And strange magic.

Max felt a chill run down his spine.

’...Shit.’

If something happened to Seraphine...

Neros would literally kill him.

And honestly, he’d have valid reasons.

Max sat up slightly in bed.

"I’m going there today."

Atlas smiled, seemingly satisfied.

"I’m glad to hear that."

Then she watched him silently for a few seconds.

"You’re still wasting an absurdly powerful ability."

Max sighed again.

"I don’t even fully understand how it works."

Atlas rested her chin on one hand.

"I know."

Max frowned.

"Every time I upgrade something..."

He tried to explain.

"...sometimes it doesn’t get the effect I expected."

Atlas smiled slowly.

"Of course."

There was something dangerously amused in her expression now.

"I never thought you’d ask me about this."

Max narrowed his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

Atlas raised one hand, and tiny particles of light began swirling between her fingers.

"Your ability doesn’t improve things in a fixed way," she explained.

"The upgrade takes on whatever effect I feel like giving it at the time."

Max stared at her.

"...What?"

Atlas smiled even wider.

"Sometimes I give you exactly what you need."

Small lights danced around her.

"Other times..."

Her smile turned mischievous.

"...I simply want to see what you’ll do with it."

Max looked at her in horror.

"So you literally just do whatever you want?"

Atlas thought about it for a second.

"Basically, yes."

"That’s terrible!"

Atlas burst out laughing.

"Oh, don’t exaggerate."

She pointed at him.

"Thanks to that, you’re still alive. Besides, it’s fun watching how you solve situations using my random upgrades."

Max opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

He hated admitting it, but technically she was right.

Atlas adjusted herself on the bed once more.

"Anyway..."

She stared at him.

"...stop getting distracted."

Her tone softened slightly.

"Focus on what you need to do."

The room slowly began filling with white light.

The world around them started dissolving like paint being erased from a canvas.

Atlas smiled faintly.

"You have to save the world, Max."

Max watched her for a few seconds.

Then slowly nodded.

"Yeah."

Atlas began fading away along with the room.

"And try not to die while doing it," she said with a small laugh.

Then she vanished completely.

Everything around him became an endless white light.

And Max closed his eyes.