Ray locked the door behind him and stood for a moment in the quiet of the upper room, the new clothes still sitting cleanly on his frame, the collar around his neck unchanged from the moment Seris had fastened it after the auction.
He set the key on the side table, walked to the narrow window, and looked out over the private courtyard below.
The afternoon light was already shifting, casting longer shadows across the stone. Somewhere deeper in the Black Orchid the usual soft sounds of the establishment continued.
Ray turned away from the window and opened the system window fully, letting the blue text expand across his vision with more detail than the brief flashes he had used during sessions.
[Name: Ray]
[Level: 1]
[Skill Points: 155]
[Physique: Six Winged Physique (Passive)]
– Greatly enhanced strength, recovery, and stamina
– Body remains responsive under prolonged strain
[Spirit: Indomitable Spirit (Passive)]
– Mental resistance to pressure, fear, and breaking
– Maintains clarity and control during extreme situations
[Active Skill: Heavenly Thrust]
– Sharply increases thrusting force, control, and duration
– Short cooldown after heavy use
[Service Record]
– Completed: 3
– Average Rating: 9.6
– Current Assignment: Private Bookings Only
He focused on the skill points and watched the allocation options unfold again.
[Skill Point Allocation Available]
– Strengthen Heavenly Thrust (50 points)
– Enhance Six Winged Physique (75 points)
– Reinforce Indomitable Spirit (50 points)
– Unlock New Skill Slot (100 points)
Ray studied the list in silence. Strengthening the physique would make long sessions even easier.
Pushing Heavenly Thrust would raise the ceiling of what he could deliver in a single booking.
Unlocking a new skill slot was tempting, but spending a hundred points without knowing what the system might offer felt wasteful this early.
He closed the menu without allocating anything. The next client would tell him more about what was actually needed.
A soft knock came at the door. When he opened it, a kitchen attendant stood there with a covered tray, her expression the same polite blankness most of the lower staff wore around private stock.
"Meal from Lady Seris's order," she said, holding it out with both hands.
Ray took the tray, gave a short nod, and closed the door again. He set it on the small table and lifted the cover.
The food was clearly a step above the staff kitchen—slices of proper meat, clean bread still warm, seasoned vegetables, and a small cup of dark tea.
He ate at a relaxed pace, the meal digesting easily. Once he was done, he took the tray to the door and placed it outside for collection.
Afterward he stripped, washed thoroughly in the private basin, and changed into the lighter of the new clothing sets the tailor had provided.
The fabric sat better than the old staff uniform, clean lines across the shoulders and chest, dark enough to meet Seris's standards without drawing unnecessary attention.
Ray sat on the edge of the bed and let time pass. The light through the window moved slowly from afternoon toward early evening.
He kept the system window at the edge of his vision but did not open it again, content to sit with the quiet and the knowledge that Seris had already chosen the next booking herself.
Another knock eventually sounded, firmer than the kitchen attendant's. Ray stood, crossed the room, and opened the door.
Lira stood in the corridor, hands folded neatly in front of her, the same professional calm she had carried during the market outing.
"Lady Seris has scheduled your next booking," she said. "It's an evening appointment with an higher tier than the previous private session. You are to prepare and wait in the upper reception room. An attendant will collect you when the client arrives."
Ray held her gaze.
"Any name given?"
"Not to me. Only that the client specifically requested the highest-rated private stock currently available, and that Lady Seris approved the request herself."
Lira stepped aside, making it clear the conversation was finished and he was to follow.
Ray locked the room, slipped the key into his pocket, and walked with her along the upper corridor. The lighting here was softer than the lower floors, the carpets thicker, the air carrying a faint trace of the same expensive oil used in Seris's office.
They stopped at a wider door that opened into the upper reception room—a quiet space with low cushioned seating, a single crystal lamp, and no mirrors on the walls. It was clearly meant for clients who preferred discretion over the open display of the night hall.
Lira gestured toward one of the seats.
"Remain here. An attendant will come when the client is ready for you. Do not leave the room."
She left without waiting for a reply, the door clicking shut behind her.
Ray sat and the collar rested cool against his neck. The system skills waited at the edge of his vision.
Outside the room the Black Orchid continued its evening rhythm, and somewhere beyond the walls the next woman who had requested him was already moving through the building, expecting the same standard that had earned him the marks Seris now used to sell his time at a higher price.