In the early morning, as the first ray of sunlight filtered through the thick curtains, casting a warm glow on the luxurious hotel bed, a rather intimate scene unfolded.
Four people lay entangled on the bed—one man and three women. Their skin tones varied: one was Asian, one Caucasian, and the third had the distinctive features of a Latina mixed heritage.
The man's arms encircled the waists of two women, pulling them close, while another woman draped herself over him. Despite the air conditioning keeping the room at a comfortable temperature, a lingering scent in the air hinted at the events of the previous night.
Most adults would recognize this scent immediately, but to the four individuals in the bed, it had already become familiar.
As though conditioned to wake at the break of dawn, the man stirred when the sunlight touched his face. He instinctively attempted to stretch, only to realize he was pinned beneath three bodies.
Carefully, he extracted his arms from under the two women beside him and turned his gaze to the one lying atop him.
"Oh my god, how did I end up in this mess?" Jiang Hai muttered, rubbing his forehead.
His memories of the previous night were hazy at best. He massaged his temples, trying to piece together the fragmented recollections. Something felt off—he hadn't quite been himself last night.
The two women beside him were one thing, but what truly confused him was the presence of Pra-Walton, the "queen."
Under normal circumstances, Jiang Hai would never have forced a woman into such a situation. Yet, when he saw Pra-Walton the previous night, an unfamiliar voice in his mind urged him forward. Before he could fully process it, he had already acted on the impulse.
Now, in the morning light, confusion set in.
Sensing his subtle movements, Pra-Walton, still lying on his chest, shuddered slightly. Jiang Hai immediately knew she was awake but pretending to sleep.
"Alright, wake up. I'm taking a shower," he said, patting her shoulder. Sitting up, he gently placed her beside him.
Pra-Walton could no longer keep up the act. She bolted upright, her eyes blazing with fury.
"You bastard! You shameless jerk! You— you… criminal!" she screamed. "I'm going to sue you! Get ready to spend the rest of your life rotting in prison, you beast!"
Her outburst startled the other two women awake. But upon grasping the situation, they quickly averted their eyes, burying their faces in embarrassment.
Jiang Hai, however, remained unfazed. He patted Pra-Walton's hip casually and said, "Do whatever you want, but first, explain why you were in my room in the first place."
With that, he rose from the bed and strolled into the bathroom, completely unfazed and unapologetic.
"You— You shameless scoundrel! How can you say that right now? Shouldn't you be on your knees begging for my forgiveness? Where's your remorse? Why aren't you following the script?!" Pra-Walton fumed, her earlier threats of legal action mysteriously vanishing.
Jiang Hai ignored her ranting. He turned on the shower, letting the warm water wash over him, clearing his mind. After a quick rinse, he moved to the sink, gazing at his reflection in the large mirror.
His eyes landed on his tattoo—it had changed again.
If it had resembled a "Jiao" before, it was unmistakably a dragon now, though it still lacked scales.
"Finally, an upgrade," he murmured, closing his eyes to assess the enhancements he had gained overnight. Transitioning from Jiao to dragon had brought significant improvements.
First and foremost, his physical strength had doubled, making him four times stronger than the peak of human capability. He could feel it in his very bones—his body was more powerful, more resilient. This new strength would prove invaluable when venturing into the sea.
Secondly, his spiritual energy had surged. Previously, a single scale contained a certain amount of energy, but now each scale held three times that amount. His endurance had improved so drastically that he could ascend five flights of stairs in a single breath without breaking a sweat.
The third enhancement was underwater adaptability. Initially, he had only been resistant to water pressure, but now his movement speed had increased dramatically. He had once been limited to standard swimming, relying on his ability to hold his breath indefinitely to cover great distances. Now, he felt as though he could move like a true aquatic predator. The exact speed was unknown, but he estimated it might rival a small boat.
The fourth evolution pertained to his spiritual energy manipulation. Previously, he had to physically touch something to transfer energy. Even when he wanted to evolve a creature like Dasha, he had to inject energy into food before feeding it to the animal.
Now, distance was no longer a limitation. As long as something was within five meters of him, he could release spiritual energy directly. This newfound ability gave him an edge in dangerous underwater encounters—he could subdue creatures and potentially make them his allies without needing to physically interact with them first.
Jiang Hai let out a deep sigh. "In the novels I used to read, protagonists would gain abilities right away. Yet here I am, waiting until the third stage to unlock basic skills… Reality sure plays by different rules."
He traced the dragon tattoo on his chest, feeling a deep sense of gratitude. Without it, he would have remained a failure, drifting through life aimlessly.
"Now, it's time to start anew," he muttered, eyeing his reflection.
The dragon on his body required a total of 1,880 scales. With his current growth rate of 24 scales per day, it would take 78 days—less than three months—to reach the next stage. The rapid progression startled him. Could it really be that fast? It almost felt unreal.
Regardless, faster evolution was in his favor. By early November, he would reassess his progress.
Just as he was lost in thought, Pra-Walton stormed into the bathroom, dressed in nothing but her undergarments. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Our relationship needs to be redefined. Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Despite her anger, Jiang Hai noticed her eyes unconsciously drifting toward his bare torso.
"Shouldn't you be more concerned about putting on some clothes?" he teased. "And you call yourself a lady?"
Pra-Walton scoffed. "Hah! You think I'm ashamed? Tch, what's with that tattoo anyway? I recognize that design—it's a dragon, right? You Chinese love tattooing dragons. But why does yours look so… incomplete?"
Jiang Hai froze.
"You can see it?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
Until now, no one else had been able to perceive the transformation of his tattoo.
"Of course I can see it! It's huge, right on your chest. Don't change the subject! You still haven't explained yourself!" Pra-Walton fumed.
For a brief moment, Jiang Hai considered the implications of others being able to see his tattoo now. But as he glanced at the fiery woman before him, another thought took priority.
With a smirk, he reached out and pulled her closer, pressing her against the sink.
"W-what are you doing?!" she stammered, wide-eyed.
Instead of answering, Jiang Hai leaned in and silenced her protests with a kiss. Despite her initial resistance, Pra-Walton soon melted into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
Meanwhile, the two women still in bed watched in astonishment as Jiang Hai and Pra-Walton engaged in yet another heated battle—this time against the bathroom counter.
Their eyes widened.
"This… is way too intense…" one of them whispered, cheeks flushed. The other merely nodded, too embarrassed to speak.