Chapter 107 107: Grit Your Teeth, Goddess!

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Inside her grand temple, Ishtar lounged on her throne, gently swirling a glass of red wine. She took a slow sip.

"REPORT."

A young man, shirtless and dressed in flashy pants, rushed into the chamber. "The Hestia Familia has entered the Pleasure Quarter."

The Ishtar Familia ruled the Pleasure Quarter and kept a tight grip on their territory. They closely monitored every guest's background and affiliation.

"Oh? Is it that man?" Ishtar rested her chin on her hand and studied the subordinate. He was one of her human concubines and a seasoned Level 2 Adventurer.

"Hahaha! Let him come," Ishtar threw her head back and laughed. "Our Pleasure Quarter loves men like him."

It seemed no man could resist the attraction of the district.

"No, My Goddess," the man corrected, lowering his head. "He is escorted by Hashana Dorlia, a Level 4 adventurer from the Ganesha Familia. Lady Hestia is with them as well. Their entire Familia is here."

They weren't here looking for prostitutes. They were here on business.

"Hmm?" Ishtar frowned, sweeping her gaze across the room. "Did any of you offend them?"

Her captain, Phryne Jamil, was already keeping a low profile. No one would be foolish enough to pick a fight with the Hestia Familia right now. Ishtar had seen the reports about Antares.

She knew that if August used those modern weapons on her Pleasure Quarter, her Familia could be wiped out.

So why was he here?

Aisha Belka, one of the top executives, suddenly understood. She stepped forward.

"Lady Ishtar," Aisha bowed respectfully. "I don't think the Hestia Familia is here for us."

The rest of the room fell silent, equally confused.

"What do you mean?" Ishtar raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Word is someone put a 10 million Valis bounty on the Hestia Familia. Everyone except their captain, August, was marked for death." Aisha explained.

"I assume the assassination failed." Aisha continued, "And since the Ganesha Familia is escorting them, Hashana probably pointed them toward the source. West Second Street is home to an underground assassin broker."

"Tch." Ishtar clicked her tongue in annoyance. Hashana clearly wanted to get rid of the problem and left it for her to handle.

"Even so—" Ishtar began, but a loud roar cut her off.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!!"

A massive explosion rocked the district, vibrating all the way up to her temple.

"What was that?" Ishtar gripped the armrests.

Then Aisha's words made sense. August was launching a full-scale assault right in the middle of her territory. He didn't care about collateral damage, and he clearly didn't respect her authority.

"MOVE," Ishtar snapped, gesturing for her guards. "LET'S GO."

"Gehehe... I didn't think the Hestia Familia had it in them," Phryne Jamil grinned darkly from the corner. "I like a man with a wild side."

Ishtar and her executives rushed out of the temple, heading straight for the blast zone.

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Meanwhile, at the target location.

Following August's command, the heavy gun ports spun up.

The entire building was blown sky-high.

"Whoa." Hashana Dorlia shielded his face from the debris, staring in shock at the blazing crater. He had assumed August wanted to interrogate the broker.

Instead, August chose to destroy the building completely.

The building didn't just collapse—it was vaporized. The shockwaves turned the stone and timber into fine powder.

The drones immediately swept the smoking crater. Thermal scanners blanketed the rubble, searching for any signs of life.

"Help! Please, don't kill me!"

The broker's hideout was still a working tavern in the Pleasure Quarter. A dark-skinned Amazon staggered out of the burning wreckage and collapsed on the stones. She had been caught at the edge of the blast.

The surrounding Pleasure Quarter workers recognized her immediately.

"P-Please, my lord," a terrified courtesan pleaded, stepping forward. "She's one of us. She has nothing to do with the assassins inside."

The women in the district looked out for each other. Their lives were already hard enough without leaving anyone behind.

"Pull her out," August ordered, lowering his hand.

"Yes, sir!" The women rushed into the debris and hauled their friend to safety.

She was badly hurt by the shockwave. The women were heartbroken but also scared. August had just destroyed a building without hesitation. No one wanted to risk angering him.

August looked at the bleeding Amazon. He raised his hand.

A warm flame engulfed her. The [Healing Fire] rapidly knit her flesh back together, closing the deep shrapnel wounds in seconds. The surrounding women gasped. They hadn't expected the ruthless attacker to mend an innocent bystander.

"How many people are left inside?" August demanded.

The healed Amazon coughed, glancing at the three young girls standing safely behind him. "The moment you showed up in the district, they bolted out the back door. I tried to follow them out, but I wasn't fast enough to clear the blast radius."

"So they ran..."

August pulled a heavy coin pouch from his inventory and tossed it at her feet. "Damage compensation."

"Thank you!" The Amazon stared at the huge bag of Valis. He wasn't just a tyrant. He also had a strong sense of fairness.

August sneered. "If I let them get away, I'll never sleep well again."

He pointed down the street. "Search the area. Find them, dead or alive!!"

Hundreds of combat drones stormed through the eastern district. They spread out over the rooftops, their sensors tuned to pick up the smell of gunpowder and fresh blood. If anything set off the sensors, the drones were cleared to fire right away.

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Meanwhile, crouching in the darkness of a nearby alley.

Ryu Lion, Anya, Chloe, and Lunoire watched as the destruction unfolded. They had been following the group since they left the tavern.

"Anya, Chloe, Lunoire. We need to move," Ryu said tightly. "If we let him tear up the district, the civilian casualties will be catastrophic."

She could see that August had lost all patience. If the drones started bombing the Pleasure Quarter, innocent women would get caught in the crossfire.

"He's a scary captain, nya," Anya murmured.

He was destroying a city block without hesitation. Still, she respected that. It was rare to see a leader willing to do anything to avenge his people.

"Let's go hunt, nya."

The four Level 4 waitresses vanished into the night.

Anya and Chloe used their feline senses to follow the faint smell of explosives through the alleys. Chloe and Lunoire, both former assassins, knew where the runners would try to hide. They moved quickly to catch them before the drones could attack.

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Back at the crater.

Ishtar walked down the street with her strongest executives at her side. She brought her top people to scare off the intruders with pure intimidation.

"HESTIA. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Ishtar demanded.

Her eyes went straight to August. Up close, his strong and commanding presence stood out even more. He didn't look like a typical Adventurer. He had the air of a warlord.

It was a nice surprise, but sadly, he was with Hestia...

"Someone put a hit on my children. I'm here to collect the debt," Hestia shot back, crossing her arms. "Got a problem with that?"

Hestia didn't react to Ishtar's height. Since August joined her, Hestia has grown more assertive.

With someone as strong as him on her side, she couldn't back down.

Ishtar's face reddened by anger.

'This little brat has gotten cocky.' Ishtar thought Hestia would be scared of her elite guard.

Instead, the "Shrimp" was standing up to her.

Hestia's confidence clearly came from the man next to her...

Ishtar shifted her gaze. "Well hello there. You're August, aren't you? Impressive."

Wearing her revealing silks, Ishtar looked him over. She had to admit, the more she saw, the more she wanted him. If she wasn't busy with her own plans, she would have taken him to her bed for a week. She felt a sting of jealousy. A man like him shouldn't be wasted on Hestia.

"BACK OFF," Hestia snarled, stepping in front of August like a fiercely protective guard dog. She glared at Ishtar.

August considered the situation.

"Good evening." He offered a well-mannered nod, granting her the basic courtesy owed to a Goddess.

Inside, though, August felt only disgust.

This version of Ishtar was ruthless and manipulative, living in the city's darkest places. She was nothing like the Ishtar he knew from his own world's stories.

Ishtar caught the subtle shift in his body language. It was a subconscious flinch of revulsion.

Her eyes widened.

The Amazons around her noticed it too. A mortal man was openly rejecting a Goddess of Beauty. None of them had ever seen that before. He acted polite, but his face showed clear disdain.

He wasn't hiding his contempt...

'Badass,' several combat courtesans thought, practically wanting to give the man a standing ovation.

It was the first time they had seen their Matriarch lose like this, one blow after another. He attacked her territory, threatened her people, and looked at her like she was nothing.

The Amazons had to hold back laughter. His disrespect was actually entertaining.

Ishtar's smile froze. 'I was rejected. No, worse... I was looked down upon!!'

It was the first time anyone had reacted to her beauty with disgust. Humiliation burned through her. Hearing rumors of his insults was one thing, but being treated like dirt to her face was too much.

Ishtar swallowed her anger and forced herself to smile calmly.

"Are you afraid of me, boy?" Ishtar asked, feigning innocent surprise.

As she got closer, she gave him a bold, sultry wink. Behind that flirtatious look was the heavy pressure of her Divine Authority.

[Divine Charm].

This was the full power of a Goddess of Beauty. She was determined to break this arrogant rookie. He had embarrassed her in front of everyone. If she couldn't make him beg at her feet, she wasn't Ishtar. She wanted Hestia to see her champion brought low.

An invisible wave of lust hit August. The air around him grew thick, filled with a sweet, dizzying haze.

It felt like the innate charm he had sensed from Freya, but this was much stronger and more forceful.

However, the intoxicating illusion shattered the moment it formed.

"Hestia. Grant me your power. As long as I am with you, victory is absolute."

[Pure Love of the Hearth Goddess].

August triggered his spell chant instantly.

Ishtar hesitated. Instead of succumbing to her charm, the mortal was casting magic right in her face. And the chant... what kind of bizarre incantation sounded like a love confession?

"Grit your teeth, Ishtar," August growled, dropping her divine title entirely.

He broke through her Divine Charm as if it were tissue paper. He pulled his fist back, energy building in his arm.

Behind him, the ghostly image of a dark-haired Goddess appeared, copying his stance.

"TAKE THIS!"

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