I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 150: 150:sleeping.

The towering walls of Delta Four grew larger with every passing minute. Bathed in the warm orange glow of the setting sun, the Sanctuary looked almost peaceful from a distance.

Silver slowed the car as they joined the line of vehicles waiting to re-enter the city. Compared to the morning, the atmosphere at the gate had changed.

Most of the contractors arriving now were returning from their day’s work. Some vehicles carried visible beast carcasses secured to reinforced trailers while others bore fresh claw marks and dents that hinted at difficult battles beyond the walls.

A few contractors looked exhausted enough to fall asleep the moment they reached home.

Silver understood the feeling. His own body wasn’t particularly tired; his mind, however, felt noticeably heavier than it had that morning. Repeatedly using Space Slash throughout the mission had taken its toll.

The line moved steadily, and soon, it was their turn. The same inspection officer from earlier that day recognized them immediately.

"Back already?"

Silver smiled.

"Mission completed, just waiting for the rewards."

"Don’t we all."

The officer smiled and accepted their contractor cards before scanning them. A moment later, the mission information appeared on his handheld terminal.

"Green Zone Twelve."

He looked pleasantly surprised.

"Clearing operation complete?"

"It is."

"We eliminated every beast listed in the report."

The officer nodded approvingly.

"Good work."

His gaze briefly moved toward the rear of the vehicle.

"Collected the cores?"

Silver nodded.

"All accounted for."

The officer performed the usual inspection before handing their identification back.

"Welcome home."

Silver accepted the cards with a grateful smile.

"Thank you."

The massive gates opened once more. Their vehicle rolled across the reinforced threshold and entered Delta Four. Almost immediately, the atmosphere changed.

Streetlights gradually flickered to life as evening settled over the city. Restaurants filled with customers finishing their day. Markets bustled with people making last-minute purchases before closing.

The city felt warm.

Silver hadn’t realized how much he’d begun associating the Sanctuaries with home. They drove to the Association and handed in their mission. After getting the small reward, they left.

The drive back to the hotel was quiet. Neither of them felt the need to talk. The mission had been successful, so there was no reason to overanalyze it tonight.

By the time they arrived at the hotel, the sky had already darkened into deep shades of blue. Silver parked the vehicle before both of them climbed out. The cool evening air felt refreshing after spending the afternoon in the Green Zone.

Inside the lobby, the receptionist looked up from her desk and immediately smiled.

"You made it back."

"We did," Silver replied.

"No unexpected problems?"

"Nothing we couldn’t handle."

"I’m glad."

She quickly checked their reservation before handing Silver their room key.

"Welcome back."

"Thank you."

A few minutes later, they were back inside their suite. Silver quietly closed the door behind them before letting out a long breath.

"...It’s good to be back."

Ravenna nodded in agreement.

"It is."

Neither wasted time. They both set their backpacks down before changing into lighter clothes. The first thing Silver did was wash the dust from his face and hands.

The cool water helped ease some of the lingering fatigue clouding his thoughts. When he stepped back into the room, Ravenna had just finished drying her hair.

She looked toward him.

"Feeling better?"

"A little; my head still feels... heavy."

She wasn’t surprised.

"You ignored my warning."

"I know."

She smiled faintly.

"And you’ll probably ignore it again someday."

"...Probably."

She sighed with amused resignation.

"I expected that answer. I just came to the realisation that you’re one stubborn man."

He did not respond to that; instead, he wiped the remaining water on his face. Rather than collapsing onto the bed, Silver rolled his shoulders.

"Gym?"

Ravenna blinked.

"You still want to train?"

"Not really train."

He stretched both arms overhead.

"Recover."

She thought about it before nodding.

"Just a light session."

Several minutes later, they entered the hotel’s private gym. Unlike that morning, the room was nearly empty. Only two other guests occupied the treadmills near the windows.

Silver and Ravenna claimed a quiet corner for themselves. They spent the next half hour stretching tired muscles and loosening stiff joints.

Silver carefully worked through shoulder mobility exercises before moving into slow flexibility drills. Every movement helped relieve the tension that had accumulated throughout the day.

Ravenna focused on her legs and lower back, holding each stretch longer than usual. Neither pushed themselves. Tonight wasn’t about improvement; it was about allowing their bodies to recover properly.

Occasionally they exchanged small observations.

"My shoulders are tighter than I expected," Silver admitted.

"You relied on your sword less and Space Slash more," She said, nodding. "Mental fatigue often changes posture."

Silver smiled.

"I suppose you noticed everything today."

"I was watching and worrying the whole time; you really stress me half the time we’re together. Sometimes I wonder if you’re into self-sabotage. You were weird to begin with, but this was a whole other level of crazy I was seeing. I’m slowly getting used to this."

He laughed softly.

"I’ll survive."

"I know, but I’d rather not watch you prove otherwise."

By the time they left the gym, both of them felt considerably more relaxed. The pressure in Silver’s shoulders had eased, though the dull ache inside his head remained.

"Still there?" Ravenna asked as they walked back toward the elevators.

"A little."

"You should sleep early."

"I don’t think that’ll be difficult."

Dinner was pleasantly quiet. Silver ordered another generous meal, earning an amused smile from Ravenna.

"You really are hungry again."

"I burned through quite a bit today."

"Mostly your brain."

"I don’t think that’s how calories work."

She smiled.

"Now you’re using my words against me, but it sounds convincing."

"I learned from the expert."

Silver laughed.

"I’ve created a monster," she said, rolling her eyes.

After finishing dinner, they returned to their suite one final time. The room felt peaceful. The blue flower and white rose still rested together in the glass vase beside the window, illuminated by the soft glow of the bedside lamp.

Silver found himself smiling at the familiar sight.

"They’re still doing well."

Ravenna followed his gaze.

"They’ll last a few more days."

"I hope so."

They prepared for bed without hurry. Weapons were placed safely beside the room’s entrance. Their backpacks rested neatly against the wall. Curtains were drawn, and lights dimmed.

Silver lay back on the mattress with a quiet sigh. His body felt comfortable, but his mind... Not so much. It was as though every repeated use of Space Slash had left behind a lingering echo.

The mental exhaustion settled over him almost immediately. Ravenna looked over from her side of the room.

"Good night."

"Good night."

Within only a few minutes, Silver’s breathing slowed. The accumulated fatigue dragged him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Silence filled the room. Outside, Delta Four gradually settled beneath the night sky.

Hours passed, then, without warning, translucent blue windows quietly appeared before Silver’s sleeping consciousness.

[Space Slash]

Proficiency Increased.

Current Progress: 100%

A brief pause followed, then another notification appeared.

[Space Slash Lv2]

Level Increased.

The familiar blue light shimmered before continuing.

[Mental Capacity]

Proficiency Increased.

Current Progress: 100% increase.

Another heartbeat passed.

[Mental Capacity + 7]

The notifications continued one after another. The countless hours of training, the repeated mental strain, and the constant refinement; everything had finally accumulated together.

Then... A new window slowly materialized, larger than the others. Its blue glow illuminated the darkness surrounding his sleeping figure.

[Requirements Satisfied.]

[Current Rank: Rank One]

A single line appeared beneath it.

[Promoting...]

A gentle warmth spread silently through Silver’s body as the System began the process. A quiet transformation was taking place while he slept peacefully beside the flowers resting on the windowsill. By the time dawn arrived... Silver would no longer be a Rank One Contractor.