SSS-Tier Extraction: From Outcast to Overgod!-Chapter 97: An Evening of Celebration

To celebrate the new, powerful alliance between Sector Gamma and Sanctuary, Ryan decided to throw a party. But this wasn’t going to be one of the wild, noisy celebrations they had after winning a battle.

This was to be a formal gathering, a classy affair to show their new allies that they weren’t just a bunch of rough-and-tumble survivors. They were a real, civilized society.

The event was held in the grand reception hall at the very top of the god Spire. The room had been transformed. Soft, glowing light panels replaced the usual harsh lighting. The long, metal tables were covered in fine linens.

The best cooks from both sectors had worked together, creating a feast of real, delicious food. There were roasted vegetables from Sanctuary’s hydroponic farms, bread baked from actual grain, and a strange, shimmering blue fruit that tasted like a mix between a mango and a bolt of lightning.

The guests were a mix of the most important people from both sectors. There were Sector Council members, high-ranking soldiers from the Defense Force, and the top scientists from the Precursor Studies Institute.

Everyone had put away their combat gear and armor for the evening and had dressed in their finest clothes. It was a strange and wonderful sight.

Ryan stood near the entrance, greeting his guests. He felt a little out of place in the formal, dark blue uniform Zara had insisted he wear. It was comfortable enough, but he would have preferred his practical combat gear. Still, he was the host, the Sector Lord, and he had to look the part.

He spent the first part of the evening with his core comrades, his family. The three women had transformed themselves for the occasion, and each of them took his breath away in a different way.

Emma Thorne, who usually had grease on her cheek and her hair tied back in a messy ponytail, looked stunning. She wore a simple, elegant silver dress that shimmered like starlight.

Her hair was down, and she wore a soft, happy smile that made her look years younger. She stood next to Ryan, a glass of the strange blue fruit juice in her hand, not talking about engine schematics, but about the future.

"Look at all this, Ryan," she said, her voice filled with a quiet wonder as she gestured to the happy, mingling crowd. "A few months ago, we were all strangers, terrified and fighting for scraps.

Now... we’re building a real civilization. We’re creating a future." She looked up at him, her intelligent eyes shining with a deep, heartfelt emotion.

"This is because of you. You gave us all this hope." Her connection to him, born from a meeting of minds and a shared purpose, was a deep and steady current running between them.

Scarlett, on the other hand, was a vision of dangerous elegance. She hated dresses, so she had opted for a sleek, perfectly tailored black suit that made her look like a deadly assassin attending a high-class gala.

Her red hair was a slash of vibrant color against the dark fabric. She didn’t say much, as was her way, but she never strayed far from Ryan’s side. She was a silent, protective shadow, her instincts always on alert.

But tonight, there was something else in her gaze. When she looked at him, her usual sharp, guarded expression softened into a quiet, intense longing.

The fierce protector was also a woman in love, and her feelings for him were a quiet, powerful fire that she kept carefully banked, but that he could feel warming him all the same.

And then there was Zara. She was a force of nature in a deep crimson gown that perfectly complemented her sharp features and dark hair. She moved through the room with a confident, almost regal, air.

But her eyes kept finding Ryan. She would watch him as he spoke with other leaders, a strange, new expression on her face. As she watched him laugh at a joke Chris Magnus told, or saw the warm way Emma looked at him, she felt a strange, unfamiliar pang in her chest.

She, a woman of pure logic and data, tried to analyze the feeling. It wasn’t simple jealousy. It was more complex. It was a mix of pride that this incredible man was her leader, and a sharp, almost painful desire to be the sole focus of his attention.

She mentally labeled the new emotion "competitive possessiveness" and decided it was both confusing and deeply annoying.

The party was in full swing when the delegation from Sanctuary made their grand entrance. Matriarch Isabella was a vision of serene grace, but all eyes were on her lead diplomat, Seraphina.

Seraphina wore a flowing gown the color of liquid moonlight that seemed to drift around her as she walked. She was a master of making an entrance, and she immediately scanned the room, her eyes landing on Ryan with a bright, magnetic smile. She made a direct line for him, her movements smooth and confident. freёnovelkiss.com

"Lord Stone," she said, her voice a warm, playful purr. "A wonderful party. You continue to impress." She held out her hand. "I believe it is customary in your sector for a guest to request a dance with the host."

Before Ryan could even answer, the room’s sound system, managed by Ace Striker, switched from soft background music to a slow, melodic tune. Ace gave Ryan a dramatic wink from across the room. Ryan sighed internally. His self-appointed social secretary was a little too good at his job.

"I’d be honored," Ryan said, leading Seraphina to the center of the floor.

As they danced, Seraphina proved to be just as skilled on the dance floor as she was at the negotiating table. She was light on her feet, and she stayed close, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. Her conversation was a clever, playful dance of its own.

"You know, for a man who commands armies and tames cosmic horrors, you’re a surprisingly good dancer," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I’m full of surprises," Ryan replied with a small smile.

"I’m beginning to realize that," she said, her voice dropping a little lower. "It makes me wonder... what other hidden talents are you keeping from us?"

Her question was light and teasing, but it was also a probe, a gentle attempt to learn more about the source of his incredible power. She was still a diplomat, after all.

Ryan just chuckled. "A good leader never reveals all his secrets."

From across the room, three pairs of female eyes watched the dance with varying degrees of interest. Emma watched with a thoughtful, analytical expression, as if studying a new, complex variable.

Zara watched with a sharp, narrowed gaze, her new feeling of "competitive possessiveness" flaring up like a warning light on a console.

And Scarlett... Scarlett just watched, her face a calm, unreadable mask, but her hand, resting on the back of a chair, was clenched just a little too tightly.

The party was a great success, a triumph of diplomacy and social grace. But for Ryan, it was also a stark reminder that the more powerful and influential he became, the more complex and complicated his life, and his relationships, were destined to be.

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