Despite his curiosity about the streets of Orario, Hanyu Genichi valued his safety far more.
He obediently remained hidden inside Demeter Familia’s headquarters.
Standing beside his bedroom window, Genichi peered through the gaps in the wooden shutters.
Several Familia members were bent over a vegetable plot in the courtyard.
They quietly chatted while pulling weeds, occasionally breaking into cheerful laughter.
They were all members of Demeter Familia, earning their living through farming and operating small stalls.
Only a tiny number were genuine adventurers who entered the Dungeon.
That was one of the main reasons Genichi had chosen to stay.
Demeter Familia wasn’t a powerful combat Familia and had few complicated relationships or internal power struggles.
It was perfect for an unregistered outsider like him to hide his identity and quietly grow stronger.
After several days of carefully probing Demeter and guiding their conversations, Genichi had roughly confirmed the current point in Orario’s timeline.
Based on the information Demeter had unintentionally revealed, the story of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
had most likely just begun.
In other words, Bell Cranel—the protagonist countless viewers called the Rabbit—would soon make a name for himself in Orario and begin his cheat-like rise to greatness.
His ascent would draw the attention of Freya Familia, the hostility of Ishtar Familia, and a series of major incidents powerful enough to shake all of Orario.
However, what did any of that have to do with Genichi?
He was merely a transmigrator who had accidentally entered this world.
He had no obligation to save it, no interest in becoming sworn brothers with the protagonist, and no desire to be dragged into conflicts between gods.
Calling him an infinitely promising newcomer would be generous.
In reality, he was still a weakling whom a Goblin could chase through the streets.
His Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, and Agility had risen from I0 to I99 overnight, but I99 was still only I rank.
He remained far below H and G, let alone the top adventurers who regularly possessed B, A, or even S-rank ability values.
Genichi understood that he couldn’t attract attention before gaining enough strength to protect himself.
He certainly couldn’t become involved in anything that might draw the notice of multiple factions.
He possessed a cheat ability, the Transmigration Gate, and plenty of time and room to grow.
Even without stealing anyone else’s woman, he could build a wonderful future.
Why would he force himself into the spotlight while he was still weak?
That would be nothing more than suicide.
Once he maxed out his ability values, mastered his two new spells, and accumulated sufficient combat experience inside his dreams, he would possess the confidence and resources to act freely.
Whether he chose to explore the Dungeon or travel into another world through the Transmigration Gate, he would be thoroughly prepared.
Until then, remaining hidden was the best possible decision.
As for what would happen if the original heroines in the story were all won over by Bell?
What a joke!
A hint of a disdainful smile touched Hanyu Genichi’s lips.
This world didn’t have only one heroine.
And this world wasn’t the only one with heroines.
Why should he place himself in danger for the sake of one specific heroine?
Giving up an entire forest for a single tree was a choice only a fool would make.
Besides, even if those original heroines actually ended up with the male protagonist, he could still “experience” them in his dreams first!
The [Dreamwalking] magic allowed him to enter other people’s dreams.
If he wanted to, he could slip into a heroine’s dream and spend some “wonderful” time with her before she and Bell even established a relationship.
After all, the experiences in the dream would be real, yet he wouldn’t have truly touched her in reality.
It wasn’t a crime, nor was it immoral—at most, he’d just be cucking the male protagonist in a spiritual sense.
He wouldn’t have to sacrifice anything to get a free ride on those heroines’ dream forms.
No matter how he looked at it, it was a win.
And this was only the most basic application of the spell.
Once he grew stronger and mastered [Dreamwalking] more proficiently, he could even subtly influence the heroines in their dreams, gradually increasing their affection for him in the real world.
When that time came…
As these thoughts took hold, the wicked grin on Hanyu Genichi’s face widened until it nearly reached his ears.
His gaze turned distant, filled with lewd fantasies.
However, in the next instant—
Thump!
A powerful fist struck Genichi squarely in the lower abdomen.
The impact folded his body like a cooked shrimp and forced a miserable scream from his throat.
“Awooo!”
Genichi clutched his stomach and crouched on the floor, his eyes watering from the pain.
When he looked up, Demeter stood before him with her right fist still extended.
Her expression declared that she had seen through him long ago.
“Goddess!
Why did you hit me?”
It took Genichi a long time to straighten himself.
He held his stomach and complained through clenched teeth.
“I haven’t done anything!
What right do you have to hit me?”
“Your expression was so evil that you were obviously planning something terrible!”
Demeter planted her hands on her hips and glared down at him.
“No one would believe you weren’t imagining something filthy and disgusting after seeing that look on your face!”
“I wasn’t!”
Genichi protested his innocence.
“I was merely planning my future!
Do I deserve to be punched just for thinking about my plans?”
“Planning your future made you look like that?”
Demeter snorted.
“Do you think I’m as easy to fool as a three-year-old?
I watched your smirk become distant eyes and then turn into pure perversion.”
“Do you dare claim you weren’t imagining something you shouldn’t have been?”
Genichi was immediately left speechless.
He had to admit that he had imagined several wonderful scenes.
However, that was something he could never admit, even under threat of death.
“I-I was only deciding what kind of dream to weave tonight!”
In a flash of inspiration, Genichi hurriedly changed the subject.
“I was trying to decide whether I should simulate fighting Goblins or Dungeon Lizards.
That’s all!”
“My expression looked evil because I became too excited about the combat simulation!
Yes, that’s exactly what happened!”
Demeter narrowed her eyes and stared at him suspiciously.
Her gaze plainly asked whether he took her for a fool.
However, Genichi stubbornly refused to change his story, and Demeter eventually lost interest in pressing him further.
“Hmph.
You’d better have been planning nothing more than a combat simulation.”
…