After breakfast, Demeter pulled Hanyu Genichi aside and asked about his plans.
“Are you going to enter the Dungeon next?”
“Of course not!
Why would I enter the Dungeon?
It’s incredibly dangerous!”
Genichi shook his head without hesitation.
His answer was so firm that one might think Demeter had asked him to jump into a burning pit.
He leaned back in his chair with both hands behind his head and one leg crossed over the other.
His relaxed posture showed none of the tension or ambition expected of an adventurer.
Demeter rolled her eyes, entirely unsurprised by his decision.
From the moment she saw [Slaanesh], she had concluded that Genichi wasn’t remotely respectable.
After spending more time with him, she became even more certain.
He was simply a pleasure-loving slacker who hated hard work!
“Aren’t you worried that your ability values will rise too slowly?”
Demeter planted her hands on her hips and stared down at Genichi.
“[Slaanesh] and [Dreamwalking] may let you grow stronger in your dreams, but are you certain you’ll encounter a powerful soul like Alfia every night?”
“What if [Dreamwalking] only creates an ordinary dream tonight?
Wouldn’t you waste the entire night?”
“Goddess, you’re underestimating me.”
Genichi opened his eyes, a confident smile appearing on his lips.
“I only encountered Alfia because [Dreamwalking] activated automatically.
If I use it consciously, I should be able to control its direction.”
“I can decide what kind of dream to weave or whose dream I want to enter.
The initiative will be entirely in my hands.”
Demeter blinked in surprise.
She hadn’t expected Genichi to understand [Dreamwalking]’s operation so thoroughly already.
“So, what kind of dream do you intend to create tonight?”
She looked at him with growing interest.
“Well, obviously…”
Genichi deliberately drew out the words, a cunning gleam flashing through his eyes.
“I’ll begin with an exhilarating combat simulation!
You said I lack real combat experience, didn’t you?”
“I’ll fight Goblins hundreds of times inside my dreams until I completely understand their attack patterns, weak points, and escape routes.”
“Once I’ve mastered Goblins, I’ll move on to Dungeon Lizards, then Orcs, then Minotaurs.
I’ll keep raising the difficulty, floor by floor, until I can defeat a Floor Boss alone inside my dreams.”
Demeter stared at him in disbelief.
“D-Don’t tell me you intend to simulate the entire Dungeon in your dreams without ever entering it in reality?”
“Why not?”
Genichi spread his hands as though the answer were obvious.
“As long as I gain enough combat experience in my dreams, I’ll know how to fight any monsters I encounter in reality.”
“I can die and try again countless times in a dream, testing every strategy until I discover the best one.”
“In reality, a single blow from a Goblin could leave me bedridden for days.
A powerful monster might kill me on the spot.
Which option do you think is more worthwhile?”
Demeter opened her mouth to argue, only to discover that she had no rebuttal.
She had spent years in the Lower World and met countless adventurers.
Some were brave, cunning, diligent, or lazy.
However, she had never encountered anyone who combined laziness and efficiency as perfectly as Genichi.
“But the Dungeon isn’t only about fighting!”
Demeter made one final attempt to persuade him.
“The Dungeon contains countless wonders that you could never recreate inside a dream.”
“Who says I couldn’t?”
Genichi raised an eyebrow.
“Even if I can’t simulate them, I’ll simply go without seeing them.
Why would I deliberately suffer when I don’t have to?”
Demeter was left completely speechless.
She had to admit that his reasoning was flawless.
Genichi possessed the kind of cheating magic combination countless adventurers dreamed of, yet power hadn’t clouded his judgment.
Instead, he had calmly planned the safest, easiest, and most efficient path toward growth.
“Fine.
I admit that your reasoning makes sense.”
Demeter sighed, sat back down, and took a sip from her teacup.
“However, have you considered that [Slaanesh] might only activate through genuine physical contact and emotional intimacy?”
“If you never enter the Dungeon, you’ll rely entirely on imaginary partners inside your dreams.
A dream is still only a dream.”
“What if there is an insurmountable difference between dreams and genuine physical acts?
If [Slaanesh] requires something real, wouldn’t all your efforts be wasted?”
That question made Genichi pause.
He truly hadn’t considered it carefully.
[Slaanesh]’s description stated that engaging in sexual acts would increase his ability values.
However, it never specified whether those acts had to occur in reality or could also happen inside a dream.
[Slaanesh] had somehow activated in last night’s dream and granted him an enormous increase in ability values.
However, Genichi had been unconscious and couldn’t remember what he had done.
He had no way to determine whether those actions had possessed some form of genuine effect.
“Well…”
Genichi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“It seems I’ll need to conduct a controlled experiment.”
“A controlled experiment?”
Demeter tilted her head curiously.
“That’s right.
Tonight, I’ll consciously weave a dream and have sex inside it.
Tomorrow morning, we’ll check whether my ability values increased.”
“If they rise, we’ll know that acts performed inside dreams are completely valid.
Then I can confidently continue growing stronger without lifting a finger.”
“If they don’t…”
Genichi paused, a troubled expression appearing on his face.
“Then I’ll have to consider visiting the Entertainment District and finding someone to conduct a real-world test with.”
“Don’t you dare!”
Demeter slammed her palm against the table so hard that the teacup jumped.
“If a member of Demeter Familia went around fooling with women in the Entertainment District, what would happen to my reputation?”
“Then what do you suggest?”
Genichi spread his hands.
“Would you rather help me conduct the experiment yourself?
You’re a beautiful goddess with an incredible figure.”
“If [Slaanesh] works on gods, its effects would probably be far stronger than with a mortal…”
Thump!
A pillow struck Genichi squarely in the face, cutting off the rest of his sentence.
“Keep talking nonsense, and I’ll tie you up and throw you onto the Dungeon’s first floor!
Then you can get personally acquainted with the Goblins!”
Demeter’s face was bright red as she shouted in embarrassed fury.
Genichi timidly drew in his neck and removed the pillow from his face.
“It was only a joke.
Did you really have to get that worked up…?”
…