After Riveria left, Demeter finally turned her worried gaze toward Genichi.
Those amber eyes were full of unconcealed anxiety.
Genichi looked at her and was silent for a moment.
Then he slowly said, "I need to reach Level 5 as soon as possible."
His voice was calm, but it carried a certainty that allowed no doubt.
"Only once I reach Level 5 will I have the confidence not to fear the Loki Familia."
Demeter's body stiffened slightly.
Of course she knew he was telling the truth.
Any one of Genichi's skills or spells would be enough to cause an uproar if revealed.
If those things ever leaked, all of Orario would go mad over them.
And when that happened, what would be waiting for him?
Would the major Familia fight over him?
Would people with darker motives set their sights on him?
Either way, it meant danger.
And if he had to face pressure from the Loki Familia now...
One of Orario's strongest Familia had already noticed him. If they truly decided to focus on him, how long could a lone Level 4 adventurer like him last?
Demeter bit down hard on her lip, unable to say a word.
She wanted to stop him.
Wanted to tell him not to take the risk, not to throw his life away, not to leave her alone in Orario worrying herself sick.
But she knew she could not stop him.
From the very beginning, this boy had possessed a will as hard as steel.
Once he decided on something, no one could change it.
All she could do was look at him.
"No matter what..."
Her voice was soft, trembling slightly.
"You have to survive."
Genichi turned to look at her.
A complicated emotion flickered through his dark eyes.
Then he gave a faint nod.
"I will."
He paused.
"I'll stay alive."
No matter who it was, no one would get to decide his death.
Anyone who wanted him dead would die first.
That was the iron rule he had learned through endless life-and-death struggles.
"Get some rest."
He turned and walked toward the bed.
"I need to conserve my strength too..."
But Demeter did not let him finish.
She suddenly stepped forward, hooked an arm around his neck, and kissed him.
Genichi's body instantly went rigid.
That soft touch, that warm breath, those amber eyes so close to his own...
His mind went completely blank.
By the time he came to his senses and tried to push her away, it was already too late.
Demeter was holding tightly to his neck and had no intention of letting go.
A long while later, their lips parted.
Genichi gently pushed her back, his expression complicated.
"Demeter..."
His voice was slightly hoarse.
"Don't reject me."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a force he could not easily refuse.
A burning heat blazed in those amber eyes.
The corner of Genichi's mouth twitched faintly.
Conserve my strength?
This was conserving his strength?
This was practically helping Udaeus finish him off.
"Listen to me..."
He tried to explain.
But Demeter did not give him the chance.
"Trust me."
Her voice was light, but utterly firm.
Genichi hesitated.
To be honest, it was not as though he felt nothing for Demeter.
The woman who had stayed at his side all night while he was unconscious, the woman who had gone to plead with Hephaestus for his sake, the woman who had boldly tempted him in that lingerie shop...
How could he possibly feel nothing?
He had only been running away from it.
Because he did not know whether he would survive. Did not know when he might die in that cursed Soul Coliseum. Did not know whether he had any right to answer her feelings.
But now...
Demeter was no longer giving him a chance to run.
She stepped forward again, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him once more.
This time, Genichi did not push her away.
He closed his eyes and gently wrapped an arm around her waist.
Moonlight spilled quietly through the window.
Inside the room, only the sound of their mingled breathing remained.
After an unknown stretch of time, Genichi lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling in silence.
Demeter was curled up in his arms. The face that usually wore such a gentle smile was now flushed with a soft warmth.
Her hand traced small circles over his chest.
"Genichi."
"Hm?"
"You have to come back alive."
Her voice was soft, a little languid, but also serious.
"I'll wait for you."
Genichi was quiet for a moment.
Then he lowered his head and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
"All right."
Demeter smiled.
It was bright and radiant, like the warmest sunlight of spring.
She nuzzled closer into his arms, found a comfortable position, and closed her eyes.
"Sleep."
"Yeah."
Moonlight fell quietly over them.
In that room, the two of them fell asleep in each other's embrace.
Early the next morning, Genichi opened his eyes.
The space beside him was already empty.
He sat up and saw Demeter standing by the window, her back to him as she looked out at the sky.
Sunlight spilled over her, turning her honey-colored hair into warm gold.
Genichi was silent for a moment, then rose and walked up behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her waist.
Demeter's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed.
She leaned back into his embrace, the corners of her lips lifting faintly.
"You're awake?"
"Yeah."
"Getting ready to leave?"
"Yeah."
Demeter was silent for a moment, then turned to face him.
She reached up and gently touched his cheek.
Those amber eyes were full of tenderness and reluctance.
"Remember what you promised me."
"Come back alive."
Genichi nodded.
"All right."
He lowered his head and gave her a light kiss on the lips.
Then Demeter said, "Before you go back into the Dungeon, let me update your status one more time."
Genichi looked at her in confusion. He had not gone back into the Dungeon yet, so there should not have been anything new to update. But he trusted that Demeter would not say something pointless.
So he walked over to the bed, took off his shirt, and exposed his back.
Demeter quickly finished updating his status. The moment Genichi took the sheet and looked at it, he immediately understood.
Love of the Goddess
Demeter's Love: Gain Development Ability Healing Power S
Genichi's pupils shook violently.
Love of the Goddess had only a single effect, but that one effect was absurdly powerful.
It granted him Healing Power S.
He had never even heard of anyone raising a Development Ability to S-rank.
And now he had obtained Healing Power S.
Just because he and Demeter had become intimate?
There were plenty of adventurers in Orario who had gotten involved with goddesses. Were they all receiving abilities like this too?
Genichi voiced the doubt in his mind.
He did not believe that simply because he and Demeter had crossed that line, he had received such a ridiculous skill.
There was no way he was the only adventurer in Orario to have a relationship with a goddess.
Those lustful gods, those adventurers willing to do anything to climb higher, those men and women who acted on impulse...
Had all of them gained powers like this too?
Impossible.
If abilities could really be farmed that way, Orario would have descended into chaos long ago.
When Demeter heard his question, a complicated emotion flickered through her amber eyes.
Then she slowly said, "Did you forget about one of your Seven Deadly Sins skills, Gluttony?"
Genichi froze slightly.
Gluttony?
That skill's effect was...
Consume blood, and you can obtain part of the other party's skills or magic.
His pupils contracted.
"You mean...?"
Demeter nodded.
"That's right."
Genichi fell silent.
Of course he remembered what Gluttony did. But it required consuming blood to trigger.
And he did not remember drinking Demeter's blood...
"Were you bleeding?"
Demeter turned her head away, a faint flush of embarrassment crossing her face.
"I was."
She answered in a small voice.
Genichi blanked out for a moment.
She was bleeding?
Really?
He stared at her in confusion, and then suddenly, realization hit him.
His eyes widened sharply.
Those dark eyes were filled with disbelief.
"You... you were still...?"
"That's exactly what it means."
Demeter cut him off, her voice tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.
She did not let him finish.
But Genichi already understood.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, only to find that no words came.
That night, he truly had not noticed.
Or rather, the thought had never even crossed his mind.
After all, Demeter was a goddess.
Even if she usually acted like a girl hopelessly in love, he had never imagined that she actually...
Genichi drew in a slow breath and forced down the turbulent emotions in his chest.
Then he glanced at the bed.
On the white sheet, a single red blossom had quietly bloomed.
After that, he turned back to Demeter.
"But the problem is, doesn't the skill say I have to consume it? I didn't exactly..."
He trailed off.
Demeter still was not looking at him.
She only said quietly, "When I kissed you, I bit my lip a little."
Genichi fell silent.
So when she kissed him, she had deliberately bitten her own lip and let him swallow that trace of blood.
And then...
Gluttony had triggered.
He had gained Love of the Goddess.
He had gained the absurd Development Ability Healing Power S.
Genichi looked at her, and something unreadable flickered in his dark eyes.
After a long moment, he slowly said, "So in other words..."
He paused.
"There was actually no need for us to go any further than a kiss..."
He could not finish the sentence.
Because Demeter was staring at him with a deeply aggrieved expression in her amber eyes.
That look clearly said:
Try saying that again.
Genichi silently shut his mouth.
Silence spread between them.
A moment later, he let out a sigh.
"All right. That one was my fault."
Demeter looked at him, and the grievance in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a warm light.
"I forgive you."
She spoke softly.
"But only this once."
Then her tone turned serious.
"Trampling on a goddess's feelings is the kind of thing that gets you punished by heaven."
Genichi looked at her, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Got it."
Of course he understood.
How much this woman had done for him, how could he not know?
From the moment she took him in, from the moment she gave him her Falna, from every time she prepared supplies for him, worried herself sick over him, and went to plead with Hephaestus for him...
She had always been giving.
And only now had he truly answered those feelings.
He would never trample on that devotion.
After a moment of silence, Genichi suddenly thought of something.
"So..."
He looked at Demeter.
"If consuming a god's blood can give me power, then if I consumed the blood of other gods too, would I also be able to...?"
Demeter's gaze turned dangerous in an instant.
"Don't even think about it."
There was a warning in her voice.
"Why not?"
Genichi frowned slightly.
"According to Gluttony's effect, as long as it's blood..."
Demeter let out a sigh.
She stepped closer and lightly tapped him on the forehead.
"That would be stealing divine authority."
Her tone became serious.
"Gluttony lets you obtain another person's skills or magic through consuming blood, but the premise is that the other party has to be willing to give it to you."
"In our case, it happened because I love you, so I don't mind letting you take a part of my authority."
"But other gods..."
She paused.
"Try it and see what kind of reaction you get."
Genichi fell silent.
Of course he knew what kind of reaction he would get from other gods.
Having one's authority stolen was an unacceptable offense for any deity.
If that secret ever came out, the wrath of the entire divine world would come crashing down on him.
At that point, forget Level 5. Even if he reached Level 10, he still would not survive.
"I understand."
He nodded.
"Consider that idea withdrawn."
Demeter looked at him, satisfaction flickering through her amber eyes.
"That's better."
She stepped forward and lightly rested herself against him.
"I'm enough for you."
"Don't go looking for other gods."
Genichi was silent for a moment, then gently wrapped an arm around her waist.
"All right."
He knew she was right.
Having her was enough.
He did not need anyone else.
And he did not need the power of any other god.
Demeter buried her face in his chest, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
Sunlight poured through the window, bathing the two of them in warm gold.
After a while, Genichi slowly let her go.
"It's about time."
He paused.
"I should leave."
Demeter's body stiffened slightly.
But she did not try to stop him.
She only nodded.
"All right."
She looked up at him.
Those amber eyes were full of reluctance, but also determination.
"Remember what you promised me."
"Come back alive."
Genichi nodded.
"I will."
He lowered his head and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
Then he turned and walked to the door.
When he reached it, he suddenly stopped and looked back at her.
"Demeter."
"Hm?"
"Wait for me."
Demeter smiled.
That smile was bright and radiant, like the warmest sunlight of spring.
"All right."
Genichi pushed open the door and walked out.
The door closed softly behind him.
Demeter remained standing there, staring at the closed door, her eyes filled with worry she could not hide.
After a long while, she softly murmured to herself,
"You have to come back..."
(End of Chapter)
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