Time passed unknowingly, and the setting sun outside the window gradually sank, casting a golden glow over the room.
In this warm atmosphere... Achoo!
A sneeze suddenly rang out.
Hestia, having finished her conversation, leaned back in her chair.
The abundant fruits 'supported' by her Blue Ribbon swayed with her movement.
The beautiful Goddess let out a sigh, then continued their conversation.
"We've been chatting for so long, mainly about the new safe floor... I want to know, Chen Hai-kun, why exactly are you opening the Dungeon?"
"There are still many benefits."
Aside from experience points.
Chen Hai held up the notebook in front of him.
"Adventurers belonging to the Adventurers' Guild go to explore the Dungeon, and the magic stones, rare materials, metal ores, and other treasures brought out can all be traded, and I can take a cut from that, gaining profit."
"That's true, the Dungeon's resources are so abundant that Chen Hai-kun will sooner or later become the wealthiest person in this world, or rather, it seems he already has, hasn't he?"
Hestia suddenly thought of something.
She took the notebook from Chen Hai's hand and muttered,
"I remember when I came to the Guild looking for a Familia before, I heard some merchants mention 'market value' and such."
Market value?
Chen Hai asked with a smile,
"How do you remember that term?"
"Because I asked them, 'How much do you think my fried potato balls stall is worth in market value?', and what do you know... those guys only gave me 'ten thousand Valis' as an answer, how hateful! Even though my daily turnover is at least a few thousand Valis!"
"Haha..."
Chen Hai listened to Hestia's interesting experience, and the Blue Ribbon Goddess then pouted.
"Don't laugh! My fried potato balls stall has a bright future~! But I haven't opened it for a long time now!"
Cough cough!
Hestia cleared her throat and continued,
"All in all...! Chen Hai-kun, as the current owner of the Dungeon, and the master behind the Adventurers' Guild, your combined wealth's 'market value' must be very, very high, enough to buy the world!"
"If that were the case, it wouldn't be bad. I hope to expand from 'Orario'."
"Expand? I haven't really learned much about countries or cities outside of 'Orario' yet. If Chen Hai-kun ever goes out, you must call me along!"
Hestia, looking forward to the future, put down the notebook she had been holding, propped her hands on the table, leaned forward, closing the distance, and said with a serious expression.
Chen Hai agreed, then put the notebook into a drawer.
"It's getting late, let's go back."
"Indeed, you've worked hard today."
"It's not hard work. I just sit in the office listening to reports and signing some documents."
This is what a true boss's life must be like... This morning, Chen Hai traveled to the that time i got reincarnated as a slime plane, naming Goblins and simultaneously bringing one of the top combat powers, Veldora, into the Dungeon;
Around noon, he chatted with Freya and Tsubaki about the new safe floor, and also sampled the handmade snacks that Saya Takagi, Rei Miyamoto, and Hestia had made together;
In the afternoon, Chen Hai mainly listened to the latest reports from the Adventurers' Guild, such as market conditions, magic stone mining efficiency, Adventurer applications, and so on.
During this time, his level had been continuously increasing, basically never stopping.
Originally, consuming LV.200 to break the 'Exceptional' entry could allow various abilities to reach 'Origin'.
Now, his level has already reached LV.49, an increase of thirty-four levels!
And it only took less than a day.
As the covered planes increase and the occupation rate grows, this efficiency will continue to change.
At that time, a hundred levels a day or a thousand levels in ten days will not be a problem.
Even if it becomes harder to level up later on, as long as the occupied planes are numerous and vast enough, there's no need to worry about the leveling speed slowing down.
He wondered what planes the Dungeon would connect to when his level reached one thousand, ten thousand, or even one hundred thousand.
For example—
Directly connected to 'Heaven'?
And then conquering all the 'Gods' of the multiverse?!
Chen Hai did not continue to think about such distant matters, judging by the current situation.
Among the three existing worlds, the apocalypse plane has the lowest difficulty.
After all, the biggest threat there is the 'Living Dead' (Zombies/Corpse), and the weapons humans possess are not worth mentioning.
For high technology to be useful, unless the otherworld encountered is a 'low magic plane'.
For example, a work called "GATE: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri".
It features a plot where high technology crushes the natives of another world.
Knights and thieves stood no chance against Gatling guns and armed helicopters.
"Chen Hai-kun, is there anything you'd like to eat??"
Hearing Hestia's question, Chen Hai turned to his side and asked in return,
"What about you?"
"Me... When I was making snacks with Classmate Miyamoto and Classmate Takagi earlier, I heard them talking about sushi, and I wonder if it's good."
"There isn't any in Orario, is there? And I don't think it tastes good."
Or perhaps the sushi he had wasn't authentic.
Chen Hai walked towards the mansion, chatting with Hestia about dinner.
On the way, they met employees responsible for cleaning the courtyard and rooms.
Seeing the two, they immediately moved aside, making way and greeting them aloud,
"Good afternoon! Lord Chen Hai! Lady Hestia!"
"You've worked hard."
"No, no, this is just what we should do!"
"By the way, do you know where the 'Feast of Stars' is?"
"Feast of Stars? That new, very popular restaurant? It's over by The Tower of Babel, I think it's on the third floor."
After thanking the two young girls, Chen Hai looked at Hestia.
"You go and notify the others, I'll go to the 'Feast of Stars' to reserve a table first."
"I also have some impression of that restaurant, but because it's very expensive, I haven't paid much attention to it!"
"Then it's a good opportunity to try it tonight."
"Alright!"
Hestia said, then quickly ran ahead, preparing to notify the others.
— — — —
— — — —
Chen Hai and Hestia separated, teleporting to the vicinity of The Tower of Babel in Orario's central plaza.
The night was now falling, but the usually bustling plaza did not fall silent with the onset of darkness.
Numerous magic stone-powered lights were set up everywhere, illuminating the stone pathways.
The clamor of human voices, the shouts of vendors, and the music drifting from distant taverns intertwined into a single symphony.
Chen Hai stood at a spot on the street, his gaze passing through the moving figures and landing on the area on the east side of the plaza, enveloped in a silvery-white glow.
"Freya, huh..."
There, the Freya Familia was busy in the night.
Their figures moved constantly in the light of the magic lamps.
Drawing closer, Chen Hai looked intently.
Members of the Freya Familia were unloading heavy boxes of materials from tall cargo carriages: sturdy stones, specially made metal components, bundles of timber, and even a large magic stone device glowing with a faint blue light.
Recalling their conversation from earlier today, Chen Hai guessed they were working overtime for the 'safe floor construction project'.
This was a plan that Freya had requested and Chen Hai had approved—to establish a new, absolutely safe resting and resupply point on the sixtieth floor of the Dungeon.
For Adventurers, this would be a solid backing for delving deeper;
For Chen Hai, this would increase his experience gain efficiency to a certain extent.
If the effect was good, he wouldn't mind adding more safe floors in the future.
Thinking this, Chen Hai walked over, continuously closing the distance.
A Familia member guarding a pile of materials immediately looked up alertly, her hand already on her sword hilt.
However, when she clearly saw the newcomer's face, the wariness in her eyes instantly turned into reverence.
"Lord Chen Hai."
She bowed slightly, performing a salute.
Chen Hai nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze passing over her and landing on the figure as deep as the night not far away.
Freya, the chief god of the Freya Familia, was standing beside a magic stone device, observing the magic circle on it.
The Goddess of Beauty was indeed beautiful, quite eye-catching, but her character... Chen Hai, muttering to himself, walked over.
"Good evening, Lady Freya."
He surveyed the scene.
"Looks like good progress."
Freya slowly turned around, her deep eyes like jewels.
The corners of her lips curved slightly, revealing a half-smile.
"Chen Hai-kun, you've arrived just in time. The materials are mostly in place, and transport can begin tomorrow morning. My Familia members have already analyzed the structural map of the 60th floor, and the location for the safe floor has been determined—it's at the end of the 'Rift Corridor,' where the space is open and most suitable for long-term garrison."
The Dungeon terrain can change, but there are also fixed environments.
Especially safe floors.
Now that Chen Hai has set the 60th floor as a 'safe floor,' similar changes naturally occur.
"I hope everything goes smoothly for you, but…"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the heavy materials.
"From the 60th floor downwards, the difficulty of the floors increases. Even if logistics keep up, it's not something an ordinary Adventurer can challenge."
"Of course, I will make sure those people act within their capabilities."
After Freya finished speaking, she gently waved her hand, signaling her Familia members to move the items away.
Then she asked curiously,
"Why is Chen Hai-kun here?"
"I plan to have dinner at the 'Feast of Stars.'"
"Although that restaurant just opened, it's very popular and requires reservations. However, with Chen Hai-kun's status, those procedures aren't necessary."
After saying this, Freya turned to her side.
"Helen."
The woman he had seen before stepped forward.
"I'm here."
"You go lead Chen Hai-kun and also make a reservation at the 'Feast of Stars.'"
"I understand."
Helen nodded, her gaze turning to Chen Hai.
"Please follow me."
"Thank you for the trouble."
Chen Hai gladly accepted Freya's kindness and followed Helen to The Tower of Babel.
The entire process went very smoothly.
The owner of the 'Feast of Stars' saw Chen Hai and Helen of the 'Freya Familia' and immediately arranged the best private room on the second floor of the restaurant.
This private room was near a window, with a balcony, overlooking the surrounding streets.
After making the reservation, Helen bid farewell to Chen Hai and returned to report.
Chen Hai, watching her leave, also picked up the menu and looked at the dishes listed.
Not long after, Hestia arrived with the other women.
However, besides her, Saeko Busujima, Rei Miyamoto, Saya Takagi, Yuriko Takagi, and Shizuka Marikawa, there were two more people.
The first one—
"I am Hephaestus. We met before at that temporary 'Gods' Assembly.' I hope I'm not disturbing your meal."
The Goddess of Forging had arrived.
The second one—
"H-hello… I am Liliruca Arde. I recently became Boss Busujima's Supporter. Please guide me!"
The little people who were bullied in the original story… I didn't expect them to appear at this moment.
"I wanted to introduce her to everyone, Chen Hai-kun… please forgive me."
Saeko Busujima also spoke.
Chen Hai shook his head.
"It's fine, more diners mean more liveliness."
"Hephaestus is a friend who helped me a lot after I descended. I met her on the way here and brought her along! She said she wanted to talk to Chen Hai-kun about the 'safe floor' matter. Her Familia's captain is involved in this plan, right?"
Hestia explained and asked at the same time.
At this point, Hephaestus herself said,
"It was also my instruction, not just Tsubaki's decision, because I'm very curious about what kind of weapons can be forged from the iron ore materials in the deep levels of the Dungeon."
Even a God has a curious side.
After hearing this, Chen Hai smiled and looked at Hephaestus and Liliruca who had just arrived.
"Welcome, both of you. I believe this dinner won't be boring."
With new girls joining, Chen Hai only found it interesting.
————
————
The dinner party led by Chen Hai continued.
Rei Miyamoto, the Takagi Mother and Daughter, and Shizuka Marikawa began asking Saeko Busujima and Liliruca about their adventures, as the former few had not yet explored Chen Hai's Dungeon;
Meanwhile, Hestia and Hephaestus chatted with Chen Hai about topics related to the 'safe floor construction work.' Both Goddesses agreed that the new safe floor would change the exploration rhythm of many powerful Adventurers.
Thus, the relatively quiet private room on the second floor of the 'Feast of Stars' restaurant became very lively from the start of dinner.
Soon, the two topics began to overlap.
"How long will it take for Miss Busujima to explore the 'new safe floor—the 60th floor' that Chen Hai-kun just mentioned?"
Saya Takagi asked with curiosity.
Hestia immediately answered on the side,
"It's impossible for a new Adventurer to explore below the 60th floor without a few years."
"Indeed, some Adventurers take several years to go from LV.1 to LV.2, let alone from LV.1 to LV.5 or even LV.6. I don't know if Miss Busujima has talent, but no matter how talented a newcomer is, it's impossible to reach the deep areas in a short time."
Hephaestus added, following her friend's statement.
After hearing this, not only Saya Takagi but also Rei Miyamoto next to her gained a new understanding of Adventurers.
"I think… Boss Busujima has a lot of potential!"
Liliruca, who had been mostly silent, spoke at this moment.
During her previous adventures, while being taken care of by Saeko Busujima, she also saw another side of Saeko Busujima—facing enemies, she never flinched, but rather became very excited (Li Lihao)!
Since Saeko Busujima told her not to casually speak about it, Liliruca changed her description method.
"Boss Busujima will not fear powerful enemies; instead, she will adapt to such high-intensity combat and will definitely become very strong in the future."
"Well~ potential is potential, but don't push yourself too hard. If you get injured, you can always come to me, your teacher!"
Shizuka Marikawa looked at Saeko Busujima with concern at this moment.
After Saeko Busujima thanked Shizuka Marikawa and Liliruca, her gaze turned to Chen Hai.
"If possible, I would like to obtain permission to explore deeper floors…"
"No."
Chen Hai refused outright.
"You don't need to rush. Just follow your own rhythm. Forcibly challenging enemies that are too strong will only bring harm."
"I don't feel much pressure dealing with the monsters on the upper floors now."
"Because the intensity hasn't increased yet."
Especially after Chen Hai's adjustments.
After hearing the explanation, Saeko Busujima did not insist further. Instead, she picked up two pieces of meat, one for Liliruca and one for Chen Hai.
Seeing this, the girls around them all showed expressions of 'I want to do something too.'
Thus, the dinner at the 'Feast of Stars' became even livelier.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the manager even brought new drinks and gifts.
It was obvious that this was to curry favor with Chen Hai.
After letting the girls accept the gifts, Chen Hai led everyone on their way home.
Hestia and Liliruca both had places to stay, so they parted ways en route.
The remaining people returned to the mansion together.
As Chen Hai was about to rest, he heard a knock at the door.
She opened the door after taking off her jacket and saw the Takagi Mother and Daughter standing in the hallway, with Rei Miyamoto in the middle.
"Th-that…!"
Rei Miyamoto mustered her courage and seriously said,
"I want to scrub Chen Hai-kun's back!"
Nighttime fun… C-scrubbing B-back.
What about the other two?
Chen Hai looked at the Takagi Mother and Daughter, and the answer he received was—
We're here to help.
It seemed that the lively place tonight was not just the restaurant, but also Chen Hai's residence.