We finally brought a full year of dungeon exploration to an end, and Dex nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. You came out from level 100, right? What color was the circle light?"
"It was like a starry sky. A black background with white, sparkling particles—just like the night sky."
Dex stroked his chin thoughtfully after hearing that. I took a sip of tea, and then he spoke again.
"...You know where the names of adventurer ranks come from, right?"
"From the color of the circle light."
"Exactly. Having reached level 91 and beyond, you'll be promoted to a new rank—Starlight Rank. However, it needs to be reported to the country first. Only after the king approves and announces it can your rank be officially updated."
"Please don't make this turn into something that requires meeting the king."
That was what I always said to Dex. Every time a dungeon record was broken, it had to be reported to the country. This time, we had gone straight to the very bottom in one go, and with so many unclear details, we might end up being dragged in for questioning.
"I know, I know. But first, bring back some items or food that don't exist in this world as physical evidence."
"Alright. We'll head into the dungeon now."
Reaching the ninety-plus levels was now effortless for us thanks to dungeon passage magic. Let's get this over with quickly, then go have some fun with Lina.
After that, we casually grabbed a few items and foods unseen in this world and completed the handover.
Over the next few days, I taught Lina how to ride a motorcycle and drive a car. We watched several movies, then went to the library to read and study. The books were filled with knowledge from my previous life—science, myths, novels, and manga.
Because of that, I grew more and more interested in the Goddess of Fate. She might know why I ended up in this world. But maybe I could meet her at a church…? No, that was impossible. There was no way it would be that easy.
And even if it were possible, I didn't want to go to a church anyway. You could barely say two sentences to the priests before they launched into divine teachings. Normal conversation was basically impossible.
Today, Lina and I went to the amusement park in the tourism district. We rode every attraction, then headed to the water park.
To play in the water, we rented swimsuits—the kind you don't pay for. After changing into swim trunks, I came out of the restroom and waited for Lina.
The moment Lina appeared, my gaze was completely locked onto her. I didn't dare blink, afraid I'd miss even a second.
Lina was wearing a black frilled bikini, and her snow-white long hair was tied into low twin ponytails. The contrast was striking, as if that swimsuit existed solely for her.
She started walking toward me, but her destructive power was far too high. If I didn't shift my attention immediately, I was going to break. I hurriedly pointed at a nearby slide.
"Lina, let's go play over there."
"Wait, Karen."
Just as I was about to step forward, Lina grabbed my hand and stopped me. Had she seen through my thoughts? I forced myself to calm down and asked,
"What's wrong?"
Lina let go of my hand, pulled one of her ponytails to the front, then wrapped her left arm behind her back, holding her right elbow. Blushing, she asked shyly,
"Do… do you think… it looks okay?"
She was definitely asking for my opinion on her swimsuit. What should I say? I've got it. I smiled and replied,
"It's a kind of beauty I don't want anyone else to see."
"!"
Lina froze in shock. Only then did I realize how strong my possessiveness sounded—and honestly, that was exactly how I felt.
Suddenly, Lina raised her fists and started punching my stomach over and over. She wasn't using any strength, so it didn't hurt at all. Still, why was she hitting me? Did she think I was disgusting?! I forced a smile and asked,
"Why are you hitting me?"
Depending on her answer, I might cry. Lina's soft punches stopped. She rubbed her hands together, touched her flushed cheeks, and finally said,
"You're… you're too sneaky…"
After saying that, she turned her head away to avoid my gaze. Was what I said really that sneaky? What did she mean? But the corners of her lips were slightly raised, so it must have been a good thing… probably.
After that, we went to the water slides and saw a sign recommending that two people slide together, sitting front and back. Since it was only a recommendation, sliding alone should've been fine, right?
"Lina, I'll go first."
I took a step forward—and once again, Lina grabbed my hand. She pointed at the sign and said,
"But it says two people should go together."
I tried to find a way out.
"It's just a recommendation. It's not mandatory."
"Cannot?"
Lina tilted her head and acted cute. Innocent. Pure. I realized that from the very beginning, there had never been an escape route. There was only one option: sliding together.
"...Okay."
I sat down on the slide and spread my legs so Lina could sit between them. Then I wrapped my arms around her slender waist. It felt like if I used even a little strength, I might hurt her, so I didn't hold her tightly—only for Lina to pull my arms closer and make me hold on properly.
We needed a push to get started, so I was allowed to free one hand. I pushed off hard, and we began sliding down. Immediately, my free hand was grabbed again.
At the end, we both flew straight into the water. Lina was clearly having a great time, but I wasn't enjoying it at all. Only now did I realize—Lina was the type who looked slim in clothes. It was honestly shocking.
After that, we switched positions and slid again, this time with Lina behind me. It might sound self-centered, but Lina was a repeat offender.
Whenever she found a chance to hug me, she used every bit of strength she had, holding me tight and leaving me no room to escape. Not that I planned to escape—but the sensation from behind was way too stimulating. Even riding a motorcycle wasn't this intense. In the end, I still couldn't enjoy the slide.
(This is too hard for me…)
We went on to try other slides, all of them together. Now I felt exhausted. This was supposed to be relaxing—why did it feel even more stressful?
Meanwhile, Lina was smiling from ear to ear, bouncing around happily. Just how happy was she? Seeing her like that—especially her upper body—only made my stress increase.
"Karen, hurry up! Let's go to the next one!"
"Coming."
Looks like I won't be able to relax at all today. I should ban coming here in the future—this place puts way too much pressure on me. Still, playing with Lina is fun. I just need to choose the right place.