Ethan was taken aback for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "Of course you can."
"I saw you and that girl cultivating earlier. I've never seen that method of cultivation before. Can you teach me?"
"Cultivation?" Ethan was confused until a quiet reminder from Kuroka made him realize what the dragon meant. Looking at Great Red's colossal form, his mouth twitched.
He had congratulated himself on covering Kuroka's naked body so quickly, but it turned out this entity had been watching them for god knows how long, waiting specifically for them to finish before appearing. He wondered what Great Red's gender actually was, or if, like Ophis, he had no fixed gender yet. Ophis was a manifestation of power born from the Gap; she had no primal gender until she chose one. Currently, she manifested as a cute loli, but that wasn't permanent. As for Great Red, Ethan didn't know if he was born from the void or had cultivated his way up.
He initially thought of refusing, but then a thought struck him. "Lord Great Red, that cultivation method is a natural talent of mine. I can't teach it; it can only be used by two people of opposite genders simultaneously."
"I see. No wonder I've never heard of it before." Ethan could hear the clear disappointment in the telepathic voice.
"I can't teach it, but if you were to take a human form, I could use that method to cultivate with you."
Ethan guessed that as a Dragon God, Great Red was likely a collection of conceptual power like Ophis. Faced with Ethan's suggestion, Great Red was clearly tempted but ultimately declined.
"While I was born from illusions and fantasies—and like Ophis, I could take the form of a human female—I have no desire to do so at the moment."
Ethan's spirit surged. He had guessed right. He weighed his options and decided to keep pushing. Fortune favors the bold, he thought. If I can get Great Red to go on maternity leave, my life is set. As the two strongest beings in the DXD world, having both Ophis and Great Red fixed as females was a win for Ethan, even if he couldn't conquer them yet.
"Lord Great Red, is it because you haven't decided what kind of human form to take?"
"It's not that I haven't decided; I've simply never thought about it."
Great Red lived in the narrowest gaps of dimensions, flying eternally. It was normal not to think about such things. Ophis only took a human form because she was kicked out.
Ethan pondered, trying not to make his intentions too obvious. Great Red was simple, like Ophis, but not stupid. But before Ethan could speak, Great Red forestalled him.
"Do you want me to become the same gender as that cat-spirit in your arms?"
Ethan rubbed his nose awkwardly. "Is it that obvious?"
"No, I simply sensed your intense desire." Great Red's voice softened slightly. "I govern the power of dreams and illusions. I can see the dreams people hold in their hearts."
Ethan hadn't realized his lust was so strong it registered as a "dream." Fortunately, he followed the principle of being honest, so he didn't try to hide it.
"I am indeed interested in that cultivation method," Great Red continued. "Since my birth, I have never become stronger. I have tried every method, but none worked. Yours is the only one I haven't seen. If it is effective, I wouldn't mind becoming a human female to unite with you."
Ethan understood immediately. Great Red knew what "uniting" meant, but he didn't care about the act itself—he only cared about the results.
"I can guarantee this method will make you stronger," Ethan said firmly. He knew Great Red wasn't the absolute ceiling of the multiverse. He remembered intel about Great Red being decapitated by a God from the EXE world. Beyond Dragon God level, there were Super Dragon God and Evil God levels.
"Oh?" Great Red sounded intrigued. "You are very confident."
Ethan's confidence came from the fact that Dual Cultivation was an expression of the Yin-Yang Dao. It had no upper limit until one reached the Dao Realm itself.
The two of them continued to exchange thoughts until the magic circle beneath Ethan's feet was complete. Great Red had a strange sense of affinity toward Ethan, similar to what Ethan felt toward Ophis. This was the only reason the Dragon God was being so patient.
"Lord Great Red... well, it's inconvenient not having a name. If you don't mind, may I give you one?"
"You may."
"How about Reverie?" Ethan chose the name because of the dragon's connection to dreams and fantasies.
"Reverie..." The dragon—now Reverie—repeated the name internally. A spark of joy she had never felt before flickered in her heart. She didn't mind the feminine name at all.
"Reverie, I'll come back to play with you once I reach Dragon God level."
"Fine."
With a flash of light, Ethan and a stunned Kuroka vanished from the beach. Reverie watched the spot where he disappeared for a long time. Suddenly, the beautiful scenery felt dull. The red dragon spread her wings and flew back into the Dimensional Gap, but for the first time in eternity, she felt a sense of anticipation.