New Troubles

"A—choo!"

An uncontrollable itch suddenly tickled the depths of his nose, and Greg let out a loud sneeze that jolted him awake from his deep sleep.

He opened his eyes groggily, his vision blurry at first before finally focusing.

A pitch-black cat was sitting squarely on his chest, its round bottom pressing right against his heart, while its fluffy tail lazily brushed against his cheek and the tip of his nose.

"...I should have known."

Greg's voice was thick with the rasp and helplessness of someone who had just woken up. He reached out and gently pinched the tip of the mischievous tail, moving it away from his face.

"I told you not to put your paws on my face, so you switched to your tail, didn't you?"

Nightmare, in her black cat form, turned her head lazily. Her vertical pupils flicked a glance at him before she looked down and began to slowly lick the pads of her front paw. A soft purr vibrated in her throat, her posture clearly saying, 'I'll do as I please, and what are you going to do about it?'

Greg shook his head and checked the time.

Eight in the morning.

There was still an hour before the earliest class at the academy today.

If it were before, he would have finished washing up by now and would be preparing to head out for his Student Council duties.

But at this moment, a heavy sense of exhaustion permeated his entire body, from his muscles to his bones. The mental fatigue, in particular, made even moving a finger feel like an immense effort.

Yesterday, thanks to the brilliant intervention of the Chief Steward, Wendy, he had finally managed to calm down an Allie who had been on the verge of exploding.

Things had been much simpler after that.

Once they had coordinated their stories, Greg led Allie—who had suddenly become unusually quiet and even a bit well-behaved—back to the restaurant.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he steeled himself and, ignoring Victoria's suspicion, Silvia's unease, and Catherine's playful gaze, pulled up a chair for Allie and seated her next to him.

During the meal, he used a vague but reasonable-sounding explanation to introduce Allie to the three ladies.

"She's an exclusive maid who watched me grow up, but she's also essentially my childhood friend."

"The reason her reaction was a bit intense is because of some unpleasant experiences when she was young. It's left her a bit... wary and sensitive toward anyone who gets close to me, especially women. But she definitely means no harm."

For once, Allie didn't sabotage him or add unnecessary drama. she just sat quietly by his side, taking small bites of the expensive dessert Greg had specifically ordered for her.

However, her light blue eyes would occasionally sweep over Victoria, Silvia, and Catherine with a look that was almost disdainful, as if she were silently asserting her dominance or perhaps making comparisons.

That gaze made Greg's skin crawl, forcing him to add a dry laugh and further explain, "It's a lingering effect of childhood trauma. She doesn't do it on purpose; she's just not very good at expressing herself."

After much persuasion, Victoria and the others finally accepted this explanation and didn't press further.

This allowed Greg's heart, which had been hanging by a thread, to finally settle back into his chest.

At least for the short term, he didn't have to worry about the women around him suddenly drawing blades and starting a brawl.

He was safe... for now.

The only thing that still occupied Greg's mind when he looked back on it was Wendy, who had appeared out of nowhere and perfectly saved the day.

He was genuinely curious about which corner of the world Allie had found such a subordinate—someone who was attractive, capable, high in both EQ and IQ, and could act as a top-tier spokesperson at critical moments.

A Chief Steward of this caliber was truly a rare find!

If I could have someone like that by my side to handle all the messy interpersonal relationships and administrative tasks... life would be so much easier!

He thought with no small amount of envy.

"Haaaah..."

Greg let out a deep, sleepy yawn as his eyelids began to grow heavy again.

His body was exhausted, but his thoughts wouldn't stop racing.

Just thinking about what he might face at the academy today made him feel mentally drained, and he didn't want to leave the warmth of this tent at all.

"Hmph, my other half..."

Nightmare stopped grooming herself and turned gracefully to face Greg once more. Her dark gold cat eyes glowed slightly in the dim light of the tent.

"By the look of you, have you already grown weary of the boring daily life on the surface? If that is the case, why not come with me and do something much more physically and mentally satisfying?"

She tilted her head, the tip of her tail twitching with delight.

"Heh."

Greg's lips curled into a weak, tired smirk.

"Don't think I don't know that your 'satisfying things' involve clearing the dungeon. I'm not some gullible fool who's going to fall for your tricks so easily."

Nightmare flicked her tail, her tone carrying a sense of innocent confusion.

"But last time, weren't you quite enthusiastic when you took the initiative to go with me? I recall you were very 'satisfied' back then."

The expression on Greg's face instantly collapsed into a deadpan look.

"...A Saint is never defeated by the same move twice. This time, I absolutely will not fall for it!"

Despite his words, Greg knew very well that he did indeed need to hurry and completely clear the second layer of the dungeon.

The academy storyline for Act Two was drawing to a close. It wouldn't be long before the more far-reaching events of Act Three and the subsequent storms would follow one after another.

If he couldn't clear the second layer before then, he wouldn't even have the luxury of thinking about how to deal with the series of problems to come.

Because before those problems even arrived, he would have already unlocked a new death CG.

But there was a problem with going to clear the second layer now: he didn't have enough help.

Victoria and Silvia, as first-year freshmen, were about to pour all their energy into the final event of Act Two—the upcoming Mentor Selection Qualification Exam.

This meant that until the Act Two storyline reached its complete conclusion, they wouldn't have any free time to accompany him into the dungeon.

Consequently, Greg would have to face the second layer alone, or... find new teammates.

Although he had a specialized weapon specifically for the second-layer Floor Boss, this wasn't a game where he could just reload a save.

He only had one life; adventure required caution.

Greg still hoped for a reliable helper to increase his margin for error and make the clearing process more stable.

Regarding this candidate, he had actually considered someone long ago: Vivian.

The reasons were solid: First, Vivian's current level was higher than his, so her strength was guaranteed.

Second, and most importantly, the ice-attribute magic Vivian specialized in happened to perfectly counter the second-layer Floor Boss, which would significantly lower the difficulty of the clearance.

Finally, due to his intervention, the fated conflict between Vivian and Lilith had not been escalated, and she hadn't gradually descended into obsession as she did in the original plot. The current Vivian was relatively normal and approachable.

However, the main issue was—how was he supposed to convince Vivian, this ice queen, Student Council President, and powerful future contender for the throne, to put aside her busy official duties and her own cultivation to accompany a former noble with a bad reputation like him to explore a dangerous dungeon?

Should he just ask her directly? Would she agree? What reason could he use?

Greg felt a genuine sense of distress, and his brow furrowed involuntarily.