— — Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

"Sigh, even though Gold Dust said that with a smile, it still sounds so sad," Hestia lamented, sprawled on a tavern table. "When will he find someone like family? I can't bear to see him all alone."

As she spoke, the girl couldn't help but mumble, "I really want to pull him into my Familia..."

"Uh... My Lady, isn't that your real goal?"

Even without a Cornerstone and possessing no combat ability, Gold Dust, solely based on the strategy and courage he's displayed, would be the most sought-after individual among the various gods' Familias. Whoever could recruit him would see their Familia advance significantly.

Even if Gold Dust came here, My Lady would absolutely not be able to attract Gold Dust. If it were an employment relationship, the entire Hestia Familia's monthly income probably wouldn't even cover a single finger's worth of Gold Dust's salary.

But if he were allowed to join another Familia, it would mean becoming rivals with him—and surely no one would want to make an enemy of someone willing to bet everything, right?

— —

"...Wake up from this dream and go where you should. Your gamble... is not over yet."

Gold Dust took a deep breath: "Before we part, can you answer one more question? As someone who walks on that Path, can you tell me..."

"Why were we born into this world only to die?"

Yomi looked back at him: "I never thought that. Neither should you."

"But nothingness does indeed shroud you and me... and everyone."

"And precisely because of that, it has no meaning."

Gold Dust turned to look at the distant black hole behind him: "—But it's still there. If the dice of fate have always been loaded, and that is our destined end, why then should we resist?"

Yomi looked at him quietly: "My answer may not dispel your confusion, for it has accompanied you all this way and is already a part of your life. But you said,'Sleep is a rehearsal for death.' Why does life sleep? Because we are not yet ready to face death."

"So you must also understand why we 'want' to be ready. Even if the outcome is already determined, that doesn't matter; there are too many things people cannot change. But before that, on the way to the outcome, there are also many things people can do."

"And the outcome... will thus reveal a completely different meaning."

— —

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable.

"Miss Yomi is so gentle, like Mr. Gold Dust's therapist... Is this her other side?"

Although in this pitch-black space, the white-haired Miss Yomi looked very dangerous, her words surprisingly made Josuke feel gentle. Compared to her usual state with blue-purple hair, she was now like a caring older sister.

"Josuke, do you understand what she's saying? I don't seem to get it... Can you explain it to me?" Okuyasu scratched his head. He understood every word Yomi said, but when they were strung together, he didn't quite grasp it.

"Hmm... Let me think about how to explain it to you."

Josuke extended a finger, saying earnestly, "It's probably like changing your underwear?"

"Changing underwear? What does that have to do with changing underwear?" Okuyasu's expression became even more bewildered.

"It's a metaphor! I used a metaphor!" Josuke emphasized repeatedly, "Gold Dust's point is, if we have to change our old underwear every morning, then why bother wearing underwear at all?"

"Oh, oh, oh! I see, Gold Dust makes sense!" Okuyasu's face showed sudden realization. "Then Josuke... let's just not wear underwear anymore."

"Don't interrupt!" Josuke shook his head and continued to explain, "But Miss Yomi is an experience-oriented person. She believes: even if you have to change your underwear the next day, you must still wear it, because underwear brings a comfortable experience, and that is the meaning of wearing underwear! The focus is not on the result of changing underwear, but on the process of experiencing underwear!"

"So, Okuyasu... do you understand?"

Okuyasu Nijimura froze, then he opened his mouth wide, letting out another "Oh, oh" sound.

"Josuke, I completely understand!" Okuyasu pointed at Celestial Screen where Yomi was, his eyes sparkling: "You mean... Miss Yomi changes her underwear every day, right?"

...Hiss.

Josuke covered his face, taking a deep breath.

...Okuyasu, why don't you just drink your milk tea?

— —

"Look in your pocket; your friend already gave you the answer." Yomi left without looking back, "...Good luck."

Watching her figure gradually disappear, Gold Dust took out the medical advice Dr. Ratio had given him from his pocket, opened the lid, and inside was a rolled-up letter.

The letter contained only two short lines:

"The impossible thing in a dream is not 【death】, but 【slumber】."

"Live. Good luck."

Gold Dust smiled faintly, closing the letter: "...Then I should go too."

— —

Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child.

"Traitor! Traitor! Traitor! I told you not to jump to conclusions so easily! Are you still calling Professor Dr. Ratio a traitor now?! Huh??"

"We are cultivators, and do you know what cultivators value? Cultivation, not making judgments lightly, and not being blinded by anger."

"Where was I counting just now? 837! Oh right, the next one is 838."

Outside the cave, Taiyi Zhenren was sitting on a large rock, counting on his fingers. The rock beneath his bottom was gently rising and falling; a closer look revealed Nezha pressed underneath, doing push-ups with the rock and his master on his back.

"Child, I didn't force you, okay? You yourself bet with me that Professor Dr. Ratio was a traitor. A bet's a bet, you can't escape these one thousand weighted push-ups, and you won't get dinner until you finish them."

Taiyi Zhenren held a watermelon in one hand, eating and spitting out seeds, the rinds piling up into a small mountain.

Nezha gritted his teeth. Though furious, he couldn't refute at all: "How... how was I supposed to know he and Gold Dust were acting? Those two acted so realistically, even Sunday was fooled by them. Hiss... You eat, just don't fart!"

"Child, my stomach hasn't been well lately. I have a Detoxification and Rejuvenation Pill in my pouch. I'll take it after you finish your thousand push-ups." Taiyi Zhenren suddenly came back to his senses, "Oh dear, it's all your fault for interrupting... Where was I counting just now?"

"I don't know."

"Then let's start counting from the beginning, 1, 2..."

"I, I..." Nezha's veins bulged on his forehead, "If you're bad at math, don't count! Get off me first!"

— —

Kakavasha slowly walked over, looking up at him: "Sir... are you leaving? Did you finally choose... to leave this dream?"

Gold Dust sighed softly, saying gently, "...Yes. Because they're not here... Father, Mother, Sister..."

"Then where are they?"

Gold Dust looked at the distant black hole: "They are in a place everyone goes, a very, very distant place."