When I returned from exploring the dungeon to save the world, I found out that my lover had been stolen, and I was blamed for the failed expedition. Enraged, I quit Japan's strongest party—only for them to self-destruct on their own. - Chapter 48

“Where… is this?”

I stood in stunned silence, looking around.

All I could see was a vast, rocky landscape stretching endlessly in every direction.

The sky above was pitch black—no, more like a starry night sky, with countless stars twinkling… and a single blue planet hanging in the distance.

“Wait… is this the MOON?!”

It looked exactly like the moon surface photos I’d seen on TV.

And that blue planet over there—that’s Earth, isn’t it?!

How the hell did we end up on the moon?!

“Now that I think about it, why is Okita totally fine? I just checked—there’s no air here.”

“The moment I realized that, I instinctively wrapped myself in a layer of magic! Passive skills FTW!”

“Ah, I see.”

“No, you don’t see! If I knew this was the moon, I would’ve prepared for it beforehand—or better yet, I WOULDN’T HAVE COME AT ALL!”

“Ahaha! Is this what they call a comedic double-take? I saw it on TV the other day. Humans are hilarious.”

“Stop reacting like some cosmic observer!”

Honestly, if someone told my past self that I’d be casually bantering with a Demon God someday, I wouldn’t have believed it.

“Anyway, if you can do that, doesn’t that mean you could protect Haruka and the others too? This dungeon looks fun—let’s all explore together!”

“But if we die here, that’s it, right? That’s a bit too risky. Can’t it just be the two of us?”

“Ughhh. Hm? …Huh?”

“What’s up?”

The Demon God suddenly started glancing around restlessly, raising his hand and mumbling in a way I couldn’t understand.

Was he casting some god-level magic?

While I waited for him to finish, a monster appeared.

Well, of course—this was still a dungeon.

It was a black, metallic-looking wolf.

I had never seen anything like it before, so I lopped off its head on instinct.

Then, the next monster showed up—a bull with the same dark, glossy texture.

Since the Demon God was still busy, I went ahead and decapitated it, drained the bl00d, butchered it, and grilled it into a steak.

And let me tell you—it was delicious as hell.

The Demon God kept muttering his spell, but I noticed him eyeing my food hungrily.

So I walked up to him, exaggeratedly took a bite right in front of his face… and got punched for it.

He canceled his spell in anger, beat me up, and stole all my food.

Unbelievable.

“Seriously… Obviously, I meant ‘give me some too!’ Why did you bring the fork right in front of my mouth and nose, only to eat it yourself?! Unforgivable!”

“Sorry, sorry. Just messing with you a little.”

“Food is no laughing matter!”

“Alright, alright, I get it. So, what were you casting?”

“Hmph… Well, since you gave me all the food, I suppose I can forgive you.”

“That’s not what happened. You stole it.”

“…Huh?”

“Never mind. Just tell me what you were doing.”

“This dungeon is different from the Sky Dungeon. Turns out, most of it is still under my control.

While using my magic, I remembered—I originally designed this place as a special dungeon that could only be accessed after clearing all high-rank dungeons up to the 100th floor.

The stone tablet was supposed to act as the key.

But after thousands of years, it somehow got linked to the Sky Dungeon and caused a mess.

So, I just separated them and cleaned things up.

Now, the respawn function will work here too.”

“Oh, hell yeah!”

For once, he actually did something useful. Good job.

With that settled, I brought Haruka, Sakuya, and Effie to join us.

All three (or rather, two and a half?) refused to eat the monster meat.

Effie, after trying a bite, commented:

“It’s not inedible, but it’s way too bitter and astringent—it tastes awful. Better to just burn my enemies.”

…Fair enough.

But honestly, all I need is Haruka.

At some point, we came across a black, metallic tree monster that dropped some kind of fruit.

I took a bite and—oh my god.

It was delicious.

The perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
A crisp, satisfying texture.
A refreshing, clean aftertaste.

It was absolute bliss.

The Demon God looked just as eager to eat it.

But first, I decided to make Sakuya try it.

Why?

Because when we played Big Two, she ended up as the ultimate loser.

She resisted, so I restrained her, forced her mouth open, and shoved the fruit in.

There was something about the situation that felt… oddly wrong in a way I couldn’t quite describe.

Sakuya cried and begged me to stop, but since my appraisal skill confirmed it was safe for humans, I ignored her protests and forced her to eat it anyway.

The result?

She passed out.

Apparently, the flavor was so overwhelming that she straight-up ascended.

Later, when she woke up and admitted she wanted more, things felt a little less awkward…

…But Haruka’s stare in the meantime was terrifying.

“Mmm, delicious! ♡”

Haruka finally took a bite, and her reaction was adorable.

That was it.

I went berserk, slaughtering every single fruit-bearing tree in the dungeon, stockpiling an enormous supply all for Haruka.

I gave Sakuya ten.

Effie? She got one.

Later, back home, Haruka and I experimented with cakes, pastries, juices, and pies using the fruit.

Let’s just say…

We spent a very sweet, unforgettable time together.

Jealous?