Ch 274. Kasumigaoka's Night Raid

"My lord, what brings you here?"

A lethargic female voice floated into Hoshimi's ears, growing louder as it approached from behind. When he turned around, he saw it was the 'Doctor,' the guardian of the ninety-ninth layer of the deep dream world.

The 'Doctor' looked just as she always did—dark circles under her eyes, her face tired and listless. She was still dressed in her signature white lab coat, and despite her loose clothing, her graceful figure remained evident.

"How's the experiment going? What brings you out here to greet me?" Hoshimi casually asked, his mind preoccupied.

The Doctor scratched her head and walked up to him, still lethargic. "The experiment's in the stage of calculating data, and I left that part to the AI. I had a bit of time and was planning to get some sun when you arrived... hmm..."

She paused before continuing, "Since you're here as a part of this dream world, it would feel wrong not to come greet you…"

"Oh right, My lord..." The Doctor seemed to recall something as she raised her eyes toward Hoshimi. "You haven't answered my initial question yet."

"Is that so?" Hoshimi thought for a moment, gazing at the Doctor's delicate face. He finally voiced his confusion, "Doctor, can I maintain the existence of this dream world even while I'm awake?"

"..." The Doctor paused briefly, then responded, somewhat puzzled, "My lord, why would you ask such a stupid... um, simple question?"

Halfway through her sentence, she quickly corrected herself.

Before Hoshimi could react, the Doctor hurriedly poured out everything she had to say. "My lord, a dream is a manifestation of the subconscious. I don't need to explain that part, but regarding your question... let me put it this way."

"As long as you're alive, your subconscious is active, and your dream world will always exist. Whether you're awake or asleep, it's there—the only difference is its level of activity."

"It's kind of like the difference between day and night in reality. Well, it might not be the perfect analogy, but you get the idea, right?"

"Also, My lord, though this might be a bit inappropriate to say, I hope you'll hear me out..."

The Doctor glanced away, her eyes wandering. "There's nothing wrong with indulging in feminine charms, but it would be better if you kept the habit of thinking. If you stop thinking entirely, your conscious mind will continue to fade..."

Her voice grew quieter as she continued, "...and your subconscious will grow stronger... which will speed up the expansion of the deep dream world..."

By the time she finished, her voice had completely faded. She sneaked a glance at Hoshimi, whose expression remained unchanged, and nervously shrank back.

Did I overstep by saying so much all of a sudden? Will the My lord be angry?

The Doctor glanced at the sky—clear and blue without a cloud in sight. Hopefully, that meant the My lord wasn't angry...

"Uh... My lord..."

The Doctor hesitated, preparing to explain further, but Hoshimi cut her off.

"Doctor, based on what you said, does that mean I can trap someone in my dream world and never let them leave?"

"Uh..." The Doctor was momentarily stunned, not expecting Hoshimi to ask such a question.

She scratched her head before answering, "That's certainly possible."

"I see..." Hoshimi stroked his chin, deep in thought. "Then, could I bring someone into my dream and grant them eternal life within it?"

"..." The Doctor could guess what Hoshimi was planning. She raised her hand, cautiously reminding him, "My lord, it's a person's consciousness that enters the dream. When their physical body in the real world dies, their consciousness will inevitably perish as well. That's an irreversible process..."

"I figured as much," Hoshimi sighed, shaking his head. "It's not that easy after all... Oh well, I'll go take care of my business first."

With that, Hoshimi turned to leave.

But just as he was about to walk away, he suddenly stopped. He glanced back slightly, catching the Doctor in the corner of his eye. "Doctor, as a part of my dream world, what do you expect from me?"

Without hesitation, the Doctor replied, "To live—no, more precisely, for you to live happily. If you're alive, I can continue to pursue the truth. And if you're happy, the dream world will remain bright. As a woman, I'd prefer it stays sunny forever—sunbathing feels so nice..."

"Hah~" Hoshimi chuckled softly and turned away again. Casually, he remarked, "Doctor, one of the things that makes me happy is not having to think. Thinking is such a hassle, but I'll use my brain when I'm having fun. After all, the joy from that is much better than the joy of not thinking at all."

"Ha ha~" Hoshimi laughed twice more before vanishing from the Doctor's sight.

The Doctor scratched her head, sighed helplessly, and turned to head back to her sunbathing spot.

Soon, she lay down under the blazing sun, completely naked, savoring the comfort of the sun's warmth on her body.

"Mmm~ so nice~~" She closed her eyes, softly humming in contentment.

Well, it doesn't matter. As long as I can keep pursuing the truth and sunbathing, it doesn't matter what the my lord does.

As long as he's alive, nothing else matters...

...

"Hoshimi~~ Hoshimi~~"

In a pitch-dark bedroom, a soft, seductive voice echoed persistently.

7...8...9...

"Huh? Utaha... is that you?"

Just as Kasumigaoka counted to nine in her heart, Hoshimi awoke. His voice was drowsy, as if he had just been rudely awakened and hadn't fully come to his senses.

"It's me~" Kasumigaoka slipped her hand under the blanket, feeling around until she found Hoshimi's hand and held it.

"Huh? Utaha?" Hoshimi sounded stunned.

A couple of seconds later, Hoshimi seemed to snap fully awake. He abruptly sat up, grasped Kasumigaoka's hand, and in one swift motion, pulled her into bed with him.

"Ahh~" Kasumigaoka let out a short cry, caught off guard by the sudden move.

By the time she realized what had happened, she was already under the covers, pressed tightly against Hoshimi as he hugged her from the front.

"Utaha, are you trying to ambush me in the night?"

Kasumigaoka's temperature soared as Hoshimi's warm breath tickled her ear. She pushed against his chest, her face flushed as she stammered, "No, I just came... uh... I just..."

Kasumigaoka fumbled, unable to find an excuse.

"Heh~ A night raid, huh? Perfect timing, I was just lamenting how long the night was and how lonely it would be without company~" Hoshimi held her tightly, whispering playfully in her ear, "Now that you're here, it looks like we're in for a sleepless night..."

"Utaha, take a few more days off..." As he finished, Hoshimi teasingly licked her burning earlobe.

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