By all means, the underground chamber should be an unsettling space dedicated to mortify caught criminals and purchased slaves. The space should be sparingly lit to present an eerie feel with the cries of the captives haunting the nightmares of the listeners. In stark contrast, however, Nik tilted his body and snuggled his face into Shen Xiu's ripe foxy melons. With her body wrapped on his back, meanwhile, Xue Yin slobbered Nik's back with a blissful grin. Even after rounds of intense sessions that shook the mighty estate, the participants could sleep free of sweat and grim due to the air-conditioning and air-filtering inscriptions. Ambient temperature was, after all, a necessary ingredient to the recipe of a satisfying sleep. Shen Xiu's naturally scented body, of course, added a tangy but well-received twist to the recipe.

But the act of sleeping was merely a form of lethargic pleasure that Nik was willingly ensnared with, and only after a few breaths of exploring Shen Xiu's smooth and naked back did Nik wake up from his sleep. A routine that he set himself now brought a wave of annoyance to him. Just like the girls around him that were filled to the brim and slept like a baby after acting in preparations to make one, Nik also started enjoying his daily sleep a little too much. This won't do, he softly chanted and sat up after pecking Shen Xiu's chin. Before he completely sat up, however, Nik carefully shuffled Xue Yin's body aside without interrupting her dreams. 

Aside from being self-dependent through an established trade of providing specialized inscription patterns to various aristocracies, Xue Yin also set up a contract of partnership with Shen Xiu to lend a helping hand and fill one of the required positions that any reputable trading house should present— Master Alchemist, Master Inscriptionist, and Master Blacksmith. Aside from the trending Glory Center, there is only one trading house with all the three positions employed successfully— The Divine Trades— under the banner of the Divine Family is the only establishment that could even hope to compete against the Glory Center.

The key term— hope.

After Nik's idea to flood the reputation of the Glory Center by inviting the remaining undefeated family heads into a battle royale, Nik successfully plunged the political situation of the city into chaos once Shen Xiu sent the letter of challenges out while leaking the information of the battle through ingenious sources. 

"Sleep tight," with a whisper, Nik pecked Xue Yin's forehead. Instead of crossing his legs, which, Nik found to be redundant just yesterday, Nik leaned on the bed while keeping his legs straight only to have them hugged by Shen Xiu and Xue Yin. Not that it would disturb his venture into Nie Li's dream world. With a thought, Nik's surroundings morphed into a gory battlefield. Each dream's sensation depends on how deeply the scene is attached to the dreamer. With Nik's nose flooded by a deep stench of rot, this scene surely affected Nie Li deeply.

"Look out!"

As Nik observed his current form— a masked woman— a sharp, shark-sized blade tore his body in two. Nik's torn torso flew and smacked against the base of the plateau. He didn't feel pain at all. This sense belonged to another party beside Nie Li, how could the reincarnator feel the pain of others? But that didn't stop Nie Li to fly over at Nik's direction and sob while kneeling at his side. Unwilling to waste this chance, Nik gazed at the surroundings and observed a lonely figure floating midair. Its figure, of course, hooded, like every evil cunt should be while the owner of the blade, a single-clawed whale-sized raccoon snarled towards the duo.

"Damn you!"

Nie Li roared and stood up hastily, inadvertently flinging the torn torso aside. With a calm gaze, however, Nik continued to observe the surroundings. Aside from the oversized ball of madness shaped into a raccoon, the only monster Nik could actually identify was a monstrous duskgold dreadclaw bear. Meanwhile, the surrounding beings included a towering, coal-skinned titan, draconic serpent covered in glimmering azure markings, a plane-sized sparrow of the crimson blaze, and a black-stripped, surprisingly, normal-sized white-furred tiger with piercing green eyes. 

With the only task assigned to Nik's current host— choking on her blood— the apostle turned his focus on Nie Li. Each dream would allow Nik to gain insights on Nie Li's techniques instinctively. This was the dread of a level 10 boost of an innate skill. "Bastards! I'll kill you all!" The Titan's derisive snort that kicked up a wild gust countered Nie Li's indignant roar and Nik found out that this particular dream turned out to be considerably short-lived for Nie Li's body morphed into a ball of thorns due to the raccoon's fur striking the orange-haired youth.

Nie Li died, and the masked partner hosting Nik breathed her last.

"So stupid..." Nik muttered. His legs still straight and hugged by two enchanting figures in their most primal state and his eyes giving off a dazed expression. The dream, no, nightmare should be the apt term, was anything but desirable. It was brief, cryptic, and somewhat useless. Finding Nie Li's enemies wasn't Nik's target. Finding his future goals barely attracted him and the short duration usually meant that Nik couldn't learn all too much from the Nie Li. But, as the gears within his mind slowly digested the ethereal gains, the dazed expression shifted to an absolutely shocked one. His eyes were bright and there was a deep groan emerging from his heart to test a few things out. 

Eventually, Nik extinguished the thought as he leaned back. Waking Shen Xiu and Xue Yin just to try the inevitable was hardly worth discussing. The sleep of the hardworking girls took a greater priority. He also had a lot of time until he practiced the purple demon eye technique, so, without making any moves, he sat still and pulled himself into Old Kon's dream. Who knows, a new cooking technique might come in handy one of these days. After all, due to the brief nature of the nightmare, Nik still had a great stock of pheromones left within himself.

***

In the end, Nik decided to skip the training entirely. Due to examinations, he had already instructed Ning'er and Ziyun to take a rest these few days and when they openly expressed their concerns of being left behind on training, Nik effortlessly weaved a net of gravitational force that stuck on their bodies akin second skin with additional 50% increment in the gravitational pressure for the girls aside from Ryu'er and Klas. Being a crystal-men on a higher evolutionary chart, according to the strangely devoted emerald, she did not have the same limitations that ailed her previously. She was some parts flesh and blood and this allowed Klas to lose the brittle features of a pure crystal-men she used to be. 

Licking his dry lips, Nik observed everyone getting ready with a keen eye. Out of all the women in the estate, six already accompanied him in bed. It was, no doubt, great. Having an unusually large bed also helped or the sleep would be barely appreciative even with Nik's usual sessions. With Gojira purring on Nik's exposed lap and blowing hotly over his fat, flaccid member with her disheveled hair cascading over his crotch, the Apostle himself stroked Gojira's head. He was getting a hang of it. Petting. As a highly trained prostitute, massage was something basic to him.

After all, a particular saying in his first homeworld echoed in every corner of the redlight district— Give me a vial of oil and I will flood the streets with orgasms. It was a lie, at least, that's what Nik thought before he became the abomination that all men would wish to avoid. But petting was different. It didn't induce lust, but care. Instead of making his partner squeak with pleasure and making their body writhe in cum, Nik now focused on helping the girls calm down. And only now did he start getting a hang of it. Nik still wondered why he didn't get a skill to pat someone, from what he recalled after reading multiple isekai genres, patting seemed essential. But the act of patting with [Mirage Manipulation] did present the same result.

"You want to sleep more?" Nik gazed at Lanruo stretching the light-purple tights above her butt with the fabric stretching further and giving a skin-colored shade to the purple. Meanwhile, Shen Xiu adjusted the blue, frilled bra that fit her out of the assortment of panties and undergarments Nik had collected fir each travels. Yes, he had beds and bras in his inventory alongside the unending number of snacks on which Nik utilized all his salary upon. Klas, meanwhile, pulled the alluring black stocking up her pale right thigh. Asami was the quicker out of the group to get ready and she was already adjusting her red-laced outer robe. Xue Yin, meanwhile, dressed loosely. She doesn't usually go out of the estate. In fact, Xue Yin debated if she should just start wearing tank tops and shorts. They looked way too comfy, but rationality took over her laziness and the thought of frolicking in the estate under the eyes of servants without a proper set of clothes didn't sit right with her.

Gojira, on the other hand, shook her head against Nik's crotch and sniffed against his member with a pleased expression. The thin sheet over the duo barely covered them into modesty and only seemed to increase the desires of the girls collectively. "You won't understand. I sleep when I am tired, but sleeping too much is tiring, and for that, I have to sleep more. It is a vicious cycle."

Except for Nik, Gojira's words pulled a derisive snort from everyone. Nik, on the other hand, seemed to be able to relate to Gojira's plight. Only slightly, though. His hand glided down without any change in expression as Gojira cradled his cock into her warm palms and pecked the soft shaft gently. "Hey, since I am already awake. Why don't you tuck me into a satisfactory sleep?" Smiling playfully with a tinge of spoiled tone, Gojira promptly licked Nik's tool. Just in a few probing strokes of the broad of her tongue, she could feel the tiniest of reaction that Nik forcefully controlled and suppressed. 

"What kind of reasoning is this— Since I am awake, let's fuck—?"

Nik inquired with a jesting tone while Klas spoke softly, "Master, I'll gather the servants to start the preparation for breakfast. Please, don't let the food grow cold." The meaning behind her words was obvious and it pulled an annoyed snort from Gojira. "Yea, you shouldn't spoil the lazy lizard any longer. Anyway, the winter season is coming, so maybe, she'll just hibernate," Shen Xiu remarked ruthlessly and walked out while Lanruo smiled and contacted Nik in the personal space while stating that she would be leaving for the school later with Korra and Ryu'er.

"Well... I wouldn't go as far as calling you a lizard... but yea, at least, pretend to be an Empress." Asami backed Shen Xiu while Gojira rolled her eyes, "I am an Empress. Nik, tell them!"

"Yea, my little cutie is an Empress!" Nik spoke comfortingly while pouting in exaggeration and gently cradling Gojira, "Who's the Empress? Yes, you are!"

"Insufferable!"

Gojira snarled and rolled around while pulling the bedsheet along as the remaining duo laughed. Asami left after combing her hair since it took the most effort for her. Meanwhile, Xue Yin waited for Nik to get dressed and walked out with him.

***

"Ahh! This is damn annoying!" With grit teeth, Korra groaned as it took considerably longer for to adapt to the changes in gravitational pressure.

"Heh, amateur," Asami poked while Ryu'er continued eating breakfast in short bites. That didn't mean her appetite was low. In fact, after her return, her appetite only grew.

"What are you smirking about?!" Korra spoke with her eyes narrowed and her cheeks inflated. Lanruo was barely interested in the banter as she seemed slightly lost. Shen Xiu was, of course, too productive to give these two any thoughts and after a casual chat with Nik, she left for her usual task— making the life of other political parties of the City absolute economic hell.

"I could engage in activities far... 'taxing' even with the increase in pressure."

Her unbridled words made Korra snort as her widened eyes nailed Nik down and tried to express many things from her gaze. With equally inflated cheeks, Nik matched her eyes and tilted his head, "You wanna join, too? Sure." His shrug made Korra groan as she pointed at Asami, "Make her stop! And who even wants to join you? Maybe, in an expedition, sure!" Nik nodded thoughtfully. For a moment, his gaze swept past Ryu'er, who simply couldn't find the bout of courage that pulled her relationship with her master a step further. 

"She isn't lying," Nik shook his head and then pointed at Klas behind him, "She was wilder."

Xue Yin pursed her lips and felt the need to sleep again. The previous day had been more laborious than usual. Maybe, she'll join Gojira, after all. Tanktops and shorts, here I come!

Before Korra could retort, Lanruo's eyes suddenly flashed and she looked towards Nik, "I completely forgot! The seven-day vacation after the examinations. We should plan a trip! With Gojira, we can choose any location within the forest!"

Korra couldn't understand the meaning but everyone else understood. Nik wanted to agree... but...

"Ugh, I kinda have a few things to do... wait, it can wait. Trip it is."

Nik instantly decided to scrub his promise with Nie Li but then recalled the auction. That was an important event, too... 

Shaking his head, Nik grinned.

"Sure. All of you better pack your rings well!"