Chapter 18: The Date

[ ITEM: DUNGEON KEY ]

[ ITEM CLASS: A+ ]

[ TYPE: KEY ]

[ A key that allows you to create an instant dungeon. You may use this on Oshima Island. ]

Another key. I looked at the blue key on my bed with an excited grin. I was excited to see what monsters and bosses I'd find to add to my shadow army. After the boring field trip to the C-Ranked Gate, I was itching to jump back into a dungeon.

"I'll go tonight." I picked up the key and watched it disappear into my inventory. I began to think of how I'd get to Oshima Island. I'd have to find a boat to hitch a ride on. Otherwise, I'd have to swim there. With my stats, I can cross the distance quickly.

"But first, I have to go on my 'date'." I looked back and saw the clothes I had picked for this morning's meet-up with Yukino. It was an oversized black hoodie and a white V-neck shirt. I also chose loose black jeans and shoes. How'd it come to this?

[ Flashback ]

I picked up my school bag and yawned. My classmates began to head out of class to go home or to their clubs. I looked over at Ryuji and saw him on his phone. "You ready to go?" I said. Ryuji nodded and put his phone away.

"Yeah. Ann and Shiho will meet us at the mall at five, so we have some time to kill." Ryuji stood up and looked at Shouko as she approached us. "You ready, Nishimiya?" Ryuji said and made the sign for 'Ready'.

Shouko nodded. "Ready!" She said and signed.

Ryuji grinned and gave her a thumbs up. After I had dinner at Shouko's house, she began to talk openly in front of the others. She was initially nervous but quickly grew comfortable when the others looked at her in surprise and excitement. As I expected, no one started to look at her differently because of how she spoke. They even began to try to learn a few words in sign language, Causing Shouko to shine with happiness.

Today, we decided to hang out at the AEON MALL after school. It was a way for everyone to get to know each other, considering Ann and Shiho had joined our little group of friends. God, I'm starting to become the enemy—a normie.

"Well, let's get going then." I said to both Ryuji and Shouko. Shouko looked around the class in confusion.

"Where is Isshiki?" Shouko said slowly and turned to Ryuji and me. I frowned and looked for any signs of the girl. Before I could say anything, Iroha walked into class and turned to me.

"Hikigaya! Come here for a second!" Iroha said loudly and waved me over. I looked over at Ryuji and Shouko and shrugged. I made my way over to Iroha and followed her out of class. To my surprise, Yukino Yukinoshita was standing awkwardly by my class door.

"Don't take too long, Hikigaya! I don't want to get there and give Ann and Shiho a bad impression of me!" Iroha said and walked into class. Intentionally leaving the classroom door open.

"Yukinoshita. What can I do for you?" I asked with my hands in my pockets. Yukino looked at me and then to the side. She looked anxious and nervous.

"Hikigaya. There's something I'd… like to ask you." Yukino said, making eye contact with me. I nodded and waited for her to continue. "You see, Yuigahama's birthday is coming up. At least, I think it is, and I want to do something nice for her birthday. Well-I… you see… will you please go out with me?"

A loud crash echoed in the class behind me. I ignored Ryuji's panicked yell. "NISHIMIYA! Isshiki?! What did you say to her?!"

I stood dumbfounded and looked at Yukino's slightly blushing face. "…say what?"

[ Present ]

I sighed and looked around where Yukino and I agreed to meet. Several other young adults and shoppers walked to and from the open courtyard behind the shopping center.

"Why me?" I asked no one in particular and saw Yukino looking around from her spot near the shopping center directory. She was wearing a light purple sundress and a loose blue cardigan. Yukino even styled her hair into two ponytails at the sides of her head. In her hands was a yellow bag. I headed over to her and stopped a few feet away.

"Yo." I said and watched her shoulders jump. Yukino turned and glared at me slightly.

"Hikigaya. I'm sure you're unaware of this, but you shouldn't sneak up on a fair maiden like myself. With those scary eyes of yours, you could give me a heart attack," Yukino said with her usual wit. I sighed and looked off to the side.

"Yeah, yeah." I said and looked at the directory. "So, where to?"

"Hm. Let's peruse every store in the mall. That way, we can have every available option from which we can choose from." Yukino said as she looked at the directory. "What do you think?"

"I think we'll be here all day with that plan." I said and began walking towards the mall entrance. Yukino quickly followed behind me. "Let's just walk around the clothing and hobby stores. I'm sure we'll find something Yuigahama will enjoy. Since she's in the same club as you, do you have any ideas about what she's interested in?"

"Ah, well… she likes dogs?" Yukino said as we stopped in front of a female clothing shop. "Honestly, I was hoping you had a better idea of what to get her. It was the main reason I asked you to join me today. I thought you and Yuigahama were a lot closer to one another."

"So that's why. You know, you could have phrased the question a bit differently. You almost gave me the wrong idea." I said, walking into a clothing store targeting young women. I gained some interested and confused glances from the other shoppers but paid them no mind. I looked down at several articles of jewelry and frowned. What a bunch of useless stuff. If they offered me bonus stats, I'd think about it.

"I see. I apologize if my question had misled you." Yukino said, lifting a pink necklace with a heart. Hey, eyes reflected a deep sense of nervousness. "So I'll make it clear. Just for today… I'll give you express permission to treat me as your girlfriend."

I squinted at her and saw her cheeks blush slightly under my gaze. The hell is she on? While it's true she's beautiful and eye-catching, anyone with half a brain would love to have her as a girlfriend, but she shouldn't be offering something like that so easily. Unless?... Nah, who'd like someone like me in that way?

"Is that so?" I said and looked her over. If she wanted to mess with me, two can play that game. She twitched and shyly looked away and nodded. "Alright then. So tell me, Yukino, do you have any ideas on what Yuigahama likes or what her hobbies are?"

"N-no. Even after all that time together in the club and Yuigahama calling me her friend. I never bothered to learn those things. What kind of friend am I?" Yukino said slowly; her embarrassed blush when I said her first name vanished as she spoke. I hummed and walked to a small stand with several black neck chokers.

"Well, there's no point in whining about it now." I said, holding one of the chokers up to Yukino's neck. It had a small cat accessory hanging on the side. "That just means you have to try harder the next time you see her. It's never too late to get better at something you were bad at yesterday. At least that's what I learned."

"I see... maybe you're right." Yukino nodded and grabbed the choker from my hands. She blushed slightly when her fingers touched my own. "You think Yuigahama would like this?"

"Oh, no. I thought it'd look good on you. Then again, I'm not too well-versed when it comes to accessories. I leave that stuff to my sister." I said as I inspected a few obnoxious yellow shirts with colorful designs. Yukino blushed and lowered her head slightly.

"I'm not seeing anything that stands out to me here. Let's go somewhere else." I returned to Yukino and saw that she had a small shopping bag from the store in her hand. "Oh? Did you manage to find something?"

"N-no. This is something I found that I quite liked." Yukino said, placing her shopping bag in her yellow bag. "Let's move on then."

We spent the next hour going from store to store, trying to find something that screamed Yuigahama. Unfortunately, neither of us managed to find anything we could agree on. At one point, I found Yukino pulling a shirt to its limits to test its fabric and stitching. Yeah, she's never bought anyone anything. It's not like I'm any better. Eventually, though, we finally found two items that might please Yuigahama.

"Here." I held out a can of Max coffee, which Yukino accepted. I sat next to her and opened my own. I sipped greedily on the nectar of the gods and sighed happily. Yukino sipped her drink and grimaced.

"So sweet." Yukino said and looked at me in disbelief. "You enjoy such a sugary drink?"

"You see, Yukino. Life is too bitter, so coffee, at least, should be sweet." I said as I finished my coffee. I grinned at her and saw her take another sip.

"I suppose… it's not so bad." Yukino said with a small smile. I chuckled and leaned on my knees with my elbows. I looked down at the bag beside her foot. She had decided on the gift during the last store we visited. It was a pink frilly apron, while I got Yui a collar for her dog, Sable.

"I see you're becoming a woman of culture as well." I nodded in satisfaction and stood up. I walked over to Yukino and handed her my bag. "Hold this for me. I have to go use the bathroom real quick."

"Sure." Yukino said and I nodded at her in thanks. She grabbed the bag and set it down next to her own.

After a few minutes of using the restroom, I returned to where I left Yukino and found her surrounded by four guys a few years older than us. Hold on, what's up with this cliché situation?

"Come on! Just for a little bit!" A young man in his late teens said. He had brushed-back blonde hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in an expensive button-up blue shirt and brown slacks. "A girl like you deserves to be taken on a shopping spree? What do you say?"

"He's right! Besides, the guy you came with shouldn't have left such a bombshell of a woman alone for even a second!" Another young man with black hair and eyes said. He wore a white hoodie and faded blue jeans. "If it were me, I'd cling to you every second of every minute."

"I believe I made myself very clear that I have no intention of following you four mouth breathers." Yukino said slowly and looked away from them. "Now, if you would, I suggest you bother someone else with free time."

"Tch. Damn uptight bitch." A third member of the group said. He had combed over brown hair and grey eyes. He was well-muscled and wore a tight red shirt. "Anyone tell you that's not how you talk to those who are trying to have a polite conversation with you? Well? Answer me!"

Yukino shrunk slightly as the brown-haired guy leaned into her face. The fourth member of the group chuckled and sat next to her. He had platinum blonde hair with a pair of shades over his eyes. He was dressed in a black blazer and white khaki pants. He then wrapped an arm around Yukino's shoulder and leaned close to her. Yukino looked at him with disgust and slight fear.

"Hey, how about you just follow us? We'll forget about the disrespect you showed us. That's not a bad deal, now is it? Plus, I'm sure by the end of it all. You'll come to enjoy our company." Sunglasses guy said and sniffed Yukino's hair, causing her to flinch and try to back away. He just pulled her in tighter. "Okay. Let's get a mo-"

The Sunglasses guy didn't finish his sentence because I picked him up by the hem of his blazer. I tossed him over to the brown-haired jock, who caught him with some difficulty. I stepped in front of Yukino with my hands in my pockets and glared at them all. I even released some of my power, which caused them to begin to sweat and back up slightly. Tiny wisps of shadow flowed freely from my black hoodie.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I said in a low voice. "That's my girlfriend. And I don't appreciate you four talking to her like that." I stepped forward, and the four scrambled like dogs with their tails between their legs.

I sighed and looked back at Yukino. She looked up at me with relief. I kneeled next to her and saw her hands shaking slightly. I smiled and held them to offer some comfort.

"I'm impressed, Yukino. You handled yourself pretty well in the face of a bunch of wild dogs." I joked and watched her smile and relax. She nodded and gripped my fingers firmly.

"Of course. As if I'd let people like them intimidate me." Yukino said confidently. I nodded and let her hands go. As I stood up, I missed the slight disappointment in her eyes.

"I think it's about time we end our 'date'. Let's head home, okay?" I asked and grabbed our bags. She nodded and stood up beside me.

We walked towards the exit of the mall and left. I decided to wait with her while her limo came to pick her up. I wonder if she was inside the limo that hit me that day. I looked over Yukino and saw her watching a couple of birds walking around on the ground in front of us. I suppose it doesn't matter if she was. We sat together on a public bench for a bit longer and saw her ride pull up down the road.

"I guess I'm back to calling you Yukinoshita, huh? My girlfriend trail experience has reached its end." I joked as I walked with her to her vehicle. At her silence, I turned to her and saw her look apprehensive.

"Hikigaya… you can… keep calling me by my given name." Yukino said with a slight blush.

I looked at her for a few seconds and nodded. "Sure thing, Yukino. Today was fun. I guess… I guess I'll see you at school."

Yukino nodded and walked towards her car. Before she could step inside, she turned to me and smiled. "Goodbye, Hikigaya."

I nodded and watched her vehicle drive off down the busy road. I turned my body in the direction of Oshima Island and grinned. Finally.

x x x

[ (!) Notification ]

[ You have entered the instance dungeon ]

I looked around the dark orange stones and rocks that made up the large tunnel I was in. Spread around sporadically were small red mushrooms and puddles of red bubbling liquid. The red liquid seemed to steam as it moved, almost as if alive. Several floating rocks hung along the ceiling, almost like they lacked gravity. I had to pinch my nose slightly due to a horrible rotting smell filling the tunnel. Luckily, a few torches on the walls lit up the cave. It was safe to say that whatever was in the air wasn't a flammable gas.

"I hope the whole dungeon doesn't stink like this." I said and began to march forward. My shoes squished and squashed as I stepped. I was not lucky to find a boat to take me to Oshima Island and had to swim the whole way there, resulting in my still slightly wet clothes. It was a little annoying but a cakewalk for me; it only cost me five stamina points to do so, too.

I held my right hand out, and the Atlantean blade came to life in a wave of lightning. It was just in time because several sleeping giant bats were ahead of me. One twitched when my shoe kicked a small pebble and woke up. Its wrinkled, sharp face and ears looked over at me in surprise. Immediately, it opened its large mouth, and two rows of long, sharp teeth screeched. It spread its dirty grey wings and a tall, thin body that you could see the bones from bent as it fell to the ground onto its feet.

The giant bat screech had done its job, and the rest of its hanging friends awoke from their slumber. Quickly, they all dropped from their perches and flew at me. I smirked, lifted my left arm, and pointed at the killer man-sized bats.

"Take them down." I said, and all my shadow knights and magicians rose from the ground and engaged the bats in combat.

One of my shadow knights rushed one of the bats and sliced their wings off. The bat screamed in agony as blood gushed out from its stump. With a quick backward slash, the knight finished the giant bat by beheading it.

Further back, two magicians held their hands and unleashed a torrent of fire magic on four bats. Their pained screeches waned as their flesh burned to ash.

Three knights worked together to mow down the remaining bats in a bloody rush. Their swords, hammers, and axes made quick work of the bats. It wasn't long before they all lay splattered on the ground in bloody chunks.

"No XP from that." I muttered, watching my shadow knights loot the monster's dropped items. "It seems that anything they kill will level only them up and not myself. Good to know."

Once I deposited their collected loot into my inventory. I dismissed them and headed deeper into the dungeon. I soon found myself in a complex mineshaft. Looking around, I saw that there were at least four different floors with railroad tracks and carts. A long set of wooden stairs in the cave's center allowed the would-be minors to travel from floor to floor. I looked around and saw several gems in the surrounding walls and floors.

"What do we have here?" I approached the far-off cave wall and saw an old rusty pickax leaning against the stone wall. Next to it was a large clear crystal. "Hold on, this is a diamond!"

I smiled in excitement and grabbed the pickaxes. In one fell swoop, I managed to dig up the diamond. I held the shining gem up and marveled at its size. It was easily as big as a basketball. I then walked into the center of the mineshaft and looked around at all the glimmering gems on the cave walls. I smiled excitedly and summoned all my knights, minus Igris and Iris, who stood at attention.

"Alright. Everyone here will strip mine this entire cave for every gem they can find. Use the pickaxes lying around and get to work!" I said and watched my loyal soldiers get to work on their task. They worked seamlessly and were quickly collecting every gem in sight. They even used the abandoned mine carts to store them in one place. I nodded in approval and summoned a magician. "You'll be in charge of overseeing this operation. Return to me once the job is done so I can put the gems in my inventory."

The magician nodded and left to do as I said. With that done, I headed further into the cave. As I traveled deeper, I encountered more giant bats and took them down with relative ease; they were, at best, mid-low C-Rank. I left the cave and saw a large cavern full of boulders and stalagmites. In the center was a large lake of red bubbling liquid.

"What is that?" I kneeled in front of the liquid and stuck a finger into it. I pulled my hand back as my digit began to burn.

[ You have been inflicted with Scarlet Rot! ]

[ Inflicts damage quickly over a long period. ]

[ A harmful substance has been detected. ]

[ 3, 2, 1… Detoxing is complete. ]

"Scarlet rot?" I jumped to my feet when several loud water splashes rippled behind me. Slowly, several decomposed skeletons covered in putrid muscle rose from the scarlet rot lake. Their entrails hung from their stomachs as their heads turned to me. They moaned lowly and ran towards me.

[ PUTRID CORPSE ]

I picked up the boulder beside me and threw it at three of the corpses. They were crushed easily under the heavy weight of the slab of rock. The rest of the corpses continued forward, unbothered by the deaths of their comrades.

I dashed in and out between them and slashed through their bodies. I slid to a stop and heard their mangled bodies fall uselessly on the ground. I sighed and ignored their loot. Yeah, I'm not going anywhere near those guys.

I looked around and saw an opening near the ceiling of the cavern. I jumped into the opening and saw several glow stones lining the walls and floors of the small tunnel I was in. I crouch walked deeper into the tunnel and saw a bright orange light at the end. As I reached halfway through the tunnel, I noticed a small opening that I could crawl through. This can only mean one thing. A trap or a hidden item.

I threw caution to the wind and began crawling through the tight opening. At the end of it, I found a small box. It resembled a music box with intricate writing on the side. I hummed and opened the box; inside it was a familiar-looking stone. Score.

[ (!) NOTICE ]

[ YOU HAVE OBTAINED [ RUNE STONE: ADVANCED LINGUISTICS ] ]

[ RUNE STONE: ADVANCED LINGUISTICS ]

[ TYPE: STONE ]

[ Breaking this stone will grant you a skill. ]

I broke the stone and was flooded with a pulse of magical power. Suddenly, every single language ever created flooded my brain. I winced slightly at the sudden headache, but it was gone as soon as it came. How handy. No more broken engrish. After crawling back out, I hopped down the tunnel and looked around. Several scattered torches were hanging along the stone walls of the cavern I was in.

"Grrr." A low, rumbling growl echoed behind me. I turned and saw several large packs of large emancipated canines. They slowly advanced towards me with their mangled yellow teeth. Their dry, dark skins hung tightly over their thick bones, and sharp claws poked out from their paws.

[ ROTTEN STRAY ]

Great. More rotting enemies. I summoned a dagger in each hand and raised them in front of me. Despite the putrid smell from the monsters, a sense of excitement filled my body. The thrill of fighting new monsters was addicting and heart-pounding. No other sensational could compare to being inside a dungeon and growing stronger. I wish I could do this all the time. Without wasting another second, I dashed towards them. Blades aimed high and ready to eviscerate all the monsters before me.