Chapter 7: To Help A Classmate

I breathed evenly while performing my daily strength training quest inside my room. I lifted my upper body as I continued my set of sit-ups. I was shirtless as I exercised; I didn't want to drench one of my shirts so early in the morning. All done.

I flipped my body and began my set of push-ups. As my body exercised, I let my mind wander back to my time in the Dungeon, specifically how I became a crazy battle-hungry fiend. Now that I wasn't within the dangerous environment of a dungeon and that there were no monsters who wished to tear me to pieces, I could think clearly and logically. Why did I react like that?

The way my cheeks stretched as I smiled in glee at the sensation of battle. I've never felt so free and sure of myself; it was as if I had become a different person with different desires. It was both terrifying and exhilarating. I was grinning just thinking about it.

Once my push-ups were done, I moved on to my squats. I remembered my battle with the Dungeon boss as I rose and fell. The giant monster that was a cross between a leopard and a serpent had come very close to killing me. I was sure the beast would have wiped the floor with me if it weren't for the ATLANTEAN BLADE and my development stats.

"Big Bro?"

But the rewards for it all made my hard-fought battle worth it. I came out of the Dungeon stronger and faster. I was now at Level eighteen and had pretty high stats. I couldn't help but wonder where I would scale against the rest of the Hunters. Would I be a D or C rank now? It was hard to tell without seeing one in action. Internet videos didn't do them justice.

"Big Bro!"

I was shocked out of my thoughts thanks to my sister's shout. I looked off to the side and saw that I had completed my required squats and then some. I stood from my squat and looked at Komachi, who examined me oddly. It reminded me of what had happened when I arrived home the next day after I completed the Dungeon.

Due to my exhaustion, I ended up sleeping in that tucked-away part of the park. So when I woke up and saw it was the next day, I grabbed my phone and saw several notifications. Dozens upon dozens of missed calls and texts filled the screen, and I felt my stomach drop. Without wasting another second, I ran home as fast as I could. And thanks to my newly acquired level and stats, it was a short trip.

I had tried snaking into my room by climbing into my window but paused when I saw Komachi sleeping in my bed. Her eyes were closed due to her being asleep, and long, dry tear marks stained her cheeks. The corners of her eyes were red, and her phone lay clutched in her hand. I sneaked into my room quietly, grabbed a new set of clothes, and showered. It wouldn't do me any good to have her wake up and find my clothes covered in blood and scratches. Fortunately, thanks to the System, my body had fully healed after a good night's sleep.

When I came back to my room, I found Komachi up and glaring at me. I spent most of my Sunday morning and afternoon trying to get her to forgive me and explain that I had fallen asleep at a friend's house. At that point, she eyed me suspiciously and demanded she meet that friend. Sorry, Sakamoto. I'm going to need a favor from you soon.

"What's the matter, Komachi?" I asked and stepped closer to her. Komachi wore a green apron over her middle school uniform, a traditional sailor suit with blue ascents. I watched as she looked me up and down with squinted eyes. I blinked in confusion and saw her hold her hand over her head and then move it above mine. Trying to at least, her hand had stopped at my forehead.

"I know you've been exercising a lot lately, big bro. But you've gotten pretty ripped. Not to mention taller." Komachi said and then nodded with a satisfied smile. "Good. With this body, I won't have to worry that my useless brother won't ever find a wife. But even if you don't, I'll be sure to take care of you. Ah! That won me a ton of points, for sure!

I smiled at her and strode over to my workout towel, which was resting on my gaming chair. "Yeah, yeah." I said as I wiped my face from any sweat.

"Anyways, I came to tell you that breakfast is ready. Hurry up and come eat! Otherwise, you'll be late to school." Komachi said quickly and ran out of my room. I looked over at my phone and saw that I had time to take a quick shower. I still had my running to do, but I'd take care of that later. I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. Damn, who's that?

My sister's words were true. I had well-developed muscles and a six-pack; I ran my hands over my toned abdomen and felt hard muscles. The scar that ran down my chest was hidden slightly, thanks to my pecs and abs. I raised my left arm and flexed; my bicep muscle bulged and twitched. I turned to the mirror and saw that my face had lost all its baby fat. I looked more mature, and my jawline became sharper and well-defined. My eyes were still the same but were somehow even sharper.

I knew that before I entered the Dungeon, my increased stats had started changing my body slightly, but this was on another level. Could this be because of my added levels and strength stat? That was mostly the case. I hope I don't end up looking like a bodybuilder when my strength stat reaches a hundred.

"Right. I need to shower."

x x x

"Hey, who's that? A new student?"

"I don't know, but aren't his eyes kind of scary?"

"Yeah, but I think it's sexy."

I frowned and walked towards my class. Just as all the whispering and gossip around me had settled down, it seemed to have grabbed Its second wind. I knew I had changed slightly, but to the point that no one could recognize me anymore? Ridiculous.

Thankfully, I finally reached my class and escaped the stares of my fellow students. I walked over to my seat and sat down. Hopefully, my new looks won't attract too much attention.

"Morning, bro!" Ryuji grinned at me and patted my back. He took his seat beside me and turned to me. But his grin quickly vanished and was replaced by a perplexed look. "Something's off… you get a new haircut or something?"

Before I could answer, Shouko walked up to us and stopped mid-step. Ryuji and I watched as her face developed a dark hue of red, and the notepad in her hands began to shake. Causing her pencil to fall onto the floor. I stood up and grabbed it.

"You alright, Nishimiya?" Ryuji asked and walked over to Shouko. Concern in his eyes. "You sick?" Shouko shook her head and accepted her pencil from me. She quickly wrote on her pad and turned it to us.

'I'm okay! I was just surprised. Hikki looks different.' Shouko said. I forgot she took after Yui in calling me by that nickname. Ryuji grinned and snapped his fingers.

"Aha! I knew you got a haircut! Man, maybe I should become a detective or something!" Ryuji said, crossed his arms, and lifted his nose with pride. Shouko looked at him with squinted eyes and sighed.

Soon enough, everyone else had arrived and took their seats. I looked over at Yuuki Mashima; he had a large white bandage over his cheek. He looked tired and nervous. I looked away from him and heard our class representative take attendance. Her name was Makoto Niijima.

Makoto had brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid-styled headband that matched her hair color. Her eyes were reddish-brown, and she wore the female Sobu High School uniform.

I sighed and looked out the window from my seat. Suguru Kamoshida was abusing and taking advantage of the volleyball club due to his status as a Hunter and the fact that the school's volleyball club had become one of the country's best teams under his coaching. I sincerely doubted anyone would say or do anything about what he was doing.

I thought of getting Shizuka Hirastuka to do something, but it's risky. An argument between Hunters could turn deadly quickly. This is why they tend to avoid conflict with one another; that is the only reason I think she hasn't done anything to stop his abuse of power. Either that or she doesn't care about the students. It was hard to say. I didn't know the woman well enough to know.

I have to do something. I closed my eyes and rested my head on my hand. But should I? It isn't necessarily my problem. And if I get involved with Suguru, I would only attract more attention. Be that from the student body or even the Hunters Association.

I decided to drop the subject and focus on Ms. Sadayo. I decided then that if I weren't involved with Suguru directly, I would stay out of his way. There was no reason to go out looking for fights, especially with a teacher.

x x x

Yui Yuigahama was currently walking through the special use building of the school and looked around with confusion. School had ended a few minutes ago, and she was heading towards the club that her homeroom teacher, Shizuka Hirastuka, had told her would help with any request she had.

"Service club, service club." Yui said and stopped in front of an unremarkable door. She looked up and saw that the sign above the door had no unique markings or titles. "This must be the place. Right?"

Yui knocked on the door and waited until a silent 'Come in' was spoken. She slid the door open and walked into the room. But she paused and looked around in confusion, seeing several stacked chairs and tables on the left wall.

In the center of the room was a long, brown table with a single girl looking up at her from her book. This was Yukino Yukinoshita. Yukino's eyes widened at the sight of Yui for a split second but quickly returned to her calm and composed expression.

"Yui Yuigahama, is it?" Yukino said, and Yui smiled in amazement.

"Ah, you know me?" Yui said and walked closer to the table. Yukino nodded and motioned to one of the free seats. "I do, please. Have a seat."

"Ah, thanks!" Yui took off her bag and sat on the chair closest to Yukino. "Hey, I heard from Ms. Hiratsuka that this place grants students wishes?"

"Not quite. The Service Club is only for helping people. Whether or not your wishes are granted depends on you." Yukino said slowly and closed her book.

"How is that 'not quite?" Yuigahama asked, perplexed.

"It's the difference between giving a starving person a fish and teaching them how to fish. Volunteer efforts are, at their core, about putting that ideal into practice and not just about producing results. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that we encourage self-reliance." Yukino said with a slight nod. Yui leaned forward and looked at Yukino with little confusion. That was until a look of amazement bloomed on her face.

"That's kind of amazing!" Yui said, and Yukino blinked in bewilderment. Yukino composed herself and coughed slightly behind a closed fist.

"Indeed. Now, how may I be of service?" Yukino asked and watched as Yui's face flushed red from embarrassment.

"You see, I'm not good at cooking. But! But I want to learn how to bake cookies! There's this person I want to give them to. Am I don't want to mess up." Yui said shyly and looked over at Yukino pleadingly. "Can you help me?"

Yukino looked at Yui momentarily and turned down to stare at her book. She then closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. "I will. Your request has been accepted. Now, let's head to the home economics room."

x x x

Ryuji and I were running along the school's large track field. We were both dressed in the school's male gym uniform. I turned my head and saw him breathing quickly but in a controlled manner. However, I felt no strain from the run; it was like I was on a stroll. My newly acquired level and stats made all my quest exercises easy.

However, I slowed my pace just enough for Ryuji to keep up. I was mindful of his injured leg; if I ran at my usual pace, it could come off as if I was mocking him. Maybe if I bought one of the health potions from the store and offered it to him, it could heal his injured knee. It was something worth trying out.

[ QUEST REWARDS ]

[ CHOOSE YOUR REWARD ]

[ You may choose one of the rewards below. ]

[ REWARD # 1: STATUS RECOVERY ]

[ REWARD # 2: STAT POINTS +3 ]

[ REWARD # 3: RANDOM BOX ]

I dismissed the reward window. I'd pick my reward later, considering I wanted to choose the random box. I wouldn't want to freak Ryuji out with the sudden appearance of a magical box.

"You good?" I asked as I saw Ryuji begin to favor his left side. I saw him grimace and shake his head.

"Nah! I think I've hit my limit." Ryuji said, and we slowed to a walk. I saw Ryuji squeeze his knee lightly, causing me to frown. We headed towards the tracks bleachers, where we left our bags and sat down. I grabbed a bottle of water and handed it to Ryuji. He thanked me and took a sip; a second later, his eyes grew in shock, and he downed the entire bottle in one quick gulp.

"Holy shit! This is the best water I've ever had!" Ryuji said with a grin and stood up. He began to stretch and looked at me. "Where did you buy that? I feel like some of my energy came back!"

I smiled as I watched him no longer favor his left leg. I had given him one of the water from the Systems shop. Not only were these waters extraordinarily refreshing and tasty, but they also had an added effect.

[ ITEM: WATER BOTTLE ]

[ TYPE: JUNK ]

[ CLASS: E ]

[ +3 Stamina ]

[ Refreshing water from the fresh springs of the Mystic Lake. ]

"I'm not sure. My mom buys them from somewhere." I grinned and offered him another bottle, which he accepted happily. We rested and drank our drinks in peace. That was until the sounds of several footsteps approached us from the right.

Ryuji stood up and glared at the small group of five male students. I walked beside Ryuji and focused on the prominent leader of the group. Touji Hatanaka. Touji walked towards us with a relaxed expression. He was still dressed in the Sobu uniform, minus the jacket. Behind him were four delinquent-looking boys who were looking at us with confident, snarky expressions.

"Well, if it isn't Sakamoto?" One of the nameless delinquents said with his hands in his pockets. "What are you doing back on the track? After your leg snapped like a twig, I thought you'd avoid this place like the plague?"

"You bastard-" Ryuji growled and began to move but stopped when I placed my arm in front of him. "Easy, Sakamoto. They're trying to rile you up." I said slowly, my eyes not leaving Touji's frame. "What do you want, Hatanaka?"

"You and me have unfinished business, Hikitani." Touji said and cracked his neck. "Now that Hirastuka isn't here to save you, I have all the time in the world to teach you your place." The grunts behind him all began laughing and chuckling but stopped when Touji turned to them with an expressionless look.

"Hey." Ryuji whispered. "We should get out of here! He's way above your level. We need to try and get away."

"We won't get far." I said slowly. Ryuji looked at me worriedly. I could understand his worry. From what he knew, I was still just a lowly E-Rank. I would have stood no chance against Touji a few days ago. But I was different now. I was stronger.

"At least you're not dumb." Touji said lazily and then whistled. Ryuji and I looked at him in confusion, but it soon turned to shock as we saw another delinquent wannabe dragging Iroha behind him. A white piece of cloth was wrapped around her mouth, silencing her as she struggled against his grasp. Her arms were behind her back as a piece of rope held her wrists together; she turned to me, and her eyes shined with hope.

"You asshole!" Ryuji roared as he took a step forward. "Are you that pathetic that you have to kidnap innocent girls?!"

"Nah. It was more like an insurance policy." Touji said slowly and walked up to Iroha. She looked at him with fear as she tried to back away. "This was the bitch that was with you that day, right? You must care about her if you were willing to confront me over her. So, to make sure you didn't run with your tail between your legs, I decided to give you an incentive to stick around."

Touji walked behind Iroha and grabbed her shoulders. He leaned in and sniffed her hair lightly. Iroha's body was shaking as she whimpered. Her terrified eyes looked at me. Their hidden message was clear to see.

Please help me.

I will.

Ryuji was shaking in anger and was about to run straight at Touji himself but was suddenly pushed back by a gust of air pressure.

[ ACTIVE SKILL ]

[ DASH - Lv. 1]

[ Skill: Dash has been activated. ]

[ Your speed has increased by 30% ]

I dashed forward with incredible speed and saw Touji's eyes widen in shock. I jumped over both him and Iroha and grabbed the back of his neck. I grit my teeth and heaved him across the track field. His body crashed and rolled, large dust clouds erupting from where his body impacted the floor.

I then moved to each of the frozen wannabe delinquents and jabbed a finger lightly into their foreheads, launching them back several feet. They were just regular humans. I had to hold back my strength against them. I then untied the rope around Iroha's writs and removed her gag. She looked at me with amazement and raised her hands over her chest.

"Ryuji!" I yelled at my friend, shocking him out of his stupor. I was unaware I had used his first name and watched as he ran towards Iroha and me. "You need to take Iroha and run far from here."

Before Ryuji could answer, a strong blast of blue energy shot up from Touji's position. Large veins pulsed on his forehead as he stared at me hatefully. Ryuji took a step back and swallowed, he turned to me and nodded.

"I'll get help." Ryuji said and grabbed Iroha's wrist. They began running out of the track field. As they ran, Iroha turned back to me with tears in her eyes.

"Wait! We can't just leave him!" Iroha yelled at Ryuji. Ryuji bared his teeth in frustration and turned to her. "There's nothing we can do! This is a fight between two awakened humans!"

Touji and I glared at one another, and the atmosphere around us grew heavy and laced with energy. Touji smiled violently at me and entered a fighting stance. I slid one leg back and raised my fists in front of me. Without further delay, we dashed at one another and began our battle.