203. The Mission Rewards

Izumi appeared in a quiet narrow alley near his house. After he got inside, the thing that greeted him was a slap from his mother. His mother, Iori, looked at him worriedly since he had been missing for a few days. He was scolded by his mother over and over again which made him apologize non-stop. And he was also bombarded with questions that made him feel guilty since he answered with lie after lie. He really shouldn't have left the house just like that. It actually looked like Izumi wanted to run away from home.

After his mother calmed down. Izumi finally could breathe a sigh.

"Don't do that again, okay? I'm really worried that something might happen to you." Iori reminded him.

Izumi nodded helplessly. He didn't dare to argue. It was his fault in the first place.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I won't do that again."

After a while, Izumi walked toward his room. However, someone was standing in front of the door of his room as if she had been waiting for him for a long time. That person was none other than Kirisu Mafuyu, Izumi's cousin.

"Don't you know that there's an exam tomorrow? How can you skip school before the exam so casually!?"

Izumi just smiled bitterly. But then, he heard Mafuyu say further.

"You haven't studied yet, have you? You don't have time anymore. You only have tonight to study. Come on into your room! I'll help you study!"

Izumi twitched. Her words sounded misleading if outsiders heard what she said.

"Big sis, please don't say such ambiguous words. Others might misunderstand what you're saying."

Mafuyu was confused by Izumi's reply. However, after she pondered, her face reddened. She glared at Izumi in anger.

"Y-you dirty brat! H-how could you…"

"Eh, that's not my fault, okay! You're the one who had dirty thoughts." Izumi took a step back while raising both of his hands.

"Nonsense! In any case, you have to study for tomorrow's exam!"

"No need! I remembered all of them already."

"Don't make excuses!"

"Then, if I get the highest rank after the exam? You won't complain to me, will you?"

"Are you still joking?"

Mafuyu's gaze became sharp. She got even more irritated when Izumi said that confidently.

"If I fail, you can do anything to me. But, if I win, just leave me be. And can you step aside? I want to rest."

She immediately gave up while saying.

"Fine then. Just watch out if you can't do that! I will deal with you personally!"

Then, Mafuyu left after threatening Izumi. Although she threatened him, she was actually giving him a chance for the last time. In any case, Izumi was still in the first year. There was still time to change him.

Once he sat on his desk inside his room, he recalled how his mother scolded him. He put a smile on his face. It didn't mean he liked to be scolded, but it told him how caring his mother was. So, he felt relief being scolded by his mother.

Izumi opened the chat group app and looked at how Kisame was welcomed to the group. Kakashi, who didn't know anything about him being invited, was so surprised.

Well, that was not strange. Izumi and the others didn't want Kakashi to be known as a member of their group, so they kept the contact as low as possible.

Kazuma: By the way, why that Kisame got such a nice nickname?

Suddenly Kazuma asked about the name of Kisame who had just joined the Chat Group.

Tailless Tailed-Beast: Me? If you ask me, who should I ask?

Well, Tailless Tailed-Beast was the chat name that Kisame got after joining the chat group. It was due to Kisame himself having earned such a nickname in the shinobi world as well.

Kuroneko: That's not important, right? Anyway, why hasn't everyone opened the chest rewards?

Kazuma: Why don't you try first?

Kuroneko: Sure!

Kuroneko: [Just got Concoction Skill ★3]

Tabane: Oh, that's a kinda nice reward.

Kazuma: Then it's my turn. [Just got Soundwave Perception ★3]

Izumi: Oh, ability to perceive something through sound, huh? Maybe, I can do that as well.

Tabane: Kazuma can become a spy now.

Kazuma: Why do I always get ★3?

Kuroneko: Don't complain, Kazuma! You're useless anyway.

Kazuma: What did you say? What did you say to me?

Kuroneko: Useless Scummyzuma.

Rori: Well, well, don't be like that, Kuroneko. At least, he's not NEET now.

Kazuma: What do you mean "at least"? I've become an adventurer, so I have a lot to do.

Izumi: Ssshh. Who else wanna open the reward chest?

Izumi was quite curious about the rewards that the chat group members would get.

Warrod: [Just got Weapon Enhancement ★3]

Kakashi: [Just got Gilded Shiver of Tramontane (Dagger) ★3]

Hiiro: [Just got Flash Step Skill ★3]

Izumi: Oh, what dagger is that? Also, that Flash Step, isn't that similar to Soru?

Kakashi: I don't know what dagger is this.

Hiiro: I think it's as you guessed, Izumi.

Luffy: Hey.

Kuroneko: Luffy, you came at the right moment.

Luffy: What is it?

Izumi: We just opened the reward from our mission.

Tabane: Hmm, I just checked that weapon is a dagger from Assassin Creed. It has a chance to inflict either slow down the enemy's movement or paralyzing effect.

Izumi: That's quite decent actually. How about you, Tabane-chan?

Tabane: Then, lemme open. [Just got Hermes Apocrypha ★4]

Kuroneko: A ★4?? You're too lucky Tabane-chan.

Kazuma: Do you know what the thing is?

Tabane: Hehe, I got a Grimoire which contains all the spells that can be turned into any weapon I want for combat purposes.

Izumi: Any weapon? Isn't that too broken for a ★4?

Tabane: Well, it's an alchemical weapon, just like the weapons I made, however, with this Grimoire, I can create any weapon in an instant. Also, the weapon's power depends on my strength.

Izumi: I see, that's why it's only a ★4.

Luffy: I want to open my reward.

Izumi: Just open! Let's see what you will get.

Luffy: [Just got Yamato ★4]

Kazuma: What the hell. How does this guy get a ★4 reward again? This is unfair.

Izumi: Give up Kazuma, Luffy's luck is better than you. Anyway, I feel like I know this Yamato. It's definitely a weapon's name.

Kuroneko: It's Vergil's sword.

Izumi: Yes, that's it. A space attribute katana with tremendous demonic power. It's quite a powerful weapon.

Luffy: Sword? Hey, I can't use this. Can I change it with something?

Izumi: You're a good pirate captain. Why not just give that katana to Zoro? I believe he will be excited.

Luffy: Oh right. I can give it to him.

Just like that, Luffy went offline. Izumi guessed that Luffy immediately gave the sword to Zoro.

Tabane: Isn't Yamato able to cut the space? Why it is only a ★4?

Izumi: I don't know. Luffy can't use the sword, so I doubt he will bring Yamato to its full potential. That's why I suggested giving Yamato to Zoro.

Tabane: True. Now, it's your turn to open the reward chest.

Izumi: It seems I got another chest.

Kuroneko: Eh, how?

Tabane: He got another one from a bonus mission.

Izumi: [Just got Shop Coins 30000 ★3] [Just got Rinkaku Kagune ★4 (thirst side effect removed)]

Tabane: Izumi-chan, you've become a Ghoul like me now!

Izumi: The fuck with the shop coins.

Rori: Ufufufu, that's interesting.

Kazuma: Can you not complain? You got a ★4, you know!

Izumi: Fine. I'm not complaining, damn it!

Tabane: How about Rori?

Rori: [Just got Calm Mind ★4] [Just got Soul Manipulation ★5]

Izumi: Holy crap, a ★5.

Kazuma: Are you kidding me???

Kuroneko: What a stroke of luck.

Tabane: Rori-chan, how can your luck be so good?

Hiiro: Cheat!

Kazuma: That's right, she's cheating!

Rori: Ufufufu, jealous aren't you?

Everyone in the Chat Group was shocked when Rori got ★5, moreover, it was Soul Manipulation. Rori's curse itself was inflicted on one's soul. That alone was terrifying. Coupled with soul manipulation, her abilities were considered too broken.

Kazuma: Moreover, what is that Calm Mind? How can it be a ★4?

Izumi: I have no clue.

Tabane: I can't find any references at all.

Kuroneko: Then, let Rori claim it first. We will know later.

Rori: Okay, I'll claim my rewards first.

The chat got silent for a while, and everyone was waiting for Rori to tell them about her new abilities.

After a while.

Rori: Calm Mind is the ability to eliminate negative effects. Such as to eliminate my stimulating side effects. It can also eliminate confusion, dizziness, curse, demonic force, madness, or something like that.

Izumi: What the hell is that debuff cleanser? I need something like that as well!!

Izumi felt an ability like Calm Mind obtained by Rori was something Izumi needed the most if he somehow got sent to a dangerous world just like a certain reincarnated demon lord who could manipulate people's thoughts. But he couldn't complain since he already got pretty good rewards since the first mission.

When he came to think of it, Soul Manipulation was no doubt a terrifying skill. It could be said that Rori was approaching the power of the God of Death.

On top of that, Izumi was lucky enough to get Kagune as a reward. With Kagune, Izumi could improve his physical strength, speed, and instincts.

Initially, Izumi was quite disappointed with the shop coins as a reward. However, when he thought about it, he could collect shop coins much faster to buy one of his favorite martial arts in the Dimensional Shop.

He was already aiming for a martial art whose movement style matched his Water Dragon Slayer magic, and that martial art was Dragon Claw. Dragon Claw had no basic elemental attributes but it had the sun attribute called Yang. With that attribute, Izumi could use that martial art to attack supernatural beings or dark creatures effectively.

After putting down the phone, Izumi created a shadow clone to write the next volume of his novel, and Izumi himself continued his project which had been delayed for quite a while.