Chapter 113: Raiding Gates For A Chick’s Number

The night was unusually quiet.

Reiji stood atop a nearby rooftop overlooking the brightly lit city below.

A cool breeze gently brushed against his hoodie as he stared into the distance.

"...I’m actually going to raid Gates for a phone number."

The more he thought about it...

The more ridiculous it sounded.

If someone had told him a month ago that he would willingly enter dangerous Dungeon Gates just to obtain a girl’s contact information...

He would’ve laughed in their face.

Yet here he was.

He let out a quiet sigh.

"Monster Cores first."

"Phone number later."

Those were Aoi’s exact words.

"...She’s definitely enjoying this."

Reiji shook his head before disappearing into the shadows.

[Shadow Step.]

The night swallowed Reiji’s figure as Shadow Step carried him from rooftop to rooftop.

The cool wind rushed past his hood while the city stretched endlessly beneath him.

From above, countless lights shimmered across the streets like stars scattered upon the earth.

His calm gaze quietly swept across the distant skyline.

Several pillars of distorted mana rose into the night.

Some were faint.

Others were much denser.

Reiji ignored the weaker Gates and focused on one that stood out among the rest.

"...C-Rank."

That should be enough.

He wasn’t here to challenge himself.

He only needed a few Monster Cores.

With any luck, he’d be walking away with Aoi’s contact information before sunrise.

A faint smile appeared beneath his mask.

"...What a ridiculous transaction."

Shadow gathered beneath his feet once more.

The next moment, he appeared a short distance away from the Gate.

A military barricade surrounded the area while several Adventurers waited outside.

None of them noticed the hooded figure quietly slipping into the Gate.

The world around him distorted.

His vision blurred for a brief moment before stabilizing.

The familiar scent of damp earth filled the air.

Ancient trees towered above him, their branches weaving together to block most of the moonlight.

A quiet forest.

It was at least what he expected from an ordinary C-Rank Gate.

Reiji slowly drew the Long Bone Sword.

The pale blade reflected the dim light filtering through the leaves.

He had barely taken three steps.

A green screen suddenly appeared before him.

"..."

Reiji stared at it.

His eyes slowly drifted toward the surrounding forest.

The mana had changed.

It was denser. Much denser.

"...Seriously?"

He let out a helpless sigh before gripping the Long Bone Sword a little tighter.

"So it morphed."

There wasn’t much point complaining. He was already inside. There was no point in retreating.

Besides...

He wanted to know how strong he had become after clearing the Labyrinth.

The corner of his lips lifted slightly.

"...Perfect."

A deafening roar suddenly echoed through the forest.

BOOM!

The ground trembled violently.

Several enormous wolves burst out from between the trees.

Each one was nearly three meters tall.

Dark crimson fur covered their bodies while sharp horns curved backward from their heads.

Without hesitation...

They charged.

Reiji calmly raised the Long Bone Sword.

His feet shifted.

One step.

SHING!

The first wolf’s head separated from its body before it even realized what happened.

The corpse crashed against the ground before sliding several meters through the dirt.

The remaining wolves immediately surrounded him.

Reiji quietly watched them.

"... Still as sharp as ever."

Reiji praised his sword as his figure disappeared.

One moment he stood surrounded.

The next...

Blood erupted into the air.

SHING!

SHING!

SHING!

One wolf after another collapsed.

Their enormous bodies crashed onto the forest floor with heavy thuds.

More monsters emerged.

Then more.

The forest became strangely quiet once again.

Only the sound of steel slicing through flesh continued to echo between the ancient trees.

Ten minutes later the final monster slowly fell.

[Host has killed a B-Rank Bloodwolf.]

[+10 EXP]

Its massive body crashed against the ground before dissolving into countless particles of light.

Reiji flicked the blood from the Long Bone Sword before returning it to his side.

"...That’s all?"

The Gate had been upgraded to B-Rank.

Yet it never pushed him.

The difference between his current strength and ordinary B-Rank monsters had already become obvious.

From the corner of his eyes, a faint light caught glowed in the dissolving carcass.

A Monster Core.

Reiji picked it up. "...Only one?"

His gaze wandered across the now empty forest.

No additional Monster Cores.

Nothing.

"...What terrible luck."

He muttered quietly as he left the Gate. He didn’t borther to kill the Boss Monster. To him it was too much walk to walk around the forest.

A few moments later...

Reiji appeared atop another rooftop overlooking the city.

He looked down at the single Monster Core resting inside his hand.

"...One isn’t enough."

Aoi had asked for several.

He wasn’t about to hand her one lonely core and expect his payment.

His eyes soon settled upon another Gate.

"D-Rank."

That should solve the problem.

Without wasting another second, he disappeared once more.

The familiar distortion greeted him as he entered.

Unlike the previous forest...

This Gate resembled a rocky canyon.

Loose stones littered the ground while steep cliffs surrounded the entire area.

It was definitely different from an ordinary Dungeon Gate.

Reiji hadn’t even taken a step.

The system notification appeared before him.

Reiji stared at it in silence.

He slowly lowered his head.

"...Again?"

His eyes narrowed slightly.

The mana inside the canyon rapidly changed.

The pressure increased.

The D-Rank Gate had become C-Rank.

Reiji remained standing there for several seconds.

"...Once could’ve been coincidence."

He looked around the canyon.

"...Twice..."

His brows slowly furrowed.

"...There might actually be a pattern."

Unfortunately...

He didn’t have enough information to reach any conclusions.

Guessing would only waste time.

"I’ll think about it later."

He calmly walked deeper into the canyon.

The monsters attacked almost immediately.

Rock Lizards.

Stone Golems.

Several packs of Razor Jackals.

None of them lasted very long.

Compared to Derat Thorn...

Creatures like these barely qualified as warm-up exercises.

The Long Bone Sword effortlessly cut through one monster after another.

Less than fifteen minutes later...

The Gate became silent.

The final Stone Golem crumbled into countless fragments before disappearing.

Reiji quietly waited.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

His expression remained calm.

"...Don’t tell me."

Several more seconds passed.

Not a single Monster Core appeared.

"...Seriously?"

Even someone as composed as Reiji couldn’t help feeling slightly annoyed.

He slowly looked toward the empty canyon before letting out a long sigh.

"...What a waste of time."

Shadow quietly gathered beneath his feet.

The next moment...

He had already left the Gate.

***

Back inside his apartment.

Reiji removed his mask before sitting on the sofa.

Vel lazily opened one eye before going back to sleep.

Reiji ignored him.

His attention remained fixed on the single Monster Core resting inside his palm.

"...At least this wasn’t completely pointless."

He closed his fingers around it.

The Monster Core dissolved into countless tiny particles before flowing into his body.

A familiar warmth spread through him.

Reiji quietly waited.

Several seconds passed.

Then...

A red notification appeared before him.

[Failed!]

[Skill of the Monster is currently incompatible with Host.]

Reiji stared at the notification for several long seconds.

He slowly raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the overwhelming urge to find the nearest trash can and obliterate it.

Unfortunately the apartment didn’t have one.

After another long moment, he let out a quiet sigh.

"I ain’t doing this shit tomorrow."