Chapter 90: Information Kills

Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting long streaks of light across Reiji’s bedroom.

His eyes were already open.

He had been awake for several minutes, staring silently at the ceiling.

The events from two nights ago replayed themselves over and over inside his mind.

The alley. Aoi Tachibana. The silver artifact.

Her knowing smile.

"..."

Reiji slowly closed his eyes.

He wasn’t replaying the conversation because he regretted accepting her proposal.

He was replaying it because he wanted to understand where he had failed.

No where he had become careless.

"I became predictable..."

That was his first mistake. Every night he left the house at almost the same time.

Every morning he returned before sunrise.

Every single time he used the same shortcut.

The same alley. The same route.

He had unknowingly created a pattern.

Patterns were dangerous. Patterns could be observed. Patterns could be exploited.

Reiji slowly sat up. "The second mistake..."

He leaned against the wall, folding his arms.

"I relied too much on Detect Presence."

Ever since obtaining the skill, he had subconsciously begun trusting it more than his own instincts.

If Detect Presence found nothing he assumed nobody was there.

That assumption had nearly ruined everything.

Aoi hadn’t followed him into the Dungeon Gate.

She hadn’t tailed him through the city. She had simply watched.

Watched him leave. Watched him return.

Then waited in the one place she knew he would eventually pass.

Detect Presence wasn’t omnipotent.

It couldn’t warn him about someone who hadn’t entered its range yet. Nor could it reveal what someone had already learned days earlier.

"...Information." Reiji muttered quietly. "Information kills."

Sometimes even faster than a sword.

His crimson eyes slowly drifted toward the window.

Outside, the neighborhood remained peaceful.

Children were beginning to leave for school.

Several office workers hurried toward the train station.

Everything looked ordinary.

Yet two nights ago his identity had nearly been exposed.

Not because someone overpowered him.

Not because he lost a fight.

Because someone had simply... paid attention.

"..."

He rubbed his temples. The silver artifact also bothered him. He still didn’t know exactly what it detected.

Residual mana? Spatial distortion? Teleportation?

Whatever the answer was, one thing had become painfully clear.

Not every danger could be sensed through Detect Presence.

Artifacts existed. Skills existed.

There would always be things outside his knowledge.

"I need to assume I know less than I think."

That conclusion alone made him feel slightly calmer.

Recognizing a weakness was the first step toward fixing it.

He stood from the bed and quietly stretched.

Every muscle still complained from the battle against the Desert Tyrant Worm.

Although Demonic Essence had repaired most of the serious injuries, the lingering soreness refused to disappear overnight.

Blood Rage...

Strength of the Overlord...

Using both simultaneously had pushed his body dangerously close to its limit.

He would have to be more careful next time.

At least until he became stronger.

His thoughts naturally drifted toward the System.

The failed level up. His expression stiffened.

"So much EXP and none of it matters."

The notification still lingered vividly inside his memory.

[Level Up Conditions Met.]

[Insufficient Bond Points.]

[Level Up Failed.]

No matter how many monsters he killed, the result remained the same.

Without Bond Points...

He couldn’t grow.

The realization was frustrating.

It also explained why the System had insisted on creating genuine relationships instead of allowing him to grind endlessly inside Gates.

Strength alone wasn’t enough.

His growth required people.

"...This is already getting too troublesome."

He wasn’t good at dealing with people. Monsters were simpler.

Monsters either tried to kill him or died trying.

People, however... smiled. They egotiated.

They Lie. They Manipulate.

And especially blackmail others.

His thoughts immediately returned to Aoi.

"..."

She hadn’t raised her voice. She hadn’t threatened him with violence. She had simply presented the reality of his situation.

Either cooperate or risk everything.

Even now, Reiji couldn’t decide whether she was genuinely trustworthy or simply incredibly patient.

Perhaps both.

He let out a slow breath before walking toward the bathroom.

Cold water splashed across his face.

He stared at his own reflection for several seconds.

An ordinary high school student back on Earth.

Nobody looking at him now would ever imagine he had defeated a B+ Rank monster only two days earlier after just three months in a new world.

After changing into comfortable workout clothes, Reiji quietly left his room.

The apartment remained silent.

Vel was curled up on the living room sofa in his usual cat form, sleeping soundly with his tail lazily wrapped around himself.

Reiji didn’t disturb him.

Instead, he moved toward the treadmill positioned near the window.

The machine hummed quietly as it came to life.

He began jogging slow and steady. His breathing remained even.

One kilometer. Two. Three and so on.

By the time he finished, only a few beads of sweat covered his forehead once again.

Without wasting time, he moved directly into push-ups.

One hundred.

Squats.

One hundred.

Sit-ups.

One hundred.

Everything flowed naturally.

His body still ached a little. After all he was still wearing the Mana Suppressing Weights.

But it was good. The pain reminded him he was improving.

Once finished, he prepared a simple breakfast before pouring food into Vel’s bowl.

The little cat lazily opened one eye, stretched, then immediately began eating without making a sound.

Reiji smiled faintly before turning his attention elsewhere.

For the remainder of the morning, he quietly practiced Mana Manipulation.

Thin strands of mana flowed between his fingertips.

Twisting, compressing and separating.

Then merging together once more. The exercise consumed very little mana.

Its purpose wasn’t power. It was precision.

Every tiny improvement mattered. By afternoon he finally stopped.

The past two days had been uneventful.

Intentionally so.

But looking back... Aoi had accidentally done him a favor.

If she could discover his habits someone far more dangerous eventually would’ve easily done the same.

"...I won’t make that mistake again."

Evening gradually arrived.

The orange glow of sunset slowly disappeared beyond the distant buildings, replacing the bright sky with the calm darkness Reiji had grown accustomed to.

He quietly sat on the edge of his bed.

Almost immediately...

Ding!

A familiar green screen appeared before him.

[Daily Quest Completed!]

[Congratulations Host! You have gained +2 Strength, +2 Speed, +2 Stamina, +1 Perception.]

A warm sensation spread throughout his body.

The lingering fatigue from training immediately lessened.

His muscles felt slightly stronger. His breathing became lighter. His senses sharpened ever so slightly.

Reiji slowly clenched his fist. "Not bad. But it still isn’t enough."

It wasn’t much. But every stat point accumulated over time.

Eventually those tiny improvements became the difference between life and death.

He removed the Mana Suppressing Weights dismissed the screen before opening his Inventory.

The oversized black hoodie appeared first.

He slipped it on.

Next came the black gloves.

Finally the familiar black mask covered the lower half of his face.

Unlike before, he didn’t bother equipping the baseball cap.

The hood alone was enough to conceal most of his features.

He quietly adjusted the sleeves before glancing toward the window.

Night had finally arrived.

"...Time to go."

Without another word, Reiji stepped out of his room and silently left the house.

Tonight for the first time he wouldn’t be raiding alone.