chapter4 · 087-ep87

Episode 87: I'm Back

"GWOH—!"

The instant my fist landed, the giant's body lifted.

"Whoa—!?"

It flew back several steps and landed flat on its back.

The impact made a pretty big sound.

"........"

It didn't get up.

No, not certain yet.

Up until a second ago, I could hit it over and over and it would just keep coming.

I stayed where I was and watched the fallen thing through Interference Eye+.

The Magic that had been circulating through its body was rapidly weakening.

"...Did I get it?"

I waited a little.

No movement.

The Magic thinned further, and eventually the giant's body itself began turning to light.

"Ohh..."

The light vanished completely.

"I beat it!"

No way.

I actually killed that thing?

When I first punched it, I'd been in Battle Armor Form and it barely moved.

From there I used Stagnation, then Dispersion, and finally Battle Armor Release.

"Man... it was strong."

Strong enough that I'd seriously considered just going home.

Actually, I had been about to go home.

This had been a completely unnecessary detour.

"Well, it worked out since I won."

Then a display appeared at the edge of my vision.

【Level: 31】

"Oh."

Thirty-one.

"I leveled up from one monster?"

I'd just hit thirty a moment ago.

Which meant this thing's Level had to have been really high, right?

"No wonder it was so tough."

I closed the display, feeling a little smug.

That was when it happened.

"...Hm?"

The power filling my body drained out all at once.

Battle Armor Form canceled.

"Ah."

Right.

Battle Armor Release.

"Had sixty seconds already passed?"

You don't notice at all while you're fighting.

The instant I thought that, my legs turned heavy.

"Ugh..."

I dropped into a crouch without meaning to.

Not painful so much as leaden.

Arms, legs — my whole body felt like it had gained a ton of weight at once.

"This is that 'heavy strain' thing?"

It was in the description.

After use, it places a heavy strain on the body, and it can't be used again for six hours.

"........"

This is why I was going to go home without using it.

Why did I use it, then?

Because I wanted to try it, obviously.

"Let's go home..."

I was done.

A thousand was finished, and I'd killed that thing.

I'd even leveled up.

If I found anything else today, I was absolutely not taking another detour.

I was going home for real.

I rested a little, then stood.

Since Battle Armor Form was out, I decided to head back to base camp while checking my surroundings with Interference Eye+.

I picked the route with the fewest monsters.

"Running into one now would be a real pain..."

It wasn't that I couldn't win.

I just didn't want to fight anymore.

Honestly, even walking was pretty rough.

Battle Armor Acceleration and Sustain had really been carrying me all this time.

Walking without them made that obvious.

After a while, I finally made it back to a familiar spot.

"There it is..."

My sleeping bag and my gear.

Base camp, after almost a week of use.

The water and food that had looked like so much when I brought it in were nearly gone.

"I really was here a whole week."

Even though I did it to myself.

I folded up the sleeping bag and packed the empty containers and bags into my bag.

It should have been much lighter than when I came in, but right now it was just plain heavy.

"I wanna use Battle Armor..."

Six hours is a long time.

Well, I don't have any plans to use it anyway.

I slung the pack on and picked up the other bag.

"Okay."

I checked the route to the Gate with Interference Eye+.

I also confirmed there were no odd signatures along the way.

"This time I'm really going home."

I walked for a while after that, and finally the Gate came into sight.

"Ohh..."

That was a huge relief.

And to think I'd been so excited going in.

"I'll come back, but maybe not for a while..."

A week was long.

I adjusted my grip on my gear and stepped through the Gate.

What I saw in front of me was the back of a familiar poster.

"........"

I grabbed the edge and peeled it back.

My own room, where I'd been living normally until seven days ago.

"I'm baaack..."

I set my gear on the floor.

I started toward the bed, then stopped.

"...No. Bath first."

I sniffed my clothes and immediately went, "Reeks!!"

Sleeping like this was a definite no.

I wanted to change clothes, and eat.

Home food. White rice.

"Best thing ever."

I wasn't doing anything else today.

And tomorrow, if possible, I didn't want to do anything either.

"I'm gonna take it easy for a while..."

I'd been killing monsters for a solid week.

A few lazy days should be allowed.

I hadn't played any games at all, either.

"What should I do?"

While thinking that, my eyes drifted toward my desk.

I caught sight of my school bag, still sitting beside it.

"........"

School.

"........Ah."

Right. Me.

I'd been out of school for almost a week.

"Oh, crap."

No, wait.

What did I say to get the time off?

Feeling unwell?

"...Not that."

I'd dropped that idea because it'd be a pain if they checked with home.

It was—

『I'll be absent from school for several days starting today due to Awakener-related activities.』

"........"

Ah.

"I'm fine, then."

I'd actually thought it through.

I never said the government was hosting it.

Or that it was a training camp.

Awakener-related was true.

"Man, past me did great."

That was close.

For a second I thought I'd just lied my way out.

And I did tell them I'd talked to my parents.

That part's fine too.

"Okay."

School's handled.

...Probably.

"........"

There was something else, I think.

When I talked to the homeroom teacher.

『Let me know once you know about how many days it'll be.』

"........"

Ah.

"I didn't."

I'd completely forgotten.

It's been a whole week.

"Well, better late than never, right?"

Think I'll get yelled at?

But saying "I'm back" should settle it.

Probably.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

First, contact the school.

When I opened the screen to do that, an email notification caught my eye.

"Hm?"

From the government's Awakener Development Program office.

Right — I hadn't properly checked my email at all while I was in the dungeon.

I opened it.

【Regarding the Guardian Explanation Schedule】

"Ah."

Right.

The explanation about the job.

The government was supposed to talk to Dad and Mom once.

The one where I'd picked candidate dates and sent them in.

"When was it again?"

I checked the email's date.

"It hadn't happened yet. Thank god..."

Having it happen while I was holed up in a dungeon for a week would've been bad.

I read on.

【On the day, Kujō will visit your home as the person in charge】

"........"

Kujō-san.

"He's coming here?"

Now that I thought about it, I hadn't checked who was coming.

Well, Kujō-san's someone I know.

Way better than some stranger.

"........"

Wait.

What did I tell Dad and Mom about this?

『There's a training camp for about a week related to that.』

"........"

Ah, well — the Awakener-related part was true.

And I really was in a dungeon for a week.

That's basically a training camp.

Even if I was the only participant.

"........"

But like, what if Mom goes—

『Thank you for looking after him at the training camp.』

or something?

From Kujō-san's side—

『Training camp?』

"........"

『What might you be referring to?』

That's what he'd say. Definitely.

No, wait, wait.

I'd just get caught.

I stared at the screen for a while, phone still in hand.

"...I've gotta do something to stop this, huh."