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Chapter 111: Did the Cat Catch Me…?
🕑 Added 2025-02-25 13:01:42 +0000 UTC
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Dungeon – 35th Floor
Deep within the shadowy corridors of the dungeon, the air was thick with the rattling of bones and the eerie glow of countless undead eyes. Hundreds of LV.3 skeleton warriors roamed the area, with a few LV.4 monsters lurking ominously among them, their presence exuding an even deadlier aura.
Amidst this horde, a lone figure moved like a blur, cutting through the undead with effortless precision. The silver blade in his grip left luminous arcs in its wake, each strike erasing a monster from existence.
[Whoosh—!]
Then, as if growing weary of the monotonous slaughter, the figure suddenly propelled himself skyward. Soaring more than ten meters into the air, his sword shifted into a vertical stance.
In an instant, a dazzling storm of sword beams erupted around him—thousands of razor-sharp slashes raining down in a devastating cascade. The ground trembled as the monsters below were obliterated, reduced to nothing but scattered bones and dissipating energy.
Blake landed smoothly, exhaling lightly as he pulled a small, faintly glowing red crystal from his pocket. The magical device flickered—a sign that twelve hours had passed.
"Already?" he muttered, brushing a hand through his silver hair.
This particular item, a time-tracking tool from Orario, pulsed once every twelve hours, powered by magic stones. It was his only means of keeping track of time Dungeon.
It had been four days since Blake reached LV.3, and before departing for the dungeon, he had informed Hestia and Lili that he would be diving into the lower floors for two weeks.
Of course, his real goal wasn't to grind monsters endlessly—he simply needed to regulate the time flow.
In this world, two weeks equated to just two days back in his original reality. And now, the weekend was over. It was time to return to school, where unresolved matters awaited him.
If anything came up here in the dungeon while he was gone, well... a few days’ absence wouldn’t change much.
"Sia, adjust the time flow. Spend 100 luck points and initiate the return," Blake commanded, his tone calm.
A soft, melodious voice responded within his mind.
"Understood, Master. Spending 100 luck points. Current luck points: 640. Remaining uses of the Beginner’s Plunder Ability: 5."
Almost instantly, a golden radiance engulfed the 35th floor. In the blink of an eye, Blake vanished from the dungeon.
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Kuoh Town – Blake’s Room
A flicker of light illuminated Blake’s darkened bedroom, and in the next moment, he materialized on his bed. Anyone witnessing such an abrupt reappearance would have been startled—but apparently, someone was already there.
Before Blake could even stretch, a cold, deadpan voice cut through the silence.
"Senpai, disappearing for two days and showing up like this… pretty suspicious, don’t you think?"
Blake stiffened. That voice.
Slowly tilting his head, he spotted a silver-haired girl sitting cross-legged on the floor, dressed in Kuoh Academy’s uniform. A gaming console rested in her hands, but her golden eyes were locked onto him, filled with quiet disapproval.
"…"
For a moment, Blake was speechless. A headache crept in. He had just returned from another world, and already he was caught?
With a dry chuckle, he rubbed his temples and spoke.
"Koneko-chan, before I even attempt an explanation… care to tell me why you’re in my room, playing with my console?"
The girl remained unfazed, expression neutral, though her eyes flickered slightly at the way he addressed her.
"You said I could come over and play anytime," she replied flatly. "So I did. Also, Buchou told me to wait for you. She said that as her boyfriend, disappearing without a word was irresponsible, and she’s a little upset."
At the last part, a barely perceptible smirk tugged at the corners of Koneko’s lips—almost teasing.
Blake sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Figures. Just saying goodbye wasn’t going to be enough…"
He understood Rias' frustration, but he had no choice. If he wanted to keep growing stronger, he had to take every opportunity—even if it meant slipping away for a while.
Koneko, however, wasn't done questioning him.
"Senpai, that ability of yours… How do you keep vanishing and reappearing like that? I didn’t sense any magic fluctuations. And—" she gestured to his current attire, his slightly tattered fantasy-style clothing—"what’s with the outfit?"
Blake coughed lightly, quickly forming an explanation. "Ahem. I was training in a secret location. That’s why I look like this."
Koneko narrowed her golden eyes, scrutinizing him. After a brief silence, she seemed to accept his words—at least for now.
"Training, huh…?"
Even so, her keen senses had already picked up on something. His magical energy had increased significantly compared to just two days ago.
She took a deep breath before setting down her console. "Senpai, fight me."
Blake blinked. "Huh?"
"Today, I’m definitely going to defeat you." Koneko’s voice was calm, but her determination was evident.
A wry smile formed on Blake’s lips. This little cat was nothing if not persistent. It seemed she had been playing at his house a lot these past two days, likely waiting for his return.
Still, he didn’t reject her challenge. It was a good way to bond, after all.
And so, the battle began—not with swords or magic, but with controllers and buttons.
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An Hour Later
Blake exhaled, shaking his head as he wiped off nonexistent sweat. "Damn… Half a month of dungeon crawling really made me rusty at this."
Koneko, sitting across from him, stared at the screen with a faint frown. She had come dangerously close to winning.
"Another round," she demanded.
Blake held up a hand. "Let me take a shower first. I’m literally covered in dust."
Koneko hesitated for a second before nodding. "Fine, Senpai. Let’s call it a day. But after that, we’re heading to the club. Buchou wants to see you."
At that, her usual stoic expression shifted slightly. She didn’t say it outright, but even Koneko seemed to acknowledge that avoiding Rias any longer would be a bad idea.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it," Blake said, standing up and grabbing a change of clothes, heading toward the bathroom.
After a moment, with a dazzling red magic square flashing, Blake's appearance returned to something close to what it used to be, and then he disappeared with the Koneko.
Meanwhile, in the Occult Research Club at Kouh High School, a glowing red magic circle also appeared.
This caught the attention of Rias, who had been sitting on the couch, studying chess pieces. She looked up and smiled upon seeing the familiar figure.
A moment later, in the Occult Research Club, another red magic circle illuminated the space.
Seated on the couch, idly toying with a chess piece, Rias looked up at the sudden light. Upon spotting the familiar figure materializing before her, she set the piece down and smiled.
"Welcome back, Blake."
