"Oh, 2B, did you already finish gathering the snacks?"
Reisou asked awkwardly, glancing at 2B, who stood a few meters away, silently watching them.
"Yes, Master," she said coldly, her face expressionless as she continued staring directly at Kei.
When Kei heard 2B call Reisou "Master," her face flushed slightly with embarrassment. Her mind raced, quickly realizing that their relationship was far from ordinary.
There was no way a girl would call a guy "Master" in front of others unless it carried a deeper meaning.
'A fetish!' Kei thought, taking a few steps away from Reisou.
He noticed her reaction and considered defending himself, but the damage was already done. Explaining would only make the misunderstanding worse.
For now, the only option was to retreat while he still had the chance.
"Karuizawa-san, my friend and I need to head back, so... see you around," Reisou said as he approached 2B, guiding her and the shopping cart toward the register.
"Y-yeah, see you... around..." Kei replied hesitantly.
While waiting in line at the register, Reisou told 2B to stop calling him "Master" in public to avoid any bad rumors. She listened quietly to his request, then slowly turned her face away.
Reisou was puzzled by her reaction and couldn't figure out why she was acting that way. After thinking it over, he suspected it might be jealousy(?).
'Can an android get jealous?' he thought, running his hand through his hair.
His lack of knowledge about 2B's original world made it difficult to confirm whether androids could feel jealousy. However, her sulky behavior was revealing everything.
Although she wasn't pouting like a typical angry anime girl, her blank expression clearly revealed her irritation. Reisou, lacking experience in comforting girls, began thinking of a way to calm 2B down.
An absurd idea suddenly crossed his mind, leading him to decide to make a bet.
When it was time to pay, before Reisou could unlock his phone, 2B placed her smartphone on the payment terminal, grabbed a few bags, and walked away.
Seeing that she had paid for everything, he sighed, picked up the remaining bags, and followed her, waiting for the right moment to test his theory.
They walked in silence all the way home, and as soon as 2B stepped inside, Reisou set everything down and hugged her from behind.
He figured this would work, as 2B seemed to enjoy physical contact, remembering the time she had asked for a hug.
"Why are you acting like this? Did I do something wrong?" he asked gently, feigning confusion.
The white-haired android was initially surprised, and as she felt him pressed tightly against her waist, she found herself unable to stay angry(?).
"I-I'm sorry, Master... I don't know why I'm acting like this," she replied sincerely, clearly confused by her own behavior. "I just feel different after seeing you with that girl."
Reisou was taken aback by her response, having initially thought it was just a spontaneous reaction. But it seemed there was more to it.
He chose to set it aside for the moment, gently releasing 2B and patting her head.
It was the first time he had ever done something like that with someone.
The gesture worked like a charm, and 2B's usual blank expression softened, replaced by a small smile. It seemed his touch had a subtle effect on her.
For both, it was a moment of quiet satisfaction. Reisou enjoyed the softness of her silver hair, reminiscent of cotton, while 2B felt a subtle warmth from his touch on the top of her head.
They stayed like this for a few minutes before parting ways to get ready to leave.
At the academy entrance, Reisou and 2B were stopped by two security guards who questioned the reason for their presence.
Reisou explained that they had permission to leave for the day, but the two security guards were doubtful, as it was rare for students to be allowed out except during Gate expeditions.
When the security guards asked for the pass, Reisou and 2B presented a QR code on their phones. After scanning it, the guards let them through.
As Reisou stepped outside the academy gates, he glanced at 2B with admiration. Without her help, he would have had to risk sneaking out, which could have led to major problems.
"2B, you're amazing!" he praised the white-haired android, who responded with a smile.
Then Reisou picked up his smartphone and logged into his long-forgotten bank account, only to discover there was very little money.
He planned to call a taxi, but his money wasn't enough to cover the fare.
"Master, what's wrong?" 2B asked, seeing Reisou staring at his phone with a look of disappointment.
"I don't have enough money for the taxi. Unfortunately, the academy's money is useless outside," he said, storing his phone in his inventory.
"I see. Don't worry, Master. Early this morning, I received this from my 'benefactor,'" she said, taking a small black rectangular object from her pocket. "If I remember correctly, you humans call it a credit card, right?"
Reisou's eyes widened instantly, and in a flash, he snatched the card from her hand to examine it.
It was a true premium black card, the kind only the extremely wealthy could possess.
Yet, his android had one as if it were no big deal.
'Who the hell did she blackmail to get this?!' Reisou thought, his hands trembling.
On the front of the card, there was no name, which made Reisou even more curious about the mysterious person 2B was "receiving" help from.
"Yes... this will do. Did I already mention that you're amazing?"
Feeling happy, Reisou quickly pulled his phone from his inventory and called a taxi. Once the car arrived, they headed straight to a nearby Red District, known as one of the easiest places to find public Gates.
This was because most Red Districts contained the offices of the Public Hunters Association, allowing amateur Hunters to operate there, making it a more accessible place for those looking to explore Gates.
In Japan, a mapping system known as Districts is used to categorize areas, ranging from major cities to small towns.
They are named after six colors: white, blue, yellow, red, purple, and black.
Each color represents a different level of difficulty for a district, as Gates follow a fixed spawning pattern, allowing researchers to easily identify areas more susceptible to higher-level threats.
The White, Blue, and Yellow Districts were considered safe to live in due to their low rate of Gate appearances, with the White Districts, in particular, having an extremely low chance of a Gate spawning compared to the others.
For that reason, living in White Districts was very expensive, and only the wealthy could afford it.
Meanwhile, the Red and Purple Districts were livable but more dangerous, with a higher spawn rate of Gates. Fortunately, large Guilds and government institutions typically controlled these areas, offering some level of protection.
The Black Districts, on the other hand, were almost uninhabitable, with the lowest-level Gate that appeared being A-rank. Occasionally, an S-rank Gate would spawn, creating massive headaches for both the government and Guilds.
Reisou initially considered heading toward a Yellow District, where the Gates weren't as dangerous to explore.
However, he quickly realized that most Gates there were private, and the public ones were often crowded with people, making it a less ideal option for a more discreet exploration.
He thought about heading to a Purple District, but the Gates there were of higher rank, making it too risky.
So, the only option left was the Red District. Though it lacked E-rank and D-rank Gates, there were plenty of C-rank ones available for clearing.
Twenty minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of a local Hunter Office, where Reisou and 2B would check in and choose the Gate they wanted to explore.
After paying the fare and entering the building, Reisou spoke with the receptionist, who handed him a few forms to verify their identities.
Once they were done, the woman signaled them to choose a Gate from a nearby digital board. Reisou followed her instructions and selected a Gate near an abandoned subway.
The entire process to receive authorization took just a few minutes, and with 2B, Reisou hopped into another taxi to head to their destination.
Upon arriving, the duo observed that the place was almost empty, with only a handful of Hunters and government personnel present.
Then, Reisou approached a governmental Hunter responsible for granting entry to the Gate. After completing his check, the man looked at 2B and Reisou for a moment before clicking his tongue.
"You two can go," the man said, waving his hand to signal them forward.
A few meters away, there was a large gray, distorted passage in a square format. Its immense size gave off a sense of intimidation.
This was the entrance to the C-rank Gate.
As Reisou and 2B passed through it, their vision blurred for a few moments before gradually returning to normal.
Immediately, Reisou started checking on 2B, asking if she felt anything. The android girl replied that everything was fine, putting him more at ease.
Seeing that she wasn't lying, he walked with her along a green path until they spotted a small encampment ahead.
Inside, several tents were set up, and people sat around an extinguished firepit, chatting with one another.
Since it was still daytime, everyone seemed more relaxed, using the encampment as a resting point before continuing their exploration.
[Ding!]
[A mission was generated.]
The sound of a notification suddenly echoed in Reisou's ears, causing him to smile as he recognized that a mission had been issued by the system.
He then opened the mission menu to check.
+++++++++
Mission Name: A Noob's End.
Objectives:
- Kill 50 monsters of any level (0/50).
- Extract 80 low-quality monster cores (0/80).
- Eliminate the Semi-Boss: Ice Scorpion.
- Eliminate the Gate Boss: Centipede King.
Bonus Objective:
- Let your Summon eliminate the Elite Beast: Brown Werewolf.
- Let your Summon eliminate the Elite Beast: Gray Werewolf.
Rewards I: 20 System Points, 65 World Points and 1000xp.
Rewards II (for Bonus Objective): Elemental Technique - Rasengan (3⋆).
Good Luck :)
+++++++++
When Reisou finished reading the mission objectives, his smile widened slightly upon noticing the rewards. Even Rasengan, a jutsu from Naruto, was listed as a bonus reward.
"2B, be ready because we're going to have a tough fight ahead!"
"Yes, Master," 2B said, pulling a white katana from seemingly nowhere.
Surprised by this, Reisou's eyes widened as he realized he had never given her a weapon, nor had he ever seen her carrying one before.
"2B, where did you get this?" he asked, gesturing to her beautiful weapon.
"From my inventory, Master," she replied calmly.
"...What?"