Chapter 7: Shino

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Sunday.

Since I had made a promise with Shino, I headed straight to E90. Yesterday’s E117 is said to be the easiest dungeon in this area, but even though E90 is also E-rank, it’s considered one of the more difficult ones.

I activated Absolute Stealth and started running toward E90.

Dungeons feel like places completely disconnected from reality almost like another world.

However, even the scenery I was running through now felt somehow surreal, unlike anything I’d experienced before.

Tall buildings and crowds of people blurred past me.

Thanks to Absolute Stealth, nobody noticed me, so I ran at full speed.

I had estimated that it would take about an hour to reach E90, but before I knew it, I had arrived within just a few minutes.

And the fact that I wasn’t even slightly out of breath was probably thanks to my Endurance Boost skill.

I entered directly through the entrance.

《Skill: Dungeon Information activated. Analyzing… Identified as ‘Gige’s Prison.’》

Unlike E117, E90 was a dense forest. The trees obstructed my view, making it difficult to see far ahead.

But with my Area Scan skill, I could at least get a rough grasp of my surroundings.

Standing at the entrance, waiting absentmindedly just as she had yesterday, was Shino.

Because I was still under Absolute Stealth, she didn’t notice me entering. I observed her behaviour her for a moment.

Even as she gazed into the distance, lost in thought, she looked beautiful.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Eek!?”

Shino flinched in surprise and turned around me.

“Hey! Show yourself the moment you enter!”

“Haha, my bad.”

Since she was like a little sister to me, I felt like teasing her a bit.

As I deactivated Absolute Stealth, she puffed up her cheeks in an adorable pout.

“Alright, shall we conquer this place today?”

“Hmph… I can’t believe there’s someone even I can’t detect. It’s seriously unsettling.”

With a slight huff, Shino started walking, and I followed.

I wondered where she was headed—then I noticed she was moving straight toward a monster I had detected with my Area Scan.

Wait… could she use Area Scan too?

None of the explorers I saw in E117 showed any sign of having that ability. Maybe Shino was a powerful explorer after all.

What appeared before us was a one-meter-tall squirrel. Its shape was as cute as any ordinary squirrel, but its front teeth and eyes were extremely sharp.

“Alright, same plan as yesterday.”

“Got it.”

Timing my movement with Shino’s, I lunged forward.

The monster shrieked, “Kishaa!” and sprang at us.

Just like yesterday, Shino nimbly dodged and slammed her tonfa into it.

Like with Kor, this monster didn’t seem to have a particular weak point, so I went for a direct strike—kicking its head upward.

《Skill: “Monster Analysis (Weak)” Activated—Identified: “Kuna”.》

《Weakness Attribute: Wind. Rare Drop: “Tiny Magic Stone”.》

Shino’s weapon glowed green and yellow this time.

Just like with the troll, the Kuna was taken down with ease.

“You can have all the materials again today.”

“Thanks.”

Gratefully accepting her offer, I stored all the materials from monster dismantling.

We continued through the forest, hunting Kunas along the way.

The Monster Dismantling skill was incredibly useful—allowing me to fully extract every useful part of the monsters.

The party fighting the troll yesterday didn’t seem to have this skill, using skinning daggers to carve up their kills. It was to the point that female members were even averting their eyes as they did it.

After defeating dozens of Kunas, we stumbled upon something strange—a cave entrance, as if it had sprouted from the ground out of nowhere.

“Hinata-kun! It’s the floor boss entrance! Let’s go!”

“O-Okay!”

Shino suddenly grabbed my hand out of nowhere and started running. We rushed into the cave.

As expected, the inside was vast—wide enough for dozens of people to stand comfortably.

With no signs of monsters, we waked briskly to the innermost part where a strange white magic circle was inscribed on the ground.

“Is this the boss room entrance?”

“Yus? First time?”

“Yeah.”

What’s strange was that, despite this being the area before the boss room, there wasn’t a single other explorer around.

Yesterday, both inside and outside E117’s boss room, there had been a ton of explorers.

“E90 is special. Did you notice anything strange about that cave entrance earlier?”

“Now that you mention it, it did seem kind of unnatural.”

“Exactly. Here, when the floor boss is defeated, that entrance moves to a different location.”

“I see. So there are dungeons like that too.”

Dungeons really are like another world in every way possible.

Following Shino’s lead, I stepped onto the magic circle.

A moment later, our bodies were wrapped in shimmering light particles, and we were teleported instantly.

The new area was an even more vast cave that where we were before. Despite the lack of any light source, the place was strangely bright.

Deep inside stood what appeared to be the floor boss—a massive black wolf.

“Hinata-kun, same plan as usual, but be careful of the enemy’s attacks. I heard it breathes fire.”

“Got it!”

We split up, dashing in opposite directions.

According to the beginner’s guide to dungeons, if a two-person party both fought in the front line, it was best to attack from separate angles.

Even the duo I saw in E117 had distracted Kor by attacking from the front and back.

As we closed in, the sheer size of the black wolf became overwhelming.

The troll was already huge at around two meters, but this thing was even bigger—three meters from head to tail, and two meters in height.

Fixing its sights on us, the black wolf began gathering fire in its mouth.

“Hinata-kun! Here it comes!”

“Got it!”

A moment later, it unleashed a sweeping blast of fire, covering both my side and Shino’s.

Recalling my fight with the troll, I leapt as high as I could, avoiding the incoming flames.

For a split second, I saw the fire engulf the ground below—and then, Shino.

But before I could panic, she swung her right tonfa, now charged with a mysterious aura, and the wind pressure alone extinguished the flames.

With Shino drawing its attention from the front, I kicked the hind legs, causing the black wolf to lose balance.

《Skill: “Monster Analysis (Weak)” Activated—Identified: “Gige”.》

《Weakness Attribute: Light. Rare Drop: “Potion”.》

Seizing the moment, Shino slammed its head with her tonfa, while I leapt onto its back and stomped down.

The fight lasted only a few seconds, but Gige collapsed and stopped moving.

“Hinata-kun~! We did it~!”

“It’s already over!?”

“Hehe, it’s not moving anymore, right?”

Shino answered with a smile, poking at Gige’s motionless body with her finger.

Maybe that dungeon guide I read was outdated…

I used Monster Dismantling on Gige as well, collecting its fangs, bones, and hide.

“I can’t believe we took it down so easily. I’m surprised~”

“Me too… but it’s all thanks to you, Shino.”

“Fufu~ So, you’re that kind of person after all, Hinata-kun.”

“Hm?”

Shino softly whispered “It’s a secret~!” then pulled my hand and led us out of the boss room.

Upon returning to the room with the magic circle to the boss room, Shino said:

“This room is called the waiting area. You can’t teleport here if someone else is fighting, and only one group can fight the floor boss at a time. In other dungeons, it seems like you can teleport to a different room for each party.”

So E90 is special. Is there a reason for that? According to Dungeon Information, this place is called “Gige’s Prison,” so I thought it wouldn’t be that different from E117.

As soon as we left the waiting area, the cave entrance turned into particles of light and disappeared.

“I see. That’s why it looked unnatural, as if it had sprouted from the ground.”

“Yes. Moreover, since it can appear anywhere in E90’s vast field, finding the boss room is a matter of luck.”

Gige’s rare drop, the potion, is quite famous for being an expensive item.

I would have liked to obtain more, but it seems like that won’t be easy.

After a bit more fighting, we couldn’t find a cave entrance leading to the boss room.

“Hinata-kun. I’m getting hungry~”

“It’s already that time, huh. Shall we go somewhere to eat?”

“Yes! Let’s go!”

Shino answered energetically, raising her hand, then wrapped her arm around mine.

“Whoa!? S-Shino?”

“Hmm?”

“W-well… it’s troubling when you suddenly do that…”

“But I can’t let Hinata-kun disappear again, like yesterday.”

Ugh… maybe I should have used Absolute Stealth sooner…

By the way, while I saw many explorers in E117, I haven’t seen a single person since entering E90.

Even before we entered, the entrance had been strangely empty.

For now, I returned to the entrance with Shino.

“So you can tell where the entrance is after all?”

“Oh? Ah, well, at least that much…”

“At least that much… hehe. Hey, Hinata-kun.”

Shino turned to me and put her hands together in apology.

“I’ll apologize in advance. Sorry.”

“Hm? For what?”

“I’ll… do my best.”

I had no idea what Shino was talking about, but she immediately clung to my arm and we left the dungeon.

Without exchanging a single word, we headed toward the main street of town.

As we entered the street, I felt something odd about how Shino was gradually clutching my arm more tightly.

The main street was like a beautiful painting—people in all kinds of colorful attire walked by: some in uniforms, others dressed as explorers, some in business suits, and others in cute outfits.

The town I lived in was rural, and except for the area around the dungeon, only the shopping mall was bustling with activity.

But this place was overflowing with people, incomparable to the rural shopping mall.

“…..!”

Shino looked down slightly and held my arm even more tightly.

“You okay?”

“S-sorry…?”

I didn’t understand what she was apologizing for. But something had been off about her for a while.

Her legs were trembling, and she was holding onto my arm as if clinging for dear life.

The main difference from the dungeon was—the number of people.

My little sister also got dizzy from the crowd the first time she visited a shopping mall.

Perhaps Shino has some kind of trauma related to being in large crowds.

“What can I do to make you feel at ease?”

“…….”

Shino didn’t say anything. She just kept looking down, trembling painfully.

I think she apologized to me before coming here because she knew this might happen.

I felt I needed to do something about her current state of being gripped by trauma.

The force with which she clung to my arm grew stronger.

It wasn’t painful—physically—but it hurt my heart.

Long ago, I regretted to the point of wanting to die when I saw my sister about to collapse in a crowd.

That’s why I wanted to help Shino. No, I will definitely help her.

Like Kamui-san, everyone lives with some kind of trauma.

Since its intensity varies from person to person, those with severe trauma often struggle greatly in their daily lives.

“Ugh… s-sorry…”

“No need to apologize.”

Regardless of Shino clinging to me, the flow of people continued around us.

Though we were standing right here, it felt like we were being swallowed and assimilated by the crowd, as if we didn’t exist at all.

But the girl clinging to my right arm was real, definitely existing here.

I led her through the crowd and into a back alley.

“You feeling any better?”

I deeply regretted not keeping water in my dimensional storage for times like this.

“…….”

She still looked distressed even in the alley where the crowd wasn’t visible, and showed no signs of improvement.

What exactly was painful for Shino? If it was the crowd, they should no longer be in her view.

The air?

I mean, the air isn’t great, but if it was just about being around many people, there had been many explorers in front of the E117 boss room, all staring at us.

Suddenly, I remembered that when we parted yesterday, she had taken something from her pocket and placed it against both ears.

I reached out and covered both her ears with my hands.

Her pained expression immediately softened.

“…How do you go about your daily life like this?”

“Ehehe… like this…”

Shino took out a small box from her pocket. Inside were noise-canceling earbuds.

“Why didn’t you wear your earbuds?”

“Because… I thought… I could walk… with you…”

I took the earbuds and placed them in her ears.

A single tear rolled down Shino’s cheek.

“I’m s-sorry…?”

Just how many times was she going to apologize?

“No, I should be the one apologizing for not noticing.”

Yet Shino’s expression grew sadder, though she forced a smile.

The earphones Shino wore weren’t ordinary. When I held them, I could tell they weren’t normal.

They likely weren’t for listening to music or making calls, but for blocking surrounding sounds.

With them in, she wouldn’t be able to hear my voice either. That’s why she kept smiling sadly.

I think it’s fine to leave things as they are if it spares her distress… but would she be satisfied with that?

Despite knowing this would happen, she pushed herself to come here anyway.

It’s just a pair of earbuds, but as she feared, it feels like a huge wall has formed between us.

I want to do something about it. But I don’t know what I can do.

I racked my brain for a solution.

Then, an idea struck me.

If I could acquire a skill to solve this, wouldn’t she be able to enjoy her time with me with a smile?

Just like how I protected Kamui-san from the cold energy that was tormenting her.

So—lend me your power!

《Skill Acquired: “Telepathy” (through Inspiration)》

Thank you—partner.

“Shino.”

She tilts her head sadly at my voice.

Surely my voice isn’t reaching her. That darkened her expression even more.

I want to restore her to her usual cheerful self.

So, I used “Telepathy” on her for the first time.

【Shino】

“Huh!?”

【That sad expression doesn’t suit you.】

“H-how!?”

【Only my voice can be heard—】

The next moment.

Shino threw herself against my chest.

I simply watched over her as large tears welled up in her eyes.

Gradually, big teardrops began to flow as Shino cried silently.

The earbuds that were supposed to protect her ended up separating her from people. I’m sure no one had been able to truly connect with her.

“Hey, Hinata-kun.”

【Yes?】

“—Thank you.”

Even in the dim back alley, her beaming smile shone beautifully.

“Hey, hey! Can you make it so it blends with normal talking?”

“Yeah, I think I can.”

“Wow! It really sounds like you’re just talking normally!”

“Is this better?”

“Yes! This is definitely better! Please keep doing it like that!”

Shino adorably puts her hands together in a pleading gesture.

“Got it.”

“Alright! Let’s go!”

She’s so cheerful now, it’s hard to believe she was crying so hard just moments ago.

Just like when we arrived, she clung to my right arm and pulled me along enthusiastically.

It’s good that she recovered her spirits so quickly.

It might be a little different from what she wanted, but I guess this is okay for now?

“Hey, hey! That place looks good!”

The place Shino pointed to was a famous café.

When we entered, the gentle aroma of coffee wafted through the air.

“Welcome!”

An adorable waitress greeted us, though Shino couldn’t hear her voice.

So I used telepathy to send 【Welcome!】 while mimicking the greeting, which made her look at me in surprise before starting to giggle.

“Welcome!”

“My, my! What a lively and adorable girlfriend you have~”

“Thank you!”

“May I take your order?”

She stared intently at the menu, then recited something that sounded like a magic spell.

The waitress brought out a colorful drink that looked like it was made with magic, not ordinary coffee.

Shino carried two drinks to our table, humming a tune as she sat down.

“Ta-da! I’ve always wanted to try this!”

“Hm? Wanted to try?”

“Yep!”

After taking a sip through the straw, her smile made it clear she found it delicious without saying a word.

“You see, since I can’t hear, I always end up just pointing at things, so I can only ever order regular coffee.”

“I-I see…”

“That’s why I wanted to try this!”

“That’s great then.”

“You should try it too~”

She pushed the colorful drink in front of me.

Taking a slow sip, a sweetness completely different from regular coffee spread through my mouth. Yet it wasn’t overpowering—the richness and deliciousness of the coffee came through clearly beneath the sweetness.

It was worth reciting that magical spell.

“How is it? Delicious, right~!”

“Haha. But this is your first time trying it too, right?”

“Well, yeah~”

As she spoke proudly, I was reminded of my sister—they really are similar.

“Hinata-kun?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t compare me to your sister, okay?”

“Wha—!?”

Wondering how she knew, Shino playfully smiled and said, “See?”

As I was flustered, she stood up from her seat and started pulling my arm.

“Come on, time is limited! Let’s go to the next place~!”

This too reminds me of my willful and adorable sister.

From there, we continued down the main street, playing at the arcade, entering clothing stores to look at different clothes, and even finding joy in simple stores that sold miscellaneous goods, as long as I was with her.

Though we had arrived around noon, the sun had completely set and the sky had darkened.

“Shouldn’t we head back soon?”

But there was no response.

“Shino~?”

Then Shino looked up at me with puffed cheeks.

“I don’t want to go home.”

“No, that won’t do. Your parents will worry if you don’t go home properly.”

“…That’s not a problem. They’re not around anyway.”

Shino let out a big sigh and began heading somewhere off the main street, looking slightly disappointed.