**Chapter 12: Day 12 – Cave Entrance / Tent**
"Good morning. Breakfast is ready. Please wake up."
Hm? What kind of situation is this? The childhood friend beautiful girl next door? The cute little sister? No, I have neither… who is it?
I opened my eyes to see an unfamiliar high school girl. This is beyond ceiling-level trouble!
The tent is narrow—if one person is sleeping, there's no space left. But why is she leaning over me? Face too close!
"Ah~ good morning. Since you're awake… maybe in about 30 minutes?"
"No way—that's definitely not awake, and you have zero intention of waking up, right?"
In this position, I physically can't sit up. And as a high school boy, mentally impossible too.
"What's for breakfast?"
"Grilled fish and mushrooms."
I shot up instantly. The nameless high school girl rolled out of the tent. Rolling like a ball?
"Grilled fish! Where! Fish! Harry, Harry Harry, Harry Harry Harry!"
"Harry Harry shut up! Why headbutt me flying and then only talk about fish?!"
"No, more important—fish!"
"How obsessed with fish are you! And treating me like that?!"
…
It's fish. Delicious. Yes.
"Uh… why are you crying while eating?"
"Eh? Because it's fish! Grilled fish!"
"You lived by the river the whole time, right?"
"Yeah! Every day staring at fish while eating mushrooms."
""""…?""""
The conversation isn't matching. Apparently the class rep group ate only fish. So jealous! Or rather—they could only catch fish.
Lots of lightning magic users, so fish were catchable. Occasionally otaku brought deer or boar, but basically fish.
Mushroom spots had goblin groups—impossible to gather, precious ingredients.
Damn—should've traded earlier.
Yesterday girls ate mushroom salad and herb mix while crying, apparently.
Trade is important. I was isolationist.
Somehow everyone gave me one fish each.
In thanks, I served post-meal juice—huge commotion, great joy. Some teary-eyed. Sweet stuff… segment belly?
…
"So—decided what to do, class rep group? If base here, I'll remodel?"
Aim! Old Empire Hotel! Cave rock mountain shape—feasible.
"Eh—that's bad. No conclusion yet—level up, aim town."
"Ah~ right—bitches too—otaku hunting in town?"
"Thank and apologize—explained many times! Why always hunt?! And Oda-kun group! And not bitch!!"
Above—bitch complaint yell.
"Haruka-kun not going town?"
"Town seems hard life? Might visit but live—no."
"Normal—forest monster surround survival harder… but seeing this life…"
"Otaku said become adventurers—sounds hard too."
"Oda-kun said anyone can become adventurer?"
"Ah~ can't get strong—probably impossible?"
""""…?""""
Explained.
"Definitely weird! No proper skills Lv5 beating kobold pack and leader impossible."
"Kobold leader who? Bitch leader friend?"
"Who friends with kobold leader! Why monster boss friendly?! And not bitch leader!! And status still bitch leader!!"
Noisy. Noisy. Annoying. Why always behind?
"Ah~ right—didn't give Haruka-kun. Here—kobold leader monster bracelet."
Bracelet? Similar mine? T-this p-pair bracelet! But I have one—another to me not pair? Loner…
"Eh? Kobold leader monster bracelet. Mana charge—SpE bonus bracelet."
"Huh? Mine PoW +1%?"
Show bracelet.
"Killed goblin leader… goblin leader PoW, kobold leader SpE up."
"Goblin leader? Also bitch leader friend?"
"Why everything friend?! And again—not bitch leader!! How many times!!"
…
Yeah—this noisy—monsters won't come. And scary—so kobolds won't meet slaughterer.
"That strong Lv5? Why? Cheat or not can't beat? Why Lv5 win?"
"Attack till death—usually win?"
"Yeah—everyone does. Normal people don't call it solution."
Why everyone stare? This high popularity rumor? No—this jito eyes different? What's wrong? Monster kill method besides beat till death—what other way?
…
"Then~ show you~ watch~"
Vice Rep B raised right hand. Lightning ball formed at fingertip. Shook!
"Wait! Stay! Don't move!"
"Eh?! What?! Why?!"
Wrapped vice rep B's lightning ball with packaging magic. Yes—movable?
Slowly moved lightning ball to river—aimed fish. Hit. Fish floated!
"Caught—fish and lightning magic get!"
Status check—lightning magic Lv1 acquired one try.
"Ehh?! What?! Why~? How my magic?"
Vice rep B shaken—shaking hard. Don't ask what!
"Uh? Haruka-kun? What just? And where looking?"
Side class rep eyes scary—especially last words murderous.
"N-Nothing looking? Just lightning magic study? Really?"
"Slurring and question form? And what was that?"
"Ah—that packaging magic wrap. Wrap something move—get attribute magic?"
"Get… that's cheat enough! Movable already amazing?"
"No—probably Jack of All Trades effect. Get but no level up?"
"That many pop magic—amazing enough. And anti-magic right?"
"Anti-magic?"
"Yeah—interfere opponent magic? Throw back—anti-magic. Deflect alone amazing."
Makes sense—goblins/kobolds no magic attack, never thought. Wrap opponent magic—interfere.
"Anti-magic use hard? Wrap takes time."
But—body wrap became "Mana Wrap." Now instant. Someday anti-magic learn?
But more important—fish get!
…
Home alone lightning magic practice, ofuda basement construction, level up check not done—hikikomori reasons full. Full hikikomori intent.
Hikikomori yet out, NEET yet level help, loner yet twenty high school girls escort + mushroom guide.
Zoro zoro advance, gobu gobu beat.
Cut flying goblin club arms/legs while walking. Behind—JKs finish off in turn… first girl outing ever, forest. What bloody picnic!
Goblin goblin mushroom mushroom goblin goblin mushroom mushroom behind finish finish gather gather finish finish gather gather. Wait—dream girl picnic something different!
"Hey hey Haruka-kun, why wooden stick cut goblins?"
"Ah—this? Otaku taught. Said staff arts only—'thrust spear sweep naginata hold sword staff never misses' or something? Like?"
"Like… probably not literal cut? Maybe."
…
"Helped time staff magic barrage but not magic job?"
"No—unemployed?"
"…Right."
…
"Haruka-kun said no proper skills—but instant move 'teleport' or 'shrink earth' right?"
"Instant move visible 'Movement' and 'Walking' I think?"
"Eh? Walking better skill and movement assist magic?"
"Probably? Combo like?"
"Like… but works? …Huh? Cheat what?"
…
With this many in forest—no sensitive rabbits appear.
Girls—vice reps and bitches split support. Class rep follows alone.
Endlessly weaken goblins while walking.
Many—snipe thin while hunting.
"Hm~ deeper Lv15 appear—what do?"
"Lv15?! Can beat?"
"Yeah—sneak back full speed full power one hit?"
"Right~ everyone fought monsters but Haruka-kun hunted~ one-sided."
"Lv15 no cheat hard duel? I'm weak."
"Cheat high level still hard? Still impossible—turn back?"
"Roger—detour back still hunt."
"Goblins—gonna extinct at this rate~"
"Next day properly appear. Goblins."
"Know that means… alone wiped them…"
…
Hunted till dark—returned. Eleven years home club not for nothing!
"""""Good work"""""
"G-Good work?"
Everyone tired—prepare bath.
Fill jug bath, raise temperature. Temperature magic always perfect.
"Bath—kyaaaaaaa!"
"Don't strip—perverts!!"
No good—this muscle sports type. Forest life turned barbarian. Girls power became muscle power.
Escaped bath, went to expanding storage—expand cave.
Eight-person room—12-mat enough? Groups split—need five or six?
Make room, corridor connect, make room… done. Mana limit. Mana depletion fatigue hunger sleepiness.
Staggering back to living room—
"Haruka-kun wait! Everyone properly dressed—"
Apparently classmate nudist exists. Done. Girls power hopeless. Class rep became everyone's mom.
"Fine—dinner ready~"
Full mom.
Dinner fish again. Girls mushroom party… name scary!
"Haruka-kun—what doing back there?"
"Ah~ added rooms? Expansion?"
"Right—Haruka-kun no room bad. Sorry—occupied."
"""Sorry"""
"No—girls rooms? Individual impossible but group split eight rooms. Always together suffocating right?"
Girls rushed to see back rooms. Mom scolds from behind.
"Haruka-kun sleep outside again? Room exists—together fine?"
"No no—from earlier nudists appear? Mostly boys attacked right? Finally calm—man together bad?"
"…Right. But Haruka-kun only… sorry. Hmm, but Haruka-kun seems fine?"
"No—I'm impossible."
Indeed—not seen as man—actions seen. But presence alone stress. Normal—trauma not zero. Attempted assault—even man scary.
"Then~ excuse me~ thanks for meal."
Set big tent outside—of course.
Now—level up or depressed seriously. Appraisal.
[Status updated—Lv 07, HP 93, MP 92, huge gains, new skills Parallel Thinking Lv1, titles Hikikomori Lv4/NEET Lv3/Loner Lv4/Archmage Lv4, equipment Bracelet PoW +1% SpE +1% (New), etc.]
Ooooh—first double level up. Stats almost triple digits. Today goblin fights no resistance—level up after all.
Ten days fighting in forest. That many kills—finally Lv7. Class rep prioritized weak—still Lv16–21. Overtaken instantly.
Few more real battles—I'll become burden. By then girls town-ready strength. This lively life—two, three days left.
"Haruka-kun, okay?"
Yeah—lively. Good made tent big…!?
Somehow narrow. Made big enough for four—narrow.
Many guests? Six guided.
"Uh—what?"
Guests—class rep, Vice A, Vice B, bitch leader. And… morning waker fish girl. And… uh… nudist girl! Worst for high school boy tent!
"Yeah—talk… or rather apologize again…"
"First—Chika hear. Uh… sorry test-like… sorry."
Nudist girl continues. Chika who?
"Uh—that—my fault can't enter room, morning sorry but… thrown out?"
"Ah~ Chika fish girl! Chika-chika so thought flickering?"
""""Fish girl who?! Chika-chan mom dad fish?! Why weird names again?! And flickering not broken TV!!""""
Why class girls tsukkomi power so high? Skill got?
"No—fish caught report girl right? And mom dad gyogyo or not—don't know?"
""""No such role! And mom dad not gyogyo! Probably? And thrown out—what to girl!!""""
But fish! Fish—grilled fish!
…
Chaos peak—class rep explained. Explainer, mom, class rep—super active.
Basically—boys assaulted, chased—fish girls… wait? What? Gyogyo girls caused trauma.
Girls protected fish girls from me. Fish girls thought I thrown out—sorry—morning wake hard.
"Right~ gyogyo girls hard—don't worry, got fish?"
""""Why fish girl no then gyogyo girl?! Really no name memory right?!""""
Name wrong apparently. Wait—mom dad fish, daughter gyogyo or something—talked?
"Uh—and why nudist girl sorry?"
""""Nudist girl—why girls weird names!!""""
"But stripped?"
"""Fukunuki-san—what did?! Stripped?!"""
"No! Look! That—really okay? Bath stripped showed… no peek… nothing… no peek at all…"
""""Aaaah—""""
"But fish grilled… overheard? Sudden strip nudist or bitch scary?"
"Bitch unrelated! Story unrelated bitch!! No—said not bitch!!"
"bi… nnn! Shimazaki-san~ came protect Haruka-kun~? Bully bad~!"
Vice B scolded—shaking angry. …Nothing, don't glare?
"Now bi… no, nothing. Uh? Protect?"
Why glared? Nothing did?
"That—tamed but… no weird stuff, no weird orders… no orders? Always… nothing… left alone…? Name not remembered…? So fine… huh? This fine…?"
No—follow through? Ends question… everyone jito eyes? …Thanks.
**Day 12 End**