Chapter 7

I made the torturous journey home, slowly picking up in speed as my as aches and pains faded before Gamer's Body. I finally reached the door, and called out a futile yet obligatory Japanese greeting.

"I'm home."

I checked my phone, 6.45AM. Good, still have time. I can't show up at school looking like this…. Hell, I can't show up at school smelling like this.

Cold shower, cold water washing the dirt, grime and anger away. I feel… so damn tired. So damn hollow, like I've vented out my rage, leaving a void, a pit of cold unfeeling nothingness. I should probably get my ass out of the shower, and my head out of my ass.

Sigh, I patted my face with both my hands. Focus, focus, right it's 7AM, making good time…. Oh damn it.

Okay Issei, you can do this. You can do it. Your mother is not going to be around for who knows how long man. You've got to learn how to do it sometime! I'm sure I can do it without burning the house down right?

Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths. It's time to make breakfast…. Maybe I can eat out?

*Ding*

New Quest!

Make Breakfast!

Make breakfast without burning your house down!

Success: 500 EXP, increased Relationship with Parents

Failure: 3000 EXP, Chance of death and Property damage, Minor to Severely decreased Relationship with Parents

Accept: Y/N

I think I am going to develop a tick with how much my right eye is twitching.

I accepted the quest and with a deep breath, plunged into the ocean of my cabinets to search for easily prepared sustenance.

I suppose instant ramen will have to do.

Okay, pot, water, not too much water- Oh damn it that's too much water! Okay now place it on a stove, turn the fire up- oh fuck! Nearly burnt myself, add in the noodles, keep poking them…Okay the noodles have broken up, add in the seasoning, and dried ingredients, wait, wait, wait, okay now!

I took the pot off the stove, and with the focus of a thousand magnifying glasses, turned the heat down, poured the contents into a bowl and cracked an egg into the noodles.

There, done… Huh, that wasn't so bad!

*Ding* *Ding* *Ding*

Let's see, a Cooking skill, Quest complete, and Oh, a Level up.

I'm level 2 now. That was fast, I feel…marginally more powerful I guess? Nothing stopping me from calling up the status menu I suppose.

I brought my bowl to the table, sat down, and began to slurp the noodles as I looked through my Status sheet.

Nothing much had changed, my HP and MP had increased, I got 5 free points to spend, and… Sacred Gear? The Boosted Gear? I missed it before but…

That… that was what Yuuma after wasn't she? This damn Sacred Gear thing… Sigh. No use blaming it for my misfortunes, maybe Buchou can help me with it.

My phone vibrated, I looked down at it. A new message from… Rias Gremory? When did I get her number? When did she get mine for that matter?

I read the message, meet at the clubroom after class? Hmm, sure. I texted back my reply and took the time to browse that app that Buchou installed in my phone yesterday, absent-mindedly slurping my noodles.

Hmm, okay, a map and gps, chatroom for all fellow users of the app, a user profile with some details filled out, cracking tool to access password protected websites? How dodgy. And… satellite connection? A secure connection between linked app users?

Okay, I admit, I've watched some James Bond movies in an attempt to learn how to be suave and pick up girls, but I never thought my phone would be transformed into a James Bond tier gadget!

What's next? A Power Gauntlet that shoots plasma and allows me to watch tv?

Also, why do I have an E wallet? Where did this money come from? I didn't earn any… do devils get paid? I mean, it would make sense…

I browsed the wallet, a decent amount of money inside it ready to be transferred into my bank account… how did they get my bank account number? Ignoring that, I can also send it to other app users or spend it at… an online store?

I browsed the online store, it seemed similar to the Abyss auction… just with no slave trading. I could buy items and sell items with lists of both ongoing Sales and Highly sought after items. It seemed like everyone wanted 'Pheonix Tears' or 'Mana Crystals', I had no idea what the first was but the second sounded a lot like Soul stones from the webcomic.

So maybe… I don't know, but I'm going to have to test that out later.

I have a decent amount, from what I can gather from the prices of the items, so maybe… I can get a skill book?

I browsed until I found something that looked interesting. Xing Yi Quan, a manual for a martial art. I should at least get the basics right? Plus it was pretty affordable! I clicked on the order button, watched my money disappear, and read the pop up.

My order has been received, and is now being delivered to… My Peerage King, Rias Gremory. Hmm, I'll have to go get it from her then.

I finished my noodles, and prepared to leave. Uniform check, school bag check, right heading off.

I put on my shoes and just as I was about to leave I stopped in my tracks. I had a hunch, an idea. Maybe it would or maybe it wouldn't, but there is no harm in trying right?

"I'm heading off." I called out in English, greeted in return with the silence of an empty home.

*Ding*