The Legend of Level 0 in Academy City

Standing on the open ground at the top of the mountain and looking into the distance, you can see a huge artificial lake at the foot of the other side of the mountain, surrounded by mountains. The mountain shadows are reflected in the lake, reflecting a large expanse of emerald green. The lake is like a huge emerald set in the center of the mountains.

Occasionally, birds fly over it, startling ripples that spread outwards in concentric circles like waves.

Looking at this beautiful scenery that seemed to be isolated from the world, the two of them couldn't help but relax.

"Hey, Saten. Shall we eat?" After a two-hour car ride and a two-hour hike up the mountain, Inoue Hideka's stomach was growling with hunger. She couldn't care less about the scenery and suggested eating first, and then enjoying the view later.

“Okay, I’ve been hungry for ages too,” Saten Ruiko agreed.

The bento box was so delicious, and paired with the stunning scenery and gorgeous women, it was simply amazing!

Inoue Hideka felt that the trip was truly worthwhile!

After finishing their meal, it was already past 3 p.m. Both of them wanted to continue watching for a while. It was a rare opportunity for them to come together, so how could they not watch to their hearts' content?

After putting away their lunchboxes, the two sat on a clearing at the top of the mountain, quietly gazing at the extraordinary natural scenery that seemed unconventional to the world.

Saten Ruiko hugged her knees with both hands, while Inoue Eika sat cross-legged. The two were shoulder to shoulder, with a distance of more than ten centimeters between their shoulders, but the distance between their hearts was gradually closing without them realizing it.

Later, Saten Ruiko took out her MP3 player, and the two of them each took an earphone. Listening to the beautiful music coming from the earphones, they could better feel the impact of the natural scenery.

Occasionally, a gentle breeze would brush past his ear, lifting Saten Ruiko's long hair and carrying a waft of the girl's fragrance to Inoue Hideka's nose. Inoue Hideka would then take a deep breath, feeling that in this moment, with such a person by his side, what more could he ask for?

Saten Ruiko sensed Inoue Eika's subtle movements, but simply listened to the music with a slightly flushed face, pretending not to notice.

Before we knew it, it was evening. The sun was setting, the sky was dyed red, and the lake was gradually covered with a layer of shadow. Birds returned to their nests with their calls.

As an ancient sage once said, "The sunset glows and the lone wild goose flies together, and the autumn water blends with the vast sky."

The sunset is always so beautiful, not only because the setting sun represents the twilight of heroes, but also because the sunset welcomes a new sunrise and the arrival of a new generation.

Just as the saying goes, the waves of the Yangtze River keep pushing the waves forward, and people today surpass those of the past.

The past will eventually become the past; cherishing the present is what we should be doing right now.

From now on, I am just Inoue Eika from Academy City, no longer Li Mu who loves anime!

In this world full of crises, you must be prepared to die at any moment, otherwise it is impossible to survive!

To have such thoughts while watching a sunset, Inoue Hideka couldn't help but wonder if she was being pretentious.

Patting his leg, Inoue Hideka stood up and said, "It's gotten so late without us realizing it. Shall we go back?"

"Hmm!" Saten Ruiko said, trying to stand up. "Oops!" Perhaps she had been sitting for too long, Saten Ruiko lost her balance when she stood up and sat back down.

Inoue Hideka quickly grabbed Saten Ruiko's hand to prevent her from falling.

"Are you alright?" Inoue Hideka asked with concern.

"It's nothing, my legs are just sore, I'll be fine after a short rest," Saten Ruiko said with a forced smile.

She must have been exhausted. After all, it's rare for a girl to do such strenuous exercise in Academy City.

"Thank you for today, Saten." Inoue Eika said with a smile, "You've worked hard, but leave the rest to me, come on!" As she spoke, she bent down and squatted down in front of Saten Ruiko.

"No, no need! I'll be done in a bit!" Saten Ruiko understood Inoue Eika's meaning, blushed, and said shyly.

"Don't be reckless. It's already dark, and wild animals can roam the mountains at night! If you don't want to become food for wild animals, hurry up and come up."

"Ah! How could this be?" Saten Ruiko was a little scared, after all, she was a girl! "Well, thank you, Inoue!"

Slowly climbing onto Inoue Eika's back, feeling the firm muscles of Inoue Eika's back and the masculine scent lingering in her nostrils, Saten Ruiko's face turned even redder.

Carrying Saten Ruiko on her back, Inoue Hideka walked down step by step, moving as gently as possible to reduce the swaying of Saten Ruiko on her back.

Saten Ruiko sensed Inoue Eika's delicate care, and a strange feeling swept through her heart. It was different from the joy of teasing Inoue Eika, different from the satisfaction of shopping with Uiharu Kazari, and different from the peace of mind she felt when she was with her family. Saten Ruiko couldn't explain the feeling; she could only feel her heart beating faster and faster.

Thanks to more than half a month of self-torture-style training, Inoue Hideka's physical fitness has improved a lot. Although he was carrying Saten Ruiko on his back, Saten Ruiko's weight was negligible. Therefore, even if he slowed down his movements as much as possible, it did not have a significant impact on Inoue Hideka's speed.

Perhaps sensing the heat emanating from the body behind her, Inoue Hideka asked with concern, "Saten, are you alright?"

"No, it's nothing!" Saten Ruiko said nervously. The cold night wind blew by, and although it was a bit chilly, it couldn't cool down her restless heart. Hearing Inoue Eika's words, Saten Ruiko felt even more strange, and the blush on her face began to spread to her ears and neck.

Feeling the gentle, fragrant breath on Inoue Hideka's neck, a ticklish yet comforting sensation, Inoue Hideka felt a sense of peace despite the mysterious and unknown darkness of the mountain road.

The two walked without speaking to each other until they reached the bottom of the hill. On the way to the station, Inoue Eika carried Saten Ruiko on her back the whole time. Saten Ruiko didn't ask to get off, and Inoue Eika didn't ask to put her down.

The last trains in Academy City had already stopped running, so the two had no choice but to take the tram back. Anyway, Inoue Eika had plenty of money, but she was also considering when to buy a car. It would be so much more convenient to drive herself! She wondered if a driver's license was required in Academy City; if so, it would be troublesome.

An ambiguous atmosphere lingered around Inoue Eika and Saten Ruiko until they reached Saten Ruiko's dormitory building, where neither of them spoke.

“Well then, I’ll head back, Saten.” As a man, Inoue Eika had the duty to break the awkward silence, so he spoke first.

"Yes, thank you. Thank you for today, Inoue." Saten Ruiko hadn't recovered from her strange state, and her voice lacked its usual vigor.

"Oh right, Saten, I don't have your contact information yet." Inoue Eika suddenly remembered that they hadn't exchanged contact information yet.

"Okay, then give me a call. The number is xxxxxxxx."

After exchanging contact information, Saten Ruiko said to Inoue Hideka, "Send me a text message when you get to the dorm, it's so late."

"Okay, sure!" After saying that, Inoue Eika turned and walked towards her dormitory.

Watching Inoue Eika turn and leave, Saten Ruiko couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She had been so nervous just now, but a faint sense of loss followed.

Back in the dormitory, Inoue Hideka sent Saten Ruiko a text message saying, "I'm back in the dormitory."

"Ring ring!" I had just put down my phone when I received a text message reply.

Chapter Seventeen: This morning was not pleasant!

When Saten Ruiko received a text message from Inoue Eika, she was about to say something but didn't know what to say. After hesitating for a long time, she finally just said "Goodnight".

Looking at the words "Goodnight" on the text message, Inoue Hideka felt a sense of peace. It's a happy thing to have someone say goodnight to you before you go to sleep!

After waking up, life resumed as usual: training and going to school.

Saten Ruiko returned to her usual cheerful and lively self the next day, but neither of them mentioned what happened that day again.

However, Saten Ruiko realized that she was taller than Uiharu Kazari, so she asked the teacher to change seats and sat in the last seat, which was exactly parallel to Inoue Eika.

It made it easier for the two to talk, but they didn't have many serious conversations. Most of the time, Saten Ruiko would tease Inoue Eika and Uiharu Kazari in various ways.

On Wednesday, Inoue Hideka finally heard the news that her manga was spreading at school.

It's already May, the weather is gradually warming up, and the comic has been serialized for 5 chapters. Today, the 6th chapter will be released.

After school at noon, a wave of enthusiasm for Naruto swept through the class.

"Hey! Hurry up! I need to grab the latest issue of the weekly magazine, the world of Naruto is calling me!"

"What's the rush? I've already asked A-Fan to buy it for me, no need to worry." This was a conversation between male classmates.

"Ah~~ Kakashi-sensei is so handsome, I want to marry him!" A girl with acne on her face was gushing over him.

"Lord Kakashi would never want someone like you. Only a beauty like me is worthy of him! But I'm going to marry Sasuke, ah! What should I do?"

"How could someone from the real world marry someone from the two-dimensional world? You two, wake up!" said a relatively calm girl.

"What do you know! Anime is our destiny!"

. . . . . .

Such remarks were being made, and Inoue Hideka listened quietly, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Naruto is still so popular!

"Hey! Inoue, what are you laughing at? It looks disgusting!" Saten Ruiko teased Inoue Hideka because of his smiling face.

"Nothing? Let's go, let's have lunch on the rooftop!" Inoue Eika stood up and said.

"Don't act like it's your right to freeload every day! Show some self-awareness!" Saten Ruiko complained helplessly.

Indeed, as their relationship grew closer, Inoue Eika finally revealed his true intentions, shamelessly asking Saten Ruiko to help him bring her lunch. In return, Inoue Eika would pay for dinner at his dorm, which Saten Ruiko would cook, of course.

After inviting Haruharu Shiori, the three of them went to the school rooftop for dinner.

"Saten will be a good wife in the future!" Inoue Eika joked with Saten Ruiko while eating the delicious bento she had made.

"Inoue, do you still want to eat bento tomorrow?" At first, Saten Ruiko would feel shy and think that Inoue Eika's words had some meaning when she heard this kind of joke, but after a while, Saten Ruiko became immune to it and immediately retaliated against Inoue Eika.

"Huh? I was clearly praising you..." Inoue Hideka continued eating her bento with a wronged expression.

It's been over a month since school started, and Inoue Eika has been spending more than a month with Saten Ruiko. He finds himself completely helpless against Saten Ruiko, having her completely under his thumb. After all, his lifeline—eating—is in Saten Ruiko's hands.

Sometimes, he would unintentionally be humiliated by Saten Ruiko, losing his male pride, such as getting a nosebleed or making a lecherous face, and then Saten Ruiko would laugh at Inoue Eika to her heart's content.

Saten Ruiko's perverse sense of humor is endless; if Inoue Eika doesn't comply, she'll threaten him with food.

Of course, only Inoue Hidekazu himself knows whether he enjoys it or not.

"Saten and Inoue are such good friends!" Uiharu Kazari said enviously.

"You and Saten have a good relationship, don't you, Haruharu? Haven't you noticed that Saten never lifts up other people's skirts?" Inoue Hideka teased.

Having known each other for so long, for convenience, Saten Ruiko and Inoue Hideka both dropped the honorifics and directly called Hatsuharu Kazari "Hatsuharu." However, the polite Hatsuharu Kazari still insisted on using honorifics to address Saten Ruiko and Inoue Hideka.

"Ugh~~ Inoue-kun, don't joke with me!" Uiharu Kazari said, blushing.

"Ah! Haru is so cute!" Saten Ruiko, the culprit, was completely oblivious and continued to tease Haru Kazari.

Ordinary days, but extraordinary feelings—Inoue Hideka thoroughly enjoys this kind of life, finding it peaceful and comfortable.

He even hoped the plot wouldn't unfold, so he could continue living his carefree life. The thought of Touma and Misaka Mikoto's busy summer vacation gave him a headache.

He had no confidence whatsoever in facing those powerful individuals and magicians; he only hoped that he and his friends wouldn't get involved.

However, time is merciless and never stops for any person or thing.

One morning in June, Misaka Mikoto got up early and, taking advantage of the empty park, enthusiastically took cat food to a park near Tokiwadai Dormitory and fed it to the stray cats.

However, the stray cats were as afraid of her electromagnetic field as ever. The moment Misaka Mikoto approached, the cats scattered like birds and beasts, not a single one of them was left.

Misaka Mikoto immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, silently placing the cat food where she was, and got up to walk towards the vending machine not far away.

Suddenly, she saw a figure running frantically in the distance, at a speed that Misaka Mikoto knew she couldn't match.

Driven by curiosity, Misaka Mikoto took a few steps forward.

"It's that guy!" Although he looked a bit stronger than before, she would never forget the man who made her lose face in front of the men's restroom for two hours!

Inoue Hideka, who was practicing the 200-meter sprint, had only chosen a slightly larger park to practice his explosive power, but it turned out to be a park near Tokiwadai. He can only blame himself for not scouting the surrounding terrain beforehand.

"I didn't expect her to be such a hard-working person!" Misaka Mikoto muttered to herself as she watched Inoue Eika run desperately.

She herself gradually improved from level 1 to level 5, and no one knows how much effort she put in during that time. Therefore, people have an extra sense of recognition for hard work.

Misaka Mikoto didn't rush to settle scores with Inoue Eika. Instead, she walked up to the vending machine and unleashed two consecutive Tokiwadai Middle School secret techniques: Grandma-style 45-degree angled attack mechanical repair method!