After spending a day with Yuko, I'm back at the Principal's Office.
With three knocks, it opened again and Sugawara Hajime, the Principal, like he expected me to come smiled at me.
"What brings you here, Kuramoto-kun?" He gestured for me to take a seat.
I took up his offer and sat in front of him.
"Principal, do you know?"
I'm referring to the 'Helper' and 'That World' the incarnation talked about. However, I kept it a vague as possible, if he knew about it there's probably a reason why he's not revealing it to anyone.
"I'm not quite sure what you're talking about, Kuramoto-kun."
Is he playing dumb? I don't know. That Incarnation is clearly talking about Earth when she called Yuko as 'Helper'.
"I'm talking about the Invading World."
If I say it like this, he will surely understand a thing or something. This Principal is a bit crafty. He's holding off information but since we both have high clarity, we're bound to play this mind game. He will give me some information for sure. And I'll bait him, letting him think I know things he doesn't know.
"I see. You're talking about that. It's a higher world than the Otherworlds we are protecting. Currently, they can only send grunts to invade. I estimated about 3 more years before the real body of that entity who descended can pass through their portals."
The Principal sipped his tea while calmly explaining to me.
"Estimated. I assume it can be even shorter than that."
His prediction was off about the Corrupted Individuals. So this estimation is bound to be off as well.
"You got it right. My Clairvoyance isn't omniscient. Variables can change the outcome. And you're one of the variables."
"Doesn't that mean my existence can speed up your estimation?"
The Principal nodded at my question.
"But without you, the kids are doomed to die. Of this, I can surely say."
"Why is it that is certain when you just told me your variables can change the outcome?"
He put down his tea and stood up, he then pulled a file from his table and showed it to me. It was organized neatly but the papers inside it were full of mathematical equations. Most of it had a red stamp that reads 'Fail' and only one equation had a green stamp that reads 'Success'.
Is he calculating first before using his ability? Then why did he test them when he already determined it as a failure?
"Only when I put you in the equation can the outcome of their dying changes. I've already used my ability a total of 597 times to see their fates. Each time I put a different variable and only when you were put in did the outcome changed. They lived through their impending doom."
"I can't say you should put your hopes on me. What if I slack off? Or I didn't do my job as a support?"
The Principal didn't react to my question, instead he sat back and continued sipping his tea.
"It doesn't matter. As long as you were put in the equation, everything changed. You can choose to do what you want, Kuramoto-kun. My real aim for bringing you here is just to have your presence in the 30 Otherworlds."
"Does that mean I'm not really a Support?"
"But that's the best you can be. Especially if you care about Yuko-chan."
I see, he's admitting that it doesn't matter if I become their Support or not. But if I want to matter and help Yuko, that's the best I can be. Is this why he paired me with Yuko first? He knew Yuko's feelings towards me.
"I understand. You're crafty, Principal."
"And you are too, Kuramoto-kun. You should start calling me Father from now on."
Ugh. This Principal. He probably saw with his ability what will happen to Yuko in the future.
"No. I can't. Until you tell me everything you know, I won't call you Father."
"Yuko-chan will be hurt with those words you just said, Kuramoto-kun. Anyway, it's still not the time. I will tell you when the time comes."
Now he chose to be this mysterious. I have to investigate by myself then.
"Yuko will understand. Since we're done here. Can I go to the Pocket Dimension?"
"Of course. You need to prepare for the next World."
The next World. Takahashi Raiden. If Yuko is telling me to beware of him, I have to think of something. I will be his Support, of course. Only by being close to the Hero can I access more information.
If he can keep being friendly, then good but if he planned to screw me over in that Otherworld, I have to prepare countermeasures.
I'm still weak and the Hero's Party buff will probably be cut off when we arrived on that next Otherworld. Which means I will lose 1 Strength and Endurance. I will only be a little stronger than a human there.
When I reached the place where the Pocket Dimension was located, something felt off.
I looked back at the Principal and he nodded.
"It really didn't escape your notice. The Pocket Dimension, it's growing."
As I thought. It's that, even if it's only a few centimetres that change raised an alarm inside me.
I guessed correctly, there's something more about this Pocket Dimension.
"Does that mean anything?"
"I have theories. Do you want to hear it?"
Of course. It doesn't need to be asked. This Principal.
"Yes. Please tell me. I can help you think about it."
He closed his eyes, like weighing my words in his mind. He's always doing this alone, if he lets me think with him then, slowly he will spill more information that I need.
Ah. It's too troublesome. This was only just a job but the more I know, the more I was getting pulled deeper. The strength of that Incarnation somehow got to me. I don't want that entity descending here on Earth.
Even if there's a secret which needed to be uncovered about Earth, letting another world invade here would definitely turn this world upside down.
"My 1st theory. It's a growing world. Like the Otherworlds where they were summoned into. If it grows enough, life will start to bloom in it."
I'm already rejecting of this theory. Why is it on Earth then? And why can we go in? We can breathe easily in there as if it has the same atmosphere as Earth.
"2nd theory. It's a dimensional passage. If it grows enough, anyone can use it as a passage to go to the Otherworlds without being summoned."
This is plausible but still off. Just the existence of Psyche Energy inherent in it made me cross this theory out.
"3rd and last. This will merge on Earth if it grows enough. Making our own World have an inherent energy. If that happens, everyone will be able to awaken their own abilities."
This…
This is the closest. The prerequisite to awakening our abilities is to be exposed in Psyche Energy. And Psyche Energy is the fuel to use those abilities.
"What do you think, Kuramoto-kun?"
"Scratch the 2 theories. The 3rd one is the most plausible."
The Principal nodded and smiled.
"That's also what I'm betting on. But there's something bothering me."
"What is it?"
"How can the Heroes enhance their abilities in the Otherworlds?"
Ah. Right. There's that. Yuko could barely use her ability here on Earth but when we were in the World of System, she could use it freely, just that there's still a limitation of exhausting their Psyche Energy. Where did they get the necessary Psyche Energy to use their abilities then?
"You're right, Principal."
"Keep an eye out for us, Kuramoto-kun."
Right. Since I'm the only one who can travel to different worlds, I have to find the source of that Psyche Energy boost they're getting upon arriving there.
For the second time, I entered the Pocket Dimension. It's still the same barren land but the Psyche Energy was still overflowing. I could already feel my clarity getting enhanced further.
As soon as my foot stepped into it, system messages suddenly popped up in my mind.
[Ding! Detected a foreign Dimension]
[Received 2 Intelligence as Dimension Bonus]
[Will expire upon leaving the Dimension]
Ah. I see. This is the same as that System Bonus from World of System. When I left that world, the +0.5 on all stats was taken away.
So we are receiving 2 Intelligence here. That's why our clarity feels like it was enhanced just by being here.
I see.
When my Ability awakened, it gave me a bonus of +2 Intelligence.
Which the Principal explained as me Adapting to this world which made me retain the enhanced clarity I gained here. But the truth is like this, every time someone awakened their Ability, they will receive a corresponding bonus from their Ability.
My Adaptability gave me +2 Intelligence. I wonder how much did the Principal receive when he awakened his Clairvoyance? And Yuko when she awakened her Foresight?
Because of the appearance of this system, I understood this Dimension better because of the numerical stats.
Yuko couldn't because she already awakened her Ability before she received her system during her first summoning.
Going to the World of System proved to be the best choice. Did the Principal predict that? Maybe he will ask me later. I'll tell him this information, it's not that valuable anyway. He probably had a guess already but with the lack of the system that can simplify it, he couldn't come to a conclusion.
After all that, I started my training. I have less than 7 days now. I need to expand this container. At least double or triple its current size. Maybe I can invent another skill if I reach a certain size.
I have to work hard again. Haa. But this is for Yuko. I want to stand next to her the next time I go with her.
I walked into a corner and started taking in Psyche Energy. Filling up the empty container inside me.
The World Energy has a separate container but it still stemmed from my Adaptability. Even the System is contained in it.
Every time the container got filled up, I kept firing Psyche Boost to myself over and over again. Then when I emptied it I will fill it up again before doing the same thing.
The cycle repeated for 3 hours. But the result disappointed me once again. It only expanded the container 1/4 of its size.
This mediocre ability. I need 9 more hours to double it up? I can persevere! This is to become the best support those Heroes could ask for. And well, the big part is for Yuko.
I chose this path and there's no going back now. I just need to work harder than anyone and get most of the benefits of the 30 worlds I will soon visit.