"... The technique I made is called 'Stat Control.'" He replied.
"Huh? Stat Control? Like in System's stats?" Isha asked in confusion.
He created a technique for controlling stats? How could anyone have 'control' over their stats? If anybody could, wouldn't they be regarded as the most powerful? In this world, stats are the things that make humans strong enough to fight and defend themselves against monsters; can he control that? Shouldn't it be considered a complete taboo? And he was thinking about teaching it to others?
"Yeah, after studying the human body, I created it... though I don't think cadets could learn it without learning completely about their own bodies first...." Eshwar pondered at his words but still led the waltz.
"Y-you want to teach me that? Can I have a demonstration?" Isha asked with puzzled but firm expression.
'I was a bit relieved that he didn't do anything too crazy in this life but I guess it was just my wishful thinking.' Isha thought.
'He created a 'Shotgun' as a gift for me which was akin to a living being in the past life, though it didn't accept me as its master... but now this? A taboo like martial art technique? I don't think anybody other than him could use this technique.....' Isha inwardly grumbled and sighed.
"Right now?" he asked.
"Yes!" Isha said with a firm tone and took a step back after finishing the waltz.
"Ok. But do you remember you asked me 'how I act weaker' when I proposed the contract?" he asked.
"Yes." Isha nodded her head energetically.
"Because of this technique of controlling stats." He answered.
"Ohh!!" Isha was now more intrigued to learn about the technique.
".... Every 'Stat' is just mana being condensed on a specific part of the body, it thickens, moves more fluently and flexibly." He explained.
"Huh? Not muscles? But mana?" Isha asked.
'I always thought that muscles are the one being condensed!' Isha thought.
"Muscles become denser too, but they can only become until a certain point, henceforth it's just mana becoming denser in between the muscle fibres. The more denser the mana becomes the more increase in stat points!" he explained.
"Whoa...." Isha exclaimed in awe at the revelation.
"Anybody can understand that stat points affect our bodies. Endurance- skin, strength- muscles, agility- nerve system and constitution- bones. Every time a stat increases, mana in the respective fields gets denser." He explained.
"Now, what if I use them only on any particular part?" he asked.
"Huh? Wouldn't it be amazing?" Isha asked in amazement.
''Mana gets denser, flexible and fluent at only one particular part?! Whoa!! It'll create endless possibilities and create new fighting styles!" Isha repeated his words, imagined how it would be and exclaimed in excitement.
"Yes, now look." He said and moved his right hand forward.
"You know how to feel and control mana right?" Eshwar asked to which Isha nodded vigorously.
"First 50 percent is everything internal and the other 50 is external." He said and clenched his right hand into a fist.
"15 percent." He mumbled.
There were no noticeable changes on the outside, but those with heightened mana perception can detect the changes in his hand.
'Grip strength, mana force, mana burst, mana released and finally mana flow is increased in his hand!' Isha looked at the process with wide eyes and amazement.
"This!" Isha jumped slightly in excitement, 'slightly' only because she was able to control her excitement in time before embarrassing herself.
"I would definitely cause more damage with this fist than the bombs which imploded in the academy." He said.
"Huh?" she looked at him in disbelief.
'And that's '15 percent?'' Isha thought.
"25 percent." He mumbled.
WOING
His fist made an unusual sound. His fist and forearm had expanded slightly, and a new pale purple mana skin had enveloped them.
"Hmm.... around 5-6 percent of the academy will be grazed to the ground." He said. Isha flinched at those words and looked at him dumbfounded.
"Y-you want to teach this to the cadets?" Isha felt her throat go dry and stared at him like he was stupid.
"I-I sh-shouldn't?" Eshwar asked and took a slight step back.
"You shouldn't!" Isha furrowed her brows and said firmly.
"O-ok!?" he said.
"Then? What else?" Isha asked.
"Ah! I demonstrate my strength according to ranks if you remember." He said.
"Yes, I do. Once, on me, next on Katline and finally on Violet." She answered and mentioned everybody's name on who he used the 'Stat Control' technique on.
"...." He stared at her in silence.
"What?" Isha asked with a slightly flushed face.
"No, nothing. It just that I didn't think you would observe me so closely." He mumbled.
"Wh-what's wrong with me looking at my date?" she asked, flustered.
"Haha, yes, yes. There is nothing wrong with it." He chuckled and replied.
"You!" she exclaimed because she felt like he was teasing her.
"Ahem! I simply lower it to the rank I want." He said.
"Huh? Simply lower it to any rank?" Isha asked, dumbfounded.
Doesn't that imply that the technique he employs allows him to raise and lower his rank as he pleases? How strong is his control over mana to make 'him' appear frail? And what if a rank-S destroys 5-6 percent of the academy, whose walls are designed to withstand the strength of a rank-SS? Walls are built to withstand the strength of rank-SS because they are considered to be the strongest of humanity!!! And only at 25 percent of his maximum strength? What would happen if he used 100 percent?
"Esh-Eshwar(?) Can you use it in your other form?" Isha asked without thinking.
"....." Eshwar's gaze instantly turned suspicious.
"Ah!" Isha bit her tongue due to her blunder.
How do I explain it to him? What if he becomes suspicious of my intentions? F**k it, I think he's already suspicious of me!! What should I do? How could I explain our past lives to him? Is he even going to believe it? Even I wouldn't believe it if someone said something like that to me.
'Should I say that I know because he was in that form in our previous life?' Oh no! What should I do? I didn't think about how he would react because I got confused as the memories our past life became vivid just recently!! For a second I got t-' When Eshwar's smartwatch rang, Isha snapped out of her trance.
DING TO TOU TOUTUOTU
"Hello?" he answered the call but his gaze was fixated on Isha with a frown.
"Eshwar help! Devil! 'BANG' F**k! Jiwoo! Katharine! Hold him back for a second! 'BOOM' SH*T! Eshwar help! At Academy's training ground! BAM-" Katline had called but was cut short with a loud 'BAM.'
"Sh*t Vinny!!" Eshwar snarled in outrage and ran to the door.
CLUNK
He halted in between and turned to face Isha who face was twisted with anxiety.
"We'll talk later."
BAM