Chapter 11 - Stuck

Shibahime Kamika, defeated.

Kukuku, how about this most powerful use of skills?

Using 'Become Soft,' I turned the ground beneath her feet into a couch that makes people useless, and once her body sank, I used 'Become Hard' to solidify it completely.

Isn't this a cleverness that makes me think I might be a genius?

I crouched down and looked at Shibahime, whose lower body was buried in the ground. She was staying still, not doing anything.

For her, this was unusual, and it made me uneasy.

"Shibahime, are you hurt anywhere?"

"You suddenly attacked me, and now you're worried?"

"I'm not used to using these skills, so I thought maybe your lower body was really compressed, and you couldn't speak..."

"Not just worried, but very worried, it seems."

Shibahime sighed and patted the ground where she was buried.

"So, you've finally awakened your skills."

"Yeah, a lot happened."

"'Become Soft' and 'Become Hard.' It's not bad to use two seemingly weak skills effectively."

Did she just call my skills weak? Did she just call my skills weak?

"But there's one foolish thing."

"What is it?"

"You attacked me. I'll give you good advice, Akaya-kun. Release the skills immediately."

"...Does this mean you're going to punch me in the gut the moment you're freed and get mad at me?"

"I think you've already done enough to get mad at."

"It was a whim. I just wanted to get back at you a bit."

"I won't do anything painful. I promise."

That's definitely a lie. Her eyes are looking like she's ready to cut down an enemy.

Reluctantly, I used 'Become Soft,' and as soon as the effect started to appear, I ran away from the spot. Shibahime didn't chase after me to cut me down. Maybe today is a generous day for her. That's rare.

I went to school properly and worked hard in classes all day.

After using my brain, it was time for the after-school 'Perimeter.'

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Today's Point Mission

Let's keep working hard every day!

'Perimeter'

Circle around the grounds of Eiyuu High School 10/10

Rewards

2 Skill Points Earned!

Consecutive Days: 13

Consistent Effort Rank: Silver

Point Multiplier: 2.0x

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Thanks to overcoming muscle pain, I ran around in great shape, returned to the dorm, took a refreshing shower, had dinner in the cafeteria, and it was time to allocate the skill points I had been waiting for.

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Status

Akaya Makoto

Level: 0

HP: 100 / 100

MP: 80 / 100

Defense: 0

Strength: 30,000

Dexterity: 100

Intelligence: 0

Resistance: 0

Agility: 0

Mystery: 0

Spirit: 0

Skills

'Basic HP'

'Basic MP'

'Basic Dexterity'

'Advanced Strength' x3

'Become Hard'

'Become Soft'

Equipment

'Skill Tree'

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Skill Tree

Tree Level: 1

Skill Points: 2

Point Mission: Completed

Skill Menu

'Basic HP'

Number of Times Acquirable: 4

'Basic MP'

Number of Times Acquirable: 4

'Basic Defense'

Number of Times Acquirable: 5

'Advanced Strength'

Number of Times Acquirable: 2

'Basic Dexterity'

Number of Times Acquirable: 4

'Basic Intelligence'

Number of Times Acquirable: 5

'Basic Resistance'

Number of Times Acquirable: 5

'Basic Agility'

Number of Times Acquirable: 5

'Basic Mystery'

Number of Times Acquirable: 5

'Basic Spirit'

Number of Times Acquirable: 5

'Stick'

Number of Times Acquirable: 1

'Throw'

Number of Times Acquirable: 1

'Pull'

Number of Times Acquirable: 1

'Stop' NEW!

Number of Times Acquirable: 1

'Bend' NEW!

Number of Times Acquirable: 1

Completed Skills

'Applied Strength'

Number of Times Acquirable: 0

'Basic Strength'

Number of Times Acquirable: 0

'Become Hard'

Number of Times Acquirable: 0

'Become Soft'

Number of Times Acquirable: 0

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Here we go again, new skills available for acquisition.

This time, the new ones are 'Stop' and 'Bend.'

Let's take a look at what these guests can do.

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'Stop' Active Skill

Stop an object at hand

[Cost]MP 10

A frog living in decay and stagnation

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'Bend' Active Skill

Bend a touched object

[Cost]MP 10

Is going straight really that great?

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Hmm, I can't think of an immediate use for either of them.

Like 'Become Hard' and 'Become Soft,' they might work effectively depending on how you use them. I can't say for sure without trying their effects.

I debated within myself.

The result was to acquire 'Basic Dexterity' and 'Stick.'

Honestly, I still can't fully control my strength, so I feel like I need as much dexterity as I can get. I also want to know how much dexterity is needed to handle a strength of 30,000.

So, here's my updated status.

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Status

Akaya Makoto

Level: 0

HP: 100 / 100

MP: 80 / 100

Defense: 0

Strength: 30,000

Dexterity: 200

Intelligence: 0

Resistance: 0

Agility: 0

Mystery: 0

Spirit: 0

Skills

'Basic HP'

'Basic MP'

'Basic Dexterity' x2

'Advanced Strength' x3

'Become Hard'

'Become Soft'

'Stick'

Equipment

'Skill Tree'

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Thanks to the increase in dexterity, I feel like I can control my strength better.

Maybe I should add a bit more dexterity.

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Stick

Active Skill

Applies "stick" to the object touched

[Cost]MP 10

A baby separated from its mother

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Let's try out the new skill, 'Stick.'

The effect description says, "Applies 'stick' to the object touched."

What does it mean by 'stick'?

"Logically speaking..."

I used the skill on a stylus and stuck it to the wall.

As I imagined, the stylus stuck to the wall. Unless there's a magnet embedded in the wall, it should be safe to say the stylus sticking to the wall is due to my skill.

I still have MP left.

Let's test how big an object I can stick.

I stuck a classroom tablet to the wall. Success. It's completely stuck.

To be safe, I kept my hand below it in case it fell, and the effect wore off in about 10 seconds.

Next, I tried a chair.

Success. The chair is stuck to the wall like some kind of avant-garde art.

"Can it work even with a smaller contact surface?"

The chair is a simple one with four legs, and I had just stuck all four legs to the wall. This time, I activated the skill with the intention of sticking only one leg to the wall.

"Oh, what a strange sight."

The chair stuck to the wall with just one leg.

It seems the sticking power might be stronger than I thought.

"Can I apply 'stick' to myself?"

I touched my right hand to my left hand and activated the skill, then put my hand on the wall, and it stuck firmly.

I considered testing the strength of the sticking power against my own strength, but I stopped because it seemed like it would tear off the wallpaper if I forcibly tried to remove it.

Thanks to acquiring 'Basic MP,' I still have MP left.

From this morning's experiment of combining 'Become Hard' and 'Become Soft,' I realized that combining skills can produce unexpected results.

I want to find a way to effectively use 'Stick' in combat.

I thought about heading to the pseudo-dungeon, but there was a risk of encountering Shibahime at this time, so I decided against it. This morning, she let me off for some reason, but normally, it's not unusual for her to take at least an arm.

"Activate 'Become Soft' and 'Stick' to create a sticky trap."

The ground softens, causing the opponent to sink, and then it immediately sticks to them.

The more they struggle, the more they get stuck. If their face touches the ground, it will stick to their face...

"I'll suffocate... I'll die..."

I struggled against the soft flooring stuck to my face.

Dangerous, I almost died because of my own skill.

"Could this be a method to immobilize the opponent...?"

I applied 'Stick' to the ground.

If the enemy steps on the sticky area, it could potentially stop them.

This is similar to the combo of 'Become Soft' and 'Become Hard'—nicknamed 'Shibahime Breaker'—but with one less step, resulting in lower MP consumption.

Moreover, the 'Shibahime Breaker' is less effective if the opponent is lightweight. In fact, Shibahime is quite light, so it took a while for her to sink. During that time, she was patiently waiting, allowing the skill combo to work, but if she wanted to, she could have easily escaped.

In that regard, 'Stick' has immediate effectiveness.

What to do after immobilizing the enemy? Just hit them with power.

Isn't that a perfect strategy? I can't wait to try it... crush a Pomeranian...

"By the way, can this 'stick' work on water?"

I filled a basin with water and applied 'Stick' to it.

I brought my face close to it. Oh. I feel it sticking.

So, the application of 'stick' doesn't need to be on a single solid object.

I learned something. I lifted my face from the water basin.

Huh? This is strange, the water isn't coming off my face.

I can't breathe.

"Ba... ba? A-ba-ba-ba!"

So, the water membrane is completely covering my nose and mouth!

I almost suffocated again.

From nearly dying twice today, I learned that using 'Stick' on a liquid can be fatal.