"Go with Yuko-chan to her Otherworld. She will train you and she will be your first hero to support,"
After accepting that normally unimaginable offer, the Principal declared what I have to do.
Go with her? Training? What's there to train? I thought we'll jump right into that Otherworld thing.
"I understand. But when is that and what should I prepare?"
Does this an, I can go for now? Should I use this chance to escape? Ah. Wait, after accepting it, I needed to get that answers first. The tension and mood in this room also beca relaxed after the explanation and my acceptance of the offer.
Look. even Sugawara was stumped and didn't know what to do. It's in stark contrast to how she carried herself when I first saw her.
"Don't worry about it Kuramoto-kun. You just need to go here after school."
This Principal... He's losing again. So there's no training regin here? With only my Adaptability, how can I cope in the Otherworlds? And after school? Do we still attend normal classes? Considering that guy pushed from behind to let us continue back to our rooms, I guess we really do attend one.
Haa. Prestigious Academy my ass. Turns out they were just part-ti heroes. It was cool and all to be one but it being a secret negates the title, right?
However, among other things, I am also curious about that Pocket Dinsion.
What is it? It activated my ability. And that ability locked up in this situation.
"You can go back now, Yuko-chan. Leave Kuramoto-kun with . I will prepare him inside the Pocket Dinsion." Seeing that the girl could neither move from her seat nor look in the eye, the Principal opted to send her away.
"Yes, Fa-- Principal." As if awakened from a dream, Sugawara-san imdiately stood up and bowed to the Principal. At this mont, she finally had the courage to look at . After giving a slight nod, she left the room and closed the door behind her. Her previous blushing and dumbfounded expression were now gone. She's back in the state when I first t her. Strict-looking Class President. Perhaps that attitude was an act on her part. The one I saw here was her real image
"So, Kuramoto-kun, I forgot to introduce myself. As you can guess, I am also a Sugawara, Sugawara Haji."
Haji. Beginning. I see. So he really was the start of all this. By discovering that Pocket Dinsion, he gathered the heroes and awakened them early on.
This ans even without his intervention, the thirty heroes are dood to be summoned to act as heroes for their respective Otherworlds.
Now I kind of pity their fates. I guess I was better off as a support? To be bound by duty to save the world that's not theirs to begin with. It sounds like a hassle.
Although a bit wary, I still followed behind the Principal. There's no turning back now.
He opened a secret passage on one corner of the room by pulling so kind of hidden lever It was a flight of stairs leading below.
"Can I still back off? What was hidden below the stairs?"
I acted scared and joked about it. However, considering he just told about the Pocket Dinsion, that's obviously the answer.
"The Pocket Dinsion." The Principal ignored my first question. That's the signal that I there's no backing out, huh?
And I am right. Is it possibly Hell?
Since it's below the ground, there's that slim chance to be like that. Only a slim chance. Let be wrong about that.
"I keep hearing that dinsion since earlier, can I ask what exactly is it?"
To activate soone's ability just by being brought there. Is it so kind of paradise or hell? Is there so kind of tentacle monster who will inject us with sothing? No. Let's not go down that road, go back.
"You don't have to ask, Kuramoto-kun. It's better to bring you to it. You've already been there once but you were unconscious."
That ti they determined my ability eh? So did they casually carried from the classroom and brought there? Was I the only one they tested? The other exam-takers wasted their ti attending it then. Such a way to bamboozle the hopeful students.
"Am I the only one with this ability? Could there be other Support that you can choose from"
He's a Clairvoyant, he probably used that ability to pinpoint . Who knows? But if I exist, there surely other people with similar abilities as mine. It's also possible to find the others, right?
"True. There are others. However, your Adaptability is unique and that's what we needed. I can't explain to you yet but you will understand eventually."
Unique, eh? Let's go along with it for now.
"Now I wonder what would threaten them that I could prevent." I murmured while following closely behind. It's just a slim chance but if sothing cos out, this Old Man can act as my shield. Forget he can bind , I'll cling on that small chance to be successful.
If I think about it, they are already supposed to be strong as the Heroes, what can a newbie who only have this 'unique' Adaptability do to prevent whatever danger they will face?
"Only ti can tell. My Clairvoyance has its own limits too." The Principal answered.
It makes sense. Every ability will probably have its flaws, right? Sa as mine. I can Adapt but according to their explanation, that is all there is to it. Or is there sothing more to they're keeping from ? Only one way to find out.
As we continued our descent, we finally reached the bottom of the stairs minutes later.
Upon observing the surroundings I thought it would be too dark here. However, in the middle of this room at the bottom of the stairs, a shining sphere was currently suspended in the air. It only had one color, white.
"This is the Pocket Dinsion." The Principal pointed at the obvious. What else could it be, huh? An enormously large lightbulb?
"I'm sorry but all I can see is a floating white bulb."
Instead of answering my sarcastic remark, the Principal smiled at and gestured his arm as if telling to go on ahead and approach that floating white sphere.
I was a bit wary but curiosity had taken over my reason. Besides, after all that talk about being the chosen 'support' and the engagent with his daughter which he so easily presented as if it was nothing serious, there was no reason for to be killed here.
"You should see for yourself. Go on. Put your hand on it."
"Will I be sucked inside this? Is this what I read from novels? A separate dinsion?" I asked sothing obvious again.
The Principal refused to answer again and only gave another smile, waiting for to go and touch the sphere by myself.
What's there to hesitate? If I die by touching it then there's no point bringing down here. He could've done it easily by stabbing when I was still bound at that chair; which is also his ability.
Shaking my head to cast away unnecessary thoughts, I approached the floating sphere and stretched my hand out to it.
The mont my fingers touched its surface, my vision, without any sort of warning, instantly beca filled with white. It was like being subrged in a deep white fog.
After a few seconds in that state, the fog cleared and a bit unbelievable sight of a desolate land stretching as far as my eye could see replaced it.
Not far from where I was standing was a similar sphere. However, unlike the one I touched, it looked like the a floating globe of Earth.
"Welco, Kuramoto-kun."
The Principal's old voice rang out behind . He was still the sa old man I followed behind earlier.
"I was really sucked inside, huh? And that thing is the door to go back, right?" I pointed at the globe.
"I don't need to answer you. It's now easy for you yo understand, right? Can you feel it? The increased clarity inside your mind."
With his words, I tried to focus.
He was right. My mind was a bit clearer now. I believe I could solve a hard mathematics problem that was impossible for before. But I won't. There's no point in doing that, is there?
Stop overthinking. Da--!
I shook my head again and tried to focus on our conversation again.
"How did you find out about this?"
This place is a separate dinsion. And I could clearly feel the change in . For sothing like this to be possible...
"I can only explain it as my destiny."
Destiny? Is it also my destiny to beco their only support? I call bull--
Ah. I said I should stop cursing.
"What do you think? Can you finally undersand your ability?"
With an amused smile, he goaded to try it out.
"Let see."
I closed my eyes and focused in my inner mind, trying to feel the ability this old man was talking about.
After a while, a small avatar of suddenly appeared, diving inside my mind. There were various rivers running all around. In it, I could see the various thoughts currently running through my head and perhaps so of my mories. However, in one part of my brain, there was sothing shining in there. The small avatar swam to it and tried to understand whatever that was.
At this point, I opened my eyes and looked at the Principal.
"It's part of our brain, huh?"
That ability he's talking about is a natural part of us. However, one needed a trigger to awaken it. And perhaps, it differs from person to person?
"Correct."
The Principal nodded.
"When I focus on it, I can finally understand how my ability works. Did you remove my mory about it. Sothing clicked when I focused on it."
As an answer, he smiled once more.
This Principal... Can I sue him for kidnapping and mind-control?
Haa... In any case, it's almost a wonder to suddenly beco enlightened like this.
Dropping the topic, I once again focused on my so-called Ability.
Stretching my arms out, the wind that was sowhat stale ever since we entered suddenly stirred. Bit by bit as if following my will, it then focuses on one point. My palm that was currently open. A mont later, it circled around it until a whitish blob of energy was ford on top of it.
"This energy. Psyche Energy."
Surprisingly, even the na of this foreign energy beca registered in my mind.
Is this part of my Adaptability? To understand everything I was exposed to? Or is there a limit to what I can and cannot adapt to?
Probably the latter.
"Correct. That's the energy which made it possible for us to awaken our Ability. However that's not it's only use. Think about it, Kuramoto-kun."
Following his words, I focused my mind once again.
This Psyche Energy is inherent to this Pocket Dinsion, I can adapt to it and I can store it in my body albeit only a small part of it.
However, in here, as long as I am here, I can control this energy as if I am its master. I can feel it.
Collecting more energy in my hand, the size of the blob increased to the size of a basketball.
"I feel like I can control everything here!"
I shouted exicitedly. To experience sothing like this, anyone will be overjoyed.
"I know that's what you will say. Well then, try controlling it further."
Excited at the prospect, I did what he told . However, what happened wasn't what I expected. The blob of energy dispersed once it left my control.
"What happened?"
Confused, I asked the Principal.
"You already adapted to it. You can find the answer in you. This is what you will do in the Otherworld, understand the inherent energy in that world and use it to yourself to support the Heroes you will be accompanying."
Convinced with his explanation, I once again closed my eyes and searched for the answer.
This Psyche Energy. It does not have a destructive power or my Ability is still weak enough to turn it into that.
To put in ga terms, for now it is an Intelligence stat buff type of energy. By collecting it, one can use this energy to boost other people or themselves for a short period of ti or just until the energy is used up.
"This is can be use to buff soone."
"Correct. Your ability allows you to retain the clarity boost this dinsion gives. And I think you already guessed it, you can also store a certain amount of energy which you can bring out of this world apart from what you can store inside your body which is still a minuscule amount."
Now that he told that, I confird that I could really store the blob of energy apart from stuffing it in my small body. There's an invisible container there that can accommodate the said energy.
"I can only store energy the size of a baseball."
"That's good enough. You just have to keep practicing. The capacity of that storage will most likely increase with continuous usage. Now try to use that stored energy."
Concentrating again, I channeled that stored energy inside . It manifested itself as a small blob of energy again but unlike before, it's stable. I know I can throw this energy to soone. This is how I can buff soone.
Aiming for the Principal, I threw the energy to him.
Upon seeing it hurtling towards him, the old man didn't dodge and welcod it. In ti, the ball of energy squarely hit him.
"As I thought. Your ability is truly useful as a support. I felt my already high clarity raise a bit because of that energy."
He nodded again as he closed his eyes feeling the effect of that ball of energy I threw at him.
"It's funny because you're right. I was dood to be a support. Will this energy help them?"
Right. This is a support skill. I don't think I can use this offensively.
"Yes. Most of the ti their Mind or their Psyche will be exhausted. Throwing that to them will most likely let them feel refreshed and energized."
I see. So it was like an energy drink albeit for ntal energy.
"Well then, Kuramoto-kun, I will be leaving you here. Use the ti until the evening when you will depart to practice and try to increase your capacity."
After confirming that I already understood what my ability is, he turned around and started walking towards that globe exit.
"Yes, Principal."
If I want to run away from here, then I can only follow for now. And it's not really that bad to have a special ability that you can only see in fictions.
"I don't need to tell you how to leave this dinsion, right?"
"Yes. It's clear how to since we stepped inside."
Adaptability. A super support ability. But the Principal didn't think about the real potential of this.
Though I don't know what kind of energy and boosts I will receive in each of their Otherworlds, it will surely bolster my arsenal. Thinking about it, if I go to that magic world and adapt to Mana, I will then be able to store mana and bring it back to Earth. If I learned a magic spell, I can then cast it here, without any restriction.
Ah, but all of this needed hardwork from . Unlike the preset heroes with preset destiny and ability. They all received a super beginner package that can let them blaze through the earlier levels. Ah, how enviable.
How about ? I only got Sugawara-san as my fiance for my beginner package.
Until now, my connection with her is blurred. For her to act like that, there must be sothing or it is just truly an act to bait into accepting this role.
I better practice hard for now and increase this invisible container inside . I'll ask the questions when the ti cos.
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