Chapter 3: A Meteoric Rise to Overpowered! (4)

A while later, Haru received the notification about his level up. It was the last level up for his Harem Protagonist Job.

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Level Up! You're now Level 20! You obtained 5 Stats Points!

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You have obtained a new Job's Ability!

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You maxed out a Job: Harem Protagonist!

Your Job has changed to Fantasy Protagonist!

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Due to unlocking Fantasy Protagonist, the MAG is available!

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Haru dismissed the notifications. Then, with a healthy dosage of trepidation, he accessed his Status Board.

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Haruka Kasugano — Human — Male — 16 (February 5th)

Job: Fantasy Protagonist | Level: 1/40 | EXP 2000/0

Stats — STR: 0.7 — VIT: 5.8 — DEX: 0.7 — INT: 6.2 — MAG: 0.1

Stats Points: 165

Status Effect: Slightly Fatigued

Job's Abilities: Plot Armor — Deus Ex Machina — Aura of Harem Protagonist — Red String of Fate

Notable Abilities: Enhanced Memory — Mysterious Lottery — Item Box — Appraisal — Longinus: Innovate Clear

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Haru's gaze immediately zeroed to his new Job's Ability—Red String of Fate—and 'Appraised' it. Then, another smaller screen popped up in his field of vision.

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[Red String of Fate]

A Harem Protagonist can't be called True Harem Protagonist without the ability to protect his harem from all unscrupulous attempts on them. With this skill, all your lovers will become eternally loyal to you until death do you apart! You needn't be paranoid of Netorare and other trashy stuff! You only need to 'tie the knot' with your lover, who truly loves you, to activate this ability's effect! In addition, whenever your lovers are in danger, you can teleport to their location to save your damsels-in-distress!

Warning! The teleportation utility will enter 24 hours cool-down time after activation.

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Haru, once again, was stunned by his latest Job's Ability. However, unlike his other questionable Job's Abilities, this Red String of Fate ability was really a godsend.

Although it seemed like a shackle that bound his lovers to him, Haru couldn't deny its usefulness. With this ability, the love of his lovers had for him would be lasting until death did them apart.

Haru knew that one's love could wane by the test of time. If love could last until death did the couple apart, such a thing like a divorce wouldn't exist in the first place!

Of course, Haru didn't reject the existence of a loving couple who could survive the test of time, grew old together, and accompanied their partner until the last moment. However, those couples were only normal humans who lived a bit over a century if they were lucky, and less than a century according to the norm. They didn't really survive the real test of time.

At this point, Haru's natural lifespan was 5.8x natural lifespan of an ordinary human. Such was the effect of increasing his VIT attribute.

Speaking of his enhanced lifespan, well, he decided to put it aside for the time being. He just started his second life and didn't want to think something in the far future.

"Not all Job's Abilities are weird and questionable, I suppose," Haru remarked and dismissed the detail of Red String of Fate, returning his Status Board.

When Haru fixed his gaze on his stats attribute, he couldn't help but feel anticipation and excitement. After all, he had unlocked his MAG. He didn't seem to care that his MAG attribute was pitifully low, only 0.1 value.

"Now then, let's turn the bullshit I fed to Sora and Suzuka into reality."

After Haru declared that sentence, he focused on learning how to do magic.

***

———Magic!

It was a concept that only existed in fantasy stories in Haru's past life.

As someone who had watched anime and read manga and novels with such a concept, Haru had dreamed wielding this mystical power. But alas, it was impossible to happen in his past life.

Thankfully, Haru had a chance to wield this mysterious force in this life!

"All right, let's spend my time here to learn magic!"

Like a child in a toy or candy store, Haru was so energetic and full of excitement and anticipation. He then sat cross-legged on the ground and started meditating.

Since there was a thick grass under him, Haru had no problem with his location. At the very least, sitting on the grass field was better than sitting on a barren wasteland. It was surprisingly soft and comfortable. He was feeling glad that Innovate Clear had developed to the point of creating something that seemed like a real paradise.

After meditating for a little, Haru could feel something he labeled as Magic Circuits and Magic Energy in his body. It felt weird because Magic Circuits overlapped the location of blood channels such as major and minor veins and arteries, yet their location was conceptually different. Meanwhile, Magic Energy felt like his blood, though it traveled across the Magic Circuits.

Magic Energy originated from something that Haru labeled as Magic Core that overlapped his heart. This energy moved through Magic Circuits and would enter what he dubbed as Magic Reservoir if he didn't use it. If Magic Reservoir became full, the content would leak out. As an aside, Magic Reservoir existed between his bellybutton and crotch.

In truth, the existence of Magic Core, Magic Reservoir, Magic Circuits, and Magic Energy only existed in what Haru dubbed as the magical body, which overlapped with the physical body. An ordinary human who never dabbled in the field of mysticism would never sense their existence.

As a former ordinary human, Haru shouldn't be able to sense their existence. However, he cheated. He'd used his authority as the possessor of Innovate Clear to help him sensing his Magic Core, Magic Reservoir, Magic Circuits, and Magic Energy.

After discovering their existence, a notification screen popped up in Haru's vision in spite of him closing his eyes. In fact, Haru could see his Status Board and the pop-up screen, whether his eyes were open or shut. After all, the system was a divine artifact that fused with his existence.

Putting all digressions aside, Haru shifted his focus to the notification without opening his eyes or breaking his meditation. It was a notice about a new Notable Ability he had obtained.

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You obtained a new ability: Magic Detection!

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You obtained a new ability: Magic Control!

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Haru dismissed the notifications and focused his attention on his task; he wanted to know the limits of his newly unlocked mystical power. Before long, he found his limits; his magic energy's reserve and quality were too low because of the low MAG stat.

Without breaking out of his meditative state, Haru accessed his Status Board and put 1 Stats Point to his MAG attribute, increasing it to 1.1 points. He immediately noticed the difference; the space of his Magic Reservoir improved, the potency became thicker, and the quality grew higher. He calculated that his reserve had increased by 1000%.

Well, that was obvious. After all, Haru only had 0.1 MAG previously.

Haru exited his meditative state and raised his right hand until it became parallel to his chest, his palm facing upward. He then controlled his magic energy to move toward his right hand and coaxed it to come out of the openings or nodes in his palm. He then condensed the energy into a ball of raw magic energy—no, let's call it Mana to shorten the name.

When Haru saw a softball-sized something floating on top of his palm, he knew that he succeeded. But alas, it broke off his concentration and dispersed his Mana into the air.

As an aside, it seemed like Mana didn't have color, or maybe, Haru's Mana didn't have any. Other than the Magic Detection that helped him sensing Mana, he also saw mirage that seemed like the result of Refraction caused by heat where his condensed Mana stayed at.

Haru sighed exasperatedly and then formed a wry smile. "It looks like it won't be easy. Concentration is vital in controlling my Mana, and a small lapse in concentration can break the spell structure. Since it's only a ball of raw Mana, it didn't explode and hurt me. But, I can't be sure if I will stay unscathed if it explodes when I am crafting a complicated spell," Haru hypothesized calmly. "Fortunately, I have raised my INT stat. If I utilize the full potential of my mind, controlling my Mana won't be a problem."

Haru then thought about another matter; he wanted to know if he could produce elemental spells. He tried to convert his neutral Mana into elemental Mana but found that he was unable to do it.

"It seems like I'm unable to cast an elemental spell. Is it because I have no aptitude?"

Disappointed, Haru ended his meditation and flopped back on the soft grass; he decided to take a break before he continued his magical training. Thus, he spent his time absentmindedly staring at the clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds floating leisurely.