2 Understanding Adaptability

"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 mean, 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 became 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 me again. So there's no training regimen 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 me 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-time 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 Dimension.

What is it? It activated my ability. And that ability locked me up in this situation.

"You can go back now, Yuko-chan. Leave Kuramoto-kun with me. I will prepare him inside the Pocket Dimension." Seeing that the girl could neither move from her seat nor look me in the eye, the Principal opted to send her away.

"Yes, Fa-- Principal." As if awakened from a dream, Sugawara-san immediately stood up and bowed to the Principal. At this moment, she finally had the courage to look at me. After giving me 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 met 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 Hajime."

Hajime. Beginning. I see. So he really was the start of all this. By discovering that Pocket Dimension, he gathered the heroes and awakened them early on.

This means even without his intervention, the thirty heroes are doomed 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 some 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 me about the Pocket Dimension, that's obviously the answer.

"The Pocket Dimension." 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 me be wrong about that.

"I keep hearing that dimension since earlier, can I ask what exactly is it?"

To activate someone's ability just by being brought there. Is it some kind of paradise or hell? Is there some kind of tentacle monster who will inject us with something? 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 time they determined my ability eh? So did they casually carried me from the classroom and brought me there? Was I the only one they tested? The other exam-takers wasted their time 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 me. 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 something comes out, this Old Man can act as my shield. Forget he can bind me, 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 time can tell. My Clairvoyance has its own limits too." The Principal answered.

It makes sense. Every ability will probably have its flaws, right? Same as mine. I can Adapt but according to their explanation, that is all there is to it. Or is there something more to they're keeping from me? 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 Dimension."  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 me and gestured his arm as if telling me 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 me being the chosen 'support' and the engagement with his daughter which he so easily presented as if it was nothing serious, there was no reason for me 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 dimension?" I asked something obvious again.

The Principal refused to answer again and only gave another smile, waiting for me 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 me down here. He could've done it easily by stabbing me 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 moment my fingers touched its surface, my vision, without any sort of warning, instantly became filled with white. It was like being submerged 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.

"Welcome, Kuramoto-kun."

The Principal's old voice rang out behind me. He was still the same 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 me 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 dimension. And I could clearly feel the change in me. For something like this to be possible...

"I can only explain it as my destiny."

Destiny? Is it also my destiny to become 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 me to try it out.

"Let me 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 me 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 some of my memories. However, in one part of my brain, there was something 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 memory about it. Something 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 become enlightened like this.

Dropping the topic, I once again focused on my so-called Ability.

Stretching my arms out, the wind that was somewhat 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 moment later, it circled around it until a whitish blob of energy was formed on top of it.

"This energy. Psyche Energy."

Surprisingly, even the name of this foreign energy became 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 Dimension, 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 something 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 me. 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 game 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 time or just until the energy is used up.

"This is can be use to buff someone."

"Correct. Your ability allows you to retain the clarity boost this dimension 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 me that, I confirmed 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 me. It manifested itself as a small blob of energy again but unlike before, it's stable. I know I can throw this energy to someone. This is how I can buff someone.

Aiming for the Principal, I threw the energy to him.

Upon seeing it hurtling towards him, the old man didn't dodge and welcomed it. In time, 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 doomed 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 time 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 mental energy.

"Well then, Kuramoto-kun, I will be leaving you here. Use the time 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 dimension, 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 me. 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 me? 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 something or it is just truly an act to bait me into accepting this role.

I better practice hard for now and increase this invisible container inside me. I'll ask the questions when the time comes.