Strength

A/N: patreòn here: door_kun (Currently 2 chapters ahead)

"We're leaving," announced us, the triplets, as we made our way outside.

"Have a safe trip," Mom's happy tone filled the air.

Back to our usual routine, we walked to school and spent the day learning. Well, that's the task my clone is handling, not me. The real Ame is currently chilling on top of a rooftop, happily playing with my skills.

Now, let's talk about the strength stat.

In reality, having more muscles doesn't necessarily mean gaining more strength; it's supposed to be the bones. That's why there are Body Builders and Power Lifters.

While building muscles is important, having strong bones and joints is crucial. In Chinese cultivation manhuas, they refer to it as "Tempering bones," which can be misleading since tempering typically involves heating and hitting.

But well, each to their own methods, even if they involve 1000-year-old cocaine (ginseng) or whatever they take before "sitting down in a lotus position" for three more chapters. I won't judge.

The theory is still there, so I won't judge.

The proper term in real life is "Bone Conditioning," which involves strengthening and toughening one's bones through specific exercises or activities.

But I won't need that exercise.

*Crack*

Immediately, I spread energies throughout my whole body, causing it to feel hostile.

"Ugh--!?" I flinched in pain.

The theory of Bone Conditioning is to create small cracks in your bones, which heal over time, tricking your body into activating its defense mechanism and generating denser and stronger bones.

However, having extensively studied Aqua's human anatomy book, I know precisely which bones to crack and have good control over the process.

A few seconds later, the pain finally subsides.

The fractures on my bones are enough for the body to heal, but they won't lead to any internal bleeding. Just a few weeks, and I will have new, stronger bones. I stand up and attempt to move. Though I feel some discomfort, it's not enough to be life-threatening.

"Hmm... This is fine." As I muttered that I gathered energy to my foot and made my way down.

My next training is water walking, where I'll repel water from my feet using energy. It's more challenging than wall climbing, but I'm up for it. I'll practice in the bathtub later.

For now, I just ran around Minato Ward, surrounded by tall buildings everywhere. The district is famous for Roppongi hills and the iconic Tokyo Tower. This location would be perfect for a certain Spider superhero to move around effortlessly.

...

*Ding*

[Strength has been increased by 10]

[Defense has been Increased by 10]

A month later, the notification popped up. Typically, bone fractures take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. However, more severe fractures or in older individuals may require a longer healing time.

Thus, it's beneficial to start conditioning at a young age if you aim to become a martial practitioner. On a personal note, having the ability to control energy allows my wounds to heal slightly faster.

And keep doing it while you're at it, and something amazing will happen.

[You have learned 『Pain Resistance』(E)]

Having strong and healthy bones is essential, but it's worth noting that nociceptors, the receptors of pain, are primarily located in the skin, muscles, and organs.

For activities like throwing a punch or swinging a sword, it's crucial to develop skin calluses. Calluses help protect the skin from friction and pressure, reducing the discomfort caused by repetitive movements and allowing for a better grip and improved performance.

However, if I start practicing now, Mom and the others might become suspicious. It's not typical for a five-year-old to swing a bat or wield a sword with rough hands and without baby fat.

I'm currently at home, and there's no one else around. All the adults are like usual doing their job, and Mom is doing a live on TV. At this moment, *Swirl*, attempting that technique seems like a good idea.

"Ooh, I did it in the fifth try..."

A vibrant swirl of blue energy coalesced violently into a ball in my palm. However, once I cut off its energy supply, the swirls dispersed like a gust of wind, scattering in all directions.

After repeatedly watching Naruto anime on my phone, I've mastered the technique without needing the water balloon practice. Wisdom stat for the win ✨!

I'm excited to explore shaping it into threads soon. Fear not, readers! The Spooder-Man will make an appearance in the upcoming chapters!

(A/N: Oi...)

JK.

...

When Mom arrived home, I hid by suppressing my energies. Soon after, my siblings and my clone also arrived.

"We're home," I could hear them exclaim, and Mom responded, "Welcome home."

As soon as they entered, my clone went straight into my room while I opened the window and jumped in.

"... Let's just get through this." The clone looked at me with a tired expression before dispersing into white smoke.

After collecting her memories, I went downstairs after changing. Today, we're helping Mom with dinner.

"Everyone, we're back," Soon, Miyako-san and the president arrived at our house. They are our legal guardians, so this is considered normal.

"Mama~"

"Yes dear?/what is it?" (Ai & Miyako)

"Miyako-san, I am asking for Mama, you know?"

"Kuh--!?

It was rather comical to see Miyako-san found the nonexistent arrow piercing her chest, she surely has accepted the role of our godmother slowly... and, on the other side, Aqua is asking a lot of questions about Ai's work to the president.

We end up having dinner with them almost every day.

We plan to address this situation to the public only after Ai's retirement. It won't cause much turmoil, and our family won't face significant troubles.

Though society might frown upon us eventually, Ai will already be retired and have saved a substantial amount of money. I also have investment plans and a future career to consider.

Living a leisurely life in Dubai appears appealing due to its tax-free environment and the ease of generating passive income. Moreover, statistics indicate lower crime rates compared to Japan or the USA, making it an ideal place to reside.

And... As for our "father"...

After dinner, my siblings went upstairs to their room, but I lingered behind, hiding behind the stairs to overhear the adults' conversation.

"If we never told them, then they might get some weird ideas, you know?" Mom sounded worried.

"Ai, those kids of yours are geniuses. I know they will understand why we keep the secret away from them... But again, they are quite mature. What if they try finding out about their father themselves? They might be in danger somehow," President Saito responded.

"But... They do have the right to know their father is...!!!" Ai was concerned and furious.

"Ai-kun... Please have a look at this." Suddenly, Miyako-san handed out something that sounded like a paper.

Using magic perception, I spread my energies and converted them into data, pulling the energy back to me to look at the content of the papers in a third-person view.

"The person that you mentioned has disappeared. Hikaru Kamiki was presumed dead a year ago."

What!??

"This... This can't be..." Ai frowned as she looked at the papers.

Presumed dead? Bullshit!! Someone like him... Someone like him who had the ability to perceive other people's way of thinking and manipulate it??? There's no way someone of that caliber will...

No, it's too soon to judge. It may have been the butterfly effect; I won't be surprised if he is currently on his way to become some kind of underground lord behind the scenes...

Hikaru Kamiki... I should search up that name; the deep web is always open, so this might be a chance.

...

To be continued.