Regeneration

It's the second time I woke up after losing my hearing, and I must admit, it sucks.

Unfortunately, there's not much I can do about it.

'I should start with Healing Magic first.'

Luckily, I've collected a few books in my Mind Library, which helped me understand how it's supposed to work.

'In theory, you use your Magical Power to stimulate the natural regeneration of the body, huh.'

I got the gist of its applications.

However, with that, there's no way I'd be able to recover something completely destroyed like my eardrums.

Eardrums wouldn't just 'naturally regenerate', after all.

While my [Perfect Human Body] has already optimized my body to an enormous degree compared to a normal human, it does not touch this topic at all.

I can't alter the way my Healing Magic works anyway. My Sixth Sense made it clear that creating Spells based on those of this world is definitely a bad idea. So, I'll heed its advice and stick to using what's available here.

...That's when an idea came to mind.

If my 'base regeneration' is high enough, then Healing Magic would require less Magical Power, making it easier to achieve my goals.

I could create another pseudo-artifact using Magic Circles to draw in Magical Power from my surroundings, enhancing my base regeneration.

When you think about it, Healing Magic isn't all that different from Body Strengthening. Both involve infusing Magical Power to enhance the recipient's abilities.

Body Strengthening focuses on concrete aspects such as muscles and bones...

In contrast, Healing Magic operates on a similar principle but at a smaller scale. It stimulates cell duplication to hasten the healing process until the recipient is restored to their original condition.

To put it simply, while the idea might sound abstract, it's achievable in practice.

You just need a high level of control over Magical Power, and that's it.

I can still do more to boost my base regeneration.

There's a skill I'm thinking of that would enable me to continuously regenerate from injuries.

If I merge all the ideas I've had so far, it won't just be about regenerating my eardrums.

It'll make it challenging for anyone to kill me.

Of course, unless the opponent is significantly stronger, that is.

The only way to obtain such a skill is by using Skill Points.

In the past, I might have hesitated to spend them, but now, I'm not holding back.

There's just one hitch.

If I request a skill that boosts the body's regeneration, I'm certain it will come with a hefty price tag.

There has to be a trade-off.

I ruled out the option of having it draw from my body's nutrients. While it seemed convenient and straightforward, relying on that would likely lead to an immediate collapse, with all my skills constantly siphoning off those.

I'm already consuming over 3500 calories per day, and it's starting to feel insufficient.

So, there was only one other alternative, if I don't want to cause world hunger in Eminence in Shadow as well.

Magical Power.

I considered all the details, ran a few checks to ensure it wouldn't drain too many points, and then I used the [Skill Ticket].

[Skill Shop]

[Available Skills:

[Regeneration](NEW!)

]

[Regeneration]

[Description: This passive skill accelerates the natural healing processes of the user's body in exchange for a portion of the user's Magical Power]

[Effect: Continuous and enhanced regeneration of cells, tissues, and organs]

[Limitation: This skill cannot regenerate the heart or your head]

[Cost: 20 Skill Points]

I figured it was a fair deal. The cost was a bit on the steeper side, but not outrageously so.

This kind of regeneration came with clear limitations and tapped into a more abundant source of energy—like the distinction between a regular and a golden spoon.

Given the circumstances, I made the decision to make the purchase.

Yet, the moment I did...

[Your Authority over Mana glanced at your skill [Regeneration] in disdain]

[Your Skill [Regeneration] has become [Regeneration+]. As a skill affected by your Authority, your own Mana will not be consumed in exchange for this skill]

[Your Authority over Limits is not satisfied by this arrangement]

[Your Skill [Regeneration+] has lost part of its Limitations]

[This action will have consequences]

Well... I suppose that sorts out the problem?

Even though I'm still cautious about the last prompt—it's the third one I've received already—getting worked up about it won't solve anything, so...

Upon a quick examination of my skills, I noticed that the skill [Regeneration+] didn't carry the same limitation as its predecessor. Specifically, the clause [restricting healing to the heart] was no longer there.

So, that means if I'm stabbed through the heart, there's a chance I might survive.

That's reassuring.

Even if I'm tempted to test my theories and see if combining everything will truly enable me to regenerate my eardrums, it's not something I can experiment with right now.

There's still one thing I must prioritize.

'Time to see how I fare without my skill [Body Zen]'

The moment the skill deactivated, I felt a wave of disorientation wash over me, like something was missing.

I tried to take a step forward, but my legs buckled beneath me and I stumbled to the ground. It was then that I realized just how much I had relied on that skill to move.

Without it, I was unable to coordinate my movements properly.

The human body unconsciously uses sound to coordinate steps and maintain balance, and much more. 

Having relied on those senses my entire life, I couldn't fully grasp the challenges faced by someone born with this problem.

I knew this, but I underestimated its impact.

Without that, I was like a newborn fawn, struggling to stand on its wobbly legs.

I gritted my teeth and tried again. 

I managed to stand up, but my estimation of how much I should move was off, and I ended up falling.

This might take a while, but I won't give up.

My future enemies, get ready to despair.

Not even cutting me into pieces will be enough to finish me...

And with that, I fell again.

---

Author's Note:

Akira's Authorities to Regeneration:

Am I a Joke to you

I'm sorry for the even longer delay lmao. Today you'll have another chap ofc to compensate for yesterday's :)