Chapter 5: Mystery Power.

Advanced chapters on Patreon.com/Rentakun.

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"ID Escape," I murmured as I emerged from the dungeon, mentally exhausted but riding the high of victory. The battle had been grueling, yet I was elated, exhilarated by the thrill of it all. The dragon had been elusive, but I had finally cornered it by pushing my speed to its limits. The air was thick with the smell of scorched earth as flames rained down from above. In the chaos, I had acquired two new skills—Bloodlust Sense and Fire Resistance, both at Level 1. My heart pounded with the dragon's hatred as I dodged its relentless strafing attacks. The creature was a monstrous undead with nearly 200,000 HP, its Strength and Vitality just shy of my own, and its bone armor reduced the impact of my physical strikes.

Time was against me, forcing me to take the offensive. The dragon refused to land, always hovering just out of reach, taunting me. Desperate to ground it, I started hurling chunks of the castle at the beast, tearing through stone and mortar to no avail. My reward for this futile effort was the skill Throw at Level 1, but not a single boulder made contact. Abandoning the strategy, I resorted to Air Kicks, but the fleeting window of opportunity during its swoops made the damage negligible.

Then came the realization: Jump. I sprinted up the side of a crumbling bell tower and launched myself from the ledge, soaring toward the dragon. I activated Strength of Insects, channeling my power to penetrate the dragon's armor, and then sacrificed 600 Intelligence points to boost my Strength beyond two thousand using Strength of Beasts. What followed was a brutal rodeo, me hammering against its steely hide while the dragon thrashed, trying to dislodge me. Twice it nearly succeeded, but I stabbed my fingers into the armor and held on, my grip like iron. Enraged or maddened by pain, the dragon plummeted, crashing into a nearby building, collapsing the structure beneath us.

If not for my high Pain Resistance, I'd have been incapacitated by the impact. My Physical Resistance kept me from being crushed outright, though every muscle in my body screamed in protest. With time ticking down, I mustered all my strength, hefting the multi-ton beast, muscles burning through my Pain Resistance. I hurled the dragon over the castle ramparts, my vision swimming from the effort.

A message flashed before me: the Skeletal Dragon was defeated. I immediately activated ID Escape, returning to my room just as my parents arrived. They informed me that the event had been cut short, oblivious to my recent conquest. Dinner was uneventful; I didn't even need to spike my food with hot sauce. Afterward, I played games with my father, a mundane end to an extraordinary day.

As I lay in bed, my thoughts raced. My first dungeon dive, two bosses down, all without my parents suspecting a thing. The thrill of battle was unlike anything I'd known in my past life, where I'd always shied away from violence. It was dangerous and unnecessary—or so I had believed. But now, with these powers, I couldn't help but feel a drive to use them. Whether for good or evil, superpowers change you.

I shook off the philosophical thoughts, focusing instead on my spoils. The game-like interface blinked before me:

**King**

**The Gamer**

**Title:** None

**Species:** Human

**Health:** 9,530/9,530 (HP Regen: 191 per minute)

**Mana:** 8,900/8,900 (MP Regen: 178 per minute)

**Level:** 17 (EXP: 465/3650)

**STR:** 872

**VIT:** 853

**DEX:** 696

**INT:** 790

**WIS:** 703

**LUK:** 900

**Points:** 80

**Money:** 9,600¥

HP was calculated by multiplying Vitality by 10, adding the initial 200 HP, and tacking on an extra 50 HP per level. Mana was similar, with Intelligence multiplied by 10, plus an initial 200 MP, and an extra 50 MP per level. Base health and mana regeneration were 1% per minute, doubling when their respective stats crossed 100. Each level up granted me five points to distribute, though I had yet to spend the current allotment.

A notification interrupted my musings:

**Congratulations on reaching Level 10! Please choose your desired perk from the list below:**

**[Unarmed Warrior]**

Through rigorous training, your fists and feet become weapons. Harden them to block a portion of damage without losing health and sharpen them to pierce through materials.

**[Natural Psychic]**

By expanding your mind, you tap into latent psychic powers. Reading minds, moving objects, and even glimpsing the future are within your grasp. Increases speed of leveling psychic skills, decreases Mana cost, and enhances effectiveness.

**[Monster Slayer]**

Your talent for killing beings beyond human reach is unparalleled. Critical hit rate doubles against monsters, and you can mark a monster's weak spots, guaranteeing critical hits if struck.

**[Sorcerer's Apprentice]**

Magic is unknown in the One Punch Man universe, but not to you. Awaken the power within, gaining abilities unseen on this earth. Increases speed of leveling magic skills, decreases Mana cost, and enhances effectiveness.

**[Mysterious Being]**

Your mind is… different. Whatever obsession drives you manifests physically, granting you power beyond mankind. Initial stats increase fivefold, but growth slows significantly.

I dismissed **Mysterious Being** without hesitation. The penalty wasn't worth it, and I had no intention of derailing the plot like that. Fighting Saitama as a human was my goal; I wouldn't make Garou's mistake.

The perks were intriguing, but none seemed to match my purpose. I didn't train my body to become a warrior, magician, or esper. My power wasn't for the pursuit of some noble ideal—it was for fighting Saitama. For that, I needed something more.

Scrolling through the list, I skimmed over perks like **Dragon-Blooded Warrior**, **Mass Slayer**, and **Natural Assassin**. None fit. Then, one caught my eye:

**[Outsider]**

Despite your birth here, you are fundamentally an outsider. You gain knowledge from a foreign power and receive a random ability from another universe. However, using this power will initially damage your body as it's not native to this world.

"Random, huh," I muttered, glancing at my 900 Luck stat. With a quick tap, I boosted my Luck to 980. **Bucket Full of Sixes** had already increased my critical damage from 2x to 5x, and it would likely sway this roll in my favor. I pressed accept, and the button vanished as a list appeared, spinning rapidly.

"Come on," I whispered, silently hoping for Demon Extract from Akame Ga Kill or Enchantment Magic from Fairy Tail. The spinning slowed, my nerves on edge despite my trust in my Luck. Finally, it stopped, revealing my new power.

**?**

**Requires 100% Attunement**

**Current Attunement 0%**

"Well, that's… something," I muttered. No flashy power, no instant gratification—just a mystery. But I liked mysteries, and figuring this out would be half the fun.

Shoving the uncertainty aside, I turned my attention to the equipment I'd snagged from the dungeon—a massive two-handed sword and a shield made of bone. Both items also showed 0% Attunement, confirming that unlocking my new power would require bringing them to 100%.

The excitement was almost too much, but exhaustion won out. Even with the power of The Ultimate Lifeform, I was running on fumes. I made a mental note to work on my stamina in the next dungeon before finally crashing into bed. Tomorrow, the real work would begin.