Time to Grow (3)
The System asks you to define the name, details, and penalties for the skill to be created.
Skill name...?
A name, huh.
Let's go with something grand.
The invincible shield, Aegis.
"The skill name is... Aegis."
I closed my eyes and focused on visualizing the conditions for the skill I was about to create.
Heh... even I think I wrote this well.
I set it up to be slightly... advantageous for me...
I wonder how it'll go.
"Please check it."
The System asks if you are kidding right now. ಠ_ಠ
...What?
What’s with that infuriating emoticon?
No... I mean, I did make it a bit advantageous, but...
Let's try playing it a bit shameless!
"Hmm? It's not a buff... and I think I calculated the additive and multiplicative operations correctly... where is the problem?"
The System says you seem to need to wake up. ಠ_ಠ
The System says, "Human. I will make you snap out of it."
?
Snap out of it?
Is it going to drop water on my head or... wait?
Drop... it?
Could it be...
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
Once again, I let out a single scream and plummeted to the floor along with the scale plate.
Thud—
Whoosh—
Snap—
Snap—
?
I was supposed to be sent flying and bouncing off the ground after the crash as usual, but this time, I didn't.
Because Hwaryeon and Cheonma had caught my arms from both sides, performing the legendary movement technique Neunggongheodo—soaring into the sky and flying freely—to hold me up...
However...
Cough—
!!!
The impact of the scale crashing down must have still drained my stamina, as I couldn't stop a mouthful of blood from bursting out.
"Grrr— This time... I won't let go. Answer me!"
"..."
"...Why... why do you abuse yourself to this extent... huh? Do you not think about the people around you at all? Why does a man act like a woman, shouldering all the worries alone and keeping them to himself like that!"
"...Sorry..."
"Ha—"
Hwaryeon, who had ground her teeth so hard it sounded like they were breaking, glared at me and forced an answer, as if to break my will.
I could only say "sorry" because I felt guilty, having felt the hearts and concern of these women who had been waiting for me.
Hwaryeon closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh as if trying to swallow her anger.
Sorry...
But...
My "never-give-up" spirit can't be broken by anyone, Hwaryeon...
And...
Where I lived, this was the standard...
I've lived like this my whole life.
Whoosh—
Tap—
Cheonma, who hadn't said a word until we landed safely on the ground, let go of my arms the moment her feet touched the earth and stood right in front of my line of sight.
"...?"
"Seriously... where did such a foolish, bear-like man come from...?"
"..."
...Are you trying to call me a "dumb bear"?
Hwaryeon raised her hand and stroked my cheek.
"...?"
"...Typical men, like Hwaryeon said, try to push things onto women... and they don't try to solve their worries on their own... It's rare. Is this... also because it's different from your world?"
"...Oh... you're sharp."
I'm impressed, Cheonma!
I thought you were just crazy about Gacha and only cared about coins...
You have rational thoughts like this too?
"...If so... do women act like the men here...?"
"The men here...? I've never met one, so I can't really say... but it's such a diverse society... there are people who act like you do now... and people who don't. There are those who try to be equal. It's really diverse."
I wiped the blood from my lips with my sleeve and answered Cheonma's question sincerely.
"...Seriously... it's so hard to understand... it's too... complicated..."
"Well... there are many things in the world I came from that are hard to accept, too... let alone having someone with a completely different worldview and way of thinking understand me."
So...
Can you... stop stroking my cheek now...?
How long are you going to stroke it?
I'm a bit embarrassed...
...
Squeeze—
Cheonma pinched my cheek hard and pulled.
"Ow—! Let go, let go, let go!"
Watching me in pain, Cheonma frowned and said to me.
"...You... you still haven't given up, have you?"
"...Absolutely. I can't give up..."
"...Fine... do it."
Cheonma took her hand off my pinched cheek and told me to continue.
!
Hwaryeon, surprised by Cheonma's easy permission, tried to stop me.
"But Cheonma! Even after seeing him like that right now...!"
"I know, Hwaryeon. I hate it too... I don't want to see him getting hurt anymore. But... look at his mindset and actions. Do you think he'd listen if we stopped him? He's showing the exact same expression and behavior you and I had in the past."
"..."
I never once thought I'd worry them this much...
I'll just tell them I'll do it secretly by myself later...
I scratched my head, made an apologetic face, and spoke softly enough for Hwaryeon and Cheonma to hear.
"Um..."
"...?"
"...?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you. From now on, I'll just solve things quietly by myself, so if I'm not in your sight, it'll be fine..."
"What do you mean solve it by yourself! ...You... why do you keep... trying to distance yourself? Don't tell me... you had contact with the Demon Realm before meeting us!? That's why you've become strange!"
"...I should have been suspicious from the moment those Demon Lord commander bitches started wagging their tails... What did those demon bitches do? Confess honestly. If you talk now, we'll end it at just tying you up."
Hwaryeon and Cheonma grabbed my arms tightly, their eyes burning with rage as they glared at me.
"Guys... my arms hurt..."
"...Hurt...? Your arms hurt? Honestly... like Cheonma said, we should tie you up somewhere... You've definitely been seduced by the demons like this and slipped away. Cheonma."
"It's been a while. The two of us actually agreeing on something..."
Wait a minute...
How far are you two blowing this out of proportion, exactly?
I felt like my limbs were really about to be tied up, so I shouted urgently.
"Ah, I won't do it alone anymore! Okay? I'll keep doing it in front of you guys... so please relax your eyes!"
"..."
"..."
Seeing the two not listening to a word I said, I started to burn with impatience as I wanted to finish this quickly.
If I delay the skill creation, won't they add more penalties to the functionality?
More than that, they're holding my arms—why can't I move them? How hard are they gripping me?
Hwaryeon and Cheonma exchanged glances, their lips moving as if they were sending telepathic messages.
And with their other free hands, they were taking a stance to swing toward my neck, as if to use the legendary technique of hitting pressure points to block the flow of Qi and knock me out or freeze my muscles for a certain amount of time.
Just then, Merlin, who had been gasping for air and struggling because she couldn't breathe due to the skill creation effect and the appearance of the scale, finally seemed to come to her senses and sent a warning voice toward the two heroes.
"...Haa... haa... stop right there. Imagination is sometimes positive... but too much is negative. I'll catch Eodum when he plummets to the floor, so proceed without burden. Why are we fighting among ourselves? I, the mage, will cover for him. Don't worry and proceed quickly."
Aha!
Merlin!
You finally did something useful!
Hwaryeon and Cheonma, at Merlin's remark supporting me, let go of my arms and stepped back as if they understood.
Of course, they still had displeased expressions on their faces, but...
"...Thank you, Merlin."
"No. Can you proceed quickly? I want to see what comes next."
I knew it...
There's no way you stepped up for the greater good.
As I stepped back onto the scale plate under the gaze of the heroes, the scale balanced and lifted me nearly 10 meters into the air.
What should I fix, and where...
System, I really made a lot of concessions.
"Please check it."
The System says that this balance compromise should be acceptable.
The System asks if you will create the skill.
It’s done...
"Please do it."
The System says it is complete.
The System says to check it.
Whirrr—
The scale slowly began to head toward the ground.
Phew... this is a nerve-wracking moment...
Checking a new skill is always so tense...
Finally arriving, I stepped off the scale and touched the ground.
Merlin, seeing that nothing was happening, called me out.
"...Is it all over? ...There's nothing here... it's too anticlimactic?"
"...I haven't even used it yet, you brat!"
"...Brat?"
"Hey! Stop rushing me and watch closely."
I scanned the surroundings for a moment and stepped further away from everyone.
Then, I looked toward the Hwaryeon-Cheonma duo, who were still crossing their arms and giving me displeased looks.
"..."
"..."
"Watch closely. Because the reason I risk my life to challenge things is right here."
Phew... my heart is pounding so hard I'm shaking from the first time I use a skill...
Then... here I go!
I took a deep breath, squeezed my eyes shut, and shouted with all my might, loud enough to make the forest tremble.
"AEGIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
.
..
...
Whoooooosh—
An unknown blue, sea-colored liquid erupted from my body.
Should I say it was like the ink an octopus spits out...?
And that liquid wrapped around my body and covered me entirely.
The covering liquid materialized on my body like jelly and moved as if it were one with me.
As I moved my arms and legs this way and that, the way it followed me was just like a shadow.
Oh... this... is fascinating. Hmm!?
????!!!!
In an instant, my body automatically flinched and reacted, taking a guard stance as I scanned the surroundings.
"Haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-haa-agh! Th-th-th-th... this!!!! How long can you maintain it? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? I'm going to check right now!! Let go!"
Turning my head toward the voice...
I saw Merlin drooling, rushing toward me like a starving piranha that had found delicious food, while Hwaryeon and Cheonma were looking at me in shock, barely holding her back.
Did you see that?
This is me.
This.
This is Gacha.