19: Chapter 19: Enhancement Stacking

"Shit!" Fujino cursed, quickly raising his wooden sword to block.

Clang!

The stool connected solidly with the Okamoto Momoka 0.01.

Despite the bokken's unnatural durability, the sheer force of the impact sent a jarring shock up Fujino's arm.

The wooden stool splintered slightly where it hit the blade.

Fujino stumbled back several steps, absorbing the momentum.

His arm throbbed.

Damn, this old guy hits hard! He quickly crushed a Perception Boost Card in his hand.

[Perception Boost Activated: +100%. Countdown: 0:00:59]

[Strength Boost Active: +100%. Countdown: 0:01:58]

This time, bolstered by doubled perception and strength, Fujino didn't try to block head-on.

He dodged nimbly to the side, letting the stool whistle past where his head had been.

Pivoting smoothly, he swung the bokken with all his might, connecting solidly with the back of Kawashima's skull.

Thud.

A hollow sound echoed through the room. This time, there was no cry of pain. Kawashima's body went rigid for a second, then crumpled silently to the floor, unconscious.

Staring down at the man lying like a sack of potatoes, Fujino cautiously prodded him with the bokken, then delivered another solid whack for good measure.

Satisfied, he pulled out the Infinitely Usable Red Rope he'd drawn earlier and proceeded to truss Kawashima up in an intricate, inescapable knot pattern vaguely resembling kinbaku (Japanese rope bondage).

Learned something useful from that rope book after all, he thought wryly.

Finally finished, Fujino turned off his phone's camera, letting out a shaky breath.

"Phew... That guy's combat power was ridiculous." He stared at the trussed-up Kawashima, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Even with Detective Enhancement active, I almost got overwhelmed. Is he really just some fifty-something old geezer?"

With a 100% boost, Fujino estimated his physical prowess should be at least D+ rank – enough to easily overpower a normal person.

Yet this 'old geezer' had almost beaten him... Felt more like fighting a furniture store demolition derby champion.

Then he remembered a certain high school girl capable of punching through telephone poles. The absurdity faded.

Okay, maybe a C-rank fifty-year-old isn't that unreasonable in this world.

Yeah, this is fine. Perfectly Conan-logical.

In the Conan-verse, combat power levels were notoriously inconsistent.

Average people were generally below C-rank.

Stronger criminals might reach C ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠or C+.

Police officers like Sato Miwako hovered around C+, occasionally spiking to B.

Then there were monsters like Ran Mouri, whose base level was C+ to B but could skyrocket to A+ under duress.

The gap between D+ and C was roughly double, C to B maybe triple.

The difference between B and A was unknown.

As for the mythical S-rank? That was superhuman territory – crushing steel guns with bare hands type stuff.

Of course, Fujino reminded himself, these ranks are just my rough estimates.

Actual combat ability fluctuates wildly.

[Detective Enhancement Duration Expired. Cooldown Initiated: 0:29:59]

The system notification snapped Fujino out of his musings. He checked the interface – the Detective Enhancement skill was greyed out, a timer ticking down.

"So, it's not spammable. It has a cooldown." He took a deep breath, calming himself.

Later that night, outside a nondescript house.

After dumping Kawashima back in the piano room (securely gagged with his own three-month-unwashed-smelling sock and duct tape – even if he woke up and managed to make noise, the smell alone would probably knock him out again), Fujino followed the back alleys to Hirata Kazuaki's house.

"Asleep already?" Fujino observed the darkened two-story building.

He turned his phone camera back on, tucked it into his pocket, then easily vaulted the garden wall.

Spotting an open window on the second floor, he took another deep breath, activated Detective Enhancement again (it must have come off cooldown), and immediately crushed another Strength Boost Card.

[Strength Boost Activated: +100%. Countdown: 0:00:59]

Two system pings sounded. Fujino grabbed a protruding ledge on the wall and scaled it effortlessly, slipping silently through the open window.

This was his newly discovered technique: enhancement stacking.

Activating a base skill, then immediately using a corresponding boost card, combined their effects.

During this doubled-boost period, his combat power surged exponentially, likely reaching C-rank territory.

The only downside was burning through boost cards quickly Luckily, his gacha pulls had netted him several, enough for his Moonlight Island escapade.

"Snore... snort... whuffle!"

As soon as he landed inside, Fujino heard strange, loud noises. He froze, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drawing his wooden sword, and crept cautiously towards the source.

The bizarre sounds emanated from the bedroom. Fujino slid the door open slightly.

Sprawled awkwardly on the tatami mat, tangled in his futon, was Hirata Kazuaki, fast asleep and snoring like a congested warthog.

"Sleeping soundly, are we?" Fujino murmured dryly, observing Hirata's less-than-dignified sleeping posture.

He silently raised the Okamoto Momoka 0.01, deciding to help him achieve a more... peaceful state.

He approached soundlessly. Sword raised, sword falling.

Thwack!

A crisp impact.

Hirata's body twitched violently for a second, then went still, the snoring abruptly ceasing.

Fujino didn't relax just yet.

He delivered another solid blow for good measure, then carefully pried open Hirata's eyelid.

Seeing the whites rolled back confirmed he was genuinely unconscious.

Fujino finally lowered the bokken.

Next came the red rope. Another intricate knot secured Hirata.

Then, Fujino pulled off Hirata's own foul-smelling socks, stuffed one into his mouth, and applied duct tape liberally.

With the occupant secured, Fujino began searching the room.

Under the influence of his doubled perception boost, he quickly noticed something odd in the cluttered storage closet.

Amidst the dusty shelves, one section of the floor was suspiciously clean, marked with several fresh footprints.

Fujino pried up the loose floorboard.

Beneath it, packed tightly, were numerous bags filled with white powder.

Bingo.

This must be the shipment Hirata just brought back from overseas – Kawashima's "cheap source."

Staring at the hoard of illegal drugs, Fujino couldn't help but mutter,

"So much jail time..."