Chương 293: The Result Of A Gift

I had never thought that my life would eventually lead me to the point where I could genuinely call myself a skilled craftsman. Back when I was still just a human, I thought that my life would be all about managing the business left behind by my parents. That I would just have the responsibilities of this business and of watching over Leton, and perhaps, down the line, eventually find a way to further my knight training after it was suddenly cut short.

A merchant, an older sister, perhaps a knightess, and hopefully, an aunt at one point… I had always had a good head on my shoulder, but what I was doing in the Mindscape these days was akin to precise alchemy, forging, and whatever else. Inside the Dreamscape, I was an architect and storyteller, and in the Gravescape… Well, I did things to further what I came up with in the Mindscape, but it really just looked like I was torturing people.

Regardless, it was all a surprise, and it still made me thoughtful whenever my mind wandered upon this subject. This power I had awoken as a result of being crushed alive was indeed great! However, I had perhaps focused a bit too much on the technical stuff and nearly forgotten about the incredible gain I had made… Indeed, the gift Ergonip had given me for the successful completion of my mission concerning the Unwanted Presences had yielded great results once I had finished absorbing it.

It hadn't reinforced my body or otherwise provided a power boost, but it had unlocked something I hadn't suspected was even a thing. I hadn't taken the time to test it beyond just checking it out once or twice. I had been a bit distracted by Gilepre's attempt at a grand escape, and then focused on other things. I shouldn't leave a new part of my toolkit unexplored, however.

So I headed down into the sewers and walked until I reached one of those wide open spaces where workers were meant to come down to when they had to run tests. Since they often had to remain for long periods of time, and getting up and down was a hassle, they needed space to rest and eat–Despite the awful stench.

One of such areas was perfect for me to test things away from anyone's gaze, and since Leou was the boss of all the workers, she could tell me that no tests or anything else requiring anyone to come down were scheduled, so the terrain was clear. Alright… Let me check the details again first.

Base Form Variant (El Gigante-01) - This unique variant of the 'Base Form' was specially manifested and unlocked following the consumption of an extraordinary item that stimulated the machine This form is accessed solely from the 'Base Form'. El Gigante-01 resembles the 'Base Form' in all aspects, with the stark difference being the height and size.

You will grow much larger, taller, and heavier, and consequently, all of your physical traits will receive a substantial boost Additionally, all upgrades will be absent in this variant form, but they will be 'consumed', granting additional power to the variant form based on how many of you have, and how powerful they are You can not switch to any other form other than the 'Base Form' whilst using El Gigante-01 El Gigante-01… What an odd name that is.

With the context, I presume that it means something along the lines of 'The Giant', but I have never seen anything that looks like this language. Any ideas, Nara? It is a language common in worlds akin to those the Unwanted Presences are usually from. Though it is indeed unusual. The name should have been decided by the Universal System, and typically, other languages are favoured Is that so? Indeed, it would have usually been something that sounded like…

'Gigas' rather than this, but it indeed means 'The Giant'. In the masculine form, for some reason, though… I see… In any case, it was a simplistic form, but a unique one in the sense that it was called a 'variant form' instead of just a form. It was directly linked to the 'Base Form' and was basically just a larger version of it, and also much, much more physically powerful. The few quick tests I had done hadn't been the full extent of it, and it had already been very impressive.

Since my clothes had been infused with negative energy, I was able to immediately remove them by sending them all to the Mindscape's Closet. I then shifted into El Gigante-01. The transformation was actually very quick, and within less than a second, I had gone from two meters in height to three meters. Which, to be honest, wasn't actually that much for a form that was meant to be a giant form, especially one with a name that used an otherworldly language.

But it was true that, as far as I was aware, 'giant' was a word describing a bunch of species that ranged from about as tall as I currently was to dwarfing mountains. In short, 'giant' really only meant that something was bigger than what someone was used to. Regardless, a growth of one full meter was still consequent. The increase in my reach was phenomenal, and the boost to my physical traits…

I slammed my steel palm together, causing a boom of noise that went and echoed far enough that it went out of my hearing range before it actually lost much force. This would deafen a regular person without doubt. I would have punched a wall to see how it held up, but this was a structure owned by Leou, and I didn't want to mess something up, but if I were to punch one of these walls–I would definitely shatter it by using my full force. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

In part due to how drastically my weight had increased as well. Nara, did it also make my resistance upgrades unusable? It did not leave any. This is the only form so far to actually not allow resistance-type upgrades to carry over I should be careful with falls then, the terrific weight could definitely turn into a weakness without 'Reinforced Frame' and 'Shock Dampeners'.

Though it did say that it improved all physical traits, so perhaps my resilience was actually good enough to allow me to handle such things without problem. It would require testing… The one drawback that I could feel without the shadow of a doubt was the impact it had on mobility. I could definitely carry ground quickly–But only in a straight line, and with the caveat that I was impressively slow to initially gather speed, and also that my momentum was basically completely out of my control.

I couldn't close distances quickly–At least not by running normally–And while I could definitely be an absolute speed devil after some time, if I had to take a corner, I would go straight through the wall in front unless I could somehow dig my heels or fingers into the ground to halt myself, which was likely to not function very well anyway. So, unless the scene took place in a huge, straight hallway, El Gigante-01 wasn't built for chases. It was a form that was all about brute force.

It was simply meant to face threats head-on. I wonder how resilient it is to magic. One of my dreams was to be able to apply my mastery of 'Steel Shaping' from my knightly form to my other forms, and be able to have bodies made of energy-resistant steel. It would be a huge boon, but I had the feeling that this wasn't something that was possible. At least, not as an actual ability that could be activated whenever.

It might be possible to prepare ahead of time with Mari's help by replacing body parts one by one, but it was dubious whether it would work out, or if my natural regeneration would just overwrite it all over time. Anyway, this is a good form. I should make clothes for this size as well. With the kind of cloak I usually wear, I would look properly intimidating at this size, but I can't risk showing it in public. I can't change the colour of my eyes.

I carefully sat down, making the ground shake slightly despite my best efforts to be gentle. El Gigante-01… Why a zero and a one? Does El Gigante have multiple stages? Or does it indicate that there is potential for more variant forms besides this one? Could it be that Ergonip's present didn't just unlock this, but the concept of variant forms as a whole? If so, I'll really need to thank him. It was a reward in the first place, but the dusty skeleton reminded me of an old man.

A bit like that old man, as blind as a mole, whom I had dug a hole in the garden at the back when I was in Lintown. I don't know why, but I like old men like this guy. A bit silly, probably because of old age, but still well-meaning. I would have normally slaughtered the owner of the house, but I had let him be, and would even sometimes 'pass by' for some tea.

I am not sure what exactly about Ergonip gave me this impression, but this skeleton radiated the same energy as an old man who didn't remember his own name but remembered all of the obscure anecdotes in his mind. Anything you can tell, Nara? Mmh… I am not allowed to confirm or deny, but you were a bit out of it whilst absorbing the item, right? You should check the list of forms that are on their way toward being acquired Mmh? Oh.

Mascot Form Revenant Jack-Out-Of-The-Box Pure Spirit Form Rusted Plague Form Biobot Form Ghost In The Machine Pure Curse Form Giant Form There is indeed something new, but… What does this mean? Another giant form? Well, instead of a fancy moniker, this one is straight up just the 'Giant Form'. What would the difference be? Would it have specificities beyond just being a bigger 'Base Form', or… Was it actually giant? Still nothing, Nara?

Still not allowed to say anything, but in my humble opinion, that is merely a statement of basic logic and not at all a confirmation of fact, nor a denial of any plausible idea–I would say that the 'Giant Form' would indeed be a truly immense form Are you walking on eggshells, Darling?

Pardon me for the foul language, but I'm afraid the Universal System–Or in other words, my mother–Has caught onto my bullshit and is getting ready to metaphorically hit the back of my head with a slap I must thus be careful about this In this case, make sure to be on your best behaviour. What even is the punishment for a special system like yourself? It depends on how well I can argue my case, but I might be stripped of some of my capabilities That would be–Mmh? Why are people coming down the ladder?

It seemed like the boosts I had in the El Gigante-01 also included my senses, as I was able to hear them from much further away than normal. Only two–No, some are coming down another ladder? There were several ladders leading to this same area for the simple reason that workers often came in large groups, and all being on the same ladder could be both unsafe and overly time-consuming. I do not think these people were workers, though.

Not only was nothing scheduled as Leou had told me, but there were only four of them, it seemed. A team too small, from my understanding. Mmh… I eyed a room whose purpose was clearly written on a plaque. Equipment A storage room. I squeezed myself in by crawling in sideways, and finding that the dark room actually had a high ceiling, I put my long limbs to use, and climbed up by basically walking up the wall with my hands pressing against the wall behind me. Let's see what these random people are up to…

This is my girlfriend's property they are on, so… legally speaking, I am allowed to kill them on the spot, but I was curious. What could warrant a meeting in this pungent place?