Back in his own room, Sawada Tsunayoshi opened the rest space and invited Loki to take a look inside the "Space Zipper · Rest Space."
"Whoa~ the interior's way bigger than I imagined."
After glancing around, Loki tilted her head up to study the sky above.
"Did you specially recreate an identical time flow to the outside, or are you just projecting the outside world's time and environment in here?"
"I didn't deliberately manufacture that environment. When I was making this 'rest space,' I simply thought it would be important to know the time above us."
"As I thought—this is imagination made real."
Hearing Tsunayoshi's candid explanation, Loki couldn't help marveling at how over-tuned the "Monster Creation" skill was. Just because he considered the idea, the sky synced with the outside. Turning imagination directly into reality like this was a little frightening.
"With sufficient imagination, your ability responds to it. For now, you've only matched time with the outside, but the implication is completely different. It means the space you create can be equivalent to a small, limited-scale world."
"This might be the hidden facet of your power. Frankly, this part already surpasses what your ability is 'supposed' to be."
It was odd indeed. From what Tsunayoshi knew, "Monster Creation" could project imagination into reality, but it shouldn't be over-tuned enough to materialize God-Slaying Tools as well. The fact that he kept producing things beyond the ability's scope was clearly "not normal."
"I feel the same about it. But as for the secret hiding in me, I still don't have any concrete leads."
"C'mon—you've been an adventurer for not even three days. No need to rush. Just keep ordinary records of the anomalies tied to you. I think as your strength rises bit by bit and your Level increases step by step, your ability will slowly reveal itself."
Loki wasn't worried about his growth in the least. First, she'd witnessed his over-tuned power; second, she'd seen his astonishing growth rate. With steady accumulation, she believed he'd soon reach first-tier adventurer standards.
"Tsunayoshi, take off your shirt. I'm curious how much you've grown during these two prep days."
"Okay."
They updated the status again. Watching the fluctuations, Loki sighed once more:
"Your magic is climbing too fast."
Strength: I89 → I90 │ Endurance: I98 → H101 │ Dexterity: H134 → H135 │ Agility: H132 → H133 │ Magic: G201 → E444
"You didn't go to the dungeon these two days—you stayed home preparing. The other stats rose only by one, Endurance by three. But your Magic jumped by two hundred forty-three."
She looked around the space—and at that over-tuned "Healing Rabbit." It wasn't hard to understand why Magic had skyrocketed. With an ability this over-tuned, and with the things he made all being over-tuned monsters, it'd be difficult for Magic not to surge.
"Your Magic is shooting up largely because you used your ability to manufacture too many over-tuned monsters. And since your ability doesn't require magical mediation—only imagination—that's the biggest reason your Magic stat is exploding."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"It's not good for balance. Your role isn't a mere summoner—you're slated for all-round development. With Magic outpacing the rest, you now have to work harder in other areas to restore equilibrium."
From the first time Tsunayoshi displayed his talent, Loki had decided he could only walk the path of the most comprehensive build.
"Your gift differs from other people's. Most have fields they excel at and fields they're weak in. Yours is remarkably even—you excel in nearly all areas. Magic is where you stand out most, but your other stats can't keep up with its growth. That means you'll have to spend more time at Lv.1 to push every stat to its limit before you can Level Up."
"That seems normal."
To Tsunayoshi, it did feel normal. Magic growth was likely being dragged upward by his ability. It would probably continue to run away ahead of the others, and with a little time he might push Magic to its cap.
"So what's the problem?"
This kid probably hadn't caught her point. Loki let out a breath.
"I'm saying you need to endure the boredom and the hunger for strength. Leveling Up can raise power quickly—but you must max out every stat before you Level Up."
"That's what you meant?"
He had thought she was going to warn him about something serious, but it turned out to be a reminder to be patient. Tsunayoshi couldn't help wanting to laugh.
"Loki-sama, you really don't need to worry about that. Honestly, I'm a bit OCD—especially about stats."
"If my numbers weren't literally quantified, maybe I wouldn't chase perfect statlines. But now that I can see my growth, I won't rush. I'll only consider leveling up when everything is capped. I won't waste a single point on a single Level."
"Compared to short-term power spikes, I value a future built step by step. Foundations and footings—those should be as solid as possible. I'm not Ais."
That final line made his attitude clear. Even with a fierce hunger for strength, he wouldn't abandon a stable, rock-solid foundation just to grab a momentary boost. That would only trade away future potential.
And he didn't need an immediate spike anyway. His personal strength couldn't compare to what "Monster Creation" gave him. Rather than blowing up his power in the short term, he'd develop steadily—and use "Monster Creation" to bridge the gaps.
"Good."
Loki had been watching him closely. Confirming that he meant every word finally let her relax. With Ais as the glittering precedent, Loki had genuinely worried Tsunayoshi might be the same. Fortunately, he wasn't.
(End of Chapter)
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