Snaps [1,000,000 / 1,000,000]
[Congratulations! You have snapped one million times, therefore you can choose x1,000,000 of anything of your choosing.]
Aquarius's hand fell limp, trembling slightly as a wild grin cracked across his face. Exhilaration bubbled in his gut like a geyser ready to blow.
"Hell yes!!" he screamed, voice echoing off the walls.
Kianna flinched, her ears twitching as she covered them. "Shut the hell up, will you?" she growled, glaring daggers.
She hadn't actually expected him to do it, but of course he did.
"Oh shit, my bad, Kianna, but surely you can understand why I'm this happy, right?" Aquarius apologized, still grinning like an idiot.
"I get that, but my ears are very sensitive," she sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, you told me your Talent involves boosting anything by a million, but the drawback is that you have to offer a million of something in return..right?"
"That's correct.." Aquarius confirmed, eyes narrowing with interest. He wanted to see where this was going.
After his little "bathroom discovery," he'd gone straight to find her—only to find Kianna in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and tails swaying as she stirred a steaming pot she'd dramatically named Monsteiur de Deliciosa.
If he didn't want it, she said, he could fuck off.
Naturally, he stayed.
He'd read that she was, after all, a top-tier cook, even if "top-tier" meant "a mix of random small monsters she hunted nearby."
He'd told her about his Talent, leaving out the fact it was Ex-Rank. The look of shock on her face was so exaggerated it could've made Jim Carrey proud.
She'd asked what he was doing in the 5th Zone. His 'honest' answer—"I don't even know"—earned him another glare.
And yet, she still let him stay.
She just hadn't expected him to actually snap a million times.
"Thennn why didn't you just count to a million?" Kianna tilted her head. "Surely it would've had the same effect?"
Aquarius froze mid-breath.
[She's right, by the way, Aquarius.]
His eye twitched. "So why didn't you tell me this before I reached fifty snaps, Kianna?"
She smirked. "Because I enjoyed seeing you struggle and in pain, Aquarius."
"Damn, how masochistic of you." he muttered with a grin.
Her eyes narrowed, and she flicked a spoonful of hot monster stew at him.
He batted it away with his own spoon, cocky. "Nice try, but you'll have to be quicker than th-"
A silver tail slammed into his face, sending him tumbling off the chair.
A genuine giggle escaped her lips. "Who's faster now?"
[+1 Affection Point]
[+1 Trust Point]
Aquarius laughed from the floor, rubbing his jaw. "Whatever. If you need me, I'll be in the room. Food was delicious, by the way."
He started to walk off, but her stare lingered. He turned, brow raised. "Something wrong?"
She bit her lip and glanced down. "..No. Nothing at all."
[Harem Choices Initiated.]
1. [Play it Safe] (You nod) "Alright. I'll see you later..if you want to talk, you'll know where I'll be."
[Effects] +15 Affection Points +15 Trust Points +20 Respect Points
2. [Be an Asshole] "Damn, getting sentimental on me? I thought you were Ms. Tough Bitch around here.."
[Effects] +200 Rage Points +10 Respect Points
3. [Try to Talk to Her] (You walk back, sit beside her) "I know something's wrong, Kianna..don't worry, you can trust me."
[Effects] +?? Affection Points +30 Respect Points +40 Anger Points
4. [Ignore Her] (You feel her staring but shake your head.) "Weirdo.." you mutter.
[Effects] +20 Sad Points +20 Anger Points +10 Embarrassed Points
'Damn, why even include the fourth one? That's just cruel.' Aquarius thought.
'Really it's a tie between the first and third, but I'd rather play it safe than be disappointed expecting something grand with the third.'
[Choice Confirmed. Play it Safe]
Aquarius nodded. "Alright, I'll see you later..if you want to talk, you'll know where I'll be, baby." He added a wink for flavor.
Kianna scoffed, rolling her eyes though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Tch..whatever."
[+1 Affection Point]
[+1 Trust Point]
Once inside the room, Aquarius shut the door and pumped a fist.
"Hell yeah!" he whisper-screamed, nearly vibrating with energy.
He sat on the edge of the bed, mind racing.
'So it's painfully obvious what I should apply the Millionfold boost to..my stats, of cours-'
[The Millionfold Boost can only be applied to one stat at a time, Aquarius.]
'Of course it can,' he groaned. 'Had to find a way to nerf me. Fine. That's fair.'
He leaned back, thinking.
Strength? No.
Speed? Dangerous.
Intelligence? Not yet.
Endurance? The safe bet.
It made the most sense, right?
What was strength if one punch ripped his arm off?
What was speed if his body collapsed after running eight FTL miles?
'Damn, you've really got me in a loophole, huh, System?'
[Do you want a suggestion?]
'Of course, what do you suggest?'
[I recommend you don't apply Millionfold to Endurance first.]
Aquarius blinked. "Huh?"
He actually sat up. "What do you mean don't apply it to Endurance first? That was the play. The 'don't die in the first five chapters' play!"
[Incorrect. Endurance is how long your body lasts while stressed.]
[Your problem isn't how long you last under stress.]
[Your problem is the level of stress your body can even survive in the first place.]
Aquarius blinked slowly. "..Okay, break that down like I'm a dumbass."
[Gladly :-)]
[Right now your 'body' is basically a cheap outlet.]
[And Millionfold is a nuclear reactor.]
[If you plug a nuclear reactor into a cheap outlet, what happens?]
"It..explodes?"
[Exactly.]
He dragged a hand down his face. "So you're saying if I do Millionfold Endurance right now and then, like, try Millionfold Speed.."
[Your muscles liquefy, your bones snap, your nervous system melts, and your heart detonates inside your chest.]
"..That's a tad bit little dramatic, don't you think?"
[That was the conservative estimate.]
"..Fuck."
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. So not Endurance first.
Which meant-
[Your first allocation should be Essence.]
"Essence?" he echoed.
[Essence = Core Capacity.]
[It's how much raw force your existence can circulate and hold without shattering.]
[Not stamina. Not health. Not armor.]
[It's the limiter on everything else.]
That actually made him sit up straight.
"So Essence is like the frame..the chassis..the internal reinforcement."
[Correct. The stronger your Essence Core, the more power your body can channel safely. Then you boost Endurance to maintain it longer without collapsing. After that, anything else.]
"So basically, if I don't boost Essence first, every other Millionfold is just.. 'congrats on your free self-execution.'"
[Yes! Now you're getting it Aquarius!]
"Damn.."
He let out a breath and felt a slow grin creep back.
It wasn't flashy. It wasn't sexy. But it was right.
Not the "I can run faster than the flash!!" or "One Punch monsters like Saitaima!!" answer-
The smart one.
The one that turned him from lucky anomaly to long-term threat.
He wanted to stay. Not flare out.
'Alright then. I'll listen. Apply Millionfold to my Essence.'
[Excellent choice.]
[Side Effects: Your Reserve will spike. Your recovery rate will skyrocket. Your spiritual structure will reinforce. Your body will automatically adapt to house that density, meaning Endurance will rise naturally even without direct investment.]
[So..you ready?]
Aquarius smirked. "Do you even have to ask?"