Night had already settled by the time I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling of my room.
The orphanage was quiet at this hour. Most of the children were asleep, and the faint sounds of footsteps from the staff were rare. It was the best time to think—without interruptions, without distractions.
I began organizing everything I knew about my quirk.
First: storage.
The negative energy I absorbed stayed inside me. It didn't dissipate on its own, and it didn't regenerate naturally either. Once spent, it was gone. unlike cursed energy in Jujutsu Kaisen, I couldn't magically refill it by resting or calming myself.
If I wanted more, I had to absorb it from others.
Second: absorption.
So far, I could only draw in negative energy from people around me, and the range was limited. From repeated observation, I estimated it to be around ten meters. Beyond that, the effect dropped sharply, almost to nothing. I need to increase its range for future benefits.
That explained why accidental gains were so rare and why controlled situations worked better.i need to be near villain attacks in such environment i could harvest much more negative energy but this would be very difficult as these places would be dangerous for a kid like me . so i have be smart and only get near when the hero is about to catch the villain . i will start doing this once i am 5 as i would have permission to go outside the orphanage to play, i could find a better practise my quirk as well .
Third: usage.
I could reinforce my body, project the energy outward, and shape it to a limited degree. Raw projection was the most efficient. Conversion into other forms—like fire—was wasteful and unstable. That wasn't the path forward.
As for techniques…
My mind drifted, naturally, to Sukuna.
Simple. Direct. Brutal efficiency.
He didn't rely on complex tricks or flashy transformations. Just overwhelming force, refined control, and techniques built around cutting and projecting. That was something I could learn from. I could directly use negative energy and project like his technique cleave and dismantle .
If I wanted to train properly, though, I had a problem.
Energy.
My reserves were always low.
No matter how careful I was, no matter how disciplined my usage, I couldn't afford to spend everything on training. I had to save energy for emergencies, for the future, for moments when it actually mattered.
At best, I could only use about half of what I accumulated the previous day. The rest had to stay stored.
That severely limited my progress.
If I wanted to advance faster, there was only two solution.
1: I needed larger amounts of negative energy.
And for that, I needed situations where negativity was unavoidable.
2: increase in efficiency or prevent loss of energy , god dam how i wish i had Gojo's six eyes they would give me unparalleled control over the energy , i could probability make many techniques with it without worrying . sigh there are no free lunch in the world .
That realization led me to another conclusion—one that tied everything together.
I needed to be in the same class as Midoriya Izuku.
Preferably the same class.
The reasons were obvious.
Todoroki Shoto alone would be a constant source of emotional instability. His family issues, internal conflict, and suppressed resentment would naturally generate negative energy without me having to do anything at all.
Villains themselves were even better.
Hatred. Despair. Obsession.
People like Dabi or Shigaraki Tomura practically radiated negativity. Being anywhere near them during major incidents would be invaluable.
And then there were large-scale events.
The Hero Killer incident in Hosu City. The panic, fear, and chaos that spread across the entire city would create an environment saturated with negative energy.
The battle between All Might and All For One was even bigger. Nationwide fear. Shock. The terror of seeing the Symbol of Peace fall.
If I could be present during those events…
I could train my efficiency relentlessly.
That was the key. Not just more power—but better control, better usage, sharper techniques.
Right now, I was stuck training in shallow water.
I needed the ocean.
As I was lost in thought, a knock came at the door.
I stiffened instantly.
For a brief moment, my mind jumped to the wrong conclusion—bullying. But when the door opened and Ms. Sato stepped inside, her expression was calm, not stern.
"Ren," she said gently, "do you have a moment?"
I nodded and sat up.
She glanced around the room, then continued, "I wanted to ask you something. I've noticed you often stay in the corner of the playground. At first, I thought you just preferred playing alone."
She paused.
"But yesterday… I saw a light flare there."
My heart skipped once—but I kept my face neutral.
"That means you've awakened your quirk, haven't you?"
I hesitated just long enough to seem shy.
"I… wanted it to be a surprise," I said. "For everyone."
She smiled, clearly relieved.
"That's understandable. Still, quirks need to be registered and tested. We'll do a basic check tomorrow and inform the appropriate office."
After she left, I lay back down slowly.
So it had come to this.
I needed to decide what to reveal.
I couldn't tell them everything.
If they knew my quirk involved absorbing negative emotions—especially from others—it would immediately raise red flags. Supervision. Restrictions. Monitoring. They'd see it as unethical, dangerous, villain-prone.
And they wouldn't be wrong.
It would be far too easy to abuse. Threaten someone. Kill a loved one in front of another. Harvest massive amounts of energy instantly.
That wasn't something I could ever afford to let them know.
So I made my decision.
I would only reveal that I could absorb energy and control it.
Not how it was generated.
Not that it fed on negativity.
That information would stay mine alone at least until i join U.A high
I closed my eyes, letting the energy settle quietly within me.
Tomorrow would be important.