Chapter 2 - So, Mom... Could You Teach Me Magic?
My skill, “Consumption Growth,” increases its maximum value based on the consumption of HP and MP. However, it consumes HP… So, it means I have to get injured… But trying it now would be too dangerous, especially for a 5-year-old with already low HP. Even a minor injury with just 1 HP could be life-threatening. I should wait until I’m a bit older and have access to healing items like herbs and potions.
Now, let’s consider consuming MP… To consume MP, I need to use skills or magic. The skills I’ve acquired, “Fool’s Strength” and “Consumption Growth,” are both passive skills that can be activated without requiring MP. So, they are not applicable here.
For skills that require MP, such as “Slash,” I could learn them by increasing the rank of the “Swordsmanship” skill. However, mastering the “Swordsmanship” skill requires years of continuous sword practice, which is not feasible at the moment.
That leaves us with magic… Generally, people learn magic after acquiring a class. It is recommended to do so after the age of 10. The reason being that if your MP reaches zero, you faint. Children under 10 have low maximum MP, so they faint just by attempting to use magic. It’s not only dangerous but also pointless.
However, for me, it has meaning. With my “Consumption Growth” skill, my maximum MP increases with each MP consumption. Even if I don’t cast any magic, the act of consuming MP itself holds significance.
“So, Mom, can you teach me magic?”
“…I don’t understand why, but Shu-chan, you’re too early for magic.”
“Regrettable…”
It’s unthinkable for me to tell my mother that I have memories of my past life. In other words, the soul of a 30-year-old middle-aged man named Shuzo Morita resides within your child. That’s why I’ve kept my EX-class abilities a secret from my family.
Well, if she won’t teach me, I’ll have to learn it on my own.
In this other world, anyone can use magic.
Indeed, even though magic is said to be usable, it is only for convenient everyday tasks like lighting a fire or filling a cup with water. There is a distinction between being able to use magic and being proficient in it. Only those who have received a magic-related class can effectively wield magic. For now, the power of magic doesn’t matter much to me.
In my family, who are farmers, both my father and mother have learned water magic. In case of a drought or water shortage, water magic is necessary for coping. My eldest brother, Ein, who turned 10 this year, has the class of “Farmer.” He is also receiving guidance from our mother in the backyard to learn water magic.
“Ein-chan, close your eyes and try to feel the magical energy inside your body.”
As for me…
Hmm, I see. I murmured as I hid among the plants in the backyard, eavesdropping on my mother’s words.
“Now, let’s do the incantation. Water, grant me your blessing. Water.”
As soon as the incantation was completed, water gushed out from my mother’s fingertips and poured into the cup she was holding. It was like a water dispenser.
Following my mother, Ein-niisan recited the incantation.
“Water, grant me your blessing. Water.”
Water dripped from Ein-niisan’s fingertips, filling the cup halfway.
“Huff, huff… I can’t do it anymore.”
“You did great, Ein-chan. If that much water comes out, it’s enough. Don’t push yourself too hard or you’ll faint.”
The approximate MP of a 10-year-old child is around 10. It seems that the maximum amount of water that can be conjured without fainting is about half a cup.
Alright, let’s give it a try myself.
For me, who came from a world without magic, sensing magical energy is challenging. The sensation of grasping something as elusive as a cloud was how I felt until now, but eavesdropping on my mother’s explanation gave me a glimmer of understanding.
“Water, grant me your blessing. Water.”
As I softly whispered from within the plants, I immediately fainted.
.
.
.
Poke, poke. I felt a sensation of something poking my body…
“Huh?!”
I lifted myself up from the plants.
“What on earth…?”
“Big brother… playing hide-and-seek?”
To my surprise, it was none other than my younger sister, Calfe… Ah, so I fainted. I was lying on the ground, and Calfe was poking me with a stick. Since she squatted down, her skirt was naturally wide open for all to see.
Hmm… Calfe is only 3 years old. It’s not an age to be concerned about such things, so it can’t be helped, but it’s quite indecent…
“Calfe, when you squat down, make sure to close your knees so that your skirt doesn’t reveal anything…”
“Big brother, I found you, so now it’s Calfe’s turn to hide!”
Before I could say anything, Calfe dashed out of the plants and ran back into our house.
Well, we weren’t really playing hide-and-seek, but…
Nevertheless, she did wake me up from my fainting spell.
It’s an older brother’s duty to indulge her a little.
Afterward, I enjoyed playing hide-and-seek with Calfe until dusk.
Nighttime came, and as I settled into the top bunk bed, I decided to take another look at my status.
By the way, it seems that others can’t see my status. Even when I showed it to Calfe before, she gave me a puzzled look and asked, “What are you doing, big brother?”
————-
Name: Shuzo Mori (5 years old)
LV: 1
EX Class : Survival Instict
Skill ：Fool’s Strength (F) (0 → 20/100)
Skill ：Consumption Growth （F）（0 → 30/100)
HP : 5
MP : 5 → 6
Attack ： 5
Defense ：5
Agility ：5
Magic Attack : 5
Magic Defense : 5
Magic: Water Magic (F) (0 → 1/100)
————-
Alright. I’ve learned “Water Magic.” And my maximum MP has increased by 1…
In addition, the proficiency of “Fool’s Strength,” “Consumption Growth,” and “Water Magic” has also increased. Skills and magic become more proficient the more they are used. When the rightmost value reaches “/”, the rank will increase, and they will become stronger.
In the current “F” rank, reaching a proficiency of 100 will allow me to advance to the next “E” rank. But why is the proficiency of “Fool’s Strength” increasing?
The increase in proficiency means that the skill has been activated. “Fool’s Strength” must become more powerful as the situation becomes more dangerous… I see! It’s because I fainted.
While unconscious, I’m completely defenseless. If someone were to harm me, it would be a highly dangerous situation that could result in immediate death.
In addition, the ability of “Near-Death Experience” grants me proficiency in combat-related skills when I survive a life-threatening situation. In other words, every time I faint, the proficiency of “Fool’s Strength” and “Consumption Growth” increases.
If that’s the case…
“Water, grant me your blessing. Water.”
With a cup in one hand and my head covered by a blanket, I chanted the incantation for water magic, making sure it couldn’t be heard by others. And just like that, I fainted once again.
