Episode 83: Limiter
After that, Yuma defeated the Varlins without any close calls, and the number of subjugations reached the target of twenty.
“For now, I’ve defeated twenty. What do you want to do? I can still defeat more, though.”
When Yuma asked, Aisha shook her head.
“No, that’s enough. With this, the total number of Bloodstained Ore we obtained is twenty-three. We don’t need any more than this.”
“Why don’t we need more? More is better, isn’t it?”
The president returned after they finished collecting the dropped Demon Ore. Aisha gave a light laugh with a fed-up expression.
“Think about it. The ability of the Bloodstained Ore cannot be used without ‘Metallization’. Yuma-kun’s ‘Metallization’ lasts for five minutes each time, totaling one hour and ten minutes. On the other hand, the Bloodstained Ore’s ability activates for a maximum of three minutes. Twenty-three pieces would total one hour and nine minutes. It barely exceeds the time of ‘Metallization’, right?”
“Ah, you’re right.”
“The ‘Superpower’ of the Bloodstained Ore can have a shorter duration depending on the output, but it’s better to be cautious. Yuma-kun’s safety is the absolute condition.”
Hearing that, Yuma was convinced. More than anything, if he could use the “Superpower” of twenty-three pieces, he could defeat most enemies.
The group decided to proceed to the lower level.
◇◇◇
Black Dungeon, 72nd Floor —
“Oi oi, you’ve got to be kidding me… they even have that here!”
What was there was a Rock Golem bigger than anything they had ever seen before.
Yuma and the others were staring at it in amazement from behind a rock shadow.
“I guess we can’t fight that thing,”
Yuma muttered, and the president replied, “Of course not.” But being that huge, its movements were slow. They could slip past its feet and go to the lower level.
Or, since they had come far enough down, there was also the option of turning back.
The final decision was left to Aisha. Aisha crossed her arms and closed her eyelids to think, but after a conclusion was reached, she slowly opened her eyelids.
“Alright! Let’s defeat that Golem.”
““Eeeh!?””
A third option suddenly appeared. Yuma and the president froze at the unexpected answer.
“I’ve never seen such a magnificent Rock Golem before. And it’s ‘Grayish Brown’. If we defeat it, it will probably drop ‘Silver Magic Ore’. It might be an incredible size!”
Aisha said with a laugh, but Yuma thought she was out of her mind.
The opponent was a rock monster with a total length of ten meters. No matter how much Bloodstained Ore they had, he didn’t feel like they could win.
“It’s impossible, Aisha-san. You can’t defeat that unless you’re a Seeker who can use powerful ‘Magic’.”
“That’s right! What if something happens to Yuma? The only options are to skip this and move on, or end it here and go home.”
Even with the two of them vehemently opposing, Aisha wouldn’t change her mind.
“It’s okay, Yuma-kun. There is a way to defeat even such a monster.”
“Eh!? Is there such a way?”
Aisha chuckled and patted Yuma on the shoulder.
“Humans have something called a ‘Muscle Limiter’, Yuma-kun.”
“Muscle Limiter?”
“Yes, it’s what you’d call ‘desperate strength’.”
Hearing that, the president interjected.
“Oi oi, are you going to make Yuma fight with something like that!? Don’t screw around!”
“I’m not screwing around. In the first place, ‘desperate strength’ has been scientifically proven. If a human exerts 100% of their power, they can exert five or even ten times their normal strength.”
“T-Ten times!?”
“That’s right, but if you exert that much power, your body will break down. It’s the same phenomenon as the Bloodstained Ore. That’s why the brain puts a limit on it and suppresses the power.”
Aisha looked at Yuma’s face and smiled slyly.
“But Yuma-kun, your body won’t break down. That steel body of yours withstood the Superpower of the Bloodstained Ore. In other words, even if you release the Muscle Limiter and draw out 100% of your power, you can use it without any problems.”
Yuma gulped. Certainly, it was unlikely that his body would break down while he was ‘Metallized’.
“Yuma-kun. Originally, you can use abilities close to the Bloodstained Ore without relying on it. That’s what’s so amazing about ‘Metallization’.”
“B-But… how do I remove the limiter?”
“In the end, it’s a mental issue. You have no choice but to believe in your body and release your power. Environmental factors are also important.”
“Environmental factors?”
“That’s right, the more cornered you are, the more power you can exert. So Yuma-kun. This time, you’re going to defeat that thing without using a Pickel.”
“Eh!?”
“Hey, no matter what…”
The president tried to stop her with a worried look, but —
“Then, Kotaro! Can you think of any other way to remove the limiter?”
“N-No, I can’t think of one… In the first place, there’s no need to fight the Golem. It’s too dangerous!”
Aisha turned her face away from the president, looking displeased.
“Yuma-kun, what do you think? Won’t you give it a try? If it’s dangerous, you can run away. The opponent is a slow-moving Golem. I think it’s a chance for you to become even stronger…”
Yuma pondered for a while. If he could release the limiter, he would truly become stronger.
‘Strength’ is an essential condition for success as a Seeker.
Aisha probably just wants to do research, but it might not be a bad idea to take her up on her sweet words. Yuma thought so and looked into Aisha’s eyes.
“I understand. I’ll do it!”