HBWnovel Chapter 59: Social Distancing (Purple)
Chapter 59: Social Distancing (Purple)
Linsley mulled it over silently, not wanting to reveal too much. 'If she knew I fought him as Phantom Reaper, things might get too complicated,' Linsley reasoned.
"I've been thinking," he said aloud, his tone casual but thoughtful, "the power of the outer god lackeys might depend on how many tentacles they can summon. It's possible their power levels are ranked based on that."
Seraphina tilted her head, listening as he continued.
"First phase would probably be those who can only summon one to nine tentacles," Linsley speculated. "These would likely be non-combatants, people in important positions—like presidents or business tycoons—who were assimilated by the Outer God."
Seraphina nodded in agreement, following his line of thought.
"The second phase would be those who can summon between ten and ninety-nine tentacles. The third phase would range from one hundred to nine hundred ninety-nine. And the fourth phase would be those who can summon one thousand to nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine tentacles."
Seraphina's eyes widened slightly, clearly impressed by his deduction. "You're spot on, Linsley," she confirmed. "That's exactly how we rank the power of outer god lackeys. The more tentacles they can summon, the more powerful their assimilation with the Outer God's power."
Linsley nodded, though his mind was still on the outer god lackey leader. 'So that guy I fought earlier was a lot stronger than I thought. If there's one like him in this city, there could be others...'
He kept those thoughts to himself, deciding not to worry Seraphina with the possibility.
After discussing magical girls and the grim state of the world, both Linsley and Seraphina grew frustrated with how powerless they felt in the face of such overwhelming forces.
In an effort to distract themselves, they decided to play online games together to vent their frustration and pass the time.
The rest of the day was spent immersed in various games, their laughter and competitive banter filling the villa.
During lunch and dinner, Seraphina took charge in the kitchen, showing off her impressive cooking skills, much to Linsley's enjoyment.
As night fell, they found themselves sharing the same bed again, just as they had before.
...
A new day dawned.
Even his Space Storage talent was purple-grade, and Linsley was already quite satisfied with that.
Reading through the description of the purple-grade Social Distancing talent, Linsley felt relieved. At least it wasn't anything ridiculous or painful like the Sunflower Manual Successor.
But as he continued to digest its details, Linsley remembered a certain white-haired character from an anime in his past life who wielded a similar ability.
"A certain smug, white-haired guy who bragged about winning, only to get his ass kicked. Yeah, that guy had the ultimate form of social distancing."
"Even though he lost, that power is no joke. It's like the perfect version of social distancing. No one could even touch him, no matter how hard they tried."
Comparing that character's power to this purple-grade talent, Linsley chuckled. Sure, it might be purple-grade, but it sure beat a gold-grade talent that came at such a... painful price.
"Although the blue-grade talent seemed powerful with its one second of invulnerability, and sure, one second is enough to turn the tide in a battle between powerhouses, it can only be used once a day. Compared to the power of social distancing, it's not exactly game-changing."
"And besides, I've never smoked, and I don't plan to start. It smells horrible, and no matter what anyone says, it doesn't make someone look cool."
In the end, Linsley chose the Social Distancing (Purple) talent from the three drawn simulation talents.
-Ding!
[The host has chosen the following talent: Social Distancing (Purple)]
[The host has inherited the following talents: Martial Arts Master (Blue), Space Storage (Purple)]
-Ding!
[Starting the simulation in {Avatar World}...]
-Ding!
[You opened your eyes and discovered that you are currently inside a modern room.]
[You felt the power within you surge, and as you summoned your avatar, Invisible Providence Zenith's tentacles extended from your body, ready to obey your command.]