The sun had barely risen when the quiet in Yuto's room was broken by the soft chime of the Proficiency Panel activating. It had become a familiar signal—a daily signpost marking his progress. Today, though, it gleamed with a sharper brilliance.
Sparrow? Complete. Grass? Complete. Clover, ant, cicada—all finally reaching the hundredth mark. The list was more than a tally. It was a testament to countless hours of patience, choice, and respect.
Yuto's fingers hovered above the panel, tracing the line of text that confirmed a new milestone: permanent absorption accomplished.
A surge of calm pride swelled within him. The traits weren't just statistics—they were woven into his very bones. Agility, reflex, endurance, healing, resilience—they all pulsed quietly, waiting to be called upon.
He took a deep breath and shifted focus.
Now came the next challenge.
Awakening Strength
The quiet days of patient absorption had nurtured a foundation, but Yuto knew power demanded more than borrowed gifts. It required mastery over one's body—strength tempered with control, flexibility married to precision.
His mother had once told him, "Quirks may open doors, but your body is the temple that holds your spirit." The words echoed as he stretched his limbs with deliberate care, the sunlight filtering through the window casting long shadows.
Today marked the first step toward a rigorous training routine—martial arts and gymnastics—designed to harness his evolving body and sharpen his instincts.
He pulled on comfortable training clothes, feeling the faint traces of grass's resilience beneath his skin, the sparrow's lightness guiding his stance.
Outside, the world was just waking. The park nearby, with its familiar trees and soft grass, would be his dojo and gym.
First Steps on the Mat
Yuto knelt on the soft earth as the morning breeze kissed his face. The smell of fresh dew, mingled with the slight tang of pine, cantered him. His mind cleared, focused entirely on the present.
Martial arts was a dance of discipline and fluidity—a union of controlled force and graceful motion. It was unfamiliar, demanding every ounce of his attention.
He began slowly, practicing stances, the way his feet rooted yet shifted with potential energy. The sparrow's traits lent ease to his balance and movement, but the fire to command strength was entirely his own.
He worked through punches and blocks, the shadow of invisible opponents spurring him on. The panel flashed stats as he moved—strength climbing steadily, endurance lengthening, reflexes twitching like a twitch of electricity beneath his skin.
"Strength isn't power alone," he whispered to himself, "but precision. Control. Becoming one with every movement."
After the first hour, sweat dripped down his brow, but his spirit burned brighter. The grass's endurance in his muscles steadied him; the sparrow's reflexes made his reactions sharper.
The Challenge of Flexibility
Martial arts alone wouldn't suffice. Yuto knew he needed flexibility—not just to avoid injury, but to move like water, to bend and flow as the situation demanded.
Gymnastics became his new frontier.
He climbed onto the bars, feeling the unfamiliar strain in his shoulders and back, muscles stretching in ways they had never stretched before.
Twisting, flipping, landing—each movement tested a new edge of possibility. At times he faltered, awkward or stiff. The cicada's bursts of reflex helped him catch his balance just in time.
Pain and failure were quiet companions, but with each fall, Yuto grew steadier. "This is part of growing," he reminded himself quietly. "Strength must be married to grace."
With patient repetition, his body began to remember fluid lines; his limbs learned to move with new freedom. He wasn't just borrowing traits—he was sculpting himself from the inside out.
The Discipline of Dawn and Dusk
Days blurred into weeks. The Proficiency Panel charted steady progress—small increments of permanent gain, flickering temporary boosts, and the slow building of stamina reserves.
Morning training was followed by evenings in quiet meditation, focusing on the traits, connecting mind and body. Each session, no matter how exhausting, brought him closer to mastery.
His mother cheered quietly from the side-lines, proud but aware of the weight on his young shoulders.
"Balance, Yuto. Even strength needs rest. Even power needs peace."
He nodded, pushing himself to grow without breaking.
100 PS = 1 NEW CHAPTER
200 PS = 3 NEW CHAPTERS