Seventh day of infancy.
Because they were both in perfect health, Okabe and Erina Nakiri were discharged from the hospital early. In their respective mothers' arms, they rode in a vehicle arranged by the Nakiri family to Totsuki.
[Congratulations, Host, for raising the skill Fist Clench (White) to Adept. The skill has reached its current level cap. You can now unlock the skill: Boxing]
[Fist Clench (White)]: Clench your fist in a standard posture, allowing for perfect power transmission when punching.
[Proficiency]: Adept (Cannot be improved)
[Boxing (Green)]: After clenching your fist, throw a punch that can effectively strike an enemy.
[Proficiency]: Beginner (1/100)
"It seems skill levels have caps. Beginner, Novice, and Adept... the first two require 100 and 500 proficiency points, respectively.
Looking at it this way, raising all 108 skills to Adept doesn't seem that difficult.
The only trouble is, with my current physical strength and bone development, it'll take at least a few months to learn how to walk normally.
Fortunately, after mastering a basic skill, the proficiency system automatically unlocks the next one, so I don't have to worry about wasting any extra time."
His tiny body rested in Koyuki's arms. After seven straight days of clenching his fist, Okabe had successfully raised the Fist Clench skill to Adept.
Although he hadn't deliberately practiced his other abilities, they were used to some extent in daily life, so their proficiencies had also increased somewhat.
After a quick assessment.
Okabe realized that aside from difficult actions for an infant like walking, jumping, and running, the rest could be completed within the first three months.
And raising proficiency levels wasn't useless either.
At the very least, after raising the Vocalization skill to Novice yesterday, he could now utter vague syllables, like "papa" and "mama."
Once Vocalization reached Adept, he would most likely unlock the new skill, Speech.
But would it be too terrifying for a baby less than a month old to suddenly start calling for his parents?
To avoid being seen as a freak, Okabe decided to practice a vow of silence for a few months. He'd wait until Erina Nakiri was babbling before "casually" revealing his talent.
That way, everyone would just think Erina Nakiri was a dunce and hail him as a genius.
"What a pitiful girl."
Glancing at Erina Nakiri, sleeping sweetly in Nakiri Mana's arms, Okabe thought with a touch of smugness. This girl was destined to live in his shadow!
The third month of infancy.
Okabe could now crawl simply. Seeing Koyuki with her arms outstretched in the distance, he energetically kicked his short legs and finally tumbled into her embrace.
On the other side of the room.
Nakiri Mana watched Erina Nakiri sitting on her lap, struggling to even hold a toy, with a helpless expression.
If there were only one baby in the Nakiri household, it would be fine. Erina would be praised for everything she did, and every new skill she unlocked would be worth celebrating.
But now, with Okabe here and so far ahead in every aspect, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disparity.
"I'm so jealous, Sister Koyuki. Little Okabe learned to crawl in just three months. I looked it up online; that's considered exceptionally gifted for an infant."
Watching Koyuki lift Okabe high into the air, Nakiri Mana spoke from the heart. No mother doesn't wish for her child to be exceptional, and she was no different.
"Erina is very exceptional too! I remember she said her first words not long ago, right? Was it 'dada' or 'mama' first?"
Koyuki's voice held a teasing tone. She had only heard about it through the grapevine—that Erina Nakiri had suddenly uttered her first words a few days ago while drinking her milk.
"Her first words were... quite memorable..."
Hearing Koyuki's words, Nakiri Mana gave an awkward smile, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at Erina Nakiri.
A few days ago, while being fed, she had told her wet nurse, "It's not rich enough," proving that she had inherited the God's Tongue, the legendary talent passed down through the Nakiri family for generations.
She didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
For her personally, however, the God's Tongue was an incredibly painful curse. She could no longer find satisfaction in ordinary food; only the most exquisite delicacies could slightly whet her appetite.
To this end, Senzaemon Nakiri had found many master-class chefs for her, who cooked for her in all sorts of ways, but her standards only grew higher and harder to satisfy with every new delicacy she tasted.
I hope Erina doesn't walk the same path as her, or rather, the same old path as all previous wielders of the God's Tongue...
"What are you two chatting about? I brought some cream puffs, does anyone want to try one?~"
An elegant woman with white hair entered through the doorway, holding a child in her arms who appeared to be a few months older than Erina Nakiri.
Okabe heard the voice and looked over.
She had the refined, three-dimensional features characteristic of a Northern European, a slightly ditsy look, and a head of gorgeous, lustrous white hair. Her speech carried a heavy accent.
This person was none other than Nakiri Leonora.
And the curious baby looking around in her arms was, unsurprisingly, Alice Nakiri. Her white hair and red eyes were quite cute.
"I do!"
As numerous thoughts crossed Okabe's mind, Koyuki excitedly raised her hand, took the dessert box from her, and began to happily eat a cream puff.
"I'll pass."
Sniffing the cloyingly sweet scent in the air, Nakiri Mana felt inexplicably nauseous and couldn't help but turn her head away, unwilling to look at the cream puffs on the table.
Nakiri Leonora seemed accustomed to this. She placed Alice Nakiri on the tatami mat and then went to chat with Koyuki and Nakiri Mana.
After being set down, Alice Nakiri immediately spotted Okabe, who was diligently practicing the skill of crawling, and began to crawl in his direction.
"Pway wi' me."
Alice Nakiri tilted her head up and said in a milky, childish voice. Because her speech was slurred, Okabe had to listen carefully to understand what she was saying.
As for languages.
In his three months of infancy, his Japanese skill had already reached Novice. He could now understand most Japanese and could also speak a few simple phrases.
As for Chinese, this skill had reached the Minor Accomplishment level as soon as the Speech skill was unlocked. It was his only skill at that level, which made sense.
"No time. Go play with Erina."
Faced with Alice Nakiri's request, Okabe bluntly refused. He wasn't a real baby, so he obviously couldn't waste time playing with her.
He had more important things to do right now—practice crawling until it reached Adept, then unlock the new skill, Walking. This way, he had a chance to obtain Body Control by the fourth month.
Lying flat when you don't have a cheat system is one thing; after all, it's hard to compete without talent. But to lie flat when you do have a cheat system? Both he and the system would feel wronged!
Since heaven had given him a chance to start over, he would start grinding from infancy! The God's Tongue, the God's Nose... they would all become his stepping stones!
_____
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