Bone Impact!
Race: Human.
Constitution: 620
Spirit: 194
Strength: 620
Agility: 620
Talent: Kryptonian Bloodline [Steel Body (Activated)].
Skills: Fist Bone Impact, Armament Haki (Beginner).
Spiritual Energy Points: 700.
After coming out of the principal's office, Ben immediately opened his attribute panel. Seeing the skill column, his expression was filled with delight. Not only had he gained "Beginner" level Armament Haki, but his previous Fist Wind Impact had also turned into "Fist Bone Impact"!
In the original anime, the Navy hero Garp used this move to shatter most of a town with one punch, a power comparable to a small nuclear explosion! This move's destructive range and power were immense, enough to make Ben feel hopeful.
And Garp's strength had limits. Ben, however, was the Man of Steel. Could he one day use a "Fist Bone Impact" to shatter an entire planet?
He couldn't help but imagine the possibilities. As he was thinking about this, he noticed a small exclamation mark next to both "Fist Bone Impact" and "Armament Haki." With a thought, he turned the exclamation mark into a "Detailed Explanation," which unfolded in front of him.
Fist Bone Impact: After casting, it delivers shocking destructive power with an extremely large range of destruction.
Note: This skill is affected by the user's Strength attribute and Armament Haki level. Armament Haki, in particular, has a major impact on this skill. A max-level Armament Haki, when used, could change the color of the world!
Ben's satisfaction grew upon reading this. He then opened the explanation for "Armament Haki."
Armament Haki
Current Level: Beginner!
Current Amplification: After casting, defense is increased by 25%, and destructive power is increased by 15%!
Note: This skill can be upgraded using Spiritual Energy Points. Each level increase doubles the amplification effect.
Ben's eyes lit up. The amplification from upgrading Armament Haki was significant! He knew that skills generally had five levels: Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Grandmaster, and Transcendent. Most skills in the Energies of Human realm were divided into these five levels.
If Armament Haki had these levels, upgrading it to the "Transcendent" level would increase his defense by 400% and his attack power by 240%! When paired with his Steel Body, what kind of enemy could break through his defense?
Good skills indeed!
Ben was satisfied with his progress and had a good impression of the principal, who had given him this gift. Regardless of the principal's true intentions, Ben was the beneficiary. For that alone, he felt grateful.
"How is it? Are you very satisfied with Armament Haki?" came a voice from nearby.
Ben turned and smiled, nodding at Adore. "Very satisfied. This skill is really good."
"Of course, it's great! Armament Haki is known as one of the most practical skills in the extraordinary world. Many people covet it." Adore continued. "But personally, I recommend you upgrade Armament Haki to the Expert level."
"Why?" Ben asked in confusion.
Adore explained: "As far as I know, upgrading Armament Haki is quite expensive. Upgrading from Beginner to Proficient requires 120 Spiritual Energy Points, and from Proficient to Expert requires 300 Spiritual Energy Points. That's not too bad, right? But upgrading from Expert to Grandmaster costs 800 Spiritual Energy Points, and from Grandmaster to Transcendent takes a full 2,000 Spiritual Energy Points. That's a total of 2,800 Spiritual Energy Points!"
"2,800 Spiritual Energy Points! Most extraordinary people spend their whole lives without accumulating that much." Adore added, shaking his head. "For an ordinary person, 2,800 Spiritual Energy Points could turn them into a Tier 3 or Tier 4 powerhouse! But for us extraordinary people, the basic four attributes are still more important. Skills are useful, but without strong attributes, you won't be able to fully unleash their potential."
Ben couldn't help but nod in agreement. Indeed, upgrading Armament Haki to its max level was incredibly expensive. Even for him, saving up that many points would require a breakthrough of at least ten levels in the Energies of Human realm. But there was one difference—Ben could quickly increase his attributes just by basking in the sun every day. Spiritual Energy Points were used to upgrade skills.
"However," Ben thought, "if I keep increasing my attributes at this rate, I'll reach a point where my base stats will be far beyond my current skills, making the effects of upgrading Armament Haki to the max level worth it."
He smiled, agreeing with Adore. "You make a good point, Adore."
Adore chuckled. "I'm just offering some advice. This suggestion is mostly for ordinary extraordinary people. You and Song Haitang are different. I honestly don't know how far you two will go in the future."
The two walked and talked, arriving next to the training hall. Adore was about to guide some students when he hesitated. "Ben, I think the principal's suggestion is right. Why don't you move back to the school? It's safer that way."
Regarding Ben's living arrangements, this had been discussed earlier in the principal's office. The principal had revealed that the higher-ups hoped Ben would continue living off-campus and have experts stake him out. This was meant to lure out any potential assassins. Once those who were targeting Song Haitang realized they couldn't reach her, they might try to kidnap Ben. The authorities hoped to catch those conspirators in one fell swoop.
To be blunt, they were using Ben as bait. In their eyes, Song Haitang's safety was the priority. Ben's life was secondary.
Of course, the principal was more honest about it. He suggested Ben should move back to the school to stay safe.
After thinking it over, Ben volunteered to be this "bait." He felt confident that his safety wasn't a huge concern. Looking at his bounty, it was clear that those interested in him valued Song Haitang far more. The two million bounty was likely added by Miss Smith's father as an act of revenge.
Assassins typically acted based on interests, so the likelihood of them targeting him was small. If the higher-ups were willing to send experts to stake out the area, Ben didn't mind cooperating to remove any hidden dangers for Song Haitang.
"Alright, I'll do it," Ben agreed.
Adore nodded approvingly. "Good. Let's keep you safe, and take care of things together."
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