Chapter 3: To go the distance
I would've stayed asleep forever if it weren't for the fact that I was thrown out a few moments ago. Rumi booked the room for that night only, leaving me stuck with ever so fun experience of getting shooed away from the vicinity when the time was up for the room.
I wasn't displeased with the sudden eviction, but I would have liked a few extra minutes to start the morning a bit better.
On my way out, they tried giving me what they believed was my luggage, and I did my best to assure them that it wasn't. They pressed on until I gave up, but I stayed firm in not taking it. I was positive it wasn't mine, and I didn't entertain the idea of taking it for my own as a means to better support myself in my current situation. I might have just been warped here yesterday, but I wasn't taking any shortcuts to get settled here.
'Why are they so firm in me taking this thing? Didn't they see that I didn't bring anything with me yesterday?' I thought as I struggled to push the luggage back to a hotel worker who was doing his best to force the bag into my hands.
They eventually stopped and picked off a note that stuck onto the luggage. One of the workers then read out loud for me to hear clearly, "Dear management to room twenty-three on the fifth floor. This package belongs to the weirdo with fluffy brown hair that was sleeping in the bed. These are his belongings. Also, tell him to open it up somewhere private; it had some souvenirs from our nice one-on-one session last night. P.s. you should work out more if you want to last longer than you did. Maybe your thing will stay keep up with my prodding." One of the room boys read quickly as he stuck the note on the luggage and pushed it into my arms.
'Why did she word it like that!' I thought as I knew immediately who would've written that note. The room boy looked relieved to have finally given me the luggage as he went up the steps to the hotel's front door while clearing his throat.
"Have a good day, sir. We hope your stay with us was pluuuuuus ultra..." The room boy then ran inside and slammed the front doors to the hotel without wasting another second. I then readjusted my grip to have the luggage in one hand and the note in the other.
"What a start to a day," I muttered to myself as I pocketed the note and took out my phone. I looked up many nearby hotels and motels that could serve as a temporary home to stay at while I figure out what to do next in this world.
I had a quirk now this time around, and it was looking on being a powerful one if I put in the effort to understand and grow it.
'So far from what I could tell, to summon the quirk was to take away some stamina and concentration to have it appear. The quirk also didn't seem limited to where it could spawn; as long as I focused on an area and met the two previous criteria, it would appear at that spot. The range of where it could spawn was a different question, and I'd have to test that out myself to see how applicable it could be for longer ranges of combat.' I thought as I found a spot that was perfect for anyone with a budget. It had terrible reviews, yet it yielded the best price in my current situation.
'This isn't the first time I've been tight on money. I went through college once, and I lived to tell the tale.' I made my way as I thought back to last night.
The woman that had the name Rumi clung to my mind. The way she went about that whole debacle was nothing short but inspiring. Sure she was a bit crude and brass at points, but I imagine that was just how she acted toward people she felt comfortable with. So much went wrong, yet she found an upside to everything. The way she handled it was what I think a real hero should act like, and I wholeheartedly hope we meet again someday so I could thank her once more. I'm still not too optimistic about the whole hero occupation going on. Seeing it being paraded as the end all be all for obtaining success was abhorrent. If there were more people like Rumi, ones that truly value the people, then I too wish to become a hero.
No more was I trying to play the savior for a world that mistreated me; I was to make sure to leave it in the past now. Now I had the power to save people, to assist those who can't fight back against others who abuse theirs. I want to inspire others as she did with me to take on the duty to better the world. If there was power to be gain, then there was evil to defeat. I believe that to be the absolute truth with anything.
'If I want to be a hero, then I guess my counseling days would be behind me. I want to help the youth, I always enjoyed guiding the young to a better future, but I don't know if hero duties would allow me to make time for that.' I soon bumped into the front door of my destination. I looked up to see a rundown motel that looked like it was home to many noise complaints.
'Guess I made it. Time to settle in then.' It was pretty quick to check in and get a room. I took my room key and went over to head in my temporary lodging. I went into the room and immediately locked the door as I threw the luggage onto the bed. I didn't pay any mind to how the room looked like. I put all my attention on the parting gift Rumi had left for me to have.
'The note said souvenirs were inside, right? I have half the mind that she just gathered many random items from the hotel and stuffed them inside. A sort of joke that she would leave for me. I wouldn't put it past her if she did so. She seemed like the type to pull a joke like this.' Pacing back and forth with the occasionally hesitant thought to open it led for a bit of time to pass as I grew more and more anxious with the sudden gift. Ideas of what could be inside it attacked my mind, as many silly theories came for me to think. One of them was that it was a bomb, and when that crossed my mind, I knew that I was way out of line with this thing.
'There's only one way to find out for sure. Better not waste any more time.'
I went over to the luggage and carefully unclasped the holdings as I notice just how high quality this piece was. I didn't pay it too much mind as I knew if I did, I would end up being guilty and go on to contemplate opening it once more. I swung the case open as I laid eyes upon an assortment of random sorts of items. What piqued my interest was a leather journal packed neatly in the center to garner the most attention. The rest of the things was what I expected from Rumi. Many kinds of different items you'd find at a hotel bathroom and towels were stuffed inside. It was all very applicable for a man who still had no place to call home yet; it made for a very thoughtful gift.
Putting aside that, I picked up the white journal with gold-colored accents decorating its rich body. I measure its weight as I flipped and turned it in all sorts of directions to admire every angle of this high-quality journal. It was more weighty than I expected as I unclasped the gold-shaded metal clamp keeping it closed.
'She left it for me, so it shouldn't be rude to look through it. Should it?' I wasn't allowed time to think as piles of bills rained down on the floor from all sorts of different pages the journal held. Like a waterfall happening before my eyes, the money covered the floor. I blinked in rapid succession toward the cash that now scattered the floor, as I hoped that it would disappear after I opened my eyes to any of my blinkings.
"Huh?" I bent over and picked up one of the many bills in disbelief for their legitimacy, 'This is a prank, right? Just a bunch of fake money she put inside...' I thought as I examine the bill. The number one followed with several zeroes proved that I was now standing on more money than I ever made any year of counseling.
'No way! This can't be happening!' I backed away from the cash as if it were a bomb ready to blow at any moment; my legs struggled to move as I pushed through the piles as if there were snow. I have only stopped with the hard press a wall behind me, keeping me from getting away from it any further. I swallowed hard at the lump forming in my throat as I tried reasoning this new burden I found myself to carry. The journal hung loosely by my hand as I recollected my thoughts.
'Why is she doing this to me? Does she want me to be indebted to her for eternity?! To be forever grateful for her generosity!? I was already planning on doing that! Now I got this on my conscience!' My gaze turned toward the journal; it beamed at me, almost as a sign for me to look in it.
'Answers! I need answers!' I flipped to the first page as I started reading the journal. A note like on the luggage was written on the first page.
"Yo tentacle man! I thought you could use this as a little pick me up to really stimulate the economy. Think of it also as a sort of gift for your awakening to your quirk. I can't wait to see what weird things you'll do with it, probably some perverted stuff, but I'm not one to judge." I ignored that part as I continued reading, "But if you're serious about being a hero, then keep this book and give it to me whenever you're finished with it, and if not, then find me whenever you can and give it back. This journal is my own personal guide of heroing and stuff I started making after I went pro. There's some cringy stuff in there, so don't bring it up to me, or you'll suffer the consequences. Though, as far as I know, you might be into that stuff. I could see it really with your weirdo self." I once again ignored the last sentence as I started reading the last bits of the note, "Either way, if you use it or not, I expect to meet a better you. So don't disappoint your sensei and go plus ultra!" The note ended as there was a little drawing of a poorly drawn bunny yelling out that plus ultra thing that she left for last.
I skimmed the journal's pages to see all kinds of training regimes and tips to being a hero. I was most interested in the training and combat portions as there was an extended amount of information to improve oneself. Hand-to-hand combat and intense endurance training were the ones I mainly examined the most. My quirk demanded my body to keep up with it, and I think it all relied upon my stamina than anything. I don't believe completely bulking up like some extreme bodybuilder would act as the most effective way to utilize my quirk. That didn't mean I would disregard building up my muscles. Still, I was sure to put my endurance as the priority for everything with training.
Combat was something else entirely. All of the techniques were straight-up impossible without some absurd amount of agility and power to back them up. I was confident to build my body up to be in shape, but I was looking to do superhuman-like feats to accomplish them. These moves were demanding everything for these to be performed.
'I should hold off in combat and focus on my body. I needed a fitting vessel for this power before I consider trying to add to it.' I closed the journal as put my attention back on the copious amount of money laid out on the floor.
'This money buys me a lot of time now that I look at it. If I spend it wisely, I could have months of practice and training without needing a job to keep up necessities. This motel is nice right now, but renting out would be the goto if I want to keep my spending to a minimum...' The number crunch I was doing in my head took the whole afternoon as night came. I made a little list of things to do before I actually do any training.
I collected the money and stuffed it in the luggage. I used the products and towels from the luggage to clean myself up, as I felt dirty from not taking a shower all of yesterday or this day even. Once I cleaned myself up, I put on a white robe and lay on the hotel's stiff bed.
My plan was perfectly sprawled out in my mind as I went over it as many times as I could before my mind grew tired and my eyes started drooping. I made sure to do as much research as possible that night with what little bit of battery my phone had. I was set for tomorrow to hopefully kickstart my hero training.
'I'll be a hero. I need to do something for this world and actually contribute to society. Though counseling could help, I want to do something impactful, something that people could appreciate worldwide. No more playing god. Now was the time to act and repent for what I did. I'll do it for her, for Rumi.' The image of Rumi from the past world came to mind, as I vowed to do my best in this second chance, yet another form came to mind. The image of the gentle and fierce smile of the pro hero popped up as her radiance shined over everything else. My mind swayed between the two as my eyes were slowly closing in on themselves. 'I'll do it for the both of you...' I soon fell asleep, dreaming of nothing else but Rumi.
"Sir, we didn't even go inside the thing."
"I don't need to go inside. There's a kitchen in there, is there not? That's what the website said."
"Yes, sir, but it's only a kitchen in there. Are you sure you want to rent this out?" The landowner asked as I nodded my head, satisfied with the old wooden shack that stood before us. I looked all over the internet to find any place that would be perfect for my plan, and I was lucky enough to find this gem.
"This place will be perfect for me. It has everything you need." The landowner slapped his hand to his face as he shook his head.
"Sir, I'm sorry for being a bit of a downer here, but I must inform you that this is not a suitable place to live in. This hole of a place has a crude and old oven and a barely workable fridge. There is no cooling or heating in it. Oh! Did I also mention that there is one outlet? And it's already being used for the same oven and fridge! And even if you want to unplug one of the two, you have to move the oven to reach the damn outlet. Did you also see the amount of construction around here? There is literally a wrecking ball right next to us!" The man then pointed at a machine and many workers operating in demolishing an old building.
"And?" I asked as the man sighed and put a hand on my shoulder before continuing.
"Listen here, young man. You don't have to live in a place like this. I got this piece of land from losing a bet with a buddy of mine. The only reason I haven't torn down this little shack is that it wouldn't be worth it. You have no bathroom, basically no electricity, and no privacy with how much construction happens here. Are you really down so badly that you're willing to live in this hell for a roof under your head?" I understood the man's incredulous reaction to my dedication to living in a less than desirable location with an even worse 'home' to live in; still, he didn't know that I had this all planned from the beginning. I've done my research, and I've made sure that this was the ideal home that I needed to fulfill my goal of becoming a hero.
"I appreciate your concern, but I have made up my mind. Trust me when I say that I know what I am doing." The man resigned as he sighed and scratched the back of his head.
"Whatever, kid. Don't say I didn't warn you. But if you really want to stay in this place, then you better pay up this month's rent upfront right now. If you're serious with this, then you better have it ready-!"
"This should suffice for a couple of months, I believe, don't worry about counting any leftovers after the months I'll be paying here now; you can keep the change." I presented the owner a stack of ten-thousand yen notes as he snatched it in his hand and examined it as if it were a fake.
"You have this kind of cash on you?! And you want to rent this shit hole with all this money you're packing?!" I chuckled nervously as I adjusted my glasses in response to the man in disbelief.
"Yeah?" I answered as the man shoved the yen back into my hand made an x out of his arms while shouting, "Don't play me a fool, kid! I won't allow a young man like you to live in this pathetic excuse of a home! You should be in a nice place with an actual bed and bathroom. I won't take your money, kid, and my word is final!"
"But sir! Please, I'm begging you to let me stay here. I told you have I have it all planned out!" The man shook his head furiously as he kept his arms crossed and stood in front of the shack's door.
"No means no kid!" I was about to protest, but the yelling of the construction crew caught my attention as lots of electricity were sparking from the wrecking ball machine.
"You overdid it, asshat! It's too damn juiced, and the controls are on the fritz!"
"Sorry, I wasn't the one who couldn't transfer my sparks into the battery correctly!"
"It's lost complete control! It's just swinging left to right randomly!" The various shouts of workers were heard. The machine made dangerous and drastic movements left and right as the chain on the ball was creaking and struggling to hold the ball onto the device.
It didn't take long to snap and head our direction as the ball came soaring to the shack. Most importantly, it was directed towards the landowner and the shed.
I jumped into action as I concentrated on summon my quirk. I did my best to predict where the ball was heading as I made a tentacle appear in midair. A black portal with blue traces on it appeared as a tentacle appeared wrapped itself around the loose chain that was still attached to the wrecking ball. It caught with ease as the wrecking ball got yanked away from the shack and swung wildly around as my quirk kept holding the chain; it was like a feral dog on a leash with how it turned around.
I reached toward my heart as I fell on my knees with the intense pain that overtook me. It was as if a knife was piercing my chest with how sharp it was, and that imaginary knife kept twisting and turning viciously. My head had an abrupt weight placed on it as I struggled to keep the tentacle's hold on the chain.
I clenched my teeth and forced my head to look up and saw the suspended wrecking ball with the tentacle still tightly holding it all together. I promptly imagined the quirk to swing the chain at the sandy ground of the construction site where no one standing near. It worked brilliantly as my quirk did just that; it all happened just as I envisioned it. It was like rewatching the act with how incredibly accurate it was to how I imagined it.
The pain in my heart subsided as the weight lifted from my mind. I got up from the ground as the landowner looked in horror at what had just happened. The construction workers went over and examined the wrecking ball as I listen in on them while holding my chest.
"Okay, who did it? Cause you're going to get promoted!"
"I did it! It was me, guys!"
"Shut up, Tommy! Your quirk is saying the opposite of what you mean!"
"Of course it is!"
"You sure it's a quirk and not some mental thing? He hasn't been right since you bumped our hours."
"Better be a quirk. I can't have the authorities on my ass if it isn't."
'Does he realize just how loud he's talking?' I thought as I kept my hand on my chest. I felt my heart slowly return to its average rate, granting me great relief as the landowner stood in fear in front of me. The landowner soon came out of his stupor as he approached me with shock in his eyes.
"That was you...wasn't it?" I nodded my head as the man only gawked in wonder, "You're a hero, and you want to stay here?! Who the hell are you? What angle are you playing at? Are you perhaps a...a villain! Is this gonna be your lab?!" I grew tired from the man's barrage of questions as I took a deep breath and locked my eyes with his. He shut up right quit as I made sure that we never lost contact when I spoke.
"I understand you're confused and worried, but rest assured that I've made sure to plan this all way out. There is a gas station across the street that holds a bathroom, and that station is open 24/7. A couple of miles down the road is a shopping center and gym that I plan on using daily to help my goal of becoming a pro hero. I need nothing but the bare minimum to use my time for my hero training efficiently. I'm not aiming for a normal life, sir. I'm looking to have the complete opposite." The landowner was about to say something, but I put up a hand and sighed, And no, I'm not a villain. My quirk my not look like the friendliest thing, but I'll make sure to use it for good." The man stood shocked at my proclamation on aiming for the status of pro. He also eased at my reassurance of actually being a good guy. He hesitated in saying something before he caught himself and stopped. The man walked over and took the money, and closed my palm. He then quietly shuffled away as he left without saying another word.
I noticed the small object left in my hand, and I opened my palm to see a soft key placed there.
'So this is it then. This the start of the journey. Better use my time wisely then.' I reached into my jacket to pulled out the journal Rumi had left for me. I stared at it as inspiration started bubbling within me. My legs immediately carried me to the streets as I made a mad dash toward the gym. The wind blew past me as my heart soared in excitement to finally start my new life in this world. This was the day I had meticulously planned for all of yesterday. Even though I originally planned on resting for the day, the excitement of starting so soon overtook me as I ran down the street. The gifted journal was tightly in my hold as I yelled out loud for the whole world to hear.
"I'll do it for you! Ruuuuumiiii!" I yelled as I sprinted down the street with full force.
6 Months Later...
"97,98,99...100!" I yelled as the cool morning air cooled my shirtless form as I stayed crunched up while finishing my last rep for my sit-ups. I relaxed my body to let myself hang upside to enjoy the afterglow of getting a good set in as the morning was soon to begin. I let my legs go as I fell from the steel beam of the abandoned warehouse. I concentrated a bit as a portal opened and sent out a tentacle with a giant hand that grabbed my falling body smoothly. It then let me down softly on the cool concrete floor before vanishing back into the portal.
'What a warm-up! I better get going before too much traffic piles up.' I thought as I sprung to my feet and ran outside the warehouse located a few blocks away from my home. I then focused once more and had portals appear on both sides of my calves on each one of my legs. I let four tiny tentacles come out as they wriggled readily. I could feel every one of them as I prepared for takeoff.
I squatted down and tensed my legs, which had the tentacles fold onto themselves as I prepared to launch. I went ahead and pushed my legs off the ground as my new appendages soon followed suit. The force of my legs alone now would get me some good height on their own, but the added strength of my quirk blasted me off the ground with a great arch that had me sailing through the early morning sky. I recalled the extra limbs I grew and summoned a tentacle in front of me as I started losing momentum and began descending. I focused on the tentacle to grab my hand and hurl me further in the current direction I was heading. In an instant, it did just that as I was once again gliding comfortably at incredible speeds as the morning sun was starting to peek its head out to greet the world. I soon resorted to swinging off my quirk like a monkey swinging expertly through vines. It wasn't long before I closed in on the all too familiar gym that I had all to familiarize myself with.
I then had a tentacle appear below me, grab me by the torso, and slung me straight down toward the ground. I dived headfirst toward the empty parking lot of the soon-to-be-packed gym. The wind rushed by my face as I reveled in the sensation it gave my body while I shot downward. Focusing on ending this familiar routine, two giant tentacles with large bowl-like ends opposed each other, overlapping the other to form a large circular bed. They prepared for my fast fall as I twisted and turned my body to make sure I would land with my back toward the makeshift net as I spread my body to slow my fall. Feeling the rubbery softness of the improvised landing pad reassured me as I bounced up from the bed like it was a trampoline. A few more bounces later, and I was back laying on the soft net of my quirk. A pressure of my heart was present, and I soon dismissed it by letting my quirk retreat and leave me on the ground again. The pang in my heart was gone as I laid in gratification with how far I had come, reminiscing of what it took to get here and all that I learned from that starting point.
As much as I would like to call this power a quirk, it was pretty apparent that when I started my training, I came to a realization. That my quirk wasn't a quirk at all. I am, by definition, in this world quirkless. I didn't hold a quirk, and I don't think I was ever meant to. All I had was the same power I had in the previous world. I had a persona.
My 'quirk' can be summarized as a manifestation of my soul, which is why I would feel something affect my heart in some capacity whenever it's in use. But this wasn't right either. This isn't at all how a persona was back in the old world. It was usually a brilliant show of blue flames and power from a being represented as their owner's will and soul. It was like a puppet with powers of god that I wielded all to myself, or at least that's how it was for my case.
I had Azathoth, an eldritch being of sorts that gave me the power to actualize whatever I wish for into reality. That was what I had then; now, this sort of downplaying of power came in the form of the tentacles. I remember utilizing them before, but they weren't my primary source of energy or use back then. They were more of Azathoth's own personal power that he had for himself instead of the actualization he bestowed upon me. Though if it was a part of Azathoth, then by technicality, it was my power as well.
Over the time of my training, the use of summoning those tentacles made it very clear that it was Azathoth's power that I was borrowing from as a substitute for a quirk. As I constantly experimented with the use of what I presume was a quirk, the more I could feel his presence inside of me, more specifically in my heart. It was as if two hearts were beating at the same time at points in my training. I was persistent in summoning my 'quirk' as much as I could each day before I rested. It was to the point where I would do it many times before sleeping before it became too much, and I passed out. It helped me immensely with developing the power and being accustomed to it. Now, it didn't take any pressure or effort to summon any sort of tentacle, but for them to come in contact with anything would take some strength from me, no matter how small the action was. Something like picking up an empty soda can take away a bit of the imaginary bar of uses I had with the power before I got tired. Naturally, the greater the power and force I had the tentacles perform, the more it would take out of me. In particular, in my heart, where I believe my soul was held.
I also learned that even though I could summon them through portals separate from my body, they still were a part of my body. They were like limbs to Azathoth, so that acted the same way with me, an extra pair of limbs that I manifest through portals to attack. This is why I have made use of having the tentacles come from my body.
My body and the extra appendages I grew on through the portal acted as members of my body and connected1 like glue when summoned anywhere on my form. The benefit of having them be a part of my physical body was to prevent me from overthinking. This acted as an excellent workaround to use the power without worrying about every detail.
The first problem I found myself with summoning Azathoth's power through the portals was that if they weren't attached to my body, then they weren't a part of my body. It's odd to comprehend, but the short of it was, in this metaphysical way, if they didn't connect with my physical body, then they would attach to the next best thing; my soul, or more appropriate, my heart and mind.
My heart would serve as the container of my soul, which would then use my mind as a proxy to communicate where to spawn the portal, what shape and form I wish for them to take, and what action it would do. For every tentacle I generate outside my body, I would feel that tentacle on my heart. The more tentacles I spawned, the more individual pressure it would stack on my heart and mind.
If I were to summon a humungous tentacle, then one giant spot would be put on my heart. At first, I thought that I couldn't make giant tentacles like that, but that is where the mind comes in to adjust and tweak the tentacles to my liking.
If I put the time to add the details, then I could make that colossal tentacle weigh like nothing, have no durability, and be a simple shape. The giant spot on my heart would still be there, but the pressure would be a whole lot tamer. It came at the cost of me having to be meticulous with how I went about using the power. I couldn't waste time accruing every detail with all the tentacles I summoned; it would be overbearing on my heart and mind. But if I were to attach them to my body, then it was like second nature once they connected. They felt like extra limbs, which cut down thinking what shape and power I wanted them to have. It was almost instant when they were a part of me.
There were downsides to either method. Having them attached to me made it seamless to use but limited what I could do overall; I was only one person after all. On the other hand, the portals proved to be very useful and allowed me to be creative in how I used them. Yet, it took a lot out of me if I overdid it by summoning too many or wasting too much time to iron out the details before assembling one. It was like I had to actualize the action in my mind before they acted the way I wanted it to.
Speaking of actualization...
I managed to...control it- no. It's better to say I know how to use it, but the consequences it held for its use were grave.
It was one cold night in the shack, and I had forgotten to charge my phone before I went to sleep. I usually used the gas station nearby to charge it. Still, that day, in particular, was rough with me with the training and weather. The oven was slightly turned on as to provide some level of warmth to the cold night. I decided to try actualization as a way to see if I could do it on command. To my surprise, I managed to do so as similar occurrences like in the hotel happened before my phone was left fully charged.
I had not time to celebrate or question its success, as my whole body shook and vibrated as a sincere heart beaten alongside my own.
I could feel him. It was like he was stirring awake for a moment before shutting his eyes once more to enjoy his slumber once more. It all happened in a couple of seconds as I put actualization far in the back of my mind. The previous times were accidental, and if I could control them now, that meant Azathoth was becoming more cognizant.
I still didn't know if Azathoth's awakening would bring ruin, but I knew that I didn't want to rely on him anymore than I was going to with the quirk substitute. I don't want to interfere with this world more than I probably was already trying to be a hero. I didn't need a crutch with Azathoth, just a last resort, and even then, I don't know if I would use it. I would use his power and nothing more. I would use my 'quirk.'
The stares and murmurs around me were now noticeable as the heat above and below toasted my shirtless form. I soon came to realize that I had simply laid there on the concrete like a psychopath for a good amount of the morning. I let the time fly past me without a care in the world.
"What is he doing? Is this some sort of art thing?"
"He's definitely an exhibitionist for sure. I mean, look at that bod! He's trying to show off!"
"What a cocky douche. Flaunting his abs like that..." I sighed as I kicked up from the ground and landed smoothly on my feet. As embarrassing as I was at the moment, I wasted a bunch of time doing nothing when I could've been training. 'Enough distractions, I must get back on track in my schedule for today.' I ran away from the sharp stares from the people in the parking lot as I went toward the gym nearby.
I was sure to go extra hard for today and make sure I became my absolute best. The was no stopping me from reaching my goals. Nothing at all.
The shower in the gym always eased all tension my body built from another day of rigorous training.
My training consisted of the same level of intensity across the board. I didn't dedicate any day to anything in particular, just to parts of my body I felt were lacking that day. It served to build me up to have an excellent all-around build. I was no behemoth with muscles for muscles or gold medalist gymnast that could parkour across buildings with only on their toes. I was great in condition, and that was all I cared for. I had no need to excel in anything.
Well, that was a lie. I did focus on one area, in particular, to have risen above everything else.
Not one day did I not do a form of cardio workout to end my day. Whether that be running on the treadmill, swimming in the pool, or jumping jacks at random intervals. Never did I let up a day to let my heart race.
Thanks to this focus, have I managed to use my power as effectively as I can now. I don't know what limit I had with it yet. I haven't tested how many tentacles I could summon, or how powerful I could make them, or what different shapes and sizes I could create. I haven't had the need to go all out with them yet.
I soon finished my shower and did a brisk jog back to my home. There were still leftovers that I hadn't eaten, and they just waiting for me to devour them.
I made it to my home promptly as I entered the dinky shack and went straight for the handle of the fridge.
The ringing of my phone caught me off guard as I stopped dead in my tracks. I stared at its screen with unsettlingness filling the air. Never had I gotten a call before. I still believe no one knew I actually existed in this world before I popped in that day several months back. Not even the owner of this shack had my number; I scheduled my appointment with him online.
The ringing from the device never ceased as it kept blaring in the tiny shack I called home. I was about to ignore it, but something compelled me to answer it. I had a gut feeling that it was something I would regret if I didn't do.
So I picked up the device and answered it without checking any sort of calling I.D.
"Hello..." I started as my heart spiked at the voice of someone I didn't expect to hear for a long time. I wasn't ready for her.
"Yo weirdo! So your name is Maruki? What a weird name, sounds like mine a bit." The woman started as I responded in confusion. "Sounds like yours...? Wait, is this Rumi or not?" I asked as the hearty laughter on the other side confirmed my question.
"Who else, boy scout. Though you should address me by my hero name...Mirko."