[Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: Rebel Against Wapol. Reward: One Call the Storm Experience Card, 5,000 Reputation Value.]
[Congratulations, Host, for completing your first mission. Additional Reward: 5,000 Reputation Value.]
While the people of Drum Island were still celebrating Wapol's death, a mechanical voice echoed in Ryuuto's mind.
The mission was complete!
With a thought, Ryuuto opened the Reputation Value exchange interface in his mind. His total had jumped to 10,112. Aside from the 10,000 awarded by the system, the remaining 112 had come from the citizens of the Drum Kingdom.
He also saw the Call the Storm Experience Card in his inventory, a single card resting quietly in a small slot.
"We should deal with the aftermath now."
Dalton's voice pulled Ryuuto from his thoughts.
Fifteen minutes had passed, and the Bronze-Armored Golems they had summoned had already dissipated. It seemed the Bean Soldiers lasted for exactly fifteen minutes, and the form they granted only enhanced basic physical attributes and defense. This limitation had made it difficult for Ryuuto to utilize his full strength while transformed. He made a mental note of these details.
With the help of the townsfolk of Kestia, Ryuuto and Dalton tied up all the unconscious royal soldiers. Ryuuto left their subsequent handling to Dalton, a man of justice and responsibility who was the obvious choice to be the next king. For Ryuuto, the most important thing right now was the system's reward.
"Where there is oppression, there will be resistance!"
"We must fight for our own happiness!"
After making a strong impression on the people of Kestia, Ryuuto bid farewell to Dalton and left.
[Call the Storm: Upon use, alter the climate within a certain range. The summoned wind and rain can either nourish the land or cause a disaster.]
Finding a place to stay in Kestia Town, Ryuuto began to study his rewards. The description for Call the Storm was vague; he would have to wait until he used it to understand its full potential.
Next, he turned to the Reputation Value exchange. Seeing a full 10,000 points was a fantastic feeling. Who could remember when he had started with a lonely single point? Things were finally looking up!
Devil Fruits, Supreme Grade Swords, Haki—it was all there.
Unfortunately, he couldn't afford any of them.
After careful consideration, Ryuuto decided to exchange his points for two of the Six Powers. As a powerful set of martial arts developed by the Marines, the Six Powers allowed users to surpass human limits. They were incredibly versatile, providing options for both offense and defense.
Ryuuto planned to redeem two techniques: Shave and Tempest Kick. Each cost 5,000 Reputation Value, making for a perfect total of 10,000. Shave was a high-speed movement technique achieved by kicking off the ground dozens of times in an instant, while Tempest Kick was a long-range attack that launched blades of compressed air with a powerful kick. The former would grant him incredible mobility, the latter a ranged offensive option.
"Redeem!" Having made his decision, Ryuuto confirmed it in his mind.
A brilliant white light erupted from within him, a mysterious power that surged through his limbs and core, leaving him feeling incredibly refreshed. A moment later, the light faded. Ryuuto felt a distinct change; his once-weak body now felt like it held limitless energy. A casual punch could now produce a sonic boom.
The greatest change was in his legs, which now pulsed with power. A light jump could easily send him several meters into the air.
The system even strengthened my body as part of the deal. That's a nice bonus, Ryuuto thought. It made sense. Only a powerful body could master superhuman martial arts like these. Physical conditioning was the foundation for unleashing their true power.
Eager to test his new abilities, Ryuuto quickly found a clearing.
"Shave!" he shouted.
In the snow-covered forest, Ryuuto vanished in a blur. The next instant, he reappeared at the top of a distant tree.
Next, he tried Tempest Kick.
Facing another tree, Ryuuto swung his leg down. A blade of compressed air materialized and shot toward the trunk.
With a deafening crack, the blue-white projectile sliced cleanly through the wood, which was as thick as a man's thigh. Its momentum didn't stop there; it continued onward, carving a ten-centimeter-deep trench in the ground before finally dissipating.
The power was immense!
Ryuuto felt that if he had possessed this strength before fighting Wapol, he wouldn't have needed the Bean Soldier at all. A single Shave followed by a Tempest Kick would have been enough to finish the tyrant.
Witnessing this dramatic transformation, Ryuuto felt an overwhelming urge to test his new strength against a real opponent.
Back in the former Drum Kingdom, Dalton had put the captured soldiers to work chopping wood on the mountains. He then began the urgent task of assembling all the nation's doctors to treat the sick. In reality, "all the nation's doctors" amounted to the twenty physicians who had formerly served Wapol, plus Doctorine Kureha. These doctors worked tirelessly, rushing between towns to care for the ailing citizens.
Meanwhile, news of how Ryuuto and Dalton had defeated Wapol spread throughout the kingdom. As a result, Ryuuto's nearly depleted Reputation Value began to slowly climb again, a development he didn't fail to notice.
Eventually, Ryuuto found Dalton at the royal palace on Drum Rock. When Ryuuto proposed a friendly sparring match, Dalton readily agreed.
They faced each other on the snowy grounds outside the palace. White flakes drifted down from the sky, as if to wash away the stains of the past and leave behind a new, clean world.
"Fiddle Banff!"
Dalton transformed into his bison form, gripping his large spade, and charged, bringing the weapon down toward Ryuuto.
"Slow! Far too slow!" To Ryuuto, Dalton's charge looked like it was happening in slow motion.
"Shave!"
Ryuuto flickered out of existence, reappearing instantly behind Dalton. He raised his leg, preparing to unleash a kick.
"Th-this is bad!" Dalton sensed a lethal threat from behind. Pushing off with his hind legs, he launched himself into a somersault, twisting to block with his spade.
Clang!
The vacuum blade collided with the large spade, producing a deafening shriek of metal.
But before Dalton could even catch his breath, he saw that Ryuuto was already at his side, his right leg raised high, a faint blue-white aura of a Tempest Kick already forming.
"Stop, stop! I give up!" Dalton shouted, waving his hands frantically.
How had this kid's strength improved so drastically in just a few days? Dalton's mind reeled in shock.
Hearing this, Ryuuto lowered his leg.
The brief exchange had given him a much clearer understanding of his own power.