Gifts were a very big part of the game All Routes Lead To Death!
They were special powers given to every single person when they were born, without exception.
Some gifts were weaker than others, and not all focused on combat. Some were as simple as blacksmithing or tailoring.
On the other hand, Amon's gift was different.
Amon's gift made him an all-rounder.
And now, I needed to figure out how to use that very same gift.
In the entrance exam, he activated it during a high-stress moment, which meant he didn't activate it willingly.
But since I'd played all the routes, I knew how the female leads and the main character activated their gifts.
Imagination.
It was really that simple.
They would imagine their gift activating, and then it would activate.
So I tried to do the same.
I extended my hand and imagined my Telekinesis activating.
As I stood there waiting for something to happen, I began to feel embarrassed.
I hadn't even acted this chuuni in middle school.
Ridiculous... Why did I think the genius main character and the genius female leads worked the same as me?
Amon was powerful, sure, but only after he had gone through endless suffering.
But the core remained the same.
Imagination.
Instead of simply willing it to activate, I thought of something else.
I glanced at one of the overgrown bushes in front of me.
Once again, I used my imagination.
This time, however, I imagined gripping the overgrown bush, and to my genuine surprise, I felt some kind of energy stir within my heart.
I lost focus almost instantly, but when I glanced back at the bush, I spotted the leaves at the top twisted at odd angles.
It might not seem like a lot, but...
"Holy shit..."
I really did it.
I activated Telekinesis.
Using my imagination again, I recreated what I just felt. This time, I had my full attention on the bush.
My heart practically beat out of my chest when I realized that with a single thought, I could freely manipulate whatever I wanted.
I could push, pull, or lift any leaves.
I could cut or even crush any weeds.
There were so many more possibilities that he knew of since he was a bit of a geek in the past.
As I planned to continue, however, I suddenly felt an ache in my chest, causing me to abruptly lose focus and cancel my Telekinesis.
I was confused for a moment, but then I sighed, recalling something.
Gifts were powerful, but they also had limits.
The more one practiced a Gift, the higher those limits became.
I could try and continue past my limits now, but I would just ruin my body.
After all, that ache just now meant I had reached the limit of my Telekinesis.
That limit should replenish in a few hours, but until then, I was running on empty.
Still, I was curious, so I imagined the status screen from earlier to appear, and it did.
•—Amon Everness—•
Level 7 [High-Grade 0]
▷Stats
[Strength 2]
[Stamina 1]
[Speed 6]
[Perception 10]
[Vitality 15]
▷Inherent Gift
★Telekinesis [Beginner] (Lv.1 → Lv.2)
▷General Abilities
☆Sprint (Lv.5)
☆Pain Tolerance (Lv.9)
☆First Aid (Lv.12)
•——•
"Let's see here..."
My Telekinesis, after 10 minutes of playing around, increased by one level.
That meant my limit increased just a teeny tiny bit compared to before.
Even so, I glanced at my stats.
Stamina, Perception, and Vitality should be my most prioritized stats since they would help me use my Telekinesis longer.
Vitality was the most important since it would make me more durable and also improve my regeneration.
Because of that, with higher Vitality, I could use my Gift for longer, even after reaching my limit.
The injuries just wouldn't be that bad.
Even when I was playing as the main character, I raised Vitality. It was just that good.
A faint smile appeared on my face as I realized I might not be that hopeless after all.
Just then, I heard a clank beside me, and when I turned toward the noise, I spotted a scythe and many other cleaning supplies I had asked for.
My expression lit up.
"Thank you. Also, take five gold coins for yourself. That's fair, right?"
I didn't get a reply, but I did hear someone shuffling with a few coins.
A second later, my sack of gold coins landed right beside me.
Chuckling, I pocketed the sack, and after setting my mind to it, I grabbed the cleaning supplies and got to work.
***
(1 week later...)
The past week was pretty plain.
I spent three days cleaning the outside and a single day cleaning the inside of the manor.
Most of the food inside was spoiled, and the clothes were torn, so I had to invest a little.
Of course, Evelyn's shadow helped me a little when it came to that.
The shadow and I hadn't talked face to face once, but I did realize someone had started living in the room beside me.
Naturally, I didn't pry.
I did, however, make two portions every meal every day.
I ate one, and the other was eaten and cleaned before I could even finish.
It was nice living with someone, even if I couldn't talk to that someone.
Still, I stopped reminiscing, and after I adjusted my clothing and took the last bite of meat, I glanced at my status screen again.
•—Amon Everness—•
Level 7 → 8 [High-Grade 0]
▷Stats
[Strength 2 → 3]
[Stamina 1 → 4]
[Speed 6]
[Perception 10 → 11]
[Vitality 15]
▷Inherent Gift
★Telekinesis [Beginner] (Lv.2 → Lv.5)
▷General Abilities
☆Sprint (Lv.5 → Lv.6)
☆Pain Tolerance (Lv.9)
☆First Aid (Lv.12)
•——•
Compared to before, my stats were a little better, especially Stamina.
My Telekinesis also went up three levels.
If I had to guesstimate, doing basic activities, I could use my Telekinesis for 30 minutes straight.
If I used it actively, like crushing, pulling weeds, or more, it might fall down to 15 minutes.
Lastly, if I were to actively fight, I was sure I wouldn't be able to hold out longer than 5 minutes.
Shaking my head to get rid of those thoughts, I put on my black coat and a top hat I had bought the day before.
However, as I was about to leave my manor, I glanced at the room at the far end of the hallway.
My chest tightened slightly.
It was an office that had belonged to Amon's father.
There was so much history there, but even after a whole week, I couldn't muster up the courage to go in there.
I thought that maybe I would've gotten over it by now, but still, it felt wrong to visit that place.
So I didn't. I stepped out of the house and made my way into the city.
Today was a really big day.
I needed to meet up with Evelyn, and after that, there was something I wanted to find.
The academy was when the game truly began, which meant I had nearly three months to gather whatever boons I needed until then.
And as it so happened, there was one artifact that I could get with the little strength I had.
The only issue was that it would take me nearly two months to get.
Though it was worth it. I was sure of it.
With those thoughts, I finally arrived at the gambling house.