[After Effect]

"Brook what happened?"

[I cannot say]

"So, I have forgotten something in exchange for power, right?"

[exactly]

"Why didn't I think of it before? I mean, can't you remind me of what happened every time I forget?"

[I've tried it before, but it doesn't seem to work.]

"What do you mean?"

[okay!]

[Just now, ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ then ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ but you ■■■■■■■■■■■] Huh!?

I strained to understand the explanation, but as soon as the words echoed in my head, they were forcefully redacted from my mind. Frustrated, I asked again, but the same thing happened. It was like someone was erasing my memory in real-time, and I couldn't do anything about it.

The letters around me danced and jumped, exuding an aura of joy. I couldn't help but notice that it was the first time I heard anything from them. Suddenly, they emitted a series of cute sounds like kyu, pyu, and piew. As adorable as they were, these entities were also the ones responsible for devouring my memories.

The duality of a man…

"I get it, I get it, thanks for trying Brook"

Whatever the case was, I felt something weird in me, as if it was surging with power. This led me to check on my stats, which shocked me when I saw them.

Strength: 32 --> 56

Constitution: 22 --> 24

Dexterity: 49 --> 55

Intelligence: 38

Wisdom: 22

Charisma: 15

It seems impossible that my stats have increased so drastically in less than half a day since I last checked them. However, I suspect that I may have used an enhance incantation on myself, which would explain why my constitution didn't raise much, while my strength increased by the same amount as it did when I trained for three months.

*hup*

As I tried to sit up, I felt a strange sensation as if my muscles were being stretched to their limit. Suddenly, I was propelled 3 meters into the air.

I couldn't help but notice that my sudden increase in strength and abilities may have been the reason why I was able to perform this superhuman feat.

At that height, I noticed a familiar pattern in the destruction path around me.

"What is this?" as I landed.

As I prepared to jump again, I could feel my leg muscles compressing in anticipation of a higher leap. In less than a second, I had soared 10 meters into the air.

"Huh!? Brook… don't tell me…"

[I won't tell you…]

"No please tell me!"

[This could be the reason for your sudden memory loss] he's a book but I can feel that he was rolling his eyes… flipping his pages.

As I looked down from my 10-meter vantage point, the sight that greeted me was deeply unsettling. A massive handprint, stretching across three buildings in every direction, had been etched into the ground below. The buildings themselves were completely flattened, as if a giant hand had swiped them away like toys.

[It seems like the first time you used your new ability, it cost you your memory. However, it's possible that this is just the price you have to pay for unlocking new powers. The good news is that the technique is now engraved in your memory, so you can use it again whenever you want. You may not be able to use it at full strength right away, but with practice, you can learn to use weaker variations of the technique until you can master it completely.]

[The technique you used is called 'Gigaton Palm!' and it has many variations with weaker force, such as 'Megaton Palm!', 'Megaton Elbow!', or 'Megaton Kick'. This technique allows you to unleash a powerful strike, whether it's a palm, punch, elbow or kick. It seems that this power is mostly related to the manipulation of gravity, as it's a part of gravity element.]

Even though I now had a general understanding of what had happened, I still couldn't shake off the feeling that it hadn't actually occurred. It was as if there was something missing, some crucial detail that I just couldn't remember. I felt uneasy, like a nagging sense of disorientation that wouldn't go away. It was like a fog had descended over my mind, obscuring my memories and my sense of reality.

The more I tried to remember, the more frustrated and confused I became. It was like trying to grasp at a fleeting dream that slipped away from my grasp every time I got close to it.

If someone were to witness these adorable letters bouncing around me, radiating with happiness and emitting cute noises, they might never suspect that these letters are the fundamental building blocks of reality, and that they derive pleasure from consuming someone's memories in exchange for lending them power.

As they cooed, 'kyun' and 'piyo?' I couldn't help but pet them affectionately and thank them for the newfound power they had bestowed upon me.

I can't help but wonder what these adorable little letters will become in the future. Just the thought of it sends shivers down my spine.

"Wait, I forgot I have to check on the kids first."

.

.

.

As I rose from the ground, I brushed the dirt off my clothes, careful not to overexert myself and cause injury. I had to check on the twins, who were playing nearby. But as I turned to leave, I noticed Ruby standing in the distance, her eyes fixed on me with a look of terror and despair. It was as if she had lost all hope in life.

I approached her cautiously, unsure of what had caused her distress. "Ruby, what's wrong?" I asked gently.

She didn't answer, only continued to stare at me with a haunted expression.

She then shook her head, perhaps waking up from the daze and the rabbit hole of thought she was in.

"It seems like there's something you need to tell me," she said, waiting for an explanation for the current situation which means she witnessed what happened.

[Shadow gate.] shadow gate? No not again, I'm sorry, but I'm a bit prone to feeling nauseous.

"Get in, I can give you a ride," she offered.

I hesitated for a moment before responding, "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I have pretty good stamina, you know."

"I assure you it will be fast, less than a second," she said, trying to reassure me, as she knows that I'm pretty sensitive when it comes to travels.

I took a deep breath and reluctantly agreed, "Alright, I guess I don't have much choice."

"To where?"

"Take me to the corner of Maria's street, sixth building down from the clock shop,"

"Whoa there! It seems you've become quite knowledgeable about Chamenopolis,"

"Yeah, Clara shows me around the Draconic District sometimes. I like the clock shop's exterior, and whenever I catch a glimpse of myself in its reflection, I like to flex my muscles," I explained with a serious face, I don't joke about the gains… I never do.

I see," she muttered, her lips turning downwards in a melancholic tone.

"That's good for you," she added, and then quickly added, "let's move on."

She opened the shadow gate for me to get in first, she was going to follow me inside.

.

.

.

I had expected to arrive on Maria's Street, near the battlefield, but to my surprise, I found myself in a dark, distorted space.

[This place...,] Brook began, explaining the situation [the flow of time here is slower than outside. It's a shadow pocket that only a few darkness users are familiar with.] He noticed my discomfort and paused, allowing me to take in the information.

Suddenly, a voice rang across the dark space, "How could he talk about another girl next to a girl, that bastard," it exclaimed.

The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once, and it echoed off the distorted walls, it was…

"Ruby, where are we? And more importantly, where are you?" I asked, realizing that the voice I had heard earlier was hers all along.

"Wait, how did you...?" Ruby exclaimed, sounding surprised by the sound of my voice.

[By the way, Gustang,] Brook interjected, [this space is only accessible to darkness users, so Ruby must be surprised that you were able to move freely inside of it. She might even think that you have become a darkness user yourself, but in reality, it's because of your unlimited access to elements from all existence. Originally, you were supposed to pass through it and reach your destination, but now you are part of a warped dimension,] Brook explained.

Realizing the situation, I decided it would be best to act foolish and dodge Ruby's questions by feigning ignorance.

I exclaimed, "How did we get in here?" (of course, it was just an act) Then, I added urgently, "We need to hurry up because there are kids there that I need to check on."

"Don't worry, we'll arrive just in time. I'm just surprised that you possess the ability to awaken dark affinity elemental abilities like mine."

I thought she believed I had awakened a similar affinity to hers, but then she added something that made me doubt my assumption.

"If you truly were a darkness user, you would have already understood this phenomenon. However, since you don't, there must be something else at play. Don't worry, we have plenty of time for you to explain everything in detail" that caught me off guard.

"Augh… Fine, Although, to be honest, I despise having to explain even the simplest things to others."