Chapter 13

[0 years old: You were born into a middle-class family in Inazuma. Your father was a ronin samurai, and your mother was a homemaker. Since you rarely cried or smiled as a baby, always looking sullen, your father jokingly named you Fujiwara Kael.] 

Atleast I was born into a middle-class family this time. That's good. 

No need to worry about being abandoned in the wild again. 

[1 year old: Your father met a group of ronin samurai, who were more like street thugs than actual samurai. After mingling with them, your father's personality changed drastically. He stopped being ambitious and instead developed addictions to gambling and alcohol. He sold everything of value in the house to fund his habits, and soon, your family fell into poverty.] 

Hey! 

Again?! 

Is he destined to be a poor man forever?! 

[2 years old: With the family unable to make ends meet, your mother found work as a maid for a wealthy household, earning a meager salary. However, every month, as soon as she received her wages, your father would snatch them away to buy alcohol and gamble. The family's situation not only didn't improve but worsened.] 

... Whatever. 

[Despite the poverty, your mother loved you dearly and never thought of abandoning you. She took you with her to work at the master's house every day. Thanks to the kindness of the kitchen lady, you were able to eat your fill every day.] 

[3 years old: Your father's behavior worsened. He began to physically abuse your mother. The family's money had long been drained by your father, and whenever he couldn't get money, he would take his anger out on your mother. As a young child, you watched your mother cry and clumsily wiped her tears with your tiny hands.] 

A wife-beating scumbag!!! 

[4 years old: You began to understand things. Once, when your father was hitting your mother, you rushed out and stood in front of her with your arms spread wide. "Stay away from Mother!" you shouted at your father, only to be met with a flurry of punches and kicks.] 

[The fists landed on your body. At first, it hurt, but then a strange sense of comfort washed over you. (Talent "Masochist" triggered: Every time you are hit, your overall strength increases by 5.)] 

(Overall strength +5, +5, +5, +5, +5...) 

[Your father, in a rage, punched you with all his might, but you remained unharmed, with no injuries on your body or face.] 

Kael speculated: This must be because my overall strength kept increasing as I was being hit. 

My healing and endurance also improved. 

By the time my strength reached a certain level, this man's punches probably didn't even hurt anymore. 

The speed at which he could harm me couldn't keep up with the speed at which I was strengthening. 

[Your father looked at your expressionless face and noticed that you had no injuries. He panicked, "You... you monster!" and then fled in terror.] 

[You walked over to your mother, who was hiding in the corner, and raised your hand to wipe her tears as you had done before.] 

["Slap!" Your hand was harshly slapped away. Your mother looked at you with fear in her eyes. "Don't touch me!"] 

What kind of messed-up parents are these?!