Enhancement Stacking

"Damn."

Fujino cursed under his breath and quickly raised the Wooden Sword in his hand in front of himself.

Bang!

The Wooden Sword collided directly with the stool. The moment they struck, the wooden stool was dented.

With that impact, Fujino hurriedly staggered several steps backward before bleeding off the force.

Staring at his slightly numb arm, Fujino frowned and took out a Perception Enhancement Card, crushing it.

Perception Boost activated for host: 100%; countdown 0-0-59

Strength Boost activated for host: 100%; countdown 0-0-59

"Die!"

At that moment, Kawashima Hideo roared as he swung the stool in his hand, smashing it toward Fujino's face again.

After the system's dual enhancement of his senses, Fujino did not meet Kawashima Hideo's stool head-on this time.

Instead, he flashed aside and evaded the blow.

He then spun around behind Kawashima Hideo, raised the Wooden Sword high, and swung it down at the back of his head with all his strength.

Bang!

A hollow sound echoed throughout the room.

This time, Kawashima Hideo did not cry out. Instead, his body stiffened silently before he passed out.

Staring at Kawashima Hideo, who looked like a dead dog, Fujino stepped forward and gave him another strike.

Only then did he take out the rope he had prepared beforehand and tie him up in a Kikko Binding.

After finishing all that, Fujino turned off his phone's camera function and let out a breath.

"Whew... this guy's fighting ability is a little ridiculous."

Looking at Kawashima Hideo, who had been tied up in an indescribable pose with Red Rope, Fujino wiped the sweat from his temple and asked in confusion, "Even with Detective Enhancement activated, I nearly got beaten down by him. Is this guy really some old bastard in his fifties?"

After all, once he activated Detective Enhancement, a 100% boost should have put him at least above D+. He might not be able to crush ordinary people, but he should still have been able to overpower them.

Yet he had nearly lost to this old bastard... Was this guy really an old bastard in his fifties?

Why did he feel like some furniture-store war god?

But after recalling a certain high school girl who could punch a utility pole apart, the doubt in Fujino's heart vanished.

Was it reasonable for an old bastard in his fifties to possess C-rank combat ability?

It was perfectly reasonable. Very Conan World, too.

Combat power in the Conan World had always been a mystery. If ordinary people's fighting ability were ranked, they would generally fall below C.

Slightly more formidable criminals could reach C to C+.

Detectives like Sato Miwako usually hovered around C+, occasionally reaching B.

As for human Tyrannosaurus Rexes like Ran, their normal combat ability ranged from C+ to B. If they suddenly went berserk, they could occasionally rise to A+.

The gap between D+ and C was roughly double, while the gap between C and B was around triple. The difference between B and A was still unknown.

As for the peak S-rank, that had already surpassed the realm of humans. Crushing steel guns flat with bare hands was nothing unusual.

Of course, those rankings were only Fujino's rough estimates.

Even he could not say for certain what the exact ranks were.

Combat ability would naturally change depending on the circumstances.

Detective Enhancement duration has ended. Cooldown countdown in progress: 0-29-59

The system notification suddenly interrupted Fujino's thoughts.

Hearing it, Fujino glanced at the system interface and saw that Detective Enhancement was on cooldown.

"So Detective Enhancement can't be used infinitely. It has a cooldown?"

Studying the cooldown timer, Fujino muttered to himself and took a deep breath to calm down.

Late at night, in front of a private residence.

After dumping Kawashima Hideo into the piano room, Fujino followed the path and made his way to Hirata Kazuaki's house.

He was not worried that Kawashima Hideo would suddenly wake up.

After all, even if he did wake up, Kawashima Hideo would never be able to untie the Red Rope while bound in a Kikko Binding.

As for calling for help... Fujino had stuffed one of his socks, which smelled as though it had not been washed in three months, into his mouth and wrapped tape around it twice.

Even if his tongue strength were astonishing enough to make a sound, after coming into contact with Fujino's stinky sock, he would probably pass out again.

"Already asleep?"

Fujino looked over the two-story house before him, its lights already out, and muttered in confusion. He then turned on the phone camera on his chest and climbed over the courtyard wall.

Looking at the open window on the second floor, he took a deep breath, activated Detective Enhancement, and immediately crushed a Strength Enhancement Card.

Detective Enhancement activated for host: 100%; countdown 0-1-59

Strength Boost activated for host: 100%; countdown 0-0-59

As the two system notifications sounded, Fujino grabbed the protrusions along the wall, easily climbed up, and neatly slipped into the room.

This was the enhancement method he had just figured out: Enhancement Stacking.

After activating an enhancement, he could immediately use an Enhancement Card, stacking the effects of Detective Enhancement and the card's enhancement together.

During the enhancement period, his combat ability would rise exponentially, reaching at least C-rank.

The only drawback was that it required a large number of Enhancement Cards.

Fortunately, when he had drawn the Swordsman Profession yesterday, he had also drawn several Enhancement Cards. Combined with Detective Enhancement, they were enough for him to run wild on Moonlight Island.

"Snore!"

The moment he entered the house, Fujino heard a strange noise.

His heart tightened at the sound. He quickly pulled out his Wooden Sword and cautiously made his way toward its source.

The strange sound came from the bedroom. When Fujino opened the door, he saw Hirata Kazuaki lying in a twisted posture beneath the blankets on the tatami, sleeping soundly. His snoring continuously poured from his nostrils.

"Sleeping pretty well, huh."

Fujino teased as he looked at Hirata Kazuaki's rather indecent sleeping posture.

He then silently drew out his Wooden Sword, deciding to help him look more presentable.

He approached without a sound, then raised his hand and brought the sword down.

Crack!

A crisp sound rang out.

After a brief spasm, Hirata Kazuaki, still deep asleep, went completely still.

Fujino did not dare let his guard down. Only after giving him another strike did he crouch down and pry open his eyelids.

Seeing his eyes rolled back, Fujino confirmed that he had truly been knocked unconscious before putting away the Wooden Sword.

Afterward, Fujino took out another length of rope and tied Hirata Kazuaki in a Kikko Binding as well.

He also took off one of his stinky socks, stuffed it into Hirata Kazuaki's mouth, and taped it shut.

After finishing all that, Fujino began searching the room.

With the boost from his doubled sensory perception, he soon noticed something unusual about the floor in the storage room.

The storage shelves were covered in dust, yet that particular spot had none. There were also several very fresh footprints.

Fujino pried up that section of flooring and found it packed full of White Powder.

It seemed this was the cheap powder Hirata Kazuaki had just smuggled back from abroad—the low-priced goods Kawashima Hideo had mentioned.

Looking at the White Powder packed inside, Fujino could not help but sigh. "Now this is criminal..."