The Bald Man

Early the next morning, Feeney set out, both eager and nervous, to test the effects of Possessed by Evil Spirit. Skye had wanted to come along, but since he still didn't know what the skill could do, he ultimately refused.

He rode his bike to a remote suburb. There had once been a small factory here, but it had long since been abandoned. After Feeney stumbled across it by chance, he turned it into a Secret Base.

He occasionally came here to get rid of excess Sumire's Fried Chicken Rolls or test the maximum effect Golden Great Deduction Technique could have on reality.

After unlocking the door, Feeney carefully checked his surroundings. Only once he was sure nothing was amiss did he begin the test.

Standing in the wide-open space, he took a deep breath and called out:

"Possessed by Evil Spirit!"

A silver sword appeared out of thin air before Feeney, its hilt set with a Red Gem and a chain dangling from its pommel. It radiated a dangerous aura.

Feeney had wondered whether the skills he drew could hurt him ever since Golden Great Deduction Technique had first worked.

He still remembered the splitting headache he'd suffered back then. At seven years old, it had taken him a full two months to recover.

His instincts told him the system wouldn't hurt him—at least not with a skill it had given him. Golden Great Deduction Technique was a good example: when he'd just been born, he couldn't use it at all, but its effects had improved as he grew older.

So even as he looked at Possessed by Evil Spirit, radiating danger, Feeney wasn't particularly afraid. His instincts told him the worst that could happen was that he wouldn't be able to equip it.

Without hesitation, Feeney reached out and gripped the Silver Hilt.

In an instant, tremendous energy burst from the Red Gem and enveloped Feeney. At the same time, a Giant Silver Armored Phantom appeared behind him, reaching out both arms and slowly drawing him into an embrace.

Feeney could almost hear a savage roar in his ears, and he felt something flowing over his body.

As the enormous phantom vanished,

a fully enclosed Silver Armor covered Feeney from head to toe. His White Cloak fluttered behind him despite the lack of wind, instantly completing the look.

Only after successfully equipping it did Feeney truly feel the might of Possessed by Evil Spirit. He wasn't afraid of Hawkeye now, and even if Captain America showed up, he wouldn't be afraid of him either.

"This is incredible! It's so powerful!"

Feeney clenched his fists and shouted excitedly in his heart. The dread he'd felt about facing the future, never knowing what to do, finally eased.

Once equipped, Possessed by Evil Spirit enhanced all of Feeney's abilities. His speed, strength, and even his mental faculties were all boosted.

Of course, the most important part was its defense. Feeney had no idea whether the metal of Possessed by Evil Spirit's armor was harder than Vibranium, but the fact that it could evolve to suit its wearer's strength was enough to put Vibranium to shame.

But even such great power came at a cost. Feeney could feel his stamina rapidly draining. With his well-trained body, he could probably only keep the armor on for a little over twenty minutes.

As for Possessed by Evil Spirit's invisibility ability, he couldn't use it yet. Maybe he was still too weak.

"Right, Golden Great Deduction Technique!"

Feeney suddenly wondered if he could use the boost from Possessed by Evil Spirit to enhance himself further with Golden Great Deduction Technique, then amplify the skill in turn.

"Double my physical abilities!"

Clearing his mind, Feeney focused all his effort on using Golden Great Deduction Technique to strengthen himself. He'd tried this before, but had never succeeded.

As soon as he spoke, his already powerful body grew stronger still. For a moment, Feeney even felt as if he were invincible.

What's more, doubling his physical abilities extended the duration of Possessed by Evil Spirit's effects, though he couldn't tell by how much just then.

"Triple my physical abilities!"

Feeney excitedly issued another "command," but perhaps his thoughts were too scattered and he couldn't focus, because this time it didn't work.

After spending a while quieting his mind and concentrating, Feeney spoke again in a low voice. "Triple my physical abilities!"

A wave of warmth seemed to surge through his body, soothing and intoxicating. But then a wave of exhaustion washed over his mind. It seemed this was the limit of how much he could affect reality for now.

Understanding the situation, Feeney wasn't disappointed. He was quite satisfied. Strength could be built up gradually, and after what had happened with Sumire's Fried Chicken Roll, Possessed by Evil Spirit's effects had already far exceeded his expectations.

Without any equipment, he couldn't precisely measure his strength or speed. Still, he could easily lift the heaviest thing in sight.

The disappointing part was that even after doubling his physical abilities, he still couldn't use Possessed by Evil Spirit's invisibility. It seemed he needed to meet some higher requirement.

What's more, the physical enhancement from Golden Great Deduction Technique wasn't permanent. As his thoughts scattered and he lost focus, the enhancement grew weaker and weaker, and seemed about to fade back to normal.

After a little over forty minutes, Feeney felt his stamina nearing its limit, so he began to unequip Possessed by Evil Spirit. The skill reappeared in front of him as a long sword.

A wave of soreness hit him, and he collapsed to the ground.

"I overdid it..."

That was Feeney's first thought as he lay on the ground. He'd underestimated the aftereffects of unequipping Possessed by Evil Spirit. He had no strength left in his body, and he was in terrible pain.

Once the skill was canceled, Possessed by Evil Spirit's sword vanished into the air. It seemed he wouldn't have to worry about carrying it around. So at its core, it was still a skill, not a piece of equipment.

Feeney struggled to roll onto his back. He didn't care about the dirt and mess; he lay there recovering and reflecting.

"It must be because Golden Great Deduction Technique temporarily increased my physical abilities. Once I canceled it, the enhancement was gone, so the aftereffects hit harder."

Feeney quickly figured out what had happened. Ultimately, he was just too weak, and that was what had caused this.

His body belonged to a fifteen-year-old boy. Even if he trained as hard as an ordinary person could, how strong could he really get?

After a brief bout of frustration, Feeney put it behind him. Complaining about his lot in life wasn't his style. He'd be better off thinking about how to keep strengthening his body.

"Maybe I should stick to the original plan and go find that Bald Monk to see if he can help?"

Lying on the ground, Feeney let his thoughts wander and couldn't help muttering under his breath.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, a warm voice sounded behind him. "It's not polite to talk about someone's hair behind their back, you know!"

Then a gleaming bald head appeared in his field of vision.

Well, what can I say? Being a newbie is tough. Please vote and leave a good review. Thanks! And please forgive me if I've made any mistakes!