My Isekai Life in Hard Mode

Unforeseen Eviction

"No matter what, my sister will notify the cops sooner or later... it's just a waiting game... so let's drop it! Let's peep at the status bar and hit the road."

"Pull up the System stats."

- Mana: 12 (F-)

- Cores: 0 (None)

- Rings: 0 (None)

- Circuits: 12 (D+) (!)

- Core Stats

  - Strength: 12.25 (F-) → 6 (Unranked) (!)

  - Endurance: 11 (F-) → 6 (Unranked) (!)

  - Agility: 11.5 (F-) → 6 (Unranked) (!)

  - Intuition: 15.3 (F) → 6 (Unranked) (!)

- Additional Stats

  - Charm: 10 → 1 (Unranked) (!)

  - Recovery: 10.15 (F-) → 41 (C-) (!)

  - Intelligence: 18.8 (F+) → 1 (Unranked) (!)

  - Adaptation: 90 (SS+) (New!)

Ryoshu's newest stat, Adaptation, stole the spotlight, marked with "New!" It towered above the rest and seemed like the ace up his sleeve for the endgame.

Though all his stats had reset to 1, thanks to the ancient ginseng, his core stats got a sweet +5 boost. This wouldn't usually shake the earth, but starting from rock bottom made it a game-changer.

Ryoshu especially dug the adaptation stat, which is beefing up his recovery. With the pain train he was likely to ride, quick adaptability was the ticket.

Curious, he delved into the stats for more on Adaptation:

Adaptation: Your knack for rolling with the punches in any situation.

"Feels like the OG version... an early-game gem. I'll crack the code on its use later."

He maxed it at 90 because of a quirky condition: munching on the last leaf after a 4-leaf clover tear-down before the God statue at trial's end.

"Missed it by one point... but hey, close enough."

Before ditching the gate, Ryoshu sends out, soaking up Mana from the air. Initially, it played hard to get, but soon, it was chugging down his human dumpster fire of a body.

He sized up his Mana intake and shoveled it into Old Smithy's Shapeless Bow. Translation: He chucked the Mana pile at the bow, playing fast and loose.

The flowery bow with bling morphed into a pile of golden sand, then jazzed up his hoodie with snazzy patterns.

Panic mode: Engaged. He thought he'd bricked the bow for sure.

But the Mana flip-back laid his fears to rest. The sand swarmed back into his palm, shaping the old bow in a jiffy.

The sand's playful dance warmed Ryoshu's icy heart, and he developed a soft spot for the bow.

"Suspecting this bow's got a soul...? Bit of a goofball, though. Maybe. Cute either way."

He played around with the sand, sticking it back on his clothes. Customizing was an option, but he vibed with the original kiddo's doodles.

"Convenient not to shove it in a ring anymore."

Space in his F-rank ring was tighter than a drum, so he had to budget.

Back at the gate, a wild idea struck. He tapped it and said:

"Spill the beans."

The gate ▮▯▯▯▮▮

"A bit rookie with the low level... but leveling up this skill? Beats me..." - Ryoshu was puzzled, but on closer inspection, it checked out.

"Cause I'm rocking a fraction of the Player's juice..."

But the biggest head-scratcher? Who hooked him up with this system:

"Decrypt these hieroglyphics ▯▮▮▮▯▯. The mastermind... or mistress... who? The gist says... gifted for my curiosity... And they're stuck on their alias... Amemura, not Amemiya..."

Summary: ▯▮▮▮▯▯ I gifted to Amemura Ryoshu out of their curiosity.

The head-scratcher left Ryoshu flummoxed. Instead of a wild goose chase, he binned the idea and strolled through the gate.

Stepping out, the evening had unfurled. The city was alive and kicking. Beneath the bridge, nature's perfume mingled with car honks.

"So, back in the urban jungle."

He popped out from under the bridge, soaking in the twilight vista. Eyes closed, he soaked in the moment. This was his jam in the game.

"But this version's hyper-real, five senses and all. VR tech, much?"

He marinated in the view a smidge more. Then, it hit him:

"Dang, don't know my crib's address."

The heavens' gift, Super Memory, played Santa, recalling stuff he'd barely noticed. But it wasn't just a memory booster; it turbocharged his combat learning curve, saving his bacon.

Given his sieve-like brain, it was skill numero uno. Plus, dusting off old strats was no sweat now.

"Bummer, not milking that bug." - He sighed, but the sunset took the edge off.

He snagged a lighter and candles, 2.5 RC total, then beelined home for the Mana Core gig.

In their various designs, Mana Cores serve different purposes, each with unique effectiveness, usage speed, transformation abilities, and power levels. Take, for example, the Six Great Heroes from a decade ago: five focused solely on mastering one specific type of magic.

However, being specialized didn't necessarily make them the strongest. The top hero was the one who wielded the most basic Mana Core type. Yet, he customized his cores, rings, and Mana circuits to suit his fighting style, making him the most exceptional hero.

Ryoshu plans to follow this path because he desires to combine various powerful spells with his own combat style.

Ryoshu felt optimistic but was suddenly taken aback when the elevator door opened, revealing his belongings scattered on the floor. Hastily, he rushed over and found a note taped to the door. Removing it, he read the message carefully:

"You've been late on rent for almost half a year, violating the contract for over three months, so I've decided to evict you. I've been lenient with you for too long, so now you have no more chances. Signed, Fakuyu Apartment Landlord."

"I haven't even been in that room for over an hour... I hope nobody saw me in this embarrassing situation..."

Suddenly, the sound of the elevator echoed, freezing Ryoshu in place as he pulled his hoodie over his head. The footsteps grew louder as they approached him, or rather, it was the sound of his pounding heart.

"Amemura, are you moving out?" A crisp voice sounded from behind him. He turned around to identify the owner of the voice.

"This girl is Japanese... like me."

She wore a school uniform, her brown hair fluttering in the wind. Her pink cheeks complemented her mischievous brown eyes. Her oval face seemed somewhat tinged with sadness; at least, that's what Ryoshu thought.

"Oh, um, no, I... I've been evicted from this place..."

"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that," she seemed genuinely surprised by his words.

Now, it was Ryoshu's turn to be surprised, perhaps because the petite girl treated him quite kindly. It starkly contrasted Ryoshu's life before he entered this game world.

"Oh, it's not your fault."

"Maybe because she's also from the same homeland, that's why she's so polite... and could my character actually have a relationship with this cute girl? She looks about the same age as my character, so it's quite possible."

While Ryoshu was contemplating the girl in front of him, she continued to ask him:

"Do you have a place to stay for tonight?"

Due to his pride, he had to lie straight to her face.

"I do."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat suspicious.

"If you need any help, you can come to my place. My parents would be happy to help you."

Seeing things getting more complicated, Ryoshu quickly gathered his belongings and exited.

"I'm good, thanks a lot, though. Goodbye!" His voice sounded more rushed, and his actions were hurried.

"Well... then goodbye to you."

Ryoshu swiftly walked to the elevator and didn't look back. Meanwhile, the curious girl still gazed at him.

"I don't understand; Amemura seems different today?"

The beautiful girl kept looking at the young man carrying a pile of belongings until the elevator door closed completely.

"He'd normally avoid eye contact and give brief answers. But today, he even greeted me?" The cute girl tilted her head, recalling her neighbor's hurried and somewhat clumsy actions.

She opened the door and glanced at the elevator one last time.

"Weird... But I hope I'll see him again at the academy."