6 Chapter 6
After listening to Izuku's explanation, including the parts about him being able to see other people's statuses and revise his attributes, Nezu's eyes glistened with curiosity.
"I can see why you kept your power a secret," said Nezu. "Even if it were just the power to ascertain a person's identity, your Quirk is remarkable. The power to quantify a person's attributes and freely allocate your own is simply outstanding."
Unable to restrain his curiosity, Nezu couldn't help asking, "Do you mind apprising me of my attributes?"
Piggybacking off of Nezu's words, All Might's tone was markedly more serious as he said, "If it isn't too much of an inconvenience, I'd like you to do the same for me..."
Nodding his head, Izuku asked, "Mind lending me a piece of paper? It would be a lot easier to write them down."
Happily assenting to Izuku's request, Nezu watched with intrigue as the former wrote down his information. Both his and All Might's bodies tensed when Izuku wrote their names as Subject 301 and Toshinori Yagi, but they recovered quickly.
Staring at his status sheet with interest, Nezu mused, "So this is how the world quantifies my Intelligence...how fascinating..."
Agreeing with Nezu's statement, All Might gave a curt nod and muttered, "It really is an incredible Quirk..." while staring intently at the Quirks Izuku had written for him.
Shifting his attention to All Might's status sheet, Nezu's smile broadened as he noted, "As impressive as my Intelligence is, your attributes are truly remarkable, All Might. Seeing your Strength and Vitality, I think it's safe to say you aren't just the #1 Hero in Japan, but the entire world."
Restraining the urge to laugh, All Might adopted his trademark smile as he replied, "You honor me with your words, Sir." Then, shifting his steely blue eyes to Izuku, he added, "As for you, young Midoriya, there's something I would like to ask. With your power, it would be a simple matter to secure your place as one of the top intellectuals in the entire world. Tell me, why did you choose to become a Hero?"
Having long prepared for such a question, Izuku didn't hesitate to answer, "Because the world needs Heroes." in a firm tone. His true reasons were a little more complicated, but that didn't affect the sincerity of his response. He wouldn't have joined the Army or leaped onto a grenade if he lacked a spirit of self-sacrifice.
Seeing the conviction in Izuku's clear green eyes, All Might's abruptly flashed. If there were any doubts in his heart about Izuku being a spy, he was now certain that wasn't the case. Not only would his former nemesis never relinquish such a powerful Quirk, but Izuku's mentality was, through and through, that of a Hero.
Placing his hands on Izuku's shoulders, All Might left the former feeling speechless as he reaffirmed, "You're going to make an exceptional Hero, Izuku Midoriya. I guarantee it..."
Though the intensity of All Might's statement gave him delusions of being chosen as his successor, Izuku, unfortunately, couldn't broach the subject on his own. He also believed in his Quirk and its ability to facilitate endless growth, so once he recovered, he adopted a gratified smile and replied, "I won't let you down." with confidence.
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After returning home and greeting his mother, who now walked around in far more 'conservative' clothing, Izuku retired to his room and immediately plunged face-first onto his bed. He hadn't intended to expose himself this early, but now that he had, it felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
("I wonder if this is a byproduct of the original's obsession...?") thought Izuku, slowly turning himself over to stare at the ceiling. One of the very first things he did after transmigrating was store away the original's vast collection of All Might merchandise, but that hadn't erased the ten years of obsessive fanaticism locked away in the back of his mind. He was just thankful he hadn't made an ass of himself the moment he encountered All Might in person...
Closing his eyes, Izuku reflected on the encounter for several minutes. Before leaving, Nezu had promised to help him awaken the full potential of his Quirk. Izuku thanked him for his consideration, but unless the tiny chimera could come up with a way for him to grind experience, there was only so much UA could provide him.
With such thoughts in mind, Izuku sat up, grabbed his journal, and opened his status. He had developed the habit of checking it before bed and documenting his progress. After all, if he abruptly gained a bunch of experience in one day, it would be useful to repeat the same actions in the future.
"Oh...?"
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Name: [Izuku Midoriya]
Quirk: Digitalization
Current Level: 15 (43,841 EXP)
Effective Level: 32
[Attributes]
Strength: 50
Agility: 50
Vitality: 100
Intelligence: 62
Dexterity: 50
Luck: 10
Free Attributes: 0
Rerolls Available: 1
[Perks]
[Bronze Skin], [Fleet-footed], [Lesser Regeneration], [Healthy Body], [Sharp Mind], [Nimble Fingers]
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Though there were no changes in his attributes or perks, Izuku's eyes shone when he noticed his experience had increased by 1,622 since that morning. He knew he gained increased experience from fighting thanks to his spat with Bakugo, but this drastically exceeded his expectations. Even when he signed up for some self-defense classes at a local dojo, the most experience he earned in a single day was 193.
"It appears that enrolling in the Hero Course was the correct choice. The only question is, is this experience the byproduct of defeating Villain bots or the result of my mental state at the time? If it's the former, I'll need to obtain my Provisional Hero License and apply for a Work Study as soon as possible..."
As the most common method of acquiring experience in video games was defeating monsters, Izuku presumed the fastest way to increase his Level was to defeat villains. He had formed this conclusion on the very first day, but it wasn't something he could verify since confronting villains without a Hero's License was against the law. He was also very weak at the time, so actively seeking out villains was like asking to be hospitalized, if not much worse...
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"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!?"
Hearing his mother scream, Izuku burst out of his room and bolted down the stairs with a fierce gleam in his eyes. Home invasions weren't common in Musutafu, his hometown and the city surrounding UA, but he would be damned if he allowed something to happen to his mother.
Nearly causing Izuku to trip, a familiar voice shouted, "Greetings, young Midoriya! We meet again!" the moment he rounded the corner leading to his home's entryway.
Regaining his footing, Izuku stared incredulously at the figure towering over his mother, the latter of which had fallen onto her butt. After all, the person at their door was none other than Japan's #1 Hero...
"All Might..." muttered Izuku, quickly collecting himself and helping his mother to her feet as he questioned, "Why have you come to my home? Did the Principal need something from me?"
Waving his hand in front of his face, All Might replied, "Nothing of the sort. I'm here today because I wanted to talk to you about something. Can you lend me some of your time?"
Though his heart was pounding heavily in his chest, Izuku did his best to appear calm as he replied, "Sure. I mean, you came all this way. It would be rude of me to refuse..."
Shifting his attention to his mother, who was still in shock, Izuku smiled wryly and asked, "Can you prepare some tea for us, Kaa-chan?"
"Eh...?"
Coming to her senses, Inko turned to meet Izuku's gaze, her round eyes expressing profound confusion as she answered, "Yes...?" as if asking him to repeat what he had just said.
Grasping his mother's shoulder, Izuku gently guided her toward the living room and kitchen as he said, "Please, come inside." to All Might. The latter was currently wearing a yellow business suit, but anyone could recognize him due to his impressive stature and iconic hairstyle. If he kept standing in the doorway, people from the surrounding neighborhood were bound to start gathering outside their house.
Nodding his head, All Might replied, "Well then, please excuse me..." as he made his way inside and removed his shoes. Then, as there were no guest slippers that could fit his massive feet, he followed after Izuku and Inko in his socks.
"This is a nice little house you have here," remarked All Might, attempting to ease tensions. "I was surprised to learn you had a place so close to the school. It'll make your future commute a lot easier."
Latching onto All Might's remark, Inko blinked several times and asked, "Wait, does that mean Izuku has been accepted into UA High?" before abruptly exclaiming, "Are you going to be his teacher!?"
Exhaling a light-hearted chuckle, All Might casually replied, "Something along those lines. It's a secret, though, so please don't go sharing it with your neighbors."
Nodding her head rapidly, Inko replied, "Of course!" Then, having mostly recovered from her previous stupor, she turned to Izuku, smiling gently as she added, "I'm okay now, sweetheart. You and Mr. All Might should make yourselves comfortable while I prepare tea and snacks."
Releasing his mother's shoulder, Izuku replied, "Okay, Kaa-chan. Take your time."
With Inko scurrying off to the kitchen, Izuku and All Might sat opposite one another on a pair of sofas separated by a square table. Once they had, the atmosphere suddenly became tense as All Might asked, "Are you able to check my status right now, or are there some requirements for you to do so?"
Shaking his head, Izuku replied, "As far as I know, the only requirement is to see my target in person. I've tried using it while watching television and surfing the internet, but it didn't work."
Nodding his head, All Might responded with a curt "I see..." before getting to the point of his visit, his countenance becoming unquestionably serious as he said, "You've seen that I possess multiple Quirks, one of which lets me transfer my powers to another. Tell me, Izuku Midoriya...if you were to possess my powers, the Quirks that allowed me to become the Symbol of Peace, how would you use them?"
Though he had somewhat anticipated All Might's question, Izuku's mind blanked when he heard it. If it were two days prior, he would have said he had no need for 'One-for-All.' That was before he knew how vast the gap between All Might and other people was. Even if he found a way to Level quickly, he couldn't fathom reaching Level 60,000...
"I honestly don't know," replied Izuku. "I would certainly do my best to use it responsibly, but I'm not even sure I could keep it under control. It amazes me how you don't annihilate everything in your surroundings by simply walking..."
While Izuku's answer wasn't exactly what he was looking for, All Might appreciated his honesty. It was much better than him agreeing without hesitation or blathering about how he would use his power to become the #1 Hero.
Nodding his head in approval, All Might said, "Thank you for your honesty. In exchange, allow me to tell you why I came to Musutafu and decided to become a teacher at UA. The truth is that I'm searching for a successor, someone that can lead the next generation and replace me as the Symbol of Peace. And you, young Midoriya, are one of the people I'm considering for that responsibility..."
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(A/N: Toshinori be like, "Would you like to change your difficulty to Easy mode...?")
