By the way, my current Hero Skill Super Transformation hit Lv. 7.

It just sort of leveled up during the Dungeon Battle with Core Number 10. I won't be able to level it up again for a while.

"But, even though it was quite amazing from the beginning, at Lv. 7… it's really dangerous.

"

It felt like there was a rumbling power within me. Might've just been my imagination though.

So, the effects of Super Transformation Lv. 7 were as follows:

Can transform into an imagined object up to Lv times (7 times for Lv 7) within 24 hours

Lv 1 Effect: Can transform into the appearance of something that exists

Lv 2 Effect: Can partially imitate the abilities of the transformed object

Lv 3 Effect: Once every 72 hours, if you die while transformed, you can revive by canceling the transformation

Lv 4 Effect: Can transform into something that existed in the past

Lv 5 Effect: After transformation, restrictions are relaxed. Some unique abilities can be used

Lv 6 Effect: Can use skills from before the transformation while transformed

Lv 7 Effect: All skills after the transformation can be used

… I could use all skills after the transformation! It turned into such an incredible ability.

However, there were two drawbacks to this skill.

The first was that Hero Skills, such as Super Luck, were not applicable.

That much was obvious though. Acquiring Hero Skills, things that ran the risk of corrupting someone's soul, was dangerous. It was impossible for it to be risk-free and there was even the possibility of rapid corruption. If anything it's great that it wouldn't copy them.

And the other one is that after transformation, there is no notification whatsoever about what skills you have acquired.

In other words, if you don't know the skills that the transformed opponent can use, you still can't use them. Moreover, just like at Lv 5, the experience is not copied, so the transformation only results in a degraded copy.

Of course, it's different if the opponent is not good at using their skills.

Still, even with those two drawbacks, it's undeniably strong. It's truly worthy of being a Lv. 7 Hero Skill.

"But… it's really dangerous when you consider what the upper limit is…

"

As mentioned earlier, I'd heard from Leona before that acquiring Hero Skills could contaminate one's soul towards the side of the Light God and that the limit was raising the level by three within a year.

I had no clue if that information was really accurate, but with the current situation of having my skills absorbed by Soto and repeatedly acquiring new ones, I couldn't help but think that it might be extremely dangerous.

"But then again, it's not like there's someone knowledgeable about Hero Skills and souls that I could just go and see, so I can't even get a diagnosis.

"

I couldn't just ask the Light God about it via email. After all, if being contaminated by the Light God's side was a convenient thing for the Light God, wouldn't they just not tell me the truth? It wouldn't be surprising if they said, There's no problem at all, and what Leona said was nonsense! Just hurry up and raise your level.

I wouldn't know whether it was true or not until it was too late.

Having said that, there was no guarantee that Leona even told me the truth in the first place… but I had a mysterious conviction that it was.

I think I probably sensed it when my level increased due to the Hero Skill.

"Anyway, for the time being… it's better not to raise my Hero Level for a year. It might be a good idea to practice the Hero Skills though.

"

With that so, I headed to the Arena Area. That place was perfect for exercising while keeping secrets.

Niku accompanied me to join in the exercise.

"Goshujin-sama, what are you going to Super Transform into?

"

"Well, let's start by transforming into one of my close friends.

"

Considering how easy it was to understand, it would be best to start with Rei, who had a distinctive ability.

After all, now that I could transform up to seven times in a day, I could afford to do it casually. I activated Super Transformation.

"How about that, Niku? Does anything seem off?

"

"Oh, amazing, Goshujin-sama. That smell is definitely Rei's too.

"

Niku sniffed my scent by pushing her nose up close to me.

"Tei!

"

"Ata!

"

When I tapped her forehead lightly, Niku winced in pain… Huh?

"Huh? Goshujin-sama, that hurt just now.

"

"Yeah… So, Rei's zero attack power isn't a skill, but just a regular ability value.

"

"So does that mean that your attack power is added on top of what you transform into, Goshujin-sama?

"

In that case, it'd mean that I become a little stronger than the original form when I transform.

It was a problem (?) that I couldn't make use of the reason I'd transformed into Rei, though.

"Alright, let's try the next one.

"

"Who will you transform into next?

"

"How about our neighbor Redra? I want to try breathing a Dragon Breath.

"

"That sounds fun. I'll take care of your clothes.

"

Oh, that's right. Clothes don't transform.

I undressed—after undoing the transformation, I undressed and then transformed into Redra using Super Transformation. I became a Red Dragon.

"When my body grows so large it just feels like everything around me has become smaller.

"

"I see, so that's how it is.

"

"Alright, Niku, you should stand back for now… Dragon Breath!

"

FUUUUUUUUUUUU———!!! I let out a sigh that felt like I was blowing out candles on a birthday cake.

With the lung capacity of a dragon, the cake itself would get blown away.

"… How do I use Dragon Breath?

"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask the person herself?

"

"Yeah, I might ask her how she does it next time. Here goes, Dragon Breath-Ish—

"

—Breath. I tried to release an Elemental Burst without chanting, pretending it was a breath attack. Yeah, I could properly use magic that Redra most likely couldn't.

"I want to test if I can use skills that I can't normally use… Ah, right. Humanization!

"

I used Humanization to transform into Redra's human form.

By the way, I wasn't naked, I was wearing clothes.

"Huh? You're wearing clothes. What's going on?

"

"To let you in on the secret, these clothes are simply a part of Redra's body. Remember how Redra was wearing clothes when she humanized? I think her scales change into clothes.

"

In that sense, it couldn't be said that I wasn't naked… In retrospect, transforming into our neighbor's wife and being naked might be a bit of a problem.

I won't say anything to Ontentoo since he might hit me if I did.

"By the way, can you reproduce Soto's Minor Duplication?

"

"I wonder? Let's give it a try.

"

I put my clothes back on and transformed into Soto… Hmm, doesn't seem like it. Minor Duplication appeared to be excluded just like regular Hero Skills. Oh, but I might be able to eat stones and stuff?

"Would you like to try eating a sock?

"

Niku smoothly tries to take off a sock.

"… No, I'll pass. I feel like I won't be able to digest it once I untransform and it might give me a stomachache.

"

"That's too bad.

"

I wouldn't ask what exactly she found too bad.

"I wonder if I can open Niku's Storage while I'm transformed like this? Can I give it a try?

"

"Go ahead.

"

"Alright, here goes. Oh, it opened! Wow, so this is how Soto always opens other people's Storage… wait, could I just casually open the Storage Dungeon too?

"

I opened someone else's Storage as if I were unzipping their clothes. There wasn't much difference between opening my own Storage and someone else's, so I quickly got the hang of it.

"Hey Niku, let's scare Soto a bit. We're always startled by Soto appearing out of nowhere, so let's give her a surprise for once.

"

"That sounds… very fun. I'll join you.

"

Niku flapped her ears and tail and huffed.

It'll be good for Soto to experience the surprise of someone suddenly appearing next to her!

"My Storage is technically my daughter's room, so Niku, you go in first. Stop me if it seems inappropriate.

"

"Understood. Let's go, please open it.

"

"Alright. Storage Dungeon, open!

"

While turning sideways so I can't see inside, I opened the Storage with a whoosh. When Niku peeked in first—

"…Huh?

"

"Ah, eh, wait, Niku Onee-chan!? I thought I locked the door properly!!

"

"Master, please wait a moment. She seems to have been playing in her room.

"

"What!? Papa's there too!? Ah! So it was Papa's doing, right!? Pervert! Creep! Don't wash my underwear with yours!

"

What's with that accusation? It's like some adolescent daughter's rant. That hurt my pride as a dad a bit, you know?

By the way, it seemed she was playing by laying out socks and rolling around on them. What is my daughter doing? Just take it easy already.