I tried again, creating another shuriken and throwing it with the same result—the moment my fingers lost contact with it, the construct just ceased to exist, disappearing mid-flight without even a flicker of light left behind.
I frowned, running through what had just happened in my head.
The constructs only worked while I was touching them directly—that had to be the rule, the limitation built into this power that kept it from being completely broken right out of the gate.
No throwing weapons, then, at least not with whatever version of this power I had right now—maybe that would change if I unlocked higher levels, but for the moment I was stuck with close-range constructs only.
I thought about it for a second, then decided to test something else that might give me more information about how this ability worked.
What about constructs attached to other parts of my body besides my hands?
I focused on my right foot this time, picturing three long curved blades of light extending from my toes like claws, and watched as they formed instantly and solidified into sharp glowing talons attached to the front of my shoe.
I lifted my foot off the ground and examined them carefully, noting how they looked just as solid and real as the sword had been.
Then I kicked forward with a quick snap kick aimed at nothing but empty air, testing whether the claws would stay attached through the motion.
They did, maintaining their form perfectly throughout the entire movement, which was good to know for potential combat applications.
But then I stopped the kick and focused hard on just one of the three claws, picturing it detaching itself from my foot the moment I kicked my leg forward, shooting forward through the air like a projectile.
I moved my leg, and it launched forward exactly as I'd imagined, separating from my shoe and flying toward the wall.
And then it vanished mid-flight, disappearing the same way the shuriken had, dissolving into nothing the instant it lost physical contact with my body.
I dismissed the remaining two claws and stood there for a moment, processing everything I'd just learned through trial and error.
So the rule was absolutely clear now—the constructs only existed as long as they were physically touching some part of me, whether that was my hands, my feet, or presumably any other part of my body I tried to create them from.
The moment that direct physical connection broke for any reason, the construct just ceased to exist completely, vanishing without a trace as it had never been there in the first place.
It was an interesting limitation that definitely restricted how I could use the power, but it wasn't a dealbreaker by any means.
I could still do plenty with this ability, even with that restriction—swords for close combat, shields for defense, maybe even armor if I got creative enough with how I shaped the light, and all kinds of tools for utility purposes, as long as I kept them in constant contact with my body.
I sat down heavily on the edge of my bed, staring at my hands and flexing my fingers while thinking about everything I'd discovered.
The power itself was definitely solid, more versatile than I'd initially thought, and would be incredibly useful in an actual fight if I ever found myself in one.
But what about those "lesser physiological effects" the system had mentioned when I first unlocked this ability?
I thought back to earlier tonight, right after the power had activated, remembering how my body had felt in those first few moments.
My heartbeat had dropped to a normal resting rate almost instantly, despite having just finished an intense physical activity; my breathing had evened out without any conscious effort on my part, and the sweat that had been covering my skin had just disappeared as my body had somehow fast-forwarded through the entire cooldown phase.
And then there was the whole stamina situation that I couldn't ignore.
Two full rounds with Yelena, back to back with barely any rest in between, and I hadn't felt even slightly tired afterward—not even a little bit of that usual post-sex exhaustion that normally hit me.
Normally after a session like that, especially two in a row, I'd be completely wiped out and ready to pass out on the spot, but instead I'd felt energized and alert, like I could easily go for a half-marathon.
Was that a permanent effect of this power?
I frowned while trying to piece together what the system's description had actually meant when it mentioned those effects.
My body was recovering faster from physical exertion, returning to its baseline state much quicker than it normally would have, and that was already proving to be a significant advantage.
But did that mean I had actual regeneration abilities, like Wolverine or Deadpool with their healing factors that could recover from almost any injury?
I felt a sudden spark of excitement at that thought, because if that was true, it would be absolutely huge, a game-changing ability that would make me nearly impossible to put down in a fight.
I quickly rolled up my left sleeve and looked down at my forearm, searching for evidence.
There was a small cut there, nothing particularly serious or deep, just a shallow scrape I'd gotten a couple of days ago when I'd knocked into the sharp edge of the bathroom sink in the dark while half-asleep.
It had scabbed over since then and was healing at what seemed like a completely normal human rate, nothing accelerated or special about it.
If I actually had a proper healing factor like I was hoping for, that cut should have been completely gone by now, healed over without leaving even a trace of a scar.
But it wasn't gone at all—the scab was still sitting there on my arm, healing slowly and normally, exactly the way any regular human injury would heal over time.
I stared at it for a long moment, then let out a disappointed sigh.
"Damn it."
So no actual healing factor, at least not yet—maybe that kind of ability was locked behind a higher tier of powers, or maybe it just wasn't part of this particular ability's package at all.
Either way, I filed that information away as something important to keep an eye on as I continued unlocking more abilities and growing stronger.
But what about physical strength enhancement?
I stood up from the bed, walked over to the nearest wall, and clenched my right fist as tight as I could.
Then I pulled my arm back and punched the wall with every ounce of force I could muster, holding absolutely nothing back.
Sharp pain immediately shot through my knuckles on impact, making me hiss and jerk my hand back.
"Fuck!" I cursed, shaking out my hand and trying to work through the stinging pain.
I looked at the wall first, checking for damage—no dent, no crack, not even the slightest scuff mark to show that I'd hit it at all.
Then I looked down at my knuckles and saw they were already turning red and would probably be bruised by morning, throbbing with that familiar ache of punching something way harder than my fist.
So, no super strength either, at least nothing that came as part of the "lesser physiological effects" this ability provided.
I rubbed my sore hand gingerly, grimacing at the pain.
"Alright," I muttered to myself while flexing my fingers to work out the soreness, "so it's just the light constructs and the enhanced recovery for now, nothing else beyond that."
And honestly, that was perfectly fine with me—more than fine, actually, because even just those two things alone put me way ahead of most normal people.
The constructs gave me offensive and defensive options I'd never had before, the ability to create weapons and shields and tools out of nothing but focused thought and light.
And the stamina recovery was a hell of a bonus on its own, especially considering the way my system worked and how much it rewarded sexual activities.
I glanced over at my phone sitting on the nightstand and checked the time—1:47 AM, the glowing numbers informing me that I was running on borrowed time if I wanted any sleep at all.
I had to be at the café by 7 AM sharp for the morning shift, which meant dealing with Mrs. Karen's expectations and making drinks for cranky customers who hadn't had their caffeine fix yet.
And then after that, I was meeting Gwen in the evening to celebrate both of us getting into ESU, which would probably involve food, conversation, and her boundless enthusiasm about everything.
Four hours of sleep is the maximum if I went to bed right this second, which wasn't great but was definitely doable as long as I didn't waste any more time.
I stripped off my jeans and shirt, throwing them onto the sofa, and collapsed onto my bed wearing nothing but my boxers.
My body sank deep into the mattress, and I closed my eyes.
I let all my thoughts gradually fade away into the background, my breathing slowing down naturally, my body finally relaxing completely into the mattress.
And within just a few minutes of closing my eyes, I was out cold.
.....
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