Power!
His body was brimming with power!
It felt as though every inch of his muscles was completely under his control, working in perfect harmony to help him unleash his strength to the fullest.
Jay casually swung his fist forward, and the very air seemed to explode with a sharp crack, startling him.
There was no resistance, everything felt unbelievably smooth!
For a moment, he even had the illusion that, with his attack, he could shatter the very earth beneath him.
Of course, he knew that was just an illusion.
After all, the true strength of [Demon Back] lay in unlocking the body's full potential, allowing him to unleash his power without restraint.
The human body was a treasure trove, and the deeper he dug into it, the more terrifying the strength he could unleash when activating [Demon Back].
It did not create power from nothing, it simply removed the limits.
Just then, a low, rumbling sound came from Jay's stomach.
Hunger. Weakness.
He quickly deactivated [Demon Back], and his entire body was instantly drenched in sweat.
Clearly, activating [Demon Back] wasn't without its drawbacks, liberating every muscle in his body required an astronomical amount of energy.
Moreover, as his muscles grew stronger through training, the energy consumption of using [Demon Back] would also increase exponentially!
Jay suddenly realized something. No wonder even someone like Yujiro Hanma, hailed as the strongest creature on Earth, didn't activate [Demon Back] at will.
Overwhelming his opponents with brute force might be one reason, but the other was likely the sheer energy drain. If it wasn't necessary, it was best not to use it.
As his stomach let out another loud protest, Jay decided to head to the cafeteria for a proper feast.
That's when he noticed Buck and the others staring at him as if they had seen a ghost.
"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"J-Jay… bro, just now… there was a face… on your back… A terrifying face, like a demon's!"
"And earlier… this immense, indescribable pressure suddenly erupted from you. It felt like we could barely breathe."
Buck stammered, struggling to get the words out. His eyes still held traces of fear.
The image of Jay's transformation had been burned into his mind.
Jay hadn't expected that a casual experiment on his part would leave such a deep psychological shadow on them.
But this also made him realize, [Demon Back] wasn't as simple as just enhancing his strength.
The transformation it brought likely included a surge in mind, energy, and spirit, amplifying his overall presence!
Unfortunately, he could only maintain it for a short time, so he wasn't able to fully grasp its potential yet.
Jay regretfully shook his head, then casually brushed it off, telling them that the hot weather must have given them heatstroke, making them hallucinate.
Honestly, what other explanation could there be? After all, how could a human suddenly grow a demonic face on their back?
Convincing themselves with this reasoning, Buck and the others finally began to calm down.
Then, they all headed to the cafeteria together.
"Today's batch of sakura mochi is ready."
"Thanks, but starting tomorrow, you don't have to prepare them anymore."
Jay took the towering stack of plates with a smile.
"Huh? You don't want them anymore?"
"Yeah. I've had enough of this damned stuff. Starting tomorrow, please, I never want to see another sakura mochi again."
With that, Jay found an empty seat and began what would be his last meal.
The cafeteria chef nodded in understanding. "Yeah, makes sense. No matter how much someone loves something, eating it every day would get sickening. Moderation is key."
Then, he sighed. "Too bad I already stocked up on extra flour!"
"Oh well, guess I'll just make more noodles instead."
"Wait, if he's done with sakura mochi, does that mean he won't eat dumplings, buns, or noodles either? Hmph!"
Jay had no idea that his "no more sakura mochi" declaration would cause such an inconvenience for so many people. It forced the entire base to survive on dumplings, buns, and noodles for five days straight.
Sakura mochi, just as he said, had become sickening to him.
But today, he enjoyed it.
He ate happily, he ate with joy.
And he ate fast.
What should have been three meals' worth of food, he devoured in one sitting, 170 sakura mochi in one go.
He burped, and even the air that escaped smelled of sickly sweet red bean paste.
[Mitsuri Kanroji] (Orange)
[Condition Achieved: Eat 170 sakura mochi every day for 38 consecutive days.]
Ability:Inborn Super Strength (Activated)!
[Inborn Super Strength: Muscle density increased to eight times that of a normal human.]
"Finally! I did it! 38 days, 170 sakura mochi every single day! I finally made it!"
The system notification nearly brought Jay to tears. He almost cried.
Who would understand the sheer torment he had endured for over a month?
He would rather take a beating every day for another month than go through this hell again.
But, effort brings rewards!
As soon as [Inborn Super Strength] activated, Jay immediately felt a drastic transformation in his body.
His muscles contracted, then expanded
They repeated this process over and over, at least ten times, before finally settling.
Then, he realized, his muscle density had skyrocketed!
According to his status card, his muscle density was now eight times that of a normal human!
What did that mean?
Absolute strength!
Mitsuri Kanroji had effortlessly lifted a 15-kilogram pickling stone when she was only one year and two months old!
But that wasn't all, this eightfold muscle density didn't just bring monstrous strength; it also came with incredible durability!
Jay couldn't wait to test it out.
So, without hesitation, he left the cafeteria and found a quiet corner in the training ground.
"First… let's test my strength."
He picked up the dumbbell he had always used for training.
Light!
Light as a feather!
Then, he began switching, testing with heavier and heavier objects.
The final result? His strength had increased by at least five times compared to before!
And even that might not be his limit.
Because with the same muscle volume, every tiny increase in muscle mass granted him an eightfold boost in power!
"Next… defense."
Jay tensed his muscles, then picked up a wooden stick from the ground and swung it at himself with full force.
Crack!
He felt nothing, the stick shattered instantly upon impact!
Frowning slightly, he grabbed a rock from the ground and slammed it against his body.
Boom!
The rock split apart just like the stick!
"By tightening powerful, high-density muscles into a solid mass, I can achieve hardness comparable to steel…"
"Could this be the principle behind Tekkai from the Six Powers?"
"And if I take it a step further… should Armament Haki be trained in a similar way?"
Jay crushed the remaining stone to dust between his fingers, his eyes gleaming brighter than ever!