Chapter 5: Power Level and Potential

Hm...okay, this is pretty comfy. It’s pleasantly cool and dark in here too, feel like I could drift off pretty easily.Since it would’ve been suspicious to leave after coming this far, plus the fact that I need to go through this to become a Hunter, I decided to just bite the bullet and go for it, after checking with Ai to make sure it was safe to do so.

But since you also said that the process is guaranteed to fail, what do I do? Can I even become a Hunter if I don’t get Tabulized or whatever? Wait, does failed Tabulization happen at all?

<It is not entirely uncommon, the Tabulization process fails in approximately one point two percent of Awakened individuals>

Okay, at least it’s not unprecedented. I’d rather not attract any unwanted attention right now. In those cases where the process failed, did any of those people go on to become Hunters?

<A few, but most of them did not>

I see. Alright, then, I should probably try to keep a low profile to begin with. Maybe I could-...

My train of thought was interrupted as a hiss echoed out, before I blinked a couple of times as the pod opened up again, my eyes taking a moment to adjust as light streamed in.

I sat up before climbing out of the bed and stretching my arms up with a sigh, the machine closing back up as I stepped out of it.

"Uh...I’m so sorry to tell you this, but the Tabulization process failed. We have at least determined that you’re a Combatant-type Hunter, but the device failed to stabilize your powers. Because of that, we can’t determine your Class or Attribute either," The staff member informed me solemnly.

"Oh, I see, that’s disappointing," I replied, playing along as I plastered a crestfallen look on my face, before adding, "So, does this mean I can’t become a Hunter?"

"Well, it’s certainly not impossible, but if you ask me, I’d advise against it. Failed Tabulization usually only occurs in those who possess a level of power at the lower end of J-Ranked Potential. Hang on, let’s measure yours and confirm...," He trailed off as he picked up another device and pointed it at me, staring at the display for a moment, continuing, "Oh, your Potential is 86,600, that’s surprising high for a failed Tabulization. Your Potential is your ceiling for growth, it’s as high as your Power Level can rise. That’s about average for a J-Rank, but since your powers haven’t been stabilized, it’ll be quite difficult to raise your Power Level."

Yeah, I already knew that thanks to the info dump Ai flooded into my mind.

Power Level is a measure of a Hunter’s current abilities, while Potential is the ceiling of how high they can raise those abilities, like he said.

But my Power Level and Potential are equal. Usually, there’s a pretty wide disparity between them after someone Awakens, right?

<Unlike other Hunters, the correlation between your Potential and Power Level is different>


<Would you like me to explain how it works?>

Yeah, tell me about it on the way out.

"Okay, I should get going now. Thank you for your help, sir, I appreciate it," I remarked with a polite smile.

"Don’t mention it, just doing my job. You get home safe, kid," The man nodded in response.

I then headed out of the room and made my way through the building and towards the entrance, stifling a yawn as I stepped back outside.

That pod was so relaxing, think I’ll take a nap once I get back to the orphanage.

And while I’m on the way back...Ai, you’re up, girl...

<Very well, I shall begin my explanation now>

<Also, while my voice may be feminine, I do not identify with the concept of gender, as I do not possess a physical body>

<Now, to commence with my explanation>

<Usually, Hunters Awaken with a fixed Potential, and their initial Power Levels are quite low, regardless of how high their Potential may be>

<In order to minimize that disparity, they need to train to master their abilities and raise their Power Level, to realize their Potential>

<Naturally, this means that an individual’s Power Level cannot exceed their Potential>

<But that is not the case with you>

<You are unique in that your Power Level is always equal to your Potential>

Huh? What does that mean, exactly?

<Put simply, you are always at your full Potential>

<However, your Potential is not fixed, it can increase by using your Gluttony Skills>

<And your Power Level increases in direct unison and proportion to your Potential>

Ohh, okay, I think I get it now. So, then, in theory, I have effectively unlimited Potential, and my Power Level will always be maxed out in line with said Potential?

<Not quite, you do have an upper limit to how much you can increase your Potential, but it is still far above the limits of other Hunters>

<Other than that, I would say that is an accurate assessment>

Oh, so like max level or level cap in video games? I see...well, I guess that’s fine.

It would’ve been cool if I could grow endlessly powerful, but I suppose it’d be unnecessary. The fact that my upper limit is still significantly higher than what any other Hunter can reach is more than good enough.

<Indeed, this upper limit is the amount of power your body is capable of handling and adapting to, you would get overwhelmed by your own power and die if that limit is exceeded>

Yeah, that’d suck, talk about a shitty way to go.

<Now, to continue with my explanation, your starting MP is low by design, so that you would register as a Combatant>

<Combatants inevitably have much higher Power Levels than Mages do, so when ranking either type, a different metric is used>

<For Combatants, it is Power Level>

<And for Mages, it is Mana Level>

<Put simply, Mana Level is the measure of the quantity of Mana they possess>

<Incidentally, your Mana Level is currently 50,000, which is relatively low>

Hm, since my current MP is 50, well...that’s some pretty simple math.

<Yes, your stats are simplified for the sake of convenience>

<To continue, since Mages have lower Potential, while Combatants have lower Mana Levels, they are assessed differently>

<During the assessment process, if an Awakened individual’s Mana Level is higher than their Potential, they are classified as a Mage, and if it is the other way around, they are classified as a Combatant>

<If your starting MP had been on a similar level to your physical stats, there would have been a minimal gap between your Potential and Mana, in which case you would have been registered as what is known as an Arcane Mage>

<Arcane Mages are extremely rare, and if you were classified as one, it would raise the possibility of others discovering the power of your Sinner System sooner rather than later>

Ah, gotcha, so that’s why my MP stat is so much lower than my other stats, good to know. And good call, that probably would’ve drawn unwanted attention to me.

Now that I think about it, it’s a good thing they don’t measure Power Levels during the assessment.

It definitely would’ve looked suspicious if a newly Awakened kid had a Power Level equal to his Potential.

<Indeed, it is not possible for normal Hunters to have maxed out their Power Level immediately after Awakening>

<I should also add that, while J-Ranked Hunters are the weakest Hunters, they are also much, much stronger than normal humans>

<The average J-Ranked Combatant-type Hunter is about ten times physically stronger than a normal human, your yourself are currently approximately eight times stronger than an average unpowered human>

Seriously? Wow, that’s kinda insane.

<Incidentally, the weakest species of Monsters are approximately five to six times stronger than normal humans>

Yikes, no wonder so many billions were killed before the Sanctuary Project was completed.

Hm, if I’m ten times stronger than the average powerless person, I should be careful not to accidentally hurt someone.

<That is unlikely to be a concern, you are able to instinctively control your strength thanks to the Sinner System>

<Other Hunters gain that same instinctive ability through the Tabulization process, that is why the Awakened are encouraged to get assessed and Tabulized as soon as possible after their Awakening>

Yeah, makes sense, having a bunch of superhuman Awakened kids running about without the ability to control their strength would be a serious recipe for disaster.

I mean, so much as a single tantrum could be all it takes to result in a whole lot of death and destruction...