Chapter 13: Hidden Thunder

"Portal"...

Staring at the translated word, Yuki could barely muster the courage to read any further.

First of all, these four slots were not the same as the "passive skill" slots he had previously guessed. At the very least, this first unlocked skill, "Portal," was clearly an active skill.

And this skill, in the context of the Taiga Universe...

There was only one prototype skill that came to Yuki’s mind.

Torekia’s ability, Torela Portal!

As the host of the Evil God, Torekia not only wielded the physical combat skills and energy beams typical of Ultramen, but also possessed a myriad of bizarre powers stemming from the Evil God’s might—"Torela Portal" being one of them.

Yuki didn’t know Torekia’s full arsenal, but "Torela Portal" was simply too infamous to be ignored.

In the universe where the original "Yuki" lived, whenever netizens joked about Torekia or Taro, someone would inevitably comment, "Careful, Old Tore might reach through your screen and twist your head off." This was a direct reference to Torekia’s skill, "Torela Portal."

Because of this ability, Torekia always gave people an elusive, ghostlike impression.

With "Torela Portal," one could open an interdimensional gate and teleport instantly across the cosmos. Yuki guessed there must be some limitations—perhaps the distance wasn’t infinite. But if Torekia was the one using it, the distance restriction might as well be measured in light-years.

Moreover, the interdimensional gate could also digitize the user’s body, allowing them to travel through electronic worlds and then rematerialize from any terminal device—screens included. Hence the saying, "He’ll come at you through the internet cable." Nowadays, with wireless networks so advanced, Torekia’s reach was even greater; even cutting the cable wouldn’t stop him.

Perhaps switching to airplane mode might help?

All in all, "Torela Portal" could be used for assassination, escape, or travel. It was, without a doubt, a highly convenient—and rather sneaky—skill.

Yet, as Yuki stared at this glowing skill, he dared not equip it.

The reason was simple: Torekia could wield the Evil God’s power only because he was always clad in a restraint device that suppressed Grimud, the Evil God. Torekia’s entire body—his mask, chest armor, shoulder guards, and the countless straps on his limbs—was part of this restraint.

Even Torekia wouldn’t dare use the power directly. So ask yourself: would Yuki, a mere human, dare to use the Evil God’s power so recklessly, so utterly defenseless and exposed?

The answer was no.

Perhaps, sitting safely behind a screen, he could once have joked, "Power itself is neutral; it’s all in how you use it." But now, faced with the reality, he quietly chickened out.

He was worried not only about potential side effects from using the skill, but also—why had this skill appeared on the Taiga Light Key’s panel in the first place?

At this thought, Yuki couldn’t help but glance at the gunshot wound on his chest, now healed.

The stitches had been removed, but a layer of gauze still covered the scar, protecting the scab from the friction of his clothes.

Earlier, Yuki had tried probing Torekia, asking if he was the one who’d saved him. Torekia’s reply had been, "It wasn’t me—not just me," which had left Yuki thoroughly baffled. He hadn’t thought too much about it afterward, only guessing that Torekia meant Taiga had saved him, and Torekia had helped by getting him to the hospital—hence, "not just me."

But now, Yuki had a new suspicion.

"Not just me" didn’t refer to Taiga, but rather... to Grimud.

Could Torekia separate a portion of Grimud from his body? The answer was yes; this had happened in the movie.

So, could Grimud assist with healing?

Again, the answer was yes. In fact, the healing effect rivaled the so-called "modern medical miracles" of the Giants of Light—even after being reduced to ashes, someone could be brought back.

In other words, it was entirely possible that Torekia had separated a fragment of Grimud and placed it inside Yuki’s body.

If that was the case, would merely refraining from using Grimud’s powers be enough to avoid danger?

At this realization, Yuki’s face grew even more grim.

He hadn’t forgotten—Taiga was still inside him!

If his guess was right, and Torekia had really implanted a piece of Grimud into his body, wouldn’t that be like forcing Taiga to share a room with a distinctly unfriendly roommate?

Yuki was instantly anxious. This was no longer just about his own safety; he might even drag Taiga down with him!

At this moment, there was nothing he could do but worry. This situation was far beyond anything Yuki could resolve...

Was there any way—even a roundabout one—to contact someone from the Land of Light? Maybe those all-powerful Giants could come up with a solution?

Titas was probably still drifting somewhere in the universe.

Fuma—who knew what cosmic being now possessed the pendant he’d been residing in? According to Fuma, that pendant was still being traded among various aliens...

That was it. His limited clues had all dried up.

Suddenly, urgent matters began to pile up—the little one’s situation right before him, Taiga’s predicament, Grimud’s problem, and the business with Aegis...

Yuki wished he could activate the Mecha Delos Light Ring and perform a cloning trick.

But reality was that he could do nothing—except put on a one-man show of being stretched too thin.