[Ding—!]
[Familia Kotoko Iwanaga has awakened the ability—Reality and Illusion (Demigod Rank).]
[The power to transform falsehood into reality and reality into illusory dreams.]
Yet another vague description that left one baffled. Sometimes Luo Shu wondered whether this Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System had communication issues, always offering these strange descriptions instead of giving precise explanations.
Though he said that, this time the description seemed somewhat acceptable.
"A Demigod Rank ability...not beyond my expectations..."
Luo Shu had long noticed a pattern—under normal circumstances, the abilities awakened by Familia members would be one or even two ranks higher than their own rank.
Similarly, if a Familia member held a high social status and significant standing in many people's minds, their awakened ability would also be one rank higher.
Take Hagoromo Gitsune, for example—a top-tier Hero Rank expert regarded as among the strongest Great Yokai in Japan. Such a Familia member awakened a Demigod Rank ability.
Luo Shu temporarily classified her as the 'strength-oriented' type.
Kotoko Iwanaga's situation differed from Hagoromo Gitsune's. She wasn't famous for combat prowess but rather for mediating disputes among yokai, moving between humans and yokai as the so-called Princess of Yokai.
In terms of actual strength, Kotoko was only an Elite Rank, though possessing a Top Tier Class; her direct combat ability was indeed lacking. Yet in terms of fame, she surpassed even Hagoromo Gitsune.
This type of Familia, Luo Shu tentatively categorised as the 'idol-oriented' type.
Both these archetypes seemed capable of allowing Familia members to awaken higher-tier abilities.
These two categories gave Luo Shu some direction for future Familia recruitment.
Subjectively, Luo Shu naturally leaned toward the strength-oriented type, but when it came to numbers, the idol-oriented type wasn't unacceptable either.
If this pattern held true in Familia recruitment, then perhaps some hugely popular idols or socialites might awaken relatively high-tier abilities after becoming Familia, quickly attaining qualified combat strength.
This seemed a possible direction, though Luo Shu currently couldn't spare much attention to study it, instead growing curious about Kotoko Iwanaga's ability:
"Is this Reality and Illusion similar to illusion techniques?"
"It is indeed illusion-based, but somewhat special..."
After becoming Familia and awakening her ability, Kotoko naturally understood how to use it.
She raised her right hand, pressed it against her right eye, and effortlessly removed the prosthetic eye.
This routine action by Kotoko made Yukino Yukinoshita, who was witnessing such visceral horror for the first time, visibly uncomfortable.
Luo Shu bluntly remarked: "After removing the fake eye, you've become much uglier..."
"How terribly rude~"
Kotoko complained while holding the eyeball, then covered her right eye. When she moved her hand away, a bright, lively eye had reappeared.
Seeing this, Luo Shu wasn't particularly surprised:
"So you used an illusion to create an eye?"
"Judging by the effect, it seems quite realistic – probably on par with me going all out with Mist Flame."
Perhaps because heavy fog was a type of calamity, Luo Shu had always been exceptionally skilled with his Mist Flame. Within days of studying it, he'd reached a level where his illusions could pass for reality.
Now, in Luo Shu's view, Kotoko Iwanaga's 'illusion' ability had similarly achieved a reality-bending level in creating artificial eyes.
However, at that moment, Kotoko Iwanaga said with a smile:
"No, this is a real eye."
"?!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu immediately realised something and exclaimed in astonishment:
"Reality-illusion conversion?"
"Exactly~"
Kotoko pursed her lips like a cat's mouth:
"Turning imagined things into reality – that's the power of this 'illusion' ability!"
"Personally, I think this ability should be closer to imagination!"
Hearing this, Yukino Yukinoshita nearby couldn't help but comment:
"But ability names symbolise their power. Since it's called 'illusion', doesn't that mean it's fundamentally different from imagination?"
"Yukino-san seems quite attentive to such details..."
Kotoko gave Yukinoshita a surprised glance before smiling:
"Though you're not wrong. 'Illusion' does have differences – because it can turn real things into falsehoods!"
Hearing this explanation, Luo Shu raised his eyebrows:
"What are the limitations?"
"It depends on circumstances." Kotoko proceeded to detach her left leg.
Her left leg was also a custom prosthetic, but after obtaining the 'illusion' ability, she no longer needed such inconvenient tools.
After conjuring a perfectly healthy teenage girl's calf from nothingness, Kotoko suddenly had an idea and looked down at her crotch.
Soon, under Luo Shu's speechless gaze and Yukinoshita's bewildered stare, Kotoko's skirt tented slightly in that area.
"Wow~ So this is how boys feel!!"
Kotoko exclaimed with sudden enlightenment, only to be immediately hit on the head by a throw pillow.
"Don't use your ability for eye-searing nonsense like this!!"
Rubbing her head where she'd been hit, Kotoko quickly deactivated the ability and proceeded to do something slightly less visually offensive.
The next moment, feeling the heavy pull on her shoulders, Kotoko complained with some discomfort:
"E-cup is a bit uncomfortable... feels like my body can't handle it..."
"Need more hands to support..."
Instantly, two additional arms sprouted from Kotoko's waist, lifting her excessively developed upper body to balance the weight.
Yukinoshita watched this scene expressionlessly, her gaze lingering on Kotoko's now bursting-at-the-seams blouse before turning to Luo Shu:
"Director, I'm suddenly curious about your current feelings..."
"Right now I'm filled with regret, deep regret..." Luo Shu wiped his face, feeling intense remorse over Kotoko's ridiculous behaviour.
Why did the Divine Pantheon let this idiot awaken such an ability?
Meanwhile, Kotoko was still pontificating: "I've already demonstrated the specifics. The fakes created by 'illusion' must be things I'm familiar with and have analysed."
"The more I know, the more I analyse, the more realistic my illusions become."
"At the same time, maintaining this reality requires me to continuously expend Spiritual Power~"
"When it's just maintaining a fake eye and leg, the drain on my Spiritual Power isn't too heavy. But the more complex the item, or the higher its mystic side authority, the greater the cost of fabrication becomes, until it's beyond my capacity to sustain."
"That's the aspect of turning the illusion into reality..."
At this point, Kotoko Iwanaga blinked, then said meaningfully:
"And the greatest lethality of 'illusion' lies in turning reality into illusion!!"
Hearing this description, Luo Shu immediately understood why this 'illusion' ability was of Demigod Rank.
The power to invert the truth and falsehood of all things in the world... wasn't this ability almost approaching Divine Authority?
Though it likely had many limitations, such an ability seemed quite fitting for Kotoko Iwanaga, whose Class leaned towards wisdom.
Using wisdom to analyse composition, then using 'illusion' to define whether it's real or illusory...
Like chaining ultimate skills in a game...
Luo Shu sighed softly, then asked Kotoko Iwanaga:
"By the way, there's something I'm quite curious about."
"Hmm?" Kotoko Iwanaga raised an eyebrow, signalling him to voice his curiosity.
At this moment, Luo Shu looked at Kotoko Iwanaga with utmost seriousness and said earnestly:
"Can this 'illusion' ability materialise 2D beautiful girls?"
"Meow meow meow?!!"
Kotoko Iwanaga was dumbfounded.
I thought you were going to say something important, and this is it? This?
What are you saying in front of a living, breathing, beautiful girl!!!