LightReader

Chapter 15 - Chapter 15

Hello everyone! I'm running a poll to choose the next fanfic.The poll is free on Patreon, join as a free member and vote for your favorite fic!The winner will be decided by a simple points system:

Most Power Stones = 1 point

Most Reviews = 1 point

Most Votes in the Poll = 1 point

The poll starts today and runs for one week. Support your favorites—drop stones, leave a review, and vote!

=============

One Piece Breaking the Gene Lock

Genshin Impact: I am King Arthur

Naruto: Reviving the Fourth Hokage from the Start

=============

"Cracker!"

Cracker's outburst instantly drew the women's attention.

A sweet fragrance swept by; Hughes looked up to see the lithe Custard at his side, dark brows knit as she scolded Cracker.

"Cracker, I asked you to stay so you could get along with Hughes. What were you doing just now?"

They weren't even married yet, and seeing his sister shield her fiancé like this made Cracker feel terribly wronged.

Looked at this way, his earlier fury was a joke.

So the saying was true: once a girl marries, water thrown out won't come back.

"Custard, it's fine here. Cracker and I are getting along just great."

Custard glanced at Hughes's relaxed expression, then at her brother's gloomy face.

"Don't go too far," she left behind, and returned to the other girls.

"Let's get along, Cracker. I can promise you I won't do anything to hurt Custard."

"I can't pretend to fully understand what you're feeling as her brother—I've never had a little sister. But I do understand how much you want to protect her."

"And you don't want Custard caught in the middle between us, do you?" Hughes said calmly.

"Tch. You'd better keep that promise. I'll be watching you."

"If you ever hurt my sister— even if it angers Mama in the end— I won't let you off!"

"Relax."

"Let's change the subject."

"By the way—why do you always hide inside a biscuit soldier? Until I saw your real body, I thought that armor was your original look."

At that, Cracker shot him a death-glare.

How was he supposed to answer that?

Tell him he was afraid of pain, so he made himself a turtle shell?

There went the strongman image—shattered.

"I'm sure you have your reasons. Come on—we're about to be family. Family shouldn't keep secrets, right?" Hughes smiled as he asked.

Of course he already knew the answer; he just needed to tug away the fig leaf—

Only then could they actually close the distance.

Not to cozy up for favors, but because in Totto Land it helped to have a capable "insider" of one's own.

Cracker was still wavering when Hughes drawled:

"If you don't tell me, I'll let Custard know you don't respect me and won't accept your brother-in-law."

"…"

Fine. So that's how he wanted to play it. Around this guy, staying cool was impossible.

Under Hughes's amused gaze, Cracker gave up and let it all hang out. If he kept butting heads, one day he might put his fist through that bookish, scoundrel face.

"I hate pain. So I wrap myself in biscuit soldiers."

"Go on—laugh." Cracker spread his hands, fully resigned.

"So that's it. Nothing to laugh at. Understandable—who likes pain?" Hughes said evenly, giving him the nod.

"So you're not a 'real' strongman. Real strongmen have high pain tolerance."

"Me? Even getting a shot throws me for a loop." At that, Cracker grew testy.

It was the key limiter on his combat ability.

If the biscuit armor broke, he'd quickly fall behind.

The moment he took a hit, his rhythm collapsed—losing a fight from there was very possible.

"I get it. Your pain threshold is much lower than average."

"Pain threshold? What's that?" Cracker asked, curious. It was the first time he'd heard the term.

"A medical term. Low-threshold types are more sensitive to pain. That matches your condition," Hughes explained.

Cracker's eyes lit up.

A medical term—so was this a kind of condition?

If it was, there should be a way to treat it.

If he could truly fix his body's problem, his strength would skyrocket.

Thinking that, Cracker got excited.

As expected of a top-tier scientist—Hughes knew everything.

He'd once looked down on these powerless "normal people."

Now he could only marvel that bringing Dr. Hughes into the family had been the right call.

His face thawed; he even used his ability to craft several special biscuits for Hughes to taste.

Hughes was a little dumbfounded. The man could flip expressions fast.

That said, foods created by food-type Devil Fruits tended to be delicious—and these were no exception.

"Brother-in-law, do you have a way to improve this 'pain threshold'?"

"If you're interested, I'll tell you."

"For you, the big factors are genetics and psychology."

"Genetically, it's simple—you didn't inherit Big Mom's monstrous constitution in the least."

"As for psychological factors: your fear of pain and the anxiety that comes with it lower the threshold, making the same stimulus feel worse."

"In other words, when pain is about to hit, don't be afraid. Focus, or shift into a positive mindset—both can raise the threshold."

"It'll only mitigate things up to a point, of course."

…You could do that?

So next time he was attacked, should he bare his teeth and grin into it?

He'd look like an idiot, Cracker griped inwardly. Was his brother-in-law pulling his leg?

No—probably not. The man had a mischievous streak, but this wasn't something to joke about.

"Is there a way to fix it completely?" Cracker asked, eager.

"The conventional route is behavioral intervention."

"First, train your body harder. As your physical robustness climbs, so does your pain threshold."

"Second, mental training—like mindfulness—can improve the subjective experience of pain." Hughes watched Cracker's shifting expression placidly.

Hearing that, Cracker realized it was true.

As his own strength had grown, he'd been able to grit through more.

But how strong did he have to get before pain stopped being a chain around his neck?!

(End of Chapter)

[Check Out My P@treon For 20+ Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!]

[[email protected]/Draumel]

[Thank You For Your Support!]

More Chapters