"Despite you having apparently maxed out your Potential the last time you were measured, many of your party members on this last raid said that it seemed like you got progressively stronger during the raid. What kind of ability did you use?"
"No clue, I've been training hard, sure, but I don't have any way of getting stronger beyond that. It was pretty hot in that Dungeon, so maybe it only seemed like I was stronger...like, maybe the others' senses were lagging a bit from the fatigue, which made it seem like I was moving faster. I do have a power that lets me restore my stamina, after all," I replied with a shrug.
"So you've said, but at the end of the raid, you were highly exhausted and fatigued too, weren't you?"
"Well, yeah, because there was nothing left to consume after killing the Dungeon Boss. I restore my stamina by eating Monsters with one of my Skills, so if there are no Monsters left, I have no way to restore my stamina.
Well, it'll probably work if I used it on another person, but for obvious reasons, that's not an option," I responded, keeping a straight face.
It was the next day, around 5 PM in the evening.
After we got out of the Dungeon, we headed back to Sanctuary Theta, I went straight home after returning and passed out in bed in a matter of seconds.
I woke up a few hours ago, to see an email from the Hunters Union, requesting my presence.
I ran into the Lancer leaving the building when I arrived, so it looks like they've probably questioned every member of the party.
They showed me to a room after I arrived, before promptly starting to question me. It was mostly pretty standard questions to begin with, but now they've started asking more questions specified towards me.
"Er, yes, of course. But you still should have had a lot more stamina left than everyone else. Your injuries were not all that severe, so when Miss Ferna healed you, it shouldn't have used up too much stamina."
"Think it was mostly mental fatigue than physical...fighting a Critical Level Monster, even in a support role, really stressed me out. I had to constantly stay on the move with no respite, I couldn't even take a moment to catch my breath. The fact that I survived at all was lucky as hell, let alone getting out of that without any serious injuries," I remarked with a sigh of relief.
While I think my delivery is pretty convincing, the actual explanation is a bit weak. I really should've come up with a different lie about how Devour works.
"Hm...okay, let's set that aside for now. After you first raid, you informed us that you possess two Skills, is that correct?"
"Yeah. Though, I just called them Skills for the sake of convenience, not sure if that's technically correct since they're different to the Skills of other Hunters."
"Right, regarding that, you displayed an ability that you previously had no used in your prior raids."
"Mhm, that's one I discovered a few months ago. I couldn't control it very well until recently, so I didn't use it during my second and third raids. I call it Mana Pulse, and I'd show you how it works, but it'll hurt like hell," I informed him.
"Yes, according to the others, that attack stunned and partially immobilized every Monster you used it on, and it was even effective against the Greater Demon. Just what kind of Skill is it?"
"In a nutshell, it attacks the flow of Mana in the target's body. I don't really know much about the details of how it works beyond that," I shrugged in response.
That was more or less true.
"Right...I'll be frank, based on your first raid, the results of us measuring your Power Level and Potential, and now this raid, we at the Hunters Union have a strong suspicion that you possess the ability to grow more powerful, beyond your Potential."
Huh, didn't expect them to just come right out and say it.
"That'd be awesome, I've worked extra hard to punch above my weight as someone with J-Ranked Potential, so if that's really true, I'd be pretty stoked," I replied, putting on a hopeful look on my face.
"Hm...alright, then, let's have a look and find out. While it's far from unusual for lower-ranked Combatants to make up for their low Power Levels with high levels of skill and technique, no amount of that should make it possible for a J-Rank to be able to fight even High Level Monsters, let alone a Critical Level Monster."
Well...yeah, can't deny that.
"Well, I didn't exactly fight the Greater Demon myself, I just supported Ariella. I'd definitely be dead if she hadn't been around," I responded, as he took out a couple of devices.
I slipped my right hand under the desk, opening a portal into one of the slots in my Treasury Skill, quietly reached into and taking hold of Desecrator's handle.
"Let's start with your Potential. The last time you were measured, it was at 106,300, as was your Power Level. And now, it's-...hm? The same," He frowned with a perplexed look on his face, staring at the display of the device in confusion.
"Aw, that's too bad...but not exactly surprising, a Hunter's Potential isn't supposed to be able to increase, after all," I sighed, plastering a look of disappointment on my face.
"Yes, but-...okay, let's have a look at your Power Level as well. And...it's the same too. I guess we were wrong...but it's hard to believe. Like I said, at this Power Level, you shouldn't have been able to fight even the Lycanthropes, let alone the Greater Demon," He muttered with a confused look on his face.
Yeah, he's not wrong.
"Not sure what to tell you," I replied, as I let go of Desecrator and pulled my hand out, shutting the portal.
Since I'm linked to the sword, Ai was able to temporarily transfer a large chunk of my Magical energy into it. Thanks to that, the detection devices didn't-...or rather, couldn't...-scan my full power.
Still, while I can use this method to hide my Power Level, I'm not going to be able to fly under the radar much longer.
Ariella aside, I'm pretty sure everyone else who was a part of that raid have little to no doubts that I'm currently well above J-Rank.
They may not have seen me fight the Greater Demon, at least not the full battle, but they saw me kill several Lycanthropes, a feat that I wasn't strong enough to pull off a few months ago...or even at the start of the raid, for that matter.
Not to mention, I struggled a bit against the first group of Lycanthropes we encountered, before handling the rest a lot more easily.
And despite the detection devices not showing the results they were looking for, I'm sure the Hunters Union will be keeping an eye on me.
They must know there's something up with me, I'm definitely under suspicion, they just don't have definitive proof yet.
At best, I've bought myself a bit more time...I'll have to make use of it to get as strong as possible before my secret's out.