The so-called System, External Boost, and Cheat Ability were ultimately just tools to speed up the process. The foundation of success still depended on the person using them.
Of course, understanding something and actually putting it into practice were two different matters.
Everyone knew that going to bed early was good for their health, but how many people could actually maintain that habit?
Someone who could drink a glass of milk before bed, spend twenty minutes stretching, and wake up the next morning without carrying any fatigue from the previous day was already impressive in Akira's eyes.
He certainly couldn't maintain that kind of discipline.
However, when it came to major decisions that could affect his future, Akira had never allowed himself to act carelessly.
He had three principles that he always followed.
First, never make decisions on impulse.
Second, never put all his eggs in one basket.
Third, plan everything thoroughly and consider the possibility of failure before thinking about success.
These principles had guided him ever since he came to this world.
His decision to leave the Kamo Clan and become a plagiarist author, earning his first pot of gold by writing light novels, was something Akemi Aki already knew about.
What she didn't know was that Akira had prepared a long list of other ways to make money.
The "Sauce-Aroma Full-Position Tech Plan," the Cryptocurrency Speculation Plan, the China Real Estate Investment Plan, and many others were all part of his preparations.
After all, Akira had only awakened his Cheat Ability after leaving the family.
Before that, his thoughts had been almost entirely occupied with two things.
Making money and emigrating.
Although Jujutsu Sorcerers were the main focus of the world of *Jujutsu Kaisen*, they were hardly the center of the entire world.
In reality, Japan was the only country where Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerers were especially active.
Outside Japan, encounters with either were extremely rare. Most ordinary people could spend their entire lives without ever seeing a Cursed Spirit.
And in a world where supernatural threats were so uncommon, the importance of money was obvious.
As long as he had enough money, there were plenty of places where he could live comfortably without getting involved in the dangerous affairs of Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Even after awakening his Cheat Ability and watching his adorable Ralts grow into a cute Chirulian and eventually a beautiful Gardevoir, Akira had never abandoned his earlier preparations.
There was also another practical reason for this.
He simply had too much free time.
Hunting Cursed Spirits to gain experience and level up wasn't something he could do every day. There had to be intervals between hunts, leaving him with plenty of time on his hands.
Was he supposed to spend all that time sleeping?
Of course not.
Take his successful light novel, *Infinite Stratos*, for example.
Its success wasn't simply because Akira possessed an extraordinary memory or some overwhelming talent for writing.
He had spent a considerable amount of time polishing the manuscript, reading other light novels, studying popular themes, and figuring out how to combine familiar formulas into something that readers would enjoy.
Even then, the novel had benefited greatly from its attractive gimmicks.
Mecha Warfare, Mecha Girls, and the premise of being the only boy in an all-girls school were all elements that could easily attract attention.
Akira understood that very well.
Many things looked simple when viewed from the outside. Only after personally trying them would someone realize how much effort was involved.
Because of these experiences, Akira had gradually added a fourth principle to his personal creed.
Learn to endure loneliness and resist temptation.
Later, after awakening the System, hatching Ralts, and discovering that he could kill Cursed Spirits to become stronger, he had added a fifth principle.
Make full use of every opportunity that came his way.
That was how Akira had spent his years in this world.
He had been preparing himself so that when an opportunity finally appeared, he would have the ability to seize it.
And now, the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
The blade he had spent more than ten years sharpening was finally ready to be tested.
...
Looking at the confidence in her son's eyes and his spirited expression, Akemi Aki suddenly felt a little discouraged.
"I suddenly feel like I'm useless."
She had always known that her son was extraordinary. However, knowing that her child was talented and realizing that he had already surpassed her in an area they both understood were entirely different feelings.
After all, Akemi Aki knew perfectly well how she usually spent her time.
Most of her activities were simply ways to pass the day and ease her loneliness.
Meanwhile, Akira had apparently been using his free time to secretly prepare one plan after another, all for the sake of their future.
Comparing the two made her feel rather embarrassed.
"No, no. Mom, haven't you heard of that saying?"
Akira noticed her expression and immediately smiled.
"Behind every successful man is a woman who silently supports him. Without Mom's support, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Although his words were somewhat exaggerated, Akira genuinely believed them.
Back when they left the Kamo Clan, choosing to go with Akemi Aki had involved a certain amount of risk.
Strictly speaking, he was the child of someone Akemi Aki could reasonably consider an enemy.
Even if she had resented him because of that relationship, nobody would have found it particularly surprising.
Akira had already prepared himself for that possibility.
Fortunately, none of his worries had come true.
Akemi Aki had treated him with genuine affection throughout the years they spent together, allowing him to grow up in a comfortable and peaceful environment.
If he had been forced to live in a hostile household, there was no way he could have maintained his current condition.
His patience, planning, and steady preparations would certainly have suffered as well.
In that sense, meeting Akemi Aki was one of the greatest strokes of luck in his second life, no less important than awakening his Cheat Ability or hatching Ralts.
"So, Mom, there's no need to feel pressured."
Akira smiled confidently.
"From now on, I'll take care of you."
He knew those words sounded a little domineering coming from a son speaking to his mother.
Still, saying them out loud felt surprisingly good.
"That's exactly the problem!"
Akemi Aki looked at him with a helpless expression.
"I'm the mother here!"
"My son is already so outstanding that I don't even need to worry about him anymore. Doesn't that just make his mother look incompetent?"
She sighed again before straightening her back, apparently determined to recover some of her dignity.
Seeing her reaction, Akira couldn't help finding it amusing.
"I actually have something I want to ask you, Mom."
He opened a map of Tokyo and spread it out in front of them.
"Do you know which places around Tokyo are more likely to have curses?"
"Hmm?"
Akemi Aki glanced at the map, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I know a few places. Are you planning to exorcise Cursed Spirits?"
"That's the idea."
Akira nodded without hiding his intentions.
"Gardevoir needs Cursed Spirits as nourishment to grow stronger. Besides, I want to see if I can find a few companions for her."
"Companions?"
Akemi Aki glanced at Gardevoir before looking back at him.
"Isn't Little Sha alone enough?"
"Sha..."
Gardevoir immediately reacted to those words.
Her small mouth drooped, and she looked up at Akira with a pitiful expression.
Seeing her reaction, Akira didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for her.
He quickly reached out to comfort her.
"Of course Little Sha is the most important."
He gently stroked her head.
"In my heart, Little Sha is one of a kind. Nobody could ever replace you."
"Sha~"
Hearing his reassurance, Gardevoir's expression finally softened.
"Besides, Mom, even if I find more companions for Little Sha, that doesn't mean they'll all look like her."
Akira continued explaining while comforting Gardevoir.
"Pokémon that look so similar to humans and are this cute are actually very rare."
He wasn't exaggerating.
According to his memories, only a handful of Pokémon could even come close to Gardevoir in that regard.
Compared to the enormous number of Pokémon species, that handful was practically negligible.
Akira certainly didn't believe he could be lucky enough to hatch another Pokémon like Gardevoir so easily.
That would be ridiculous.
If his luck really reached such an outrageous level, perhaps he should start worrying about getting hit by a speeding truck the next time he went outside.
"Anyway, Mom, if the next Pokémon looks a little strange, you can't dislike it."
"Don't underestimate me."
Akemi Aki gave him a dissatisfied look.
"I've fought Cursed Spirits before, you know."
As someone who had once been a Jujutsu Sorcerer, she had seen plenty of hideous creatures.
How could the appearance of a little Pokémon possibly frighten her?
Besides, after being overshadowed by her son so many times, she felt that she needed to do something to regain her authority as a mother.
She straightened her back and declared firmly,
"I'm your mom. What I say goes."
"Yes, yes. Of course, Mom."
Akira nodded obediently, although his thoughts were already wandering elsewhere.
At the lower end of Pokémon appearances, there were creatures like Grimer and Muk.
To put it simply, those Pokémon looked rather similar to the average Cursed Spirit.
If something like that hatched from his next egg, he wondered whether his mother would still be so confident.
However, after thinking about it for a moment, Akira dismissed the possibility.
*Surely my luck can't be that bad, right?*
He had already managed to hatch a Ralts as his first Pokémon.
Even if his next Pokémon wasn't particularly cute, it shouldn't be anything too outrageous.
With that thought, his anticipation for obtaining a second Pokémon grew even stronger.
"Mom, is there anywhere suitable nearby?"
Akira looked back at the map.
"I want to try my luck tonight."
"There is."
Akemi Aki answered almost immediately.
"Yoshiwara Shrine. I'll take you there after dinner."
"Okay, then..."
Akira was about to agree when he suddenly realized something.
"Uh, wait a second."
He looked at his mother in surprise.
"Mom, you're coming too?"
"Why can't I?"
Akemi Aki immediately sat upright, her expression turning serious.
"I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer too."
"Of course you can! Who said you couldn't?"
Akira quickly shook his head.
He had no idea why his mother had suddenly become so enthusiastic about going out to hunt Cursed Spirits.
Still, it wasn't something worth arguing about.
After all, this was Tokyo in 2017.
As long as they didn't provoke certain dangerous individuals, there wasn't much they needed to worry about.
With Gardevoir accompanying them, an ordinary Cursed Spirit hunt could practically be treated as an after-dinner walk.
Thinking this, Akira turned toward Gardevoir.
"Little Sha, protect Mom."
"Sha!"
Gardevoir immediately nodded, accepting the instruction without hesitation.
Unfortunately, their little exchange didn't escape Akemi Aki's attention.
"Protect yourself first!"
She looked at Akira with a slightly annoyed expression.
"I'm a Grade Three Jujutsu Sorcerer, no matter what. You're the one who doesn't even have Jujutsu."
Although she knew she was being a little childish, Akemi Aki couldn't help herself.
Her son had already surpassed her in so many areas. If she couldn't even act as his protector when they went out, what dignity would she have left as a mother?
At the very least, she wanted him to rely on her a little.
"Alright, alright."
Akira finally understood what was going on.
Seeing how seriously his mother was taking the matter, he smiled and obediently accepted her offer of protection.
However, the meaningful look he gave Gardevoir remained unchanged.
Gardevoir understood his intentions and quietly nodded.
After all, Akemi Aki was correct about one thing.
From beginning to end, Akira had never possessed Jujutsu.
However, that didn't mean he was incapable of fighting on his own.
After all, how could someone who possessed the ability to train Pokémon with supernatural powers possibly have a weak body?