NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5: chapter 5
5 Years Later
Now, at the age of 9, Izuku had fully adapted to this world and made significant progress in his skills. His Proficiency Panel now looked like this:
[ Proficiency Panel ]
[ Name: Izuku Midoriya ]
Age: 9
Body: 16 (Normal human average: 8)
Spirit: 24 (Normal human average: 8)
Skills:
Martial Arts (Thunder Arts) – Level 9 (2%)
Programming – Level 6 (5%)
Quirk Analysis – Level 7 (7%)
Soul State – Level 6 (5%)
Mechanics – Level 5 (30%)
Meditation – Level 6 (30%)
Shuriken Throwing – Level 7 (20%)
This was the result of five years of hard work.
His highest skill, Martial Arts, was actually a combination of various disciplines: Tai Chi, Karate, Chinese martial arts, Judo, Taekwondo, and more. He had studied every martial art he could find—whether through clubs or the internet—and with the help of his Proficiency Panel, he had refined them into his own unique fighting style: Thunder Arts.
In today's hero society, many heroes practiced individual martial arts, but very few combined multiple disciplines to create their own style. Yet, thanks to his panel and relentless effort, Izuku had already achieved what would take a normal person a lifetime to master.
But he hadn't abandoned his old skills either.
Programming & Mechanics: These were crucial for his future. He planned to make money through them and eventually start his own tech and mecha company.
Quirk Analysis: This skill was essential. The original Izuku had a brilliant combat IQ due to years of analyzing heroes and Quirks. Keeping this skill meant he could continue studying and understanding Quirks at a deep level.
Soul State: This ability had been his biggest surprise. It had solved one of his greatest fears—the previous users of One For All. If he ever obtained One For All, Soul State would allow him to remove the souls of the past wielders, ensuring he could master the Quirk for himself alone. However, using Soul State consumed a large amount of spirit, which was why it had only reached Level 6.
Meditation: He had picked up this skill to help recover his spirit and increase his spirit attribute. It was a necessity for sustaining Soul State and keeping himself at peak performance.
At just 9 years old, Izuku had already set the foundation for true strength and independence.
Despite his efforts, Izuku's personal life wasn't easy. He had faced contempt and indifference from many people, but unlike in the original timeline, he never experienced outright bullying.
The reason?
He had beaten Bakugo multiple times over the years. After their first fight, Bakugo had refused to accept defeat, challenging him again and again. But each time, Izuku overpowered him, making it clear that he wasn't someone to be pushed around.
Because of this, while his classmates didn't respect him, they also didn't dare to bully him.
Still, they ridiculed his dream of becoming a hero. They acknowledged his strength, but to them, it meant nothing without a Quirk. Whenever he spoke about his goal, he was met with mocking laughter and dismissive comments.
But Izuku didn't care.
He had already decided his path, and no amount of ridicule would make him waver.