Lord of the Time: I Can Reincarnate Infinitely

Caleb was exhilaration when he first read the description of the Hardening ability that he had received. It was the most needed now.

Hardening I (Active)- The taboo energy in the user's body has obtained a qualitative change. This ability would enable the user to harden the Gum Gum Rubber whilst still retaining its sticky and stretchy properties. Furthermore, the user would be able to harden his entire body and increase the body's resistance to physical, energy, and elemental attacks.

Note: The Hardening has levels. Hardening I mean the ability, would only increase the defense to a level comparable to silver steel. Hardening II's defense would increase to the level of gold. Hardening III, Platinum and so on...

The time slime was generous enough to give a note to him. Now, the level of the Hardening was still I since he had received it. He didn't really know how he level it up. However, his guess was he only needed to ascend to Taboo Grade 4 for it to become Hardening II.

Back to the topic, Caleb is now more confident with this ability on hand. It was literally a life-saving ability that made him an absolute tank! It was inconceivable, to say the least. After all, the shadow path had already made him an excellent scout and spy. Now, think of a spy that has a fucking OP defense. His enemies would literal

\\ly vomit blood on how to chase him and even if they managed to chase him, they would find that he had a high defense in the end!

There's a side effect to activating the ability though...

Caleb sighed and activated his Hardening I. Following that, his entire left arm turned into purple steel! The good thing is, it was still as flexible as before and it didn't affect arm and shoulder mobility. It's as if it's just a visual effect.

Caleb wasted no time putting his newfound Hardening ability to the test. He had to know just how resilient it was and what it was truly capable of. This was a power he couldn't afford to take lightly.

...

[Flashback]

In the secluded training area he'd set up in the woods, he started experimenting. Caleb's breath came out in short bursts of anticipation as he clamped his left hand around a sharp rock he'd picked up. The Hardening I was still active, and the transformation of his hand into that shimmering purple steel was mesmerizing.

'Let's see what this damn Hardening I is capable of!'

With a flushed face, Caleb squeezed the rock, his knuckles turning steel, which reflected a purple sheen that of metal. The impact felt like nothing more than an odd pressure as if he were squeezing a stress ball. It didn't take long before the rock cracked and shattered under the pressure of his grip. His heart raced as he realized the extent of his hardening. The Hardening I was more potent than he imagined. Continue your story on M-V-L

Fuck! With this, I can now fucking tank sniper rifles? Or am I? Of course, he won't be stupid enough to stay still against the attack of such weapons. He's not that overconfident to do such madness. At the very least, a sniper rifle won't be able to kill him that easily with his Hardening I.

'The prospect of this shit is really infinite. A Hardening III is already comparable to platinum. And IV is that of Diamond. How about V? Could it be as tough as Adamantium!? Fuck!' Caleb grinned.

He couldn't stop there. Caleb needed to push the limits further. He retrieved a small blade from his backpack and carefully pressed the sharp edge against his hardened forearm. The blade scraped against his skin, but it didn't even break the surface. The Hardening I made his flesh as impervious as steel, and he couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

Taking things a step further, he summoned a burst of taboo energy to channel through his hardened arm. The energy surged within him, crackling as it coursed through his veins and concentrated on his hardened hand. With a swift motion, he released the built-up energy into a nearby tree, resulting in an explosion of splinters and leaves. The tree trunk exploded into a scum, but his arm remained unscathed. Caleb's eyes widened in awe. His defense had just withstood a suicidal elemental attack that would have been enough to make his arm explode if he attempted it without the hardening. It was a game-changer!

Eager to explore the full potential of his new abilities, Caleb decided to conduct a more daring test. He activated Hardening I in his entire body. Every inch of his form turned into the same shimmering, flexible steel-like purple material. With determination, he leaped into the air and plummeted towards the ground. The earth beneath him trembled as he struck the surface. He felt a momentary jolt of impact, but it was nowhere near as painful as he expected.

Rolling to his feet, Caleb marveled at the results. His body remained unscathed, not a single bruise or scrape. He was like an unstoppable force, and it sent a rush of exhilaration through him. He was a living fortress, a sentinel against the harshest of threats. Most importantly, his speed and flexibility weren't affected!

As he continued experimenting, Caleb uncovered more of the applications that came with Hardening I. He found that he could adjust the hardness of his transformed body to a certain extent. By concentrating on his will, he could make his skin even more resilient, making it nearly impenetrable.

But the newfound power wasn't without its drawbacks. The side effect of Hardening I revealed itself. As Caleb pushed his abilities, he could feel a growing fatigue settling in. His Taboo energy was depleting rapidly, and it would take time to recover. He realized he couldn't maintain the Hardening state for too long, and he would have to use it wisely.

Caleb stood there in the midst of the woods, sweat glistening on his brow, his heart pounding with the exhilaration of discovery. With Hardening I in his arsenal, he was ready to face Apokalips, which were even two realms above his current realm. He might be able to perform two-realm kill leapfrogging now! But he also understood that he needed to master this new power to unlock its full potential and ascend to the next level, Hardening II. Its development was far from over, and the prospect of his abilities was only beginning to unravel. It was just the tip of the iceberg!