Now that the improvements to my intelligence have already taken effect, I took out my notebook and start making a list.

If your memory is as bad as mine was, lists become a very important part of your life if you have things you don't want to forget. That is, as long as you don't forget where you put the list, or that there even was a list... It happens...

Looking at the still blank paper, I start brainstorming my next steps before putting them into a more concrete plan.

Skill testing (general)

equipment (basic)

Skill testing (precise)

equipment (special countermeasures)

Skill testing (alternative application)

equipment (Quality improvement)

If I went in that order, I theorized, I should be adequately equipped for the next fight even if I only manage to complete up to step two.

Once my list was finished, I promptly start with the first step.

Well, there was actually not much I could test besides my Pocket dimension due to the defensive nature of my Skills.

Heat resistance is fairly clear in its effect but isn't something I can really test without risking to hurt myself. And even if I did, I somehow doubt the effect of a level one Skill is enough that I would notice much of a difference.

My other Skill had a similar problem due to its similar nature. Though this time I couldn't even be sure if "Shock" refers to blunt trauma or electrical shocks. While I didn't want to stick a pair of scissors into the outlet, I did try punching myself a few times. This resulted in unnecessary pain and the realization that I simply had nothing to compare with, making me unable to detect any differences.

Another realization was that, no matter how high, my mental stats won't protect me from stupid ideas.

Then, there was my Overskill Pocket dimension.

"Pocket dimension."

As expected, the blue disk appeared in front of me again, this time with a slightly bigger diameter though. I couldn't be sure why exactly, but my first theory was that it is related to my Stats. Though testing that would have to wait until later since Skill growth wasn't even on my list yet.

Taking A closer look at the disk hovering vertically in front of me, I noticed a slight rippling on its deep blue surface. Walking around it, I notice that its edge seems to be pretty much nonexistent, similar to a plane in a computer simulation.

The most surprising was the backside. Or more the fact that there even is a backside. While the front is dark blue with ripples, the back is an all-consuming black, similar to vantablack, making actually look a bit disturbing.

Taking a pencil, I started with, obviously, doing it wrong. I mean, If you don't have a manual and there is one obviously right way and an obviously wrong way to do something, who wouldn't try the wrong way first? Only me? Anyways...

Prodding the black side with the pencil, not willing to risk my finger just yet, I noticed that it was actually solid, making it possibly a feasible shield, though that would need further testing. I wouldn't want to cause some kind of space explosion while trying to block an arrow.

Next, I took the pencil and tried touching the portal's side. After all, if you have a seemingly infinitesimally thin plane, who wouldn't try using it to cut stuff. Interestingly, the portal started to deform, it's edge always staying a few millimeters away from any solid object while simultaneously causing the kind of pressure on my brain that precedes any oncoming headache.

Quickly, I pulled the pencil back, now that I had an inkling of what may happen if I used the portal in ways I wasn't supposed to.

Finally, I decided to throw the pencil into the blue side of the portal. With only a small ripple on the blue surface, the pencil disappeared from sight. The same instant, I became aware of the pencil's presence, as well as the space surrounding it.

Trying to take it back out, I carefully touched the portal with my hand, quickly realizing that I felt solid. Unable to retrieve my pencil, I trusted in my instincts and "grabbed" the pencil's presence with my mind, just like I imagined it would feel to use telekinesis.

Slowly pushing the pencil out of the portal, it reemerges from the blue field. Only when it's around halfway out, it tips over, falling to the floor.

Of course, now that I had confirmed that this Skill was actually was what I thought it was, there was one important question I had to find a way to answer. How much space did this Pocket dimension actually have? After all, the answer to this question defines whether this ability is just a glorified backpack or, well, a lot more useful. Depending on the size and, especially, the shape of the space, I can use it to store vastly different objects.

It took me almost three hours of experimenting to figure out most of my abilities quirks and capabilities, resulting in me realizing that my Overskill was a lot more versatile than I initially thought.

While the space as a whole can only store roughly half a cubic meter of material, which is actually still more than any backpack can fit, the space is also not fixed in shape and can be adjusted to fit objects of almost any proportions.

Also, while it may not seem important, there is no gravity inside the space. But if that is coupled with the, sadly very weak, telekinesis I can use inside the space as well as the ability to perceive the space and the objects inside of it, I already managed to do small things like connecting two carabiners or, much more importantly, flipping a switch.

And why is that so important? The answer is simple! Theoretically, I could make a portal, and then shoot a gun from inside my Pocket dimension. Or alternatively, I could singlehandedly control complex machines from inside it.

This even gave me already several ideas for building powerful exoskeletons, weaponry, and jetpacks. All of which normally suffered under the fundamental problem of being too big and heavy to be practical.

What especially played into those ideas, were my findings about the portals. First of all, at least as far as I could tell, there was absolutely no restriction as to how long I can keep the portals open. Also, there seem only to be three circumstances under which the portals are forcefully closed. The first two, while highly likely, aren't proven. They are the case where too much force is applied to the portal from the wrong direction, which as previously also causes a headache, and when using the ability is restricted by my privileges. The last case is if the portal is out of range, which is within one and a half meters of any body part of mine.

Aside from those restrictions, the portals are surprisingly variable, though only upon creation. Basically, when I create a portal, I have a circular form with half a meter diameter as a base, and by cutting away from that, I can create almost any flat shape. Once that is done, I can actually even use the "leftover material" to create a second portal, once again starting from a circular shape. Though one thing to note is that the spatial relation between the two portals is exactly the same inside and outside the Pocket dimension, making shenanigans like portal-gravity-loops impossible.

Though, what is much more important, is the placement of the portals. Because different than I originally thought, the portals aren't stationary. Rather, they are fixed in a predetermined spatial relation with one or several objects. While the standard portal is completely fixed to its surroundings, I can also do things like linking the portals placing to one object and its rotation to another. I can throw around a ball and the portal would always stay a fixed distance above it while I change the direction it faces with another object I still hold in my hands.

The reason this brought my thoughts to building exoskeletons is simple. Normally, those kinda things either run out of power so quickly that they aren't practical, or they would need such huge battery packs that it would negate anything you could gain from the suit. But with my ability, I could just put half a cubic meter of batteries in my Pocket dimension with only a small portal in some hidden spot to connect them with the suit.