The system was still the same as always.
Every week, the random items hovered somewhere between useful and completely absurd.
Without wasting time, Nao immediately spent 2,000 points to buy the "Tekkai Skill Scroll", already familiar with the process.
The rest of the items... would require some thinking.
"I remember the 7-day Martial Arts Training Booster used to cost 1,000 points, right?"
He stared at the 60-day version and did some quick mental math. "And now the 60-day one costs 10,000? Seven times eight is 56, eight times eight is 64... Even if you multiply the time by eight, it should only cost around 8,000 at most."
Seriously, not only was there no discount for bulk—somehow it was more expensive.
What a scam.
If he weren't so good at mental arithmetic, he might not have even caught the trick.
Still, he had no choice. Even with the price hike, this was one of those must-have tools. He sighed, then made the purchase anyway.
10,000 points spent. Booster acquired.
"Only 18,000 points left now…"
As he debated how to spend the rest, he accidentally noticed a small hidden button at the bottom of the shop. Clicking it revealed detailed descriptions for each item.
He was sure this feature hadn't been there before. In previous weeks, you couldn't even see an item's effect until after buying it—it only showed up in your inventory.
This was a useful update. It would save him from wasting points on misleading item names. A pleasant surprise.
"Looks like as the system progresses, more functions unlock gradually."
If he had to compare it to an RPG, he was still stuck in the starter zone. Tons of features wouldn't unlock until he reached the main city.
Still, Nao was pretty excited to see what the system would offer next.
He skipped over the two items he'd already bought and started checking out the descriptions for the remaining four.
[Item Name: Gravity Field]
[Type: Permanent Item]
[Description: Can be toggled on/off at will. Allows the user to freely adjust their personal gravity. In this world, gravity = 1 unit. The setting can range from x1 to x100.]
[Note: A treasure from King Kai's planet. The high price reflects how hard it is to get anything from the North Kai.]
["Unless you're here to tell a joke, don't even think about it."]
"Must-buy," Nao muttered without hesitation.
[Item Name: Blue-Eyes White Dragon Summon Card]
[Type: Consumable]
[Description: Allows you to summon a projection of an adult Blue-Eyes White Dragon anywhere within 500 meters. The projection can be controlled freely by the user but cannot interact with or damage the real world. Usable 3 times. (3/3)]
[Note: A cheap, low-tier summoning card. Practically useless—but come on, what kind of man could say no to a 3000 ATK normal monster?]
"No kidding."
Nao nodded solemnly. "As if I could resist. That's a must-buy too."
[Item Name: Infinite Luosifen Noodles]
[Type: Permanent Item]
[Description: Generates one large bowl of fully prepared Luosifen every time it's used. You must finish the entire bowl before using it again. No cooldown. No usage limit.]
[Note: The original concept was just a filling staple food—like red bean buns. But everyone knows, early drafts and final products always differ a little bit.]
[At the very least, you can throw it at enemies. It won't hurt much, but the insult level is off the charts.]
["It's the sour bamboo! I added extra sour bamboo!"]
A never-ending food supply sounded pretty useful too. Worth a pick-up.
But… what about the spice level?
"..." Nao instinctively rubbed his butt and narrowed his eyes.
"If I had a choice, I'd go with infinite red bean buns. Even if I got sick of them, at least I wouldn't risk internal bleeding..."
Anyway, there was always that mosshead around. When he got tired of bread, Zoro would bring him a bowl of delicious ramen.
[Item Name: Clock-Out Reminder]
[Type: Permanent Item]
[Description: None]
"…What?"
Nao stared at the empty description and sighed dramatically. "So just because it's a cheap 500-point item, it doesn't deserve a description? Where's the item dignity? This is blatant discrimination!"
Okay, he didn't need it himself—but what if the system user was some creepy monkey-faced salaryman? That could be a lifesaver! No description at all? Outrageous!
Summary:
Out of all the items, the only one he didn't care about was the Clock-Out Reminder. The rest? He had to buy them all.
But with his remaining points nearly gone, there was only one solution…
Time to get back to grinding side quests.
Closing the system panel, Nao turned and headed into the ship interior. He walked straight to the second floor, stopping in front of a private suite—one reserved for senior officers.
He didn't knock.
Instead, he leaned casually against the wall across from the door, quietly staring at it.
A nearby porthole let in rays of morning sunlight, scattering soft golden dots across his face.
Down below, a few young female Marines walking across the deck glanced up... and froze when they caught sight of the handsome black-haired boy's profile.
His expression was calm, brows slightly furrowed, eyes focused.
So serious… and so handsome. What's he thinking about? Is something bothering him?
If only I could understand what's going through his mind…
That was more or less what the blushing Marine girls were thinking.
They stood there for a while before their friends finally dragged them away, forcing them to turn their heads, though reluctantly.
Nao didn't notice the scene below.
He was, in fact, deep in thought—just not the kind those girls were imagining.
"Time for my second favorite part of the day… flirting with Gion."
Nao frowned slightly. "Wait. I think I'm starting to enjoy chatting with pretty girls a little too much lately. That's dangerous."
Damn. Even his top favorite activity—training—was starting to feel threatened.
But seriously, what was he even doing, standing outside her room like this?
Waiting for her to wake up? Like some weirdo stalker?
Am I really just out here doing some 'wait-by-the-tree-for-the-rabbit' crap?
A gentle sea breeze flowed through the porthole, filling the hallway with fresh, soothing air.
Nao stretched lazily and yawned.
At that exact moment, the door in front of him creaked open.
A sleepy-looking rabbit appeared on the other side—yawning just like him.
They both froze mid-yawn.
One looked at the other. The other looked back.
Silence filled the hallway.
For a long moment, neither said a word.
Finally, it was Gion who raised an eyebrow and broke the stillness.
"Well, this is rare, boy."
She gave him a half-amused smile. "First thing in the morning and you're not in the training room. What brings you to my door?"
[Translator's note: This chapter contains extra-high "second-chuunibyo" energy. If you understood all the jokes, congratulations—you're a veteran chuuni too. (laughs)]
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin