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BOOM——!
SPLASH——!
Feeling the strength coursing through his body, Riku couldn't help but throw a punch in the water. Instantly, a deafening boom rang out, sending a huge column of water shooting into the sky as the river churned violently.
"This power… it's insane!" Riku muttered excitedly.
Then, with a single step on the river's surface, Riku shot up into the air, completely breaking the laws of physics. Even without using his Heavenly Footwork, he could stomp the air itself and move through the sky.
This scene was exactly what that orc captain, Dora, had shown earlier!
After playing around for a while and getting used to his new strength, Riku made his way back to shore. Honestly, he was a little embarrassed—he was still naked after all. Running around like that wasn't really his thing.
"My body's been totally transformed… this skin's way too pale now. I'm a dude, damn it." Riku rolled his eyes as he looked at his skin, which had turned snowy white from absorbing all the grime.
To be blunt, not even that girl Ke'er could compare to him now.
Riku rinsed his clothes in the river to get the dirt off, then used his energy to dry them out before putting them back on.
After a bath, he felt a lot more refreshed.
"I've got 6,000 exchange points right now. I could save up for a better-quality chest later, but nah—power comes first. Once I get stronger, earning points will be way easier anyway." Riku thought it over for a second, then decided to spend all his points.
"System, give me one basic chest and one exquisite chest," he ordered mentally.
"Understood. Deducting 6,000 exchange points. Chest exchange successful." The system responded and carried out the command immediately.
In the blink of an eye, two chests appeared in front of him—one emerald green and glowing faintly, the other just a plain white one.
"Alright, let's hope I get something good." Riku's golden eyes flickered as he placed his hand on the white chest first.
The moment he touched it, the chest popped open—and the system's voice rang out.
Ding! Congratulations, you've opened a basic chest and received: Enhanced Military Ration Pill.
Enhanced Military Ration Pill: Restores one-third of your energy and fully replenishes stamina. (Note: Effectiveness will scale with the user's strength.)
"Not bad at all." Riku grinned. In the right moment, this thing could totally turn the tide of a battle.
Then, with high hopes, he placed his hand on the emerald green chest. The first pull had gone well—let's hope the second wouldn't disappoint.
As soon as he touched it, the chest opened, and the system's voice came again.
Ding! Congratulations, you've opened an exquisite chest and received: Taijutsu—Eight Gates Technique.
Eight Gates Technique: From Naruto. A forbidden technique that lifts the body's natural limits on chakra, unleashing overwhelming energy. It consists of eight gates—Gate of Opening, Gate of Rest, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View, Gate of Wonder, and Gate of Death. Opening each gate forces the body to surpass its limits, unlocking power several times stronger than usual. However, the more gates opened, the greater the damage to the body.
When all eight gates are opened, it triggers the "Eight Gates Formation," granting terrifying strength at the cost of burning away the user's life force—leading to death.
"The Eight Gates Technique?!" Riku's eyes went wide with surprise and excitement.
This was the signature move of Guy's lineage! In Naruto, when Guy opened the Eight Gates Formation, he completely wrecked Six Paths Madara—he nearly ended the series with a single kick! People even started calling him "King Guy!"
Pulling this skill right now was like a godsend for Riku. He could totally treat it as a trump card.
Honestly, if not for the crazy side effects, this skill could easily belong in a high-tier chest—one of the really good ones too.
Plus, with Riku's current body, which had already broken the physical limit, he was probably even stronger than Guy. As long as he didn't open the final gate, the risks shouldn't be too bad.
"Totally worth it! Two awesome items for just 6,000 points? That's a steal." Even Riku, usually pretty calm, couldn't hold back his excitement.
His overall combat power had taken a huge leap forward.
"Next stop: the Orc Kingdom. Don't let me down." His golden eyes flashed as he glanced at the map, then shot into action.
His body vanished like a blur, leaving nothing but afterimages. His speed—at least double what it used to be! And that was him still holding back, since he hadn't fully gotten used to his newly enhanced body.
Meanwhile…
Up in the sky, Jibril was flying, looking super annoyed.
A day ago, her prey had "accidentally" killed itself, so she went off to challenge the fifth-ranked race: the Giants. But they refused to fight her one-on-one.
Instead, they ganged up on her. In the end, the battle was a total mess, and nothing came of it. Now she was pissed and looking to vent.
"....."