In a world brimming with supernatural power, people had many reasons to grow stronger. Some sought strength for its own sake, while others did so for self-preservation.
But the reason Itto sought strength made Yae Miko burst out laughing.
He wanted to get stronger just so that during the next Vision Hunt Decree, his Vision would be placed in the most prominent spot?!
Why was his competitive spirit so bizarre?
Kuki Shinobu sighed helplessly, casting a glance at her boss. She truly had her hands full.
Itto was simple-minded, and the things he occasionally said came off as hilariously naive.
"What's wrong?" Itto asked, scratching his head in confusion as everyone laughed. "Isn't that okay? It represents power!"
With that, Itto flexed his muscles emphatically.
"It's not that it's not okay," Lu Heng mused. "Your thinking is rather straightforward. It might sound funny to us, but it holds a simple truth: you genuinely want to achieve greater strength. So, are you ready to spend your Mora on gacha?"
Itto immediately looked at Shinobu.
As everyone knew, the Arataki Gang was essentially made up of a useless boss and an incredibly capable subordinate.
Of course, calling the boss "useless" was just a tease—Itto could be quite reliable at times, aside from being a bit childish.
As the gang's second-in-command, Shinobu handled most of its affairs.
This included, but was not limited to: bailing members out of jail, apologizing on Itto's behalf after he offended someone, and planning a future for the gang's members.
Shinobu was the brains of the operation!
"Boss, I think you're well aware of our financial situation," Shinobu said, taking a deep breath before sighing.
The Arataki Gang was less a formal organization and more a group of buddies hanging out. They had no real business and often spent their days idle. The only reassuring thing was that they never intentionally harmed others.
To put it bluntly, they were well-meaning loafers. How much Mora could they possibly have?
"Uh." Itto finally remembered.
He sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly feeling as though his dreams had been shattered.
"I'm doomed!" he exclaimed. "If I can't get stronger, how will I ever surpass everyone else?!"
Itto paced back and forth anxiously.
When the Vision Hunt Decree was repealed, the Shogunate had notified all Vision holders. They could retrieve their Visions from the Statue of the Thousand-Armed, Hundred-Eyed God.
Since records had been kept during the confiscation, there was no risk of anyone claiming the wrong Vision.
Moreover, when retrieving his Vision, Itto had received compensation from the Shogunate—not much, just 200,000 Mora.
Two hundred thousand! To Itto, that was a fortune.
Earlier that day, Shinobu had called him over to the card shop. Upon learning that each gacha pull cost 10,000 Mora, Itto had nearly turned around and left.
Could he even afford this?
Itto was competitive, but he knew his limits. There was no point in pushing his luck where he couldn't afford to.
It was only after Shinobu patiently persuaded him, explaining how fun the cards could be, that he decided to stay and check it out.
Now, after hearing Lu Heng's words, Itto felt a burning desire stirring within him.
But that fire lasted only two seconds before fizzling out.
How could he pull without Mora?
"Big bro, do you have any suggestions?" Itto asked eagerly.
In his eyes, Lu Heng had already become an idol.
Itto prided himself on being a nuisance to the Raiden Shogun, someone who gave her headaches.
But Lu Heng? Lu Heng had genuinely subdued the Raiden Shogun!
"Well…" Lu Heng shook his head slightly, looking hesitant. "I don't have any particularly good advice. I can only say that Mora is getting harder to earn these days, and there are plenty of ways to spend it. You should try to avoid being too reckless with your money from now on."
Itto felt as though the sky had fallen.
Shinobu sighed. "Boss, you need to break your habit of working in fits and starts. Finding a steady job is the way to go."
"That's true," Yae Miko nodded in agreement.
Itto had a Vision. Though he could be childish at times, the young oni was loyal and righteous—qualities worth nurturing.
"There are plenty of opportunities these days," Yae Miko continued. "Inazuma's economy is on the rise. You should all head to Ritou when you have the chance. Lots of work over there."
"Really, fox-ear lady?!" Itto exclaimed.
"Boss!" Shinobu nudged him firmly with her shoulder. "Show some respect to Lady Guuji!"
"It's fine," Yae Miko waved her hand dismissively, smiling.
She was quite familiar with the young oni and didn't take offense.
Though she wasn't angry, Shinobu was exasperated.
Thankfully, Yae Miko was magnanimous. If they'd encountered someone petty, her boss would have made a powerful enemy.
"Oh! Right!" Itto said, belatedly realizing his mistake. He quickly added, "Okay, we'll head to Ritou tonight!"
"It's a good plan," Lu Heng remarked with a light smile.
Goods were flooding into Inazuma from all over the world, and the only way to transport them in bulk was by sea.
It was easy to predict that Ritou's docks would be congested for quite some time.
Itto had plenty of strength. Even working as a dockhand, his power and efficiency could easily earn him 10,000 Mora a day—maybe more.
After all, this was someone who could punch through solid rock!
"Come with me," Lu Heng said. "I'll pull some strings for you two. Get your gacha done early so you can figure out your next steps."
He led the group into the shop.
After explaining the basics of the Arcane Decks and phones, Lu Heng asked, "So, how do you want to do this?"
Itto fell deep into thought.
As the boss of the Arataki Gang, he naturally wanted to get a set for each member.
But one set cost 20,000 Mora! Including himself and Shinobu, that would be over 100,000!
"Yikes…" Itto couldn't help but grimace.
He'd known he was poor before, but now he truly felt the weight of his poverty.
"Boss, let me handle this," Shinobu said with another sigh.
"Okay, I'll leave it to you, Shinobu!" Itto replied, closing his eyes resolutely.
Shinobu laid out her plan: "We have 200,000 Mora in compensation, plus your savings and another 100,000 I can contribute—that's 320,000 Mora total. Let's start with two sets. As for the other gang members, we can all go to Ritou together to find work. Once we've earned more Mora, you can decide whether to cover the cost yourself or chip in a little."
Itto was thrilled. "Shinobu, you're truly reliable!" he exclaimed.
Shinobu nodded calmly. If she weren't reliable, the Arataki Gang would have fallen apart long ago!
Just imagine—if the boss got arrested, wouldn't the gang be left leaderless?
Though the gang had its share of troubles, Shinobu felt it was manageable.
At the very least, being the second-in-command of the Arataki Gang was far more interesting than being a shrine maiden!
Lu Heng handed each of them a set.
They still had 280,000 Mora left.
Shinobu transferred all 280,000 to Itto's account and said, "Alright, Boss, it's your turn to pull."
"You go first, Shinobu!" Itto insisted grandly.
"My luck is average," Shinobu declined.
"Okay then," Itto said, rubbing his hands together before scratching his head. "But my luck seems…"
"Even a one-star card can be quite useful," Lu Heng reassured him with a smile.
"Then I'll do a ten-pull!" Itto declared, tapping the button immediately.
The gacha animation played—a crystal piercing through the clouds, instantly glowing purple.
"Oh?" Lu Heng raised an eyebrow. "Your luck isn't bad. The odds of getting a purple in a ten-pull are pretty low. You've hit the jackpot."
Pulling a purple card in a ten-pull wasn't unheard of, but it wasn't common either.
When Lu Heng first opened his shop in the Court of Fontaine, Clorinde had pulled a purple card in her first ten-pull.
Now, Itto had done the same, proving his luck was exceptional in that moment.
"Haha! That's me for you!" Itto boasted proudly.
"Let me take a look for you," Lu Heng said, picking up the four-star purple card.
The card depicted a massive mountain suspended in the air, held aloft by a tiny figure below.
After appraising it, the card's information appeared:
[Mountain Mover]
[Rank]: 4-Star • Purple
[Type]: Skill Card
[Traits]: Power Amplification, Mountain Moving Technique
[Description]: Using this card grants a significant boost to strength.
Lu Heng couldn't help but glance at Itto.
This card suited him surprisingly well.
As an oni, Itto's physical prowess far exceeded that of an ordinary human.
In terms of raw strength alone, Itto's power was several times greater than a normal person's.
His base stats were already high!
With the same amplification multiplier, a higher base value naturally led to more terrifying results.
A 30% increase on 100 is 130, but a 30% increase on 1,000 is 1,300!
Lu Heng explained the card's effects in a way Itto could understand.
After listening, Itto's eyes widened. "It's that strong?!"
"Why not try it?" Lu Heng suggested with a smile.
Itto immediately equipped the card.
Then, he activated the skill!
The beginner-level Arcane Deck couldn't fully unleash the power of a four-star card.
But even so—
Itto clenched his fist, the muscles in his arm bulging.
"This power…" Itto murmured in awe.
It was immense!
So immense that he felt he could defeat his pre-card self with a single punch!
The boost was that直观的!
"Whoa…" Itto gasped in amazement. "This is the power of the cards?! Incredible! Earlier I saw there were five-star gold cards too. If I had a few of those, could I suppress the Raiden Shogun like you did, big bro?"
"Hey!" Shinobu tried to stop him, but it was too late.
"You could, of course you could," Lu Heng said with a laugh. "Don't worry, Shinobu. Itto's not wrong."
"Mr. Lu… ah," Shinobu sighed, shaking her head wryly.
"It's fine," Yae Miko said airily. "If this kid really had Archon-level power, it would be a good thing—for both the Shogun and for us. It would only strengthen Inazuma's foundations."
"Haha!" Itto laughed heartily. "Shinobu! You take the remaining pulls!"
Shinobu stepped forward, feeling weary, and began her pulls.
Ten pulls—nothing.
"Don't lose heart, Shinobu!" Itto encouraged her. "I just got really lucky earlier!"
Shinobu wasn't discouraged at all.
She understood the gacha probabilities far better than Itto did.
In a way, Itto was right—it was luck.
After all eighteen pulls were done, no purple card appeared.
Itto slapped his thigh in frustration. "This definitely isn't Shinobu's fault!"
So whose fault was it?
"Even though there were no four-star purples, these two three-star blues are quite good," Shinobu said, examining her cards.
"Upgrade your Arcane Decks," Lu Heng suggested. "Upgrading from a beginner deck to a one-star deck only requires the experience from dismantling one one-star card."
Both of them upgraded their decks, allowing them to equip more cards.
Their haul was substantial.
"Big bro, thanks a lot!" Itto said earnestly. "If the Arataki Gang can ever help you, just say the word!"
"Noted," Lu Heng nodded. "Keep in touch. For now, I have matters to attend to, so I won't keep you."
"Alright! We'll get going then!" Itto said with a firm nod, happily leading Shinobu away.
Yae Miko watched them leave, murmuring, "Ah, what a lovely girl. Why wouldn't she want to be a shrine maiden?"
"Being a shrine maiden is boring," Lu Heng remarked.
Shrine maidens had many rules to follow, and their daily tasks were rather monotonous.
Those who were used to it could handle it, but for someone like Shinobu, being a shrine maiden would be torture.
What was the difference between that and prison?
"Is it that boring?" Yae Miko raised an eyebrow slightly, then chuckled. "Well, even I, the Grand Narukami Shrine's Guuji, need a side job to stay entertained… But now that we have phones and the internet, being a shrine maiden can't be that bad, right? It's not like I'm some harsh capitalist who forbids slacking off~"
"Haha." Lu Heng laughed. "Planning to issue a set to all the shrine maidens at the Grand Narukami Shrine?"
"Of course," Yae Miko nodded. "Consider it a perk of the job. If Kano Nana had a phone, I imagine it would be much easier to find that little one in the future?"
"Find… oh!" Lu Heng understood immediately.
She meant Sayu… right?
"How tall is the little tanuki now?" Lu Heng asked.
"The little tanuki?" Yae Miko thought for a moment, then gestured with her hand. "About this tall?"
"Still around Klee's height," Lu Heng shook his head. "If she wants to grow taller, it'll be tough unless she pulls a relevant card… By the way, what's her salary?"
Lu Heng remembered that in the game, Sayu's salary was 200,000 Mora!
And Paimon ate 300,000 Mora worth of food a month!
Which led some to believe Sayu's salary was low—but maybe Paimon was just a big eater?
Lu Heng was also curious about Sayu's real-world salary.
"If I recall…" Yae Miko thought for a moment. "I think it's a little over 20,000?"
The Shuumatsuban was a secret organization under the Kamisato Clan's control, but it was no secret to Yae Miko.
"A little over 20,000? Seems alright."
After all, Sayu's missions were few and far between, and she often napped.
"Does it include room and board?" Lu Heng asked.
"Of course," Yae Miko nodded. "If it didn't, who knows how much Mora that child would spend on food she thinks will make her taller~"
"True," Lu Heng agreed. "In that case, the food allowance probably isn't small?"
"Maybe, but I haven't looked into it. You'd have to ask that brat from the Kamisato Clan to find out."
"Probably not too extravagant," Lu Heng surmised.
His phone chimed. He picked it up and looked. "Another shrine maiden you like is about to arrive."
"Who?" Yae Miko asked.
Lu Heng showed her the screen.
It was a new friend request—the备注 (note) read "Sangonomiya Kokomi."
"Oh, it's her." Yae Miko's interest was piqued. "These shrine maidens keep getting cuter and cuter. I wonder what she'd look like performing the Sacred Sakura Dance?"
"Want to see? Your smooth-talking might not work on her," Lu Heng said, taking a sip of tea. "If you ever succeed, let me know. I'd like to see it too."
Yae Miko returned the phone to him, then sat down beside Lu Heng, leaning against him. She smiled playfully and asked, "Then, do you want to see me perform?"
Lu Heng immediately sat up straight.
With a solemn expression, he nodded. "Absolutely. Is your lower back up to it?"
"What do you think~?"
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T/N:
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