Considering their current development,Ren set aside ten million Beli for expenses and recharged the rest into the system.
{Chip Balance: 158 million}
Total Treasure Value: 400 million Beli
"Money isn't the problem for now," Ren murmured. "What I'm short on is time—to turn all that foundation into actual power."
Inside the captain's cabin, Ren sat atop Chester's head, deep in thought.
He was fairly satisfied with the answers Nami and the others had given him so far. At the very least, they were allies for the time being.
Zoro had already been following him for over a month—half of their three-month pact had quietly slipped by.
It was about time he started cultivating his own people.
With that thought, Ren stepped outside and called for Nami, who was busy observing the weather.
The lame boy had already told him where his hometown was, and now the Pipi Shrimp was preparing to head toward Quint Island.
"What is it?" Nami asked suspiciously.
"An experiment. Come in."
Ren opened the door and beckoned with a smile at the suddenly wary Nami. "Relax. I'm a good guy."
"If you didn't say that, I might actually believe you."
Nami rolled her eyes, but her feet still carried her inside out of habit.
Then—
Ren motioned for her to sit on his bed, pulled Chester over as a stool, and placed his hand on her boot.
"What are you doing?" Nami pulled her leg back, her brown eyes flashing with confusion.
"Shh."
Ren gestured for silence and firmly gripped her ankle, slowly sliding her boot off.
A pair of soft, pale feet came into view—bright enough to make one's eyes dazzle.
"You'd better have a good explanation," Nami said, tilting her head slightly, her fair cheeks tinged with pink.
Then she watched as Ren slipped a strange-looking pair of boots onto her feet.
They felt heavy for a moment, but strangely enough, they fit perfectly.
"Try it. See if you can activate them."
Ren explained the activation conditions for the Boots of Swiftness: Frost Walker in all seriousness, then told Nami to give them a go.
"You're giving these to me? They look ugly."
Nami stood up and took a few steps—then suddenly froze. A chilling mist burst out from under the boots, freezing the floor solid.
"Looks like it works. So—want to get stronger?"
Ren removed the boots and asked quietly.
Progress in strength came from two paths: self-improvement and external power. He couldn't do much for the first one right now, but external boosts could be achieved through the enchantment system.
If you couldn't train hard, then you might as well be a pay-to-win player!
"You have a way?"Nami's eyes lit up as she leaned forward eagerly. "I've thought about this for a while. You and the others fight—but my sister and I can only hide behind you. Because we're weak.
But enemies won't hold back just because we're weak. I know that very well."
She wasn't only talking about Mys Island, but all their previous adventures too.
There had been far too many moments when she felt powerless.
"It's just an idea for now," Ren sighed, "and it might take a lot of effort…"
But then, all of a sudden, his cheek grew warm—her breath brushed close against his skin.
"Would this help your motivation?"
Nami straightened casually, her pale fingers wiping off a small streak of her own saliva from his cheek.
"…"
Ren fell silent for a moment, then said with mock solemnity, "I think I just got inspired—but I might need a little more. Want to try again?"
"Hmph, no way."
Nami grabbed her own boots and stood barefoot, stepping past him toward the door.
Just before leaving, she turned back with a playful smile. "I'll leave the rest to you, Captain. Don't disappoint us—I'm your crewmate, after all."
Leaving that deliberately suggestive remark behind, Nami trotted off to find her sister.
"…I think I finally understand what 'beauty is justice' really means."
Ren rubbed his cheek, feeling the heat in his chest—only to smother it quickly with reason.
Enough distractions. Time to work.
It was now certain: the enchantment system could be applied to others.
That was all he needed.
"In Minecraft, the enchantment system runs through enchanted books. There are two ways to get them—lottery draws or setting up an enchanting table. The draw depends on luck and costs a fortune, while the enchanting table system doesn't need much money.
It has a full range of enchantment types, and I can refresh the list repeatedly to get the ones I want. But there's a catch—I'm not a block person. I don't have experience levels. If I build an enchanting table and it doesn't work, that'd be pretty embarrassing.
Still, since the Dimensional Roulette localizes its items—like those Magic Trick abilities consuming stamina, and the Eye of the Herald being rechargeable with Mana Crystals—it should work fine."
After some thought, Ren decided to test it.
He didn't use his daily Blessing of the Goddess of Luck.He simply opened the Dimensional Roulette, used his Lucky Lighter and his Fate's Chosen Tidebreaker trait—and got exactly what he wanted.
[Bookshelf ×15]
Origin:Minecraft
Type: Rule Item
Effect: A collection of books imbued with the power of words. When arranged around an Enchanting Table in a specific formation, they channel textual energy into books to create enchanted books.
Cost: None
[Book ×20]
Origin:Minecraft
Type: Rule Item
Effect: Can be inscribed with special words of power to create enchanted books. Three books and one wooden plank can combine into a bookshelf.
Cost: None
Everything was ready.Ren glanced around and decided to set things up in the small attic on top of the Pipi Shrimp.
That was the ship's third floor—uninhabited, used only for storing miscellaneous goods.
He placed the bookshelves in a 5×5 formation around a central space for the Enchanting Table, making sure the inner 3×3 area was completely empty.
Once the structure was complete, faint translucent glyphs began to float from the bookshelves, swirling into the table's center.
[Enchanting Table – Enchantment System]
Origin:Minecraft
Type: Rule Item
Effect: Allows enchantment of books by consuming experience, Mana Crystals, or energy. Each refresh offers five random enchantment options. Can be refreshed indefinitely.
Cost: None
Success.
Ren nodded in satisfaction and checked his current funds.
{Chip Balance: 158 million}
"Still good."
He began extracting Mana Crystals.
These were now essential resources—for both skills and the enchantment system.
The High-Level VIP Roulette usually granted one or two Mana Crystals per spin.
Ren activated Blessing of the Goddess of Luck, then performed ten consecutive High-Level VIP draws.
His luck was excellent—six out of ten yielded Mana Crystals, ten in total.
The remaining four draws gave him something completely different.
[Nichirin Sword ×2]
Origin:Demon Slayer
Type: Transcendent Weapon
Effect: Forged from sunlight-absorbing Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Crimson Ore, these blades change color according to their wielder's nature. In the hands of a skilled swordsman, they grant elemental blessings such as flame, lightning, mist, and other effects.
Cost: None
(End of Chapter)