Harry took a deep breath; the air of his own world was a balm. Then the memories came, not his own, but Shin's.
Not the magical legend, but the man: the Japanese salaryman in his thirties, weary of work, an obsessive reader of light novels, and knowledgeable about topics that seemed absurd.
Images flooded his mind: crowded trains, pages from novels where the protagonist was reborn in magical worlds, the cover of a cheap book called Harry Potter... forum discussions about isekai and the possibility of narrative universes.
Shin's knowledge merged with his childlike mind, giving it a terrifying clarity.
Harry clutched his head, feeling a sharp pain that wasn't physical. The grass he had touched with such reverence now seemed fake, a cruel and sophisticated joke.
"No! My pain can't be a... a story!" he cried, feeling panic return.
Rage and existential terror collided, unleashing a wave of raw magical energy. The air vibrated, and the grass around Harry instantly withered in a three-meter circle.
[CRITICAL WARNING: Mana Imbalance Detected (Chronic Trauma Activated).]
[Host is entering a reality collapse phase. Stabilization required.]
A voice echoed in Harry's mind—not the monotonous tone of the System, but a cold, deep voice with cosmic weight that halted the spiral of panic.
[STOP! You have been chosen by the ARCANUM CORE.]
[YOUR CHARACTER DESTINY IS OVER.] [THE PLOT WAS BROKEN THE MOMENT YOU TOUCHED "YES."]
[THE FATE OF THIS UNIVERSE NO LONGER CONTROLS YOU]
[YOUR DESTINY, HARRY POTTER, IS NOW IN YOUR HANDS.]
The effect was immediate. The wave of mana dissipated. The existential terror froze, replaced by the cold, cutting truth. Harry gasped, not from fear, but from the shock of absolute authority.
The Shin within him gave him the logic: If it's a story, it means you know the plot points. And if you know them, you have the rules to rewrite it. This is the real springboard.
"I'm a character, then... and my misery is the plot." Harry smiled, but there was no joy, only concentrated rage. The rage of being a puppet, but with the ability to cut the strings. "Well, let's rewrite this damned story."
Harry, now calm, continued to see Shin's memories. He had spent years learning to optimize his mind for magic: visualization, breathing, mental control, partial focus, energy flow management…
Harry closed his eyes and followed the steps of the adult fused within him:
* Take a deep breath.
* Imagine a perfect circle.
* Fill it with light.
* Give it a purpose.
A luminous point appeared in his palm. It wasn't accidental magic. Harry smiled; it was the first time he had created without his emotions running wild.
When the point of light flickered in his hand, his stomach began to growl. He remembered that his last meal had been two days ago and had consisted only of bread and water.
Checking the system, he selected the shop option when the system screen changed.
SYSTEM STORE — MAIN MENU
[SYSTEM CREDIT BALANCE (SC): 200]
[Select a Category to view products:]
Categories:
[Bloodlines]
[Abilities]
[Artifacts]
[Templates]
[Materials]
[Body Upgrades]
[Technologies]
[Consumable Goods and Services]
[System Services]
[Ajarna Gate Upgrades]
CATEGORY: CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES
[(Essential items for survival and comfort. Press [INFO] to purchase.)]
[Bag of Senzu Beans (1 Unit)]
[Description: (Dragon Ball) One Senzu Bean. Restores 100% of Vitality and Mana, and instantly removes fatigue.] [Limited Use]
[Price: 500 SC]
[Hot "Ichiraku" Ramen Portion]
[Description: (Naruto) A bowl of hot ramen. Satisfies hunger for 12 hours and grants a temporary +1 to determination for 1 hour.]
[Price: 15 SC]
[Bantha Electric Milk]
[Description: (Star Wars) Sweet, nutritious blue milk. Slightly improves mental focus for 6 hours.]
[Price: 10 SC]
[Saitama's "Minimalist" Traveler's Outfit]
[Description: (One Punch Man) A set of ordinary clothes (tracksuit) and a cape. Durability B-.]
[Price: 30 SC]
[...….]
CATEGORY: BLOODLINES AND GENETICS
[(Permanent enhancements that rewrite the host's composition.)]
[Asgardian Genetics (Basic)]
[Effect: (Marvel) Increased physical resistance, longevity, and +3 to base Stamina and Strength.]
[Price: 7,500 SC]
[Hashirama Cells (1% Integration)]
[Effect: (Naruto) Drastically increases vitality and mana regeneration.] High risk of rejection.]
[Price: 10,000 SC]
[Latent Mutation Factor (Level 1)]
[Effect: (X-Men/Marvel) Unlocks the ability to manifest a random and gradual mutant power.]
[Price: 15,000 SC]
[Blood of the Sea Warrior (Fishman Race)]
[Effect: (One Piece) Aquatic breathing and x10 strength underwater.]
[Price: 4,000 SC]
[.......]
CATEGORY: SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES
[(Active knowledge, combat styles, or energy manifestation.)]
[Ki Control (Basic)]
[Effect: (Dragon Ball) Teaches how to manipulate internal energy (Ki) for defense, basic attack, and basic flight.]
[Price: 1,500 SC]
[Double Vision Technique (Basic)]
[Effect: (Matrix) Enhances the perception of rapid movements, slightly slowing the perception of the outside world.]
[Price: 800 SC]
[Skill: Cooking (Basic)]
[Effect: (Food Wars) Allows the user to prepare incredibly tasty dishes that grant temporary stat bonuses.]
[Price: 300 SC]
[Sword Style: Water Breathing (Basic)]
[Effect: (Demon Slayer) Grants the knowledge to channel energy into an offensive sword style focused on flow and defense.]
[Price: 1,200 SC]
[...….]
CATEGORY: ARTIFACTS AND EQUIPMENT
[(Unique Power Items and Exotic Tools.)]
[Lantern Ring (Charge)] [Limited Edition]
[Description: (DC Comics) Low-power version of a Green Lantern Corps ring. Allows the creation of simple solid light constructs (max. 10 uses).
[Price: 3,000 SC]
[Scarecrow's Panic Mask]
[Description: (DC/Batman) Allows the creation and release of a low-level, fear-inducing gas, affecting Rank D enemies.]
[Price: 950 SC]
[Shiki Storage Gauntlet]
[Description: (One Piece) Gauntlet capable of touching an inanimate object and making it levitate and manipulate it (max. 50kg).]
[Price: 2,000 SC]
[Flames of Destruction Spellbook]
[Description: (Light Novel) Grimoire containing three Rank B fire spells. Requires 3 days for complete memorization.]
[Price: 1,800 SC]
[.....]
CATEGORY : TEMPLATES (CHARACTER IDENTITIES)
[(Knowledge, skills, and styles of a complete fictional character. Personality is not inherited, only the skill set.)]
[TEMPLATE: Yamcha (Dragon Ball — Beginning)]
[Description: Martial arts knowledge focused on speed, Wolf Claw technique, and basic Ki control for ranged attacks (Basic Kamehameha).]
[Price: 8,500 SC]
[TEMPLATE: Nightwing/Dick Grayson (DC — Acrobatics)]
[Description: Physical agility, unparalleled combat acrobatics, field forensic detective knowledge, and use of twin batons.]
[Price: 2,200 SC]
[TEMPLATE: Tony Stark (Marvel — Beta Engineer)]
[Description: Ability to design advanced technology with limited resources, knowledge of creating mini Arc Reactors, and [Accelerated reverse-engineering.]
[Price: 5,500 SC]
[TEMPLATE: Kirito (SAO — Dual Blademaster)]
[Description: Unique Dual Wielding ability, enhanced reflexes, and mastery of swift and precise sword skills.]
[Price: 3,000 SC]
[TEMPLATE: Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher — Mutant)]
[Description: Wolf School training, toxin resistance, use of basic Signs (Magic) (Aard, Igni), and extensive knowledge of combat alchemy.]
[Price: 7,000 SC]
[...]
CATEGORY: SYSTEM AND AJARNA UPGRADES
[(Features that improve the system or the connected world.)]
[Argena Upgrades: Detailed Map (Level 1)]
[Description: Unlocks a [Map of the first area of Argena, showing a 10km radius map of the world exit]
[Price: 500 SC]
[Basic Upgrade Ajarna Gate]
[Description: Can connect worlds of rank C and D.]
[Price: 1,000 SC]
[Intermediate Upgrade Ajarna Gate]
[Description: Can connect worlds of rank A, B, C, and D.]
[Price: 7,000 SC]
[...]
Harry read the prices. Food was affordable, but real power... Ten thousand SC for some cells, eight thousand for a template. Senzu Beans cost ten times his current balance, and on top of that, there were worlds he didn't know existed.
"Senzu Beans are very expensive," Harry admitted, Shin's mind calculating the gap between his balance and real power. "How do I get this SC? I want the fastest way to get 500 SC."
The screen immediately flickered, replacing the store with the credit-earning guide.
[OBTAINING SYSTEM CREDITS (SC)]
[BASIC PRINCIPLE: The System operates by capturing and converting cosmic and narrative energy.] Your actions are the currency.
[METHOD 1 — OBJECTIVE COMPLETION (Missions)]
[Minor Mission (e.g., "Defeat a Class D enemy"): 50 SC]
[Medium Mission (e.g., "Defeat a Class C enemy"): 150 SC]
[Major Mission (e.g., "Save a crucial life"): 2,000 SC]
[Event Mission (e.g., "Survive the first raid on Argena"): 500 SC]
[METHOD 2 — NARRATIVE MANIPULATION (Canon Alteration)]
[Prevent a major death: 3,000–6,000 SC]
[Change a predetermined fate: 10,000 SC]
[Create a new event not existing in canon: 5,000–15,000 SC] SC]
—Ten thousand... If I remove the horcrux from my scar
[The magnitude of that change would classify it as a Level C Critical Event. The reward could be 5000 SC for each horcrux removed early.]
—That changes everything. What if I fight?
[METHOD 3 — ENEMY ENERGY CONVERSION (Hunting)]
[Class D and C (Basic Dungeon Monsters): 1–100 SC]
[Class B (Mini-Boss or High-Rank Threat): 500–1,500 SC]
[Class S or World Equivalent (e.g., Dragon, Demon): 10,000+ SC]
[Class SS (God of a Single Universe): 70,000+ SC]
[METHOD 4 — TRADING AND CREATION]
[Sale of Artifacts (Created by the Host): 2,000+ SC]
[Sale of Knowledge (By creating a spell, potion, etc.): 200+ SC]
Harry checked his balance. [200 SC]. If he was going to train relentlessly, his body and mind would need constant fuel. I needed my personal dimension to be an engine of sustainable growth (trees and livestock).
—System. I want to invest my 200 SC in infrastructure. I need a fruit tree for magic and a livestock kit that provides me with a constant supply of food, like milk or eggs.
[Searching… Searching… Searching…]
[Rejuvenation Berry Sprout (Basic Isekai)]
[Description: Small tree that produces berries that restore 20% Vitality and 10% Mana. Bears fruit weekly. Essential for post-training recovery. 100 SC]
[Magic Stable Kit "Milk and Feathers" (Classic/Fantasy RPG)]
[Description: A basic breeding kit. Includes: A pair of Slowfire Chickens (daily nutritious eggs) and a Milk-Eternal Goat (produces milk and cheese with high protein content). [100 SC]
[Automatic Farming Tool (Level 1) (Sci-Fi / Stardew Valley)]
[Description: A miniature drone. It can autonomously plow, water, and maintain up to 10 square meters of magical soil. Saves training time. 30 SC]
[Slime Breeding Kit (Jelly Variety)]
[Description: (Classic RPG) A pair of harmless Slimes. They produce Slime Jelly, which can be used as magical fuel or as a basic potion ingredient. They reproduce by division. 70 SC]
Harry felt that the combination of [100 SC] and [100 SC] was the most balanced: magical regeneration (tree) and physical nourishment (livestock).
—I buy the Rejuvenating Berry Sprout and the "Milk and Feathers" Magical Stable Kit.
[Purchase of Rejuvenating Berry Sprout completed. Price: 100 SC.]
[Purchase of Magical Stable Kit "Milk and Feathers" completed. Price: 100 SC.]
[CURRENT BALANCE: 0 SC]
In the pristine world of Innovate Clear, the items materialized: a small sprout ready to be planted, and a wooden box containing a rooster and hen with bright reddish feathers (the Slowfire Chickens) and a small goat with shimmering horns (the Eternal Milk Goat). Harry had emptied his wallet, but he had just built his survival base.
Harry quickly planted the sprout and created an enclosed area for the animals. The discipline of caring for life, something he was never allowed to do on Privet Drive, gave him a strange sense of purpose.