The moment the system fully activated, something deep in Zeldris's soul stirred.
Excitement? Destiny?
No.
Greed.
Sweet, glorious, well-earned greed.
"System," he said, eyes gleaming, "tell me what you've got. And don't give me one of those vague tutorial messages. I need the full menu."
A translucent interface appeared in his mind, flickering like an old TV finally getting signal. It was barely readable. Like, bootleg-DVD levels of clarity.
Luckily, the system's robotic voice chimed in to fill the gaps.
"Ninja World Mercenary System: This system offers high-value rewards. The host must accumulate wealth to draw powerful skills, weapons, and enhancements."
"Additionally, the system will issue missions based on the host's strength. Completion will yield generous rewards and increase wealth value."
Zeldris squinted at the screen, then nodded slowly.
"So... you're basically a shady underground roulette dealer who pays in superpowers. I can live with that."
It all clicked into place.
Wealth value, mercenary work, rewards.
He was no longer a loyal Konoha ninja. He was a full-blown freelancer.
A shinobi-for-hire with zero rules and one very expensive goal.
He couldn't help but smirk.
"I'm like a rogue ANBU... but sexier."
"System," he continued, "two questions: how do I earn wealth points, and how much for a spin on your magical game show wheel?"
"Every system mission rewards wealth points based on difficulty. Each lottery draw costs 100 wealth points."
"Additionally, for every 100,000 ryō earned through external missions, the host will gain 1 wealth point."
Zeldris stared blankly.
"100,000 for one point? Are you trying to scam me?"
The system ignored the insult like a true professional.
Still, he finally understood how it worked. Work hard, get paid. Get paid, spin the gacha. Spin the gacha, win broken powers.
Capitalism at its finest.
Then came the cherry on top.
"As part of the system's full activation, the host has been granted one free lottery draw."
Zeldris blinked. "A free spin? Now we're talking."
The interface shimmered again:
Host: Zeldris
Wealth Value: 0
Available Draws: 1
Current Rewards: None
He grinned.
"The good ol' newbie gift pack. Bless your automated soul."
He knew how brutal this world could get. No clan, no plot armor, no fan-favorite status. He wasn't Naruto. He was a freelance Jōnin with trust issues and a bank account to fill.
So yeah, strength was a must.
"Alright," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what kind of nonsense you've got behind door number one."
A giant spinning wheel popped into his consciousness, glowing with dramatic anime energy. All around it, names of absurdly powerful techniques and items spun past his eyes.
"Ultra Instinct... Vector Control... Power of the Six Paths... Wait, is that Bankai?!"
Zeldris squinted. Yep. The system was pulling from every universe.
"System," he said, not bothering to hide the excitement, "initiate the lottery."
Ding! Drawing reward...
The wheel spun wildly, colors and lights blurring into a chaotic rainbow of hype. Zeldris watched it like a gambler on his last chip.
The wheel slowed... then clicked to a stop.
A glowing, blue gourd-shaped fruit appeared. Swirling patterns danced across its surface like a tiny typhoon.
He leaned closer. His eye twitched.
"Wait a minute... is that—?"
"Congratulations! You have obtained: Tremor-Tremor Fruit (Gura Gura no Mi)."
Zeldris's brain stopped functioning for a solid three seconds.
"...You serious?!"
This wasn't just a fruit. This was the fruit. The one that turned Whitebeard into a human natural disaster.
Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Shockwaves that shattered islands like Legos.
And now?
Zeldris had it.
He laughed, low and giddy. "Okay, system... I take it back. Scam me anytime."
"Would you like to fuse with the Tremor-Tremor Fruit?"
"Obviously. Like hell I'm biting into that thing raw. I've seen what Devil Fruits do to your taste buds."
"Fusion in progress..."
A moment later—
"Fusion complete. Tremor-Tremor powers have been successfully integrated."
Zeldris frowned. He didn't feel any different.
Then he clenched his fist.
BUZZ!
The air around him shimmered violently, the pressure distorting reality itself. A halo of raw energy radiated from his arm, warping the atmosphere.
The world itself trembled.
His eyes lit up like fireworks.
"Oh yeah..." he whispered, smiling wide.
"This is just the beginning."
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