"O-One million—no, ten million Mora?!"
Hearing that number, Sayu's eyes widened in shock.
She froze completely.
To her, that was an astronomical sum.
Her monthly salary was only two hundred thousand Mora.
That meant she earned 2.4 million Mora a year.
To save up ten million Mora, she'd need at least four years.
And that was assuming she didn't eat, spend money, or buy anything unnecessary.
Otherwise, it would take even longer.
"How long am I supposed to save for that...?"
Sayu's little face was filled with worry.
She had finally learned there was a way to grow taller.
If she missed this opportunity, she'd regret it for the rest of her life.
The problem was—she simply didn't have the money.
Then, as her eyes drifted toward Yae Miko, an idea suddenly popped into her head.
"Wise and beautiful Lady Guuji... could you lend me ten million Mora?"
Sayu stepped forward with hopeful eyes.
"I suppose I could."
Yae Miko pinched her cheek playfully.
"But whenever I want Aburaage in the future..."
"Leave everything to me!"
Sayu immediately promised.
"I'll make sure you're completely satisfied!"
For the sake of growing taller, she was willing to go all out.
"That's what you said."
A sly smile appeared on Yae Miko's face.
"Then let's go right now."
Borrow ten million Mora and gain a free errand runner?
Not bad at all.
As for what would happen when Sayu eventually discovered she didn't actually need ten million Mora...
Well.
The money would already have been lent out.
And who would dare go back on a promise made to Lady Guuji?
"Okay!"
Completely unaware that she'd just been tricked, Sayu became excited.
The two immediately left the Grand Narukami Shrine and headed toward Inazuma City.
Solace Book House
More than an hour passed.
At last, Thoma closed his manga.
"That Spirit Bomb was incredible!"
His face was filled with excitement.
The scene of Goku raising the enormous Spirit Bomb high above his head had completely ignited his blood.
If he had a move like that, he wouldn't need to keep hiding from the authorities.
"Finished reading?"
A voice sounded nearby.
Turning around, Thoma saw Ayaka standing there with a manga in hand, smiling at him.
"Yeah. I've never read anything this amazing before. It's way more exciting than anything Yae Publishing House puts out."
He stood up with a grin.
Even without any reward, reading such a passionate story had already made the ten thousand—rather, hundred thousand Mora worth it.
"Then let's go claim your reward."
Anticipation flickered in Ayaka's eyes.
She was incredibly curious about the virtual world from Ready Player One.
What kind of reward would she receive?
If only she could personally experience the Oasis.
Thoma nodded, and together they walked toward the counter.
Seeing them approach, Han Feng glanced at the system panel.
The reward information had already refreshed.
[Customer: Thoma]
Finished reading: Dragon Ball
Reward Obtained: Kamehameha
Kamehameha: Master Roshi's signature technique.
To perform it, the user places both hands together at their side, gathering energy into a sphere between the palms. Once sufficient power is accumulated, the energy blast is fired at the target.
Note: The technique's power depends entirely on the user's own strength.
[Customer: Kamisato Ayaka]
Finished reading: Ready Player One
Reward Obtained: Virtual Pod
Virtual Pod: After entering the pod, the user's consciousness may enter the world of Oasis.
Note: Automatically adjusts to fit the user's body size. Bound exclusively to the owner and cannot be used by others.
"Not a Dragon Ball after all."
Han Feng wasn't particularly surprised.
After all, two Dragon Balls had already appeared recently.
But the Kamehameha was still a great reward.
Maybe it wasn't the strongest technique in Dragon Ball.
But in terms of fame?
It was absolutely among the most iconic.
It had practically transcended the series itself.
And its power certainly wasn't weak.
Master Roshi had once used it to destroy Fire Mountain.
And even the Moon.
Of course, the system had added a limitation.
Like Diluc's Puppet Strings before it, the move's strength depended on the user.
Useful.
But not overwhelmingly broken.
As for Ayaka's reward...
Han Feng smiled.
"I didn't expect the first person to experience the virtual world would be her."
He wondered what the elegant young lady would become after entering Oasis.
Would she end up addicted like a certain shut-in Archon?
If that happened, things would become very interesting.
The two most famous women in Inazuma falling into the same rabbit hole.
That would be quite a sight.
Buzz—
Buzz—
Two brilliant pillars of light descended from above.
Both Thoma and Ayaka were enveloped.
"Huh?"
Thoma blinked.
"It feels like something's being poured into my mind."
"That should be your reward. Focus on accepting it."
Ayaka reminded him calmly.
Though inwardly she sighed.
It seemed Thoma hadn't obtained a Dragon Ball after all.
Still, she wasn't too disappointed.
Miraculous items like Dragon Balls couldn't possibly appear every time.
There was no need to rush.
At least now they had hope.
That alone was better than before.
When I return, I'll ask Brother to come here too.
Ayaka quickly made up her mind.
"Oh, I see!"
Thoma immediately closed his eyes and focused on the incoming knowledge.
Moments later, the light faded.
Thoma stood there organizing the information in his head.
Meanwhile, beside Ayaka, a sleek futuristic virtual pod materialized.
"A reward... is actually real?"
After a long pause, Thoma opened his eyes.
His face was full of disbelief.
The information he had received was none other than the Kamehameha from the manga.
After absorbing it, he had a distinct feeling—
If he wanted to, he could perform the technique right now.
Even though seeing the Raiden Shogun in the manga shop had already made him suspect the rewards were genuine...
Actually obtaining one himself was still shocking beyond words.
Just as Ayaka had said.
This manga shop truly was a miraculous place.
As for his earlier thoughts about exposing the owner as a fraud...
Those had vanished long ago.
Looking at the black-haired young man behind the counter, Thoma couldn't help wondering:
Just who exactly is Boss Han?
—------------------------------
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