At first glance, there didn't seem to be a problem. It was merely the kind of physical fatigue caused by running.
But—the burden of the Sharingan was one that existed twenty-four hours a day.
With his current E-rank physique, he might be able to run for an entire day. But what about two days, three, a week, or even a month?Humans may have impressive endurance, but they were not perpetual motion machines capable of bearing constant overexertion without dying.
In other words, Ren's life had already begun its countdown.
Judging from the stats of the Third Calabash Brother template and the amplification effect of his Qi, he should be fine for about three days.
After that, things would get dangerous.
Of course—
Choosing unstable power naturally meant accepting the corresponding risks. Ren understood this well and was fully prepared for it.
He wasn't a genius, but neither was he reckless.
Unless… he lost his head.
And really, who didn't? People weren't machines; everyone had moments of recklessness.
Still, Ren calmly made his plan.
In the short term—for instance, with the upcoming spin—since a new prize pool had appeared, he might be able to obtain stronger rewards.
As long as he could make it through today, once the Lucky Lighter refreshed, under the Blessing of Lady Luck, perhaps he could draw an item that temporarily solved his current problem.
He also had thirty million Beli in expected income—enough to achieve that short-term goal.
You could say that with the Bloodhand Gang destroyed, he was now eating his fill.
And if he couldn't?
Then after visiting Nami's home, the grand prize worth one hundred million Beli might also solve everything.
If once wasn't enough, then twice!And if he were really unlucky, even a billion-Beli jackpot was worth aiming for.
Surely, he couldn't fail three times in a row, right?
Still—
Ren currently lacked the strength to take on the Arlong Pirates. He couldn't pin all his hopes on Zoro.
So there were only two things he could do—remove the side effects and grow stronger.
Both required a large number of chips for spinning the roulette.
The newly-unlocked VIP Roulette cost one million Beli per spin!
Even with all his savings, he could only afford twelve spins.
Fortunately, thanks to the Bloodhand Gang's generous "donations," Ren was in a relatively wealthy position for the time being.
Though he couldn't immediately convert all their loot into chips, and treasure still had to be unearthed, at least he had confidence.
Even though his daily spins with the Lucky Lighter were already used up, Ren decided to test the waters with ten million Beli.
He wanted to see if, without Lady Luck's blessing, he could draw something like Chakra Refinement Technique or another item that could solve his problem—and, more importantly, evaluate the overall quality of the new prize pool.
"Before I reach Cocoyasi Village, I should be able to achieve another breakthrough in strength. Honestly, I'm such a genius—progress may come from my own effort, but I sure make it look fast!"
With a proud grin, Ren opened the Dimensional Roulette and glanced at his balance:
{Chip Balance: 12.03 million}
Then he slammed his palm onto the Spin button.
"Dimensional Roulette—spin for me, dammit!"
Who said using an external system didn't count as self-improvement?If they could make one themselves, they were welcome to try!Besides, could you really call a transmigrator's system a cheat?
That's not a cheat—that's a gifted talent!
As the colorful light enveloped the roulette and began spinning rapidly, the eternal struggle between the Lucky and the Unlucky was about to begin anew.
Whirr—!
The wheel shuddered within the light, and ten streaks of brilliance shot out in an instant.
{Drawn – Doran's Blade}
{Drawn – AA-12 "Dragon's Breath" Set}
{Drawn – Crystal Scope}
{Drawn – A Crate of Erguotou}
{Drawn – A Crate of Erguotou}
{Drawn – Mechanical Parts}
{Drawn – Firearms User Manual}
{Drawn – …}
Ten draws. Four of them… utterly incomprehensible.
The kind that looked useful but whose purpose was completely unclear.
Take the "Mechanical Parts," for instance. Judging from their sheen and shape, they seemed to belong to some kind of weapon. The description on the holographic panel was certainly intriguing.
But—for Ren, they were useless.
He glanced at them twice, then tossed the whole pile into a corner. The two crates of Erguotou, however, he set aside for Zoro.
There would be another night of drinking—and storytelling—tonight.
Of course, he couldn't drink too much.
Or rather, Zoro would be the one drinking—Ren would just be the storyteller.
After all, he had to handle the aftermath of the Bloodhand Gang's downfall the next day.
Sir Becks would likely arrive soon. After the Gus incident, the man wouldn't dare defy Ren again.
And it wasn't all trouble, either—Becks could still make a tidy profit by reselling the Bloodhand Gang's goods.
As the saying went, if you handle pork, your hands will always end up a little greasy.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Bloodhand Gang's other branches would soon show up as well. Those idiots would no doubt try to reclaim their "inheritance."
Another hassle waiting to happen.
Still, Ren was an optimist. He simply refused to think too deeply about it.
Instead, he turned his attention to the few high-value prizes he had drawn.
[Doran's Blade]
Origin:League of Legends
Type: Magical Weapon
Effect: A magically empowered sharp blade that grants its wielder enhanced vitality. The imbued magic drains life from wounded enemies to restore the sword bearer.
Consumption: Mana / Stamina
Ren held the wide-bladed longsword, reminiscent of a medieval knight's weapon.
A faint violet glow pulsed along the edge, emanating an extraordinary aura.
When Ren tightened his grip on the hilt, he immediately felt a surge of energy flow from the Doran's Blade into his body.
It slightly reduced the burden the Sharingan placed upon him—a life-boost effect.
In game terms, it was probably that familiar +80 HP bonus.
The life-steal effect wasn't yet clear, but it couldn't be weak.
This was also the first sword imbued with supernatural power Ren had drawn—though merely basic equipment from League of Legends, hardly a legendary weapon—for someone who used to be an ordinary muggle, it was already wondrous.
The life-steal, especially, could help replenish the stamina drained by his eyes.
So yes—his luck had been good.
He had drawn a weapon that could temporarily ease his negative debuff.
As for the other notable prize, it left Ren with a somewhat complicated expression.
[AA-12 "Dragon's Breath" Set]
Origin:Call of Duty
Type: Firearm
Components: 12-gauge Dragon's Breath shells, 25-round drum mag, Zoliro-8 sport barrel, Flashbolt-60, two spare magazines
Effect: A brutal weapon combining high ammo capacity with rapid fire.Each shot releases a storm of blazing magnesium pellets, igniting enemies in flames exceeding 1,500°C—a torrent of crimson fire like a dragon's roar, burning all flesh in its path.
(PS: When I pull out this Dragon's Breath, you'll know who rules the docks. Dirty? Maybe. But only the living get to complain—so taste my flames!)
Consumption: None
The Dragon's Breath Shotgun—the legendary in-game weapon, famous far beyond its franchise.
In Call of Duty: Warzone, it was notorious for turning entire docks into blazing infernos—a "dirty weapon" that caused chaos wherever it appeared.
And Ren?
Ren absolutely loved it.
(End of Chapter)