Standing on the balcony, Light Inksworth looked at the brightly lit New York night scene, feeling extremely happy.
Calling out the System interface, he saw that his Fan Value had skyrocketed in just one week. He now had seven comics running simultaneously: One Punch Man, Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan, Naruto, Bleach, The Terminator, and Doraemon.
The Fan Value provided by the first three comics had plateaued, as the base reader number wasn't increasing as rapidly anymore. However, the Fan Value provided by the four new comics was astonishing. Combined, the seven books had generated more than 5.5 million points this week.
The Fan Value label on the screen displayed the number: 5,583,625.
This wasn't even the limit. Even if there were no new comics next week, the Fan Value would double again because the new month was approaching.
At the beginning of each month, the Fan Value would be recalculated based on monthly readership, leading to a massive blowout of points credited to his account.
"Plus, a new comic will be released next week," Light thought, barely able to contain his excitement.
"System, adjust the lottery specifications. One draw at 1.5 million. One at 1 million. And then..."
Light calculated silently. 5.5 million is a huge amount. I have to plan carefully.
He immediately excluded the low-tier lotteries. A minimum of 300,000 points per draw was necessary. In his first lottery, the System had stated that "fragments are low-level awards," implying that high consumption of Fan Points would yield complete skills or items rather than fragments.
But he also knew that blowing five million on a single draw wasn't necessarily efficient. It was a lottery, not a store with clear price tags. He remembered getting the useless Konoha Forehead Protector in a previous million-point draw.
The jackpot wasn't guaranteed, and he couldn't bet everything on one spin. He needed to spread the risk.
Light was well aware of the unpredictable nature of this game. His eyes shone with determination as he said, "Scrap that. Readjust."
The System panel cleared instantly, waiting for a new command.
He spoke slowly, "One draw at 2 million. One at 1.5 million. And one at 1 million."
That totaled 4.5 million points.
"The remaining points... one draw at 700,000, and one at 300,000."
That used up roughly 5.5 million, leaving him with a small buffer.
"System adjusted. Please start the lottery. The order is from low consumption to high consumption."
"Start."
The pitch-black turntable spun rapidly, the pointer blurring until it finally slowed.
First, the 300,000 Point Draw.
[Congratulations Host. Obtained: Naruto's Worn-Out Jacket x1. Skill: Hirenkyaku (Flying Screen Step/Spirit Particle Paving).]
A beige jacket with the red Uzumaki spiral on the back appeared. It looked tattered. Light sighed and stuffed it into a plastic trash bag he now kept handy for useless items.
But the second item made his eyes shine.
Hirenkyaku: A high-speed movement technique from Bleach used by Quincies. It gathers spirit particles (Reishi) under the user's feet to create a platform, allowing for high-speed movement and flight. Note: All worlds with living beings possess Reishi/Spirit Particles.
"Flight?" Light raised his brows with joy. This was essentially air-walking. Even though the jacket was trash, this skill alone made the 300,000 points worth it. And it wasn't a fragment—it was a complete skill.
Without needing a manual, a white light burst into his mind, and the knowledge integrated instantly. It felt like instinct. Light stepped gently onto the air.
He felt the invisible particles in the atmosphere being pulled and gathered under his sole. He stepped onto the air half a meter off the ground as if it were solid concrete. He walked a few steps forward, ascending higher. The Reishi scrambled to form slabs beneath him.
He dashed in the air, trying an "S" turn, then a "B" turn. No obstacles.
After practicing for a while, he landed back on the balcony. The feeling of gravity was different now that he knew he could defy it.
"Continue."
Next, the 700,000 Point Draw.
[Congratulations Host. Obtained: Kakuhou Fragment x1, Ken Kaneki Fragment x3, Saitama Fragment x2, Transformation Technique (Henge no Jutsu), Crystal Ball.]
[System Prompt: Synthesizable items detected. Synthesizing...]
Two beams of light flew out of his warehouse—previous fragments of Ghoul organs. They collided with the new fragments from the turntable.
A dazzling flash of light faded to reveal a pulsing, bean-sized organ.
Kakuhou (Complete): The organ of a Ghoul that stores RC cells and manifests the Kagune.
Light shuddered. He didn't want to become a Ghoul and crave human flesh. He stored it away.
The Transformation Technique was self-explanatory. Light equipped it immediately.
Poof.
He transformed into Lorna.
"..."
He looked down at his chest. He suddenly had a bold idea... but shook his head vigorously. No, focus.
He released the transformation and dragged the crystal ball into his warehouse.
Crystal Ball: From Naruto. When used with the Telescope Technique, it allows long-range surveillance. Without the technique, it is just a ball.
"The Third Hokage's peeping tool?" Light scratched his head. "Useful for intel, I guess."
[Continue to next tier? 1,000,000 Point Draw.]
"Yes."
The turntable spun again.
[Congratulations Host. Obtained: Scroll of Seals. Naruto Uzumaki Fragment x1, Saitama Fragment x2, Mikasa Ackerman Fragment x2, Animal Transformation Biscuit.]
Light sorted the fragments into the warehouse first.
He looked at the Animal Transformation Biscuit from Doraemon.
Animal Transformation Biscuit: After eating, the user will take on the physical characteristics and abilities of the animal depicted on the biscuit for five minutes.
"A prank item," Light muttered, storing it.
He focused on the main prize.
Scroll of Seals: The forbidden scroll from Naruto. Contains dangerous high-level Jutsu. System Note: With the Scroll of Seals, collected Ninjutsu fragments can be directly converted into full skills.
[System Prompt: Multiple Shadow Clone Fragments detected. Strengthening...]
[Upgrade Complete. Skill: Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu (Complete).]
The "Lv5" in the upper right corner of the Shadow Clone icon disappeared. The skill was now fully mastered, removing the limitations of the fragmented version.
"Wait," Light frowned. "Does this mean I can learn other Jutsu from it?"
He had hoped to learn techniques like Flying Thunder God or the Eight Inner Gates instantly.
[System Prompt: No. The Scroll is an item. Unless the Host possesses Chakra, the techniques cannot be learned manually. The Scroll acts as a catalyst to complete fragmented skills obtained via lottery.]
Light's face darkened. He stuffed the scroll into the warehouse. Still, being able to complete future skills was a huge advantage.
"Continue."
1,500,000 Point Draw.
[Congratulations Host. Obtained: Skynet Fragment x1, Ichigo Kurosaki Fragment x3, Hollow (Standard) x1, Naruto Uzumaki Fragment x3, Restoration Flashlight, Asura Kabuto Skill: Toughness Fragment x2.]
[Synthesizable items detected. Synthesizing...]
The three Skynet fragments he now possessed collided, emitting a dark, ominous light. They fused into a black USB drive.
Skynet (Core Code): A super-artificial intelligence. Self-aware. The internet is its nervous system.
Light's expression changed. He held the drive. It looked ordinary, but it contained a world-ending entity.
"I am not plugging this into a computer yet," Light whispered, placing it carefully on the table.
He looked at the flashlight.
Restoration Flashlight: From Doraemon. Objects illuminated by its light will return to their previous state. Damaged items become new. Processed items return to raw materials.
"Industrial products?" Light thought. "This is incredibly useful. I could repair Tony Stark's suit instantly. Or... disassemble things. If I shine this on Wolverine, will his Adamantium skeleton turn back into raw ore?"
The Toughness Fragments overlapped with his existing skill, upgrading it to Level 4. His physical defense soared.
Finally, a ball of light remained.
Hollow (Standard): A minor spirit monster from Bleach. Invisible to normal humans. Strong but mindless. Can be summoned as a minion.
"Cannon fodder," Light noted.
"Final draw. Two Million Points."
Light felt nervous. This was the big one.
[Congratulations Host. Obtained: Naruto Uzumaki Fragment x2, Ichigo Kurosaki Fragment x3, Kakuhou Fragment x2, Genos Incineration Cannon Thrusters, Doraemon Fragment x4, Animal Biscuit (Bear), Vaccine Man Skill: Regeneration (Complete).]
Light smiled with joy.
"Except for the character fragments, these are all high-tier items."
The Genos Thrusters were sci-fi perfection. They looked like small cone-shaped missiles that could attach to a mechanical body or be used as handheld weapons, capable of emitting devastating blasts.
The Regeneration skill leveled up again. The green cross icon turned into a lush leaf pattern.
Regeneration (Complete): High-speed cellular regeneration derived from Vaccine Man (One Punch Man). Can heal from almost any non-fatal injury instantly.
Light sorted his inventory. He was about to pick up the Skynet USB drive again when—
RUMBLE!
A violent shaking sensation hit the building. The floor trembled beneath his feet.
Light immediately pocketed the USB drive and used Hirenkyaku to step onto the air, flying out off the balcony.
Looking around, the lights of Manhattan were flickering and dying. Within moments, the city plunged into darkness.
"Earthquake?"
There had been a small tremor a few days ago, but this was a large-scale event.
BANG!
A pillar of golden light soared into the gloomy night sky from a few blocks away. The bright light exploded in the clouds, and Light could feel the energy fluctuations clearly from this distance.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sharp sound of breaking wind echoed nearby.
Light looked down. A man in a black T-shirt, covered in blood, was running desperately down the street. Chasing him were several ninjas dressed in red gi.
"The Hand?"
Light stroked his forehead and sighed helplessly as he watched the man running in his direction.
"It's trouble again."
"I'm just trying to live a normal cartoonist life here," Light muttered sarcastically. "Why does trouble always come to my doorstep?"
This was the Marvel Universe.
Daily disasters were just part of the weather forecast.
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Word count: 1645
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