The Interlude: System Shopping
Elias and Kenji spent the next few hours walking. Kenji, the self-proclaimed 'Failure Ninja,' was surprisingly good at avoiding traps, though he kept apologizing for the fact that his knowledge was mainly related to minor local flora and the best places to buy discount onigiri.
"So, the whole time I was running, I was thinking about the perfect time to use the Moderate Good Fortune scroll," Kenji confessed, clutching the scroll tightly. "But I realized that if I used it now, I might only find a slightly discounted melon, and I need maximum luck later, like, when I finally try the Advanced Tree-Climbing technique."
Elias rubbed his temples. "Kenji, your dedication to low stakes is truly admirable. But speaking of luck, I need to check my resources."
He pulled up the System interface, now slightly translucent and nestled neatly in the corner of his vision.
Host: Elias Vane Tier: E (Self-Aware Protagonist) Plot Armor: A-Tier (75% Charge) System Points (SP): 100 Skills: Minor Narrative Foresight (Novice)
"Only 100 SP. That's pitiful," Elias grumbled. "What can I even buy with that?"
He opened the System Shop.
SYSTEM SHOP
Ration Pack (Bland Flavour): 5 SP
D-Tier Plot Device (Lost Key/Map Fragment): 50 SP
System Teleport Ticket (Short Range, Random Destination): 80 SP
Minor Aura of Mystery (Lasts 1 Hour): 100 SP
F-Tier Weapon (Rusty Butter Knife): 10 SP
Elias stared at item number four. "An Aura of Mystery for 100 SP? Is that seriously the best option?"
System Note: The Minor Aura of Mystery increases NPC interest by 30% and prevents immediate hostile action from low-level antagonists for a brief duration. It enhances Trope 6: The Enigmatic Newcomer.
"Ugh. Fine. I need to get out of this Ninja World before the sequel to the mud-ninja shows up with his Big Brother," Elias muttered. "I'll take the System Teleport Ticket."
Purchase Confirmed: 80 SP deducted. System Teleport Ticket acquired. Remaining SP: 20.
"Now, the ticket says 'Random Destination.' System, can you narrow that down to a genre? I need something with high narrative potential."
Querying Database for High-Potential Narrative Arcs... Destination Suggested: World #88-D (Grand Oceanic Pirate Epoch)
Elias checked the memory storage of his phone (which had somehow survived the transportation). "Pirate Epoch? Great. Tropical setting, massive power scales, annoying sea shanties. And based on the snippet I remember from my entry, there's a huge pirate alliance waiting for me."
He pulled out the ticket—a shimmering, glowing bus ticket with the destination 'Unknown, Yet Conveniently Located Port' printed on it.
"Okay, Kenji," Elias said, interrupting Kenji's detailed explanation of why the village elder's prize-winning bonsai tree was actually a 'secretly malevolent life-force conduit.' "Time for a sudden, unexplained exit."
"Exit? But we haven't even gone to the Waterfall Training Area yet! Where are we going?"
"Somewhere with fewer trees and more water," Elias replied, holding the ticket high. "Hold on tight. This is Trope 7: The Sudden, Unannounced World Jump."
A blinding flash of cyan light enveloped them.
Arrival: The Briny Narrative
The cyan light didn't just disappear; it rendered into the next scene. One moment, they were standing on a forest floor; the next, Elias was coughing up sand on a sun-drenched beach. The air was thick with salt, and the sound of crashing waves replaced the chirping of forest insects.
Kenji, sprawled next to him, looked utterly traumatized. "I think… I think I swallowed half the ocean."
Elias ignored him, brushing himself off. He instantly noted the change in aesthetics. The sky was impossibly blue, the palm trees were impossibly tall, and in the distance, a ridiculously large wooden ship with torn, black sails was silhouetted against the horizon.
"Ah, the Grand Oceanic Pirate Epoch," Elias declared, scanning the environment. "Notice the mandatory cinematic elements, Kenji? The oversized ship, the dramatic lighting, the distinct lack of safety railings anywhere. Standard Trope 8: The High-Budget Opening Scene."
"Where are we, Elias? Is this… is this the legendary 'Sea of Fire' they talk about in ancient texts?" Kenji asked, trembling slightly.
"No, this is likely the 'Foreshadowing Coastline,' Kenji. We need to find the nearest establishment for plot exposition."
They walked a short distance until they came across a small, ramshackle fishing village. The signs were scribbled in a language Elias somehow intuitively understood: "Welcome to Port Generic: Home of the Unremarkable Fishing Fleet."
As soon as they entered the village square, Elias pulled up his Minor Narrative Foresight skill.
Narrative Foresight Scan: Alert: Major Conflict Cluster Detected. Probability of Hostile Encounter (0-10 min): 95% Target Type: Low-level Pirate Crew (The 'Sea Dogs' Gang) Necessary Plot Role: Introduce Local Power Dynamics and Steal The Convenient Boat.
Elias sighed dramatically. "See, Kenji? We literally just got here, and the System is already pushing the plot. We need an ally, we need a boat, and we need a dramatic public confrontation to establish my presence."
Just then, a commotion erupted near the docks. A group of heavily built men wearing striped shirts, tattered bandanas, and carrying rusty cutlasses were harassing an old, grizzled fisherman.
"Pay up, old man! The Sea Dogs run this port now! Or we'll take your pathetic little dinghy!" yelled the pirate leader, a man with a truly magnificent, cartoonishly large chin.
The old fisherman spat on the ground. "That dinghy is all I have, you mangy sea rats!"
"This is it, Kenji. Trope 9: The Introduction of the Local Bully. Watch and learn."
The Plot Device Acquisition
Elias strode forward with the confidence of a man who knew a hidden crane or an angry sea hawk would save him if things went south.
"Hold it right there, Chin-beard," Elias called out, his voice cutting through the noise.
The pirate leader turned, raising a cutlass dripping with seawater. "Who the heck are you, landlubber? You got a death wish?"
"Hardly," Elias said, examining his fingernails. "I'm the Main Character. And you, sir, are obstructing my plot trajectory."
The pirate crew burst into bewildered laughter. "He's lost his mind!"
"Listen, here's how this scene is supposed to go," Elias continued, ignoring them. "You threaten me. I reveal a previously unmentioned skill or item. I defeat you easily, maybe with a witty one-liner, and then the old fisherman, grateful, gives me the boat I need."
The leader stopped laughing. "You think you can beat us? I'm 'Iron Jaw' Jackie! I ate an anchor once!"
"Impressive. But narratively irrelevant," Elias countered, shaking his head. "See, the problem is your character design. You're loud, you have a comically oversized chin, and your cutlass is clearly F-Tier quality. You were literally created to be a stepping stone. You're the Miniboss with the Mandatory Name."
Iron Jaw Jackie was furious. He lunged, swinging the cutlass in a wide, wild arc.
Elias activated his Plot Armor. He didn't move an inch, but he raised his left hand, and just at that moment, a small, highly aggressive crab scurried out from a barrel and clamped its claw directly onto Iron Jaw Jackie's big toe.
Jackie let out a shriek that sounded less like a feared pirate and more like a kettle whistle. He dropped his cutlass, hopping frantically on one leg while clutching his foot.
The other pirates, thoroughly confused by their leader's sudden engagement with crustacean warfare, hesitated.
Elias didn't waste the opening. "Kenji! Now! Execute the Trope 10: Distraction by Low-Level Ally!"
Kenji, frozen stiff until that moment, instinctively reached into his ninja pouch and hurled a handful of smoke pellets at the ground.
Poof!
A cloud of purple, mildly scented smoke erupted, covering the docks.
Elias grabbed Kenji and darted toward the old fisherman. "Old Man, which dinghy is yours? I need the one with the highest narrative potential for a long voyage."
"The blue one! The Salty Hope! But she's old!" the fisherman yelled.
"Perfect. The old, unassuming vessel that holds up against the final boss storm," Elias cheered. He noticed two other pirates stumbling blindly out of the smoke, hacking.
Elias reached into his pocket and pulled out the only non-System item he had: a slightly sticky ramen coupon he'd forgotten to throw away. He slapped it on the chest of the nearest pirate.
"Here! This is a discount for an extra egg topping at the best noodle stand in the Ninja Realm! Your narrative compensation for being defeated by a crab and a teenager with bad pellets!"
The pirate stared at the coupon, dumbfounded. "A... a coupon?"
"Yes! Go! Go start a new life! Be an honest merchant! Abandon your low-level villain arc!" Elias pushed him aside and hopped onto the Salty Hope.
Kenji followed, shaking his head. "You just paid him off with instant ramen credit, Elias."
"It's about psychological warfare, Kenji. Confusion is my best weapon," Elias said, untying the mooring rope.
The old fisherman rushed forward, his face a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Wait! You saved my boat! Who are you? A hero? A naval officer?"
Elias gave him a theatrical bow as the boat drifted away from the dock.
"I am the Protagonist, sir. And thanks for the boat! This is Trope 11: The Gratuitous Plot Device Acquisition!"
As they sailed out of the harbor, they heard Iron Jaw Jackie, finally free of the crab and the mud, roaring from the shore: "You hear me, MC?! I'm coming back with the entire Pirate Alliance! You can't critique your way out of that!"
Elias leaned on the railing of the Salty Hope, watching the tiny figures fade. "Oh, I know. I read the summary."
A new System notification popped up:
MISSION COMPLETE: Plot Device Acquired (The Salty Hope) Reward: 150 System Points, [New Skill: Basic Sea Shanty Memorization] Status Update: Current Tier: E (Self-Aware Protagonist) -> E+ (Seafaring Protagonist) System Points (SP): 170.
"Yes! 170 SP! Finally, enough to buy a slightly better knife!" Elias celebrated.
Kenji looked out at the vast, shimmering sea, then back at Elias, who was now humming a suspiciously catchy sea shanty.
"So... now what do we do? We're on the ocean," Kenji asked nervously. "Where is the plot taking us?"
Elias pulled out a map from the boat's storage—a map that, conveniently, had a large 'X' marked on a distant, ominous-looking island.
"According to the map that just magically appeared, we are headed straight toward the Grand Pirate Alliance Headquarters. It's the next big milestone in the plot, Kenji. Trope 12: The Inevitable Confrontation."
Elias handed Kenji a fishing line. "Now, start fishing. We need food for the journey. But be warned: if you catch a talking fish that offers cryptic advice, I'm throwing it back. I don't need any more poorly written exposition."