LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 6: ch6
"Ding! Host has successfully pretended to be a force, pretended to be a major force, pretended to be +999!"
"..."
As Ethan Uchiha received the elder's gift, he clearly heard the system prompt in his ear: another successful pretense added to his account.
He had to admit—this was delightful!
Moreover, Ethan began to ponder the situation. The two times he had pretended were vastly more rewarding than his experiences at the ninja school. One instance earned him +99 points, while the other netted him +999. The difference was indescribable.
This led him to consider the reason behind it.
He glanced at the many elders surrounding him. "Could it be that the system's points depend on the strength of those around me? The stronger they are, the more points I earn when pretending?"
Regardless of the reason, he was becoming increasingly tired of receiving gifts.
The system's notifications continued to ring in his mind.
"Ding! Swagger points automatically allocated: Three Tomoe Sharingan +444, Chūnin-level Chakra +555."
"Ding! Chūnin-level Chakra (623/1000) is not yet fully experienced. Please continue to act, host, to upgrade your abilities!"
"Ding! Three Tomoe Sharingan (452/10000) is not yet fully experienced. Please continue to pretend, host, to upgrade your abilities!"
"…"
After allocation, neither of his abilities had broken through this time.
The upgrade for his Chūnin-level Chakra was still over 300 points away, but he estimated that with a few more pretenses, he could reach that milestone in about ten days.
As for the Three Tomoe Sharingan, it required a total of 10,000 points to level up, meaning he still needed over 9,500 points to upgrade.
Achieving these upgrades was still a long journey.
However, he was well aware that after the Three Tomoe Sharingan comes the Mangekyō Sharingan, which would elevate his combat power to the Kage level and position him among the strongest in that rank.
Yet, Mangekyō Sharingan had its downsides. Using it caused gradual loss of vision, and heavy use would hasten blindness.
Fortunately, there were solutions.
One option was to awaken his brother's Mangekyō Sharingan, then merge it with his own, allowing him to achieve Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, eliminating the blindness issue while also enhancing power and enabling full-body Susanoo.
The second option was to use First Hokage's cells to counteract the blindness associated with Mangekyō Sharingan.
Obito Uchiha, with only Mangekyō Sharingan, managed to avoid blindness for over a decade thanks to First Hokage's cells.
For Ethan, both solutions were viable, but he had an advantage over ordinary people—he had a system.
As long as he gained enough experience, he could upgrade his abilities.
Thus, even after reaching the level of Mangekyō Sharingan, he could collect enough points to upgrade it to Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
His path was clear: keep pretending, keep pushing, and accumulate enough points to reach not just Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, but also Rinnegan and even higher forms.
---
That day, Ethan realized the red envelopes he received were more generous than any he had received in previous years from elders, patriarchs, and Jōnin alike.
Afterward, he was taken home by Sarah Uchiha and Michael Uchiha.
Their home was modest—three rooms and a hall—but it was enough for the family.
That night, in his room, Ethan reflected on how, at just two years old, he had asked to sleep alone. After discussions, his parents had agreed to let him try it for one night, and he had been on his own since.
Now, he stared helplessly at a one-thousand-yuan bill in his hand. His mother, Sarah, had taken all the red envelopes, claiming, "A child doesn't need so much money. I'll save it for you until you marry."
He was left with just 1,000 taels—his pocket money for the week.
This was nothing compared to the substantial red envelopes he had received. Each red envelope contained at least 10,000 taels.
In total, he had received several hundred thousand taels, now confiscated by his mother. One moment, he was a millionaire; the next, he felt broke.
Only 1,000 taels remained in his hand.
Ethan felt like crying. It was tough.
Yet, even that amount was considerable. For reference, a bowl of Miso Char Siu noodles at Ichiraku Ramen cost no more than 100 taels. With his remaining money, he could enjoy at least ten meals.
In his world, one tael equated to ten Sakura coins, roughly translating to about 5-6 US dollars—a fair sum.
Accepting that he was still young and didn't need much money, Ethan turned his attention to the scrolls and boxes sent by the elders.
While his mother had confiscated the red envelopes, the gifts were still with him.
"The scroll must contain ninjutsu."
He picked up a scroll, untying and opening it, revealing various ninjutsu techniques.
"C-level Fire Style: Fire Dragon Technique? B-level Fire Dragon Flame Bullets? They've been quite generous, these elders and patriarchs."
"Ah, the Shadow Clone Technique? Unfortunately, it's not very useful for me; I just need to pretend."
"The Body Flicker Technique? It's a low-level skill, but perhaps if I learn it, I can enhance its power."
"And illusions—I'm quite pleased with this gift."
"…"
Looking over the ninjutsu in the scroll, Ethan couldn't help but sigh. "Pretending really pays off. My talent has opened doors to things I never dared to dream of before."
"No doubt about it; I must continue to pretend tomorrow. The journey is endless, and my acting must not stop!"