For anyone utilizing an Experience Light Cluster for the first time, the sensation was profoundly jarring and magical. It felt like spending an intense period of time training within a lucid dream. Upon waking, the accrued skill was miraculously retained, the body possessing an intuitive memory of the movements and techniques.
At this moment, Neji could not help but raise his palm and exhale sharply.
"Hah!"
His hand shot forward with potent, dominating force—broad and open—producing a distinct bang sound as the air directly in front of his palm violently ruptured. One could vaguely perceive a hand-shaped cone of compressed air rolling outwards and dispersing.
Hinata Hyūga and the assembled Hyūga members instantly narrowed their eyes.
As masters of the unique Gentle Fist style, they recognized the sheer power of the palm strike. More astonishingly, they could see that Neji had instantly assimilated the foundational principles of the technique.
"So this is the nature of opening Jars..."
Neji now fully comprehended the transaction. He looked at the remaining Jars and accelerated his opening speed without hesitation.
With each Jar, regardless of whether it yielded a memory transfer or an enhancement cluster, he meticulously absorbed and categorized the information: the type, the quantity, and the specific application. He even mentally filed away some of the mundane weapons he received.
In the process of opening Jars, Neji was arguably the most detail-oriented, the most serious, and the only individual so far who did not succumb to excessive anticipation for a big prize. He was not driven by greed, but by the relentless pursuit of maximizing every unit of power.
Shen Mo felt a touch of satisfaction. Were it not for Neji's desperate drive for strength, the merchant suspected he would only spend money with measured, clinical precision.
These are the rare, highly efficient players who exist in any game.
"Sir, I believe I just absorbed a Skill Light Cluster," Neji halted his process, speaking with calm certainty.
"A Skill Cluster?" Tsunade exclaimed, surprised. A Skill Cluster from a Tier Two Jar was essentially considered a major acquisition.
"Oh, what does it grant?" Shen Mo asked, realizing he had momentarily been distracted.
"Wind's Protection," Neji replied, then gazed at his palm.
A faint, localized breeze visibly swirled above his hand, emitting a slight, distinct hum.
"A Bloodline Limit?" an elder asked subconsciously, his voice strained.
"There is a difference between a skill and a true Bloodline Limit," Shen Mo clarified, recognizing the item. "This is a defensive skill that grants you limited control over wind currents, useful, but not overwhelmingly powerful."
The skill was designed primarily to augment a Fighter's speed and mobility. While certainly a major prize for a Tier Two Jar, it wasn't as game-breaking as, say, the Divine Might ability that Sasuke had pulled from the same Tier.
"It is already exceptionally powerful," Neji countered, clenching his fist, a flicker of awe in his eyes. "The augmentation for the Hyūga Clan's Gentle Fist is immense. I can integrate this wind-based movement to significantly refine my existing techniques."
The Hyūga Gentle Fist relied on continuous, high-speed strikes. The skill perfectly complemented his established combat methodology, especially when combined with the new techniques and exertion methods he had just assimilated.
"Acquiring power from Jars does not nullify your innate talent. How effectively you leverage the contents depends entirely on your personal capacity," Shen Mo emphasized. "Furthermore, new techniques—new intellectual property, so to speak—can be sold back to me for Transaction Points. They are quite valuable."
He felt it was an appropriate time to nudge these high-quality clients toward creating new value, establishing a continuous, two-way transaction flow.
The key phrase, 'quite valuable,' immediately grabbed the attention of Tsunade and Neji. This was a clear encouragement to innovate.
Tsunade began contemplating her own potential for combining Holy Light and Medical Ninjutsu. Neji firmly committed the information to memory before resuming his openings.
He had opened fewer than thirty Jars so far.
"A major prize so quickly! I wouldn't have thought it—your luck is surprisingly good," Tsunade's voice was tinged with undeniable sourness.
Her unpleasant premonition was intensifying, reminiscent of her early encounters watching Naruto open Jars. I opened thirty Tier Three Jars and got no major prize. Why are these children so lucky? Is fate truly this cruel to me?
Neji's opening spree continued, but no further big prizes appeared in the next fifty Jars. Tsunade breathed a small sigh of relief, though it was contradictory.
"The quality of the big prizes is what truly matters," Tsunade lectured, pursing her lips tightly, before sighing and lowering her voice. "Because our future enemies won't only be ninja..."
"Won't only be ninja?"
Neji paused abruptly, looking up at Tsunade. He then glanced at Shen Mo, a realization dawning in his eyes.
"You are not the only world that hosts my clientele," Shen Mo confirmed, his smile carrying a layer of special meaning. "Therefore, regardless of when, and regardless of your current strength, you can never afford to stop striving forward."
This statement was directed not only at Neji but also at Tsunade. The merchant's presence had changed everything, but the fundamental need for effort remained.
Neji stood silently for a long moment, then bowed respectfully to Shen Mo.
"Regardless of the context, your presence has saved me," Neji admitted. "Before you arrived, some accomplishments—like removing the Caged Bird—were simply impossible, no matter how desperately I strived."
"That much is true," Tsunade agreed reluctantly, pursing her lips. "Even though we may be insignificant in your grand scheme, there are some things for which we owe you genuine gratitude."
She reached out and subtly touched the Resurrection Coin hidden in her pouch. This was why, despite Shen Mo selling Jars to Konoha's enemies and indirectly causing Kakashi's severe injury, she found herself incapable of holding any resentment.
Shen Mo remained silent, his smile unchanging, but the warmth in his heart deepened. Generating profit while ensuring player satisfaction was always the optimal outcome.
Neji returned to the Jars.
"Tsunade is actually correct," Shen Mo commented suddenly, watching Neji's methodical actions. "While you can consistently grow stronger without a major prize, if you aspire to rise within the ranks of my advanced members, the big prize remains crucial. It represents the defining opportunity in your destiny."
When all clients were purchasing Jars of the same tier, the unique items—the big prizes—became the critical trump cards that separated the competitors.
Neji had clearly grasped this concept. His meticulous composure began to give way to a flicker of genuine nervousness.
At the eighty-fifth Jar, the first piece of equipment materialized.
"Is that a big prize?" Tsunade's eyes went wide. She was both excited and deeply frustrated. "Tier Two equipment is extremely rare; it has a very high chance of being a major prize!"
Damn it! Why is the luck of these juniors so infuriatingly superior to mine?