A wave of excitement passed, and Auguro calmed down.
No matter how tempting the Blue Gacha Pool was, establishing the Divine Realm was the most urgent matter! The one-time discount was just that—one time. Using it for a mere Blue Card felt like a waste.
The Gold (Legendary) tier draw, even at the 90% discount, still cost 10,000 Achievement Points, putting it completely out of reach. But the Purple (Epic) tier draw required only 1,000 points, which seemed achievable! He decided he could save up.
According to the System, a Level 1 Divine Realm's daily Achievement Point gain would fluctuate from 1 to 10 points based on its prosperity. The foundation of this prosperity lay in territory and population. Territory was hard to increase, but he could certainly recruit more subordinates! More people meant higher prosperity!
Over the next few days, Auguro worked tirelessly, recruiting more subordinates until the count surpassed twenty. Now, he received a base of 4 Achievement Points daily, plus 1 point for patrolling the Divine Realm.
To Auguro's even greater surprise, when he decided to regularly sell the meat he hunted to the villagers, the System registered it as the Divine Realm's external trade, triggering a hidden mission!
"Mission Name: The Divine Realm's Name Echoes Across the Four Seas."
"Mission Requirement: A strong Divine Realm must possess unparalleled prestige. Continuously raise the Divine Realm's prestige; Achievement Points are awarded based on its level."
"Current Bonus: 2 Achievement Points gained daily!"
Auguro was first stunned, then ecstatic. This was a lucky accident! According to the System's description, the bonus Achievement Points from this mission had no upper limit! Even as a Level 1 Divine Realm, if his prestige was high enough, he could earn tens of thousands of points a day! This was perfect for his chosen path of stable, small-scale, but refined development.
With a total daily income of 7 Achievement Points, it would take him just about four months to gather 1,000 points! He was committed!
Thereafter, under the guise of searching for game, Auguro had his little minions patrol the forest daily, and they did so quite earnestly.
Finally, four months later, the day arrived: he had accumulated 1,000 Achievement Points!
"Here we go! Time for a good pull!"
Auguro carefully washed his hands, took a deep breath of "good fortune" toward the sun, and roared mentally:
"System! Draw from the Purple Epic Gacha Pool!"
According to the pool description, a Purple Epic draw guaranteed a seated officer-level Soul Reaper. And since all pools were upwardly compatible, pulling a Gold (Legendary) from the White Pool wasn't impossible if his luck truly exploded.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After a flurry of sound effects, a dazzling violet light flashed before Auguro's eyes.
Sigh.
He clearly didn't have explosion-level luck; no Gold (Legendary) for him!
Soon, the purple light condensed into a card bearing a human portrait. Auguro frowned slightly. It was a young-looking Soul Reaper with droopy eyes, his body slightly hunched—a timid and unreliable appearance.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, on drawing the Seventh Seat of the Gotei 13's Fourth Division, Hanatarō Yamada. Summon immediately?"
Auguro instantly recalled the character. While seemingly pathetic in the original story, he was actually a very dependable Soul Reaper! As the medical team's Fourth Division, Hanatarō's fighting ability was weak, but his healing skills were top-notch. Even the Fourth Division Captain, Retsu Unohana, highly praised his abilities. Later, he even became a Squad Leader in the medical unit. A rare professional talent indeed!
"Not bad! Summon him!"
A purple star appeared before Auguro and quickly materialized into a human figure.
Clad in the black Shinigami robes (Shikakushō), with his distinctive Zanpakutō at his waist, Hanatarō Yamada knelt before Auguro. "Seventh Seat Hanatarō Yamada of the Fourth Division, reporting to my Lord Soul King!" he said respectfully.
In that instant, Auguro felt a peculiar power well up inside him. His Zanpakutō, The Origin, also felt slightly different. Auguro checked the System interface:
Host: Sith Auguro
Identity: Soul King (Reio)
Divine Realm Template: Soul Society
Divine Realm Level: 1
Territory: Unnamed Forest on Papaloko Island
Abilities: Reiatsu (Beginner), Swordsmanship (Beginner), Hand-to-Hand Combat (Hakuda) (Beginner), Flash Step (Shunpo) (Beginner), Demon Arts (Kidō) (Beginner)
Zanpakutō:The Origin (Yuan) (Now Awakened: Hisagomaru)
Subordinates: Hanatarō Yamada (Epic),... (Twenty-four Common)
Achievement Points: 0
The panel had grown more comprehensive, displaying several new abilities.
"Is this Reiatsu?"
Feeling the power circulating in his body, Auguro thought it was fascinating. He also gained memories related to the four combat fundamentals (Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, Kidō), which were a feedback bonus from summoning Hanatarō. Unfortunately, the feedback was minimal—just enough to be considered a beginner.
But Auguro was satisfied. At least he now had some power! Furthermore, with Hanatarō Yamada's addition, the daily Achievement Point income for the Divine Realm increased by another 1 point! Highly gratifying!
With Hanatarō Yamada on board, Auguro confidently handed over the responsibility of managing the Divine Realm to him. This mainly involved having Hanatarō lead the group of kids on daily forest patrols and hunt for sustenance. With a seated officer-level Soul Reaper, ordinary wild beasts were no match for them.
Auguro himself began to focus on mastering the unique power of this world: Haki.
Even with Reiatsu, Auguro was unsatisfied. After all, many Devil Fruit Abilities in this world were simply too broken, and without Haki to counter them, he felt uneasy!
The problem was that Auguro didn't know how to train Haki!
As the weakest of the four seas, the East Blue had very few Haki users. The only person he could confirm knew Haki nearby was Zoro's master, Koushirou. But that man was across an entire ocean! His current strength was far from enough to set sail.
"The only method I know for sure to train Haki is Garp punching mountains!"
In the original story, Garp used his fists to smash eight mountains flat! He activated Armament Haki through this constant, grueling daily training.
Before, Auguro wouldn't dare try such a method! With his small physique, he'd probably cripple himself before awakening Haki!
But now, with Hanatarō Yamada as his subordinate, the method became viable! As long as he wasn't instantly killed, Hanatarō could most likely heal him. It would be a waste not to utilize such a valuable resource!
When Hanatarō returned from patrol, Auguro told him about his Haki training plan. Unsurprisingly, Hanatarō objected immediately. As a 100% loyal subordinate, he couldn't possibly agree to Auguro practicing through self-mutilation.
However, Auguro insisted, and Hanatarō, unable to defy his Lord's command, could only prepare to provide medical assurance.
Thump!
At the foot of the mountain, not far from town, Auguro slammed his fist into the rock face. Even with a layer of bandages for protection, the severe pain still made Auguro grit his teeth.
Waving away Hanatarō's offer to heal, Auguro followed the Hakuda experience in his mind and hammered his fists against the rock repeatedly.
He wasn't just aimlessly swinging. He was meticulously observing the changes in his body.
Haki, at its core, is a powerful force released by mastering the hidden potential of the body through deep force of will. If guided correctly, the efficiency of awakening Haki could multiply several times over. The Six Powers (Rokushiki) of the Marines were considered a prime example of this guidance.
Auguro might not know the Six Powers, but he had another advantage:
Reiatsu!
As an advanced application of soul power, possessing Reiatsu gave Auguro a massive inherent advantage in terms of sheer willpower.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The monotonous training continued until nightfall. The bandages on his hands were already stained red with blood.
As soon as Auguro stopped, Hanatarō used Flash Step to instantly appear beside him, carefully peeling off the blood-soaked bandages.
He then performed Healing Arts (Kaido), a specialized form of Kidō. A soft, emerald-green light emanated from his hands, enveloping Auguro's own. Auguro felt a wave of coolness wash over his hands, and the pain instantly subsided. Incredibly, his mangled hands were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Heh heh! This subordinate was definitely worth the draw!" Auguro thought proudly.
In the time that followed, Auguro settled into a rigorous cycle of smashing rock, healing, and smashing rock again. To maximize his training time, he even spent some of his new Achievement Points on a draw from the White Pool to replace Hanatarō's patrolling duty.
This new subordinate was a common member of the Tenth Division named Ōura. As the Tenth Division specialized in patrol and security, having him patrol the Divine Realm was essentially putting him back on his original job.
With Hanatarō Yamada providing full-time medical support, Auguro's daily training time increased severalfold!