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“Welcome to the Market.” Kazuhiro’s voice echoed.

Asahi’s face lit up with excitement. “That’s, so cool!”

“I want to check over my stats, but it’s too early to do that. Where can we find the changing rooms?” Akemi sighed as she then inquired.

Kazuhiro pointed towards a nearby path. “I’m not sure if changing rooms are present within this domain. However, there are restrooms available a few steps away from where we stand.” He explained, his voice calm and helpful.

Toru, who had been quiet, gave a small nod and started walking in the direction Kazuhiro had indicated, with Asahi and Akemi following him. They left Kazuhiro standing alone. As they walked away, the twins couldn’t help but glance around, their eyes widened in awe of the seemingly endless rows of unique items that lined the shelves of the Market.

Meanwhile, Kazuhiro watched them go as he then turned his attention to his own task, he pulled out his device, its screen glowing softly in the ambient light of the Market. He began to browse through its contents, a practiced motion of his fingers swiping through the various applications.

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__Homepage__

Main applications:

● Appraise.

● Attribute. [ ! ]

● Class. [ ! ]

● Door.

● Shop.

● Task. [ ! ]

● Track.

● Worker. [ ! ]

• extract | • Wallet | • Inventory [ ! ] | • Skills [ ! ] | ...

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Kazuhiro’s gaze lingered on the applications indicated by the exclamation mark.

He chose to pass time by clicking on the first application that requires his attention.

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__Attribute__

● STR: 107 [ ! ]

● STA: 102 [ ! ]

● CON: 76

● AGI: 102 [ ! ]

● DEX: 55

● INT: 66

Special attributes:

● CHA -Locked-

● AWR. -Locked-

● STH. -Locked-

● SPR. -Locked-

● ACC -Locked-

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Kazuhiro thought to himself, ‘Hm, reaching a hundred triggers an alert.’ He carefully examined the numbers, noting the significant changes in his attributes. His strength, stamina, and agility had impressively surpassed the century mark.

Curious about the implications of these milestones, he tapped on the exclamation mark beside the strength attribute. The device’s screen momentarily displayed a loading icon before revealing a new page at the center.

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Congratulations for reaching 100 points in STR. (Strength).

Ability received: Ethereal grasp | Activation skill.

Description:

When this ability is active, the user’s claw attacks phases through the enemy defenses, ignoring armor or shields.

Stamina cost: 800 (only for activation skills)

Duration: 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 5 minutes.

An ‘Ethereal grasp’ scroll has been stored in your inventory. (Only activation skills require training.)

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Kazuhiro pondered the strategic potential of ‘Ethereal Grasp.’ The ability to bypass defenses could be a game changer in certain situations.

‘I wonder what the other two offer.’ Intrigued by the potential of his evolving attributes, Kazuhiro tapped on the remaining notifications, ready to discover what other enhancements he had achieved.

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Congratulations for reaching 100 points in STA. (Stamina).

Ability received: Inexhaustible momentum | Passive skill.

Description:

The ability to generate stamina during a conflict, although at a slower rate compared to resting.

Stamina Regeneration: 20 per minute (compared to 40 per minute while resting)

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Congratulations for reaching 100 points in AGI.

(Agility).

Ability received: Glide stride | Passive skill.

Description:

This ability enhances the user’s stride length, allowing them to cover more ground with each step, thereby significantly increasing their movement speed.

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Kazuhiro nodded thoughtfully, processing the new information. ‘Inexhaustible Momentum’ would ensure he could sustain longer durations in conflict, and ‘Glide Stride’ would enhance his mobility, a crucial factor in navigating the vast worlds or better positioning in combat.

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*Beep beep.*

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The sound pulled Kazuhiro out of his contemplation. He looked ahead, his attention drawn to the entrance of the Market.

As the doors slid open with a near-silent whoosh, a figure stepped in.

A newcomer.

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Silence hung in the air as the newcomer stood motionless, his face an unreadable mask of stillness. There was a moment of quiet tension, an unspoken question hanging between him and the entity.

Suddenly, the stranger broke the silence, not with a greeting, but with a muttered question to himself. “Did I get drugged in this drink?” His voice carried a mixture of irritation and confusion. He scrutinized the drink in his hands, as if expecting it to reveal some hidden truth about the surreal situation he found himself in.

The entity’s observant eyes took in the stranger’s appearance: a teenage boy of average height and build, with medium-short black hair topped with a noticeable ahoge. But what stood out the most were his eyes, lifeless and dull, like those of a fish. The boy’s attire was strikingly similar to Asahi’s school uniform, which piqued Kazuhiro’s curiosity. ‘Could he be an acquaintance of Asahi?’ he wondered.

The boy, seemingly lost in his thoughts, continued to grumble under his breath. “Must have been falsely advertised... Great, I got drugged underage.” He muttered, a hint of resignation in his voice.

Seizing the opportunity to engage, Kazuhiro stepped forward, his voice calm and inviting. “Excuse me, do you happen to be an acquaintance of Asahi’s by any chance?”

The question seemed to startle the boy, his previously dull eyes narrowing slightly as he looked up. “Who?” he asked, his confusion mixed with a lingering irritation from his earlier thoughts.

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*Beep beep *

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The soft chime of another beep from the entrance drew both of their attention away from each other. This time, as the newcomer approached, a more peculiar sight greeted them. ‘A cat? And it’s standing on two legs...’ Kazuhiro mused, reminded of the dog named Courage he had encountered earlier.

This was no ordinary cat. It had a distinctive appearance, with a sleek coat of grey and white fur. The cat walked with an almost human-like poise on its hind legs. Its eyes were yellow providing a sharp contrast against its fur.

The cat’s reaction to seeing Kazuhiro was almost comical, a cartoonish gulp that seemed to exaggerate its surprise and apprehension. Its eyes widened, and for a moment, it appeared as if the cat was a character stepped out from an animated world, caught in the unexpected reality of the Market.

Meanwhile, the teenager, still grappling with his own disbelief, sighed heavily. “I should seriously file a complaint after this drug wears off. Just hope I don’t wake up in jail.” He muttered to himself. In his mind, he rationalized that the effects he was experiencing must be due to the drink.

“Well then, welcome. How may I assist you? Is there anything specific you’re looking to purchase?” Kazuhiro asked, addressing both the bewildered teen and the peculiar cat.

The teenager scratched his head in visible frustration, his eyes scanning the vastness of the Market. “Sure, I’ll just play along in this LaLa land until whatever this is wears off.” He said, his tone had a hint of sarcasm. Shaking his head, he wandered off to explore, seemingly deciding to embrace the bizarre experience for the time being.

The cat, meanwhile, appeared to be in a more contemplative state. Its vision oscillated between Kazuhiro and the retreating figure of the teen. After a brief moment, as if struck by a sudden realization, the cat reached into its... pocket?

Kazuhiro watched, bemused and slightly perplexed. ‘Cats with pockets? That’s certainly new.’ He thought.

With surprising dexterity, the cat pulled out a notebook and pen from its pocket and began to sketch diligently. Kazuhiro couldn’t help but be intrigued. He watched the cat sketch, curious about what it might be drawing and what purpose had led it through the doors of the Market.

Once the cat completed its sketch, it turned the notebook around to show it to the entity. He leaned in to get a better look and saw, to his surprise, a meticulously drawn image of a mouse trap. The details were precise, almost professional, showcasing the cat’s unexpected artistic talent.

“A mouse trap? We do have tho-“ The entity was about to inform the cat about the availability of mouse traps when he was suddenly interrupted.

“Yo, kazu-san. Is that one of granny’s weird pets?” Asahi’s voice cut through the air, tinged with his usual blend of curiosity and irreverence.

Turning around, Kazuhiro saw Asahi, accompanied by Toru and Akemi, approaching. The trio had changed into the Market’s unique garments, which fit them remarkably well.

“No, I don’t think it’s one of her pets.” Kazuhiro replied, gesturing towards the cat with the sketchbook. “But it does seem to have a specific request.”

Asahi leaned in closer to get a better look at the cat, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. “A cat that draws? Now that’s something you don’t see every day.” He remarked, his tone filled with amusement and wonder.

Toru, more reserved but no less interested, observed the scene with a thoughtful expression.

Kazuhiro, accustomed to the Market’s peculiarities, turned back to the cat. “Well, we certainly have mouse traps, but something tells me your request might be a bit more specific than that,” he mused aloud. “Is there a particular type you’re looking for?”

The cat only had to nod.

Asahi chuckled, “Never thought I’d be helping a cat shop for mouse traps.” He looked at the cat with a newfound interest, wondering what other surprises this day might bring.

Akemi, meanwhile, was analyzing the drawing closely. “This trap is pretty detailed. It’s not just any ordinary trap. Look at the design,” she pointed out, her finger tracing the lines of the sketch.

Toru nodded in agreement, “It’s as if the cat has a specific purpose for this trap. Not just catching any mouse, but maybe a particular one...”

Kazuhiro nodded thoughtfully, taking in their observations. “Let’s see what we can find that matches this description. The Market has a wide variety of items; I’m sure we can locate something suitable.”

“Akemi, while this isn’t an official task, would you mind using your device to assist the cat to find the right trap?” Kazuhiro suggested, turning his sight towards her.

Asahi, who had been visibly excited about the prospect of an impromptu mission, couldn’t hide his disappointment. “Aw, man, I was looking forward to doing that. Oh well, good luck, sis.” He said, trying to mask his bummed tone with a playful nudge.

“Thanks,” Akemi replied, her voice laced with a touch of eagerness. She pulled out her device, her fingers hovering over the icons with a hint of uncertainty. Feeling a bit lost, she turned towards Kazuhiro, seeking guidance. “Umm, how do you use this, Kazuhiro-san?”

Kazuhiro began to explain. “On your main screen, you’ll find an application named ‘Track’. This is your go-to tool for locating items in the Market,” he started, his voice is clear and instructive. “Simply type what you’re looking for into the search bar, and it’ll guide you right to it.”

He paused to see Akemi nod and that she was following along, he then continued, “Now, if you’re looking for something very specific, there’s an advanced feature just under the search bar. Here, you can enter detailed descriptions or properties of the item. This way, the app narrows down the search without you having to manually appraise each item to check if it matches your needs.”

“That sounds incredibly efficient” she remarked, her fingers deftly navigating to the ‘Track’ app and exploring its features. “It’s like having a personal guide through the place.”

Asahi, peering over Akemi’s shoulder, whistled softly. “That’s pretty cool. It’ll save us a ton of time if a customer requested something.”

She tapped a few times on the device’s screen to locate the specific aisle for mouse traps. After a moment of processing, the device responded. Suddenly, a luminous blue line appeared on the floor, its faint glow creating a path through the Market’s aisles.

“Okay, this should lead us right to it.” With a hint of excitement in her voice. She looked at the cat. “All right, kitty, let’s go find that special trap you’re after.” She said, her tone friendly.

The cat, still visibly puzzled by the unfolding events, nevertheless chose to tag along with Akemi. Its eyes darted around curiously, taking in the myriad wonders of the Market as they ventured through the aisles. The cat seemed to sense that, despite the strangeness of the situation, it was in good hands.

Back where the group had initially gathered, Asahi, Toru, and Kazuhiro stood watching Akemi and the cat make their way. There was a moment of silence as they observed their departure, each lost in their own thoughts about this unusual turn of events.

Asahi’s voice broke the momentary silence, carrying a hint of confusion. He pulled out the device to inspect it. “By the way, Kazu-san, I was checking out my device earlier, and I noticed it only had three apps. I couldn’t-“

Toru, interjected “Top left of the screen, there’s a small swirling icon,” he said in his characteristic monotone voice. “If you click on that, it shows that it’s in the process of downloading.”

Asahi turned his attention to his device. He located the swirling icon in the corner and tapped on it. True to Toru’s word, a status bar appeared, indicating that additional applications were indeed downloading.

“Ah, right, thanks, Toru...” Asahi replied scratching the back of his head, followed by a sheepish smile, the fact that he didn’t notice it at first was quite embarrassing.

“Don’t mention it.” Toru responded, his tone as even as ever but not without a hint of helpfulness.

“Then, I’ll head to my office to assign your daily tasks. Stay here and assist anyone who comes by.” Kazuhiro instructed. With that, he turned and made his way towards his office.

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Upon reaching his office, the entity was greeted by the familiar sight of his neatly organized workspace. He settled into his chair, a sense of calm enveloping him as he embraced the solitude of his office, a stark contrast to the atmosphere outside.

Turning on his computer, the screen flickered to life, illuminating the room with a soft glow.

As the computer booted up, Kazuhiro’s mind was already cataloging the tasks ahead, preparing to distribute them among his team. However, before he could focus on assigning tasks to his team, he decided to review his own duties.

He navigated through the user interface easily, moving the cursor to the task graphical icon on the screen. With a few clicks, he filtered the list to display only his tasks. The screen refreshed, revealing a neatly organized list of duties and objectives specifically assigned to him.

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__Task__

Daily tasks:

● Observe your workers:

Objective(s):

Overlook your staff as they work an hour each, ensuring nothing goes wrong in the process. (0/3)

Use the feature ‘Hidden cameras’ to observe, or oversee them in person.

Reward(s):

50 SC

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● Worker training:

Objective(s):

Train your staff in the ‘training room’, either by guiding them on hitting the dummy or practicing with a live target, you as an example. (0/3)

Reward(s):

50 SC

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● assign daily tasks:

Objective(s):

Assign 4 daily tasks on each member of your team. (0/12)

Reward(s):

50 SC

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● hold a brief team meeting:

Objective(s):

Initiate a brief meeting in which you can converse with your team about what you’ve done and the goals set for tomorrow for each of you.

Reward(s):

50 SC

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Monthly tasks:

● World missions

Objective(s):

Assign two world missions of varying difficulties to each member of your team. (0/6)

Complete atleast two world missions. -complete

Corpse Party -complete

The last lullaby -complete

(2/2)

Disclaimer: You have reached a monthly limit of world missions, you wont gain power ups on the next world mission until it refreshes on the next month; additional missions yield monetary compensation only.

Reward(s):

500 SC

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● Market budget

Objective(s):

Increase the Market’s profit/budget by 25,000 SC. A way to help maintain expenses of water, electricity and functionalities of facilities. (0/25,000)

Reward(s):

5000 SC

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After thoroughly reviewing his own set of tasks, Kazuhiro shifted his focus to the assignment of duties for his team. The tasks he chose are everyday chores, such as cleaning, assisting customers, restocking shelves, etc...

With the daily tasks for his team meticulously assigned, the entity then turned his attention to one of his more significant monthly responsibilities: the world missions. He expertly navigated the interface, applying a filter that brought up a comprehensive list of worlds and their corresponding missions.

The screen was filled with an array of options, each world offering its unique challenges and adventures.

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__World missions__

W1: (AN: PVZ, obviously this won’t show up in the interface. And this will be the last time i showcase this, the list would be too long)

● Approaching storm:

Objective(s):

Assist crazy Dave with the planting process.

Difficulty: ☆ | Easy.

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W2: (Undertale)

● Down under:

Objective(s):

Encounter 20 underground monsters. (0/20)

• Bonus: pacifist route, befriend all 20.

• Alternative: Genocide route, Defeat all 20.

Difficulty: ☆☆☆ | Hard.

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W3: (Courage the cowardly dog show)

● A bit of troll-ing:

Objective(s):

When both Muriel and Courage left to go visit the store near them, Eustace got captured by underground trolls. Holding him captive until they get what they want. Free old Eustace.

Difficulty: ☆ | Easy.

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W4: (Death note)

● A rising name: -puzzle mission-

Objective(s):

The world is no longer safe with this supernatural murderer hiding among the crowd, gather intel about them and assist in putting an end to their mass killings.

Difficulty: ☆☆☆ | Hard.

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W5: (HOTD)

● A survivor’s saint:

Objective(s):

Rescue and shelter 50 survivors from this chaotic world.

Difficulty: ☆☆ | Neutral.

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W6: (Oregairu)

● I have no enemies:

Objective(s):

Assist around the city, helping the locals with basic chores. (0/5)

Difficulty: ☆ | Easy.

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W7: (Tom&Jerry)

● Cat gang:

Objective(s):

Butch and his crew are running the neighborhood, getting aggressive towards the residents. Patrols are struggling on catching them, assist in the process and put an end to their aggression.

Difficulty: ☆ | Easy.

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(AN: didn’t display the rewards, it’s already long as it is)

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Kazuhiro carefully considered the skills and experiences of his team members as he reviewed the missions. He knew the importance of matching the right mission to the right individual.

For Toru, Kazuhiro felt a gentle approach was necessary. Given Toru’s recent experiences in a world marked by chaos and loss, a mission with a peaceful backdrop would be more fitting. ‘The ‘I Have No Enemies’ mission will be ideal for him,’ Kazuhiro thought, assigning the task. ‘It’s a chance for Toru to engage in something healing, away from the violence and turmoil he’s known.’

Turning his attention to the twins, Asahi and Akemi, Kazuhiro pondered whether to assign them missions together or separately. Their energetic and adventurous spirits were evident, and he knew they thrived on action. After a moment’s consideration, he decided, ‘I’ll have them go together...’

He assigned them the ‘A Bit of Troll-ing’ mission, confident in their ability to handle the challenges it presented.

‘While they’re away, I’ll stay behind and attend to the customers. Perhaps the ‘Hidden cameras’ feature allows me to observe from afar?’ Kazuhiro speculated.

Turning his attention to both the computer and his handheld device, he noticed that the ‘Hidden Cameras’ feature was accessible on both. Opting for the larger screen of the computer, he clicked on the feature, which promptly displayed the names of his team members. Curious, he selected Akemi’s name, wanting to ensure she was adjusting well to her task.

The screen shifted to a live feed of Akemi, who appeared to be in the midst of a conundrum. Kazuhiro watched intently, analyzing the situation. ‘Is she aware that I’m observing her? Probably not.’ He pondered. The hidden cameras were designed to be discreet, allowing him to monitor his team’s progress without interfering directly.

After observing Akemi for a sufficient period, Kazuhiro felt a compelling need to understand the situation firsthand. The image of her running, lingered in his mind, sparking curiosity. ‘Why was she running? He wondered.

Standing up from his desk, he decided it was time to step out of his office and assess the situation directly.

As Kazuhiro neared the area where they last stood, his attention was drawn to Toru, who was standing near the cashier counters.

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*BARK!*

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The sound of barking filled the air. Kazuhiro’s gaze shifted just in time to see a chaotic yet almost comical chase unfolding before him. The twins, Asahi and Akemi, were in pursuit of a pink dog, which was in turn aggressively chasing the cat from earlier. Remarkably, the cat was deftly running while holding a small box in its paws, skillfully evading the dog’s advances.

With Akemi’s urgent shout, “THEY WENT LEFT!” Her voice echoed through the quiet aisles as she and Asahi continued their pursuit. Without hesitation, they veered left, closely following the trail of the dog and the cat.

“I GOT THIS!” Asahi’s determined voice rang out as he pushed himself to the limit, his speed increasing with every stride. The gap between him and the pink dog began to close, inch by inch, a testament to his determination and agility.

In a burst of energy, Asahi made a daring leap forward, aiming to end the chase with a decisive move. However, his calculation was slightly off. Instead of catching the dog, he found himself tumbling forward, sliding across the floor face-first in a comical yet unfortunate mishap.

The chase didn’t pause for a second, with Akemi taking over the lead. She darted past Asahi, leaving her brother on the ground, her focus solely on the dog and the cat. Asahi, quickly recovering from his fall, pushed himself back to his feet and resumed the chase, though now a few steps behind.

The entity approached Toru who observed the comical scene with a stoic expression, who was now accompanied by Muriel, the owner of the dog, who looked concerned at the ongoing chase.

“Should we help, kazuhiro-san?” Toru asked, as he commented on the ridiculous scene.

“I think they can handle it on their own...”

“...”

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