Chapter 4 – Info Dumping

'At last, answers.' Raito's thoughts accelerated into overdrive as he began to ponder. Plagued by suspicion, dread, and a pervasive sense of manipulation, he now found himself consumed by agitation, worry, and a profound sense of unease.

"I really want to know how I look like an insect to you." Inoichi tapped Raito's forehead gently twice, then offered a warm smile. "But, that was an impressive defense, Raito Keep doing your best." 

'Even though it doesn't make sense,' Inoichi mused silently, opting to keep his skepticism unspoken. He then gave Raito an encouraging smile and shared a few helpful tips before allowing him to leave.

"Thank you, Sensei," Raito said, bowing deeply with respect. He quickly exited the room, then the building, and headed toward the one place he considered his refuge—home. 

This message had stirred something within him. Desire? Wanting to know? Curiosity?

In his haste, he was oblivious to the number of people he jostled. Shouts and curses filled the air, objects were hurled in his direction, but he remained undeterred. To him, nothing else mattered more than this.

After securing the house, Raito settled onto the sofa, his eyes darting around with a hint of anxiety. He extended his 'Chakra Sense' throughout the vicinity; although it spanned only 30 meters, it enveloped him in a cocoon of security. 

Inhaling deeply, Raito spoke into the stillness, "Message."

[Message (1)]

[The Original Gamer, Han Jihan.]

Without a moment's pause, Raito clicked on the icon. But rather than revealing the anticipated message box, the room was suddenly bathed in a blinding flash of light.

"Hello," a voice greeted.

Raito's eyelids fluttered open, and he surveyed the figure before him. Disheveled hair, a robust build, dressed casually—an unremarkable visage, albeit slightly exotic, with a woman enshrouded in darkness at his flank

Jihan cast a look over his shoulder at Sung Ah, veiled in the gloom. A gesture of his hand summoned several arcane sigils that sparked briefly but to no avail. "I thought it would be enough, Sung Ah."

"Man, I really thought it was perfect." Jihan muttered, scratching his head, his expression a mix of surprise and mild annoyance. He then shifted his gaze to Raito. "Yoshizawa Raito, right? I'm Han Jihan, the original gamer. In simpler words, the one who gave you your powers."

"Han Jihan? This Gamer power is from you?" Despite the surreal circumstances, Raito's voice was a model of eerie serenity. A stranger had appeared in his room, oddly attired, and conjured mysterious circles in thin air.

"Yup." Jihan's eyes roamed the room, touched by a sense of nostalgia. The technology might have been antiquated, yet the shelf brimming with games brought him comfort.

Raito's eyes flickered to the shadow-veiled figure known as 'Sung-Ah,' then back to Jihan, "So, why have you given me this power. What do you want from me?"

"That is the Gamer's mind at work. Most would be overwhelmed, but not you." Jihan remarked. 

Although, he also had this skill in his earlier days, after transcending he discarded it all sealing all of these power for his own purer power.

Raito pressed on. "My question was—"

"I know, I know. Let me answer all of those for you, for what time we have left." Jihan waved his hands and settled onto the plush sofa.

"You were chosen because you come closest to fulfilling certain conditions. First is understanding these powers, and second is, you're someone who can help me fulfill my request."

"Request? If it's a request then you could have asked the Hokage-sama about this. This village is mercenary for hire, you know." Raito remarked, giving Jihan a perplexed look as he attempted to rationalize. "Depending on the mission's difficulty, I'm sure you can-"

"I wish it were that simple, but your world's consciousness won't allow me do that." Jihan explained, attempting to shift his position. Raito's eyes caught sight of the ethereal chains that sporadically shackled Jihan and the shadow-enshrouded woman, materializing and vanishing intermittently.

"Wait, did you just say 'my world'? 'World's consciousness'? What exactly do you mean?" A flicker of understanding sparked in Raito as he swiftly closed the distance between them, stopping mere inches from Jihan.

Jihan raised his hand, summoning a staff that radiated a gentle blue glow, "To put it plainly, I am someone from a different world." 

"… That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard today." Raito retorted, eyeing Jihan with a mix of skepticism and disbelief, considering the possibility of an elaborate Genjutsu. But, there was a growing doubt in his mind telling him, maybe he is telling the truth, maybe he is someone from other world.

Even though Raito hadn't seen much of the world, and not even whole of Konoha, his guts was telling him to believe in the man in front.

"Allow me to show you." Jihan retrieved a small mobile phone from his pocket and snapped a picture of Raito. He then showed the image to him.

"It's a camera? Smaller, but still a camera, right?" Raito inspected the picture, his analytical mind at work.

"Not just picture, it can record videos too." Jihan played a video from his world, showcasing scenes of bustling streets, flying planes, futuristic cars, magic, and advanced technology.

Jihan had only this method to convince the skeptical youth. While it took some time, if Raito was accepting of the situation, it would be better for him.

Raito's eyes grew wide with wonder as he observed. "So many people! Is that juice? And what's that on top? So fast! There are people inside that thing." The videos revealed a world beyond his wildest imagination.

Once the excitement subsided, Raito stared at Jihan, dazed, and asked, "Um, I don't understand."

"I mean, if you can grant me powers from a completely different world, why don't you simply take what you need? I don't think anyone could stop you with those incredible powers. You wouldn't even need to hire ninjas." Raito's curiosity drove him to ask. The videos had showcased Jihan's strength—calling meteors, growing colossal trees, splitting mountains, and summoning giants. These feats were akin to legendary battles between Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara, whispered in awe by ninja children.

Jihan's smile was tinged with a sense of defeat, "Raito, it's not like I don't want to do that, but I just can't cross over to your world." He gestured with his staff, and illusory chains materialized. "Even here, within this forsaken parallel time-space pocket—similar to your world—I am bound by these chains, preventing me from going any further."

Confusion etched Raito's features as Jihan introduced unfamiliar terms. Raito glanced toward the window and noticed an unusually dark landscape tinged with eerie red undertones.

Sensing Raito's perplexity, Jihan explained, "We are currently within what's known as an 'Instant Dungeon', a separate realm that is unbound by many of the laws governing the original world." 

Raito's thoughts raced. 'Original world? But this…' 

Raito's breath quickened, a fear unlike any other seizing his heart. Was he abducted from his world to be a sacrificial offering to some deity? Or had this self-proclaimed 'original gamer' lured him into this peculiar space to pry information about his village, or worse, to whisk him away to another realm.

'I haven't fulfilled my promise yet.'

'I still have things to do here.'

'Anko-nee…'

Tears welled in his eyes as he faced Jihan. With swift determination, he drew the blunt kunai from his pouch and flung them at Jihan, all the while retreating. His declaration reverberated in the room, "I am in my world—this is my house, my living room."

Noticing Raito's intent to flee out of the house and go as far away from him, Jihan swiftly used mana ropes to restrain him. "Calm down," he urged. 

"Remember your Gamer's Mind," Jihan reminded him, seeking to soothe his panic. "Let it in."

'Spatial laws are a bit different here.' Jihan mused, manipulating a clump of mana—stretching, compressing, and expanding it.

"I-I am calm now." Raito managed to say, his voice steadying after the initial tumult.

"Good." Jihan responded, materializing a sphere of mana with a grave countenance. Cutting through the chatter, he said, "It's a trade-off: my gamer powers for 0-0-0."

Raito winced, clutching his head as a searing pain erupted within. "What?" he gasped.

"You can't hear that?" Jihan's expression morphed into one of shock and vexation. 'This world is already rejecting me already.'

"What's happening!?" Raito, increasingly distressed, demanded.

"The world is rejecting me." Jihan disclosed as the orb of mana floated in front of Raito. "Take it. I am afraid; I don't have much time."

The previously invisible chains now shimmered with a golden and purple hue.

Raito quickly grabbed the ball of light, witnessing the space contort before him as it drew Jihan and Sung Ah into its vortex.

Glancing around, Raito realized he was still in the 'Instant Dungeon'. 'How will I return?'

The orb of light, which had been suspended above his outstretched hand, offered the only clue. With no alternative, Raito clasped the orb, and to his relief, the ball melded into his chest.

[Guide Activated]

[Improvements on the Gamer powers are being implemented in the background.]

[New functions are being added. Please wait patiently.]

A new window appeared in front of Raito. 

[Congratulations on being chosen as the Gamer of your world.] 👏👏👏

[Welcome to introduction] 

[The Gamer—a rare privilege bestowed upon one in a world handpicked by Gaia, the very consciousness of existence. This choice, this designation, heralds profound transformations.] 

[The ability of the Gamer, 'Gamer's Body,' allows a player to live their life as a character in a game. The 'Gamer's Mind' allows the character to think calmly and logically as though they are a gamer playing a game.]

[Gamer ability lets you use several features such as Status, Skills, Inventory, Quest, Info-book, and Options, each one having their various bonuses.] 

Status – The status window lets you see your physical, mental, and supernatural parameters. Your Physical, Mental, and Power levels are numbered according to your capability but now you can freely increase them according to your choices with stat points. Physical aspects can be improved through strength, endurance, and stamina training. Likewise, mental aspects can also be improved through mental challenges.

Skills – The skill list tab lets you see the numerous skills you have learned, including your proficiency level.

Inventory – The inventory box is a famous feature where you can store whatever you want, such as weapons, medicine, furniture, and more. The inventory box is space-time frozen, so the items you put here will not age.

Quest – Quest is the tasks ranging from small to big, which provides the character with experience points, skill books, or money. 

Info-Book – The info-book is divided into categories such as Countries, Villages, Humans, Monsters, Weapons, and Techniques. Information is gathered automatically when the character encounters them.

Options- Various game options are present there but not the difficulty level though. 

[Attributes]

Strength (STR):

The Strength attribute determines a person's overall strength and affects the amount of damage dealt. It also affects a person's ability to reduce damage when blocking.

Vitality (VIT):

Vitality determines a person's overall health and stamina. It also affects a person's ability to regain health outside of combat.

Dexterity (DEX):

The Dexterity attribute determines a person's overall movement. This attribute affects a person's accuracy, evasion, reflex, and ability to land critical strikes.

Intelligence (INT):

The Intelligence attribute determines a person's overall ability to memorize and think quickly. It also affects the amount of their chakra and the density of chakra.

Wisdom (WIS):

The Wisdom attribute determines a person's ability to understand information and use it correctly.

Luck (LUK):

Luck is unique compared to all the other attributes as it is capable of influencing anything from finding or looting random items, winning money while gambling, to encounters and outstanding successes/failures (such as critical hits).

[Repeated relatable actions increase the stat.]

"Alright," Raito's gaze intensified as he considered his most pressing challenge. "The LUK stat is undoubtedly the trickiest to raise." 

His gaze shifted inward, contemplating the path ahead. "For STR, I'll have to do a lot of strength training. VIT? I can push myself to the limit. DEX? I'll tackle some insane obstacle courses. And for INT…" His eyes sparkled with anticipation. "I'll bury myself in books, solving mind-bending puzzles to boost my WIS." 

Raito knew the gaming drill well: level up and enhance those stats. But he also remembered those unique games where you could level up by simply engaging with certain objects.

[Stat points] 

Stat points are obtained after every level up. You can get up to 5 points per level. Stat points can be used to increase the character's attributes. 

[Scrolls/skill books] 

Special books or scrolls which allow the character to learn new skills are called skill books. The character absorbs the book, learning its content and destroying the book in the process. If the book is too valuable, then it is advised to make a copy of it. 

Raito took a deep breath and contemplated everything that had been dumped into him.

After confirming that there were no more new tabs popping up, Raito waved his hand and closed the tabs.

'This is an infraction, but I think it's necessary.' Jihan's voice sounded beside Raito as a new tab appeared in front of him.

*Ding 

[Skill Learned] 

[ID Create Lvl 1(Active) Cost 50 CP]

This skill allows the user to create a small pocket dimension containing various scenarios. 

#Wasteland-Empty 

Note – At higher levels, new dungeons can be unlocked.

*Ding 

[Skill Learned] 

[ID Escape Lvl 1(Active) Cost 50 CP] 

This skill allows the user to escape from the previously created pocket dimension. 

"I got it." A smile spread across Raito's face as he absorbed the knowledge of this new skill.

"[ID Escape]."

Suddenly, Raito found himself back in the familiar world he knew. His knees buckled weakly from the abrupt transition. Taking a moment to steady himself, he released the seals on the house and stepped outside, leaning against the wall as he surveyed his surroundings.

"People," Raito murmured, a wave of relief washing over him as he spotted a couple strolling past.

"Aren't you suppose to block this kind of emotions?" Raito muttered under his breath, straightening his clothes.

Putting all the overwhelming information behind him for now, Raito decided to take things as they came. 

He performed several breathing exercises Inoichi had taught him, culminating in a deep, drawn-out exhale.

He grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and picked up the scroll from the table. A subtle smile flickered across his face as he reviewed the scroll's contents.

"Right now, you're my top priority."

Taking out several documents, Raito placed them all on the table and smiled.

"My observations, classmate's protest, Mari-nee's record, Iruka-sensei's record. It all comes down to tomorrow," Raito whispered to himself.

"I need to complete this mission."

"Just wait for me, Naruto."

Raito's finger glided up and down, his focus sharpening on certain terms in his thoughts. Blue panels flickered into existence, scrolled rapidly, and vanished in succession. 'Finally, I know what all this is really about.'

Closing all the tabs, Raito gathered up all the scrolls and ascended the stairs.

Another World 

"Gamer, that action was a mistake. It breaches our agreement," a muffled voice intoned.

Han Jihan waved his hand dismissively. "I was just going to give him some tips. There was no need for your interference." 

Seeing that they were activating their magic to continue this blame game, Jihan slammed the arm of the chair with his mana and shouted, "Thirteen people died because they thought they were invincible. If the same thing happens again, I don't think I can handle it. All this preparation for nothing…" 

"You already knew what would happen when you decided to do this, so believe in them. If there is any more connection, you will pay for your actions. Understand the boundaries and watch peacefully." The muffled voice seemed to ignore Jihan's emotional outrage as it continued. "Restrictions have doubled."

Chains with a dark glow emerged from the ground, enveloping Jihan and Sung-Ah, locking them in place.