"Wait a moment, Natsuhiko, why is there no Hashirama Senju in the Hashirama Senju deck?" Umino Ikkaku carefully inspected each card, only to discover this issue.
But clearly, it was labelled as the Hashirama Senju deck.
Behind the deck, there was also the shadow of the First Hokage.
Yet, the most powerful card inside was only one copy of "Tobirama Senju."
"Natsuhiko, your game console is broken, come and fix it quickly." Umino Ikkaku quickly turned to look at Natsuhiko.
Natsuhiko looked helpless.
If there was a Hashirama Senju card inside, then there would be a problem.
After all, if the initial deck has Hashirama Senju, then R.I.P. to marketing skills.
But Natsuhiko couldn't be too straightforward with Ikkaku-sensei.
Natsuhiko pondered slightly, considering how to explain this issue to Ikkaku-sensei in this ninja world without the concept of 'wife cakes'.
Unfortunately, Ichiraku Ramen hadn't opened yet either...
However, the idea of ramen inspired Natsuhiko. He immediately said:
"Sensei, have you ever eaten cup noodles?"
[Image for reference only, please refer to the actual product.]
Natsuhiko made a mental note to write this sentence in tiny letters in the corner of the screen for the future's sake.
"..."
Umino Ikkaku opened his mouth but found himself unable to retort.
Since cup noodles can be made, can't Ninja cards be made too?
But what exactly has this child experienced outside to have such a dark heart?
He shook his head with sorrow and decided to soothe his fragile heart with a game of cards.
So Ikkaku-sensei suggested:
"Forget it, now that I have the deck, can't we just start playing? How about you have a match with me first, Natsuhiko?"
Natsuhiko smiled reservedly, "Sensei, as the First Generation Duel King, I don't just duel casually with others."
"And you don't even know the rules, I'm afraid you'll lose confidence in the game after we finish."
Who says I don't know the rules?
Umino Ikkaku wanted to say this, but it would expose the fact that he had been peeking at students playing cards every day.
So he had nothing to say and could only watch as Natsuhiko lightly touched the screen, causing the cards on it to disappear and a few lines of text to appear.
[Battle Mode]
[Single Mode]
[Edit Mode]
[Shop]
[Tutorial]
"Sensei, I recommend you play through the tutorial I designed first to understand the game rules and card effects, and then proceed to real matches."
"And this tutorial mode will reward you with a basic card pack for each level you complete."
"Card pack?"
Originally uninterested in the tedious tutorial, Umino Ikkaku became spirited upon hearing about the card pack rewards.
"It's rare, Natsuhiko, you're actually giving away card packs for free? Is there some trick?"
Natsuhiko got a few more black lines on his forehead.
"Sensei, do you think of me as a shady merchant?"
"Using free gifts to attract customers is a normal business operation."
"And these card packs are meant to encourage everyone to learn about the game through the tutorial first, to avoid disputes during matches due to not understanding the rules."
Of course, the most important thing is if people don't experience the thrill of opening packs for free, how could they possibly spend real money to buy these virtual cards?
Natsuhiko added in his mind.
Umino Ikkaku also found some sense in this and asked curiously:
"Speaking of which, how do you sell card packs here?"
Natsuhiko pointed to a coin slot on the Ninja game machine with his finger, "Put coins in here, and they will be converted into points in the game, which can be used to buy card packs."
"As for the price, a standard pack of five cards costs twenty taels."
"Twenty... Twenty taels!!" Umino Ikkaku was startled, "A bowl of ramen only costs sixty taels, and you dare to sell card packs for twenty taels?"(A Chinese unit of weight that, when applied to silver, was long used as a unit of currency.)
"Natsuhiko, why don't you just rob people?"
Rob? I'm just printing money faster than robbing.
Natsuhiko complained inwardly, but outwardly he pretended to be bitter, "Sensei, haven't you considered the wear and tear of these machine components, the time spent designing the cards and projections, and the operating costs of this tavern? Selling a pack for twenty taels is actually selling at a loss."
"If you find it expensive, Sensei, you can also choose to buy gift packages."
"For example, this 648 Newbie Gift Pack contains 50 standard packs, 3 rare or higher rare card packs, 1 random epic card, plus the Six Paths Sage skin and card back."
"And now there's a limited-time promotion, as long as you first recharge six taels, six taels! you'll get the exclusive card [Blue Waitress Maid·Might Duy]!"
Umino Ikkaku was dizzy from Natsuhiko's talk.
He shook his head and began to count on his fingers.
Originally, he couldn't accept buying a bunch of intangible things for the price of ten bowls of ramen.
But compared to the standard pack price, getting 50 packs for 648 taels, plus so many other rewards, it seemed very cost-effective.
It felt like buying a few more would bankrupt Natsuhiko.
The first recharge reward of the maid card, although it wasn't very appealing on its own, once combined with "limited-time" and "exclusive", suddenly made Umino Ikkaku's hands and wallet itch.
It felt like not buying now would be like missing out on a deal.
After all, you never know when you might need it.
Thinking this, Umino Ikkaku's hand couldn't help but reach into his pocket where his wallet was.
But years of ninja experience had taught him to endure everything, so he temporarily suppressed this desire.
He decided to follow Natsuhiko's advice, complete the tutorial first, collect the reward packs, and then see how things went.
So he followed Natsuhiko's instructions and clicked on the "Tutorial" option on the interface.
In the next moment, the entire interface seemed to shatter like broken glass, slowly disappearing into fragments in the air.
With melodious music playing, a scroll of traditional Japanese-style paintings unfolded slowly before him...
Starting from landscapes of mountains and rivers to depictions of everyday life in the Warring States period, the scene finally focused on a dilapidated farmhouse, and the painting style gradually shifted from traditional Japanese painting to realism...
A slender, small-bodied youth, carrying a small bundle on his back, glanced back at the broken house behind him before quietly leaving.
At the same time, text gradually appeared in the blank space of the painting.
[Born in a rural village in Owari Province, Kinoshita Tōkichirō, due to a disagreement with his adoptive father, left home at a young age...]
Umino Ikkaku, who had been ready to start playing cards, was bewildered by the scene before him.
"Natsuhiko?Why is your tutorial mode starting with a story?"
He had seen Natsuhiko showing students films before, so he was not unfamiliar with this storytelling format.
Natsuhiko smiled and explained, "Just adding some fun to the tutorial."
"I see."
Umino Ikkaku responded, not saying much, because the story image before him was still developing.
Since it was just to add colour to the tutorial, Natsuhiko didn't dare to start with some AAA-level masterpiece from his past life, making people watch an hour-long cutscene from the beginning.
Instead, he used montage techniques to cut important scenes from the protagonist Kinoshita Tōkichirō's life, supplemented by text explanations, quickly outlining the background of the story.
...
[On his journey, Kinoshita Tōkichirō sometimes sold needles, sometimes served as a labourer for ronins, gradually he determined to become a samurai...]
[Although he once served as a retainer under Imagawa Yoshimoto and Matsushita Kabei, he could only leave reluctantly due to the ostracism of his colleagues...]
[Finally, he returned to his hometown of Owari and worked as a labourer for the Oda clan.]
With the help of fast-paced images and textual commentary, Umino Ikkaku quickly gained a rough understanding and empathy for the youth named Kinoshita Tōkichirō.
In simple terms, he was starting to feel involved.
Soon, another important character, Kinoshita Tōkichirō's lord, Oda Nobunaga, also appeared.
"Toki, bring the straw sandals over here."
With Oda's first dialogue of the story, Kinoshita Tōkichirō's life also began to undergo earth-shaking changes...
(End of this chapter)
P.S Chapter 84 is up on my Patreon.
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