(Arthur POV)
I didn't think these ghosts would get into trouble.
According to Puffy and the others who escaped unscathed, they'd encountered a powerful member of the Solarus Church.
Looking at Diddy and the few who were injured, I saw their already transparent appearance had dimmed further.
"What do we do, boss? They're disappearing!" Puffy said fearfully.
I shook my head. I didn't think I'd be using this magic so soon.
"No worries, guys. They'll be fine," I said.
Puffy and the others still looked afraid, seemingly doubting my words.
With a thought, I activated {Rose Magic}. My palm suddenly exuded a rosy colour, which I directed towards Diddy and the others.
Rose petals drifted towards the ghosts, eliciting surprised expressions.
"This..." Diddy and the others realized they were gradually healing. Their ghostly essence returned to normal.
"Wow!" Puffy exclaimed.
In just seconds, Diddy and the others were fully healed.
"This is amazing!" Diddy exclaimed.
I'd used about five thousand magical power, so I immediately stopped. It was tiring.
"You guys are okay now," I said.
"You're amazing, boss!" Daddy exclaimed in astonishment.
"Yeah, that was cool!" The others murmured.
Diddy said, relief evident in his tone, "I thought I was about to die for a second time!"
They looked at me with amazement before I admonished, "You guys should stop getting into trouble. You almost died a second time!"
"We won't misbehave anymore, boss!" The ghosts said in unison.
"Alright, go rest and stop pranking people for now." I waved my hands. The ghosts, still grateful, thanked me, but I shooed them away and they left.
I shook my head. Seriously.
I hadn't expected those ghosts to get into trouble, let alone encounter a powerful Solarus member. They were lucky I could help.
***
(3rd Person POV)
Dragon Ball's volume 2 hit select stores in Horn City, selling out within hours of its release. Its popularity immediately contributed to Arthur's entertainment system points.
Two days prior, "Dragon Ball" had debuted in Empirica, gaining instant popularity. Within 48 hours, stores were struggling to keep it in stock.
The manga brought a novel experience to Empirican readers, who were already clamoring for volume 2.
In his office, Arthur's entertainment points finally reached 69 million.
'With Dragon Ball's huge success, it's time to level up the ring and activate the Creator's Realms,' Arthur thought.
Without hesitation, he purchased the upgrade for the {Devourer Ring}, increasing its storage to 10 million magical points.
Arthur felt the ring's enhanced power on his finger. It was an incredible sensation, unlike anything he'd experienced before.
The ring currently held only 1 million magical power, leaving 9 million to collect.
Arthur entered the secret room in his office, revealed by pushing the dummy book titled "48 Laws of Power" on his bookshelf.
Inside, he approached the portal stone. Using it, he was transported to the Gloomstone Forest.
As the portal appeared, Arthur stepped through. The journey was disorienting, as always, but he'd grown accustomed to it.
Soon, Arthur found himself in the Gloomstone Forest, where his elephants were under the care of the orc tribe. He occasionally visited secretly to check on them, but today's mission was different.
With a thought, Arthur activated the Abyssal Mode of the Devourer Ring.
It quickly began absorbing all magical power in the area. Arthur had anticipated the forest beings would faint, but he hadn't expected the effect to reach the nearby villages and even the large Gloomstone Town.
"I feel tired," a demon muttered lazily, gazing at the clouds.
Forest creatures - magical monsters, trolls, goblins - all succumbed to slumber.
Arthur immediately deactivated Abyssal Mode as the ring hit 10 million magical power in just a minute.
Ready to return to Horn Kingdom, he found the portal stone dimmed. "It seems affected by the absorption too..." Arthur muttered.
After a few anxious minutes, the stone returned to normal. Arthur quickly activated it and fled the forest.
***
Back in his office, Arthur sighed with relief at his swift success.
He used 3 million magical power points, leaving the ring's storage at negative 3 million.
Before he could reflect further, Arthur found himself transported to a world of pure whiteness.
He looked around in astonishment.
"Wow..." Arthur said, awestruck.
A panel materialized before Arthur.
{Welcome to the Creator's Realms}
[You can travel to any fictional world, provided it's your own creation and a successful fiction in your reality.]
[Do you want to travel to your fictional world now or later? (The magical power used to activate Creator's Realms will be saved)]
[Yes.]
[No.]
Without hesitation, Arthur selected yes.
The panel shifted. [Based on our analysis, you can travel to eight worlds from your successful fictions:]
[Demonfather] /[Godfather (Original)]
[Lord of the Rings]
[The Good, The Bad and The Ugly]
[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]
[Harry Potter (your version)]/[Harry Potter (Original)]
[Dragon Ball]
Arthur raised an eyebrow at the two versions listed, finding it intriguing.
He chose Dragon Ball without much deliberation.
The interface transformed into a main menu:
[New World]
[Save]
[Load]
[Options]
"Interesting..." Arthur mused, stroking his chin. He explored the options, discovering he could select his preferred language, attire, and hairstyle.
After customizing his appearance, Arthur returned to the main menu. The 'Save' and 'Load' options were empty.
"What's this for?" he wondered aloud. A new panel appeared, offering an explanation.
Arthur read it out, "You can save your progress in the fiction world. If you load the save file, you will return to the world as if you hadn't left at all." He nodded appreciatively. "Very useful."
With that, Arthur tapped "New World". A wave of disorientation hit him, far more intense than any portal travel he'd experienced.
***
Arthur awoke, shaking his head to clear the disorientation. He found himself in a lush forest under a vivid blue sky dotted with picturesque clouds.
"Am I finally in the Dragon Ball world?" he muttered to himself.
A system notification flashed before his eyes:
[System Mission: Legend of the Tenkaichi Budokai!]
[The Tenkaichi Budokai, the greatest martial arts tournament in history, is about to begin. As a hidden warrior from another world, you must enter and win the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai using only your martial arts skills—no magic allowed.]
"21st Tenkaichi Budokai?" Arthur's interest piqued. "So I'm at the beginning of the Dragon Ball story..."
He stood up, a smile spreading across his face. With a thought, wings sprouted from his back, and he took to the sky.
Here, he could do everything he wanted without caution. Unlike his world, where powerful and potentially divine beings lurked in the shadows, Arthur knew the lay of the land in this realm.
This was his chance to unleash his true power, honed through months of hard work. No need to hold back or hide his abilities.
Arthur descended upon a nearby city, his wings drawing immediate attention from the civilians below.
"Woah! Look, a person has wings!" exclaimed onlookers, their voices a mix of awe and surprise.
The crowd on the streets buzzed with excited murmurs.
"Mommy, can I fly like that handsome man too?" a young girl asked, tugging at her mother's sleeve. The woman hastily pulled her daughter away as Arthur glided down towards them.
Landing softly, Arthur glanced around. "It feels different here..."
A chubby man approached him, seemingly unafraid. "Hey there! First time I've seen someone flying! How'd you get wings on your back?"
Arthur, recognizing the man as a typical Dragon Ball background character, decided to focus on his goal. "Hey, do you know where the Tenkaichi Budokai is being held?"
"Tenkaichi Budokai?" The man pondered for a moment. "I believe it's on Papaya Island, about that way." He pointed in a specific direction.
Arthur flashed a grateful smile. "Thanks!" With that, he took to the skies once more, heading towards Papaya Island.
As he soared away, Arthur couldn't help but marvel at the simplicity of this world. The people's easy acceptance of his supernatural abilities, their willingness to help - it was refreshingly different from the complexities of his own reality. Yet, he knew better than to underestimate this world. The upcoming tournament would surely test his limits, magic or no magic.