Chapter 247

The world was changing in ways he could no longer understand.

Suddenly, a mysterious giant screen covered the globe, suddenly multiple crises appeared in reality, suddenly they said he had been living in a supernatural world all along... hahaha...

Thinking that when he got home, Mom and Dad would ask again: "Hachiman, have you awakened magic power?" And after getting a negative answer, they would ignore him as a matter of course.

Expecting things on their own, and then being disappointed on their own...

That was why Hikigaya Hachiman, who had always been in the "go-home club," hadn't gone home even at this hour.

But to say he had no expectations would be a lie.

During his middle school years, he had written a setting for himself where seven gods existed in the world, and he was the most mysterious and powerful among them...

Ah~~~

Forget it, forget it quickly.

Hikigaya Hachiman quickened his pace, wandering aimlessly, and before he knew it, he had crossed the street and arrived in an unfamiliar district.

The crowd was becoming denser, and the noise was becoming louder.

The moment he rounded a corner,

The view suddenly opened up, and a huge roar of noise rushed toward him.

"Come, come, Hexagram Meditation Method, guaranteed to learn, awaken magic power now."

"Fuyuki Magic Complete Solution, direct transmission from the Sky Screen."

"Li Li Shuwen's Baji Quan, authentic Chinese style."

"Magic Craft, selling magic crafts, buy one, and the whole family becomes mages."

"Talismans, talismans, stick one to suppress ghosts and protect the house, peace for the home."

Hikigaya Hachiman was completely stunned.

"Holy crap..."

It was already dusk.

But in the wide park plaza, it was brightly lit and packed with people.

People were setting up stalls selling magic crafts and supernatural items.

Dojos were recruiting apprentices.

There were even cults blatantly recruiting people.

Well, that made sense; after all, cults in Japan existed legally, and it was almost the world's worst disaster area for cults, second only to the Federation and the Koreans.

That scorching temperature and the fanaticism of emotional venting made him, a lonely patient, subconsciously want to run.

Suddenly...

"I did it, I did it, I successfully awakened magic power."

A hysterical shout made the entire plaza quiet down, and even Hikigaya Hachiman, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks.

Among a pile of students, a decadent office worker knelt on the ground, sobbing with tears streaming down his face.

"Kyoko, I succeeded, I finally succeeded, I'm going to pick you up right away."

Hikigaya Hachiman listened slightly to the explanation of others.

It was probably a story about a gambler who gambled away his wife and children and wanted to make a comeback through magic.

Uh...

Can you trust a gambler?

Hikigaya Hachiman narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

But the other fanatical crowds wouldn't; they immediately swarmed up to ask.

"Anhui-san, how long does your Myojin Sect's meditation method take to be effective?"

"How much does it cost?"

"When is the registration deadline?"

The woman, who was squeezed until her chest almost burst, hurriedly shouted: "Don't squeeze, don't squeeze, I'll explain it all at once."

"Fifty thousand yen registration fee, two weeks per stage, seven stages in total.

The first stage tuition is one hundred thousand yen, the second is four hundred thousand, and it doubles accordingly. Pay once, learn one stage, no cheating children or old folks.

As long as you have talent, and as long as you work hard for seven weeks, you will definitely awaken magic power."

People calculated.

One hundred thousand yen... for a week, it's not expensive.

Hikigaya Hachiman, who was listening from the Reverse Reverse Side, sneered.

Not expensive my ass.

It adds up to over ten million yen.

As for not awakening?

That's because you have no talent.

As for that gambler... nine times out of ten, he's a shill.

And even if he gets the money, he won't really go to redeem his wife and children; he'll just gamble even more intensely.

The woman held a megaphone, speaking while demonstrating.

"Hey, ha, yes, that's it, follow me."

"Deep breath, think of the starry sky, at this moment your consciousness is gradually blurring, your heart is sinking into the deep sea..."

It's just a psychological suggestion method you can find online, and you're selling it for ten million?

Hikigaya Hachiman sighed again.

This world is undergoing heaven-turning changes, but is this change good, or...

Suddenly.

"Young man, want to see the Sacred Heart Stone?"

A lecherous middle-aged man grabbed him and mysteriously took out a blood-colored stone.

"Let me tell you, this is a drop of blood that fell from the battlefield of the two great figures in the Sky Screen a month ago..."

Hikigaya Hachiman's face darkened.

Can you brag any louder? Do you think I'm a fool?

"No, thank you, goodbye."

Refusing three times, Hikigaya walked away vigilantly.

"Don't go, take a look, just five million yen... no, fifty thousand is fine... five thousand, just five thousand yen."

The lecherous man had finally caught someone who looked honest and followed him all the way.

But Hikigaya Hachiman didn't listen at all.

The lecherous man suddenly broke down.

"Please help me, I bought this stone with all my savings, and now I can't even pay the rent. If I don't have a fixed address, I won't be able to find a job. What will Saki and the others do..."

The man was teary-eyed.

At the time, his brain had heated up, thinking that after awakening magic power, he could join an official organization and lead his wife and children to a good life.

As if possessed, he took out all his money...

Hikigaya Hachiman, the soft-hearted fool, sighed and took out his wallet, giving him all the money he had saved for several years.

"Just thirty thousand yen, I don't want your stone either, just go to work properly in the future."

For him, whose family status was equal to the floor, this was everything he had.

"Thank you, really thank you."

The man took it pleasantly, but still insisted on stuffing the scarlet stone into his hand.

"But young man, although I'm very grateful to you, I'm not a beggar."

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Hikigaya casually stuffed the stone into his pocket and was about to leave, but was grabbed by the man again.

"Keep this stone well. I'm not saying it can help people awaken magic power, but... I don't know how to say it, but this is definitely related to those things..."

The man's expression was too serious, even Hikigaya couldn't ignore it.

"Could it be... really related to those people?"

On the road.

Hikigaya muttered while pinching the scarlet stone.

The stone in front of him was only the size of a thumb, but it was warm like jade, and blood-colored brilliance flowed faintly within it.

If you stared at it for too long, you would even feel a sense of dizziness.