Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes.

Chapter 372, page 119: Combat Guidance

Iwasaki stared intently at the Heaven-Stealing Completeness Pill. After a long while, he reluctantly shifted his gaze and began to turn his attention to other special items.

Combat Guidance Voucher: 3000 points (crossed out) Now 10% off at 300 points (This voucher can be used in the Player Arena, where a powerful phantom will appear and provide the player with combat skill guidance).
Shield of Britain: 1500 points (possesses some defensive capabilities; the wielder can summon an energy unicorn or lion; the wielder cannot commit evil).
Five Paths to Self-Awakening Technique: 500 points (Introductory Ninjutsu of the Iga School)

Storage Token: 500 points (can store items that cannot be stored in the game inventory, without consuming points)
Ksitigarbha Nine Formations: 500 points (You can learn the basics of the Ksitigarbha Nine Formations, but you need spiritual power as a foundation to use them effectively)

Ending Selection Card: 500 points (After use, the first three endings of this game will enter the selection pool. If the endings are different, you can choose one as your first clear ending)

Pure Holy Spring *5: 300 points (The effect is far stronger than ordinary Holy Spring water. Each bottle comes with 3 play opportunities that do not consume lifespan or stamina).

The Spear of Judgment: 300 points (It feeds on sin, but can also suppress it with kindness.)

Each item is extraordinary; at least, they won't be found in the game's in-game store.

In addition, there are rare cultivation spells and combat items, which make players drool and wish they could take them all home.

People looked at the flyers, then at Ueda, their eyes filled with longing, which sent a chill down Ueda's spine.

These items are things that Dongshan Shen can't use. Some are rewards from trophies and achievements accumulated from previous games, and the other part is quite special.
Like a storage token, the space it actually connects to is the original escape cave token space. Now, after being modified by Shin Higashiyama, it's like delegating some of the sub-permissions, similar to partitioning one's own house and then renting it out.

He could wholesale these storage tokens if he wanted to.

But things are valued for their scarcity, and in reality, due to the existence of the system's inventory, most players don't actually have that much need for storage space.

The Pure Holy Spring, needless to say, is concentrated holy spring water with a touch of spiritual energy.

The so-called combat guidance is when he uses a clone to fight against the player and specifically trains the player's combat skills. Don't forget that he has the same abilities as the player, and his level of development is also higher than the player's, so calling it guidance is absolutely correct.

In his view, most players do not make sufficient use of their existing abilities.

The Spear of Judgment was modified from the Spear of Goodness, and it no longer requires that only good people can use it.

By selling these items to players, he can gain points, motivate them, and improve their combat power—a win-win-win situation.

The player won twice, but he only won once. He really went to great lengths, and this is a huge annual giveaway.

Unfortunately, even the cheapest item costs 300 points, which few players can afford at the moment.

Hayato rubbed his hands together, scratching his head in frustration, and squeezed in front of Ueda, his voice booming, "Hey, acting village chief, how long are these items on display? I'm a little short on points, can you keep them for a few more days?"

Ueda was startled by his loud voice and instinctively shrank back. Following Higashiyama Shin's instructions, he answered in a low voice, "I... I will come here or to Peach Blossom Village occasionally, but not at regular times. The items may be rotated." He paused and quickly corrected himself, "Um, I am not the acting village chief. The acting village chief is Sanhua."

In the crowd, Lu Du was almost lost among the players because of her short stature. Upon hearing the words "Three Flowers," her ears twitched, and she quickly memorized them.

They had always called it fox or village chief, and this was the first time they had heard its name was Sanhua.

"What 'Three Flowers'? We don't recognize that!" Hayato slapped his thigh and shouted earnestly, "As long as you give the order, we will immediately support you as the new acting village chief!"

Many players expressed their agreement.

"Yeah, yeah! Ueda, it would be so great if you were the village chief. We wouldn't have to worry about foxes stealing our vegetables anymore!"

"Since Peach Blossom Village opened, I haven't been able to harvest all the vegetables I grow. That fox is a vegetable-stealing maniac."

The few days that Ueda served as acting village chief were great; there was no need to worry about this issue at all. Moreover, the Players' Home had a mature agreement not to steal within ten minutes, making Peach Blossom Village a true paradise.

Unfortunately, all of this ended the day Sanhua returned.

Many players were careless and got robbed again.

I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the light!

Ueda was so frightened by the scene that he almost shrank into a ball, waving his hands repeatedly, "No, I'm just here to help."

“The fox village chief is actually quite nice,” Lu Du said weakly in the crowd, but her voice was drowned out by her height.

Iwasaki pushed his way through the crowd and stood in front of Ueda: "Excuse me, is there only one Heaven-Stealing Perfection Pill?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, their eyes fixed on Ueda.

Everyone wants to know the answer.

"Yes, that's right. Unless otherwise specified, they are basically one-of-a-kind items, at least for now." Hearing that the question was about the products, he immediately answered seriously.

Iwasaki paused for two seconds, then reached out and pointed to the pills in the nine-square grid: "Can we keep this pill?"

Ueda swayed slightly: "I can't be sure, but I'll try to keep it if possible."

"Thank you." Iwasaki got the answer he wanted, nodded, ignored the others, and left the player lobby.

He's going to grind the game.

Arthur and Park Min-woo suppressed their eagerness, exchanged a glance, and also quit the game.

Currently, the three veteran players who are most eager for this resurrection elixir are these three.

At the same time, they are also the three most likely to be selected, since new players will definitely not have as many starting points as they do.

Hayato counted his points for the umpteenth time; he had only two hundred.

What he wanted most was the Battle Points Voucher, which was a 90% discount!

I don't know if they'll be available next time I come.

"You want to buy that? Won't you be overpaying?" Oshima Umeta asked hesitantly, pointing at the voucher as she listened to Hayato's mutterings.

He felt that buying this was not as good as buying pure holy spring water.

Let's say you just used up your three game chances today, and then you use a bottle to fully revive yourself, plus three more free game chances, which means you can have nine lives a day.

It's an absolute must-have for speedrunning.

If you've already become a veteran player, the benefits will be even greater.

But I doubt anyone would use it like that, since it's worth 300 points. Unless you're confident you can get the perfect ending, it's definitely a waste to use it in the game.

“Strong individuals should focus on improving their own combat abilities and not rely too much on these external aids!” Hayato said, his face filled with longing. “Besides, this is a 90% discount! A 90% discount!”

"Isn't your motorcycle an external object?" Oshima didn't say this out loud, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that since the motorcycle was part of his ability, it really couldn't be considered an external object.

"How much are you short?" Oshima asked.

Hayato's eyes lit up, and he hugged Oshima tightly: "Good brother! I'm still short 100 points! If you're willing to lend me some, I'll pay you back 120!"

"Uh, forget about the interest. After you've finished your guidance, tell me how you felt." Oshima opened the virtual screen and transferred 100 points to Hayato.

He felt that Hayato would have a hard time getting many points in this extremely difficult game, and it might take three rounds to earn back those 100 points.

The reason he was willing to lend it was twofold: firstly, the two had a good relationship after working together in London; and secondly, he himself had little need for consumption and was still young, so even Xiao Shoudan wasn't in a hurry to buy it.

These goods were very attractive, but they did not arouse much of a strong desire in Oshima.

He felt that using the points on other people might greatly improve the overall combat strength. After borrowing the points, Hayato immediately bought the guidance ticket from Ueda, as if afraid that someone else would beat him to it. Then, holding the ticket, he greeted Oshima and rushed to the player arena.

"The first one sold was this." Higashiyama Shin, who was watching the screen, stroked his chin.

His prop is actually a bit of a filler item, but for just 300 points you can get his guidance, even if it's just a clone, it's definitely worth the money.

Alright, let him give us a proper lesson on what a real Flame Chariot is all about!

Hayato entered the arena, looked around, and found it completely empty.

Is it necessary to simulate an audience?

"Okay."

Is it necessary to change venues?

"Need not."

[Battle spirit is being generated; please prepare for battle.]

Hayato clenched his fist, feeling himself begin to materialize, essentially creating a one-to-one replica of his real body in this virtual scene, complete with his motorcycle.

The combat index token in his hand turned into wisps of light that drifted away, then converged again a few dozen meters in front of him, forming a faint, featureless, pure humanoid phantom.

In the circular stands, a wave of enthusiastic spectators was forming, their shouts creating a soundscape that made Hayato's blood boil.

[Start Battle]

"Come on! It's a good time to test my new ability!"

Hayato, full of fighting spirit, twisted the handle sharply, the engine roared, and flames instantly engulfed the entire vehicle. The tires spun wildly, crushing the ground and leaving two burning trails.

The motorcycle transformed into a fiery dragon, hurtling towards the phantom at terrifying speed, scorching and distorting the air along its path.

The humanoid figure simply turned slightly to the side, moving as slowly as if taking a stroll, and just happened to avoid Hayato's charge.

Then, it reached out and pulled a pink children's bicycle out of thin air, with colorful bells hanging on the handlebars.

The humanoid figure straddled the bicycle, gently twisted the handlebars, and pale blue flames instantly enveloped the bicycle, the bell jingling softly, its meaning unclear.

"Who are you looking down on?"

Hayato was furious. He abruptly turned the vehicle around, and the flamethrower unleashed two thick jets of fire, creating a crossfire that locked onto the human figure.

The humanoid figure rides the transforming bicycle nimbly, with blue flames forming a thin shield around it. The crimson flames are instantly extinguished upon contact with the blue shield, just like flames encountering cold water.

Hayato refused to believe it and pushed his motorcycle to its limits, increasing its speed to almost a blur.

He employed a flanking maneuver, circling the humanoid figure at high speed while continuously spewing flames in an attempt to block the opponent's escape route, leaving the arena floor scorched with countless charred marks.

No matter how fast he accelerated and changed direction, the humanoid could always predict his trajectory in advance.

Whenever he is about to collide with the other party, the humanoid figure only needs to lightly step on the bicycle pedal, and the blue flame will turn into a thrust, instantly moving the bicycle several meters horizontally, always maintaining a safe distance from him.

What frustrated him even more was that the humanoid figure did not launch any attacks throughout the entire process, but only passively dodged, which made him feel like he was being toyed with.

"I should be faster," Hayato thought, his mind filled with doubt.

His motorcycle speed is among the best in the game, but the humanoid in front of him, riding a children's bicycle, seems slow, yet always manages to outpace him.

He gritted his teeth and began launching a series of attacks in an attempt to build up his rage.

The problem is that he still can't touch a human form.

Suddenly, the humanoid figure slowed down.

"It's now!"

Hayato was overjoyed and rushed forward to launch a combo, his rage meter soaring.

The humanoid maintained a minimal level of evasion, just enough to graz him, allowing him to build up anger without causing any real harm.

Hayato's rage was finally full, and he activated the skill - Flesh and Blood Weakness!
His rage level instantly disappeared, and his body and the motorcycle emitted a dazzling red light. His flesh, bones, and metal body merged into one, and the outline of the motorcycle began to twist and deform, turning into flame armor resembling scales.

"Man and machine as one!" Hayato roared, maneuvering his transformed body to crash violently into the humanoid form.

The beast head on its arm spewed out a condensed pillar of fire, which was much hotter than before, scorching a trench in the ground.

The humanoid finally stopped dodging and instead patted the bell on the vehicle, and a mini water gun appeared on the handlebars.

"What the hell?"

Before Hayato could react, the water gun spewed out even more terrifying flames, creating a wave-like clash with the flames he was exhaling.

boom!
Since ancient times, the left side of the wave has always been the loser. An explosion spread out. The blue pillar of fire engulfed Hayato's pillar of fire, then crashed into Hayato. His flame armor was instantly covered in cracks, and the beast head let out a mournful cry before shattering with a crash.

Hayato felt a tremendous force come over him, and he was thrown out and crashed heavily to the ground.

The motorcycle returned to its original shape, crashing beside him, its body covered in dents and scorch marks, the flames dimmed.

He struggled to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Hayato clutched his chest, his heart filled with resentment. He had clearly exerted his full strength; his speed, firepower, and defense were all at their peak in this virtual arena, yet he couldn't even break through his opponent's defenses.

The humanoid figure rode a bicycle, with blue flames flowing around it. There were not many outward fluctuations, which made Hayato feel a pure sense of control.

The opponent controlled the flames with ease, using every wisp of fire precisely on the blade.

"But I haven't lost yet."

He struggled to his feet, supporting himself on the motorcycle.

Two hours had passed in the dilapidated arena.

Hayato has been struggling with the speed of the tank, which is certainly an important part of its combat capabilities, but even more important is the flames.

To control the flames, one must control rage.

The anger referred to here is not the anger value mechanism, but Hayato's anger. Don't be limited by the anger value; become anger itself.

When anger can be controlled, the speed of the vehicle, the temperature of the flames, and their scale will all experience a qualitative leap.

"I got it!"

Hayato, his life nearly extinguished, knelt on the shattered ground, facing the humanoid figure slowly approaching him. Seeing that pure rage, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he finally understood the true meaning of his own power.

At the same time, Shin Higashiyama's clone slowly dissipated.

(End of this chapter)