Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

At that moment, her body trembled uncontrollably, the wakizashi fell from her hand, she took a step back, then turned around and ran away without looking back.

Taki struggled to regain control of her body, and slowly, she began to feel her body's existence again.

And the extreme fear and exhaustion within.

Looking around, she realized she had been running for a long time and had ended up in the fields.

Meanwhile, the flames in the distance had spread from the main building complex to the scattered residential areas.

Zheng Qing broke through the ninja's encirclement and began a massacre.

【目%&：救￥@母#*】

This wasn't some kind of game prompt; it was clearly something the girl wanted to do.

The reason she appears so vividly before my eyes is because she is in a memory.

She turned around and walked in the general direction where fires had already broken out, and it was clear that her mother could not be saved.

"Namo Myoho Renge Sūtra".

A chant came from nowhere, seemingly close at hand yet also as far away as the horizon.

“My benefactor, you have fallen into the demonic path.”

A strong golden light shone out, and a wave of air swept through, blowing the girl back into the field.

Everything before her eyes began to blur, the target words gradually became transparent and disappeared, and her body seemed to melt, slowly turning into specks of light and dissipating.

The gaze returned to the darkness.

[The first day of the first month of the third year of the Mingli era] (1657)

【Land of Kyoto】

Two lines of text appeared.

Chapter 177: The Free Ninja

"So it really is a memory from the past."

"Thank goodness. In any case, the fact that I don't have to control the demon sword is a great benefit."

"Moreover, ninja combat requires more preparation and the ability to strike and escape, which explains the strategic classifications."

Not long after Takii entered the game, Uesugi Hitomi also got rid of her dilemma, left the player lobby, and started playing Ninja Heart.

The start was a huge relief for her; the opening scene of her parents dying was quite authentic.

After all, ninjas are also assassins, and isn't it normal for assassins to not have a pair of parents? Everything is starting to feel familiar.

She's not afraid of clichés; rather, she craves clichéd plots and gameplay because they give her a sense of security and hope of completing the game, preventing her from continuing to be at the bottom.

Although Uesugi usually plays horror games, he has also appreciated some canned masterpieces.

This opening gave her the feeling that the game was finally back to normal.

And—Fa Cheng is actually a teammate! That's great!

I sincerely apologize for calling you a bald monk in the past!

"No, the seventh year of Kan'ei is 1630, and the first month of the third year of Meireki should be around February or March of 1657."

"The timeline of the Demon Blade is 1602. At that time, Fa Cheng would have looked to be about thirty years old."

"Oh no! Is Fa Cheng still alive? Even if he is, he's an old man in his eighties or nineties! What good would he do?!"

Happy for nothing.

Uesugi Hitomi sat up unhappily from the bed and looked around. She was in a rather simple house.

The clothes he wore were rather masculine, and his hairstyle was one where the hair from his forehead to the top of his head was combed back and tied into a bun at the back of his head, a typical hairstyle for common men in ancient times.

The hairstyle often seen in Taiga dramas, with the top of the head shaved flat in the middle, is called the chonmage, and it was exclusive to the samurai class.

"I'm having trouble breathing." The area around my chest felt a bit tight.

Does she even take off her bra when she sleeps? So cautious.

There was a small window on the side. If you opened it and looked out, you could see many pedestrians on the street, and the city was bustling with noise.

Because it was the first day of the new year, many townspeople wore formal kimonos, presumably in preparation for going to the shrine to pray for good fortune.

When I played the Demon Blade game before, I didn't dare to venture deep into residential areas, so I never got to properly appreciate the lives of people in ancient times.

[Objective: Proceed to the Gold Storage House to receive the "goods"]

Once the familiar objective prompt appears, the game officially begins.

With a target hint, it feels much simpler than the demon sword which has no hints at all.

I thought it was something exclusive to memories, but I never expected to see it in "reality".

But working even during the Lunar New Year is quite diligent.

As with any game, I ransacked the house before heading out.

They found some darts, kunai, a short knife, an unknown powder, some coins, and a wooden box containing the "Six Jia Secret Blessing".

Uesugi tried to open it, but found that she couldn't.

The main body is defying her command.

It's like encountering an invisible wall in a game.

She didn't insist, packed her things away, and left the small house.

"They really don't know how to choose where they live. It's too crowded. If a fire breaks out in the middle of the night, none of them will be able to escape."

Because the buildings are low, they do get some sunlight, but the narrow streets and alleys can still feel stuffy.

There was a thin layer of snow on the ground, probably from last night, but with people coming and going, it had mixed with the gray soil and turned brownish-black. A footprint in it looked more like mud.

"Then the first thing to do is to find the Golden Treasury House."

Uesugi didn't ask anyone first; instead, he walked along the street and found the shop he was looking for.

"Oh, Bandeng, you've arrived."

Kinzangzhi House is a pawn shop-like store. The shopkeeper seemed to be quite familiar with this character, taking the initiative to greet him and then handing him a wooden box that had been prepared in advance.

Uesugi took it; it seemed quite light inside.

"This request is quite a long journey. During the New Year, only someone like you would ask for money but not care about anything else. Anyway, inside is a very expensive furisode, custom-made by a family in Edo for their daughter who is about to get married. Don't get it dirty."

"This is the deposit and handprint (for customs clearance). Go and come back quickly. The customer requested delivery within half a month, but I believe you should be able to get it in ten days."

The shopkeeper didn't say much, handed her the items, and then continued to work on his ledger.

It seems that even after the Demon Blade Rebellion, she did not give up her path as a ninja and became a rogue ninja, making a living by delivering valuable goods to merchants over long distances.

Then, everything went black before Uesugi's eyes, and the words "Day One" flashed by.

Then, you are taken to an interface.

It is divided into [Character Status], [Inventory], [Route Planning], and [Save].

Her status includes health points, stamina, and thoughts; her backpack contains what she has just looted and important goods; and her route plan is a map showing the major towns and cities she will pass through on her way from her current location to Edo Hongomoto-cho.

There was even a save file! She couldn't believe that she would be so excited that she wanted to cry because of a save file in a game.

However, there are only three save slots in total. One of them was already occupied by default when she woke up and hadn't left the house yet, which means that she only has two save slots available.

"I see, that's where the strategy lies. We need to plan the route carefully to successfully deliver the goods."

"So this is a game about delivering packages!"

"But there will definitely be combat elements. In any case, it's not primarily about combat, which is great!"

"I never imagined that the demon sword would fight its way from Kyoto to Edo, while this game would travel all the way from Kyoto to Edo."

Uesugi immediately perked up.

She was just looking for directions; she knew the area well.

"This is Shijo Kawara-cho. If we follow the route, we can completely replicate the way the demon sword traveled. However, this time we don't have to endure the elements and can stay in a ryokan openly."

In that case, taking the Tokaido route is the highest priority and the safest option.

Let me save this first. Based on her stamina, the furthest she can go today... Hmm? Koga-ri is nearby. Should we go back and check it out?

After hesitating for a moment, she thought that although it would waste a day, she should still go back and take a look, perhaps she could gain something.

At least we need to understand the details of what happened that day; it might be helpful in understanding how the story unfolds later.

Having made her decision, she set Kogajuku as her destination for the day.

After setting her goal and clicking confirm, she was back in the pawnshop in a flash.

"Tsk, alright, alright, I admit it. I did give you too little money this time, this is the most I can add." Seeing Uesugi standing there without saying anything or moving, the shopkeeper mistakenly assumed that he was dissatisfied with the price.

Although the time requirement is not considered expedited, it is reasonable to charge extra for a period like the first month of the lunar calendar.

The shopkeeper reluctantly took out five silver coins, laid them out on the table, counted them three times to make sure they were correct, and then gritted his teeth, gathered them in his hand, and handed them to Uesugi.

"."

Uesugi never expected that spacing out could trigger such an "Easter egg".

As expected, games are realistic; given enough information, the power of words can actually happen.

At this point, the game's objective has changed to heading to Koga Town Inn, and there are even route indicators marked in the field of vision.

After taking the money, she didn't linger. She wrapped the goods in a package and headed in the indicated direction.

Once outside the town, she began to accelerate, feeling light and fast, with excellent stamina. No wonder the shopkeeper said she could reach Edo in ten days.

If we don't encounter any unexpected events along the way and go at full speed, the time can be even shorter.

But she soon realized she had come for nothing; the ninja town was extremely wary of outsiders and had fences for protection.

To get in, she needed to be identified, but the problem was that no one seemed to know her, and she couldn't recall the names of any acquaintances. Even the box containing the Six Jia Secret Blessing, the only possible proof of her identity, couldn't be opened.

In the end, they could only leave Kogajuku under the watchful eyes of a few people.

"Should I restart the game while it's still early and gather clues from my memories to prove my identity?"

For some reason, the earlier chapters that were released were locked, and some oversights cannot be corrected. For example, the term "rib-zashi" is inaccurate and should be changed to "wakizashi," but since the earlier chapters cannot be changed, we will continue with this usage for the later ones.

Chapter 178: Strange Tales at the Tomb

Good news: This game offers a wide range of options.

The bad news: It puts you to the ultimate test of interpersonal skills, or emotional intelligence.

Moreover, it reflects the way people conduct themselves during the Edo period.

Players must adjust their habits accordingly and learn the etiquette of that era. To enter the city, simply showing the correct hand gestures isn't enough; they must also face extortion and baggage checks.

If you don't go into towns or cities, there's a high chance you'll encounter bandits in the wild. The protagonist you're controlling is just an ordinary ninja, a little faster than the average person, but only to a limited extent. He'll easily get surrounded and die in battle.

Therefore, we can deduce two strategies from this: one is to make good use of one's interpersonal skills to figure out how other merchants at the time hid valuables, and then proceed along the streets and towns, which is relatively safe.

Secondly, find a weapon that suits you, use your skills to adventure through the wilderness, and enjoy the thrill of battle along the way.

The second one chosen by Iwasaki.

Inside the gold storage room, there is actually a weapon stored by the lamp. You need to talk to it to find out what it is, and then pay a silver bean as a storage fee before you can take it out. You can also buy a set of women's clothing while you're at it.

After obtaining it, go to the Koga ninja village immediately, change into women's clothing, introduce yourself as Banto, the daughter of Banso En, and show her the weapon in your hand, a kusarigama with special patterns on it.

Once the inspection is completed, you can enter the village.

“You ran away for over ten years back then, and your uncles and aunts were furious. They no longer recognize you as their niece. But now that you're back, go and pay respects to your parents. I'll help you prepare some things.”

An old man from the village led Iwasaki, carrying some offerings, to the village cemetery.

"This area is where people who died in that incident are buried. It's the first month of the lunar year now, so usually no one comes here. If you need to stay overnight, just go to that house, knock on the door and say you're looking for Old Man Ji. His house is spacious."

"Oh, right. No one can stay here at night," the old man reminded him with a serious expression, as if he had just remembered something. "Do you remember Master Facheng? There is a seal he set up here to quell the three adults with the heart of forbearance who were infected by the evil energy of the demon sword."

Iwasaki asked, "Old man, can you tell me how Master Hosei dealt with the demon sword back then?"

“No, you weren’t. You were less than ten years old then, and it was such a tragic event. It’s normal that you don’t remember.” The old man sighed deeply, his eyes fixed on the graveyard, with an indelible fear deep within them. “I only found out later that the swordsmith named Masakiyo was actually a descendant of the Muramasa family.”