Tokyo: The Player Behind the Scenes

With this in mind, he left home and traveled around exorcising demons and monsters. He met Youchan, a man of profound Buddhist teachings and a kind heart, and found a new spiritual pillar.

Only now does he realize that everything he has done seems to have been in vain.

Even if he could rid the world of all demons, he could not rid the hearts of all evil.

Heaven and earth are neither good nor evil. People do not need to be virtuous, nor can they make the world a better place.

The desire to escape the world arises from this.

“Perhaps I should go back and leave something for the family.” Oshima mimicked Akatsuki’s subconscious.

Under Oshima's tense gaze, suspicion rose slightly, but the problem should only lie in his wording; he meant there was no problem.

And so, after being away from home for more than ten years, Xiaoche finally made his way back to Nara just before winter arrived.

Unexpectedly, after he left, the Daoman family collapsed due to frequent famines, taxes, and population loss.

His wife and children suffered severe discrimination within the family, and were even stripped of their status as the head of the household. Eventually, they moved to Edo and went to live with their maternal family.

Oshima felt conflicted after watching this.

But others were more concerned about how to find their family members later.

Dao Manxiaoche, that outrageous guy, hasn't seen his wife and children for over a decade; who knows what they look like now?

Players are seeing pixelated animation, so they can't tell whether it's good or bad; all they can say is that it looks like a human.

However, since Doman Akatsuki is an Onmyoji, he does have the skills to find people.

So he returned to Edo and, without much trouble, found his wife and children.

But he learned that his wife had passed away and his son had started his own family and had children.

He silently left a note, along with the snake bone amulet and some coins. Then, guided by the player, he returned to the space where the Zhu Hai had originally been placed.

Zhu Hai seemed to have a stress reaction, thinking that Dao Manxiao was settling scores later, and he was so frightened that he cried and begged for mercy.

It's only been a few months since it got out of the house; if it goes back, it'll probably have a mental breakdown.

However, Dao Manxiao ignored it, moved the space deeper underground, and expanded it to the point where it could even be used for farming, and it no longer isolated spiritual energy.

Time seemed to speed up; by the time it was completed, it was already the second year.

Daoman Xiaoche stood at the door, staring blankly at a blank stone tablet.

Then, he pulled out the Demon-Slaying Crimson and carved the three characters "Escape Cave" on it.

He then climbed over the stone tablet, seemingly wanting to add something behind it, but holding the knife, he just stood there frozen.

"Uh, are we supposed to fill this in? What we fill in shouldn't affect the later plot, right?"

Uesugi Squad.

Hayato asked the two veteran players.

"Among the players, only Yaowu has been to this place." Uesugi shook his head helplessly. "However, given Doman Akatsuki's personality, he probably wrote down some information for those who come after him."

In fact, Iwasaki didn't know there were more words after that.

I read the simple Chinese poem that came after Higashiyama Shin.

Demons are numerous and cannot be eradicated; evil originates from within the human heart. Decaying bones leave only life, causing only sorrow for future generations.

The first two lines are fine, but the last two lines are not appropriate now. This poem should have been written later.

She let out a soft sigh.

Daoman Xiaoche sheathed his sword.

Then the game became part of the schedule.

You can assign various tasks to Daoman Xiaoche on a quarterly basis.

Without a second thought, players who have just experienced the Mount Fuji incident should immediately prioritize having Xiaoche study the Nine Formations of the Local Treasure, as it will definitely be used later.

Even though Iwasaki Kosuke wasn't entirely clear about the existence of array formations, he could roughly guess that the array formation book must be of great use, and that Doman Akatsuchi should study it.

Spring goes and autumn comes, time flies.

In the blink of an eye, it was 1700.

While escaping into the cave, Daoman Xiaoche felt a call from his bloodline.

"Mount Fuji"

Someone is calling to me, compelling me to go to Mount Fuji, to bring the demon-slaying bag and the Crimson Corpse.

Then, players face two choices.

Support or oppose.

"1700. We can only be certain that the Nine Star Earthly Treasury Seal was set up before 1707. Judging from the timeline, it is indeed about the same now," Muramasa Taki said hesitantly.

"Then should we guide him to accept it?" Hayato confirmed.

Uesugi was at a loss, so it seemed reasonable to go to Mount Fuji for a boss battle at this point.

"Wait, you can go, but you absolutely cannot bring the Vermilion Skeleton or the Demon-Slaying Bag," Takii added.

Upon hearing Taki's words, Uesugi was immediately relieved and began to organize his thoughts, instructing Doman Akatsuki to partially resist the call.

In the end, Daoman Xiaoche only took He Ye and Zhan Gui Xing Hong with him when he left the escape cave, which at least conformed to the history they knew.

However, both Nobita and Iwasaki's squad chose to resist.

Then, resisting this bloodline calling, they carried out the arrangements with little to no effort.

And even if they do nothing, the level of suspicion will automatically increase.

Until 1707, a major earthquake occurred.

I could sense that if I didn't go to Mount Fuji soon, an even more terrible disaster would occur.

At this point, the suspicion level is almost full.

Nobi and Iwasaki had no choice but to agree, and made the same decision as Muramasa Takii.

You absolutely must not bring Zhu Hai along.

However, Iwasaki brought along the demon-slaying bag.

But it was no use. When Doman Akatsuki arrived at a town near Mount Fuji, Nobita and Iwasaki discovered that the input box was locked.

That's right, it's locked! There's absolutely no way to input anything or perform any operations.

The viewer's gaze remained fixed on the spot, watching the pixelated figure of Daoman Xiaoche walk towards Mount Fuji until it disappeared from sight.

Soon after, the world changed dramatically.

The sky seemed to have been violently torn apart by a giant hand, and within the churning, thick dark clouds, a pair of enormous, blood-red eyes suddenly opened, so large they took one's breath away.

Many players have seen these eyes; they are almost identical to those that appeared on Mount Fuji not long ago.

His eyes seemed to be formed from utter destruction and hatred, fixed on a certain point deep within Mount Fuji.

That wasn't observation; it was the most naked and purest form of resentment.

As far as the eye could see, even space itself seemed to be distorted.

"Daoman—Xiaoche—!!!"

A piercing, soul-stirring scream, filled with deep-seated resentment, seemed to erupt suddenly from nowhere, like the howling of ten thousand ghosts.

The sound was so terrifying that it made the distant mountain peaks tremble and crumble, causing an avalanche on their snow-capped peaks.

As the roar began, the ground beneath their feet trembled.

The roar ends, and then comes the full-blown rage.

The entire Mount Fuji was emitting a tremendous, earth-shattering wail!

Rumble!

A colossal pillar of molten gold, billowing black smoke and boiling volcanic ash, violently broke through the last restraints of the mountain and soared into the sky.

In an instant, the sky was set ablaze, like an inverted golden waterfall.

The scorching white lava spewed high into the sky and then fell back to earth like a meteor shower, creating a scene reminiscent of the end of the world.

The shockwave instantly swept across the mountains, filling the air with the pungent smells of sulfur, burnt ash, and melting rocks.

Under the unbearable, violent internal pressure, the mountainside at the edge of the crater crumbled like an eggshell.

From that newly formed, enormous fissure, a torrent of orange-red magma transformed into a great river, ignoring any terrain obstacles, and rushed towards Edo.

Wherever it went, flames rose and everything was burned.

The entire horizon was dyed a fiery red, a scene of purgatory.

Iwasaki and Nobita knew that they were completely finished, and this was probably one of their fates.

And it certainly won't be a good ending.

You can prepare to tackle the challenge for a perfect ending, or prepare to face the reality of disaster.

This scene is definitely not the so-called Hoei eruption of 1707. The Hoei eruption should be a disaster that was reduced in magnitude after it was stopped by Dōman Akatsuki.

This was meant to give them a heads-up on how terrifying a eruption of Mount Fuji could be if no one stopped it.

In reality, it has accumulated for hundreds of years, so large and thick that it can probably fly directly over a hundred miles to Tokyo.

Thank you to "Invincible Wind and Fire Lips" for the donation.

Chapter 237: The Erosion of Reality

You have successfully completed the ending - The Wrath of Fuji.

[Ending Evaluation: Standard ending. Edo is reduced to ashes once again, beyond repair. Japan has once again entered an era of war, but the most terrifying daimyo this time emerges from Mount Fuji.]

[First-time completion rating: B-]

Tokyo, National Center for Neuropsychiatric Medical Research Hospital.

Mandatory implementation of single-patient intensive care unit.

The entire room is under surveillance with no blind spots, leaving no room for the patient's privacy.

Everything in the room has been carefully tamed to be harmless.

The walls and corners were covered with a thick layer of skin-colored soft adhesive, and a faint chemical smell could be detected when you got close.

Tables, chairs, beds—all movable objects were firmly nailed to the ground with huge bolts.

The water bag is made of flexible medical-grade silicone. A water cup? Not available; that would be considered a hazardous material.

On the only bed, a slender woman lay on her side.

Hamasaki Yui silently opened her eyes in the darkness, propped herself up on the bed with her hands, and stared straight at the pitch-black one-way glass window.

After a long while, her head adjusted to the darkness. She tilted her head, raised her hand, and looked at her five slender, frighteningly white fingers that moved nimbly.

After watching for a while, she picked up the water bag by the bed and silently began to drink the water inside.

After drinking half a packet, she lay back down on the bed, her eyes vacant as if staring at the ceiling.

In reality, she was looking at a virtual screen that only she could see.

[Final Reward: Ability - Reality Erosion (1+1=3, right?)]

[Potential: B-, Growth Requirements: None, Growth Abilities: Skin Trick, Fear Conformity, Cognitive Disruption]

[Basic Ability: Mind Pollution]

After looking at the words and memorizing them one by one, Yui closed her eyes, curled up, tapped her arm with her fingertips, and softly hummed a nursery rhyme.

"Little goldfish, goldfish, blinking its eyes."

Sweet tears, oh rain, please fall!

I can't sleep in the fish tank.

On the plate, a heart blossoms.

The caged bird no longer sings.

"Together forever, counting to one!"