Chapter 147: S-rank Seeds Gather, Gacha Pool’s Two Yield Mechanisms, Altered History?
A prompt appeared, and everything around instantly turned to faded grey.
Everything in the whole world, be it wind and water, sky and earth, the black-clothed man kneeling called Hanzō, or Imagawa Yoshimoto looking towards him.
Aside from Shangshan Che, everything else froze the moment the prompt appeared.
It was as if Shangshan Che had been extracted from this world.
Shangshan Che wanted to turn his gaze, but he found that apart from his thoughts flowing normally, his body was also unable to move.
Only the prompt in front of him continued to pop up—
【You have temporarily left the Muromachi Shogunate Late Period, Sengoku Period Mid-Era. 】
【Please confirm. 】
“So that’s what the prompt’s earlier mention of ‘node not yet reached’ meant…”
Shangshan Che chewed over the words suddenly spoken by Hanzō again, extracting “Mikawa Region Uprising” and “Great Demon” as keywords.
In other words, from the next period onwards would be the second stage of the main quest.
Shangshan Che thought, “The first main quest allowed me to obtain the ‘Entrance Ticket,’ so from the second stage, I should officially step onto the stage of history.”
If that’s the case, then it is indeed better to hit “pause” first.
Because the time flow ratio between the Mortal Realm and the Sengoku Period was a terrifying one to thirty.
If something major happened in the Mortal Realm, even if Shangshan Che maximized his efficiency and solved it in half a day, half a month would have passed in the Sengoku Period.
Such a long period would be enough to fight several Battles of Okehazama.
As for how to re-enter, it should be related to the “Key of History · Stage Two” he had just obtained.
He would have to check that when he returned.
Shangshan Che’s thoughts stopped there, and he looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was on the rocking chair with her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, looking at him and about to say something.
He let out a sigh of relief in his heart.
“—Then, Lord Yoshimoto, we shall meet again later.”
Shangshan Che used his thoughts to heavily click confirm on the prompt in front of him.
The next moment, a monstrous wave struck, submerging Shangshan Che’s consciousness.
The brief darkness vanished, replaced by the already slightly warm morning sunlight.
Although Shangshan Che’s consciousness was again plunged into darkness this time, upon reawakening, he somehow felt that only a minuscule amount of time had actually passed.
Shangshan Che opened his eyes in a pavilion at the Okehazama scenic spot, just in time to frame the sun rising from the horizon.
“It’s hurting my eyes…”
He turned his head to look around and found the entire scenic spot deserted and silent, not a soul in sight. Even the souvenir shop not far away was still dark and closed.
Shangshan Che took out his mobile phone, turned on mobile data, and reconnected, then saw the current time.
“The morning of May 16th, no wonder there’s no one here.”
After all, apart from a very small number of special scenic spots, no divine or human tourists would intentionally rush to a spot at six or seven in the morning to torment themselves from the previous day.
Shangshan Che flipped through the calendar and found that the True Sword Match was scheduled for May 18th.
Roughly calculating, there were a little over two days left.
There was ample time, so it wasn’t particularly urgent.
Shangshan Che stretched, walked out of the pavilion, and pondered what to eat for breakfast while checking his status panel.
Although the food at the Imagawa clan these past few days had been good, featuring luxurious feasts of polished rice, grilled fish, and Namban pastries.
However, the culinary techniques of that era were truly somewhat backward, and Shangshan Che himself only knew how to heat up bento from a convenience store.
After eating like this for twenty-odd days, his mouth was almost numb from the blandness.
He made up his mind that next time he went, he would definitely have Lili Zi teach him a few dishes and put some modern black technology seasonings in his storage bag.
He also had to let Imagawa Yoshimoto eat well; otherwise, if the future ruler of the world ate only rice, cabbage, and radishes every day, how embarrassing would that be to say.
No, absolutely not.
Even if he didn’t have time to study cooking, he had to stock up on 7-Eleven bento before going in—Shiroishi had already eaten most of the compressed biscuits.
Before checking the new Key of History and that Super Epic quality map, he still had to get rid of the red dot for Five Thunder Technique · Qi Gathering.
【Five Thunder Technique · Qi Gathering （Proficient 5/1400 ）】
【Effect: When circulating the breathing technique, you can release lightning at will. 】
【—Qi and lightning, lightning and qi. This is a serious question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. 】
【Because your Five Thunder Technique · Qi Gathering has been raised to the proficient level, your Physique +2! 】
【Because your Five Thunder Technique · Qi Gathering has been raised to the proficient level, your Spiritual Arts +1! 】
【Because your Five Thunder Technique · Qi Gathering has been raised to the proficient level, your Lightning Affinity has increased. 】
Since he exorcised the Sickly Ghost on the day of his Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Shangshan Che’s Five Thunder Technique had reached the realm of proficiency.
Just as its effect description stated, Shangshan Che could release lightning almost at will; it was just that the precision was slightly lacking.
Also, even though Five Thunder Technique · Qi Gathering itself had no limit on the maximum output of electricity, the generated current ultimately had to be released to the outside world through Shangshan Che’s body.
So first, he had to be careful not to electrocute himself.
Shangshan Che had tested before; the safe limit for a single discharge was roughly equivalent to the lightning he released with full power when he first obtained the Blessed Folding Fan.
However, before it was a skill used once every five minutes; now it was a basic attack that could be released at will.
Severely injuring or crippling a Star-One level demon with a single bolt of lightning was not a major problem.
And there was one more advantage: if the breathing technique was highly stimulated, the spiritual power consumed when releasing lightning with Five Thunder Technique · Qi Gathering simultaneously would be greatly reduced.
Rounding down, it was equivalent to getting a free lightning buff while activating Corona Breathing Technique · Fifth Form.
Shangshan Che walked out of the Okehazama scenic area, walked around the empty road for several laps, but found no breakfast shops emitting the aroma of food.
If even the streets of Nagoya had no privately run breakfast shops, then Tokyo would be even less likely.
If he wanted to eat non-industrialized breakfast in the future, it seemed he could only rely on Lili Zi.
Helplessly, Shangshan Che had no choice but to walk towards the only open 7-Eleven on the roadside.
On the way, he took out the newly obtained Key of History from his storage bag and held it in his hand.
The new Key of History was transparent blood-red, and under the morning light, it looked as exquisite and luxurious as red agate.
The feel of it was completely different from the bone-white Key of History · Shrine.
【Key of History · Stage Two （Special Item ）】
【Effect: After infusing a certain amount of spiritual power, activate it to re-enter the Muromachi Shogunate Late Period, Sengoku Period. 】
【—This is the key to unlocking the node; nothing will change until you use it. 】
【Note: Key of History · Stage Two is a one-time use item. 】
“This is equivalent to a key that unlocks time stop, isn’t it.”
Shangshan Che muttered, putting the Key of History away—after all, the description had clearly stated its usage and consequences, so there was no need to study it further.
He then took out the Key of History · Shrine, wanting to see if it had undergone any changes.
The result was that the originally jade-white key was covered with a faint layer of grey film, and it seemed to be unusable for the time being.
“This hasn’t changed either.”
Shangshan Che pouted. Just as he was about to enter the convenience store, he released Adult Two-Foot, who had been inside the Ksitigarbha Statue for a long time without being let out.
“Wow! I’m suffocating, Che Adult!”
The small Adult Two-Foot jumped out and stretched her hands upwards, tiptoeing, bending her flexible body into the shape of a drawn bow.
After running around Shangshan Che a few times, she said with great dissatisfaction, “Che Adult, you’re really willing to leave me all alone in the Ksitigarbha Statue, I’m so sad, I’m so sad…”
Shangshan Che arrived at the entrance of the 7-Eleven, and the infrared-sensing glass door automatically opened to both sides. As he walked, he said to Adult Two-Foot beside him,
“Pick anything you want to eat, I’ll pay.”
“Yay!”
The girl immediately cast aside the unhappiness in her heart, humming a tune as she ran past Shangshan Che, and began to unceremoniously pick out snacks and beverages for herself.
Shangshan Che first bought a serving of Oden at the counter for breakfast, planning to eat as he shopped.
“That’ll be 1033 yen in total. Thank you for your patronage.”
Taking his extra-large serving of Oden, Shangshan Che first took a sip of the broth, which was full of floating oil, and a delighted smile spread across his face.
—This technologically advanced, fresh taste was truly long overdue!
Picking up two blue plastic baskets, he tossed one to Adult Two-Foot and told her it was okay to materialize.
Shangshan Che then explained the reason for the previous “confinement” to her: “If Imagawa Yoshimoto had seen you come out, she would have probably started having some new ideas.”
“Oh oh!”
Adult Two-Foot frantically threw jelly, potato chips, candy, and carbonated drinks—items that children especially liked—into the basket. After thinking for a moment, she replied,
“From my observations, that woman seems quite interested in you, Che Adult!”
She leaned closer and gave Shangshan Che, who was eating Oden, a mysterious smile, “Perhaps if you make a move, Che Adult, you could take her into your harem… then I could come out legitimately!”
“That’s completely impossible.”
Casually tossing the last skewer into the bowl, Shangshan Che pouted, “I really don’t think Imagawa Yoshimoto would develop any extra personal feelings for me.”
“—After spending about ten days with her, I could only fully feel that she greatly valued my strength and my unique identity as an ‘Onmyoji’.”
Shangshan Che first threw the empty Oden plastic bowl into the convenience store’s trash can—to avoid having to carry it around after going out and not finding a place to dispose of it.
Shangshan Che presented a different viewpoint from Adult Two-Foot: “Imagawa Yoshimoto’s heart probably has no room for emotions like ‘kinship’ or ‘love’.”
“—Yes, she is a being composed entirely of self and benefit.”
Shangshan Che made a calm judgment,
“Rather than her being interested in me, it’s more like she wants to put a collar on me, so that from now on, I can only bark at her.”
Finally, he raised a finger and added,
“However, Imagawa Yoshimoto is indeed a good person, and she is also a very wise and capable lord.”
Adult Two-Foot scratched her head after listening, feeling like her brain was growing.
She then threw a few bottles of yogurt into the basket and, after thinking, said, “Che Adult, I just feel that her feelings for you are very passionate; the heat is almost burning me through the Ksitigarbha Statue.”
Adult Two-Foot handed the heavily filled basket to Shangshan Che and smiled, “Anyway, personally, I think she’s much better than that flat-chested Demon King. She says what she thinks and is very generous, instead of bottling it up and then playing coy.”
Speaking of which, Adult Two-Foot put her hands on her hips,
“Hmph, if Lord Yoshimoto is fortunate enough to become your main consort in the future, I’m sure she wouldn’t reject me, her loyal subject who followed you from the start! At that time, the three of us could…”
She’s already calling her “Lord Yoshimoto” without even meeting her.
Shangshan Che stared speechlessly at Adult Two-Foot, who was sprinkling imaginary flower petals into the air with her hands.
He had been seriously answering Adult Two-Foot’s questions earlier, only to find that the key point of her thoughts was this.
It was finally time for the rabbit to show its true colors.
After giving Adult Two-Foot a rap on the forehead, Shangshan Che paid at the convenience store counter.
As Shangshan Che was paying, the convenience store clerk scanned the area several times but found no second person.
She recalled the two voices that had come from inside the store earlier, and then remembered that she hadn’t seen anyone else enter the store from the doorway, so the clerk’s calves began to tremble.
A ghost? Or a specter?
“Th-thank you for your patronage. Please come again…”
Shangshan Che looked at the clerk, who was struggling to force a smile and looked like she was about to cry, with some confusion. He took the two large plastic bags and walked out of the convenience store with Adult Two-Foot.
—In reality, there were no ghosts or specters.
—It was just that Adult Two-Foot, when materialized, was not as tall as the counter, so the clerk didn’t notice her.
…
After placing the extensively purchased supplies into his storage bag and having Adult Two-Foot remain materialized beside him, Shangshan Che took out the main reward from the first stage.
—The Unknown Core Factory Map.
【Unknown Core Factory Map 】
【Quality: Super Epic 】
【Effect: Upon activation with a “Factory Core,” it will point to an unknown Core Factory in an unknown location. The Core Factory is guaranteed to contain one unknown “Super Epic” quality equipment/item. 】
【—You want my treasure? If you do, then take it all! Go search for it! I’ve put everything in the world there! 】
Shangshan Che rubbed the parchment map, which still felt smooth to the touch but appeared ancient and well-worn on the outside.
“Unknown, unknown, still unknown… it’s like opening a blind box.”
But when it came to the word “Factory,” Shangshan Che couldn’t help but recall the massive factory he had first seen in Aragawa Ghost Village, which had been rumbling day and night.
At that time, he had seen too many scattered Zero-Star and Half-Star worker mobs inside the factory, and it was also the point when the First Wave was about to arrive.
Therefore, Shangshan Che had not explored the factory further to avoid any unforeseen complications.
Shangshan Che pondered, then shifted his gaze to the words “Factory Core.”
【Factory Core 】
【—The power core of the factory’s giant steam furnace. 】
Steam furnace.
—The factory built next to Aragawa Ghost Village also seemed to be powered by steam engines to keep it running.
In the Eternal World, modern facilities like “factories” are not easily found.
Or rather, they are almost never seen.
So there must be some connection between the two; perhaps the factory next to Aragawa Ghost Village contained the Factory Core.
But even if there was a minuscule chance that the two were unrelated, Shangshan Che could still spend two thousand Soul Ash to summon Katsumi and ask him about related matters.
Shangshan Che carefully rolled up the parchment map in his hand and put it back into his storage bag.
—Super Epic grade equipment or items were well worth making a special trip for.
And it might even open up a completely new map.
“If that’s the case, then I should still finish what I have in hand first.”
The immediate priority was naturally the True Sword Match.
When Shangshan Che took out his phone again to ask Nanjo Emi about the situation, he realized she had already called him twice and left two short voice messages.
He had previously thought that there were too many red notification dots at the top of his phone, so he hadn’t noticed them when checking the time.
“Damn it, delaying my time… Watch me turn off all notification permissions for you.”
Shangshan Che tapped his fingers rapidly, and in a short while, he had locked all app notification permissions except for LINE.
This way, anyone who sent him a message from now on could be replied to instantly.
Opening Line, Shangshan Che could see Nanjo Emi’s two messages.
【2024.5.15 23:11】
【Nanjo Emi: The Special Affairs Office has found a few candidate Shikigami for you. It’s inconvenient to take pictures, so you’ll have to come see if there’s one you like in person.】
【2024.5.16 3:24】
【Nanjo Emi: Don’t forget the True Sword Match starts on the 18th. If you see this, reply instead of playing dead.】
“Sister Nanjo’s efficiency is as high as ever.”
Shangshan Che sighed, then without a word, he called Nanjo Emi directly.
After three rings, the call was answered.
However, it was Shizuma Manatsu’s calm and formal voice: “Hello? Is this Shangshan Jun?”
“It’s me…”
Shangshan Che paused, wondering if there was some sudden development.
“We’re already on our way to Yokohama City. Nanjō Great Officer is finally catching up on sleep, so it’s not convenient for her to take calls.”
Shizuma Manatsu’s words were clear and strong: “She told me to tell you to come directly to Yokohama City if you called, and we’ll discuss the Shikigami issue after the match.”
“I understand.”
……
Hanging up the phone, Shizuma Manatsu, who was driving, glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the van, which was packed to the brim and completely overloaded.
In the passenger seat was Nanjo Emi, arms crossed, looking haggard even in her sleep. Hiyori Bo lay on her chest, providing just the right amount of warmth to her master.
Behind her sat Riri Zi, who, even on the way, was meditating with her eyes closed, sweat beading on her forehead.
Kitano Runa, who had only learned the 《Basic Spirit Absorption Method》 but was already brimming with spiritual power, sat next to Riri Zi, her eyelids heavy with sleep as she watched new anime with headphones on.
Behind the two of them sat a man and a woman, both “seeds” recently discovered by the Special Affairs Office.
Shizuma Manatsu’s mind flashed with their profiles.
The man was Makiya Hitomi, S-class potential. He had strong talent in Onmyōdō, particularly excelling in Astronomy Path and Water Clock Path, but he also practiced some Five Elements Onmyōdō to compensate for his weaknesses.
Shizuma Manatsu recalled the times he unleashed his Onmyōdō and added in her mind, “Very strong, very strong.”
Moreover, Makiya Hitomi was also remarkably calm.
The woman was Hattori Ayako, A-class potential.
In fact, the potential wasn’t in Hattori Ayako herself, but in Isohime, the Three-Star Shikigami she had contracted.
About a week ago, Hattori Ayako accidentally fell into the water while saving someone, and just as she was about to drown, Isohime saved her.
Shizuma Manatsu didn’t know the specific details.
She only knew that to save Hattori Ayako, who was on the verge of death, Isohime had voluntarily contracted with her, thus preserving her life.
Furthermore, according to Nanjō Great Officer, this Isohime didn’t seem to be an ordinary Three-Star Yokai, but rather a Great Demon that had fallen from the Four-Star Ghost God level for some unknown reason.
Because Isohime was too powerful, Hattori Ayako could not easily make her manifest.
— If Isohime manifested, it would cause ordinary people like her to become weak, and combat would rapidly deplete Hattori Ayako’s Spirit, Energy, and Vitality, making it unsustainable for long.
In conclusion, this gave Hattori Ayako, an ordinary person with no talent for Onmyōdō and unable to learn Breathing Techniques, an “A” rating.
It could only be said that her future was promising.
Shizuma Manatsu saw the red light and smoothly applied the brakes, her gaze falling on the face of the last person, a shy boy curiously gazing out the car window.
Akechi Yuya, S-class potential. He was a talent recommended by the former Onmyo Major Official, Kondo Yuya. His talent for Breathing Techniques was outrageously high, and his Sword Technique talent was also quite good, allowing him to cultivate at an extremely rapid pace.
It was said that after only a month of exposure to Breathing Techniques, his strength had already reached the level of approximately Two-Star.
Shizuma Manatsu thought, “He and Riri Zi are probably the epitome of a true genius and an ultimate hard-working ordinary person.”
In addition, there was Nure-onna at the back of the car and three Special Affairs Office Agents dressed in black suits—they were responsible for the safety of the “seeds” in the car.
However, listening to the laughter from the back, it seemed that Sister Nu and the three uncles were getting along well.
Shizuma Manatsu pressed the accelerator, driving the sightseeing and study group for this True Sword Match, or rather—the substitute personnel—slowly towards Yokohama City.
……
On the other side, Shangshan Che had already boarded the Shinkansen to Yokohama City.
He bought a window seat for Two-Foot Adult as usual.
—Perhaps because she had been cooped up in the same place for too long before, Two-Foot Adult now always liked to breathe fresh air and see the scenery of different places.
However, this time Two-Foot Adult begged Shangshan Che to let her materialize and sit in a seat, because this way she could sightsee while eating snacks.
It could only be said that she knew how to enjoy herself.
Shangshan Che leaned back in his seat, looking at his 3160 Soul Ash, and opened the Gacha Pull panel for Edo Castle.
Well Woman, Sickly Ghost, plus the 1500 Soul Ash from the mission reward were just enough for two ten-pulls.
However, Shangshan Che still didn’t plan to deplete all his Soul Ash at once—leaving some Soul Ash that wasn’t urgently needed might be of great help at a critical moment.
So, he would stop after one ten-pull this time.
In the gacha pool, the black-haired Hundred-Eyed Demon loli was curled up and suspended in mid-air, clearly sleeping.
Shangshan Che glanced out the car window and, upon noticing the bright sunny day, withdrew his immediate thought of pulling.
He wasn’t in a hurry, as he was on the Shinkansen anyway. He would wait until it started raining outside before observing the gacha pool situation.
As expected, within fifteen minutes, the previously bright sunny weather outside turned into continuous rain, causing even Two-Foot Adult, who was enjoying the scenery, to pout in displeasure.
Shangshan Che looked into the gacha pool again and found that the Hundred-Eyed Demon loli had indeed slowly opened her eyes, yawned, walked to her throne, crossed her legs, and started to put on a show.
Shangshan Che blinked, surprised that his previous speculation about the weather affecting the gacha pool was actually true.
So, combined with previous pull experiences, the Edo Castle gacha pool probably had two mechanisms?
Firstly, during rainy days when the Hundred-Eyed Demon loli was awake and “working,” it should be no different from a normal gacha pool, but there might be a chance to trigger a transaction with the Hundred-Eyed Demon.
Secondly, when it was sunny outside and the Hundred-Eyed Demon loli was sleeping.
If he clicked to pull at this time, it would wake the sleeping Hundred-Eyed Demon, making her very annoyed and causing highly unstable output.
However, it also had the possibility of pulling powerful hidden items.
For example, the Epic Grade Rikishi Talisman from before; this talisman was not displayed on the gacha pool page.
After weighing the options, Shangshan Che decided not to trust his bad luck and pulled once with a ten-pull now.
With a casual mental click for a ten-pull, Shangshan Che, not expecting anything good, quietly gazed at the gacha pool.
He then saw the Hundred-Eyed Demon loli, who had just woken up and sat on her throne, pout with dissatisfaction, and after a soft hum, she got down from the throne that hadn’t even warmed up yet.
She rummaged through the pile of treasures for a while, and finally threw out ten items together—
【Soul Incense Ash（Small）×2】, 【Soul Incense Ash（Medium）×3】, 【Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Single Eyeball×2】, 【Spell Scroll（Fragment）×2】, 【Demon Essence】.
Shangshan Che glanced over them briefly and nodded.
As expected.
This kind of pull, where no Epic item was drawn and no special event with the Hundred-Eyed Demon was triggered, was a normal pull.
It was the kind of pull he was familiar with, the unlucky pull!
And the first nine items were familiar acquaintances; only the last item drawn was something Shangshan Che had never seen before.
He gazed at the “Demon Essence,” its icon resembling a thick, dripping, black-red, unnameable object, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
【Demon Essence】
【Quality: Rare】
【Effect: When fed to a Shikigami, it accelerates their Promotion progress.】
【— An “essence” mixed by the Hundred-Eyed Demon out of boredom to avoid waste. As for what’s inside? Who knows.】
Shangshan Che glanced out of the corner of his eye at Two-Foot Adult, who was slurping jelly, and then at the short progress bar of “3%” above her head.
Fortunately, this thing wasn’t for “feeding” himself… otherwise, after swallowing it in one gulp, he’d probably feel nauseous for at least a whole day.
This flesh mass that looked like a biological weapon was really not suitable to be taken out on the Shinkansen.
Shangshan Che had at least this much sense.
—And although he drew Hundred-Eyed Ghost Eyeball this time, the Hundred-Eyed Demon loli didn’t seem to have any intention of trading with him.
He didn’t know if the cooldown period after the last transaction was too short, or if she hadn’t finished digesting the three eyeballs from last time.
For now, he would keep these two large eyeballs and the incomplete Spell Scrolls together.
After all, a mere 200 Proficiency points were not much at this stage, and Shangshan Che also had the novel idea of whether “other people have any effect when using Spell Scrolls.”
Afterwards, Shangshan Che observed the bored Hundred-Eyed Demon loli for a while longer, and upon confirming that she really had no intention of trading, he silently closed the gacha pool panel.
“By the way, I should ask Riri Zi and the others if they’ve arrived…”
Shangshan Che took out his phone, intending to open Line, but his hand paused.
Because he saw the Wikipedia app waiting in the lower right corner of the screen.
After a moment of silence, Shangshan Che looked at the distinct “0.5%” Historical Change Degree on his Walker’s Chronometer.
—Has history truly been changed by me?
Shangshan Che slowly took a deep breath, calming his complex emotions.
Then he silently opened the app and typed “Imagawa Yoshimoto” into the search bar.
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