Chapter 6: Walker Of The Eternal World
What is this thing that suddenly popped up, 【Enter Eternal World】?
Shangshan Che looked at this option with great interest.
【Eternal World rift detected. You can now choose to enter the Eternal World for exploration.】
Beyond that, there was no further explanation.
He nodded thoughtfully.
Hmm, I don’t get it.
Then Shangshan Che clicked on the brightly flashing 【Enter Eternal World】 option.
Overthinking is pointless. Game mechanics that you don’t understand become clear once you start playing.
In an instant, Shangshan Che’s vision went black, and he collapsed onto the bed.
……
Cold, no shaking.
The smell of decayed thatch filled his nostrils. Shangshan Che took a deep breath of the turbid, cold air, clutched his head, and shakily sat up.
Without hesitation, he directly chose to incarnate as Laughing Hannya, and the chaos in his senses immediately dissipated by more than half.
Shangshan Che opened his eyes and saw the eerie thatched cottage and a large amount of translucent text in front of him.
【The long deep dive has ended, and you have arrived in the Eternal World…】
【This land once bordered the Mortal Realm, but after long ages, it has been forgotten by all and sunk into the abyss of the depths. As a result, even the fall of the Lord of the Eternal World is unknown to anyone.】
【The Eternal World has lost its common ruler. Different eras have fallen into one, the decayed land breeds filth, and demons run rampant…】
【This is paradise for demons, hell for the living.】
【A living soul who can only incarnate as a weak Laughing Hannya, future Lord of the Eternal World.】
【Welcome to the Eternal World.】
Eternal World?
In his impression, it seemed to be the world opposite the 【Mortal Realm】 where humans live in mythology…
The world where monsters, demons, and supernatural phenomena reside.
Shangshan Che’s eyes lit up.
Doesn’t that mean the Eternal World is full of demons and monsters on every street, everywhere teeming with walking soul ash?
—These are all my precious gacha resources!
He eagerly stood up, but his head accidentally bumped into something.
Whoosh—
A faint light lit up in the dilapidated thatched cottage. Shangshan Che looked up and saw an old, rundown shrine covered in spiderwebs.
【You have lit the shrine in Edo Castle.】
【Shrine: Basic anchor point. Once lit, it can be used for teleportation or resurrection.】
Shangshan Che roughly understood. This was like the fountain in an online game, though this was probably an online game for him alone.
With that in mind, Shangshan Che immediately prepared to head out and explore thoroughly, while hacking down every miniboss he encountered on the way to stockpile resources.
Soul ash, I’m coming!
【Current area unlocked: Edo Castle（Four-Star）】
【Main Quest One: Explore at least 80% of Edo Castle. Current exploration progress: 0%】
【Main Quest Two: Exorcise Oni Warrior—Ten Thousand Kills·Fang Xiang（Four-Star）, Thousand-Man Foe·White Bone, Wax Figure（Three-and-a-half Star）.】
【Side Quest One: Gaze from Underground—Ever since you entered Edo Castle, you have felt a faint sense of being watched.】
Shangshan Che, who was about to push open the thatched cottage door, paused. He squinted at the two words after “Edo Castle,” and after confirming he wasn’t seeing things, he stood in place puzzled and silent.
Isn’t this a bit much, bro?
I’m just a Half-Star juvenile Laughing Hannya, and you’re sending me to explore a Four-Star map?
Any random wild monster passing by on the roadside could probably kick me to death.
And this main quest… asking a Half-Star small fry like me to exorcise a Four-Star Ten Thousand Kills Oni Warrior?
If that’s the case, haha, invincible.
But then again.
Shangshan Che pondered.
Risk often means opportunity.
A high-star map definitely has more than just those minibosses that can kick you to death. There must be high-star items and props far beyond what you can obtain in reality or from the gacha pool at your current stage.
And from the shrine’s information just now, he wasn’t limited to one life but could continuously resurrect in the Eternal World.
Thinking about it that way, it wasn’t so hard to accept.
Moreover, the prompt hadn’t ended.
【Weak future Lord of the Eternal World, please choose one of the following three identities as the foundation for your foothold in this turbulent Eternal World.】
Shangshan Che glanced over the three identity options and immediately made his decision.
【Hojo Remnant: Our clan has fallen. The Kamakura era was reduced to ashes in a great fire. Now, you are the Hojo Clan’s only hope. Effect: Charm +10, increased reputation. Unlocks the unique special event “Revitalize the Hojo Family”】
【Walker: Since ancient times, walkers have measured the history and land of the Eternal World with their feet, and you shall do the same. Effect: Increased probability of triggering hidden events.】
【Sengoku Ronin: A ronin lost upon the Eternal World Land. Effect: Physique +5, immediately obtain “Ronin Katana”, immediately obtain 500 soul ash, slight boost to kendo cultivation speed.】
No need to say more about Sengoku Ronin—directly eliminated.
Although the “Ronin Katana” shimmered with deep blue light, probably a rare quality weapon, and it would immediately provide 500 soul ash to fill the current shortage.
But this was clearly just an early-game hero. He wasn’t facing any urgent life-or-death crisis right now, and its only late-game talent of boosting cultivation speed was limited to “kendo”.
Development potential too narrow, pass.
Of the remaining two identities, after a moment’s thought, Shangshan Che still eliminated the “Hojo Remnant” that increased charm and reputation.
Because if he wasn’t mistaken, the clan in “Hojo Remnant” referred to the Hojo Clan at the end of the Kamakura period.
Revitalize the Hojo Family was fine, and it might even yield many unexpected gains due to this identity.
But the problem was that different eras in the Eternal World all existed on the same land.
Shangshan Che didn’t want to clash with the behemoth that destroyed the Hojo Clan right after entering the Eternal World—his Half-Star Laughing Hannya was probably weaker than their guard dogs.
Since that was the case, only “Walker” remained.
Increasing the probability of triggering hidden events was nice, but just how high was this “probability” worth investigating.
And Shangshan Che felt his luck had always been poor; otherwise, he wouldn’t have transmigrated into a cold iron cabinet.
【You have chosen the identity “Walker”.】
His hand felt heavy, and Shangshan Che saw a copper token covered in rust and dust appear in his palm, with indistinct writing on it that should be “Walker”.
Shangshan Che picked up a few pieces of straw, tied a simple knot, and hung the token at his waist.
He stood in place waiting a few seconds, and after confirming no new prompts appeared, he took another deep breath, donned the Laughing Hannya Mask embedded with the Hundred-Eyed Demon eyeball, gripped the old cleaver in hand ready for a backstab at any moment.
In this state, Shangshan Che even had confidence to face a One-Star evil spirit.
Then, he gently placed his palm on the thatched cottage door.
Slowly pushing it open.
