Chapter 14: The Factory Worker's Hard Hat

On the dim lawn, Uesugi Toru sat up slightly trembling, clutching his head.

A head had suddenly sprouted on his neck again, leaving his body somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Uesugi Toru had most likely died.

However, by activating Death Rattle before being smashed to pieces, he took two sturdy farmers with him and harvested a full 60 Soul Ash—he had already won big.

As for why it wasn't 90 Soul Ash?

——An iron hoe charged with power from behind came down, directly causing the head he had bitten onto another farmer's neck to explode, leaving him still sitting there savoring the moment.

"It hurts, it fucking hurts."

Uesugi Toru carefully touched his neck, found it was still the original 99-percent-new one for his own use, and sighed in relief.

He feared that whatever was perched on top might suddenly explode.

But after this death, his Soul Ash reserve had reached 135 points, enough for a ten-pull with some left over.

Not only that.

【You experienced combat, Kiai Technique Fragment proficiency +6!】

【You experienced combat, Tennen Rishin-ryu proficiency +3!】

After a final death battle with three farmers, the proficiency of both skills rose considerably—it could be said the harvest was rich.

Now the Hannya Mask's upgrade progress had reached 20%; in less than a day, Uesugi Toru felt his future had become a scene of flourishing prosperity.

"Let's pull a card first."

After a simple single pull, Uesugi Toru happily gained String Hun Xiang Hui +1.

But he had come for String Hun Xiang Hui in the first place, and now this thing had become consumable material for practicing Tennen Rishin-ryu.

As for why it couldn't be used when tempering Kiai Technique, Uesugi Toru didn't understand the principle, only assuming the Kiai Technique Fragment was too low-level and didn't meet the usage conditions.

The next resurrection count recovery would still require waiting ten hours.

Uesugi Toru decided to go home first for a meal, then sleep blissfully until waking naturally.

……

"Dad, I'm back."

After greeting his old man, who was still watching the ball game, Uesugi Toru thought it was fortunate the other wasn't a fan of his hometown team, otherwise he couldn't watch the match so quietly—he'd have been red-faced with rage long ago.

Getting no reply from his old man, Uesugi Toru didn't mind; he directly took out the pork cutlet bento from the convenience store, costing one thousand yen per portion, and wolfed it down.

After dinner, Uesugi Toru took the Nanjo Doll from his schoolbag and hung it at the doorway of his room.

Staring at the cloth doll with its somewhat exaggerated expression, Uesugi Toru spaced out a little.

Normally, he shouldn't remember such a small thing so clearly, so why did he remember today to take the doll out of his schoolbag and hang it up?

"Strange..."

Uesugi Toru looked at the cloth doll a couple more times—was it exerting a mental influence on him?

Facing this abnormal situation, Uesugi Toru didn't think about figuring it out alone, but directly tapped out two messages to Nanjo Ai on LINE.

【Tsukisuna-chan: Nanjo Sister, will the doll you gave me exert a mental influence on me?】

Uesugi Toru waited a long while without even seeing "Read," shook his head, and figured Nanjo Ai was probably busy with work now, with no time to take out her mobile phone.

"Since things have come to this, let's sleep first."

Upon waking, he should be able to see Nanjo Sister, plus the answer from netizen "Go Die at Work" to his question.

The time of deep sleep passed like a white horse glimpsing a gap.

If Uesugi Toru hadn't confirmed on his mobile phone that it was already early morning of the next day, he would have kept lying down dreaming.

Waking up early morning, groggy.

Naturally, he needed to enter the Common World, using the smell of straw and sulfur to refresh his spirit.

After putting on the Hannya Mask, Uesugi Toru immediately performed an Epic Lung Cleansing, then shouted loudly:

"Refreshing!"

With the double help of the Common World and the Hannya Mask, he successfully booted up in only about ten seconds—much cleaner than before, when he had to be tortured by the alarm clock three or four times before getting up.

For this life, Uesugi Toru decided to temporarily change his exploration strategy.

Not exchanging life for life to obtain Soul Ash, but exploring as much of the Arakawa Ghost Village map as possible while trying to stay alive, preferably encountering a few NPCs he could communicate with.

Because the Common World had no sun in the conventional sense, Uesugi Toru simply couldn't judge the direction of southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast through time.

And the side quest mentioned the "Jizo Statue south of the village"; the prerequisite for doing the quest was at least being able to find the quest location.

"Let's head toward the factory first."

Uesugi Toru's guess was that since the map contained "Contaminated Farmers," there should naturally be Yaoguai related to "Industry."

And the higher the level of industrialization in a place, the higher the possibility of encountering communicable existences...

Not likely.

Uesugi Toru stood in the shadow of the narrow Machiya, looking toward the two 【Exploited Factory Workers】 not far away, draped in "Tube-sleeved Haori," roaring and grappling with each other, and sighed.

He listened for a long time but couldn't understand what language these two were spouting from their mouths.

Uesugi Toru gripped the Firewood Cleaver tightly.

Since it was so, then he could only let them turn into Soul Ash useful to him.

After observing for a while, it seemed both workers were exhausted; they released each other and collapsed onto the gravel ground, but still gazed "deeply" at each other, appearing still unwilling to concede.

Uesugi Toru knew the opportunity had come.

Now the pale yellow aura floating above both workers' heads had turned into thin white mist, meaning they could almost no longer pose a threat to him.

He locked his vision, held his breath, and approached silently.

When the distance closed to about ten meters, Uesugi Toru deliberately kicked a pebble with his toe, causing both workers' gazes to instantly turn toward him.

Thus the smile maintained by the Hannya Mask took effect.

Immediately, Uesugi Toru fully activated the Kiai Technique, found the angle where two heads lined up, and in one motion sent out the Firewood Cleaver.

A viscous sensation transmitted from the Sword Blade.

However, the Worker Monster obviously did not have vitality as strong as the Farmer Monster; One Slash directly sent off both Monsters together.

"The blade is too dull."

Uesugi Toru shook his head; if not for using full strength without regard for Consequence, the Sword Blade would likely have gotten stuck in the first Worker Monster's skull.

【You killed the Stray Spirit "Oppressed Factory Worker", gained 10 Soul Ash.】

【You killed the Stray Spirit "Oppressed Factory Worker", gained 12 Soul Ash.】

【You gained, "Factory Worker's Safety Helmet (Damaged)".】

"Too bad Skill Proficiency didn't rise."

Sigh, yet with not a shred of regret on his Face, Uesugi Toru opened the Attribute of the newly dropped Equipment.

【Factory Worker's Safety Helmet】

【Quality: Damaged】

【Effect: None for now】

【——One of the Factory Worker's work outfits; besides this there are also upper garment, long trousers, Boots.】

A piece of junk with no Attribute bonus; if this were placed in Reality, even if someone gave it to him he wouldn't want it.

But for now, keep it; who knows when it might come in handy.

Glancing once more at the bustling factory interior, Uesugi Toru decided to withdraw first.

Joke; a glance could sweep dozens of Factory Workers; the only outcome of going in now would be getting smashed into meat paste with a crackling clatter.

If this really were a game, here would probably be written "The level of the Area ahead is too high, please come back to Explore later".

Uesugi Toru deliberately chose a Route Map different from the one he came by to return.

Walked for a while; just as he was Preparing to look for large Fields and the "White Scarecrow", Uesugi Toru unexpectedly heard a "thump thump thump" sound.

He turned his gaze, and surprisingly Discovered the sound was transmitting from inside a finely decorated Machiya.

(End of Chapter)