Chapter 7

What met his eyes was a dirt road slowly flowing with mud, and a large expanse of steep eaves dripping raindrops on Gassho-style houses.

Misty water vapor permeated the air, and the low, small houses on both sides looked to have an architectural style from the early Edo period.

Edo Castle was really built in the Edo period, huh...

Gassho-style houses, to put it simply, are crude wooden huts with a pile of straw thatched on the roof.

The reason they're called this is merely to distinguish ordinary people's residences from the "machiya" shops, and the "nagaya" where craftsmen live.

However, there's one strange thing.

Why are all the houses built upside down?

Beside the Warai-Hannya whose head and body had separated at some unknown time, the red-faced, slant-eyed samurai indifferently withdrew his gaze.

Uesugi Toru's consciousness plunged into darkness, and in the final moments, he could only curse inwardly:

"You tell me this MFer is just increasing Hidden Event Probability..."

Massive water pressure struck.

Lying on the bed, Uesugi Toru snapped his eyes open, sat up drenched in sweat, trembling as he touched his neck and gasped heavily, dry air rushing madly into his lungs.

Looking around again, his surroundings were not the inverted Gassho-style houses and muddy streets, but the familiar layout of his room.

By his side was not the red-faced ronin, but the dakimakura printed with a 2D pattern that the original owner had bought early on to hug while sleeping.

Uesugi Toru let out a breath of relief, his wildly racing heart rate gradually slowing.

He had only just learned that when a person's head is severed, they can still retain a few seconds of consciousness and thought; facts prove Lavoisier from hundreds of years ago indeed didn't lie to everyone.

Calling up the 【Entering the Common World】 option again, he could see a (Resurrection Count: 1/2) glowing with yellow light appear behind it, followed by a prompt that it recovers once every 12 hours.

In other words, if he wanted to, he could still go get his head chopped off by that ghost samurai one more time.

Hesitating for a moment, Uesugi Toru still didn't click 【Entering the Common World】 for now.

He wasn't afraid of death, he just simply didn't have a hobby of getting beheaded.

Taking out his phone to check the time, Uesugi Toru found that only a few minutes had passed in real time as well.

Even if the time flow of reality and the Common World isn't identical, it's similar... then right now he might as well sleep, wake up, and explore again.

That ghost samurai who could one-shot him surely has nothing better to do than stand guard at the spawn point doorway every day.

And before sleeping, there's still one thing that needs testing.

Uesugi Toru's mind moved, and the Walking Token in his backpack was taken into his hand without any obstruction.

— Items from the Common World can be brought to reality; just don't know if items from the real world can be brought into the Common World, and whether he can play American-style Iaido.

Just as he was about to put the Token away, the phone on the bed vibrated, its screen lighting up.

A message popped up.

Uesugi Toru froze for a moment, staring at the Token in his hand for a while, unsure if this was a coincidence.

Still, better not put the Token away for now.

【Work Go Die】: To be honest, being called out of bed by a phone call at dawn to stand by the roadside in the cold wind, that's truly not a life fit for humans. Want to die, really want to die.

Looking at this slightly unfamiliar Line friend name, Uesugi Toru closed his eyes to recall, and only at the end remembered who this was.

The original owner used to frequently go to various spiritual spots to test his courage; aside from accompanying two good bros, he himself was naturally a guy quite interested in spiritual events.

And this 【Work Go Die】 was a corporate slave uncle he met on a spiritual forum who had already been working for many years.

The two had a very good relationship; the other party often complained to him about inhuman superiors and heaven-defying work hours, while he would consult the other party on spiritual-related questions.

The two had even once reached the point of an offline meetup — only the original owner had social anxiety, only trash-talking online, but not daring to meet net friends offline.

Just scrolling through chat records, one could see a long string of very niche knowledge related to the spiritual, ghosts and gods.

But Uesugi Toru didn't believe these contents too much.

A mere corporate slave netizen could know this much? Then why would he still be a corporate slave, he might as well go be an Onmyoji and get an iron rice bowl.

【Work Go Die】: Things have come to this, let's eat first. (Convenience Store Bento. jpg)

Uesugi Toru recognized at a glance that the picture showed the cheapest near-expiry chicken cutlet bento from Eleven.

Forced overtime and still eating the classic pre-made meal, who knows if the old corporate slave's liver can hold up.

Thinking it over, Uesugi Toru decided to test the netizen's depth first.

【Tsukisuna-chan】: I have a friend who wants to play Fox Dog Raccoon at dawn, is it dangerous?

【Work Go Die】: If you really want to court death, I suggest you play in a crowded place, brat.

【Tsukisuna-chan】:?

【Work Go Die】: Because you die slower with more people. Hehe, joking. Before playing, still better go report to the Police Station first, for safety.

Police Station?

Uesugi Toru's eyes sharpened.

When ordinary people encounter spiritual events, why would they think of the Police Station? Aren't they all going to shrines for Omamori or finding temple masters to solve it?

Unless, the other party knows of the Special Affairs Division's existence.

Uesugi Toru sucked in a cold breath; this batch of net friends seems to really have some goods.

He recalled that red-faced samurai who beheaded him in one slash in the Common World, typed a string of descriptors, and was just about to send it to inquire, when he saw the other party's avatar directly dim.

【Work Go Die】: Damn, the boss is here, chat next time okay.

Helpless, Uesugi Toru could only send that paragraph first.

After waiting two seconds and it still showing "Unread", Uesugi Toru put down his phone, fiddling with the Walking Token in his hand, recalling the Wanderer Identity's effect:

【Walker: Since ancient times, Walkers have measured the Common World's history and earth with their feet; you are the same. Effect: Increases Hidden Event Probability.】

Open a door and get one-shot by an Elite Monster, pick up a phone and discover the online corporate slave uncle you've chatted with for over a year actually has real goods in his belly.

If this is called a coincidence, he wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death.

Why is saying "work and die" considered a "company slave uncle"?

Someone who smokes every day, drinks heavily every few days, has a completely inverted sleep schedule, and constantly complains to him that their superiors aren't human—must be a single otaku company slave with over ten years of service.

Uesugi Toru didn't think about it anymore; he simply closed his eyes and went to sleep.

He had to go to school in a few hours, and before that, he still had to explore Edo Castle once more.

……

"They're actually using the same Line ID both online and in reality."

In the conference room, Rituna Minami placed the two mobile phones in her hand down expressionlessly, looking at the identical contact "Tsukisuna-chan" among them, feeling an indescribable strangeness.

Usually, things like "-chan" and "-hime" are online names used by girls, right.

I didn't expect that Uesugi Toru, this little guy who looks quite serious, would actually be that kind of person.

Turning her mobile phone face down, Rituna Minami saw the middle-aged man with a sword at his waist walking in from the doorway, glancing at everyone present:

"Is everyone here?"

The man nodded, and after virtually pressing down on the bodies of the Onmyoji Minor Officials who wanted to stand up and bow to him, he spoke with swift and decisive force: "Cut the nonsense."

Rituna Minami, motionless in her seat, glanced at the other three Onmyoji Minor Officials, thinking these guys really had no eyesight.

Respecting seniors in the workplace is a good thing, but one must also pay attention to the "senior's" personality.

For example, their direct superior, Onmyo Daizoku Kondo Tomoya, the Onmyoryo chief in charge of Arakawa Ward, hated these empty-headed formalities.

"First, the approximate location of the Friendship Club is known; who will handle it……"

"I'll take full responsibility."

Before the other colleagues could speak, Rituna Minami raised her hand.

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to feel murderous gazes from the rest of her colleagues.

As if saying: "This company slave really deserves to die!"

Kondo Tomoya frowned indifferently: "Nanjo, are you planning to use an ordinary person as bait?"

"No." Rituna Minami pointed to Hasegawa standing behind her: "He will come. The reward is promotion to 【Industry Student】 after this mission."

"Nice to meet you."

Hasegawa stepped forward, grinned, and showed a cheerful smile to everyone in the conference room.

The conference room fell silent for several seconds.

Kondo Tomoya said nothing more, just nodded: "Next is about the First Wave."

Everyone present showed doubtful expressions.

Plans on how to deal with the arrival of the First Wave should have been arranged several months ago.

Kondo Tomoya seemed to see through everyone's thoughts, so he tapped his knuckles on the table and spoke sternly: "Just over ten minutes ago, the Astronomy Dao side sent an emergency report."

"——The Chang Shi is showing abnormal fluctuations; the First Wave is about to arrive."

New book period, please keep reading, reading is everything!

Please don't hoard books, please!

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End of Chapter