[A.N Couldn't find the name of Xueshan so its probably incorrect anyone know who it is? Apparently it's Anayama.]
"???"
"The fuck?!"
"THIS is eight years old?!"
"No way. Absolutely no way!!!"
Natalie nearly spit blood. "Are you kidding me?! This is supposed to be an eight-year-old?!"
At that moment, the 'child' spotted her. His dopey expression twisted into rage.
"ENEMY! ENEMY KILL!!!" he bellowed, charging forward with terrifying speed.
The screen suddenly froze, and a warning popped up:
[Certain enemy attacks cannot be blocked. They deal massive damage and can only be countered with perfect parries or dodges. When such attacks occur, the word 'Danger' will appear above the enemy's head.]
The message vanished. The game resumed. The massive mallet came crashing down, shaking the ground.
Above the Taro Soldier's head, a red kanji flashed, Danger!
"Holy shit!!!" Natalie panicked, pulling back at the last second. But the mallet's range was enormous, the shockwave still slammed into her.
"UGH!" The Wolf staggered, half his HP gone in one blow.
"What the hell is this monster?!" Natalie screamed. But the 'child' didn't let up, already charging again, mallet raised high.
"Shit!" Natalie cursed, rolling desperately to the side and scrambling up.
Despite his bulk, the giant's speed was terrifying. He lumbered forward like a freight train, not giving her an inch.
"Fine! Let's fight!" Natalie roared, raising her sword. She slashed at him with all her strength, only to watch his enormous health bar drop by a measly tenth.
"…What the... this isn't a soldier, it's a damn boss!!!"
"Ahhh!!!"
With another wild roar, the massive Taro Soldier raised his colossal hammer. The word [Danger] flashed above his head once again.
Natalie gritted her teeth. "Fine, let's try a parry!" She met the hammer with her blade.
Bang!
The parry failed. The sheer force sent her crashing to the ground. Before she could recover, the giant pounded her again and again, like smashing rice cakes with a mallet.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a few brutal strikes, her screen went black. Two options appeared: [Resurrect] or [Die Here].
"No way, this thing's broken strong!" Natalie groaned.
The chat went crazy.
"LMAO he just beat her into paste!"
"Too OP! That hammer swing feels like it could one shot a regular soldier."
"And THIS is supposed to be an eight year old?!"
"This monster's too much. Looks like assassination's the only option…" Natalie muttered. Without hesitation, she picked [Resurrect].
"Rise!"
With a gasp, her character came back to life.
But instead of attacking again, the giant suddenly froze. His face twisted in fear.
"You… monster! You're one of the monsters from Senpou Temple! Don't hit me, don't hit me, waaah!!!"
He let out a terrified scream, dropped his massive hammer with a clang, hugged his head, and began crying like a child.
A red dot instantly appeared on his body, a critical strike marker. One clean hit would finish him.
Natalie had been ready to run for her life, but seeing this, she stopped, dumbfounded. "Wait… what's going on? Why did he just… give up?"
The chat was just as stunned.
"Did he get scared because she resurrected?"
"Could it be related to Senpou Temple? Didn't he keep shouting about it earlier?"
"Think about it, he's got the body of a weapon, but the mind of an actual eight-year-old."
"Yeah, remember what those soldiers said? The Taro Soldiers are artificial creations from Senpou Temple. This guy probably really IS a kid who's been turned into a weapon!"
"Wait… then does that mean all the missing children from this town were… made into these things?"
The viewers fell silent. A chilling thought spread through everyone at once.
Natalie's eyes widened. She had wondered earlier why there were no women or children in this town, only soldiers. Now, an awful realization dawned on her.
"This… Ashina's insane!!!" she gasped.
"Yeah. To win a war, they're even sacrificing their children?!"
"That's too cruel…"
"Hopefully it's just speculation. Otherwise this is way too dark…"
The chat buzzed with unease.
Natalie lowered her blade. Looking at the sobbing giant in front of her, she couldn't bring herself to land the finishing blow. If this was truly an eight year old boy trapped inside that monstrous body, how could she?
"…Forget it. Since you've surrendered, I'll let you go." She whispered, moving on.
But her kindness soon proved useless.
Down the next road, she encountered several more Taro Soldiers. Unlike the crying one, these giants obediently followed squads of soldiers, listening to commands like trained dogs. Some were even being teased, treated more like fools than warriors.
The earlier speculation now felt chillingly real. These so called 'Taro Soldiers' truly seemed to be made from the children of Ashina Castle.
And if the children had been turned into weapons… what had become of the women and elderly?
Natalie didn't know. But as she pressed forward, her chest felt tight, and an uneasy panic crept into her heart.
To prepare for the coming battle against the Interior Ministry, Ashina had turned into a nation where everyone was part of the war machine. Almost every man bore arms as a soldier. And in this chaos, the fate of women, children, and the elderly could only be imagined, tragic and cruel.
Natalie forced herself to set those thoughts aside. She followed her usual strategy: climb to higher ground, scout, then strike from the shadows, assassinating soldiers one by one. As for the Taro Soldiers, she still couldn't bring herself to kill them.
But soon, she realized her compassion was a liability. Each time she killed a soldier, a nearby Taro Soldier would notice. Their shouts brought reinforcements, and within moments, she'd be surrounded.
Even with two resurrections, she stood no chance.
Through countless deaths, Natalie's heart slowly numbed. The resolve she once had, not to kill Taro Soldiers, began to waver.
The chat was relentless.
"Don't be stubborn, Natalie. Mercy to enemies is cruelty to yourself."
"Exactly! It's just a game, swing the blade!"
"Maybe killing them is the only way to set them free…"
"War spares no one. Never pulls your punches."
Some viewers drew deeper connections. "Think about it, the Taro Soldiers are just like those child soldiers in certain war torn regions."
They explained further, warlords in those places drugged children with toxins, brainwashed them, forced them to commit unspeakable acts, and trained them to kill without hesitation.
What do you do when you meet such children on the battlefield? Show mercy, and they'll slaughter you, and desecrate your corpse. Show no mercy, and you'll carry that guilt for life.
This was the exact dilemma Natalie now faced.
Thankfully, this was only a game. Everything was virtual. And at least here, the developer had given the 'children' grotesque, oversized bodies, lessening the guilt when players struck them down. Reality would never be so kind.
After long persuasion from the audience, Natalie finally relented. With a steadying breath, she raised her blade against the Taro Soldiers.
In direct combat, they were monsters. But when struck from the shadows, they fell easily. Their awareness was even lower than common Ashina foot soldiers, because in the end, what defenses could children truly have?
An hour later, Natalie had cleared the area. She stood amidst the silence of the battlefield, her heart tangled with emotions, relief, guilt, exhaustion, and a faint flicker of triumph.
She pressed on, leaving the ruined town behind. At its edge, she came upon a massive wooden bridge.
It stretched over a hundred meters long, wide enough to fit four carriages side by side. But now, the entire span was blown apart, reduced to broken planks and collapsed beams. Crossing it was impossible.
Just then, a voice called out, "Brother, trying to reach Ashina Castle? Won't be happening today!"
Startled, Natalie looked over. A man sat near the shattered bridge. He was about forty, wrapped in a headscarf, his pockmarked face making him appear almost grotesque.
"In order to stop the Interior Ministry's invasion, Lord Genichiro himself ordered the bridge destroyed," the man explained.
"Someone's actually… talking to me?" Natalie was surprised. She hurried closer.
The Wolf also asked calmly, "And who are you?"
The man straightened his back and replied, "Name's Anayama. Just a humble peddler. The lords wanted us common folk to join the army, but I'm crippled, so I sell wares instead."
Only then did Natalie notice the wooden peg where his right leg should've been.
The Wolf pressed, his tone quiet but sharp, "Then tell me, what happened to the women and children of this town?"
The question hung in the air. Anayama's expression darkened, and after a pause, he sneered bitterly.
"In times like these, what use are women and children without strength to fight? They're turned into… something useful. Better than becoming dead weight for the soldiers."
He sighed. "Lord Isshin is gravely ill, no longer able to govern. Lord Genichiro carries the burden of protecting Ashina… so such measures can't be avoided."
He stopped himself, then forced a smile. "But brother, best not to dwell on such things. Knowing too much will only sour your mood."
Natalie curled her lip. "Another riddle spouting NPC…"
Still, his words confirmed her suspicions. The fate of Ashina's commoners was darker than she had feared.
"Anyway," Anayama continued, suddenly brightening, "care to browse my wares? Plenty of fine goods here."
A shop menu opened before her eyes. Natalie skimmed through the items: healing pills, pottery shards… but one thing immediately caught her attention, firecrackers.
[Firecrackers – A Shinobi tool. Produces blinding light and deafening sound, especially effective against beasts.]
Her eyes lit up. "A ninja tool!" She bought it instantly.
"Haha, thank you, brother!" Anayama beamed. "One more thing, if you truly wish to reach Ashina Castle, the bridge isn't your only path. With skills like yours, climbing the cliffs is not impossible."
Anayama pointed toward the cliffs. Following his finger, Natalie noticed massive boulders jutting outward, forming a precarious path along the mountainside.
"But you'll need to be careful if you take that route," Anayama warned, lowering his voice mysteriously. "Because in these mountain streams… dwell the gods."
"Gods?"
"Yes. The White Serpent God. Among all the guardian deities of Weiming, the White Serpent is the most fearsome." He shook his head solemnly. "Tread carefully, brother."
"…Got it," the Wolf replied curtly.
The chat immediately erupted.
"Holy crap, now there are gods in this world?!"
"Not surprising. If they can turn kids into Taro Soldiers, summoning a serpent god isn't too far fetched."
"Wait… you mean we actually have to fight a god?!"
Natalie ignored the chatter. She returned to the temple, installed the newly purchased firecrackers onto her prosthetic, and tested them. With a flick of her wrist, the shuriken transformed into a cluster of explosives, sparking and bursting with a deafening crack-crack-crack!
"Damn, this thing's insane!" Even Natalie flinched at the blast.
After finishing her preparations, she returned to the broken bridge and followed Anayama's directions along the cliffside. Protruding rocks formed a jagged trail, clearly placed for players to climb.
BOOM!!!
As she stepped forward, the ground suddenly shook violently. Loose gravel tumbled down into the abyss, and she nearly lost her footing.
"What the hell, an earthquake?!" She stumbled back, heart pounding.
The tremors quickly subsided, and she pressed on. But the deeper she went, the worse it became. Each quake grew stronger, as though the mountain itself were growling.
"This is bad, it's getting worse!"
"It's gotta be the White Serpent God messing around!"
"Natalie, watch out! That thing isn't just for show!"
Her chest tightened. Ahead, she spotted a crooked tree jutting out from the opposite cliff. If she could hook it, she'd swing across safely.
"Perfect! I can make it!" She raised her grappling hook-
BOOM!
The cliff face exploded. Dust and stone scattered, and a colossal head emerged from the wall.
The head alone was larger than two trucks side by side. Smooth white scales glistened under the light, sprouting tufts of coarse hair that hinted at its ancient age. Twin golden eyes narrowed, vertical pupils contracting on prey.
It was a giant white serpent.
"Fuuuuuck!!"
"What the actual hell is that?!"
"Natalie, hide, HIDE!!!"
Her instincts screamed. Natalie flattened against the cliff, barely breathing. The serpent's massive body slithered around the rocks, each coil shaking the mountain.
Then the monster's head swung toward her hiding spot. A forked tongue flicked out, hissing, tasting the air. The stench of blood and rot washed over her. Goosebumps exploded down her arms.
Her heart pounded wildly. She'd felt this before, the same primal terror as when she first encountered the Leviathan in Subnautica.
But compared to that deep sea beast… this serpent was even bigger.
"Go away, please, just go away…" she prayed silently, trembling.
The serpent turned, its enormous eye locking onto her.
Their gazes met.
Time froze.
"SHIT!!!" Cold dread washed over her like a bucket of ice water.
ROOOOAR!!!
The serpent shrieked, maw opening wide enough to swallow a house whole. Two fangs like scythes gleamed as it lunged.
Panicked, Natalie drew her blade, slashing desperately, but the strike might as well have been a twig against a mountain. The serpent surged forward, jaws closing around her.
"NOPE NOPE NOPE!!!" she screamed, unleashing the signature move, Nigerundayo.
Helmet off. VR link cut. Platform abandoned.
"She pulled it off again, the legendary escape!!"
"LMAO she rage quit!!"
"Damn, I don't blame her. That thing is nightmare fuel!"
Though she had fled in real life, the stream continued to play her character's fate. The serpent whipped her avatar around like a ragdoll, slamming her against cliff walls before dragging her into the abyss.
It was disturbingly similar to when NeasJ got caught by Leviathan… only bloodier.
Finally, crimson words splashed across the screen, [DEATH].
The developer wasn't merciful, getting swallowed wasn't an instant kill. No, he made players experience the full horror of being chewed, shaken, and crushed before declaring death.
"Good thing Natalie dipped, or she'd have suffered the full 'White Serpent Experience Package'!"
"Damn dev, he never misses a chance to torture players."
Natalie's voice suddenly cut back into the stream, still cursing, "Fuck! You scared the hell out of me, damn it!"