Chapter 175: 1000-7 (Requesting Monthly Ticket)
In the silent Hidden Sound Village, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the dead calm before a storm.
Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from a civilian house like a phantom.
It was Uchiha Ren!
Almost at the same moment Uchiha Ren appeared, Kurenai moved!
As Konoha's elite Jōnin, her reaction speed was top-notch. She unhesitatingly unleashed her signature genjutsu—Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Kill!
Her body flickered and merged into the air, disappearing without a trace.
Immediately after, thick trees shot up from under Uchiha Ren's feet at a speed visible to the naked eye. Sharp branches, like venomous snakes, rapidly coiled around Uchiha Ren's limbs, attempting to bind him firmly in place.
A moment later, Kurenai's figure slowly emerged from the trees. Gripping a sharp kunai, her eyes were cold and stern as she approached the trapped Uchiha Ren step by step, each one carrying an undeniable killing intent!
Uchiha Ren didn't even need to ask why Kurenai was acting this way.
The village must have given her orders when they left, suspecting him of defection.
Moreover, being in the Hidden Sound Village would inevitably lead to such suspicions.
However, Uchiha Ren was no ordinary person.
Trapped within the genjutsu, his eyes instantly ignited with that iconic blood-red glow. His Sharingan activated!
Under the gaze of the Sharingan, the surrounding illusion seemed to tremble slightly, as if in awe of this powerful force!
Just as Kurenai raised her kunai, poised to stab Uchiha Ren's throat, he violently raised his head. His Sharingan, as vivid as blood, locked precisely onto Kurenai's eyes!
In that instant, an invisible spiritual force surged back like a raging tide!
Kurenai felt the scene before her eyes change abruptly. She found herself in another unfamiliar and bizarre environment.
She discovered she was sitting on a dilapidated stool, her body seemingly held by thousands of threads, unable to move.
Uchiha Ren stood before her with a mysterious smile, holding a small, delicate awl. He approached her step by step.
A strong sense of unease surged in Kurenai's heart. Her eyes widened as she watched Uchiha Ren extend his hand and tightly grip her finger with the awl.
"What is 1000 minus 7?"
Uchiha Ren's voice echoed faintly in this illusion, like a low whisper from hell, imbued with a chilling coldness.
Immediately after, the corners of his mouth turned up in a cruel smile. "Now, feel this pain clearly!"
"Ah!" Kurenai abruptly awoke from the genjutsu, gasping for breath, her forehead covered in fine sweat. Her eyes still held remnants of terror and shock.
After she had somewhat recovered, she realized that she was still tightly restraining Uchiha Ren from behind. At this moment, Uchiha Ren was also slowly waking up.
The moment Uchiha Ren opened his eyes, he smelled a faint, clean fragrance. The soft touch from his back made him pause involuntarily.
He coughed lightly and asked Kurenai with slight awkwardness, "Teacher, can you let me go? I'm just a kid, after all."
His words carried a peculiar playfulness, as if the thrilling genjutsu battle had never happened.
Caught off guard by Uchiha Ren's sudden words, Kurenai let out a small "pfft" of laughter, her tense nerves relaxing slightly.
But the doubt in her heart hadn't dissipated. Her gaze remained fixed on Uchiha Ren as she asked again, "Are you really not defecting? Why did you come here?"
Uchiha Ren didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Kimimaro.
Kimimaro lay on the ground, his eyes tightly shut, already trapped in a genjutsu and unconscious. His face still showed signs of struggle and pain.
Seeing Kimimaro in such a state, Uchiha Ren couldn't help but be a little surprised.
As expected of Konoha's future top genjutsu master; she even took down Kimimaro. It seemed he had underestimated Konoha's Jōnin.
However, he quickly composed himself and raised the half-eaten tail-type kagune in his hand. He said nonchalantly, "I came here to buy some jerky."
As he spoke, he even offered the kagune to Kurenai. "Want some?"
Kurenai looked at the bizarre appendage, which emitted a faint smell of decay. Her stomach churned, and a look of disgust appeared on her face as she quickly waved her hand. "No, thank you."
Seeing this, Uchiha Ren didn't insist. He shrugged and casually swallowed the last half of the kagune himself.
After swallowing, he rubbed his neck and stretched his shoulders to ease the soreness from being bound. Then he looked at Kurenai and said seriously, "Let's go, Teacher. We're currently trespassing in another village. We shouldn't stay here long."
With that, he took the lead and walked toward the village exit.
Kurenai hesitated for a moment, then followed closely behind him. The two figures gradually disappeared down the paths of the Hidden Sound Village, leaving behind a stretch of silence, as if nothing had ever happened.
---
Below the great sphere of light, Zheng Zha held the dagger Chu Xuan had given him and took the replicant Lori's hand, preparing to exchange points for time to return to the real world.
Before leaving, Zheng Zha was overjoyed.
He could finally take Lori home, allowing her parents, who had lost her for many years, to see their daughter again.
At the same time, Zheng Zha could also let his own family know he was safe. In a way, they had met each other's parents. After leaving some gold bars for both families, this journey of reincarnation wouldn't have been for nothing.
Chu Xuan's expression was one of immense anticipation.
Although he was emotionless, he felt he should be looking forward to this.
Inside the dagger he gave Zheng Zha, he had placed a locator along with some information about the Main God Space, high-tech blueprints, and other such things.
With these items, the military would find Zheng Zha and launch an attack on him.
Main God Ren Arakawa, who had read the original work, had specifically told Chu Xuan that there was no need to verify the connection between the Main God Space and reality, because it was indeed possible to return to the real world.
But Chu Xuan still insisted on having Zheng Zha take the information back, and even articulated his series of ideas. He needed Zheng Zha to carry out the plan, not anyone else.
Ren Arakawa even asked Chu Xuan if he held some deep grudge against Zheng Zha.
Chu Xuan simply replied, "The wisdom of mortals. Zheng Zha needs to grow."
With things having reached this point, Chu Xuan was determined to have a showdown with Zheng Zha.
On one side was the strategist.
On the other, a big gorilla.
Those two were destined to love and kill each other sooner or later.
With that thought, Ren Arakawa exchanged some healing spray, antidotes, high-efficiency bandages, and a small shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile from the sphere of light.
He handed all of it to Zheng Zha.
"Captain," Zheng Zha was a little puzzled, "will I encounter any danger when I return to reality?"
Ren Arakawa thought for a moment. "Well, that's hard to say. But it's better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?"
Zheng Zha nodded, accepting all the items and storing them in the storage ring he had exchanged for. "Thank you!"
In the Main God Space, every step was a struggle. To have someone spend so many Reward Points on him, Zheng Zha was incredibly moved and bowed to Ren Arakawa.
"Don't worry about it," Ren Arakawa said, hastily moving aside.
Zheng Zha smiled, then waved goodbye to everyone one by one, his words full of death flags: "Everyone, wait for my return!"
Lori, whose hand he held, also nodded to everyone with a smile.
Just then, Ren Arakawa exchanged another item: a suit of bulletproof armor worth three thousand Reward Points.
[Bulletproof Armor: Requires 3000 Reward points. Origin: Resident Evil 4. Acquired as a reward for clearing the main story on Hardcore difficulty or higher with an A-rank evaluation. This armor allows an ordinary high school girl to move with complete freedom and flexibility, is as light as normal clothing, and can defend against most bullets, crossbow bolts, and slashes.]
Handing the armor to Lori, Ren Arakawa waved. "See you in a bit!"
In the blink of an eye, Zheng Zha and Lori vanished.
And the next second, they were back.
The Main God Space's time-space travel was just that efficient and miraculous.
The next second, the two reappeared in the Main God Space as if they were phantoms!
However, the state of the returning Zheng Zha and Lori left the other members of Team China dumbfounded.
Zheng Zha was covered in wounds, with shocking gashes crisscrossing his body. High-efficiency bandages were densely wrapped all over him, making him look like a wounded soldier who had just returned from a fierce battlefield.
Beside him, Lori wore the ink-black bulletproof armor. Its once pristine surface was now covered in bullet marks and shrapnel imprints from grenade blasts; it was pitted and scarred. She looked equally miserable. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she had just been crying, and filled with exhaustion and terror.
The moment Zheng Zha reappeared in the Main God Space, he first yelled, "Main God! Restore my and Lori's bodies! Deduct the Reward Points from my account!"
Then, consumed by rage, he charged at Chu Xuan like a pouncing tiger. Without another word, he balled his fist and punched him viciously, knocking Chu Xuan to the ground!
Immediately after, he straddled Chu Xuan and rained down a flurry of crazed punches, roaring, "Why did you try to kill me?! Why?! WHY?! If the Captain hadn't exchanged so many things for me, if he hadn't exchanged that bulletproof armor for Lori..."
"Why would you do this to me?! Speak!!! Why did you give me that dagger?!"
But Chu Xuan acted as if it had nothing to do with him, expressionlessly calling out to the Main God, "Restore my body. Deduct the Reward Points from my own account."
(Ten-thousand-word update finished. A weak question... can I still ask for monthly tickets?)
(end of chapter)