The Game Merchant Who Started from the Ninja World

Chapter 48: Breaking Through the Death Soul Mountains

"The nobles of the Land of Rain are willing to invest and support everyone's actions."

Konan kept her identity hidden.

She hadn't yet come to an agreement with Nagato.

Although she believed in her friend's heart, he seemed to have fallen into an extremely obsessive mindset, intent on destroying the ninja world. His plan to gather the Tailed Beasts was already underway.

In the end, they had compromised.

Nagato would continue to control Akatsuki's core members—the S-rank rogue ninja from various nations—to collect the Tailed Beasts and awaken the Gedo Statue.

Konan would lead the weaker outer-circle members who helped Akatsuki gather funds.

She thought,

"If Nagato could see change with his own eyes, maybe he would change his mind too."

Chiyo from Sunagakure spoke first. "Since Miss Paper Flower has agreed, the funding won't be a problem. I'm in."

"Seconded."

"Agreed."

Even Kirigakure and Kumogakure had to pinch their noses and accept.

After all, the cost to take down the Wraith Sorceress was enormous. None of them could shoulder it alone. The cake had to be shared.

Better to let nobles take a slice than rival ninja villages.

To them, nobles were just self-indulgent fools.

Since the Warring States era, it had been an iron rule that they never got involved in ninja affairs.

The plan quickly kicked off.

First, the weaker players charged out of the Novice Village as cannon fodder, dying and reviving repeatedly to create an opening in the Wraith Cavalry lines.

Then stronger players cleared a path, escorting the alliance players and ninja units out.

With their full stats, loaded inventories, and instant revival points at the ready, the elite players charged straight into Sarina's encampment.

"Vermin."

Sarina, a level-20 lord-tier boss, didn't need a massive army. Her own strength was unmatched.

To players, she was like a turret-type mage with every skill maxed at level 20.

Waves of terrifying energy rained down upon the elite players.

Hellfire, Corrupted Blood Sea…

Soul claws stretched from the ground, snaring careless players, slowing movement. Stack enough and they'd get rooted.

"Wraith Skeleton!"

Sarina coldly raised her staff. A beam of light struck a dying player.

"Damn, dodge it!"

Kurotsuchi leapt to intercept, blocking the beam.

The icy fire scorched his flesh and bones, draining the last of his HP almost instantly.

Even as a defense-focused Monk, with heightened physical and magical resistances after activating his Iron Bell Barrier, he couldn't withstand Sarina's Hellfire.

Buzz.

After spending reward points, Kurotsuchi instantly revived on the spot.

That skill of Sarina's would turn dead players into armored, high-defense Wraith Skeletons.

Players had already suffered from it—no one wanted to fall for it again.

Blazing Chains!

Mei activated her skill. Violent flaming chains cracked across the battlefield, disrupting Sarina's Hellfire zone.

She'd previously unlocked a buff called Hellfire, similar to Sarina's dark flames.

Even the system had suggested she become an Infernal Flame Mage during her class transfer.

But her real-world kekkei genkai—Boil and Lava Release—didn't mesh well with Infernal Flame.

In the end, she chose to become a Blazing Flame Mage instead.

Watching Sarina now, unleashing hellish power that could rival the legendary Ninja God, Mei couldn't help but feel a little regret.

…

"Master, the players did it!"

Fang Yi was resting with his eyes closed in the carriage when the silver-haired loli's shout startled him awake.

She shook his arm excitedly. "In all the worlds corrupted by these things, not one has managed to take down a Corruption Source this easily!"

As far as she knew,

Corruption Sources were incredibly powerful. Using the Soul Rune to scan them, even the weakest showed gold-tier potential—and they had already grown to peak form using the power of corruption.

That's why most worlds struggled against them.

Only superior force, brute strength, and major sacrifices could bring them down.

But her master?

He had reversed the usual order.

Using a group of just barely Tier-1 players, with purple or silver-tier soul potential, they overwhelmed a near-Tier-2 gold-tier threat—Sarina—before her breakthrough.

Unbelievable!

Fang Yi smiled. "No matter how powerful a Corruption Source is, it's still just a lone hero. It can't stop the flood of players."

Even ants can kill an elephant.

Not to mention, these elite players were all famous ninja from the real world. They weren't weak by any means.

The loli frowned. "But haven't world wills tried this kind of zerg rush before? It never worked."

Fang Yi sneered. "I'm the only one bold enough to give players actual power—turning the source into reward points. What world will has ever dared do that?"

Did they think a slogan like "Defend the World!" was enough to motivate players?

Even donkeys need beans to pull a mill. Beat them all you want—if they're exhausted, they won't move.

Most people would willingly buy themselves a cup of coffee just to stay awake,

yet world wills were so stingy they wouldn't even give out a single reward point—and still expected people to die for them.

They deserved to be devoured by corruption.

But if you offer enough rewards? Forget a Corruption Source—Fang Yi was confident he could take down an entire corrupted world.

A crude system panel popped up.

[Fang Yi]

Reincarnation Buildings: Novice Village (Lv.1), Game Towers ×5 (Lv.2), Transfer Runes ×5 (Lv.2), Reality Rune ×1 (Lv.1)

World Exploration: Ninja World (38%), Pirate World (5%)

Player Count: 6,501

Corruption Sources Defeated: Wraith Sorceress (Tier 1)

Reward Points: 480,500

[You have defeated Corruption Source: Wraith Sorceress. You have seized dominion over the Tier-1 zone: Death Soul Mountains.]

Buzz.

Fang Yi's mind cleared.

It felt as though his entire being was immersed in warm, humid liquid. His body and soul underwent a transformation.

He had never spent a single reward point to strengthen himself—

but now, just from defeating a Corruption Source, he had ascended to the peak of Tier 1.

Even the silver-haired loli experienced some of the feedback, though not as intensely.

She cheered. "Master, once you defeat a Corruption Source, you gain full control of that region! It's just like conquering a nation—you can command everything within!"

She had never felt anything like this before.

Usually, she was the one running for her life,

her worlds constantly being torn apart by Corruption Sources. Who would've thought…

that one day she'd finally get to hold her head high?

She thought of that smug white-eyed player who'd vanished days ago,

and mimicked him by poking at her fluffy white hair.

"I, World Will—Ah Fu!"

"Am extremely pleased! Tonight, I'll treat myself to two servings of spicy hotpot!"

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