[Fang Yi]
~Reincarnation Structure: Novice Village (Level 1)
~Pollution Sources: Bloodsucking Baron, Ghost Mage
~Players: 500
~Reward Points: 6,865
Fang Yi looked at the continuously rising reward points and nodded in satisfaction.
In just two days, these players had already earned him a considerable amount of rewards.
A white-haired loli, her cheeks flushed and her hair still damp from a hot spring bath, tried to throw herself into Fang Yi's arms. However, he grabbed her by the collar and tossed her away.
"Master, what exactly is going on?"
The white-haired loli stared at the screen, watching some players hunting polluted monsters. She was puzzled. "Many players haven't logged out for two whole days; they just keep hunting monsters. Don't they need rest?"
Even though the essence collected over these two days wasn't much compared to certain world consciousness techniques, something about it felt strange.
Even with death penalties in place, most lifeforms had a naturally passive attitude toward polluted monsters, preferring to avoid conflict whenever possible. If they did fight, it was usually out of necessity.
But these players, after overcoming their initial confusion, were like starving wolves encountering a flock of sheep, relentlessly hunting down polluted monsters.
Some players even had to be forcibly logged out due to malnutrition in the real world.
It was madness!
Fang Yi glanced at the white-haired loli and gave her a look of disbelief. "Think about it this way. If you were forced to work like an ox, with a whip at your back, and all your rewards were taken by a slave master while you were left with mere scraps, wouldn't you want to slack off?"
"But if every monster you hunt gives you visible reward points, which you can then exchange for anything you desire in the marketplace, wouldn't you be motivated?"
The Gu-raising method was like a slave system, using sheer force to drive labor.
History had already proven the flaws of such a method, slaves would inevitably revolt against oppression.
The white-haired loli seemed to grasp the idea somewhat and muttered, "But… the speed at which they're hunting polluted monsters is still too slow. These players are too weak. Should we give them stronger weapons?"
"Idiot."
Fang Yi ruffled her damp hair and said, "If weapons and equipment are too easy to obtain, players will lose their enthusiasm for hunting."
"Low-quality pay-to-win web games hand out overpowered weapons right from the start, Dragon-Slaying Blades with fiery strikes and paralyzing rings. Sure, they attract players at first, but soon after, most of them quit."
"But if it's too hard, with skills like the Rinnegan or Wood Release locked behind hundreds of thousands of reward points, it'll feel like an impossible dream, and players will burn out."
"So, I categorized all weapons, equipment, and skills by level and rarity."
White, Green, Blue, Purple, Silver, Gold, Dark Gold...
Fang Yi had long since planned everything. To redeem items from the shop, players wouldn't just need reward points, they'd also need to meet level requirements, just like in traditional online games.
Only after reaching a certain level could they equip corresponding gear and learn specific skills.
This way, players would remain motivated, hunting polluted monsters in a structured progression rather than burning out too soon.
"It sounds amazing, but also kind of…"
The white-haired loli trailed off. Even world consciousness varied between order and chaos.
Compared to the Gu-raising model, this approach didn't involve immediate life-threatening danger but was far more insidious.
As a being aligned with the forces of good, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the players, watching her master weave one trap after another.
On the screen:
At the outskirts of the Death Soul Mountain Range, players moved through the ruins of a town, engaged in fierce combat with ghosts.
"Asuma-san, have you given it any more thought?"
A young noble, dressed in an elegant robe with delicate features, blocked the path of Konoha's squad.
Asuma shook his head. "Apologies, but without orders from Lord Hokage, we cannot accept your request."
The man before him was a noble of the Land of Fire, a distant relative of the Daimyo.
Several samurai players had already gathered around him, forming a team. When hunting ghosts, they prioritized letting the noble land the final blow to level up and earn reward points.
As payment, the noble youth would reward the samurai players with a substantial sum of money in the real world.
"That's truly unfortunate."
Though the noble youth was furious inside, he maintained his aristocratic elegance, turned around with his four samurai players, and left.
Asuma watched the departing noble's group warily before leading his Konoha squad to continue hunting ghosts.
[You have reached Level 5. Would you like to accept the class advancement quest?]
A faint glow appeared.
Neji Hyuga received the system notification. Upon reaching Level 5, he only needed to complete the class quest to unlock his class skill tree.
"Class skills?"
There was no need to hide this information. With the goal of breaking free from the Caged Bird Seal, Neji had been hunting ghosts relentlessly, cutting his sleep down to just four hours. This effort gave him a slight lead, but the others would soon catch up.
After organizing his thoughts, he informed Asuma about the class quest.
Asuma pondered for a moment and said, "Class skills… They're probably equivalent to ninjutsu."
[Collect 20 Ghost Essences and 1 Ghost Guardian's Core, and spend 1,000 reward points to undergo a random class advancement.]
"What harsh requirements!"
Hearing the quest conditions, Asuma frowned. "Ghost Guardians are too strong. If we're not careful, they could wipe out our entire team."
In the Death Soul Mountain Range, ghosts were the weakest monsters.
But Ghost Guardians were a different story. They had high levels and powerful area-of-effect abilities.
The Konoha squad had encountered a Ghost Guardian once before. They managed to take it down, but only at the cost of Asuma, Kabuto Yakushi, and two support ninjas' lives.
The Ghost Guardian's Core that dropped at the time could only be exchanged for 100 reward points in the marketplace.
Yet purchasing one from the marketplace required 1,000 reward points.
Neji's eyes burned with determination. He had already figured out the rules of the Reincarnation Game, stronger monsters dropped better loot.
The harder the quest requirements, the greater the rewards upon completion.
However…
As much as he wanted to become a professional-class player, his desire to break free from the Caged Bird Seal made him unwilling to waste his reward points.
Suppressing his urge, Neji took a deep breath and said, "I've already used up my reward points. This Ghost Guardian's Core should go to Captain Asuma. You should be close to reaching Level 5 as well, right?"
Asuma hadn't expected him to say that and asked, "Neji, are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"In that case, let's save the materials for the next person who qualifies for a class advancement."
Although Asuma was the team leader, in this game, their strengths were about the same. It wouldn't be fair for him to monopolize the materials.
By evening, Naruto Uzumaki had reached Level 5. Using the Konoha squad's collected Ghost Essences and the Ghost Guardian's Core, he successfully completed the class advancement quest.
*[Class quest completed. Reward: Random Class Book 1]
[Congratulations! You have become a Warrior-class player!]
Note: As a Warrior, you will gain 3 Strength and 2 Constitution per level.
Naruto felt a surge of heat throughout his body, as if a fiery energy was coursing through him. His physique became noticeably stronger.
A new skill slot appeared in his player interface.
[Skill Slot]
~Whirlwind Slash Lv.1 – Spin while swinging your weapon, dealing (20 + 30% Strength attribute) damage to surrounding enemies.
Eager to test his new power, Naruto raised his broad longsword and activated the skill.
Boom!
As he firmly gripped the wide-bladed sword, its thick blade radiated a crimson glow.
Holding the hilt with both hands, Naruto swung the blade in a sweeping arc, spinning along with it as he charged toward a weathered stone wall.
A thunderous impact echoed.
The thick stone wall shattered under the sword's force, rubble crumbling down, dust billowing everywhere.
A massive hole had been carved straight through the wall.
Naruto stepped through the opening, emerging on the other side.
Seeing the skill's destructive power, Asuma took a deep breath and said, "This power… It rivals a B-rank ninjutsu."
Nearby, a support ninja scoffed, "It's not that impressive. It's only slightly stronger than a typical Genin. Any trained Chunin could easily defeat him."
Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses without saying a word.
Noticing that the others hadn't grasped the key point, Asuma reminded them, "How long have we been in the Reincarnation Game?"
"Two days. Captain Asuma, what are you trying to say"
The previously indifferent support ninja suddenly realized something, cutting himself off mid-sentence.
They had only been in the Reincarnation Game for two days!
Sure, collecting class materials was easier in a group, but even a solo player, if they pushed themselves, could likely gather enough materials to complete a class advancement in ten days, or at most, half a month.
And yet,
Even in the Five Great Ninja Nations, with all their vast resources, training a Chunin required an extensive process.
Talented children had to be selected, taught chakra refinement, trained in ninjutsu, and then tested in real battles. Even with exceptional talent, this process took at least ten years.
But in the Reincarnation Game?
It only took ten days.