From his god's-eye view, Uchiha Qi watched Minato Namikaze's reaction and nodded in satisfaction. After all, the little "surprise" he had arranged was genuinely effective. Even Minato Namikaze had been frightened, let alone other ninjas with weaker nerves.
Still, Uchiha Qi found Minato Namikaze's reaction perfectly normal.
It was not that he had suddenly become timid. Rather, the Hellish Game Uchiha Qi had created was simply far too advanced for the ninja world, directly maxing out the core elements of human fear.
Human fear came from many sources. The purest was the fear of death, something all living beings possessed. The phrase "survival instinct" explained a great deal.
Beyond that was the fear of the unknown.
From primitive worship of various animals, to later awe toward natural phenomena and weather, to the worship of fictional gods and all kinds of man-made idols, as well as fear of environments such as darkness and abyss—all of it was, in truth, fear of the "unknown."
In fact, as long as the unknown was transformed into a limited amount of known information, the sense of fear would drop dramatically.
For example, if those players on Earth who enjoyed horror games were to play this game, they would feel fear, but the frantic secretion of adrenaline and dopamine would also bring them intense pleasure.
But the problem was that the Hellish Game Uchiha Qi had created was something the ninja world had never heard of, and its sensory immersion was cranked to the limit.
When Minato Namikaze had been grabbed by the throat and rendered unable to move, he had simultaneously felt the fear of death and the intense fear of the unknown.
A scene he had never seen before, an experience he had never undergone before, and that incomprehensible "woman."
Everything had piled together, completely triggering his fear. Even a rising star of Konoha like Minato Namikaze could not withstand it.
After recovering somewhat, Minato Namikaze revealed a bitter smile. "Is this really a genjutsu game? Isn't it a little too realistic? And that woman just now—she didn't seem like a ninja, nor did she seem human. Could she have been an evil spirit from those stories?"
The ninja world had all sorts of tales about demons, monsters, ghosts, and strange beings. However, such stories circulated only among ordinary people. Ninjas had seen far more, encountered all kinds of bizarre things, and were superhumans beyond ordinary people, so the demons and ghosts ordinary people revered or feared were nothing to them.
In fact, most ninjas believed such stories originated from ordinary people's ignorance. They mistook ninjas skilled in stealth and assassination, who appeared and vanished unpredictably, for evil spirits, and regarded various Summoned Beasts as monsters.
In truth, that was indeed how ordinary people in the ninja world saw things.
Thus, while the ninja world had all kinds of stories about demons and ghosts, they were all mundane and boring. To ninjas, they were merely amusing tales. How could they compare to the Hellish Game Uchiha Qi had created?
That was why Minato Namikaze only realized now that the woman from before was likely something like a ghost or evil spirit from folk tales of the supernatural.
Then Uchiha Qi, who had not responded earlier, spoke up. "Yes. I created it by incorporating settings from some strange folk stories. So, Minato, was it an unprecedented experience?"
Minato Namikaze complained helplessly, "It certainly was unprecedented. Just now, I felt like I was about to die."
Uchiha Qi said, "That was only what it felt like. This is a game, not a killing ninjutsu. I set a safety lock in the game. Once a situation that truly endangers life is triggered, the game will automatically shut down."
At that point, he could not help muttering, "Come to think of it, this world is not short on people who love courting death despite having weak bodies. What if some incapable fool ignores the warnings and insists on playing until their life is in danger? Wouldn't I have to pay compensation?"
"That won't do. That's a massive bug. I have to fix it. I suppose I should integrate some Medical Ninjutsu or something similar. Once a life-threatening situation is triggered, it can directly save them."
Although Uchiha Qi was muttering, his voice was not quiet, and Minato Namikaze heard every word. It made him want to complain, but upon careful thought, none of it was wrong.
So Minato Namikaze ultimately nodded in deep agreement. "Indeed. This game is far too realistic. For many ninjas, it would be excessively stimulating. Some safety measures are necessary."
Then Uchiha Qi asked, "So, Minato, are you still okay? Do you want to rest for a while?"
Was he still okay?
Of course he was okay!
A man could never say he was not okay!
Especially not in front of his best friend!
Even though Minato Namikaze had a mild temperament, he would never say no when faced with such a question.
Minato Namikaze immediately sprang to his feet. "Of course. Although it was a little intense, after the shock came a feeling I had never experienced before. This powerful stimulation somehow feels pleasant, and it has made me look forward to what will happen next."
"And besides..."
At that, he put away his smile and spoke with great seriousness. "Experiencing such great terror in this 'weakened' state is also a form of training for me. If I encounter similar situations in the future, my mind will not be shaken."
He was not joking. Ninjas in the ninja world were called ninjas, but in reality, they were glass-cannon mages. They possessed all kinds of strange abilities, including methods capable of drawing out the fears buried in a person's heart, along with other sinister techniques. Many powerful ninjas had been brought down through such methods.
Although Uchiha Qi's game was hellish, it was also an excellent training tool. It could help Minato Namikaze temper his heart and allow him to face those sinister enemies calmly in the future.
Thus, Minato Namikaze immediately continued the game.
This time, however, there was no longer only one path ahead, but three, and each path was a different color.
One was black, one was gray, and one was red, seemingly representing different things.
Uchiha Qi offered no hint, and Minato Namikaze did not ask. Clearly, this was part of the "puzzle-solving" and "exploration." If he knew in advance, some things would lose their meaning.
In the end, Minato Namikaze chose the black passage on the left and rushed straight into it in a ninja run.
It was not that Minato Namikaze was reckless. Being cautious before had been utterly useless against that Female Evil Spirit, so since being "slow" did not work, he might as well be "fast."
In fact, the three paths did carry different meanings.
Black represented death, gray represented negative emotions such as suffering and sorrow, while red represented slaughter. These were the three things ninjas commonly faced.
They also represented the past and obsessions of the character Minato Namikaze was playing.
Using a game to interrogate the soul was also a common trope in many games.
Of course, to the ninja world, it was still something far too advanced.
In truth, if this had not merely been a small game, Uchiha Qi would not have minded digging deeper into those settings and allowing the people of the ninja world to deeply experience the soul-searching questions of the "Ninth Art."
For now, though, he would let Minato Namikaze have only a taste of it first!
Please vote and keep reading!
Before you continue