Factory Worker's Safety Helmet

On the dim lawn, Uesugi Tetsu sat up, clutching his head with a slight tremble.

Having suddenly gained another head around his neck, his body was somewhat unused to it instead.

Uesugi Tetsu had most likely died a natural death.

However, before being smashed apart, he had activated his death rattle and taken two robust farmers with him, netting a full 60 Soul Soothing Incense Ash. He had absolutely come out on top.

As for why he had not gained 90 Soul Soothing Incense Ash—

--The hoe, swung down with all the strength stored in the farmer's back, had directly blown apart the head Uesugi Tetsu had bitten onto the other farmer's neck, which was why he was still sitting there, savoring the experience.

"Damn, that hurts. It really fucking hurts."

Uesugi Tetsu carefully rubbed his neck. After discovering that it was still factory-original and in 99-new condition, he let out a sigh of relief.

He had been afraid the thing perched on top would suddenly explode.

However, after this death, his Soul Soothing Incense Ash reserve had reached 135 points, enough for one ten-pull with some left over.

That was not all.

[You experienced battle. Incomplete Ki-ai Technique proficiency +6!]

[You experienced battle. Tennen Rishin-ryū proficiency +3!]

After the final desperate struggle with three farmers, both skills had also gained a significant amount of proficiency. It could be said that he had reaped a bountiful harvest.

Laughing Brahma's upgrade progress had now reached 20%. In less than a day, Uesugi Tetsu already felt that his future had become a flourishing vista.

"I'll do a draw first."

After a simple single draw, Uesugi Tetsu happily obtained +1 Soul Soothing Incense Ash.

He had come specifically for Soul Soothing Incense Ash in the first place, but now the stuff had become a consumable for practicing Tennen Rishin-ryū.

As for why it could not be used while training the Ki-ai Technique, Uesugi Tetsu did not understand the principle either. He could only assume that the Incomplete Ki-ai Technique was too low-level and did not meet the usage requirements.

The next resurrection would not be available for another ten hours.

Uesugi Tetsu decided to go home for a meal first, then sleep soundly until he woke naturally.

"Dad, I'm back."

After greeting his father, who was still watching the game, Uesugi Tetsu thought that it was fortunate the other man was not a fan of his hometown team. Otherwise, how could he watch the match so quietly? He would have been red-faced and issuing warnings long ago.

When his father did not reply, Uesugi Tetsu did not mind. He took out the one-thousand-yen pork cutlet bento from the convenience store and wolfed it down.

After dinner, Uesugi Tetsu took the Nanjō doll from his schoolbag and hung it by the doorway.

Staring at the cloth doll's slightly exaggerated expression, Uesugi Tetsu was somewhat dazed.

Normally, he should not have remembered such a minor detail so clearly. Why had he remembered to take the doll out of his schoolbag and hang it up today?

"Strange..."

Uesugi Tetsu looked at the cloth doll a few more times. Had it exerted some kind of mental influence on him?

Faced with this abnormal situation, Uesugi Tetsu did not intend to puzzle over it alone. Instead, he immediately sent Nanjō Emi a couple of messages on LINE.

[Moon Sand-chan: Sister Nanjō, does the doll you gave me exert a mental influence on me?]

After waiting for quite a while without even receiving a "Read," Uesugi Tetsu shook his head. Nanjō Emi was probably still busy with work and had no time to take out her phone.

"Since things have come to this, I might as well go to sleep first."

Once he woke up, he should be able to see Sister Nanjō, as well as the reply from the netizen Work to Death.

Time passed like a white colt flashing past a crack during his deep sleep.

If Uesugi Tetsu had not confirmed on his phone that it was already the next morning, he would have simply turned over and continued dreaming.

After waking in the early morning, he was still groggy.

Naturally, he had to enter Everworld and use the smell of thatch and sulfur to clear his head.

After fastening on the Laughing Brahma mask, Uesugi Tetsu immediately performed an epic inhalation, then shouted:

"Refreshing!"

With the combined assistance of Everworld and Laughing Brahma, he took only around ten seconds to boot up successfully. That was much more decisive than being tormented by his alarm three or four times before getting out of bed.

For this life, Uesugi Tetsu decided to temporarily change his exploration strategy.

Rather than trading his life for lives to obtain Soul Soothing Incense Ash, he would investigate as much of the Arakawa Ghost Village map as possible while trying to stay alive, preferably encountering a few NPCs he could communicate with.

Since Everworld had no sun in the conventional sense, Uesugi Tetsu could not determine the directions of southeast and northwest through the time of day.

The side quest had also mentioned "the Ksitigarbha statue south of the village." At the very least, he had to find the quest location before he could complete it.

"Let's head toward the factory first."

Uesugi Tetsu's guess was that since the map contained "Corrupted Farmers," there should naturally also be specters and monsters related to "industry."

And the more highly industrialized a place was, the greater the likelihood of encountering beings he could communicate with...

Not.

Standing in the shadows of a narrow Machiya, Uesugi Tetsu looked toward the two nearby Exploited Factory Workers. They wore "tube-sleeved haori" and were roaring as they grappled with each other. He sighed.

He had listened for a long time but still could not understand what language the two creatures were speaking.

Uesugi Tetsu tightened his grip on the woodcutter's knife.

Since that was the case, he could only turn them into Soul Soothing Incense Ash useful to him.

After observing for a while longer, it seemed that both workers were completely exhausted. They released each other and collapsed onto the gravel, yet continued to stare at each other "affectionately," apparently still refusing to accept defeat.

Uesugi Tetsu knew that his opportunity had arrived.

The pale-yellow auras floating above the two workers' heads had now both turned into thin white mist. This meant that they could barely pose any threat to him anymore.

He blocked himself from their line of sight, held his breath, and crept closer.

When the distance had narrowed to around ten meters, Uesugi Tetsu deliberately kicked a pebble with his toe, instantly drawing the workers' gazes toward him.

Thus, the smile that Laughing Brahma had maintained came into play.

Immediately afterward, Uesugi Tetsu unleashed the Ki-ai Technique with all his strength, lined up the two heads, and sent his woodcutter's knife flying in one stroke.

A viscous sensation came from the blade.

However, the worker monsters were clearly less hardy than the farmer monsters. One slash sent both of them away at once.

"The blade's too dull."

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head. If he had not used all his strength without regard for the consequences, the blade would probably have remained stuck in the first worker monster's skull.

[You killed the stray spirit "Exploited Factory Worker" and obtained 10 Soul Soothing Incense Ash.]

[You killed the stray spirit "Exploited Factory Worker" and obtained 12 Soul Soothing Incense Ash.]

[You obtained "Factory Worker's Safety Helmet (Damaged)."]

"It didn't increase my skill proficiency. What a shame."

Uesugi Tetsu sighed, but there was not the slightest trace of regret on his face as he opened the attributes of the newly dropped equipment.

[Factory Worker's Safety Helmet]

[Quality: Damaged]

[Effect: None]

[--One of the Factory Worker's work uniforms. The rest are a shirt, trousers, and boots.]

It was a piece of junk with no attribute bonuses. If someone gave it to him in the real world, he would not even take it.

Still, he would keep it for now. It might come in handy someday.

After glancing once more into the bustling factory, Uesugi Tetsu decided to withdraw first.

Seriously, he could see dozens of Factory Workers with one sweep of his eyes. If he went in now, the only possible outcome was being smashed into minced meat amid a barrage of blows.

If this really were a game, the area ahead would probably carry a notice saying, "The level of the area ahead is too high. Please return to explore it later."

Uesugi Tetsu deliberately took a route different from the one he had used on the way there.

After walking for a while, Uesugi Tetsu was just about to look for a vast field and the "White Scarecrow" when he unexpectedly heard a "knock, knock, knock."

He turned his gaze and discovered, to his surprise, that the sound was coming from an exquisitely decorated Machiya.