Shendu Statue

Just as Enshi Shu was about to smash his cup in frustration, a fat hand suddenly restrained him; it was the hand of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Koizumi.

His grip was surprisingly strong, yet his face remained wreathed in smiles as he said in a sycophantic tone, "Lord Daimyo, there is no need to concern yourself with those unruly commoners. Once we return and get things moving, we can just bring out the grain from the warehouse that has been stored for ten years and put it on the market, can't we?"

"Do not worry, although that rice is a bit aged, it is still very fresh and quite delicious!"

Enshi Shu shook off the hand, and just as he was about to curse them for their insolence, he met the gaze of that face—seemingly kind, yet hiding deep malice.

How could a teenager like him withstand such pressure? He wilted instantly, his bravado vanishing without a trace, and he could only nod awkwardly as he let them leave.

Once the ministers had departed, Enshi Shu slammed his palm heavily onto the desk, cursing repeatedly, "Damn it! Damn it! Those bastards!"

Though young, having grown up following the previous Daimyo, how could he not understand the meaning behind the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries' expression?

It was simply because he saw that the new ruler had just ascended the throne, had not yet cultivated his own power, and was easy to bully—they were threatening him not to meddle in affairs that didn't concern him!

The treasury was also facing a massive deficit; if things continued this way, he might one day truly be overthrown by the united populace within the Land of Fire.

But even if he shattered the table or bruised his fists, it could not change the current reality, and his eyes were filled with the humiliation of being a mere puppet.

Just as he was at a loss for what to do, patches of black shadows suddenly appeared on the surrounding walls, and then those shadows converged before him, coalescing into several Shadow Ninja.

"Who... who are you?!"

"This is the Daimyo Mansion! I am the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!"

Though his words were majestic, Enshi Shu's body trembled quite honestly. Seeing that the Shadow Ninja were completely indifferent to his status, he was so terrified that his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the floor, unable to even stand. He could only scramble backward until his back hit the wall.

As a large hand from a Shadow Ninja reached toward him, he closed his eyes in terror, thinking, It's over! I'm going to be assassinated just like my father! But then, the shadows enveloped him, and after a dizzying sensation, he found himself in a strange place he had never seen before.

Piled on both sides were mountains of gold and silver that even the treasury of the Land of Fire could not compare to. After leaving Enshi Shu there, the Shadow Ninja sank back into the darkness.

"Could it be that I have entered some kind of sacred ground?!"

As Enshi Shu, who had grown up pampered by the previous Daimyo, he certainly hadn't neglected his entertainment.

He had read many novels about "protagonists who, after suffering setbacks, fall off a cliff and obtain supreme martial arts in a sacred ground."

Could it be?! Was he the protagonist of this world?!

Whatever! It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted by all the gold and jewels before him, so he might as well take them!

Just as Enshi Shu was complaining about why his tailor hadn't made his pockets larger, a cold, eerie wind blew from the bottom of the pitch-black passage, making him shiver.

At the end of the path stood an old wooden door, covered in dust and cobwebs.

How could there be an old wooden door here that looked so out of place with the magnificent scene outside?

For some reason, Enshi Shu felt as if a faint, fragmented voice was calling to him, luring him to push open the door.

The murmurs compelled Enshi Shu to push open the wooden door as if in a trance, and he found himself staring into a pair of red pupils. The bone-chilling wind vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp, electronic-sounding voice—

"Welcome... child..."

"Who... who are you?!"

Appearing before him was a flat, dragon-shaped carving hanging on the wall. Its body was coiled, its exterior a greenish-yellow, and there were twelve holes in the carving of unknown purpose, two of which were embedded with stones engraved with the patterns of a rooster and an ox. Those scarlet eyes flickered with an oppressive, murderous light, and combined with that sharp voice, they made Enshi Shu shrink back in fear.

"Do not be afraid, child. I am the guardian deity who has protected your Land of Fire for generations—Shendu!"

"What is outside is merely the tip of the iceberg, all left behind for you descendants..."

Yes! Yes! That's it!

Because Enshi Shu was at a naive and impressionable age, his eyes lit up instantly, and he began to fantasize that he was the protagonist of a novel with an heaven-defying ancestor.

"Is what you say true?! But... I can't even handle those ministers... how could I be chosen by you?"

Even Enshi Shu, who fancied himself a "wise and virtuous ruler," hadn't expected Shendu to praise him so highly. He immediately pointed a finger at himself with an exaggerated expression of surprise, though recalling his recent encounter made him feel exceptionally pathetic.

"Indeed, child, it is you."

"There is no need to belittle yourself, child... Your ancestor was once a green youth just like you."

"Later, he became my partner. We fought across the four corners of the world together, and in the end, we brought almost the entire world under our rule."

"We successfully eliminated the barriers between people; war and hunger ceased to exist, and the world flourished."

"But good times do not last... such a beautiful, peaceful world was soon turned upside down by a group of fellows known as Saint Warrior..."

"They committed every evil, burning, killing, and looting. They even altered history, erasing the deeds of myself and your ancestor, as well as their own aggression."

"They devoured this world, and in the end, they used an evil curse to turn me into a statue, splitting my power into Twelve Talismans engraved with different animal patterns, scattering them to every corner of the world..."

"And I... have been imprisoned here for eternity..."

"Until your appearance... child, you possess a soul as pure and noble as your ancestor's!"

Shendu's words completely hoodwinked the impressionable Enshi Shu, who immediately confirmed that he was indeed the legendary protagonist.

"Child! Cooperate with me!"

"As long as you retrieve the Twelve Talismans for me! I will once again fight alongside you, and we will take back everything we have lost! At the same time, you will obtain supreme power! Even surpassing your ancestors!"

Shendu's impassioned tone ignited a fire in Enshi Shu's heart. His gaze became resolute, and no longer fearing Shendu's terrifying appearance, he stepped forward bravely—

"Then, how should I find those talismans?"

"The dragon's eyes... will lead you to them, to find... my talismans..."

As Shendu's voice faded, the Shadow Ninja coalesced once more from the walls, offering up the Talisman Tracker carved with four dragon heads.

"The Shadowkhan shall be at your disposal, and you... need only lead them..."

Logically, the Shadowkhan were capable of locating the talismans on their own, but Shendu had a hidden agenda in enticing Enshi Shu to cooperate.

That agenda was "Restoration"!

Although Shendu was a creation of the system, his personality remained identical to the original: a cunning demon who desired to rule the world.

As for why he had come to Enshi Shu? Naturally, it was to earn a few more Dimensional Points while conquering the world!

After all, with a new monarch having just ascended the throne without yet cultivating his own power base, the Shadowkhan could easily infiltrate his ranks. Once the interior of the Land of Fire had been thoroughly purged, Enshi Shu would be nothing more than a discarded pawn.

In Konoha, inside Qian Yu's small wooden cabin--

With the appearance of the Ox Talisman and the assassination of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, Qian Yu had raked in a massive haul of Dimensional Points. He first exchanged them for a Chakra Scroll.

As chakra overflowed from within his body, he nodded in satisfaction; finally, he wouldn't have to make Jack rip people's hearts out anymore...

Now, it was time to turn his attention to the remaining 5,000-plus Dimensional Points. Rationally speaking, saving up for a hundred or so pulls might yield better odds, but Qian Yu was the type of person who could never hoard currency in gacha games. The mere thought of having pulls available but not using them felt as agonizing as ants crawling all over his skin.

Therefore... there was only one choice!

That was to go all-in!

Going all-in is a form of wisdom!

Catching the system off guard, Qian Yu's fingertip rapidly tapped the draw button. As a flash of light erupted, his pupils were filled with the sight of "blue skies and white clouds."

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining C-rank Item Card -- "Lesser Healing Potion ×30"!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining C-rank Character Card -- "SpongeBob SquarePants"!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining B-rank Ability Card -- "Armament Haki"!]

...Aside from some trash items like the "Solar Flashlight," which were as useless as they come, Qian Yu's pulls this time could be described as a "crushing defeat."

It must be said that going from luxury to frugality is truly difficult; without the probability boost of the premium gacha pool, Qian Yu's inherent "African" luck was laid bare.

However, it wasn't as if everything he pulled was completely useless...

[Item Card] Lesser Healing Potion [Rank] C [Description] A basic healing potion from the world of Terraria. [Ability] Drinking the potion can rapidly heal wounds to a certain extent, but it will simultaneously trigger the "Potion Sickness" status, preventing the continuous consumption of potions.

[Character Card] SpongeBob SquarePants [Rank] C (Special) [Description] A happy little sponge from the beaches of Bikini Bottom. [Ability] Can craft "Krabby Patty."

[Ability Card] Armament Haki [Rank] B [Description] One of the three major Haki from the world of One Piece; attacks have the effect of bypassing the elemental intangibility of Logia Devil Fruits. [Ability] Can be coated onto the skin, granting it increased attack power and defense.

First, the Lesser Healing Potion... although it was only a "Lesser Potion," in a world like Naruto where everyone was a glass cannon, being able to instantly recover some health to save one's life was still quite good!

Then there was "SpongeBob SquarePants"... much like Patrick Star, he was unable to manifest his "toon force" powers.

It was just a pity he hadn't pulled the "Glint-Glint Fruit," otherwise he could have transformed into "Yellow Sponge"...

Finally, the Armament Haki... an ability that combined both offense and defense. It was decent enough for Qian Yu at his current level; after all, he was still just a ninja academy student, and it was highly unlikely he would encounter battles that exceeded the limits of this power!

However... as expected, a single ten-pull just wasn't enough to satisfy him...

It seemed he would have to stir up some major trouble over in the capital!