"Does the reincarnation game really notify me that my time is up and I need to spend EXP points to continue?"
A logistics chunin displayed a puzzled expression as his body slowly became translucent, glowing with a white light. He was about to leave the game world.
Asuma's curiosity about the game was growing. At first, it seemed like just a special test, something the mysterious man had forced them to participate in. But now, there was a time limit. He hadn't gathered all the information he needed, which forced him to continue playing.
[To acquire more game time, the higher your level, the more EXP points are required. Level 1 players can purchase 1 hour for every reward point.]
This was yet another way the system monetized the game.
It seemed that even in a fantasy world, there was no such thing as a "free lunch." The rookie village they were in cost Sora 100,000 reward points, and there was still a fee to be paid to remain.
Asuma pondered for a moment before saying, "You two, go back first and report directly to the Hokage Building. I'll join later."
The two logistics chunin, without enough chakra, could barely fight ghosts at a pace slightly slower than Uzumaki Naruto. Staying here didn't make sense, so it was better for them to return and report the situation.
They nodded in agreement and left the game.
Asuma reflected: "Kabuto Yakushi... a genin with unexpected combat skill, sharp and decisive in his actions. And Neji, the genius that Maito Guy mentioned... truly impressive. But what surprises me the most is Uzumaki Naruto."
At the first encounter with a ghost, Naruto was so paralyzed with fear that his legs buckled, and he froze. However, he quickly regained control and began fighting the ghosts repeatedly, adjusting after each battle.
From that moment on, Asuma, with his extensive combat experience, noticed something peculiar: Naruto grew a little stronger with each battle. Not physically, but in his ability to fight, especially under pressure. This combat awareness, so essential to the strongest, seemed to develop rapidly in him.
Could he truly be worthy of being Minato's son?
[Ding! Experience points accumulated.]
Neji, who had just defeated two ghosts in a row, heard the voice echo in his mind. He then noticed an experience progress bar in the bottom corner of the player's panel.
Killing one ghost granted 5 experience points. To level up, he needed to defeat ten ghosts and reach the required 50 points.
[Congratulations, you leveled up! Reward: 2 attribute points.]
After a brief reflection, Neji understood the purpose of the attribute points. After some hesitation, he decided to distribute them between Strength and Constitution.
**[Caged Bird]**
Level: 2 (1/100 experience)
Attributes: Strength 2, Agility 1, Constitution 2, Spirit 1
Equipment: Novice Dagger
He immediately felt the increase in power, as if he had trained for several consecutive days. In the ninja world, even chakra training required time and dedication. In the Hyuga clan, medicinal baths and secret techniques were used to strengthen the body over the years. This sudden feeling of power was something even the Uchiha's Sharingan might detect.
It was intoxicating.
However, Neji quickly regained his composure. He reminded himself that this was only a game. Even if he grew stronger here, it didn't reflect in the real world, which diminished its value.
Soon after, Asuma, Kabuto, and finally Naruto also leveled up.
"The system says that after leaving the game, you can re-enter at any time," Naruto explained. "Let's meet at the Hokage Building as soon as we return to the real world. That's an order!"
"Yes, sir!" they all responded in unison.
With the glow of white light, Asuma's team left the game.
Ninjas from all over the world also began leaving the game after leveling up or accumulating enough reward points to buy items from the game's shop.
"Omoi, you're useless! You got killed twice by gargoyles. If it weren't for the game's resurrection system, you'd be dead for real," teased a teammate. "In reality, you would have been torn apart by enemy ninjas."
"I was caught off guard! Who would've thought a stone statue would move?"
Mabui, who was also in the game, decided to use her reward points to buy a potion that restored injuries. While Samui, a combat specialist, had reached level 2, Mabui preferred to study the items available in the shop.
"Secret training from the Raikage, the Seven Legendary Swords of the Hidden Mist, dojutsus like the Sharingan and Byakugan..." Mabui murmured, incredulous at what she saw. "A life-restoring potion, a Devil Fruit..."
The more she explored, the more terrified she became. With enough reward points, even the legendary Rinnegan could be redeemed. If these items were brought into the real world, they would completely shake the ninja world.
...
In the remote Hyuga clan estate, Neji collapsed to the ground in his training field.
"It feels like a dream... or maybe not."
He didn't go directly to the Hokage Building as ordered. Instead, Neji stayed home, and when he looked in the mirror, he saw the Caged Bird seal on his forehead.
His fist clenched involuntarily.
In the game, he had experienced something he had never felt in real life: freedom. Even without the Byakugan, he didn't care. In the game, his body was truly free.
This feeling of freedom was painfully distant in the real world.
Neji looked at the seal on his forehead, a dark green mark writhing like disgusting worms. The pain seemed to radiate through his entire body, and he punched the mirror hard. Shards of glass flew, cutting his hand.
Blood trickled down, but he noticed something strange.
"My fist is stronger?"
With wide eyes, he realized that his physical strength had indeed increased. Quickly, he recited the name of the game in his mind, and the player panel appeared before him.
**[Hyuga Neji (Ninja World)]**
Level: 2 (1/100 experience)
Attributes: Strength 9 (+0.2), Agility 9, Constitution 11 (+0.2), Spirit 8
Equipment: None
Tips: The game character's attributes may influence the real world.
Warning: To bring items from the game into reality, you will need to spend certification points.
Neji opened the backpack tab, spent his certification points, and withdrew a dark gray substance.
**[Ghost Essence]**
Type: Material
Description: Lower soul crystals left by ghosts. Can be used to create items.
Neji's eyes filled with surprise.
"The reincarnation game's items can be brought into the real world!" he murmured, his mind swirling with possibilities.
He had realized something others had overlooked. Among the powerful items and legendary scrolls available in the shop, he found something special:
**[Fragmented Scroll: Hyuga Tennin Ninjutsu]**
Description: Records the method of removing the Caged Bird seal. Costs 1000 reward points.
"If killing one ghost gives me two reward points... That means by killing five hundred ghosts, I can finally free myself!"
For the first time in his life, Neji felt that fate was on his side. The freedom that always seemed out of reach was now within his grasp.
(End of chapter)