Chapter Seven: "Damn Work" and "Tsukisa-chan"

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What met his eyes were dirt roads with trickling mud and a vast expanse of gassho-zukuri farmhouses, their steep eaves dripping with raindrops. The air was thick with a hazy mist, and the low-slung cabins on either side looked very much like architecture from the early Edo period.

Was Edo Castle really built during the Edo period...?

Gassho-zukuri—to put it simply, these were crude wooden huts with roofs covered in thick layers of thatch. The name served only to distinguish the dwellings of commoners from the "machiya" shops and the "nagaya" row houses where artisans lived.

But there was something strange. Why were the houses built upside down?

Beside the decapitated, headless Laughing Hannya, a samurai with red-stained cheeks and drooping eyes withdrew his gaze with indifference.

Uesugi Toru’s consciousness plunged into darkness. In his final moments, all he could do was curse inwardly: "And you told me this was to increase the probability of triggering hidden events...!"

...

A massive pressure of water surged over him.

Uesugi Toru, lying in bed, snapped his eyes open. He sat up, drenched in sweat, gasping for air as he tremblingly touched his neck. Dry air rushed frantically into his lungs.

He looked around. There were no upside-down gassho-zukuri houses or muddy streets, only the familiar layout of his room. Beside him was not the red-faced ronin, but a body pillow printed with an anime character that the original owner had bought to sleep with.

Uesugi Toru let out a sigh of relief, his racing heart rate gradually slowing down.

He had just learned that a person retains consciousness and the ability to think for a few seconds after being decapitated. It turns out that Lavoisier, centuries ago, hadn't lied to the world.

He summoned the [Enter the Eternal World] option. A glowing yellow text appeared: (Resurrection count: 1/2), followed by a reminder that the count would recover every 12 hours.

This meant that if he wanted to, he could go back and get his head chopped off by that ghost samurai again.

After a moment of hesitation, Uesugi Toru chose not to click [Enter the Eternal World]. It wasn't that he was afraid of death; he simply didn't have a hobby of being decapitated.

He checked the time on his phone and found that only a few minutes had passed in reality.

Even if the flow of time in the Eternal World wasn't identical to reality, it was close enough. It would be better to get some sleep and explore again after waking up. That ghost samurai who could kill him in a single strike couldn't possibly have nothing better to do than guard the spawn point 24/7, right?

Before sleeping, there was one more thing to test.

With a thought, Uesugi Toru pulled the "Walker's Token" from his inventory into his hand without any resistance.

Items from the Eternal World could be brought into reality. He wondered if items from the real world could be taken into the Eternal World. Could he pull off an American-style iaido?

Just as he was about to put the token away, his phone on the bed vibrated, and the screen lit up. A message popped up.

Uesugi Toru froze, staring at the token in his hand, unsure if it was a coincidence.

Still, he decided not to put the token away just yet.

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[Work Must Die]: To be honest, being called out of bed by a phone call in the middle of the night to stand in the cold on the roadside is hell. I want to die. I really want to die.

Looking at this slightly unfamiliar Line contact name, Uesugi Toru closed his eyes to recall who it was. The original owner had often visited various haunted spots to test his courage; besides accompanying his two best friends, he was naturally someone interested in paranormal events.

This "Work Must Die" was a middle-aged corporate drone he had met on a paranormal forum who had been working for years. The two had a good relationship; the other person would often complain about his inhumane boss and brutal working hours, while Toru would ask him questions about the supernatural.

They had even reached the point where they could have met in person, but the original owner was socially anxious and only talked big online, never daring to meet netizens offline.

Just scrolling through their chat history, one could see a long list of obscure knowledge related to ghosts and the supernatural.

However, Uesugi Toru hadn't fully believed it. Could a mere corporate drone know this much? If he did, why bother being a corporate drone? He might as well have become an Onmyoji and secured an iron rice bowl.

[Work Must Die]: It is what it is, let’s eat. (Lunchbox.jpg)

Uesugi Toru could tell at a glance that the image showed the cheapest expiring chicken cutlet bento from a 7-Eleven. Working overtime and eating classic pre-made food—he wondered if the old corporate drone's liver could hold up.

After thinking for a moment, Uesugi Toru decided to test the waters.

[Tsukisuna-chan]: I have a friend who wants to play Kokkuri-san in the middle of the night. Is it dangerous?

[Work Must Die]: If you’re really that determined to die, I suggest you play in a crowded place.

[Tsukisuna-chan]: ?

[Work Must Die]: Because you’ll die slower if there are more people. Haha, just kidding. Before you play, you should report it to the police station first. It’s safer.

The police station?

Uesugi Toru’s eyes narrowed.

Most people wouldn't think of the police when encountering supernatural events; wouldn't they usually go to a shrine for an amulet or find a temple master to solve it? Unless the other person knew about the existence of the Special Affairs Department.

Uesugi Toru gasped. This netizen of his seemed to be the real deal.

He remembered the red-faced samurai in the Eternal World who had decapitated him. He typed out a string of descriptive words and was about to hit send when he saw the other person’s avatar go dark.

[Work Must Die]: Damn, the boss is here. Let’s talk next time.

Resigned, Uesugi Toru sent the message anyway. After waiting two seconds and seeing it remained "unread," he put down his phone, fidgeting with the Walker's Token in his hand, and recalled the effect of the Walker status:

[Walker: Since ancient times, walkers have measured the history and land of the Eternal World with their feet, and so do you. Effect: Increases the probability of triggering hidden events.]

He opens a door and gets killed by an elite monster in one hit; he picks up his phone and discovers that the online corporate drone he’s been chatting with for a year actually knows his stuff.

If this were a coincidence, he wouldn't believe it even if he died.

As for why he thought "Work Must Die" was a "corporate drone uncle"? Someone who smokes every day, gets drunk every other day, has a completely flipped sleep schedule, and complains about his boss being inhuman—he had to be a single, middle-aged, overweight corporate slave with over ten years of work experience.

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Uesugi Toru didn't dwell on it further and closed his eyes to get some sleep. He had school in a few hours, and before that, he had to explore Edo Castle once more.

...

"Using the same Line account for both online and reality."

In the conference room, Nanjo Manami expressionlessly put down the two phones. Looking at the identical "Tsukisuna-chan" contact, she felt a strange sense of unease.

Usually, names with "-chan" or "-hime" were screen names used by girls, right? She didn't expect that Uesugi Toru, a kid who looked quite serious, was that kind of person.

She flipped the phone face down, and Nanjo Manami saw a middle-aged man with a sword at his waist walking in from the door, scanning everyone present.

"Is everyone here?"

The man nodded. After motioning for the junior Onmyoji who were about to stand up and bow to stay seated, he spoke efficiently: "No need for pleasantries."

Nanjo Manami, who remained motionless in her seat, glanced at the other three junior Onmyoji, thinking these guys really had no sense of the situation. Respecting seniors in the workplace was a good thing, but one had to pay attention to the "senior's" personality. For instance, their immediate superior, Kondo Tomoya, the Chief of the Onmyo Bureau for the Arakawa Ward, hated these empty gestures.

"First, the general location of the Love Club has been identified. Who will handle it..."

"I’ll take full responsibility."

Before the other colleagues could speak, Nanjo Manami raised her hand. As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the murderous glares of her colleagues.

They seemed to be saying: "Workaholics are the absolute worst!"

Kondo Tomoya frowned coldly: "Nanjo, are you planning to use ordinary people as bait?"

"No." Nanjo Manami pointed to Hasegawa standing behind her: "He will go. The reward is promotion to [Adept] after this mission."

"I look forward to working with you."

Hasegawa stepped forward, grinning, and flashed a bright smile at everyone in the conference room.

Silence filled the room for several seconds.

Kondo Tomoya didn't say anything more, simply nodding: "Next, regarding the First Wave."

Everyone present showed expressions of confusion. The plan for how to deal with the arrival of the First Wave should have been arranged months ago.

Kondo Tomoya seemed to read their thoughts, so he tapped his knuckles on the table and said solemnly: "Just ten minutes ago, an emergency message came from the Astronomical Bureau."

"—The Eternal World is experiencing abnormal turbulence. The First Wave is imminent."