Chapter 334: The Fat Sheep, Gin Ichimaru
"So it really is the revival rules of the Reincarnation Game that made me drop my guard?"
"I didn't even get the chance to use Bankai before I was killed by Explosive Flame…"
Gin Ichimaru strolled casually through the streets of Stone Town,
surrounded by snow-covered buildings in a distinctly arctic style, the unfamiliar setting giving him a sense of novelty.
"Strange symbols on their forehead protectors… Is that faction called the Mist?"
Players dressed like ninjas chatted amongst themselves and bartered with the local NPCs of Stone Town.
Some had even set up their own stalls, laying out items directly from their inventory, completely unafraid of being robbed.
In a safe zone,
no harmful actions could be taken—any attempt to do so would trigger the punitive laws of the Reincarnation Game.
"Absolute safety… What a relaxing feeling. I haven't felt this in ages."
Gin's guard gradually lowered. His tense muscles began to ease.
Back in Soul Society,
he had to remain constantly vigilant, terrified that Aizen might pick up on something—
this sense of rare calm was something he found himself growing fond of.
"The Mist… The Revolutionary Army… So those are the two biggest factions nearby?"
He continued gathering intel.
Besides ninjas, there were also large, rugged individuals with very different temperaments—people whose behavior sharply contrasted with the ninja style.
These two groups hailed from entirely different worlds.
"Who's behind this Reincarnation Game? To wield a power that connects countless realms… Not even Yamamoto or the Soul King could manage that."
Because he had followed Aizen for so long, Gin had access to insider information.
He knew the Soul King—worshiped as the true god of the Shinigami world—was in a deteriorating state, barely able to keep the realm functioning.
That only fueled Gin's determination.
If a force of that caliber had built the Reincarnation Game, then surely, he could find a way to kill Aizen within it.
"Come check it out! Freshly acquired Sharingan! Don't miss it, you'll regret it!"
From a roadside stall,
a pirate-looking player shouted loudly, hawking the items on display.
After [Random Keys] that refreshed the game shop were removed, players could no longer purchase items freely. Now, they could only anxiously wait for the weekly refresh.
Some savvy players seized the opportunity,
buying all the items when they appeared, then collecting goods from other players to resell at a markup.
Of course,
[Sharingan] came from the ninja world, and the shop in that world offered a small, consistent daily supply. They weren't ultra-rare, so the seller was mainly making a profit off inflated prices.
"How much?"
Gin stopped, having noticed that this particular Sharingan was a two-tomoe version—an upgrade from his own.
"Flat price—eight thousand reward points."
The player, a member of the [Ninja World Trade Alliance], raised eight fingers at the smiling, squinty-eyed Gin.
He had already marked Gin as a target.
Anyone wandering around town aimlessly was clearly a new player—especially someone without a faction in the real world.
If this were a rookie from one of the ninja villages, the navy, or a major pirate crew,
they'd immediately head for their faction base after entering the safe zone.
That's how he knew—
Gin had to be a pure, unaffiliated newbie. And judging by his expensive-looking clothing, a wealthy one at that.
Captain-level Shihakushō and haori were made from the highest-quality materials, on par with noble garments.
It was no wonder someone would try to take advantage of him.
"Sure."
Gin naturally knew the price was steep, but he really did need that Sharingan—so he didn't argue.
After a smooth transaction, the seller's eyes flashed with cunning. "Brother, I also have a three-tomoe Sharingan. Super rare. Didn't bring it with me though—gotta head outside town to get it."
He had mistaken Gin for an easy mark and was preparing to fleece him.
New players received a one-time "safety lock," which allowed them to revive once in the safe zone.
But once used, that protection vanished.
So all he had to do was lure the sheep outside the walls, then rob him for a pile of reward points.
Even though the [Ninja World Trade Alliance] forbade such actions, the profits were too tempting—so many players still took the risk.
"Alright."
Gin kept his same smile, following the man out of Stone Town, to the edge of a danger zone.
He clearly saw the man signal with his eyes, and multiple figures discreetly followed them the whole way.
"Hand over everything valuable. Now!"
The fake trader dropped his pretense, face twisting into a vicious grin. A group of players surrounded Gin, forming a practiced ambush.
Their average attributes were around [40]—barely enough to qualify as second-tier combatants, but still on the weaker end.
"You really think you can kill me?"
As the robbers explained how the safety lock system worked, Gin's grin only widened.
He was actually thinking—what if he tricked Aizen into the game and killed him just outside a safe zone?
Maybe Kyōka Suigetsu would drop.
"Rookie punks really don't know their place!"
The fake vendor sneered and revealed his player info:
[Umaru – Combat Power: 320]
He was a bandit from the ninja world,
and even after joining the Trade Alliance, he never gave up his old profession.
The others showed their attributes too—slightly weaker than Umaru, but all above 200.
Their player names glowed faint red, marked with "kill value"—indicating that this wasn't their first sheep shearing.
Kill value was converted to reward points after death,
and players with kill value would lose items first before their safety lock activated.
To avoid mistakes, they only targeted true newbies.
"That so?"
Gin clumsily opened his player panel, displaying his own combat rating.
[Gin Ichimaru – Combat Power: 800]
Silence fell.
The bandits rubbed their eyes, thinking they'd misread it,
then froze in place.
Umaru exclaimed, "Impossible! You're not a new player?!"
Gin smiled pleasantly. "Oh, but I am."
With a level 35 Zanpakutō, advanced Kidō, and Tier-One maxed attributes,
Gin had battle strength high enough to rank on the leaderboards—even without gear.
Sure enough, when the bandits opened the rankings to verify,
they saw Gin Ichimaru sitting comfortably at 19th place.
Gulp.
A fresh player already on the leaderboard—this was someone they couldn't possibly afford to mess with.
Umaru knelt without hesitation and presented the three-tomoe Sharingan with both hands.
Buzz.
As he bowed, a flash of silver light cleanly sliced through the air just above his head.
All the other bandits were instantly killed, never even getting a chance to react. They vanished in a red shimmer, auto-reviving in town.
Their gear spilled onto the ground.
Gin flicked the blood from Shinsō, sheathed it,
and began picking up loot. He approached Umaru, took the Sharingan from his trembling hands, and said with a smile, "Quick reflexes. You actually dodged my Shinsō. I'll let you live."
He wasn't praising Umaru's ability to dodge—
he was referring to how quickly the man offered up the item.
"What a bizarre energy fluctuation… So Sharingan evolves through emotion?"
Gin rubbed his left eye, now crimson, with black tomoe slowly rotating.
According to the game,
Sharingan could be further evolved—but only after acquiring the Uchiha bloodline—into Mangekyō Sharingan.
Later,
he could hunt boss-level monsters for a [Tier 2 Evolution Scroll], pushing the Mangekyō to a level capable of countering Kyōka Suigetsu.
"Phantom Serpent, Illusion-Breaking Pill, Illusion-Breaking Talisman, and Sharingan…"
Gin rubbed his face, then put on his usual fake smile again. "That should be enough to start probing Captain Aizen, right?"
"I've been gone for most of the day—if I don't return to the Seireitei soon, Aizen might grow suspicious."
With that,
his figure disappeared into the edge of the Eternal Snow Mountain danger zone.
Back in Squad Three's barracks,
Gin stood up from a now-cold meditation cushion. Before he could move, a familiar voice reached his ears.
It was calm, steady, and composed—yet somehow infused with a gentle power, like moonlight softly pouring into the heart.
"You seem to have had quite an interesting journey, Gin."
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