Chapter 408: Spectator Tatsumi
A game invitation?
Though Night Raid didn't believe it, all eyes remained fixed on the mysterious merchant as he handed a black invitation card to Tatsumi.
Tatsumi's expression shifted—
from confusion and shock to excitement and anticipation.
Then… he vanished.
Without any surge of energy,
Brand didn't even blink before Tatsumi disappeared from view.
"Spatial Imperial Arm!"
Akame instantly assumed a defensive stance.
She stepped back, her cursed blade Murasame held horizontally in front of her as she stared warily at the mysterious merchant.
They had suspected it before.
Now that Fang Yi had activated his ability right in front of them, it was confirmed—
he was an Imperial Arm user capable of manipulating space.
Brand, ever the calm one, asked,
"Sir, did you kill Tatsumi? Or teleport him somewhere else?"
Even someone who could wield multiple Imperial Arms, no matter how strong,
was not without weaknesses.
All of Night Raid wielded Imperial Arms, and they were now subtly surrounding the merchant.
They held the numbers advantage.
Tatsumi was a boy Brand admired—
righteous, passionate, grateful, and gifted in combat.
To have him snatched away right before his eyes…
Brand was furious.
"I told you—I'm a merchant who sells games. The invitation lets Tatsumi become a player and begin a hunting trial."
Fang Yi ignored the hostility and explained,
"If he succeeds, he might gain the power to save his friend."
Leone couldn't help but snap back,
"Come on, granting any wish? That's impossible!"
"If you're curious, and willing to pay a small fee, the Reincarnation Game has a spectator feature."
As Fang Yi finished speaking,
a translucent screen shimmered into view.
[Consume 500 contribution points to unlock spectator mode.]
"Money?"
Akame frowned.
She hadn't expected that such a dramatic setup would ultimately lead to a sales pitch.
"While we can't promise much else," she said coldly, "Night Raid can gather that much in resources."
"As acting commander, I have authority over our funds."
However, their base was far from the capital.
Sending someone back would waste precious time.
Fang Yi waved it off. "No need. Once the contract is signed, the fee will be automatically deducted under fair terms."
Contract...
Brand caught the key word.
He gave Akame a glance, subtly urging her to agree.
This was likely the same contract-type Imperial Arm Leone had mentioned.
Getting a closer look might reveal its mechanics—or weaknesses.
"I accept."
"Very well. Contract complete. 500 contribution points deducted—spectator access granted."
In an instant, the value of 500 contribution points vanished from Night Raid's warehouse vault.
The translucent screen flickered—
and gradually, Tatsumi's figure appeared.
"That's Tatsumi!"
He stood at the edge of the Dark City,
in a low-level zone called the Shallows, swarming with infected ghouls, wandering ghosts, and shadow-element creatures.
The final boss of this zone: the infected dark elf alchemist—Morgan of Resentment.
"Those rotting corpses can move? Are they Danger Beasts?"
Brand tensed as he stared at the screen.
No one in Night Raid cared more about Tatsumi's fate than he did.
The dark caves echoed with eerie howls.
Undead creatures clawed up from beneath the earth.
Tatsumi started off panicked but quickly adapted,
demonstrating impressive combat potential.
On the outskirts of the Dark City, monster levels were low.
The deeper one went, the stronger they became.
Tatsumi stayed on the fringes,
ambushing low-level grave robbers with his blessed steel shortsword.
Sweltering heat.
In a cave flowing with lava,
a flaming grave robber crawled out of the molten pool.
Tatsumi gripped his blade and fought the flaming monster.
Ten minutes later,
burned all over, he finally drove his sword through its skull.
"Merchant, can you bring him back? If this keeps up, he's going to die..."
Watching from the screen,
Brand could feel the danger.
He'd seen several monsters exuding an aura stronger than even the most powerful Danger Beasts.
Fortunately, the terrain was complex, and Tatsumi remained hidden, avoiding detection.
Fang Yi shook his head.
"I said this is a game agreed to by both sides."
This was his experiment.
The Tower of Death would gather all corrupted monsters and throw them inside.
The weakest would be at the base, gradually increasing in strength all the way to the apex.
Players would climb the tower,
earning contribution points and random loot along the way.
This dungeon-like model could rapidly cultivate low-level players
and subtly promote team-based play for lone wolves.
By breaking factions into smaller mixed-player squads,
inter-faction hostility would ease into healthy competition.
"You're sick! Treating lives like a game!"
Mine clenched her fists.
Her mental energy leaked uncontrollably, and her Pumpkin Cannon barrel heated up.
With her pink ponytail and foreign bloodline,
she had grown up facing discrimination and abuse in the Empire's borderlands.
The nobles would unleash starving dogs to slaughter enslaved foreigners in the name of entertainment.
So watching Tatsumi be thrown into this trial made her blood boil.
"I'm not playing with lives.
But if you want your wish to come true,
you have to be willing to stake your life."
Fang Yi's voice remained emotionless.
"If anyone could achieve their dreams without resolve,
what meaning would those dreams hold?"
Buzz...
Before Mine could retort, the screen lit up.
Tatsumi had slain an elite flaming grave robber.
A blue treasure chest floated over the corpse.
Delighted, he claimed it and resumed his hunt.
Half an hour later—
exhausted and off guard, he was killed by a hidden Bone Thrower.
In Brand's stunned gaze,
Tatsumi vanished from the Shallows—
and reappeared at the warehouse entrance.
"You okay, Tatsumi?!"
Brand rushed over to check his condition.
The burns from the flaming monster were gone.
The shattered chest from the Bone Thrower was fully intact.
It was as if none of it had happened.
"I'm fine."
Tatsumi stood, energized.
Fully aware now of what the Reincarnation Game was,
he pulled out more than a dozen loot boxes under Night Raid's stunned gaze.
Nine white. Two green. One blue.
"Treasure chests? From that illusion?"
Leone bent down, her ample chest swaying as she eyed the pile with suspicion.
Nothing made sense anymore.
Spatial Imperial Arm?
Contract-type?
Illusion-based?
None fit what this merchant had shown.
His abilities had completely shattered Night Raid's understanding of the world.
Fang Yi smiled as he looked at the treasure pile. "Not bad. A fine reward for the brave.
Now, the real test begins, Tatsumi—can you save your friend?"
"I understand, Mr. Fang Yi."
Tatsumi took a deep breath,
his eyes locked on the treasure chests.
The moment he touched the invitation,
he understood.
Fang Yi was the master of the Reincarnation Game.
A merchant who wandered countless worlds,
offering game items that could fulfill any wish.
Unbelievable?
Maybe.
But the trial—and the treasure before him—were undeniable proof.
"Explain, Tatsumi. What's going on?"
Brand couldn't hold back anymore.
Now that the truth about Aria had come out,
and seeing Brand's concern, Tatsumi's heart softened.
He looked at Fang Yi,
confirmed there were no confidentiality restrictions,
and replied,
"Sir Armor, I'll tell you everything that happened to me—but first, please give me a moment."
The others stared at him in confusion.
What was this green rookie hiding?
Brand nodded.
Click.
Tatsumi rubbed his hands together and nervously opened a white chest.
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