The Game Merchant Who Started from the Ninja World

Chapter 19: Kirigakure on the Brink of Bankruptcy

"That mysterious merchant is so kind. He knew we were hunting the Wraith General and even provided us with intel."

Chōjūrō, honest and mild as ever, pushed up his glasses and sincerely expressed his gratitude for the elusive figure who had only appeared once at the game's launch.

Terumi Mei smiled gently, casting a sidelong glance at him.

Though she was smiling, there was no warmth in her eyes.

Chōjūrō shivered instinctively.

"Damn that mysterious merchant!"

Even someone with Terumi Mei's poise couldn't help clenching her jaw, cursing inwardly.

She was quick-witted, and instantly realized what was happening.

If the decapitation squad didn't kill the Wraith General soon, they'd be facing waves of enemy players pouring in.

"All units, don't hold back on reward points! After the Wraith General is slain, Kirigakure will provide full compensation!"

"Chōjūrō, buy the [Attribute Stim Boost] from the shop. It increases all stats by 6 points for five minutes."

"Understood!"

Chōjūrō belatedly opened the shop and froze when he saw the price. He gasped. "Lady Mizukage, it's 800 points for one bottle! That's way too—"

"No time to talk. The Wraith General is coming."

"Strike team: upon death, revive on the spot! Forget dodging and playing safe. Focus on maximum damage—take him down fast!"

Terumi Mei's expression was stern, though her heart ached at the cost.

This operation to kill the Wraith General would, by conservative estimates, burn through four whole months of Kirigakure's mission reward budget.

If she ever met the merchant in real life, she swore she'd bite him.

With a Lava Release bite.

Creaaak—

The massive doors slowly opened a crack.

A surge of wraith energy poured out, congealing into thick fog that swept through the entire castle hall.

From within, a towering figure nearly four meters tall emerged, like a walking iron fortress.

Encased in pitch-black medieval armor, the Wraith General had none of the ethereal qualities of lesser ghosts. His presence felt solid—like flesh and blood. His hand alone was the size of a millstone.

In it, he gripped a massive, jagged blood-red greatsword, resembling an executioner soaked in killing intent.

An oppressive aura filled the air, tightening every heart in the room.

Alert!

At Terumi Mei's silent signal, the entire squad activated their stealth items, concealing all traces of their presence.

"Grava was killed?"

The Wraith General's face lacked skin. A bare skull covered in sinewy red muscle and exposed tissue twisted as it spoke.

Beads of gray-black wraith essence dripped from his chin like thick blood, disintegrating in the air.

Just his appearance was enough to freeze many timid players on the spot.

But—

The strike squad was composed of elite players, and most were battle-hardened shinobi. Though their brows furrowed, they didn't flinch.

Zzzzz...

Trap mechanisms activated.

The Wraith General frowned, sensing danger, then suddenly bent his legs and leapt high into the air.

Despite his massive, heavy frame, his agility was astonishing.

But even midair, traps had been prepared.

BOOM!

Flame nozzles hidden in the castle walls erupted, sending roaring torrents of fire that distorted the air with their heat.

The airborne Wraith General twisted his body, barely managing to use his sword as a shield.

Poison Mines Detonated!

A violet-black cloud exploded and mixed with the wraith fog.

Szzzzzz...

His armor corroded like soggy bread, and the blood-red blade glowed from the intense heat, nearly too hot to grip.

Spike Mines Activated!

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

Dozens of needle-sharp spikes pierced the Wraith General, making him look like a walking porcupine.

Trap after trap exploded. The center of the hall turned into a killing zone.

"Damn it...!"

A raspy voice rose from the smoke and fire.

The hall's walls collapsed, the floor cracked and cratered, debris scattered everywhere.

Dust swirled. Fog blanketed everything.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the attacks to end.

Suddenly—

A massive arm burst through the smoke, grabbing a nervous player by the throat—a player who had been breathing too hard and broken stealth.

Crunch!

With a flex of his fingers, the Wraith General crushed the player's skull.

A Level 8 Arcane Specialist.

He had a Level 3 protective spell barrier.

Even a melee warrior of the same level would've had to first break the barrier to reach the body.

Yet the Wraith General killed him effortlessly.

"What the hell? Wasn't the intel saying he's a warrior? How is he this fast?!"

With stealth compromised, the squad no longer had any reason to hide. One elite player, nearest to the general, roared in shock.

He charged, twin axes in hand, blood surging.

His axe strikes blurred into a storm.

The Wraith General, burned and battered from the traps, had shredded armor and charred flesh. A giant javelin from a trap had even pierced a gaping hole through his chest.

An ordinary wraith would've been obliterated.

But for the Wraith General, it was only light damage.

CLANG!

His Level 5 green-tier twin axes clashed with the massive Malice Blade.

A moment later—

The player's arms were flung backward, his hands numb and bleeding from the shock. The twin axes spun away, embedding into the wall.

The Wraith General entered full combat mode.

A thick golden HP bar appeared above his head. The top held the wraith skull icon. Inside, viscous gray fluid rolled.

After the trap damage, it had only dipped a little.

[Wraith General] – HP: 3800 / 5000

Stunned silence.

Even Terumi Mei took two steps back in shock.

"That much HP? That's insane!"

Forget everything else—just the health pool alone was enough to crush hope.

Ordinary players' HP scaled with Constitution.

1 point of CON = 10 HP.

Even tank classes like knights and shield bearers had maybe 15 CON, and with gear bonuses, could reach 25 at most—300 HP.

"This kind of disparity… is it a skill? A bloodline?"

Terumi Mei thought quickly, raising her staff to unleash a wave of fire.

She was beginning to understand the rules of the Reincarnation Game.

No power came without a cost. If you had enough reward points, you could buy anything.

For the Wraith General to have 5,000 HP, he must've had special gear, skills, or a unique bloodline.

Someone in the Kirigakure Alliance had once gotten lucky—

A dropped item from a gargoyle: [Lesser Gargoyle's Might].

Using it altered the player's bloodline, granting a gargoyle's strength and +500 HP.

Terumi Mei's heart pounded.

She had long noticed a major flaw in flame mages: low Constitution and paper-thin health. If assassins got the drop on her, she'd be one-shotted.

If the Wraith General dropped HP-boosting gear, she could fix that weakness.

Then—

Kirigakure would dominate the Reincarnation Game.

It was only a matter of time.

"No one retreat! Kirigakure will cover all respawn costs! We'll compensate any broken gear! Your only job—wipe out the Wraith General's HP bar!"

Her long, elegant legs bent slightly, defined muscles coiled beneath smooth skin.

She leapt, landing atop a high torch sconce on the castle wall.

Her staff swept wide, casting explosive waves of elemental fire at the Wraith General.

Chōjūrō looked like he was about to cry. "Lady Mizukage, if you say stuff like that… Kirigakure's going to go bankrupt!"

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