In the training ground, countless arrows rained down from every direction. A bare-chested figure stood at the center. The iron arrows struck his body with sharp metallic clangs, bounced away, and fell helplessly to the ground.
The floor was littered with arrows pointing every which way, yet the figure at the center remained standing tall.
The lines of his muscles were as flawless as the work of an ancient Greek sculptor. A gray-black metallic sheen covered his skin, making him look like a metal statue planted in the middle of the field.
After the final volley stopped, the “statue” moved. As he stretched, the gray-black luster swiftly faded from his body, revealing his natural skin beneath.
"Haa—"
Luke slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. That wrapped up today’s Haki training.
Today marked his twenty-fifth day in Endspace. Other than working out in the training grounds, he had spent his breaks catching up on anime.
He had gone through all the relevant works tied to derivative worlds that low-rank Explorers might be assigned to, and he could not help marveling at just how prosperous entertainment culture had been in the old era.
His attributes and skills had improved to some extent as well. Through training alone, he had raised Armament Haki to Level 4. Every physical attribute had increased by one point, while his Spirit attribute had increased by two.
What surprised Luke was that the Spiritual Pressure training method he had learned at Shin'o Academy still worked outside the world of Bleach. He had discovered that Reishi existed within Endspace as well.
Luke believed Reishi was merely one name for it. This energy drifting through the atmosphere probably existed in many worlds. In cultivation worlds, it would be called spiritual energy. In the world of Naruto, it might be called natural energy.
To put it simply, he believed the most direct effect this energy had on strengthening oneself was increasing the Spirit attribute, which in turn raised the upper limit of his Soul Source. Spirit was probably closely tied to the strength of one’s soul.
[An Origin Seed has been detected. In accordance with Endspace regulations, a Pioneer will be deployed to the target world as a priority to secure it. Pioneer, please prepare yourself!]
Luke had only just finished showering when he heard Endspace’s notification. He froze for a moment, then broke into a wild grin.
He had been idle in Endspace for over half a month. Prison Demon had been thirsty for action for ages. He had not expected Endspace to send work straight to his door this soon.
And this seemed to be a special case, too. It sounded interesting. His Luck attribute really had to be insanely high, right?
[With Pioneer No. 008’s authority, you may learn the target world twenty-four hours in advance.]
[Target World (Derivative): Kengan Ashura]
Luke’s excitement only rose after hearing the next notification. He had always loved fighting manga, and his two favorites had been Baki and Kengan Ashura. He had never expected to get the chance to enter one of those worlds and have some fun with its martial arts masters.
But after the initial thrill passed, he found something strange. Based on what he knew of Kengan Ashura, it had plenty of absurdly muscular men who defied common sense—but when it came to raw stats, he felt he was currently stronger than most of them.
From what he understood of Endspace so far, it would not send him to a world he could steamroll with ease. So was the problem with the Origin Seed after all?
"Endspace, what is an Origin Seed?"
[Checking authority... Pioneer authority confirmed... Retrieving materials accessible under the Pioneer’s current authority.]
[Nine unique Spirit Seeds exist across the myriad worlds. The Origin Seed is one of them. Spirit Seeds descend randomly upon a world and, while they remain there, exert certain effects on that world.]
[After securing a Spirit Seed, the claimant may obtain a unique ability.]
Endspace’s answer was brief. There was no further information, likely because his authority was insufficient.
Still, just those few lines were enough for Luke’s simple mind to grasp the Origin Seed’s importance. This thing... seemed to be one of a kind. And it sounded incredibly powerful.
"Endspace, what ability does the Origin Seed grant?"
Luke asked curiously.
[Pioneer authority insufficient. Details may be viewed only after the Origin Seed has been secured.]
Luke’s curiosity was unbearable now. He could hardly wait to enter the world of Kengan and find this Origin Seed.
"Endspace, upgrade my Armament Haki by one level."
Since he was about to enter a new world, Luke no longer intended to save his money. He directly spent his Small Inheritance Crystal and Endspace Coins.
Incidentally, although he had trained himself to Level 4, upgrading from Level 4 to Level 5 still required only one Small Inheritance Crystal. The Endspace Coin cost had simply increased from 400 to 500.
Luke did not have much left in reserve. Mostly because, a few days ago, he had been unable to resist trying out one of Endspace’s paid training grounds, which had cost him another 500 Endspace Coins.
[Time deemed sufficient. Beginning Pioneer enhancement...]
Several hours later, Luke finished the enhancement. He checked all of his equipment, then sat on the bed and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
Every mission world in Endspace was a new adventure—and a new crisis. He had to ensure he entered every mission world at his peak, ready to handle any unexpected situation.
...
[Teleportation commencing...]
With Endspace’s notification, Luke felt himself enter that hazy tunnel of white light once more. Everything was blurred, and only Endspace’s voice remained clear beside his ears.
[Locating world...]
[Location successful. Target Derivative World: Kengan Ashura.]
[Number of Explorers deployed into this mutated world: 19.]
[The Pioneer has been granted proficiency in this world’s common language free of charge.]
[A suitable initial identity has been arranged for the Pioneer in this world.]
[The world-wide public channel is available exclusively for this mutated world. Pioneer, please monitor public-channel messages.]
[Deployment commencing...]
[Deployment successful. Pioneer, please review the world details and your mission.]
Amid a powerful sensation of weightlessness, Luke felt himself land.
Luke had intended to get up and inspect his surroundings, only to discover that he was wrapped in a straitjacket, with his hands cuffed behind his back.
The darkness around him was so complete that he could not see his own hand. This environment, this condition—he knew it all too well.
Damn it, Endspace. This is the initial identity you arranged for me!?
This is the premium treatment you promised!?
Luke could barely suppress the urge to rant, but he decided to patiently check the mission and world details first. Prison was still prison, but at least solitary confinement was fairly safe for the moment.
[Mission World: Kengan Ashura (Under Mutation)]
[Mission World Type: Special Derivative]
[World Difficulty: Lv. 3–7+]
[Warning: Due to the “Seed,” this world is undergoing mutational growth. Its difficulty will continuously increase over time!]
World Overview: Money and profit. Power and desire. Bloodthirsty violence. Deadly competition!
The fighting world is in turmoil, and undercurrents churn within the Kengan Association. Countless powerhouses rise up, ready to shine upon that arena where life and death are decided.
A mysterious Seed has fallen into this world, and the limiters on its fighters are gradually coming undone.
Kengan Matches: “Kengan Matches” are unarmed combat competitions in which corporations and businessmen stake immense interests, hiring gladiators to fight on their behalf. Originally created to settle disputes between merchants, they began in the middle of the Edo period and have continued into the modern age.
[Current World Exploration Rate: 0%]
[Current Location: Sunhead Prison (a detention facility exclusively for serious offenders)]
[Current Identity: Death-row inmate of Sunhead Prison]
The moment Luke saw the words “death-row inmate,” he felt thoroughly sickened. Looking further down, he learned that his current identity had retained his original name: Luke.
According to Endspace’s fabricated background, he was someone who had smuggled into Japan from a small country. After coming ashore, he had clashed with the snakehead smugglers’ organization and killed twenty-eight people with his bare hands.
He had already been subjected to four executions by hanging after his trial, but none had managed to kill him. He had then been transferred to Sunhead Prison.
———
PS: Although Kengan Ashura is a popular fighting manga, it is not exactly mainstream. On top of all the expanded buffs from the sequel, even readers who have read Ashura might be confused. So this arc is built around one word—satisfaction.
Yeah, it does not matter if you have not read the original. The simple version is: huge muscle monsters beating each other up. Just watch Luke bulldoze his way through. The main goal is to grab the cheat ability.
To make sure everyone has a good reading experience, I’ll update as much as I can. Whether this book advances depends on the data over the next couple of days, so please show your support.
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