“Next Time I’ll Still Choose ‘Very Easy’” 

Death—symbolizing corpses, the end of life.

What Namikaze Minato saw before him was nothing but an endless sea of dead bodies.

It was quiet—deathly silent.

It was as if he had been suddenly pulled away from Konoha and thrown onto some horrific nighttime battlefield, surrounded by piles of corpses.

These bodies lay strewn about in the darkness—men and women, ninjas and civilians alike—all with the same lifeless, wide-eyed expressions.

Combined with the eerie setting of this underworld-like scene, it created an atmosphere that tapped into the primal fear of death present in all living beings.

Even though Minato had fought in numerous battles and taken many lives, the sight of this scene still deeply unsettled him.

Perhaps after experiencing the Third Great Ninja War in the future, Minato would be able to face such carnage without batting an eye. But right now, with the war still two years away, this level of horror was too much for him.

The realism and intensely immersive atmosphere of the death scene shook Minato to his core. Even though he knew it wasn't real, he couldn't help but wonder: Is this what the ninja wars will look like?

For a moment, Minato stood still, lost in thought, showcasing how powerful games can make players reflect on their experiences.

However, in horror games like this, standing still in certain scenes usually spells trouble.

As Minato stood there deep in thought, the corpses suddenly began to move.

To be more precise, the bodies behind him started to stir.

Suddenly, cold hands reached out and grabbed Minato's legs.

Although Minato sensed that something was wrong and instinctively tried to react, his body couldn't keep up with his mind. It was a classic case of: "Brain: I got it. Body: No, you don't."

As a result, Minato was immobilized as soon as the corpses grabbed his legs.

Struggling instinctively, Minato swung his kunai a couple of times, but more corpses clung to him, wrapping around him.

The dead bodies gaped their mouths, emitting foul odors, while their hollow, black eyes locked onto Minato. They pulled him down, as if trying to drag him into the deepest pits of hell.

In that moment, with a grim, determined expression on his face, Minato saw the female ghost from before reappear. She suddenly appeared in front of him, her hateful, terrifying eyes fixed on his, and she extended her hand toward him.

The moment her icy, sharp fingernails touched his skin, Minato felt his consciousness rapidly fade. A dull but noticeable pain throbbed in his head, and everything around him plunged into darkness.

Then, blood-red letters drawn in fresh blood appeared before his eyes.

[You Died!]

For a moment, Minato's mind buzzed, and he struggled to process what had just happened.

When he finally snapped out of it, he realized the scene had changed. He was back at the point where the three paths branched off.

A look of confusion appeared on Minato's face. "Wait... what just happened? Did I... die just now?"

As he spoke, his mind was still reeling. The swift and realistic sensation of death had hit him so hard and fast that his brain could barely catch up.

Even now, he still felt stiff, his limbs cold, and the lingering dread of having narrowly escaped death refused to fade away.

It was the same as before—this never-before-experienced sensation was just too real and far too advanced. Even someone as seasoned as Minato, an elite Jōnin, found himself struggling to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Kai, observing Minato's dazed expression, realized that his close friend had truly been shaken. If even someone like Minato was affected this much, there was no doubt that other players would provide an abundance of emotional value.

Still, everything in moderation. If this had been someone like Danzo or the Third Hokage experiencing it, Kai might have thought it wasn't realistic enough and cranked up the intensity.

But if he ended up traumatizing his friend and causing Konoha's future Yellow Flash to become Konoha's Yellow Coward, that wouldn't be good at all.

So, Kai spoke up, "That was the experience of death in the game. It's not real, just a simulation. After you 'die,' you'll return to the last key checkpoint, like you just did."

"Minato, are you okay? If the death experience feels too real, I can lower the realism."

Hearing Kai's words, Minato finally snapped out of his stupor. He took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, that experience was really unsettling. Even though I knew it wasn't real, and that kind of 'death' must be far less severe than the real thing, it was still pretty awful."

"But there's no need to reduce the realism. As a Jōnin of Konoha, I'm sure I'll face far worse in the future. If I can't handle fake situations like this, I'm sure I'll die on the real battlefield."

As he spoke, Minato's expression was serious, his tone resolute. He even looked a bit grim.

Though the Third Great Ninja War was still two years away, wars didn't break out overnight—they were the result of long-standing tensions finally erupting.

As an elite Jōnin and one of the new generation's key figures, Minato had access to much confidential information. He could already sense the growing tensions and the impending conflict brewing in the Shinobi world.

In a few years, war would inevitably break out—that was Minato's assessment. And it worried him.

Now, seeing a glimpse of what the war might look like in this game was undoubtedly a valuable training experience. There was no way Minato would let Kai lower the game's realism.

In fact...

"Kai, if possible, could you make it even more realistic? The closer to reality, the better!"

Hearing Minato's request, Kai was taken aback, unsure how to respond. He had been worried that making the game too real might be dangerous for Minato, yet here was Minato saying it wasn't real enough.

In that moment, Kai was reminded of his past life, when he would read feedback forms from players who had experienced the game's hardest difficulty mode and then marked "Very Easy" in the survey, with comments like, "Next time, I'll still choose 'Very Easy.'"

Damn it, that really pushed his buttons!

This was the ultimate insult to a game planner who prided himself on making players feel challenged and mentally tortured!!!

In silent frustration, Kai cranked the game's realism up to its maximum—no more holding back!

Heh heh heh!

Minato, get ready to experience just how "great" fully realistic virtual reality gaming can be!

Kai couldn't help but break into a satisfied grin.