Chapter 231: Raen Awakens!
"Hey, have you heard? That village in the mountains has been having problems lately!"
"What? What kind of problems? Did wild boars break in again? Or did some clueless bandits show up?"
"Neither. They say there's something unclean in there. The elderly and children in the village have all died. Rumor has it, there are ghosts!"
"What?! Ghosts? Would those things really appear in our remote mountain village?"
"Who knows? A lot of Ghost Slayers have already gone there. I heard they've each killed at least three ghosts! And apparently, there are even ninjas involved!"
"Ninja Ghost Slayers? You serious?"
"Of course! Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, come with me to check it out!"
"Let's go, let's go! Forget work—watching the excitement is more important!"
As the conversation ended, a group of people ran towards the mountain, heading for a small, almost isolated village.
Meanwhile, Raen was already in the village.
"Hmm? Someone's coming? I was just wondering how to restore my strength… Didn't expect them to deliver themselves so quickly."
Raen sneered and looked outside.
A group of people. Ordinary folks. But even so, they could still provide him with some energy.
Especially among them, there were quite a few strong young men—prime-quality souls, a great supplement indeed!
Without hesitation, Raen drew his Zanpakutō and slashed at the approaching crowd.
Unfortunately, they had no idea what was happening.
They couldn't even see Raen.
They were still busy looking for the so-called Ghost Slayers, unaware that those warriors were still leisurely making their way toward the village.
"I don't get it. Why are we coming all the way out here to slay ghosts? There are spirits all over the Shinobi World right now."
"You don't understand a thing. The Shinobi World is extremely dangerous right now—many powerful ghosts can kill us effortlessly.
Besides, with our current strength, even if we kill a ghost, no one will know. No one will appreciate us. No one will sing our praises.
But here, it's different."
The ninja smirked. He had no lofty ideals—he just wanted to live a better life.
Since the big villages were too competitive, he had come to this remote mountain village instead.
"Heh, heh. Out here, we're the strongest. A few mere ghosts will be a piece of cake.
When we take them down, the villagers will treat us like gods."
The ninja grinned, while the Ghost Slayers beside him nodded in realization.
"No wonder you're the boss. Not only are you strong, but you're way smarter than us!"
"Agreed! So, boss, should we deal with the ghosts first or meet the villagers?"
"Obviously, we go to the village first. Otherwise, how will they know we're here? How will they know we're the ones who killed the ghosts?"
"Boss makes sense! Let's go!"
A subordinate shouted excitedly, while the leader chuckled again.
"Haha, no need to rush. Let's wait a bit and take our time walking.
That way, when we finally arrive, the impact will be greater, and they'll be even more grateful to us."
The ninja spoke with confidence—this was a trick he had learned from some unknown mastermind, and it had never failed him.
"Boss, you're a genius!"
Meanwhile, back in the village, Raen had swung his sword just once, and the people had all collapsed.
Immediately, their souls floated out…
"What's going on? Am I… dead?"
"Just now, a gust of wind hit me, and I felt like I was being lifted off the ground."
"Same here… Like something unclean brushed past me."
"Wait a second… Why do you look kind of transparent?"
"Whoa! You do too!"
"Hahaha! Become my nourishment!"
Raen laughed at the ghostly figures before him. Then, opening his mouth wide, he devoured them all before they could even react.
Instantly, his strength was restored significantly.
Not long after, he spotted several Ghost Slayers slowly making their way toward the village.
Seeing them, Raen's lips curled into a smirk.
"Looks like my luck is pretty good today. If I kill them, I should be able to recover most of my strength."
Licking his lips, he strode toward the approaching ninjas.
—
"Boss, do you feel a little cold?"
"Cold? We're in the mountains. Isn't that normal?"
"I don't mean physically… I mean my soul. It feels like… we're being watched."
"That's ridiculous. Wait… Are you saying—?
Everyone, draw your Zanpakutō!"
The leader shouted, unsheathing his blade.
At that moment, he finally saw Raen standing before them. The others quickly followed suit, drawing their weapons.
But instead of fear, they were excited.
"Boss! Looks like we hit the jackpot! There really is a ghost here!"
"Hahaha! Boss, let's kill him, then head to the village!"
However, they failed to notice that their leader's expression had turned grim.