Chapter Fourteen: Playful Mockery

“Trying to run? Only prey that flees makes for good hunting!”

“Mundo will chase you diligently from behind, hacking off your limbs one by one with his butcher’s cleaver. Of course, Mundo won’t kill you quickly—what Mundo enjoys isn’t the result of slaughter, but the process itself. He’ll use your despairing screams to lure that big rabbit over. I hope you hold out for a while, don’t die too fast. But Mundo guarantees that every cut will bring you excruciating pain…”

Bai Mu’s tone was eerily vacant, yet his words were so precise and orderly, each syllable laden with oppressive force. This made Shi Yi’s heart sink even heavier.

“Damn lunatic, he actually plans to kill Captain Lietu as well… and he’s a jonin!” Shi Yi was pinned in place by the single eye beneath Bai Mu’s mask, as if he were a pig or mule under a butcher’s cold gaze. His legs began to tremble.

“The fear in you is delicious, your terror excites me. The hunt begins now… Run, foolish rabbit!”

“‘Fear’… Activate!!!”

A dark shadow rose behind Bai Mu—a gaunt, ragged silhouette traced in black, countless crows cawing as they circled, sketching a primeval terror. It wielded a battered scythe, reaping fear itself.

If Shi Yi had harbored any doubts before, the sight of that shadow shattered his reason completely. What kind of abomination was this? Just one look felt like falling into an abyss!

“I’ll die here. Run! Run!” At that moment, Shi Yi was no longer the image of a steadfast Iwagakure chunin; he had truly become a panicked, desperate rabbit, spinning and fleeing in blind terror, forgetting even to hurl a smoke bomb in his retreat.

“Run… run… That’s exactly how prey should behave. Now, should Mundo’s cleaver take your foot… or your arm…” Bai Mu showed no urgency, raising the bloodstained cleaver high overhead.

“Viral Cleaver… Throw!!!”

Wham!

The cleaver, slick with gore, whistled through the air, slicing a path directly to Shi Yi’s left foot. The force was so great it triggered the effect of severing a limb—Shi Yi, still sprinting, didn’t realize until he’d gone five more meters that his left ankle was no longer attached to his leg. Losing balance, he crashed heavily to the ground.

“Ahhhhhh…” Shi Yi clutched his left leg, howling in pain.

“Scream… scream… Louder…” Bai Mu advanced step by step, picking up the cleaver and raising it again.

“Stay away!!! Please, spare me! I shouldn’t have come to the Land of Fire…” Shi Yi brandished his longsword wildly, desperate to ward off the madman.

“Your fear delights me. Your pleas I ignore…”

Wham—another viral cleaver fell. The longsword clanged aside, and with another severed limb, Shi Yi’s right wrist snapped, blood spurting like a fountain.

“Ahhhhhh… Captain! Help me!!!” Shi Yi’s screams of agony echoed through the Forest of Death.

“Scream, louder still. The pain of two little rabbits can’t satisfy my desires…” Bai Mu’s cleaver rose and fell with unhurried rhythm.

“Ahhh… Madman… Pervert…” Shi Yi, hands bloodied and raw, crawled desperately across the ground, trying to escape even the tiniest distance from the primeval terror behind Bai Mu.

“Does it hurt? Then let’s end this!” Bai Mu planted a foot on Shi Yi’s back and brought the cleaver down upon his neck, stroke after stroke.

After five blows, the head was severed. But on Shi Yi’s face, there was only the relief of release.

In the midst of utter terror, death is also deliverance.

[Independent kill: Sand Village chunin. Gold +100, Experience +100]

[Level up: Now LV2. Life Energy +50, Chakra +50, 1 EX Skill Point acquired.]

[You have earned Dr. Mundo’s approval. Dr. Mundo thinks you’re no pushover.]

[New Skill from Dr. Mundo: Potential Outburst]

[When you endure pain, your potential bursts forth. The greater the pain, the more your Life Energy and Chakra increase, up to 100%.]

[Recognition from the Ancient Fear, Fiddlesticks. Please keep up the effort.]

“…Wait, feeling pain to gain strength—is Mundo trying to turn me into a masochist?” Bai Mu tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Why did it feel like the system kept nudging him toward madness?

“Push through, young man! The higher you climb, the stronger you become!” The system laughed heartily.

“By the way, what’s the use of an EX skill point?” Bai Mu asked.

“It’s used to enhance an existing normal skill, evolving it into an EX skill and strengthening a particular effect.”

“Interesting. If I evolve Fear, what happens?”

“Path one: Fear becomes a group effect. Path two: The fear effect is intensified.”

“What about Viral Cleaver?”

“Path one: Can be charged, greatly increasing power and range. Path two: Attach a chain to the cleaver, altering the attack style.”

“If nothing goes wrong, the Iwagakure jonin should show up soon. Jonin have stronger wills, so terrifying them like this might be difficult… Then I’ll evolve ‘Fear’—choose the path that intensifies the effect.” Bai Mu decided at once.

Crack, crack, crack…

It was as if the space behind him tore open, a massive black shadow emerging from the dimensional rift, enveloping Bai Mu. Countless crows whispered hoarsely in his ears: “Doom is coming…”

[EX Fear evolution complete. Fear effect increased.]

“System… your evolution process nearly scared me out of my wits. Are you actually going to summon the Harbinger of Doom?” Bai Mu stroked his chin, a sly look creeping into his eyes.

“If I could really summon him, shouldn’t I strive to gain the recognition of the Nine-Tailed Fox, Ahri…?”

“You beast, you won’t even spare a two-dimensional character!”

“At least I’m a ‘text person’ now, okay?”

“So, why hasn’t Ahri acknowledged me?”

“Maybe because you’re not flirtatious enough?”

“Then I’ll try harder. Just be nice and give me Yasuo. Killing earns Mundo’s approval, scaring earns Fiddlesticks’ approval—if I show off, Yasuo will worship me in no time.”

“Next time for sure!”

“It’s a promise then!”

…

Withdrawing from the system’s interface, Bai Mu looked down at Shi Yi’s corpse, shaking his head. War was cruel, but these were only fifteen- or sixteen-year-old children. From killing to being killed—who could judge right or wrong?

If you must blame someone…

Blame Kishimoto for not giving you a name in the original story.

Turning his gaze to Uzuki Yugao lying on the ground.

Wait… was that her posture just now?

Bai Mu slowly walked over.

As he approached, Yugao held her breath completely. Bai Mu could clearly see the fine hairs on her skin standing on end.

She could only hope this masked maniac preferred the tough, stringy flesh of Iwagakure shinobi, and had no interest in a tender, delectable beauty like herself.

“So you’re awake… You must have seen everything, haven’t you? Maybe I should toy with her a little…” Bai Mu stroked his chin, then bent close and sniffed at Yugao.

Yugao’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point. Even holding her breath, the scent of blood kept invading her nose. That sniff felt like the breath of death itself…

A voice sounded, almost against her ear.

“Mom always said purple mushrooms are poisonous… Mundo doesn’t eat purple old ladies…”

Then the madman in the mask, footsteps heavy, walked away from her side.

Yugao never imagined that, in the end, her hair color would be what saved her life…

She breathed out slowly, cautiously opened her eyes to see where the madman had gone.

Orange mask, crazed single eye, bloodstained, flesh-covered body…

He hadn’t left—he was still right in front of her.

Their eyes met.

“Knew you were awake!”

Snap—the tension in her nerves broke. Her sanity dropped to zero, and Yugao fainted dead away.

“Hey! So… people really can bristle like that?” Bai Mu looked at Yugao’s purple hair standing on end, just like a violet sea urchin.

[Your actions have drawn the attention of Loose Cannon Jinx.]

[Let’s put on a show—you’ve been played!]

[Quest acquired: Prank five characters from the original work 1/5]

[Reward: Guilty Pleasure]

[Guilty Pleasure: After committing a wicked act, you experience a thrill beyond limits, temporarily increasing your speed.]

“Wicked deeds… hehehe…” Bai Mu thought of something, grinning like a fool.