Corpses, skeletons, the stench of decay, mutated monsters, a world in ruins.
Jiraiya and his three companions were shaken to their core, deeply shocked by the apocalyptic scene from Left 4 Dead.
A wave of fear surged through them, making it hard to calm down for a long time.
This was especially true for Jiraiya and Yahiko. After all, due to the Great Toad Sage's prophecy, Jiraiya had been searching for the Child of Prophecy, hoping to find a way to save the ninja world and bring peace.
Yahiko, though not as grand in his ideals as Jiraiya, also longed to change the Land of Rain, to bring order to the chaotic ninja world. He, too, was someone with great determination and ambition.
People like them could not accept the idea of an "apocalypse."
It would mean that all their efforts, struggles, and beliefs were rendered meaningless.
In a post-apocalyptic world, peace for the ninja world, changing nations, and bringing order would all lose their significance. The only thing that mattered would be survival.
Carrying this heavy sense of shock, Jiraiya and his team pressed forward, fighting as they went. Gradually, they began to understand the game's backstory.
They learned that this apocalyptic scene was caused by the monsters and malevolent spirits of the Land of Demons.
After discovering this, Yahiko couldn't help but ask Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-sensei, do these spirits really exist in our world?"
Jiraiya pondered for a moment before replying, "The Land of Demons does have a sealed creature, but it's not called Demonic Spirits, just a Demon named Moryo. I've heard it possesses terrifying power, though it's probably not as horrifying as in the game."
"Because that monster, Moryo, did go on a rampage once, but it was sealed away by the priestess of the Land of Demons. During that time, nothing as catastrophic as what's shown in the game happened, so Moryo likely doesn't have the same level of power as depicted in the game."
His words were somewhat reassuring.
Hearing Jiraiya's explanation, Yahiko and the others let out a sigh of relief. They had truly feared that such a disaster could happen in reality. Now that they knew it wouldn't, they felt much more at ease.
However, Yahiko then spoke in a serious tone, "But since our world really has monsters like Mōryō, we can't just ignore it. We must find a way to keep an eye on the Land of Demons and not wait until something actually happens to take action."
Nagato and Konan immediately nodded in agreement with Yahiko's words.
Hearing this, Jiraiya smiled and said, "You don't have to worry about that. Don't forget, this game came from Konoha. And although we've only just started experiencing this Genjutsu game, its value is obvious. As long as the other great nations aren't complete fools, they'll definitely try to get their hands on it."
"This way, all the major nations will take notice of Mōryō and will surely send people to keep watch. So, you don't need to worry. Someone will handle these matters."
Hearing this, the trio finally felt completely at ease.
As citizens of a small nation who were also being taught by Jiraiya, a shinobi from a great nation, they naturally held a deep sense of respect and awe toward the great nations.
They couldn't help but see them through a filter, believing that as long as the great nations got involved, no catastrophe would be uncontrollable.
Only Jiraiya himself knew the truth—these so-called great nations weren't much better.
If a disaster like the one in the game truly occurred, they would fall just like the small nations. They wouldn't be able to do much better.
After that, Jiraiya and the others fully immersed themselves in the game.
But unlike regular players who quickly entered the "battle excitement" phase, they not only enjoyed the thrill of fighting without fear of death or injury but also studied the post-apocalyptic world's setting and various elements.
For Yahiko and his team, who had barely ever left the Land of Rain, this experience was even more significant.
Although Left 4 Survival wasn't considered a large-scale game, the maps it contained were far from small.
In this fully immersive genjutsu game, it was, in a way, an unforgettable journey. They gained a lot of knowledge and saw many new things.
Many times, they would ask Jiraiya about things they didn't recognize.
This gave Jiraiya a headache. Although he was a well-informed ninja, more knowledgeable than 99% of people in the ninja world, he was still limited to the standards of this world.
Many things Uchiha Kai created in the Genjutsu game combined elements from both the ninja world and his past life.
For example, the mechanized puppets that Sasori was obsessed with didn't exist in the current ninja world. Even Jiraiya couldn't understand their principles.
As a result, Jiraiya soon had no choice but to respond vaguely or encourage self-exploration when his disciples asked questions, making him look a bit awkward.
Fortunately, the trio of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan were sensible. Realizing that Jiraiya wasn't fully familiar with the game's content, they didn't press him further and instead followed his advice to explore on their own.
Because of this, they uncovered a lot of information through the game—some related to the Five Great Nations and some about the world itself. They became completely immersed in it and enjoyed every moment.
After playing Left 4 Survival, they tried out the other two released games, gaining an exciting and memorable experience.
The horror atmosphere of Return Home scared the young boys and girls who played it for the first time.
Even Jiraiya was startled by some moments in the game, giving him a direct understanding of how terrifying an Genjutsu horror game could be.
Interestingly, it seemed that Konan had awakened a hidden trait—she became addicted to horror games.
Yes, while the boys didn't have a strong reaction to horror games, Konan, the only girl in the group, got hooked.
She gave Return Home a high rating and eagerly looked forward to more horror games in the future.
That's right.
Although Uchiha Kai had already prepared Escape for release, due to the world's poor communication and transportation, only Konoha and the central regions of the Land of Fire would get the news immediately.
Other areas would take some time to hear about it and even longer before the game became available.
The delay usually depends on the distance. In the border areas of the Land of Fire, it would be delayed by three days. Beyond the Land of Fire, it would depend on each country's situation.
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 30 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24