Next, the Two Tsukumogami Witness a Horror Show of Live Consumption

The two Tsukumogami, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro and Hakusan Yoshimitsu, found themselves forced to watch a horrifying scene: Lin Ge devouring the History Retrograding Army soldiers raw.

When Lin Ge ate, he didn’t mess around. No matter the size of the target, he swallowed it whole. Oddly enough, despite the terrifying act, there were no grotesque, bloody scenes involved. Lin Ge simply ate with satisfaction, leaving Yamanbagiri Kunihiro and Hakusan Yoshimitsu questioning their entire existence as swords.

The new Sage was frail and thin. Most importantly, he appeared harmless.

Yet this harmless man had swallowed two History Retrograding Army soldiers in one bite each.

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro’s gaze involuntarily shifted to Lin Ge’s stomach. It remained flat, showing no signs of having consumed anything substantial, let alone two beings.

This scene was so far beyond comprehension that even Hakusan Yoshimitsu needed several seconds to process the colorful emotions swirling in his mind.

After finishing his two appetizers, Lin Ge turned his hungry gaze toward the last remaining History Retrograding Army soldier on the field.

The satisfaction from devouring them had left him feeling that perhaps these soldiers weren’t so ugly after all.

Well… I’m not the type to curse the meal after eating it, am I?

Sensing Lin Ge’s gaze, the last soldier took a step back, the green glow around it flickering nervously. Then, it turned and bolted.

That man is a monster! it thought. If I stay here, I’ll get eaten too!

As the soldier fled, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro finally snapped out of his stunned state. He stepped forward, sword in hand, ready to deliver the final blow.

But before he could act, there was a sharp whoosh! Lin Ge, who had been standing several meters away, suddenly teleported right in front of the escaping soldier.

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro froze for a moment, then quickly followed.

Meanwhile, Lin Ge licked his lips. Delicious.

The scent reminded him of the barbeque stand near his old neighborhood—mouthwatering and irresistible.

With a delighted grin, he lunged forward, biting down on the soldier.

Knowing it was doomed, the History Retrograding Army soldier looked despairingly at the gaping “maw” closing in on it. In a final act of desperation, it activated a one-meter-wide black hole beneath its feet and sank into it.

Unable to stop in time, Lin Ge tumbled into the closing black hole after the soldier.

“!!!” Lin Ge’s mind screamed.

Ahhhh!

As the black hole devoured them both, it vanished at an incredible speed, leaving no trace behind.

Hakusan Yoshimitsu jogged over to Yamanbagiri Kunihiro’s side and sneaked a glance at his expression.

Wow. He looks terrible, Hakusan thought. Almost green.

After a moment, Hakusan spoke calmly. “Let’s go back.”

His tone was steady. After all, he hadn’t spent much time with the current Sage, so it wasn’t as if he had deep feelings for him.

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro didn’t reply. He simply stared at the ground where the black hole had been, then slowly squatted down. He clutched the new cloak tightly.

“He had a Return Scroll,” Yamanbagiri Kunihiro murmured hoarsely. “He’s probably already back in Honmaru waiting for us.”

Hakusan Yoshimitsu paused mid-step. Seeing that Yamanbagiri Kunihiro hadn’t moved, he tugged gently on his sleeve.

Time seemed to stretch on.

“He doesn’t know how to use it,” Yamanbagiri Kunihiro finally said, his voice rough.

I didn’t have time to teach him.

Hakusan Yoshimitsu: “…”

Does he really not know how? Even a child knows you just tear the scroll and infuse it with spiritual energy.

But then Hakusan thought about it. The Sage was a total novice. It wasn’t entirely out of the question.

Much like his first experience traveling through time and space, Lin Ge felt intense discomfort upon landing. The disorientation and dizziness were strong, though the energy from the two soldiers he’d just consumed helped mitigate the effects.

Looking around, Lin Ge quickly noticed he was… on a school’s athletic field?

He scratched his head, unsure. The sky was dark, and the soft glow of the moonlight bathed the field and the soldier in front of him. Oddly, the moonlight made the soldier appear more approachable… and appetizing.

Lin Ge gulped, his face full of longing.

Forget figuring out where I am. Let’s eat first!

Startled by the looming disaster chasing it, the soldier panicked, channeling all its energy into its legs as it fled for its life.

Seeing his buffet trying to escape, Lin Ge refused to stand idly by. He bolted after it.

The chase was on. Neither could escape the other’s pursuit!

Having consumed two soldiers, Lin Ge was no longer the same as before. His speed now surpassed the fleeing soldier, and within moments, he caught up.

Grabbing the soldier by the shoulder, Lin Ge repeated the process and swallowed it whole in one gulp.

After finishing his meal, he clasped his hands together in a customary gesture of gratitude. “Thank you for the meal.”

Ah, delicious.

Lin Ge prided himself on respecting his food.

After devouring the soldier, Lin Ge finally took a closer look at his surroundings. It was indeed a school.

The small teaching building and athletic field exuded a distinctly modern atmosphere.

Did I return to my original world?

No way! His dreams of becoming a farming tycoon were just getting started!

Lin Ge’s expression immediately turned sour.

For now, his best option seemed to be logging into the Sage Forum and posting a question to see if he could return.

“Boom!!!”

What the—

A massive explosion erupted behind him. Lin Ge ducked instinctively, avoiding the debris flying toward the back of his head. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest.

What the heck is this? Did I just stumble into a school demolition?!

Cradling his head in his hands, Lin Ge turned angrily toward the source of the explosion.

With his enhanced vision, he spotted two teenagers on the rooftop of the school building, facing off against a massive monster.

The monster was grotesque, its obese form mutated with bizarre organs. Compared to it, the History Retrograding Army soldiers looked almost dashing.

The two teenagers appeared to be high school students. One of them was even being held in the monster’s hand, their fragile forms emphasizing the monster’s overwhelming size.

Lin Ge tensed.

Who hasn’t dreamed of being a hero? This is my chance!

Having just consumed three soldiers, Lin Ge felt emboldened. He crouched, ready to leap into action.

But before he could act, the captured teenager broke free from the monster’s grasp. In the blink of an eye, and to Lin Ge’s utter shock, the teenager delivered a single devastating blow, obliterating the massive creature.

What kind of cheat code is that?!

Lin Ge stood frozen, his dreams of becoming a hero shattered.

No, this isn’t just a cheat code. This is straight-up account sharing.

Realizing he had no place in the fight, Lin Ge wisely abandoned his plan to intervene and slowly backed into the shadows.

Heroes need the right timing, setting, and conditions to shine. Since those kids can handle it, I’ll focus on figuring out how to send out my forum post.

Meanwhile, his blond angel Yamanbagiri was probably back at Honmaru harvesting ripe watermelons.

Lin Ge smiled at the thought. Soon, he’d earn another hefty pile of gold coins.

Pulling up the Sage Forum, Lin Ge was relieved to find it still connected to the system. His fingers flew across the interface as he composed a help post:

“Does anyone know how to use a Return Scroll? Urgent! Online waiting!”

He attached a cat meme he’d collected over the past few days for good measure.

Satisfied with his post, Lin Ge decided to look for a late-night snack before heading back.

Though Honmaru had its share of magical tech, it still couldn’t replicate the bustling liveliness of the modern world.

The noise and crowds made Lin Ge feel strangely at home. Squinting happily, he used the Mall’s currency exchange feature to trade 500 small gold coins for local money.

The exchanged bills appeared in his system inventory. Taking them out, Lin Ge was momentarily dazzled by the stack of high-denomination notes in his hand.

Although he’d prepared for this after spontaneously mastering a foreign language in Honmaru, seeing familiar currency still left him in awe.

Staring at the bills for a moment, Lin Ge sighed and stuffed them into his pocket.

Sigh… Should I get barbeque or hotpot?

What time is it anyway? Are restaurants still open?

These questions could wait. First, he needed to leave the school.

Before leaving, Lin Ge glanced one last time at the rooftop.

This time, he froze.

A white-haired man had appeared out of nowhere!

Meanwhile, the overpowered teenager from earlier was now lying on the ground, shirtless, seemingly subdued.

Lin Ge gulped. Just as he was about to look away, the man’s head turned sharply in his direction.

He saw me—!!!

How is that even possible?!

Before Lin Ge could wrap his mind around the absurdity of it all, the white-haired man disappeared from the rooftop and reappeared right in front of him.

Up close, Lin Ge could feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from him.

Unlike the grotesque monster or the History Retrograding Army soldiers, this man’s aura was pure strength—enticing and terrifying.

It carried a scent that stirred Lin Ge’s instincts, making him want to take a bite.

Though let’s be real… I’d probably break my teeth before I got anywhere.

“You…”

Gojo Satoru furrowed his brow as he sized up the strange man in front of him.

His appearance was odd—like someone who hadn’t eaten in days, with sunken cheeks and an unhealthy pallor.

Did this guy overdo it trying to lose weight?

These thoughts flashed through Gojo’s mind, but before he could finish speaking, his words were cut off by the man’s expression.

How should he describe it?

It was like Lin Ge was staring at a delectable piece of food.

…Food? Me?

And the kind that’s really tasty?!

Apart from being emaciated, the man didn’t seem particularly abnormal.

Lin Ge forced a stiff smile, his gaunt features making it even uglier.

“H-Hello…?”

Lin Ge stammered, using the universal greeting while silently praying his racing heart wouldn’t leap out of his chest.