Kazekage Ninja: The Rise of the Hidden Sand - Chapter 25: Want to Learn Sage Techniques? Why Bother Traveling All the Way to Mount Myōboku?

Welcome! If you want to jump in without any spoilers, feel free. Otherwise, here's a story primer, with a list of more specifics on what to expect from my work further below.Our story follows a fallen knight haunted by his past, in a world afflicted by war and supernatural wounds. Alken is the Headsman of Seydis, an executioner tasked by the divine powers of his homeland to hunt dark sorcerers, warlords, and traitors of all varieties, lest they drag the world into calamity.Once a paladin, this role ill suits him. Forced to cross lines that shake his beliefs, tempted by dark forces, and seen as an ill omen wherever he wanders, his path is often a bloody one. The longer he spends in the shadows of his world, the more he comes to realize just how many have been disenfranchised by the existent order. During his lonely battles through a land haunted by the restless dead and ancient magics, his journey becomes increasingly strange and personal.Enter a realm where the dead stir in every shadow and brooding demigods wage a millennia long war for a ruined heaven, where blessed knights wield gilded flames and sorcerers battle with weapons forged of their own souls. Enter a world of faustian alchemists, of saintly demons, and of time-weary elves.From Oathbreaker you can expect— A setting heavily inspired by Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Fromsoft games, and authors such as Michael Moorcock and Kentauro Miura. — A first person POV from an older protagonist who already knows a lot about his world’s history and cultures, who shares this information with the reader as it becomes relevant.— A mix of action adventure and quieter moments where the focus is on character development. Lore is shared piecemeal, usually only as it relates to a particular arc or character beat.— A heavy focus on mystery, both with the setting and the protagonist. The main character’s backstory isn’t shared up front, and a lot of the narrative involves learning about him a bit at a time, either from his own narration or other characters interacting with him.— A semi-soft magic system where many mages manifest unique powers tied to their own soul, or gain unique powers through eldritch pacts.— Romantic elements. These don’t crop up much until later in the story.— A variety of supernatural beings, such as elves, vampires, gargoyles, chimera, and trolls. Many are familiar, some are not, and most of the familiar ones have my own twists put on them.—Nobledark fantasy. This means that the world is often themed around tragedy and horror, but it’s not dedicated to being gritty. There are elements of high fantasy intermixed with the scarier stuff.—Episodic arcs. Each story arc usually has a specific locale and antagonist or set of antagonists, but certain overarching plots tie them together.— A long running narrative. I don’t have a specific projection of how long or how many arcs or books, but you should expect this to be equivalent to a long running serialized work.This is my first web serial! I hope everyone enjoys it. For trigger warnings, readers should beware that there are some heavy topics in here. When I think something might upset certain readers, I’ll put a warning in the author notes above a chapter. If I miss or overlook anything, feel free to let me know in the comments! I am currently publishing the same story on my wordpress, which is linked below and in my profile. I release three chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Thanks for reading!(I originally had a link to a wordpress, but I'm in the process of overhauling that space. It's not a priority since my readership is all here, but just in case anyone noticed and was wondering)

Ji Huan’s parents both died in a traffic accident.
Unexpectedly, his older sister also meets the same fate.
Yet everything starts when he says “goodbye” for the last time.

Hunting monsters? Genetic comparison?
Ji Huan flees with his older sister’s posthumous child to his hometown, Bade Town.
The three Grandpa, grandson, and nephew all live interdependent days.
However, inside the swaddling clothes is not a human baby,
But a monster…

Black egg body, white ring eyes, red mouth.
A child, ah! Doesn’t he have two eyes and a mouth! Resembling an egg, he is Ji Huan’s cute nephew!

Vermilion tiled wall, white lotus pond, convalescent courtyard.
This entirely neatly handsome and elegant young man: Ah Jin.
However, he told Ji Huan about the secrets of the monsters and discreetly taught him.
Bade Town is also slowly being covered in monsters…

Or, the record of a small countryside monster’s growth.

- Description from Novelupdates

I found myself in a parallel universe, awakening as a male priest. Everything seemed perfect; after all, as a healer, specializing in aiding women should pose no issue, right? However, I couldn’t help but wonder about some peculiar spells in my repertoire.

Firstly, what in the world is the “Instantaneous Outbreak of Acute Gastroenteritis” spell? And don’t even get me started on the “Osteoporosis” spell. What purpose could these serve in my healing endeavors? The confusion only deepened with spells like “Blood Burn,” “Gradual Freeze,” and “Mental Chaos.” Can I still peacefully focus on healing women with such ominous abilities?

Comparing my spells to those of other professions, I couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast. Mages wield “Doomstorm” and “Ice Age,” swordsmen boast “Sword Rain: Homecoming” and “Wind-Cutter Slash,” while archers showcase “Arrow Rain: Shooting Stars” and “Storm Arrow.” Yet, my ultimate spells are disturbingly named “Cancer Cell Proliferation,” “T-Virus Infection,” and “Rabies Outbreak.”

In the midst of it all, a certain character, some crying girl, laments, “Noooo, I just took a bath, who would have thought that I would become infected!”

Meanwhile, a villain chillingly asks, “Do any of you know what it feels like to burst apart while spouting blood? No! You don’t know!”

Even a boss character confesses, “Dear family, who can understand? I just took a nap, and when I woke up, I suddenly found that I have no kidneys!”

“No matter what I would do, my actions would inevitably change the story. I knew this already.... But what do you mean that I changed the plot even before reincarnating in the novel!? ”

...

Should I follow the plot of the novel? Or should I do as I wish? Maybe I should follow the plot while making changes favorable to me?

These would be the first questions of those who reincarnate inside a novel. However, due to a certain event, Sol didn't have that luxury. He had already influenced the plot.

The change he created wasn’t small either. If nothing was done, the novel would head for a 100% certain bad end: Destruction of the multiverse.

Luckily for Sol, the plot of the novel had yet to begin. It would take a few months before everything starts in earnest and all the dimensions combine, bringing along the dying worlds and their catastrophes for the Great Merge.

“Yes! I will enjoy my life to the fullest!”

Calamities? Future Catastrophes? Inevitable Destruction?

Sol doesn't care for those things. He has a single aim, to live a life that would make even the Gods jealous!

Be it the hero who brings hope, the villain who crushes the protagonist, or the enigma who controls everything while staying in the background. Sol will switch to any role that benefits him.

But will everything go as he has planned? The longer Sol lives in this new world, the greater mysteries he comes to face. To start with, his new identity itself is….