[BleachxMultiverse] - Conquering Worlds After Death

Under Black Whirlwind's patient explanation, Ren finally understood the nature of the Eternal EndSpace.

The place they were in was called the Eternal Vines, a colossal vine that climbed endlessly into the void.

Its branching structure formed ten distinct layers of realms—or perhaps nine, depending on perspective.

The lowest realm served as the commercial district and was commonly referred to as the Ground Floor by explorers.

Currently, Ren resided on the First Layer, the designated area for first-rank explorers.

The Ground Floor wasn't just a market hub but also home to a unique group of explorers known as Supporters. Ren guessed this was likely the "downgraded treatment" mentioned by the system upon his arrival.

From Black Whirlwind, Ren learned that not all trial worlds for explorers had the same harsh conditions as his. In some cases, failing a mission didn't lead to death but resulted in explorers being demoted to Supporters.

These individuals were tasked with various forms of production within the Eternal EndSpace instead of participating in frequent missions.

Since these Supporters lacked combat skills, the EndSpace didn't force them into high-risk mission worlds. After all, even the act of teleporting cost spatial resources.

Compared to the combat-oriented explorers who performed missions regularly, Supporters only received assignments two or three times a year. These tasks were relatively simple, like gathering rare materials.

It reminded Ren of life-skill players in video games. Although they couldn't pursue paths of power, some managed to amass surprising wealth through crafting and trade.

After understanding the layout and purpose of the EndSpace's various facilities, Ren parted ways with Black Whirlwind.

Despite not signing any formal contracts, he handed over the agreed-upon fee of 50 EndCoins. Having access to well-organized information saved him a lot of time and effort, and Ren considered it money well spent.

The EndSpace allowed pioneers to stay for up to a month between missions. With his next steps clearly planned, Ren headed straight to the Enhancement Hall.

Contrary to his expectations of a modern structure, the hall consisted of smaller branches sprouting from the massive vine. At the ends of these branches were enormous carnivorous plants, their edges dripping with viscous liquid.

Ren watched as explorers pinched their noses and stepped into the mouths of these plants, only to be spat out moments later. Despite emerging covered in slime, they looked rejuvenated and energized. It confirmed that he was in the right place, though the method of enhancement was undeniably grotesque.

Without hesitation, Ren stepped into one of the plant's mouths and was immediately enveloped in dense liquid. Contrary to what he imagined, the sensation wasn't suffocating or slimy.

Instead, it felt cool and refreshing.

Inside the plant, he lay still as a floating menu appeared before his eyes, navigable through sheer thought.

[Pioneer 008, you have 5 free attribute points available. Please allocate them.]

Having already decided, Ren distributed the points without delay: 2 each to Constitution and Strength, and 1 to Agility.

His natural mental attributes were already high, and the Spiritual Power Training Technique he acquired in the Bleach World further enhanced them.

As such, mental attributes were a low priority. As for Charm, he saw no practical use for it—being good-looking wouldn't stop enemies from attacking. Besides, in most situations, brute strength served just as well for 'physical communication'.

[Enhancement will begin shortly. Pain is to be expected. Please prepare yourself.]

The moment the system message ended, an intense, tearing pain coursed through his body. However, Ren had endured far worse, including the brutal training under Captain Unohana. This was nothing in comparison.

After an hour, he was spat out by the carnivorous plant. Ignoring the slime coating his body, Ren eagerly checked his updated stats.

[Pioneer 008 - Current Base Attributes (Including Titles):]

Constitution: 20 (+2)

Strength: 20 (+2+1)

Agility: 19 (+1)

Mental: 24

Charm: 6

Luck: 1

He deliberately refrained from adding more to Agility, as his Shūkonrasetsu in its released state enhanced his reflexes, compensating for any deficiencies.

From Black Whirlwind, Ren also learned that explorers could customize their personal rooms far more extensively than he'd imagined. It was entirely possible to convert his room into a training facility, allowing him to continue improving his attributes.

After cleaning himself up, Ren decided to visit the market in search of suitable equipment or techniques. Between the two, his interest leaned more toward techniques.

In his previous world, martial arts had faded into obscurity, with much knowledge lost to time. He was eager to explore skills that could develop internal energy or techniques capable of forging near-impervious bodies.

Before long, he arrived at the First-Rank Explorer Market. For ease of management, the Eternal EndSpace maintained separate markets for each rank rather than centralizing them on the Ground Floor.

Explorers could only access areas permitted by their Explorer Mark. As a first-rank explorer, Ren was confined to the First Layer. However, thanks to his Pioneer Mark, which granted one additional rank of access, he could visit the second-rank market and purchase better items—provided he had enough EndCoins.

Of course, high-tier items weren't entirely out of reach for low-tier explorers. The Ground Floor's Supporters could custom-make equipment, though at a steep price.

The market brimmed with items sourced from mission worlds, with explorers eager to trade them for EndCoins and convert these into combat-ready resources.

After strolling through the market, Ren gained a clearer understanding of the EndSpace's economy and pricing dynamics.

Take equipment, for example: the price range varies based on its rating. A high-quality main weapon typically costs between 1,000 and 3,000 EndCoins, while a rare-grade main weapon might be priced anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 EndCoins.

This reaffirmed Ren's decision to avoid treasure chests; the potential rewards from them rarely exceeded the 10,000 EndCoin mark.

As for Inheritance Crystals, he hadn't seen any for sale. When he asked a vendor about them, the person looked at him as if he were an idiot. Ren deduced that most explorers wouldn't part with such items, meaning they were practically priceless and rarely traded.

"How much is this?" Ren paused in front of a stall, his eyes landing on a manual labelled as a 'technique' book.

The reason for the quotation marks was that this technique didn't align with his usual understanding of such things.

However, he could categorize it as a type of body reinforcement technique.

[Armament Haki Training Manual]

Grade: Rare

Type: Technique Skill

Requirements: Constitution 15, Strength 15, Mental 20

Details: Derived from the One Piece world, this ability represents a latent power inherent to all humans. This natural-born potential channels intangible feelings like aura, killing intent, and fighting spirit. When mastered, willpower itself becomes a weapon. This formidable force is known as Haki.

This item contains the training method for Armament Haki. Upon use within the Eternal Endspace, the explorer can directly acquire Level 1 to Level 3 Armament Haki, depending on their aptitude.

Rating: 100+

Evaluation: "Dodging? Never heard of it. Just charge in."

Ren smirked at the Endspace's commentary. He strongly suspected the evaluations were personalized for each explorer.

He was familiar with the One Piece series, though only partially. His mentor had managed to collect a few incomplete volumes, so Ren didn't have a full understanding of the story. He decided he'd use the EndSpace's resources to catch up later, as he might end up entering the One Piece world in the future.

Ren already had a basic understanding of the Haki system. He believed it to be a framework with significant growth potential. Haki offered a substantial upper limit, and its effectiveness largely depended on the user's mastery.

Although the training manual was only classified as rare-grade, that was likely because it merely allowed explorers to learn the basics. It didn't grant an advanced initial level of Haki.

In the One Piece world, Haki wasn't particularly difficult to obtain. In the New World, it was considered a common ability. However, common didn't mean weak—its strength depended entirely on the wielder.

________

[T/N] - We couldn't meet our Powerstone goals, so no extra chapter for you guys...

That said, let's try again. 70 Stones for 1 Chapter. Lets do it!!!