Next up, it was the other Uchihas' turn.
With Uchiha Meiji having gone first, the rest of them were buzzing with anticipation. They were even a bit excited. After all, with Meiji as a precedent, they believed they were mentally prepared and wouldn't react as badly as he did.
Unfortunately, what you think is just what you think—and reality always knows how to slap the smug off your face.
Those who thought themselves brave and had reviewed the "script" beforehand were immediately humbled by the sheer realism of the genjutsu-based game and the oppressive dread brought on by the evil spirits. One by one, they cracked.
Some even screamed and wailed in embarrassment. Because the real version of the game randomly selects one of three domains during scene transitions, no two people would experience the same thing.
Faced with blackened death, overwhelming negativity, sudden ghost attacks, relentless traps, and emotionally charged horror, the Uchihas found themselves helplessly embarrassed.
Watching them flail and shout during gameplay, the spectators maintained their usual smugness—"I'd never act that disgraceful if it were me." Meanwhile, others were itching to try it themselves, certain the current players were overreacting.
Ironically, this comparison made Uchiha Meiji's earlier reaction look pretty decent. He had been frightened, sure, but he hadn't screamed his lungs out.
Despite the embarrassment, every participant came out of the experience with some gains. Their Sharingan had improved—some even advanced by a small grade, while others edged closer to a breakthrough.
Still, no one managed to grasp the true evolution trigger like Uchiha Fugaku had.
Perhaps Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Masanobu could have done it, but both of them were nearing the end of their lives.
Though Uchiha Setsuna retained considerable power and an aura of majesty, his aged body might not survive the shock of awakening the Mangekyō. So he let the opportunity pass to others.
As for Uchiha Masanobu, he had sustained grave injuries during the Second Great Ninja War. Over a decade later, those wounds had never healed properly. In fact, his condition had worsened, and even the best treatment could only prolong his life for a little while.
At this point, he had maybe two years left to live. Trying to awaken the Mangekyō now would most likely kill him. He might not even survive halfway through the process. So with deep regret, he gave the chance to someone else.
Not that either of them had completely given up. They just weren't competing with the younger generation. If an opportunity came around later, they'd give the full version a shot. Awakening the Mangekyō—even if it cost them their lives—would be worth it.
This demo test run of "Homecoming," adjusted to Uchiha Kei's current state, only included five available slots. But given the results, that was more than enough to complete his starter quest.
Sure enough, before the fourth participant even finished, Kei had already gathered 5000 emotion points. Without waiting for the session to end, he quietly triggered mission completion.
\\[Ding\\~ Congratulations, Host! You've completed the 5000 emotion point collection mission.]
\\[Reward: +30% Sleep Efficiency, new skill "All-Nighter," and 1 Game Dev Skill Enhancement token.]
\\[+30% Sleep Efficiency: Reduces required daily sleep time by 30%, giving the host more productive hours for development and self-improvement in the hyper-competitive gaming market!]
\\[All-Nighter: Active skill. When triggered, the user remains mentally sharp for four hours. After that, accumulated fatigue will crash down all at once. Please rest immediately to recover. Cooldown: 72 hours.]
\\[Skill Enhancement: Select one existing game development skill to strengthen. Increases mastery and depth of expertise.]
Deafening silence—that was his response to the rewards.
Less sleep, better alertness, and enhanced skills…
This starter system really was shoving him onto the path of a workaholic game dev from hell.
Honestly, if Uchiha Kei had stayed on Earth, this system would've pushed him into becoming the King of All-Nighters—no sleep required.
Even the most ruthless capitalists would look at this system and say, "Damn, that's excessive."
"Sigh… whatever. This dumbass starter AI is really just a dumbass. Expecting it to be useful was clearly wishful thinking."
That said, Kei reevaluated the skills from a different perspective.
A 30% boost to sleep efficiency actually had serious benefits. In the shinobi world, just like in real life, rest is the most efficient form of recovery. For missions and battles, quicker recovery can mean the difference between life and death.
The "All-Nighter" skill might sound like it came from a heartless tech bro, but it kept you mentally sharp for four full hours.
For a shinobi, that level of mental clarity often translated into stable physical stamina, chakra control, and energy levels.
Even if it wrecked your body afterward, using it at the right moment could save your life.
Because in the end, if you're alive, anything's possible. Dead means game over.
No question about it—while the skills were obviously designed for a workaholic, they were insanely practical in the shinobi world.
Finally, the skill enhancement. Uchiha Kei had learned many game dev techniques, but only one was currently usable—anything involving spiritual networks. His genjutsu-based game relied entirely on those networks and the Sharingan.
So naturally, he chose to enhance that.
Instantly, a new flood of knowledge invaded his mind. Concepts related to spiritual networking filled gaps he hadn't even known were there. Updates are released by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥
And along with the knowledge came inspiration—he suddenly had more ideas, more creative impulses.
What those ideas would ultimately amount to, he'd need time to explore.
But Kei had a strong hunch: this next version of his genjutsu game would be massively upgraded. It might finally achieve the effects he had once thought impossible.
Using the visual prowess of other Uchihas to help create and run the game!