True Mode

There were plenty of ways to do it, but the Demon Sealer himself didn't meet most of the conditions.

"There should be other factors I haven't noticed... I'll take a closer look."

Mu Ye returned to the gates of the Shen Mansion and watched for a while.

"Wait, these people all seem to be dressed in mourning." Mu Ye's eyes lit up.

Someone must have died, right?

"Wasn't the Tutorial Stage called... The Widow of Taiping City...?"

"Looks like I need to ask around for more information about the Shen Mansion..."

With that thought, Mu Ye went straight to Yuelai Inn, ordered a pot of tea, and listened as he drank.

Sure enough, before long, hushed voices murmured all around him.

"Madam Shen of the Shen Mansion is so pitiful. They'd only been married for a few months when Hero Shen died."

"Isn't that the truth? I heard that on the day they wed, Hero Shen was invited to Chishui Village to exterminate demons. No one expected him to die. Those monsters really are fearsome."

"A pity that Madam Shen, with her breathtaking beauty, has become a widow... Who knows how long the Shen Family's vast estate will last here in Taiping City?"

Whispered conversations drifted over.

Mu Ye understood.

"I've got it..."

Mu Ye made the character stand and headed for the Shen Mansion again. This time, the options had changed.

[1. Please inform Madam Shen that I am a Demon Sealer who fought alongside Hero Shen in Chishui Village. I am passing through Taiping City and have come to pay my respects to him.]

After he chose this option, the steward eyed him with suspicion, then immediately sent someone to inform the Shen Mansion.

Before long, a servant hurried out and whispered a few words into the steward's ear.

The steward sized Mu Ye up and said:

"I see. Please come in!"

After entering the Shen Mansion, he was first taken to the main hall to pay his respects. There, Mu Ye saw Hero Shen's face. Though it was a black-and-white portrait rendered in ink, he looked every bit the righteous and chivalrous hero. A coffin stood in the middle of the room.

The Shen Family's relatives stood on either side. There didn't seem to be many of them.

Quite a few people came and went to pay their respects, so the Shen Family was probably a prominent clan in Taiping City.

As for the breathtakingly beautiful Madam Shen, Mu Ye didn't see her.

After he lit incense and paid his respects, he was shown to a side room to wait for the banquet.

Then, more information appeared.

[The demon is nearby. Defeat it to complete the mission and finish the Tutorial Stage.]

At the prompt, Mu Ye immediately used Mind Eye. A pink aura slowly came into view.

But in the next moment—

A commotion suddenly erupted outside.

Roars, screams, and curses rang out one after another, accompanied by the shrill clash of weapons. There was no doubt something had happened.

Mu Ye hurriedly led the character out of the room, only to find the servants outside with bloodshot eyes, charging at him like madmen with clubs and weapons in hand.

"These servants seem to have lost their minds." Mu Ye took one look and figured a demon was behind it.

The demon lurking in the Shen Mansion must have sensed him.

Only a maid in a green dress still had her wits about her. She ran over, sobbing as she cried:

"Young Master Mu, quick, run! Get out of the Shen Mansion!"

As soon as the maid finished speaking, she collapsed to the ground and breathed her last.

Mu Ye froze. The following choices soon appeared:

[1. It's just one demon. What have I to fear?]

[2. My life comes first.]

There was no need to choose. He could just go fight it. How could he run away?

But as soon as he charged out, the servants kept coming in waves. Before long, the Demon Sealer was beaten to death beneath their clubs...

[Dead]

"But... I feel like I can beat them..." Mu Ye mused.

These servants weren't as strong as the Martial Hall Disciples. They were weaker, and they were crazed.

Mu Ye memorized their attacks and movements, then reloaded and tried again. After a few attempts, he drew the saber at his waist and easily took down dozens of servants without even tearing the hem of his clothes.

"Piece of cake!" Mu Ye grinned smugly.

Of course, that was thanks to the Demon Sealer character.

As a Demon Sealer, he had at least a rudimentary grasp of martial arts.

Though the official description said they were only good at dealing with demons.

But in the hands of a player, even someone who only knew how to spam basic attacks could turn the game into a Soulslike, thanks to the multipliers from their hands and brain.

Of course, that wouldn't work so well against Martial Hall Disciples who knew secret techniques.

The secret techniques those disciples used were incredibly powerful, and their combat AI seemed much better. They were nothing like these stiff, predictable servants.

After taking down the crazed servants, Mu Ye returned to the main hall and saw a demon resembling a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, about half a man's height.

[The Man-Eating Demon Fox has appeared!]

The information appeared.

The fox bared its fangs, looking utterly savage. It had bits of limbs in its mouth, and as it chewed, it let out a shrill cackle. It looked terrifying.

The fox seemed to have expected the Demon Sealer. It sprang straight at him, spewing a cloud of crimson blood-colored qi from its mouth.

[You have been afflicted with Fox Nightmare Qi!]

But the Demon Sealer's strength immediately showed itself.

He seemed to have a special advantage against demons. The instant it appeared, he slashed his palm with his blade, then used the blood to paint a grimacing mask on his face. After that, red currents like electrical circuits surged through his body, as if floodgates had opened.

[You have entered the "Demon Subduing Body" state.]

In this state, every swing of the Demon Sealer's blade blazed with fire. Mu Ye controlled the character, hacking away with wild abandon. In just a few blows, he took down the Man-Eating Demon Fox.

The downside was that after the Man-Eating Demon Fox died, the Demon Sealer's weapon shattered too, and the fox had run him through. He probably wouldn't last much longer.

[You have slain the Man-Eating Demon Fox. Tutorial cleared.]

[Completion: 50%]

[Rating: D-mid.]

[People rescued from the Shen Mansion: Zero.]

[Achievement "Legacy of Wei Wu": Not achieved.]

[Reward: 50 Paradise Coins.]

[True Mode unlocked. This mode allows the player to synchronize with the character.]

"That was pretty fun..."

The screen slowly faded to black, and Mu Ye exited the game.

It had only taken an hour or two, but the game was surprisingly addictive. There was still so much left to explore and try.

This kind of clear was just the bare minimum: beating the boss.

He hadn't even seen Madam Shen, the breathtakingly beautiful woman. She'd probably been killed by the Man-Eating Demon Fox. What a pity.

"This is pretty addictive. I want to try again..." Mu Ye stared at the unearned achievement and his rating, still unsatisfied.

"Wait, what's True Mode?"

When Mu Ye returned to the game screen, he spotted a True Mode option beside the Tutorial Stage.

He clicked it, and the entire screen changed in an instant.

[True Mode: In this mode, rewards are greatly increased. The chosen character will partially synchronize with the player's information and share their abilities. Saving and loading during a run are disabled. Clearing the Tutorial Stage with 100% completion will close it.]

Mu Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Share the player's abilities?

In this mode, Mu Ye slowly selected the Demon Sealer.

The Demon Sealer's abilities had gained a subtle new change.

[Golden Blade Art: A mysterious technique that grants weapons immense power.]

"?"

Mu Ye sprang up from the bed, his eyes shining. "Isn't this a spell I know?"

"This is interesting!"

New book, two updates a day.