The Sengoku Period's Greatest Yokai and Her Useless Sidekick

Hidechiyo walked toward the graveyard, her solitary figure with a single sword a striking image as she strode directly toward the massive Ox-Headed Monster. It was as huge as a small mountain, exuding an astonishing power, and just its presence was enough to shroud the space within several hundred meters in Perpetual Darkness.

The latter was originally rummaging around in the graveyard, wandering for some unknown reason. As the girl approached, it immediately sensed her. Its huge ox head snapped around, and its crimson eyes instantly burst with terrifying blood-red light, letting out an excited howl!

The next moment, this heavy behemoth took off on its hooves, dragging that enormous spiked iron club, and charged toward the girl!

That terrifying tonnage, whether it was the Ox-Headed Monster itself or the weapon it wielded, their combined weight was already extremely frightening. It was like a locomotive speeding at maximum velocity, its chilling momentum even tearing up the ground in front of it. Graves and tombstones were all instantly smashed to smithereens!

However, facing the charge of such a terrifying giant beast that made one's scalp tingle, the girl, who seemed tiny in comparison, also quickened her steps and met it head-on.

Amidst the howling, the Ox-Head Demon violently swung the enormous spiked iron club it had been dragging behind it. The wind instantly shrieked piercingly, but it lasted for less than a moment before being drowned out by a deafening crash. The ground trembled violently!

Swung with immense power, the enormous spiked iron club smashed down with a thunderous roar!

Amidst the strong wind whipped up by the explosive impact, dirt and stone fragments scattered everywhere. The ground was smashed in, and huge cracks spread out like lightning in all directions. The power of this strike, let alone hitting a human body, would instantly wreck a main battle tank beyond recognition.

But the next second, amidst the explosive impact, a cold glint burst forth, effortlessly slicing through the strong wind.

A dominant and dazzling slash, outlining a deadly and perfect arc. Time seemed to freeze in that instant, and against the backdrop of solidified space, the black-haired girl's figure appeared behind the Ox-Head Demon, her posture stunningly beautiful as she elegantly and precisely swung a single strike forward—

Somehow, she had dodged that fiercely powerful blow by shifting her body, and at the same time, she unleashed her own attack!

The strong wind was instantly shredded by the sword light. Although no blood-red light burst forth, accompanied by a crisp sound like shattering glass, countless sparkling golden-yellow light points burst into the air, the brilliant essence reflecting glimmering light as clear as jade!

"Roar—!!"

A mournful howl shook the heavens. The Ox-Headed Monster, which had just been incredibly fierce, seemed to instantly lose the strength to support its body at this moment. It slumped weakly to the ground. Forget about raising that heavy weapon to swing, even its thick arms and head drooped down powerlessly all at once.

The domain of Perpetual Darkness surrounding them disappeared.

On the Ox-Head Demon's head, the pair of crystalline horns that shot straight up, as clear as yellow jade and seemingly filled with some kind of essence, now dimmed like its red eyes, with only the base of the horns remaining.

—Because both horns had been cleanly cut off and shredded at the root by that single slash!

Having lived alone and worked as a Yokai slayer for a long time, the girl Axiu knew very well that for most Yokai, their Demon Horns were a weakness... Though this was relative. For a creature like this Ox-Head Demon, its Demon Horns were also its strongest and most deadly weapon.

So, if the Demon Horns themselves were very fragile and easily damaged, how could they be used as a weapon?

It was precisely because the Demon Horns were so hard they seemed utterly indestructible that they became the Ox-Head Demon's strongest weapon. Therefore, even though it was known that shattering these horns would defeat this terrifying Yokai, most people still couldn't do it. More useless trivia had been added to the list.

But Axiu was not among them, nor was she an ordinary person.

Turning back, she flicked her sword, seemingly habitually shaking off non-existent blood from the blade, and at the same time, quickly walked toward the Ox-Head Demon.

"Roar!"

Perhaps sensing the danger to its life, even the severely wounded Ox-Head Demon struggled and roared wildly, quickly forcing itself up, seemingly preparing for a dying counterattack.

Watching everything that happened from afar, the brief but seemingly thrilling confrontation concluded. Gu Mo's face couldn't help but show a look of longing.

So strong, and really so cool!

Although he knew the girl would definitely be fine, her performance was so effortless and fluid that it still surprised him a little. That beauty, that precision, that composure. A single instant of confrontation ended, and while she remained completely unharmed, she had already half-killed her enemy.

He let out a light breath, feeling completely relieved. The current Dungeon seemed to be fine now. In just a short amount of time, the situation had completely reversed compared to before.

Just a few minutes ago, Gu Mo was the weak, pathetic, and helpless one. It was likely that apart from the corpses, he was the weakest thing in the entire scene. No matter what, it would have been impossible for him to clear this scene by relying on his own strength—if the clear requirement was indeed to defeat monsters.

Having died so many times in the game, he was just an ordinary person. How could he be confident in clearing it in one go when replicating the real operations?

The most likely outcome was that he would know nothing and end the Dungeon in the second way, without even knowing how he met his demise.

A few minutes later, after successfully executing the "hug the thigh" strategy, this small Thirteen Cherry Blossom Village suddenly became calm and uneventful, without any suspense, as if it were a leisurely vacation... However, even though life being carried by a powerful figure was so boring and monotonous, Gu Mo couldn't comfortably be content as a slacker.

He didn't deny that he was currently a freeloader. Otherwise, he wouldn't have wanted to borrow Axiu's power and use his information advantage to slightly scheme against Hidechiyo. It wasn't with ill intentions; he simply knew his current position. Without hugging a powerful thigh, he couldn't move an inch.

However—

Admitting that he was currently a freeloader didn't mean he wanted to be one forever.

After all, he knew very well that continuing like this wouldn't work. There would inevitably be other Dungeons in the future, and he couldn't guarantee that he would always encounter someone as easy to talk to... Cough, someone who didn't talk but was very capable, like Hidechiyo. What would he do then? Wouldn't he have to rely on himself?

Of course, he could say that it would be fine as long as he didn't participate in those Dungeons, but not only had the prompt before entering the Dungeon disappeared, making it possible to accidentally enter a new scene, Gu Mo himself was unwilling to give up such extraordinary opportunities.

He didn't have any particularly big ambitions at the moment; he just wanted to see more different scenery.

So—

He once again turned his gaze to a dilapidated, burning house in front of him. In front of the door of that house was a small monster frantically eating. It was so focused that the huge commotion in the graveyard just now didn't startle it or attract its attention.

"I should be able to handle a Lesser Hungry Ghost..."

He muttered to himself, giving himself a little encouragement. No longer paying attention to the battle in the graveyard, and knowing that the girl would definitely finish things up, Gu Mo slowly tip-toed forward. As he did so, he tried to make his steps as light as possible, while also keeping his eyes peeled and ears open, his nerves stretched to the limit.

Because the impression the game left on him was too deep.

Malice was everywhere. Whether it was the item light points that could be seen at a glance, or the monsters that could also be seen at a glance, it was highly likely that they were all intended to attract your attention. What you saw was what they wanted you to see, with the purpose of distracting you.

It wasn't just this game; similar games had this kind of design, and he had indeed suffered too many painful lessons in this regard—

Seeing an item light point on a high ledge, he excitedly went to pick it up and found it was a "Fleeting Soul." Just as he was disappointed that it was junk, the next moment he was pushed off by a small monster that suddenly rushed out from behind...

Yeah, it was indeed a fleeting soul.

Not the item, of course.

He carefully looked again and again, confirming that the Lesser Hungry Ghost in front of him was indeed a lone monster, and only then did Gu Mo feel a little relieved. By this time, he had also walked to a distance not far from the Lesser Hungry Ghost. He slowly held his breath, quietly crouched down, and grasped a somewhat rusty short knife on the ground.

He had noticed it before, which was why he had crept over here. Otherwise, he would have had to find a weapon elsewhere before making a move.

A brief battle must have also taken place here; large splashes of blood were everywhere on the ground, though they had already congealed.

There probably wasn't just one or two bodies initially, but judging by the drag marks on the ground, something must have dragged them away. Only one particularly mangled and bloody corpse remained, lying there alone, being frantically gnawed on by that Lesser Hungry Ghost with the large, deformed head, like a giant-headed infant.

This weapon was likely left behind from the brief fight before.

Gu Mo quickly examined it. The short blade was entirely made of black iron, but the quality was concerning. The edge was somewhat dull, with many nicks and cracks, and some foul-smelling black blood had congealed on it... Even in his vision, there were only simple interaction options like "Press F Key to pick up," "Press F Key to equip," etc.

Besides that, there was no further information. It seemed that this kind of subpar Equipment wasn't even considered recognized Equipment by the System, and wouldn't be given a separate Equipment stat appraisal interface.

But looking around, this was the only usable weapon Gu Mo could find nearby... So, a realistic world really wasn't a game. It was impossible for any random grunt, a corpse on the side of the road, or even accidentally breaking a pile of stones to drop a divine artifact.

Since he was mentally prepared for this, he didn't feel disappointed. Or rather, wouldn't it be a bit ridiculous to have expected that in the first place?

Slowly inhaling a breath of air, Gu Mo tightened his grip on the hilt of the short sword in his hand, his gaze fixed on the Lesser Hungry Ghost in front of him, his Spirit highly concentrated.

It was a creature that, at first glance, looked like a Human child, except

So-called Hungry Ghosts are the deceased who have fallen into the Hungry Ghost Realm due to their actions in life. It is a world after death tormented by thirst and hunger. Therefore, they are always in a state of extreme hunger. Any normal food they eat will spontaneously combust and disappear in their throats, making it impossible to fill even a trace of the hunger in their bellies.

In such endless torment, it is naturally impossible for Hungry Ghosts to have any capacity for thought. The more they cannot eat their fill, the more desperately they eat, even devouring their own kind... They frantically want to satisfy their hunger and thirst, yet they are driven mad by the eternal hunger that can never be satisfied, a vicious cycle.

So the fighting and commotion in the distance just now hadn't attracted its attention. It was just desperately devouring the corpse within reach right in front of it. To get it to shift its attention, either the corpse had to be completely gnawed clean, or... fresher flesh and blood had to appear nearby.

Just like now, the Lesser Hungry Ghost, which had been frantically gnawing on the corpse, suddenly stopped its head-shaking, body-twisting action of tearing at the corpse's flesh and blood. It smelled the fresh scent of a living person—

Crunch!

A violent kick, full of Strength, flashed like lightning and struck the Lesser Hungry Ghost as it turned around. It landed squarely on its bulging, swollen belly, which was emitting a faint yellow essence light. This was the weakness of the Hungry Ghost in Gu Mo's memory!

"Waa!"

Emitting a strange cry like a child's wail, the Lesser Hungry Ghost was directly sent flipping backward by Gu Mo's unrestrained surprise attack. However, it also revealed its vicious nature and was about to get up and pounce. Opening its gaping maw, large enough to swallow a Human head, it was about to let out a...

It didn't get to cry out. A rusty short sword flashed like lightning and was brutally thrust into its mouth!

Under the full force of his bulging-veined arm, even though the blade wasn't too sharp, it still pierced straight through the throat from the relatively vulnerable wide-open mouth, emerging from the back of the Lesser Hungry Ghost's head and pinning its head to the ground!

It didn't die immediately. Instead, it struggled even more fiercely, its Strength even more terrifying. However, the attacker didn't end the surprise attack. After knocking it to the ground and pinning its throat with a knife, he got up, raised his foot, and stomped down with the most ferocious burst of Strength and speed, using all his might!

Thump! A dull sound, as if a ripe watermelon had been stepped on and exploded, the Lesser Hungry Ghost's belly burst open!

Black foul blood splattered everywhere, carrying a stench.

Gu Mo didn't stop. Because the nerve commands had already been issued, his body faithfully executed his previous thoughts. He stomped several times in a row with all his Strength, until his feet were numb from the shock and pain, without feeling. Only then did he stop, gasping for breath.

He had no experience and didn't know if he would succeed, so he couldn't be calm or hold back. From the very beginning, he had put in all his effort to kill this Lesser Hungry Ghost.

After several seconds, he came back to his senses, looking at the dead, disgusting monster on the ground, his brain slowly regaining the ability to think.

It had been a bit dangerous just now. When he was still some distance away, this thing had sensed him and turned its head. At that time, he didn't even have time to think; his body reacted faster than his mind. He wasn't frozen in place by fear but instead lunged forward viciously.

Everything after that was purely instinct. It didn't develop as he had expected; for example, the weapon wasn't ultimately used to cut open the Hungry Ghost's belly, but only served as a convenient control...

Not ideal, but relatively smooth.

Overall, it was pretty good.

Gu Mo, who had taken a few breaths, revealed a relieved smile. This was the first minor monster he had killed, and it was his starting point. At this moment, he suddenly felt full of confidence for the future.

However, immediately after, his expression froze slightly. Because not far away, the black-haired girl was already standing there, he didn't know when, looking at him with a subtle and strange gaze, as if he had accomplished something incredible after going through a lot of trouble to kill a Lesser Hungry Ghost.

—Behind her, in the distant graveyard, the giant Ox-Headed Monster had fallen like a mountain, its body long since silent.

—A stark contrast to the corpse of the small monster beneath his feet.