Dungeon Cleared, and You Want to Leave?

Well, that did not count as a lie either, because it really was a very special relationship.

Gu Mo had actually always harbored a question: if this Dungeon corresponded to a real Parallel World, then why was Hidechiyo specifically the Hidechiyo he knew, rather than some other version of her?

He did not believe it was purely a coincidence. Therefore, he was convinced there had to be some special connection, just as the girl's existence was special to him.

"I see..."

Tokichiro nodded, seeming to understand something, while also feeling somewhat envious. He, too, wished he had friends he could trust and entrust his back to. Unfortunately, after traveling far and wide all these years, he had encountered plenty of people who stabbed him in the back.

Taking a deep breath, Tokichiro weighed his words once more. Then, he reined in his expression, no longer wearing that signature look—grinning, shifty-eyed, seemingly slick and crafty—and instead showed a little more sincerity as he spoke earnestly.

"Here's the thing. I have an idea, and I don't know whether you'd be willing..."

"Oh, you mean what you mentioned before? You want us to join you and build something great together, right?"

Glancing sideways at the relatively slight, uncle-faced man before him, Gu Mo calmly cut him off. He did not need any knowledge of the story for this; Tokichiro had already brought it up back when they were still on the mountain.

At the time, Monkey had followed beside him, circling around and currying favor, expressing concern and asking about Hidechiyo's condition...

Once he understood the situation, Monkey immediately thumped his chest and said that, thanks to his Guardian Spirit's protection, he had mastered the ability to use spirit stones. If he seized the right opportunity, he could turn an Ara-Spirit into a Wa-Spirit. Should the girl lose control and undergo Yokai Transformation again, he could offer assistance...

At the same time, everything he said, directly or indirectly, conveyed the same meaning—

He believed that with abilities like theirs, they should not waste their lives unnoticed in some remote little place instead of making a name for themselves amid this Warring States Period. He strongly encouraged Gu Mo and Hidechiyo to roam the chaotic age with him and achieve great things.

But clearly, Gu Mo had not been in the mood to listen to Monkey at the time. All his attention had been on the unconscious black-haired girl, and his replies had been perfunctory. He probably had not considered Monkey's words carefully at all.

Tokichiro had been quick-witted then, immediately dropping the subject. Instead, he volunteered to tell Gu Mo that he knew the village better and could lead them somewhere clean to settle down and rest for the time being. After that, he also took the initiative to clean up the "battlefield" and gather supplies.

He knew that if he wanted to achieve his goal, he needed to show sincerity and bargaining chips that could move them. He absolutely could not rely on endless, irritating chatter, which would only backfire.

"Ahem, yes, that's exactly it—"

Tokichiro had just worked up his emotions and momentum, intending to display his determination and sincerity in one go and win them over. But he was interrupted as soon as he opened his mouth, leaving him feeling somewhat stifled. Still, he adjusted immediately and maintained his smiling expression.

"Listen to me, Brother Gu Mo. This is a rare opportunity. I don't think you'd be willing to spend your whole lives living mediocre lives in a place like this. I know, I understand, because I'm the same. I was born the son of a farmer..."

He carefully chose his words, speaking with an overly familiar tone. His strategy was to speak from the heart from his own perspective and try to evoke an emotional resonance in the two of them.

But he had barely gotten started before Gu Mo interrupted him again—

"Ah, you don't need to say that much. My opinion isn't important. It mainly depends on what Axiu thinks. If Axiu agrees, then there's no problem."

He said it unhurriedly, because that was simply the truth. He was merely an add-on; Axiu was the real priority.

More importantly, he could not stay in this Dungeon for much longer. Time was almost up, and he would soon be leaving this world... Though Gu Mo also wanted to form a team and conquer the land with them, to participate in the ultimate group battle Dungeon, otherwise he would not have been trying to ingratiate himself with both sides—

Why had he misled Tokichiro after misleading Hidechiyo? Naturally, it was so that his sudden presence would have an identity that could be explained. Letting the people here think he belonged over there, while making those over there think he belonged here, was better than being completely alone without any faction to rely on.

Especially in this world, without any support, even if he were ten times stronger, it would be difficult for him to solo those outrageously difficult scenarios, each harder than the last.

But all of this was preparation for the future. Everything depended on the possibility that he might be able to enter this Dungeon again later and continue clearing this world.

Yes, it was preparation for later, a long-term consideration. After all, he would be leaving soon. More than anything, he wanted to arrange a bit of insurance before departing and steer both sides in the right direction...

Hidechiyo could not speak and had no way to convey overly complicated meanings. That was the key to making this plan work. Tokichiro probably would not suddenly think to specifically verify his identity with the girl... So long as he gave them a fairly reasonable explanation before leaving, they might both believe that was simply how things were.

That way, when he had a chance to come back next time, no matter what happened, he would at least gain some convenience.

—Of course, success would be best, but failure would not cost him anything. That was what drove him to do this.

"Ah? Oh, oh..."

Tokichiro had no idea what schemes the young man before him was contemplating. His train of thought had simply been interrupted twice in a row, his carefully built-up emotions cut off just as he had begun speaking from the heart, forcing him back to reality. His eyes were slightly dazed, and he felt unable to keep up with the pace.

It took him several seconds to react, and he gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between the two...

Thus, while hurriedly responding, he quickly looked at the black-haired girl behind Gu Mo and decisively asked, "Then, A-Axiu, is it all right if I call you that? You've heard what we've been discussing. What do you think?"

Since this girl's opinion was what mattered most, he had to persuade her. But if she did not agree either... As Monkey thought this, he began desperately searching his mind for what he could say to convince the girl to accept his proposal.

This felt a little troublesome. This pair really seemed to have no interest in worldly possessions...

Tokichiro was rarely at a loss. What could he use to persuade them? Could he only talk about lofty, empty dreams and ambitions, shouting a few slogans?

And just as Tokichiro could not help letting his thoughts run wild—

Gu Mo's expression slowly froze, and his entire body stiffened slightly.

W-Wait! What did this Monkey just say? Hidechiyo was awake, and she'd heard the two of us talking? How much had she heard? What had I just said? And when had she started listening...

In that instant, thoughts surged through his mind, nearly overwhelming his brain. More than anything, it was as if his ability to think had suddenly frozen. Under the influence of a particularly embarrassing emotion, his mind seemed unable to function normally at all.

I want to die...

Maybe I should just stop clearing Dungeons for the rest of my life...

He slowly turned around and saw that the black-haired girl on the pile of straw behind him had somehow awakened and sat up. She tilted her head, staring at him with a very strange look in her eyes.

Ahahaha, the weather today... is really nice.

Not knowing what he should say, Gu Mo did not even know what expression he was wearing. Was it polite without being awkward, or was it nothing but awkwardness? His mind was blank, and all he could see were the girl's gorgeous rose-red eyes, like rubies.

It's over, it's over...

Gu Mo opened his mouth, wanting to ask how much the girl had heard and where she had begun listening, but he ultimately could not muster the courage. His skin was not that thick.

"..."

"..."

Time passed silently, just like that.

The air gradually sank into silence amid their wordless stare. No one knew how long it had been before someone finally broke the silence.

It was Tokichiro. Lost in his worries, he suddenly realized that he had drifted off as well. Yet after so much time without an answer, the response was probably the rejection he had expected... Of course, he was unwilling to give up just like that, so he raised his head and revealed a somewhat ingratiating, flattering smile.

"Miss Axiu, what do you think?"

The black-haired girl finally shifted her attention away. At the same time, she lightly bit her lip and furrowed her delicate, pretty brows.

She had never considered this matter, so she had no thoughts about it for the moment, nor had she intended to agree... After all, she had always lived well enough and had no particular needs. Why should she suddenly go out wandering and pursue some grand undertaking now?

That was not what she wanted, nor was it what she sought.

"Ahem, don't rush. For certain reasons, Axiu can't speak, so she can't answer your question directly..."

No longer being watched by the girl with that strange look, Gu Mo seemed to finally escape suffocation and let out a long breath. At the same time, in order to further ease the frozen atmosphere, he forced himself to say this as though nothing had happened.

It was too embarrassing. Just now, he had felt like he could dig out a two-bedroom apartment with his toes...

But at least he had endured it. Moreover, his mindset now carried a subtle element of giving up entirely. He had already embarrassed himself this badly, so how much worse could it get? Besides, Axiu, the person involved, had not said anything either, hahahahaha...

"Ah? N-No, she can't speak?" Tokichiro froze, immediately at a loss.

He suddenly felt as though he understood.

This counted as being rejected repeatedly, didn't it?

At first, Gu Mo had not seemed interested; the second time, he claimed that the black-haired girl's opinion mattered more and his own did not; and now, he was telling him that the black-haired girl could not speak at all...

Thinking this, the slight man could not help revealing a bitter smile. The hopeful light in his eyes dimmed as well.

Of course. He should have known; he should have understood right away. With such a humble background and nothing exceptional about himself, why would truly capable people think highly of him? Unfortunately, he simply refused to give up. He could not recognize his own place and always thought their polite rejection meant there was still hope.

"First, tell us about your plans, Tokichiro. If we really joined you, what would you intend to do?"

Trying his best not to look toward the girl, Gu Mo continued pretending that nothing had happened, asking, "At the very least, you need to tell us your ideas and plans so we can see whether you're truly worth investing in before we make a decision."

"I..." Tokichiro froze. "My plan is for us to seek refuge with Lord Saito Dosan, the ruler of Mino. I've sold him spirit stones many times before, so we've had some dealings. He's also willing to give me an opportunity..."

Letting out a breath, he began eloquently explaining his ideas and considerations. He was somewhat nervous at first, but the further he went, the more fluent he became. His plans sounded detailed as well, not like wild fantasy. It seemed to be a scheme he had contemplated for a long time, merely waiting for an opportunity to put it into action.

And so, no one knew how much time passed. Only after the sun outside the window had clearly risen much higher did the slight man finally stop. He smacked his lips, still wanting to say more, then looked at the two of them with eager anticipation, his eyes filled with a light that refused to settle for mediocrity—

"...What do you think?"

"..."

"..."

Hidechiyo frowned almost imperceptibly again. She did not know how to evaluate this man's thoughts or his intense aspirations, but she still had no particular opinion. Instinctively, she looked toward the strange person beside her.

Was her arrival disrupting the course of fate? Did she truly no longer want to leave?

Having calmed down somewhat after this period of time, Gu Mo met her gaze, then immediately turned away again. He had already made up his mind and said somewhat stiffly, "I think Axiu should consider going to Mino..."

Saito Dosan was Hidechiyo's father...

It was already tragic enough that father and daughter only recognized each other shortly before his death. If his interference prevented even that from happening, it would truly be a sin...

Hidechiyo blinked. Why did he want her to go to Mino? Was there some special reason?

"Ahaha, this is what I was thinking..." Gu Mo laughed awkwardly, still not daring to look into the girl's eyes. He raised a finger to scratch his cheek, just about to fabricate some reason.

But in his mind, a familiar sensation like electric current passing through his nerves swept over him, accompanied by fractured, noisy sounds ringing through his consciousness.

The next moment, the screen went black without warning.

His last remaining thought was one of utter shock. By his calculations, there should clearly have been some time left. How could this be so... Wait! He seemed to have repeated this night once. During the first run, he had wasted quite a bit of time.

It was only after he failed, the screen went black, and he woke up again that he found himself lying in bed...

In that case, although the "save point" in the real world had rewound to midnight, the time he had spent acting before that had still been counted? He had instinctively started calculating from midnight after waking up the second time, but in truth, there had not even been eight hours remaining?

His thoughts linked together like flashes of lightning, sparks flying as realization dawned on him.

Then he lost all sensation and consciousness.