Viper's Divine Realm

Gu Mo focused on the bamboo tube container. He was fairly familiar with this item; during the early stages of beginner exploration, he had relied on it heavily, practically drinking it like water. Before fighting a BOSS, he would gulp down a whole tube, and whenever an unfamiliar new monster appeared, he would gulp down another.

Otherwise, he simply would not have had the confidence to walk over.

Of course, by the later stages, this thing had stopped appearing in his item bar. At first, there had never been enough, but later, he did not even know how many had piled up in storage. It was not that the item had become useless; it merely fit the role of an early-game item perfectly.

After carefully reading the system description, Gu Mo confirmed that its use was not much different from the item he remembered. There were indeed some differences, but they seemed to be improvements. It did not merely restore stamina; it had some additional effects as well.

"Sacred Water."

"Origin: Any sacred shrine site."

"Quality: Common."

"Effect 1: For a certain period after drinking, moderately increases stamina recovery speed."

"Effect 2: For a certain period after drinking, removes or alleviates most minor abnormal conditions, slightly restores Health and Mental Power."

"Additional Effect: Can be used as a special material for ritual purposes. Please explore the specifics yourself."

"Note: Particularly efficacious water that gushes forth from a divine realm. It is said to have been used in rituals since ancient times, drunk when swearing oaths before the gods."

That was roughly it.

Put simply, it could speed up stamina recovery while also restoring HP and MP. What bothered him was the word "slightly." Just how slight was slight? It might be the kind of amount that was better than nothing, symbolically popping up a few +1 or +2 numbers over his head before that was it.

And there was also "for a certain period." There was no telling how long that actually meant.

In the game, he remembered it being a BUFF lasting less than a minute, gone after only a few moments. But... he glanced at the tachi hanging upside down from his right hand. A hazy, clear radiance still cloaked the blade. He had applied a Purification Binding Talisman earlier, and the enchantment BUFF was still active; the glow had not dimmed much either.

Because of that efficacious power that purified Tokoyo, even yokai blood could not remain on it. After a battle, it was so clean that it looked as though it had never been used.

After mastering the Purification Binding Talisman and Fire Summoning Talisman, Gu Mo had immediately conducted some simple tests and even consulted Abe no Seimei. The result was completely different from the game's BUFF duration of less than a minute. If used directly, it was hard to say, as it depended on the specific circumstances. But if it was used to enchant a weapon... it could last for nearly half an hour.

Of course, that referred to its maximum duration—applying the talisman and then leaving it unused to see how long it could naturally persist.

If used in actual combat, every yokai slain and every purification of Tokoyo would wear away a trace of the efficacious power residing in the weapon, so its duration would naturally decrease. Still, even if yokai lined up and let him mechanically chop them down, it would not fail to last even a minute.

Hmm, once he got a few more of the same items later, he could test it out. This was something he needed to explore himself.

Gu Mo composed his expression and turned to Tokichiro, who had approached from the side. Seeing the other man looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated, he asked, "Did you find something, Monkey?"

"Well..." Tokichiro hesitated. "Lord Gu Mo, I took a look around just now and found that there does not seem to be a single human corpse here. It looks like everyone in this camp had already fled before it was occupied by those yokai."

"I see..." Gu Mo blinked, then nodded with a smile. "That sounds like a good thing, at least. Everyone got away."

"Yeah, maybe they are all hiding in the manor up on the mountain..." Tokichiro studied his expression, then put on an honest-looking smile and scratched the back of his head. It seemed Gu Mo had already noticed it, so a reminder was enough.

Tokichiro simply felt that something was off. As for what had happened on this mountain, he was now even beginning to suspect that the people guarding it had stolen from their own side and intended to deliberately use the yokai to clear themselves of blame.

The black-haired girl beside them tilted her head curiously and looked at the two of them.

At that moment, the soldiers who had scattered to clean up the battlefield returned one after another from various directions. Nothing unexpected had happened, and they had found nothing noteworthy.

Gu Mo did not delay and immediately ordered them to continue advancing.

The mountain path ahead led to Saito Dosan's manor, so it had been repaired to be broad and level enough for horses to continue upward. However, since they did not know what lay ahead, they still chose to proceed on foot, leading a group of Matchlock Ashigaru behind them.

Honestly, this Dungeon World run was far better than Thirteen Cherry Blossom Village in both difficulty and personal experience...

Gu Mo looked at the black-haired girl beside him, then at Tokichiro on the other side, who vigilantly scanned their surroundings. The golden, gleaming Divine Ape beside him had also shed its aloofness and energetically ran circles around Tokichiro, taking on lookout duty.

Behind Gu Mo followed a huge mass of Matchlock Ashigaru. Matchlock guns were slung over their backs, fine armor covered their bodies, and they carried the best weapons in their hands. Their movements were not especially orderly, but the interwoven footsteps, the friction and clatter of colliding armor, and all those somewhat noisy sounds surged along the mountain path behind them.

Clang, clang...

Rattle, rattle...

—Nothing could provide a greater sense of security than this.

There was courage in numbers. So many people were moving together, all fully armed. Even the soldiers did not look especially panicked or afraid. Instead, they were full of energy, particularly after the first encounter had greatly boosted their morale.

Above the mountainside, strange mist already lingered everywhere. As they walked along the mountain path, dense trees loomed indistinctly on both sides. Anything farther away was impossible to see clearly, leaving only vague outlines and silhouettes, yet no one felt particularly afraid.

Because there was a large crowd right beside them, they instinctively felt that nothing could possibly go wrong. Even if something did happen, surely they would not be the unlucky one. And even if they were unlucky, someone beside them would definitely be able to help...

That was probably what everyone was thinking.

Gu Mo naturally felt that the experience was incredible. Compared to exploring alone, having to personally scout every inch of the map while cautiously facing every danger and threat with his nerves on edge, this feeling was the complete opposite. It was unbelievably satisfying.

It was like a horror game. Playing alone made it a horror game, but the moment a whole group played online together, it immediately turned into a comedy. There was nothing to fear at all.

Next, they simply pushed all the way up the mountain path.

Just as expected, who knew how many yokai were hidden in the mist? They had been wandering the mountain aimlessly, but living humans entering the fog naturally became the target of their concentrated attacks.

Unfortunately, they had kicked an iron plate. This group not only had great numbers and excellent equipment, but was also relatively well trained. On top of that, they had an absurdly powerful carry leading the entire team. The swarming yokai did not get to taste delicious flesh and blood; instead, every single one became a ghost beneath bullets and blades.

They became someone's experience and dropped various items along the way.

Most of those items were things that were better than nothing—useless for now and likely useless later as well—but he still collected every one. After all, players were synonymous with hoarders, and a qualified hoarder collected everything, useful or not.

Besides, not all the drops were mere filler. They had obtained a few fairly useful items as well.

At another battlefield near the summit, the battle ended not long after it began. Gu Mo cleaved off the head of a Lesser Hungry Ghost in front of him. Its corpse crashed to the ground, filling the air with a foul stench as filthy blood spilled everywhere. However, no light gathered into an Item Light Spot, so he covered his nose in slight disgust and turned away.

The hazy clear radiance flowing along his blade had dimmed after all the battles and expenditure along the way. With time passing, it was now almost impossible to see.

Of course, one talisman enchantment lasting until now had already more than paid for itself. Its value for money was truly exceptional, so Gu Mo did not hesitate and directly applied another Purification Binding Talisman, refreshing the duration of his enchantment BUFF.

As one of the first Onmyoji Magic talisman skills he had learned, he had stockpiled quite a few of these talismans during this period—nearly twenty in total. As derivative products created through system-recognized skills, these items could be stored in his inventory and carried with him, so there was naturally no need to be stingy now.

He swept his gaze around and found another field of corpses. Yokai bodies lay sprawled across the mountain path in every direction.

Some had been riddled with bullets, some had been decapitated, and some had been pierced through by several spears and nailed to trees...

Along the way, not only had Gu Mo grown increasingly skilled at killing minor yokai, but everyone else had as well. The soldiers' cooperation was becoming more coordinated. When facing wave after wave of charging yokai, as long as their numbers were not overwhelming, the battle quickly turned into an efficient assembly-line slaughter.

Of course, the main reason was that Hidechiyo was simply too capable. The most troublesome and vicious enemies were always dealt with by her immediately, and even if something unexpected happened afterward, she could always handle it.

Silently giving Hidechiyo a thumbs-up, Gu Mo looked upward. Just a little farther up the mountain path was its end, where a magnificent complex of buildings awaited—the manor Saito Dosan had built deep within the mountains of Mino. It could be seen from the mountainside, but reaching it still took some time.

"This is the place, Lord Gu Mo..."

Monkey said breathlessly at his side. He had worked hard along the way, but his stamina had also been heavily drained. Climbing a mountain in full armor while carrying weapons was no easy task, let alone fighting all the way here. Any normal person would have been tired.

"This is Lord Dosan's manor. But I have never been here before either, so I cannot say what the situation is like up there."

Saito Dosan's manor had been built against the mountain deep in this wilderness. Behind it stood a steep, towering rocky mountain face. Gu Mo knew very well that the manor had actually been built to seal off the entrance to the rocky mountain, because the interior of the mountain was hollow and contained an enormous natural cave.

No one had ever seen its depths, nor did anyone know what the manor had been built to conceal. Still, the place inspired endless speculation, and at some point, people had begun calling it the "Viper's Divine Realm."

That was Gu Mo's impression of the place as well. Snakes were everywhere. Yokai called Nurarihyon, with the upper bodies of women, long hair trailing to the ground, drenched bodies, and snake tails for their lower halves, lurked everywhere. One careless moment, and they would suddenly drop from above, tightly coil around a person's body, then open their bloody maws and bite off their head.

The final BOSS was also a gigantic snake yokai...

Pushing those thoughts aside, he looked at Monkey's face and then surveyed the surroundings. The soldiers were also extremely exhausted, so he decisively ordered, "Let's head up first, then find a place to rest and regroup. Everyone should be tired too..."

To be honest, he himself was feeling a little tired as well. Hidechiyo was probably the only one who looked completely unaffected.

The black-haired girl was still neither flushed nor out of breath. She had not even broken a sweat. She looked exactly as she had when they set out that morning, her long black hair fluttering in the wind, fresh and composed.

The group began moving again. As Gu Mo walked, he took stock of his gains. Everything so far had merely been an appetizer; the real trouble of this Dungeon World lay ahead. Naturally, he needed to prepare for the battle and know exactly what cards he had in hand and when to play them.

The first useful item was Sacred Water, of which he now had four. He also had three Gunpowder Bombs, as well as a rare-quality Spider Lily. It was said to be something yokai had brought into the human world from the land of Tokoyo, a plant that truly grew in the world beyond.

It could be made into medicine through special secret methods. If consumed directly, it was highly poisonous to humans, but it could replenish Yokai Power for yokai, so he could consider giving it to Axiu...

Besides that, he had also obtained an Arrow Protection Talisman. That was probably a small burst of luck—

Judging by its description, it was an inferior substitute for the Wind Repelling Talisman. For a certain period after use, it granted protection from arrows, preventing damage from ranged attacks such as arrows and bullets. It could not reflect ranged attacks, but it was still quite good. Gu Mo examined it for a while and found himself reluctant to use it.

Before he could make this type of talisman himself or master the Wind Repelling Talisman, this thing was actually more valuable than it seemed. That might not have been apparent in the game, but if he ever entered a Dungeon World involving modern warfare or gunfights, this item would be extremely useful.

While mulling it over, he finished the final stretch of mountain path and arrived before the main gate of the magnificent manor.

The main gate stood wide open, and inside was utter ruin.

The instant he took a single step inside, the world lost its color in the blink of an eye. The surrounding space became almost monochrome, and that familiar heavy feeling instantly spread throughout his body.

Perpetual Darkness!

That meant a powerful yokai was entrenched ahead!

(It made it onto Sanjiang. Well, I need to thank my editor, Penglai. They have been an enormous help to a newcomer like me with a new book, and I am deeply grateful... Ahem, I will not go on about the usual stuff. I will work hard to pull myself together. I have carefully read everyone's trust and blessings too. Thanks... d=====(￣▽￣*)b)