The Possibility of Crafting an RPG by Hand

Taking a deep breath of the air that seemed not to belong to the human world, Gu Mo looked at the black-haired girl who had instinctively stepped in front of him the moment they entered the Perpetual Darkness, vigilantly watching ahead, one hand slightly behind her back, protecting him.

A strange light flashed in his eyes, but his reaction was equally quick. He immediately stepped forward, closing the distance, and stood directly behind the girl. Then he turned back and saw the soldiers who had entered the main gate of the mansion behind him. Their faces were pale, they swayed unsteadily, and their expressions quickly became listless.

They looked as if they could collapse at any moment.

"Don't come in. All of you, go outside and wait... Tokichiro, it's up to you."

Gu Mo decisively made the decision, giving orders while winking at the monkey beside him.

It wasn't the soldiers' fault. They were already somewhat exhausted. Even if they did nothing, they would need to rest properly afterward, eat some rations, and take a break. After all, humans aren't made of iron; they need to replenish the stamina and Spirit lost along the way.

However, before they could rest, they had now stepped into the Yokai's domain of Perpetual Darkness. The laws of Tokoyo were not the laws of this world suitable for Human survival. Therefore, those who stepped into the domain of Tokoyo were like drowning people falling into the deep sea or fish that had come ashore.

Their energy rapidly drained away in the struggle against it, their bodies becoming heavier and heavier, breathless and dizzy, almost unable to think normally. The drowning sensation of suffocation grew stronger and stronger, eventually overwhelming everything.

If they didn't retreat in time, they wouldn't even need enemies to act. In a short while, they would all collapse and die.

When their Constitution and Spirit were completely drained, it wouldn't stop there. The Perpetual Darkness domain would continue to squeeze and extract their energy, but if their Constitution and Spirit were already drained by then, the energy to be extracted could only be compensated for by overdrawing on their life... If it kept draining, even if it were as vast as a river, there would inevitably be a day when it ran dry.

What's more, as mortals, their containers were simply too limited and fragile. Even Gu Mo, whose Constitution had reached 13 points, was like this. Although he didn't immediately show signs of being overwhelmed, his body also became heavy. The effect of Perpetual Darkness suppressing Spirit was very obvious.

"Quick! All of you, retreat with me!"

Tokichiro's reaction was also quick. Seeing Gu Mo's actions and wink, he immediately understood. He also quickly stepped forward to help cover, while shouting loudly and waving his arms wildly, barely attracting the attention of the swaying soldiers to himself.

The monkey knew very well what he should do at this time. He decisively led the soldiers to retreat from the mansion covered by Perpetual Darkness while they could still move, so as not to be of any help and to lose men here for nothing.

"Okay, they've all left. The monkey will watch over them. Let's quickly go and deal with the Lord of Perpetual Darkness."

Listening to the clanging and banging of armor and footsteps, the chaotic interwoven noises faded into the distance. Gu Mo breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the black-haired girl in front of him.

"?"

Hidechiyo turned back to look at him with a slightly surprised expression. Although she didn't speak, the look on her face was easy to understand.

The phantom of the Spider Lily on the floor quickly bloomed and withered, like intensified footage of plants on an educational channel played at countless times speed. In this world of near-monochrome tones, a mysterious and beautiful space suitable for Yokai to inhabit, the black-haired girl, who as always covered the lower half of her face, had a pair of exquisite Demon Horns, like deer antlers, emerging from her forehead.

Like a phantom, their outline was slightly blurred, seemingly illusory and unreal, yet in this mysterious space, they emitted a faint sacred radiance like a golden full moon.

—carrying a mysterious and beautiful sense of danger, and a magic that seemed capable of captivating the soul and making it impossible to look away.

Gu Mo looked at this scene and suddenly understood why Hidechiyo always acted alone in the original fate trajectory... In this era, Yokai and Humans inevitably living on the same land was an unavoidable problem.

Once she encountered a Yokai, encountered Perpetual Darkness, she couldn't hide her non-human side.

Or perhaps in the later stages, she had learned how to control her own Yokai Bloodline, but she had also long been accustomed to acting alone and still acted by herself, no longer needing to hide anything.

He had just helped the girl cover for this, coupled with Tokichiro's timely reaction, and the fact that only a small group of soldiers entered the door, the people behind couldn't see the scene ahead, and the people who entered the Perpetual Darkness area immediately felt dizzy and irritated, so they probably didn't notice this.

Even if a few people saw it, they would probably suspect that they were in a bad state and had seen things after the fact.

—Although there was actually no problem with being exposed, let alone Hidechiyo's identity, but also Gu Mo's current identity, just Tokichiro himself could handle this matter... It was impossible for a few idle words from a few foot soldiers to magically force their superiors into a desperate situation or something.

The main reason was that he didn't want any ripples to appear in this trip, or any conflicts to arise within the internal team. If the soldiers he led became estranged and feared their leader, then that would be the real trouble.

"Hmm?"

At this moment, Hidechiyo couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, making a sound indicating confusion.

"I'll act with you, don't worry, I can handle it..." Withdrawing his gaze from the girl's horns, Gu Mo waved his hands casually. He was no longer the person he was before; he wouldn't be unable to last even for a short while. This was all thanks to his efforts!

However, saying this without any basis was not very convincing... Hidechiyo frowned slightly, seeming not so easily convinced.

Gu Mo pondered for a moment, then reached into the pocket tied to his waist, pretending to take out a green bamboo tube. He pulled out the stopper, and a unique clear spiritual energy rushed out, carrying a unique fresh and misty sensation. It seemed that just smelling it would make one feel energetic and refreshed.

Meeting the girl's questioning gaze, he took a sip directly. The taste was that of a sweet mountain spring, and it went down smoothly, as if the liquid directly turned into a mass of clear energy and fell into his abdomen.

A cool and comfortable coolness spread out bit by bit, extending to his hands, feet, and entire body, making his body feel significantly lighter.

Although he couldn't see his Status Panel at this time, he was sure that he had gained a BUFF that increased his Spirit recovery speed! Although it couldn't completely counteract the suppression of Perpetual Darkness, it could make him last longer.

"See! No problem at all! Do you want some too?" Giving the girl a thumbs up, Gu Mo showed a smile. Although he didn't have a Yokai Bloodline, he could compensate through some means. When he learned Barrier Talisman, there would probably be no problem at all.

Hidechiyo watched the man carefully, clearly feeling his aura begin to fluctuate and change, and then subconsciously nodded gently.

It seemed he could indeed hold on for a while, and nothing would go wrong in a short time... She was not unfamiliar with Sacred Water, but she didn't expect this person to be so well-prepared.

"Ah? Oh, oh, here you go, here you go..."

Gu Mo was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted. While looking at her with surprise, he also handed over the green bamboo tube in his hand. He had actually just habitually invited her, not expecting the girl to accept, but he didn't expect her to actually want to try?

Then it was Hidechiyo's turn to be stunned for a moment, but she also immediately reacted, so she quickly shook her head repeatedly. Her subconscious nod just now didn't mean that at all; the other party had definitely misunderstood.

After expressing her refusal, she decisively turned and walked forward, heading in the direction of the Yokai Energy she sensed.

What did that nod and shake of the head mean?

Gu Mo tilted his head in confusion, but seeing the girl's slender figure already walking forward, he could only quicken his pace to follow, while casually putting the stopper back on the bamboo tube in his hand. He hesitated for a moment before putting it back into his Inventory, which only he knew about.

It seemed different from the game, where using one meant one was consumed, and the number of items would always be deducted by one.

In this regard, the use of items was very realistic. He had taken a normal sip and it had already taken effect, and there was still a lot of Sacred Water left in the bamboo tube. It seemed that he could continue to drink it later... So, one tube of Sacred Water could actually be used many times?

Hmm, he would reserve judgment for now and observe.

Because there might be other mechanisms, for example, the amount consumed determines the effect strength and duration, and drinking it separately might not fully exert the effectiveness of the "one" unit corresponding to this item;

Or for example, he only took a sip, but the System determined that this item had been used, so he obtained the complete item effect, and the remaining part was no longer effective and could not be reused...

Hidechiyo walked straight ahead, following the source of the Yokai Energy. Through this form of Perception, she could easily pinpoint enemies outside her line of sight; their presence was as conspicuous as torches in the dark night. However, in this Tokoyo where Perpetual Darkness still existed and was filled with many ordinary Yokai, especially in this narrow indoor map, some Yokai were even squeezed into one room.

Simply put, the small red dots on the map might overlap, and she couldn't necessarily grasp the movements of all Yokai accurately.

The ground was a mess. Exquisite paper sliding doors and screens were damaged, and decorative ornate vases and other furnishings were shattered on the floor, making it quite cluttered.

Walking through this eerie, black and white space covered by Perpetual Darkness, looking at the outlines of various objects under the dim, mysterious light, Gu Mo felt a subtle sense of disconnect, as if he had somehow traveled into a world of ink wash painting scrolls.

In the air beside him, the spirit in the shape of a nine-tailed fox quietly followed, walking step by step alongside him in an unseen realm.

No Yokai suddenly jumped out. They just kept walking until they reached a corner ahead.

The next moment, Nine-Tails suddenly stopped, its eyes sharply turning to stare towards the left, as if its gaze penetrated the thick building walls and saw something.

Receiving this warning, Gu Mo immediately stopped as well and reached out to pull the black-haired girl in front of him. Hidechiyo first looked back in confusion, then understood, gently broke free, and gave him a look that said "don't worry," before quickly continuing forward.

Gu Mo could only follow. Turning the corner, he saw a long, dark corridor ahead. Because the light was too dim, he couldn't see the end, nor did he know what was there, like a giant beast opening its mouth, waiting for them to walk in and trap themselves.

He squinted, trying hard to see, but still couldn't make anything out. However, at this moment, the girl in front had already drawn her sword. Then, there was a loud boom from ahead, and a sudden flash of fire came whistling towards them from the far end!

It burned fiercely, drawing a high-speed spiral trajectory of death, dragging a long trail of burning effects!

In that instant, seeing this scene, Gu Mo almost thought someone on the other side was carrying a shoulder-fired rocket launcher and had fired a round at them!

And then...

With his eyesight, he couldn't see what happened because a dazzling, dreamy purple light suddenly flared up, illuminating the entire dark corridor and causing his vision to be somewhat overexposed. He could only vaguely see a figure with long silver hair disheveled, wrapped in trails of purple light like flying fireflies, hovering just above the ground...

—This strange and beautiful posture flashed by in an instant!

—Leaving a stern visual afterimage on his retina.

Within a second or two, his pupils had automatically adapted to the change in lighting, allowing him to see more. But by then, everything had subsided without warning. Not only had the sudden RPG silently evaporated,

but the black-haired girl was no longer a few steps in front of him. She had already appeared at the far end of the corridor.

Hidechiyo was shaking her sword to flick off the bloodstains clinging to the blade. Her long, textured black hair swayed behind her, the strands fanning out like flowing water under the effect of inertia.

At her feet, the body of a Yokai lay quietly, completely lifeless.

Although he hadn't seen the process at all, it didn't prevent Gu Mo from imagining the scene that had just happened based on her stern posture... This was simply a perfect combination of speed and Strength.

He twitched the corner of his mouth and glanced at his Guardian Spirit beside him. The Guardian Spirit's warning was very useful, but it seemed completely unnecessary when teaming up with Axiu... But then again, did Axiu just actively use Yokai Energy?

Perhaps because she had endured the uncontrolled frenzy at Thirteen Cherry Blossom Village with her own will and regained her senses, she had passed her coming-of-age ceremony. This primal power hidden deep within her bloodline was truly beginning to belong to her?

With this thought flashing through his mind, Gu Mo walked quickly forward.

The girl sheathed her sword. The Yokai at her feet had a very deformed appearance. It looked like a Human soldier, still wearing a standard uniform, but its head had grown an Oni Horn, and from the head down, the lower half of its body was covered in crystal-like substances resembling armor, especially its arm...

The entire arm was covered in yellow Essence crystals, so thick it was almost the size of a person, making the Yokai's body particularly deformed.

That RPG just now was the work of this arm.

Heretic Soldier...

Gu Mo silently recited the name of this type of Yokai in his mind and casually reached out to collect the gathered item light spot.

Another Soul Core. He remembered that the Skill of this Soul Core seemed to be the same as the attack that was just launched...

Looking at the item he had obtained, Gu Mo couldn't help but gaze at Nine-Tails beside him. Could it be that the time when he could directly "hand-make" RPGs was coming so quickly?