CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 14: HIDECHIKA

Facing the girl’s puzzled frown, Gu Mo immediately realized he had been somewhat rash. However, he couldn’t entirely blame himself; after all, he could usually control his emotions, but this time was truly different...

Let’s put it this way, the game’s overall style was very much inclined towards a realistic and immersive style.

And the girl in front of him was exactly the character he had spent an entire night crafting by hand without referencing anyone else. It was as if she was cast from the mold of his impression! You couldn’t say they were completely identical, but there was no difference either!

Whether it was her exquisite and clear eyebrows, the rose-red eyes, the princess cut with straight bangs hairstyle, the simply tied long hair held together in a bundle behind her head, or the distinctive tear mole under her right eye—

Even if she was covering her face at this very moment, not revealing her whole appearance, the details that were visible were enough for Gu Mo to complete his confirmation at a glance and identify her beyond doubt.

The reason was simple: it was because he had crafted such a beautiful character that he could persist in that frustrating game, even when his consciousness was blurred by death; he could enthusiastically play another round, rather than be so angry at the mechanisms and malice that he got a stomach ache, or angrily threw the controller and smashed the keyboard.

In a big way, this was the reason he could maintain such high enthusiasm and achieve the full intensity of a high-grind game, graduating with all levels and achievements completed... So, when the face he had devoted so much heart power to appeared before his eyes, it was only natural that he recognized it immediately.

——In a certain sense, passion indeed serves as a strong support.

But it was precisely because of this——

The sudden appearance of what should have been his fictional character seemed to resolve all the dilemmas he was facing, as if in an instant. Plus, he happened to be thinking about her just moments ago; naturally, Gu Mo’s emotions were unspeakably agitated and shocked, making him blurt out unknowingly.

"Ahem, ahem..."

He quickly calmed down, looking at the girl across from him who was frowning in confusion and slightly tilting her head, Gu Mo restrained his expression and coughed lightly, intending to explain his earlier rashness, but at that moment, a thought quietly sprang up, quickly taking root in his heart.

It seemed like, at this critical juncture, if he wanted to cling to the girl in front of him, there was just such a rare opportunity... Simply put, it involved leveraging his prophetic foresight of the "plot," using the information he had to play on timing.

Hmm, it seemed very feasible.

Right! Let’s do it, after all, if it succeeded, he could breathe a sigh of relief, and if it failed, he wouldn’t lose anything; could anything get worse than facing the possibility of having to single-handedly challenge the Ox-headed Ghost or Horse-headed Ghost?

Thus——

"You’ve come, I’ve been waiting for you for a while, but unfortunately, it seems we’re both a step late. As you can see, Thirteen Sakura Village is now devoid of living people. After the bandits ravaged it, demons started causing havoc... Alas, there’s nothing we can do for them now."

He naturally acted as if nothing had happened, raising his hand in a casual greeting while speaking in as steady a tone as possible, spontaneously briefing the girl on the current situation, though he played a small trick here.

The black-haired masked girl first glanced at him with a peculiar look, then her eyes turned to sudden understanding.

So, the person who sent her the letter, saying they would wait under the Night Cherry Blossoms for her arrival, inviting her to come to Thirteen Sakura Village to exorcise demons, was the person before her?

It’s no wonder she thought so, because it was tonight that she received an anonymous letter saying that there were demons at Thirteen Sakura Village, inviting her to go there to exorcise them. This is why she came to this village alone in the dead of night...

And then, it led to the current situation, as she walked into the ruined village engulfed in blood and flames and saw the person before her.

Suspected to be the last living person from this village, except for the fact that his clothing and demeanor seemed completely out of place, not resembling a local villager, not even a person of this chaotic age.

Of course, as long as he wasn’t one of those fierce demon ghosts, it was fine. Seeing that he was clean without any blood stains, judging that he wasn’t the murderer, the girl had just intended to approach to see if she could gather some intelligence... though his glance made her unsure.

Was that a greeting or something else?

A unique way of greeting that she didn’t know? Surely he’s not from around here.

Setting aside her little confusion, the girl surveyed the surroundings; her gaze swept over the sakura tree above Gu Mo and the giant ox-headed monster in the distance at Thirteen Sakura Village’s cemetery. It seemed confirmed that the person waiting for her under the Night Cherry Blossoms to help exorcise demons was indeed him.

Gu Mo was actually nervous inside while staying outwardly calm. He was closely observing the subtle changes in the girl’s expressions and gazes, finally exhaling a sigh of relief when he saw her reveal an enlightened expression. This was the outcome he wanted, to make her first interpret and misunderstand his identity.