CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 22: GUARDIAN SPIRIT AND COMPATIBILITY

The morning sun gently illuminated the earth, and the golden dawn not only ended the long night but also seemed to dispel the lingering resentment in the Thirteen Sakura Village.

But it only seemed so.

The fire had burned throughout the night. Although the houses were scattered and not densely packed, preventing the entire village from being reduced to ashes, many places were still reduced to charred, collapsing ruins. The stench of blood from the night’s slaughter lingered heavily, mingling with the breeze in an oddly sweet and metallic scent.

Human blood, demon blood—the entire village, after such a night, had hardly a patch of land that wasn’t stained with blood.

This season was the time of cherry blossoms blooming, with their fragrant, vibrant colors. Yet, the once-thriving Thirteen Sakura Village no longer retained its former glory. After the noisy Demon Ghosts were all eliminated, the only audience left to admire the flowers were silent corpses.

For the survivors in this village, it’s unlikely they were in the mood to appreciate the cherry blossoms at this time.

Considering Ah Xiu’s situation, Gu Mo found a relatively intact and clean house, tidied it up, and laid the unconscious girl down. It seemed the wheel of fortune had indeed turned. Not long ago, he had lost his ability to move and had to rely on the girl to bring him down from the mountain. Now it was his turn to carry the immobile girl down the mountain.

The interval between the two events was just half an hour; the wheel turned swiftly indeed.

Watching the black-haired girl lying unconscious on the straw mat he prepared, Gu Mo exhaled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The girl wasn’t heavy—quite the opposite, she was light as a feather—but she was still a person, and carrying weight on a mountain path was not easy.

But, he managed to carry Hidechika down the mountain by himself, feeling nothing more than a bit sweaty. No fatigue at all... Upon reflection, it was likely due to his recent efforts, having increased his Power Value by one point and his Constitution Value by three points.

Investing one point in the former made his strength significantly surpass that of an ordinary person, while the latter investment of three points granted him remarkable endurance. Simply put, it enabled him to carry heavier loads and endure the burden for longer durations.

Leveling up is indeed refreshing...

Gu Mo mused, feeling as if he had been reborn in just one night. Perhaps even those who have trained for a long time couldn’t match his current physique.

Though the leveling speed might inevitably slow down later, the enhancement each point brought remained invaluable. The growth seemed proportional rather than a fixed increment.

Of course, this was just his assumption, with no evidence to support it—merely derived from the experience of increased stamina after enhancing Constitution... Yes, it was purely based on his feeling.

But it wasn’t baseless intuition; he had detected certain signs leading him to this belief. Overall, Gu Mo had invested three points in the Physique Attribute, but there were only two upgrades: two points the first time and one point the second.

Yet, the experience was clear—the growth from the second one-point investment somewhat exceeded the growth from the initial two-point investment.

"It’s daybreak..."

Watching the sunlight filtering through the gaps of the worn-out door, scattering spots of light on the ground not far away, Gu Mo leaned back against the wall, eyes closed.

The long night seemed finally over. He had gained a lot, and because he held onto a golden opportunity, while not without danger, he successfully cleared this high-difficulty Newbie Village, leveling up four times and securing some initial resources for himself.

At least in future challenges, he wouldn’t start with nothing but an empty account, struggling to form a team with just a level 0 character.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Mo, reopening his eyes, couldn’t help but glance at Hidechika nearby. The girl still had her eyes tightly closed, her breathing steady and peaceful. It seemed nothing was wrong, though when she might awaken was uncertain.

The situation felt slightly awkward; the storyline he knew or the established "fate path" had diverted somewhat—Ah Xiu hadn’t succumbed, even without the power of a Spirit Stone. She had reclaimed her identity with sheer willpower.

This was certainly good news, but the cost had been taxing on her mind. Unlike the original plotline where she recovered as if nothing happened through the Spirit Stone’s power, she hadn’t awakened yet.

His time maybe limited...

But leaving her like this wasn’t reassuring.

Torn with indecision, Gu Mo gazed toward the empty window. From his sitting position on the ground, the outside view seemed beautiful: the sky was a deep blue, as if freshly washed, and cherry blossom petals fell like snow, swirling gently in the wind.