CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 22: GUARDIAN SPIRIT AND COMPATIBILITY (PART 2)

The main gate of the village should be over that way. After exiting the main gate, walk along the riverside path for a while and you should be able to retrace your steps back to the "spawn point" where you entered the dungeon.

This is where everything should end. If I’m quick, I might sneak back home quietly before the neighborhood wakes up. If they see me looking this disheveled, it’s going to be hard to explain...

Feeling the tattered collar at my chest and looking down at the splattered bloodstains on my clothes, Gu Mo curled his lips.

I wonder if my clothes will get magically repaired when I leave the dungeon? If not, it could be a real hassle. I’d need to change outfits, saying I went to cosplay or something, which is better than being rumored to have gone out at night to kill a few people...

Of course, the premise is for the girl to wake up soon, only then can I leave with peace of mind...

Hmm, or I might think about it another way, could I take Ah Xiu out too?

A flash of inspiration crossed his mind, but after pondering for a while, he sighed, shook his head, and dismissed the idea himself... Being cautious about such matters might be better. At least wait until I’m more confident.

Just when he felt quite vexed, jarring electrical white noise pierced his nerves, consistently torturing him. He couldn’t help but frown, pursing his lips to suppress this uncomfortable feeling.

"Zzzz... %￥#@&... Zzzz... $#%&@..."

The unbearable and torturous noise seemed to be ringing by his ears, yet also reverberating in his consciousness. Unlike before, Gu Mo could now make out some fragmented segments, discerning some useful information from it.

He was momentarily stunned but quickly refocused, desperately trying to figure out what was being communicated, like how people of the past could only detect information with effort through the tormenting noise of a dilapidated, old radio.

"Scene: Thirteen Sakura Village... Zzzz... %￥#@&..."

"Difficulty: Hard."

"Current Scene Exploration: 87%."

"Zzzz... mode... $#%&... Mode: Unpeaceful."

"Task Triggered: Investigate the cause of the chaos in Thirteen Sakura... Zzzz... $#%&... , and eliminate the rampaging demon ghost."

"Task Completed... Zzzz... $#%&..."

"Overall Rating: B-."

"Calculating based on overall rating, additional rewards... %￥#@&... general experience, Golden Key × 1."

"Unlocked Achievement ’First Blood (Gold)’, achievement badge boost effect activated by default..."

......

Although there were still many indistinct and inaudible parts, causing key information to be fragmented, it was much better than before. Having already somewhat understood the foolishness of this system, Gu Mo naturally wouldn’t expect too much—it’s best to appreciate what’s available now, otherwise, one day, they might attempt a classic ’patch one hole by creating another’ fix, and not even this minimal information would be accessible.

The electric sensation that was coursing through my nerves faded away, and the blurry interference noise gradually quieted down and drifted off. I blinked my eyes, ensuring that this part of the settlement was over, and then let out a long sigh of relief, realizing I had even subconsciously held my breath just now.

Back to the point, was there a delay? Only now is the calculation being made? The Horse-headed Ghost has been dead for over half an hour, its possible the body has vanished like ice under the sun, leaving nothing behind, yet only now is the victory settlement popping up? Isn’t it a bit late?

It might be due to the complex calculation mechanism, with multiple influencing factors, hence the delayed confirmation of the genuine victory and subsequent settlement. But considering my defective system with its appalling bug and error frequency, I still believe it’s a delay issue...

Absolutely absurd, and I’ve no clue where to find a complaint hotline.

As always, after complaining about the wretched system a few times in my heart to vent my discontent, Gu Mo started to seriously ponder the information he just received.

This scene indeed counts as cleared, although it’s limited to the Thirteen Sakura Village and not the entire dungeon world, which is logically expected. Just like clearing the scene at Yukihira Restaurant doesn’t mean the completion of the whole Food Wars World View dungeon.

The scene should only be a specific segment within the dungeon, relatively suitable in flow and span, but if it’s the entire dungeon... well, that time requirement would be too long.

—It’s March AD 1555 now, and Ah Xiu’s story has only just begun here, at the Thirteen Sakura Village.

—It wouldn’t all wrap up until AD 1616, sixty-one years later.

With a time span lasting an entire cycle of sixty years, I honestly can’t imagine playing a match that officially lasts sixty years... It’s probably better to exit the dungeon using alternative methods, sparing the enemies the trouble of taking me down themselves.

"Overall Rating B-, hmm, doesn’t sound very valuable, and then there’s the Golden Key..."

Frowning, Gu Mo contemplated the information he acquired, feeling that the overall rating seemed pretty easy to earn. Despite my heavy reliance on others throughout this run, literally riding on their coattails to clear the stage, I still somehow received a B grade.

Not sure how much extra experience was settled, but it’s probably not enough to instantly level me up to LV5. There’s also some kind of Golden Key—maybe it’s meant for opening a treasure chest? But with just the key, do I now need to find the corresponding treasure chest to use it?