Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 571 Can the Nine Masks Unleash Ultimate Darkness?
[This is a terrifying cave; entry is prohibited!]

Ahead lies Hell Valley.

"There are two directional signs here. I mean, Hell Valley is supposed to be more dangerous, but it's a tourist attraction, and there aren't any warning signs for dangerous areas."

"The location of the Terror Cave has also been marked. No wonder Wu Li dared to go up the mountain alone; there were signposts!"

"Isn't Hell Valley full of lava snails with body temperatures of 10,000 degrees Celsius? And there are also a lot of Fire and Electric-type Pokémon around here. If tourists touch them without permission, it will turn into a barbecue party!"

The road to Ghost Mountain was a bit winding, but before dusk, Guangtai had already arrived near the Terror Cave and took the opportunity to visit it.

There's practically nothing there; the mountain is completely bare, with hardly any trees, because it's also a volcano. Even now, the mountain continues to spew sulfurous gases, suggesting it's a dormant volcano.

"However, in terms of soil composition, it is different from that of the Harsh Mountain and the Reversal Mountain, probably because the power of the Taijing has transformed the local climate."

Jigokudani (Hell Valley) is a rocky area where volcanic gases erupt from the surface, and it seems to have been a place of spiritual practice for the people of Kitakami Township since ancient times.

In the game, Kitakami Township is not entirely without skilled players. The eight members known as the "Kitakami Oni Mask Group" have Pokémon levels that do not change based on whether the protagonist completes the journey home. These are their actual levels, not dynamic levels created to increase difficulty.

Everyone is a master with a skill level of 70 or higher, and their names are all taken from famous Japanese swords. The biggest boss is Muramasa.

Of course, at this stage, these eight people are probably not that strong yet, at most at the level of ordinary trainers and elite trainers. But it has to be said that it is no wonder that Blueberry Academy would come here to recruit people, given that this small village has so many experts.

The mountain path behind the center of the north leads to the Terror Cave and the summit. Along the way, there are several caves and dead ends that can mislead those climbing the mountain. One of these places is the Demon Tooth Cave, where the Northward Masked Group trains. This cave leads upwards to a secret cave filled with water, which is the only place in the northward region where you can catch the Felfish.

At the same time, the water in the cave is probably connected to the Crystal Pool, which explains why Milotic appeared in such a small pond as the Crystal Pool.

Lightmoss rested for a while with the Pokémon on the mountain before continuing onward. Behind the waterfall and a lonely stone bridge hidden by lush vegetation was the Terror Cave where the Grimpus had lived for hundreds of years.

The Egui Peng was regarded as a "terrible ghost" by the residents of Beishang Township and was tabooed. In the past, it lived quietly in the caves of Guishan Mountain.

Whenever humans come up the mountain, the Evil Pine avoids them and never comes into contact with them. Therefore, no matter how many times the Evil Pine comes, there are no Pokémon in this cave.

"Ah! Ah!"

Even Milton commented that this mountain is truly barren and desolate, with nothing to its name. Only Rock and Fire-type Pokémon could survive here! It's not even as good as a garbage dump in a futuristic city!

Looking at it this way, the Parthian region is really great. It's rich in produce, and you can even find tree fruits blown in by the wind while you're just walking around!

"Has Egui Pong not gone home yet? It's already evening. He might have been tired from playing in the Reverse World and could have just slept there. It's possible he doesn't come home for several days at a time."

Lightmoss led Milton and Victini to the cave entrance. Cicada emerged from behind Lightmoss's backpack, or rather, it had never entered the Poké Ball and it was unknown when it would come out or go back in.

Observe secretly without thinking, just stare.

Guichan: ".OMO."

".!!!"

The ninja suddenly changed direction and drifted quietly to the waterfall. Looking down from the top, the waterfall had formed a pool, and now a strong ghostly aura was emanating from it!

A transparent vortex was automatically generated, as if opening a door to another world!

"Bonnie!"

The gate to the reversed world opened, and a child in green clothes climbed out of the pool! She happily raised her head and waved to the moss clinging to the edge of the cliff!
Here I am! The legendary craftsman, my good friend, I'm back!
Today is another day of playing around in the reverse world!
When Egui Peng saw the Light Moss in the mirror of the Reversed World, he knew that the Light Moss was coming to the vicinity, but he didn't know when it would arrive. Beishang Township was a place without many mirrors, so people could only rely on the reflection of the water to see things in the real world.

In large cities, there are all sorts of sleek buildings with glass that can act as mirrors. In Beishang Township, only Cuilu Town has this kind of architecture; the buildings in the center of Beishang are quite traditional and don't have glass in the traditional sense.

So when the Lightmoss arrived near the Cave of Terror, Evil Pon saw it on the water's surface and hurriedly asked Giratina to open the door before rushing home!
Of course, Giradina seemed distracted these past two days!

"Bonnie!"

Ergui Peng jogged all the way back to her doorstep, like a ninja running. It was the first time in hundreds of years that she had returned to this place with such joy.

Before the small, sorrowful cave dwelling, I once again felt joy and warmth.

Because my friends came to visit, this is the first time in hundreds of years!

"Bo?"

Ergui Peng spotted the ninja who had been secretly observing him along the way, and he didn't have a good feeling about this guy.

It looks a bit like a ghost Pokémon?
However, I have seen quite a few ghost Pokémon, such as Giratina and Aegislash, but rather than being ghosts, ghosts are just their power and do not manifest in their behavior.

But the ninja's covert observation made Erguipeng think, "This is a real ghost," which made Xiaojuzi a little scared.

This feeling reminded her of another little monster that was also a ghost.
"Sorry, is the Shedding Skin Ninja's covert observation making you a little uncomfortable? But that's just how this guy is."

"And you don't need to worry. It may seem like it's plotting something bad, but actually, although it thinks a lot, it always forgets everything in its mind, so its head is empty."

"However, it's a very easy Pokémon to get along with; no matter what you say, it's always in a good mood."

"Boni?" Ergui Peng communicated with the shell-shedding ninja with some doubt, and sure enough, it was just as Guangtai had said!
It was happy no matter what it shared with the Shedding Skin Ninja!
Wow! There's such a friendly ghost! You're so friendly, being a ghost of an insect!

Ergui Peng really liked this uninvited new friend!

Out of curiosity, Erguipeng circled the ghost cicada twice and noticed the hole on its back. Wanting to examine it more closely, it was stopped by Guangmo:
"Looking at it normally is fine, but if you try to look closely through the crack, it is said that your soul will be sucked away."

"Ghost-type Pokémon all possess this strange power to some extent."

"By the way, you just said that Giratina has been absent-minded these past few days?"

“Bonnie!” Ergui Ponnie nodded. As his best friend, Giratina was usually busy modifying the Reverse World, but these past few days it seemed to be deep in thought, as if it was contemplating a major matter concerning the dragon. When Ergui Ponnie asked it, it wouldn’t tell him in detail, just purring and brushing him off.

"Giratina was really scared by Hikari. Is she wondering whether she should pledge her loyalty?"

Guangtai immediately knew what Guilong was thinking; it seemed her previous guess was correct!

This guy watches the security cameras every day, how could he not see Xiao Guang!

Wait, now that I think about it, the Reverse World is just a giant surveillance room!
"I brought the Taijing fragments, and an important gift too. Look!"

Guangtai handed the three masks she had brought back from the shrine to Egui Peng. Xiaojuzi was stunned, and then looked at the three masks in disbelief.

These are precious masks, carved by artisans hundreds of years ago for themselves and for another man, imbued with emotions and memories!

After being picked up by the villagers of Beishang Township, it was the subject of a false legend, and was then enshrined in a shrine for a very long time.
They're back. The masks of the past are back!
"Boo! Bonnie!"

The promise in the dream became a reality. Holding the three masks that had been lost and found, Egui Peng couldn't stop the tears from flowing from his eyes.

Huh, what's this? It's tears.

Little Orange wiped her eyes, looking somewhat dazed.

It tastes salty. The last time I cried was a long, long time ago. Looking at these three masks reminds me of the past.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

But I was also very happy inside.

Among the three masks, the expression on the well mask is also one of tears. Long ago, although life with the man was difficult, every day was happy and joyful.

"Boo-ga-oo!"

Thank you, legendary craftsman!
Guangtai took the Green Grass Mask and used the Grass Crystal fragments she had collected to properly repair it, which wouldn't take much time. Egui Peng, on the other hand, stuffed the mask inside her coat.

"Where exactly is it stuffed?"

In the game, Evil Pon would occasionally take out his mask from inside his coat to examine it, and then reveal a nostalgic smile.

However, this mask is almost as big as Little Orange herself, and it can be pulled out directly from her clothes. It doesn't look like it can be hidden at all!

Since the thorny vines were formed from the thorns in the clothes and arms of the Fiend, that coat-like cloak might actually contain a small alternate dimension, just like Gengar's belly.

Moreover, it can be clearly seen in the game that when the Evil Spirit collects the mask, the mask automatically "shrinks"!
"So, aside from the three masks that were returned to their rightful owners, there are five new masks left!"

Guangtai handed the remaining five masks to Erguipeng. Seeing Xiaojuzi's surprised expression, Guangtai repaired the Bicao mask while saying to her:
"Try them on. I believe these five new masks are just as powerful as the four masks from before. They can grant you powerful attributes, and although there are no legends about them in the past, it seems that legends related to them will emerge in the future."

"Water, fire, grass, and rock represent the fundamental forces of the world, the mask of the past, while fairies, evil, steel, ghosts, and dragons represent the new world, that is, the forces of the present and the future. Among all attributes, they are also advanced attributes, that is, [superior attributes]."

"Now, there are nine noodles!"

Nine masks, and Guangtai suddenly realized something.

Hmm, nine masks. Are they about to summon the Shadow Legion and unleash ultimate darkness?

However, these masks do not control people's minds, nor do they harbor any dark generals or produce a big-faced tiger named Tara.

"Tinnitini!"

Victini patted its little chest and took out a V-shaped wheel that looked like a rattle drum from the small bag on its back. It assured Erguipeng that everything Guangtai made was amazing. Erguipeng was slightly taken aback, then shook its head!

No, I know for sure that the things made by the legendary craftsmen must be amazing tools!
I never imagined that, hundreds of years later, I would see new masks and receive new gifts.
The masks, crafted by mask artisans hundreds of years ago, were also gifts given to themselves and to men of the past.

So, I was just very touched.

"Boni!"

Evil Pon played with several Pokémon, trying out the masks, and then her power changed! The cloak she wore also changed its attributes and color depending on the power of the masks!
The fairy's mask turned Evil's cloak into a pale pink and jade-like color.

The mask of evil turned the cloak into a deep black and blood red, like the depths of an abyss.

The steel mask transformed the cloak into a gleaming, hard silver and white, making it appear indestructible.

The ghost's mask turned the cloak a dark, eerie purple.

The dragon mask transformed the cloak into a cyan-blue color, symbolizing the great power of the dragon!
"Bo, Boni!" Erguipeng was shocked by the power of the five masks with superior attributes. Just by putting them on, he felt different energies filling his whole body.

Lightmoss: "Because it uses fragments of the corresponding terrestrial crystal and special wood with eternal time, and after being infused with the special emotions of all the spirits of the world, it can also provide you with tremendous power."

Looking at the five new masks, Ergui Peng suddenly felt playful and put each of the five masks on his face one by one. Then he shrunk them and put them into his cloak. With just a turn of his head, he changed his attribute, just like the face-changing technique in Sichuan opera!
Red, white, yellow, green, and blue—they grinned and glared! Singing and shouting "Waaah!"—the sounds were like thunderclaps, crackling and popping in my ears!

The blue-faced water-powered thief steals the imperial horse. The red-faced fire-powered warrior is also a player.

The purple-faced demon treads on the shadows. The green-faced grass pupa fights the yaksha!
A celestial maiden with a pink face, a villain with a black face, a dragon king with a blue face, a warrior with a silver face, and a god with a gray face—all laughing heartily!
"Haha, this can also be considered a kind of [battle switching]! Kamen Rider, transform!"

Lightmoss was amused by Little Orange's quick face-changing and mask-changing antics. Speaking of which, there really is such a person in the Pokémon world, namely Gladion of the Aether Foundation.

He liked to temporarily modify the discs of his Silvally during battles, which was strictly prohibited by the tournament organizers in the anime.

Changing attributes halfway through a fight? That's too unfair! Do you think you're Arceus?!
You definitely can't play like this in official matches, but if it's an informal match or a battle in the wild, the intensity will be off the charts!
After repairing the Green Grass Mask, Light Moss prepared to cook a meal for Evil Spirit in the Terror Cave, even though Little Orange had previously expressed a desire to travel with her, crossing mountains and seas.

However, for Egui Peng, who had lived in the same place for hundreds of years, the world she knew was small. So, Guang Tai took out a map of the known areas and, just as they had agreed, told Egui Peng the legends and stories of each place, recounting everything that hadn't been told in the dream last time.

As the campfire rises, smoke once again rises from the entrance of this ancient cave after hundreds of years.

Ergui Peng lay on the map, looking at those distant places with longing in his eyes, reminiscing about the days when he and the man from the past crossed the ocean together.

"Next, I'll help you resolve the trouble here and seal away that mythical Pokémon that could cause significant harm, so as not to leave any hidden dangers."

"Then, meet that man at the Crystal Pool. As planned, rest assured, history will not be significantly altered. The Crystal Pool is merely a meeting with the dead, but even the history of this meeting will be recorded in the time loop, and the person involved will suffer amnesia upon returning to the past."

"However, there also seem to be situations where history changes, but the future remains the same."

Guangtai thought of the Aura Hero movie. The events in the movie happened as usual and were not changed. However, after Lucario died, its aura and soul traveled through time and space back to the past, which meant that Aura Hero Aaron did not die alone. In the end credits, Lucario took out the chocolate he brought from the future.

In the Pokémon world, time travel seems to alter history entirely at will.

Or, to put it another way, it's like the changes in abilities during a battle: "When you hit a vital point, changes that are unfavorable to me will be ignored."

The Gloomy and the Pokémon began their picnic. Milton munched on a sandwich, Victini munched on a macaron, and Urquid ate a stew of vegetables and berries, sitting on a rock, swinging its legs back and forth, in a great mood.

The ghost cicada doesn't need to eat anything; it just stares at everyone.
Slowly, she turned her body around.

Although Oni-chan also has the thought of eating, that is due to its eating instinct as a ninja. It quickly forgets the thought of eating, and it is the same now.

Because he had nothing to do, he began to wander aimlessly, and then he heard cries coming from the foot of the mountain, like the voice of a child.

Not only Gui Chan, but E Gui Peng also heard it!

"Bo, Boni. Gaaah!"

Ergui Peng put down the bowl in his hand and cautiously looked down from near the cliff. Because it was pitch black, he could not see anything, but there seemed to be light on the mountain road further away.

It started to drizzle outside, but there was no need to worry about it inside the mountains, as the rainwater was blocked by the intricate, ceiling-like rocks.

Egui Peng is terrified of villagers coming up the mountain. In the past, people often came up the mountain to collect stones, or to mourn the dead near the Crystal Pool. Even children would run to the vicinity of her cave. Whenever this happened, Egui Peng would immediately hide so that they could not find her!
Because he had always been ostracized in Beishang Township, he dared not show himself in front of people.

If that happens, I'll definitely get chased and beaten up again; those people don't like me.

"Bonnie!"

Ergui tugged at Guangtai's clothes, signaling Guangtai to leave with him and head towards the mountaintop or other places, to hide so that the people going up the mountain wouldn't find them!
"Even if we were seen, it wouldn't matter, since you're already planning to leave, right?"

"But since you don't want them to see it, then just hide it for now. As long as you're happy."

If Egui Peng doesn't like something, then Guangtai won't force her to do it.

However, the Shedding Shell Ninja saw something new.

Ghost Cicada disappeared for a while, then reappeared before everyone's eyes.

This time I didn't forget the matter.
It saw humans, and several of them. They were in large groups, like insect larvae, moving towards the top of the mountain.

The sound of crying is
forget.

Ghost Chan: ".OMO~!"

My mind is blank; I don't want to think about anything!

"Really? But it's good that you remember some things, you haven't forgotten everything!"

"I just saw it and I already forgot it? That's so fast! Even if it's just an empty shell, you should at least remember something!"

"A lot of people have appeared on the mountain? Could it be that they impersonated ghosts during the day and Danyu, with her big mouth, told everyone? That little girl is really not afraid of curses, isn't she? In that case, let's just leave."

No matter what attitude the people going north have, it has no effect on Guangtai's actions.

Ergui Peng shook his head helplessly.

There was nothing in the cave, so she didn't need to pack her bags and could take a spontaneous trip. However, she should tell Giratina before leaving that she would only be able to play with it in her dreams from now on.

It seems that Giratina can't open the gate if it's too far from Sinnoh.

But that makes sense, right? After all, Giratina was exiled before. If it can open doors anywhere, wouldn't it be able to cause trouble in other places?

"Bonnie."

"Let's hurry up and go!" Erguipeng quickly packed away all the masks, ready to set off at any moment!

But at that moment, a child appeared on the other side of the stone bridge. Upon seeing the firelight, the child immediately stopped, but still called out from afar in a terrified tone:
"A ghost! It's a ghost! Sister, it's just ahead, there's a light!"

"This is the first time I've ever seen light here! The ghosts really are waiting for us here! Sister, sister, tell us quickly!"

The first sound was clearly a boy's voice. Although he was excited, there was still a lingering sob in his voice, as if he had just been crying.

"I know it's here! Please! I was wrong during the day! I shouldn't have blocked out-of-towners near the center of Beijing. I'll change my ways! Please, lift the curse on me! Everyone's acting strangely!"

The second voice belonged to a slightly older girl.

"Huh? Danyu? How did she end up on the mountain? And the first child's voice... could it be Wuli?"

Lightmoss and Evil Pine looked at each other in bewilderment.

The treacherous accusation!
She recognized the boy's voice! He'd come to her house several times! It seemed like he was looking for her, but she'd never let him see her!
"It really is Wu Li! It's come into the mountains again so late at night. It's really brave!"

"Well, I told Danyu not to tell anyone, but she still told everyone anyway. But it doesn't matter. It was just to scare her anyway."

Guangtai cleared her throat: "Do you really know you were wrong? Then why did you bring your brother to the mountain? Did you tell your brother about the curse? You broke our promise!"

"Eek! I'm so sorry! I'm so scared! Please, break the curse!"

Danyu was crying and shouting loudly on the other side of the stone bridge, her emotions completely overwhelmed. Guangtai was puzzled:

"It was just a little scare, why did she break down so quickly? Is Danyu the kind of superstitious girl?"

"Although there are legends of curses circulating in the north, these people shouldn't believe everything they hear."

Guangtai waved her hand and shouted directly to the other side, "The curse was a lie! But you didn't keep your promise, which makes me very unhappy! You were the one who proposed the battle game, but you broke your promise after losing!"

"Hey~ I'm only letting you off the hook because you're a descendant of ancient mask craftsmen. Now go home, and everything will be fine!"

Danyu: "Waaah, what were mask craftsmen in ancient times? Although my family did make masks, and I can't go home now! I really know I was wrong, please lift the curse!"

Wu Li, on the other side of the bridge, was extremely anxious: "Master Gui! Sister... Sister really knows she was wrong! She will definitely change. You are a good person! Please restore everyone to normal!"

"The people in the town have all become strange, the curse has spread. I... I admire you so much. I know you must have cast the curse because you were unhappy with how everyone ostracized you, but... but it's really scary outside now. Please, break the curse!"

"Huh?" Ergui Pong tugged at Guangtai's clothes, looking at his good friend with a puzzled expression.

Legendary craftsman, what have you been up to?
Guangtai frowned as well: "Huh, I didn't do anything. Wait, is everyone in town acting strangely?"

This made Guangtai think of an unexpected situation, so she shouted towards the other side of the stone bridge:

"You guys say the people in town have become strange? Are they shouting incomprehensible words, dancing wildly, and attacking people everywhere?"

Wu Li: "Wow! It looks just like a zombie! Just like that! Isn't this your curse?"

Guangtai understood the situation and was very surprised, while Egui Peng's expression also turned serious!
This scene, this incident, has happened before!

So it's that guy?

"Momotaro has been resurrected? But why? The distributed Phantom Peach is the key item to trigger Momotaro's resurrection. Apples are the specialty of Kitakami Village. It won't appear unless someone brings a Phantom Peach."

"After the Phantom Peach Fruit is distributed, the protagonist has to go to the Momozawa Shop in Kitakami to trigger a quest. Does that mean this fruit was actually cultivated around Kitakami? Could it be that it was obtained from Momozawa's hometown?!"

Momotaro's hometown is a place quite far from Kitakami Village, seemingly requiring a short crossing of an ocean, but it's probably near Sinnoh. Because the Darktail was brought over from the sea years ago, you can still see wild White Striped Bass here.

The location of that hometown wasn't specified, but the promotional video suggests that the area can yield Phantom Peach Fruits. This might indicate it's a place famous for its peach cultivation.

Light Moss waved from across the stone bridge:
"Alright! Come here! Let's talk about the curse!"

Seeing that the two children were too afraid to move, Guangtai called out again:
"That curse has nothing to do with me! It's probably the curse of a real [evil spirit]!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Li's curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to cross the bridge, but Dan Yu grabbed him, while the domineering older sister frantically shook her head.
"Ah Li, don't go over there! It's definitely a ghost trying to grab us and eat us. We'll just stay here and beg it, and if it comes over, we'll run away!"

Wu Li scratched her head: "Sister, I don't think the person on the other side is a bad guy. Ghosts definitely aren't bad guys either."

Dan Yu grinned and said, "Are you kidding me? That's a ghost! And unlike the legends, it's a wandering spirit! What wandering spirit doesn't harm people!"

"Ah Li, don't go over there, please, don't go over there! You'll die!"

Wu Li was somewhat embarrassed, but his body stiffened.

"Sister, we don't need to go."

"A ghost is coming!"

The two children stood frozen in place. It turned out that Guangtai saw that they were too afraid to come over, so she thought, "Since you won't come over, I'll take the initiative to approach you!"

Hearing Wu Li and Dan Yu shout "ghost ghost ghost," and with all their attention on Guang Tai, E Gui Peng, who was following behind Guang Tai, showed a blank and strange expression.

Little Orange covered her mouth and burst into laughter!
Mmm.
Ah! So I'm not a ghost after all!
Was the legendary craftsman actually a ghost?

Ah, that seems fine too! After all, I have a staff to fight monsters, and the legendary craftsman has a greatsword that can cut through anything!
During his conversation with Wu Li and Dan Yu, Guang Tai learned about the unusual changes in the outside world, and sure enough!

"The true [evil spirit], no, it should be called the [poison spirit], has awakened! So, what is the reason for its awakening, the Phantom Peach Fruit?"

"Phantom Peach Fruit?" The siblings exchanged a glance, and Danyu spoke tremulously, "I don't know what that is, but every year a batch of peaches and peach fruits are harvested nearby. It seems that Emerald Town and the distant Peach Country have agricultural trade relations, and every year they export some peaches here."

Lightmoss nodded.

Now all nine masks are gathered, unleashing ultimate darkness!

"There's really nothing I can do. Anyway, I was going to seal it away! Instead of running away, it's walking towards me. Actually, Momotaro has a chance to awaken every few years, but I was just lucky before and didn't get to experience it."

Some people didn't eat the Phantom Peach Fruit in time. Fruits are meant to be eaten promptly, otherwise they'll spoil! Or, they might attract some unpleasant "insects"!
Lightmoss whistled, and Millerton leaped over, wagging its tail and hissing! Then Lightmoss looked at the siblings:

"If you have a guilty conscience, you'll always be afraid of ghosts."

"Get in! We're going to exorcise demons!"

(End of this chapter)