Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

She still didn't know what the person who had plotted against her wanted. She couldn't figure out under what circumstances she would fail, but she knew one thing: her enemy was definitely hiding in this world of memories, and as time went on, the situation would become increasingly unfavorable for them.

Setup, traps, calculations. All of this requires a sufficiently stable environment to be effective. The more complex the trap, the easier it is for mistakes to occur in the details. So, simply revealing the board will naturally lead to victory for the stronger side.

In this world of memories, Alice is the one with the greatest power.

I've been too fixated on my own plans. Perhaps other people's growth doesn't require my interference... Using this time to do something more meaningful might be the best strategy. Like spending time with Patsy, enjoying the sun, the beach, the sea breeze, and swimwear... instead of having this foolish nightmare.

However… well, one shouldn't give up halfway. Since this dream has already begun, I should at least witness its end.

【So……】

An intricate magical pattern unfolded beneath her feet, and several full-body samurai armors came to life. Infused with magic, loaded with curses, and programmed with basic AI, they floated up like feathers, blinding red light emanating from the gaps in their helmets.

Several bewitched giant eagles flew over and snatched the cursed armor.

[…Since entering the Main God Space, I've really rarely used puppetry. Although only a few months have passed, it feels like…a very long time.]

[I hope Patchouli's research in the real world will be successful. If I can restart the AllSpark, I can rebuild the puppet army and return to my full glory... But what should I do next when that time comes? The limit for an Information Mage is AA-level enhancement. Although I've recovered to roughly A-level strength, I still need to figure out a way forward.]

The Staff of Control was not with her because she couldn't analyze its data. She had no way to access its information and replicate it in her memory world. This was also due to her long-standing inability to grasp the essence of her soul's obsession system.

She shook her head, then activated the spell to track Zhan Lan. If the person who revived Zhan Lan made contact with her again, these cursed armors would target her. If they didn't make contact, these makeshift weapons could serve as opponents to hone Zhan Lan's skills.

"Go, armor bound by curse... find the one whose aura has been recorded. Pursue her, but do not kill her, do not give her a chance to breathe until her friends appear. Then, try to defeat her friends. And if you are defeated, then activate the coordinates engraved in your bodies the moment you lose."

Let me see what tricks you have up your sleeve...

Then, it all ends.

She activated all the shielding devices, closed her eyes, and sat atop the city tower, waiting for the moment the coordinates would be activated.

................................................

Zheng Zha subconsciously glanced at Ming Yanwei, who was following behind him. This was probably the fifteenth time in the past few days that he had worried about Zhang Heng's future.

He hadn't expected Ming Yanwei to be so allergic to the name Zhang Heng. After he repeated the name as Ming Yanwei requested and gave a brief description of Zhang Heng, this mature woman, who just minutes before had been looking at the village she had built with a "live or die with the village" attitude, immediately decided to leave with Zheng Zha.

Zheng Zha was completely stunned.

He watched helplessly as Ming Yanwei finished all the preparations for her departure in a few minutes, then told the villagers that she was just going to the city for some business and would be back in a few days. Ten minutes later, she had packed her things, led a skinny horse that looked like a donkey, and walked out of the village with Zheng Zha.

There's no doubt she knows Zhang Heng. And she has a very close relationship with him.

Then, from the phrase she most often uttered during the Ju-on arc, "No man is any good," even Zheng Zha could, with a little effort, deduce the relationship between the two of them.

Poor Zhang Heng, if you die, I'll offer incense for you. But if you want revenge... well, you're on your own.

Zheng Zha thought to himself. It wouldn't actually take more than a few days to reach the city at the other end of the road from that village, but there were quite a few things blocking the way. Low-level monsters like zombies were just appetizers; the real nuisances were things like witches, one-eyed demons, and centipedes. The most troublesome battle was against a tengu with wings crackling with lightning. It moved incredibly fast, taking advantage of the night storm, slipping like a streak of lightning, so fast that Zheng Zha couldn't even catch its tail. If Ming Yanwei hadn't shattered its wings with over a dozen arrows, causing it to fall, the two of them would have had to slink away.

It was from that moment that Zheng Zha truly began to value Ming Yanwei, the deceased member of the Central Continent Team. He conceived the idea of ​​bringing her back to the Main God Space… or perhaps resurrecting her using the Golden Scripture of the Sun. And the reason to persuade her… was clearly already there.

Chapter Fifteen: You Don't Understand People's Hearts

Perhaps because he already considered Ming Yanwei a companion he absolutely had to bring back to the Main God Space, before arriving at the target city, Zheng Zha told Ming Yanwei many more stories about the adventures of the Central Continent team in the Reincarnation World. He couldn't help but become animated and excited when talking about the thrilling parts.

"...In the end, it was Margot Lloyd who took down that Indian team rookie. You don't know, when I finally crawled out of the sand pit outside Cairo, I saw that six-armed bodhisattva being swallowed by the black hole. The scene...tsk tsk, don't even mention it."

As he walked forward, he recounted many stories from that time. He even included the brief rest period after returning to the Main God Space, during which a group of people discussed the exchange and enhancement projects they were preparing. Then, his memory abruptly ended.

"That's all I can remember." Zheng Zha scratched his head and smiled wryly. "After that, my memory was fragmented, and I don't know what happened. But since I was able to meet you and hear news about Chu Xuan... I think I must have entered the world of Ju-on. But why this era..."

He shook his head, looking puzzled.

Beside him, Ming Yanwei pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“I think this might be what Miss Alice you mentioned did. You see, since she was able to build a magical flying fortress by hand in such a short time with her own knowledge and limited resources, it's not impossible that after obtaining the all-encompassing resources of the Supreme God, she could have arranged it and brought you to this era.”

“Perhaps,” Zheng Zha sighed. “Unfortunately, I can’t figure out what she’s thinking. It’s said that she’s done quite a bit of work since returning to her own reality, but she’s unwilling to tell us the details. She’s also been secretive about what she’s exchanged for, and I haven’t seen her enhance anything. Plus, there’s that witch she brought back… Sometimes I wonder if the Central Continent Team only needs the two of them? Don’t laugh, but I suspect that even in a one-on-one arena battle, I might not be able to beat her…”

“This witch, who may have lived for hundreds of years… if she hadn’t told me the reason, I wouldn’t have known why the Supreme God would bring her in.”

“Several hundred years…” Ming Yanwei tilted her head slightly, gently pressed her finger against the bridge of her nose, then slid it down and gently bit her fingertip.

"She's not even willing to enhance...? Ah, is that so?" She suddenly smiled. "Then she's really pitiful, Captain Zheng Zha. I think you might lack communication with her. Let me think, in your daily conversations, you've probably always been led by the nose by her, and she's always casually changing the subject about enhancement, right?"

"Huh? Yes, is there a problem?"

"Have you ever considered that it's not that she doesn't want to strengthen herself, but rather that she can't or dares not strengthen herself?"

"……What?"

"Because you see, she has always been fighting using the power that they themselves spent a long time gradually familiarizing themselves with, mastering, and integrating. And considering what you said before about the reason for her despair being cursed in the real world, being hunted down, barely hiding and waiting to die... she must have been able to hold on until the main god summoned her by relying on what she learned herself. So, by slightly shifting our thinking, we can draw the conclusion."

"She's terrified. She's resisting everything she can't understand or hasn't encountered before. Because she's so dependent on the powers she possesses, to the point that she's afraid of being lost if she leaves her familiar circle of knowledge. I estimate that at most she'll use some external tools as aids, but she'll never give up her own magical system."

She glanced at Zheng Zha.

"Not everyone is like Captain Zheng Zha, who dares to put two systems that seem completely incompatible, vampire and internal energy, into their own body."

“Isn’t that because she’s eager to become stronger…” Zheng Zha chuckled dryly and continued to ask, “Could you explain in more detail? I don’t think she… is that kind of person. She usually seems quite confident.”

Ming Yanwei shook her head.

"It's a simple deduction. Her magic system requires extremely precise operation to function, so she doesn't dare to exchange for enhancements that would change her physique, because that would cause her to lose control of her body. She's different from you, Captain Zheng Zha. You rely on the second-tier gene lock to forcibly control your muscles. But she's different; she relies on experience and data. And once the body undergoes drastic changes, the gene lock can easily solve the problem of control, but experience... it will all become useless."

"As for mental enhancement... since she has been troubled by the curse for a long time, I think she would probably be unwilling to come into contact with anything that would change her mind."

"As for her behavior..." She shook her head. "Zheng Zha, you can't tell a lot from a person's appearance. You have to analyze every action she takes, find out her patterns, and summarize her motives, desires, and needs. Only then can you... only then can you truly see what kind of person she is."

“…I’ve learned something.” Zheng Zha scratched his head, his expression complicated. “Now that you mention it, I realize that Margot Royd does seem to have some signs of something. Sigh…it seems I really need to find some time to have a proper talk with her later. It would be so much better if you came back to the Main God Space with me. Even Xiao Honglu didn’t see all that…”

"I'll consider it after I see Zhang Heng." Ming Yanwei's aura suddenly changed, and a chilling feeling immediately spread. She suddenly raised her head and asked, "Xiao Honglu?"

..........................................

The two arrived at the city before nightfall. For some reason, the city was much more heavily guarded, with not only many foot soldiers patrolling the gates, but also wooden fences and traps set up outside the city walls. Many archers were stationed on the city walls, and the outlines of crossbows could even be vaguely seen. Many laborers had been summoned to prepare for some simple construction projects.

With Ming Yanwei present, the two naturally didn't need to worry about being questioned. Soon, Zheng Zha and Ming Yanwei entered the city… Dusk was approaching, and the streets were already deserted. Only a few pedestrians walked quickly with their heads down. A tense atmosphere permeated the air.

War is about to break out.

Even though Zheng Zha didn't care much about this era and only wanted to find his potential companions and leave this strange place, he could clearly feel the approaching shadow of war.

This was a good opportunity. Although he didn't know which side had started the war, Zheng Zha had already decided to join the side of the city he belonged to… He wanted to make a name for himself through the war, letting his potential comrades know of his arrival. And if his comrades had all lost their memories, he could also mobilize the local lords and powerful families to search for them. Since the Ghost Head Blade was a very effective persuasive tool, surely no one would be foolish enough to object.

But before that, he had to go to the shrine in the city... to settle the matter that had happened in the village.

Chapter Sixteen: It's Time to Sound the Call to Arms...

Zheng Zha realized that he might not need that ghost-headed broadsword to persuade others to help him.

As he entered the town's shrine and told the shrine maiden about the village's affairs, preparing to leave, an unexpected person blocked his path.

"Yo, Brother Zheng Zha." Dressed in aristocratic attire, Xiao Honglu stood smiling at the door, waving at him. "How have you been lately?"

"Xiao Honglu? You... how could you be here?" Zheng Zha looked at the twelve-year-old boy before him, both surprised and delighted. Surprised to see Xiao Honglu here, and delighted to see him here as well. He strode forward, arriving in front of Xiao Honglu in the blink of an eye. "You... how did you get here?"

Beside him, Ming Yanwei, who had made an excuse to leave as soon as Zheng Zha entered the shrine, shrugged.

“A few months ago, I heard that the city lord had taken in an adopted son with unusual features. The Japanese pronunciation of the name is quite similar to ‘Xiao Honglu.’ I didn’t pay much attention at first, but after hearing your description of the features, I decided to go and see for myself, and it turns out it really is…”

"I'm so grateful, Ming Yanwei, you've been a huge help." Zheng Zha nodded emphatically to Ming Yanwei. Then he looked at Xiao Honglu, waiting for his reply. "What's wrong with everyone? Are you all here?"

However, Xiao Honglu just looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What are you talking about, Brother Zheng Zha? Didn't we come to the Ju-on world to train? Although I have indeed lost some of my memories, we should still remember our purpose. Although we don't know why there is no return time limit from the Main God Space here, wouldn't it be more appropriate to use this extra time to practice our newly acquired enhancements?"

"Could it be..." He looked at Zheng Zha with undisguised surprise. "Brother Zheng Zha, have you died more than once?"

...About half an hour later, at the main tower of the city, the place called Tenshukaku. The three sat facing each other. The samurai who had originally served them were all dismissed by Xiao Honglu and left to guard the outside of the tower.

Xiao Honglu listened to Zheng Zha recount the causes and consequences of many things that had recently happened to him.

"Is that so... Brother Zheng Zha, you woke up lying on the beach. And then went through all that to get here?" Xiao Honglu pressed his chin, his eyes gleaming as if he were calculating something. "In that case, things get interesting."

"I woke up in this city about half a year ago. I remember coming to the Ju-on world to familiarize myself with skills... It seems like Alice had some kind of plan, which is why I lost a part of my memory. Although I had some doubts at the time, after meeting Sister Zhao Yingkong and Brother Zhang Heng, I found that their situation was the same as mine, so I didn't pay much attention to it..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ming Yanwei abruptly interrupted their conversation.

"Zhang Heng is here!?" She almost lunged at Xiao Honglu by the collar. "Where is he! That bastard... that coward, where is he! Is he too scared to come see me?!"

Tell me quickly!

Her sudden movement startled Xiao Honglu, who instinctively raised his hand, a faint crackling of electricity passing through his fingertips. But this moment of lapse in composure was fleeting—he quickly regained his composure and calmly answered Ming Yanwei's question.

“Sister Mingyanwei, is it? Although I don’t know what you want with Brother Zhang Heng, he went out with Sister Zhao Yingkong a few days ago to clean up the ghosts in the nearby mountains, so he’s not here now. Besides, he’s not a coward; he can be quite terrifying when he gets angry.”

“Zhang Heng? Angry? He gets angry? He dares to get angry?” Ming Yanwei snorted, then sneered. “He’s out, huh? Good, very good. I’ll talk to him slowly when he gets back… slowly…” She clenched her fists slightly, muttering something unintelligible, the rest of her words becoming indistinct.

“Uh…” Zheng Zha raised his hand to stop Xiao Honglu from speaking further. “Let’s leave this matter alone. Ming Yanwei and Zhang Heng have some private matters to deal with. This is not something we should get involved in… What happened after you met them? And how did you become the adopted son of the city lord here?”

“This really isn’t like you, Brother Zheng Zha.” Xiao Honglu glanced at Zheng Zha, then at Ming Yanwei. He shook his head slightly. “But never mind, let’s talk about something else first.”

"After I met the others, I learned that everyone was missing some memories, and they were all memories from after entering the Ju-on world. I also vaguely remembered that Alice seemed to have done something to make the Ju-on world the way it is now. So I gave up the idea of ​​using local forces to find everyone and instead decided to use the demons and monsters that are everywhere in this era to familiarize myself with the power of the enhancement exchange."

"I chose this place because it's a suitable base. Anyway, that lord is just an ordinary person, and even I could easily hypnotize him. With a little effort, I can quickly build up a force. Although it's only been a few months, I already have over a thousand, almost two thousand, foot soldiers, archers, and dozens of lower-ranking samurai under my command. In Japan's Sengoku period, that would be considered a considerable force."

"After all, it's the fifth year of Keicho now, and the Battle of Sekigahara will be in a few months. That's a rare major battle for Japan. Since we've come to this era, it would be a waste not to participate. When that time comes, I plan to wipe out both the Eastern and Western armies at the same time and overturn history... But lately I've been feeling something's strange, and I might not be able to win."

“However…” He looked at Zheng Zha. “With Brother Zheng Zha involved, the outcome will definitely be different.”

"Wait, wait." Zheng Zha raised his hand, looking puzzled. "You mean... we came here because of Margot Royd? And then, where is she? She's gone?"

"I'm also puzzled by this... but if she's in this era too, then there must be some information left behind. I originally planned to use the local forces to find them, but then I thought about it... and decided against it. If Alice wants to find me, she can definitely find me. So I should just focus on training myself and preparing for the big battle three months from now."

“Of course, that was the plan before we met Brother Zheng Zha. We can’t do that now.” He shook his head slightly. “I didn’t expect that you had lost so many memories, Brother Zheng Zha. If you’re not special but have really ‘died’ more than once, then we’ll have to rewrite our plan.”

He paused, then said.

"I suspect that there are other forces lurking in the shadows besides us in this era, ready to deliver a fatal blow to us at the opportune moment."

Section 17. A certain Jiu died due to difficulty in naming.

"Why would you have such a thought?" Zheng Zha asked, his face full of questions. He suddenly remembered something else and quickly told Xiao Honglu about Chu Xuan's message. This made the twelve-year-old boy fall into deep thought, and the words he had prepared got stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

He waved his hand, frowned slightly, shook his head, and sat down on the blanket.

"Um... I'm sorry, Brother Zheng Zha, maybe I made a mistake." Xiao Honglu said apologetically with a smile, "My thinking may have some flaws. Um... there are still some things I don't understand. I'll tell you after I figure them out."

His eyes flickered as he fell into deep thought.

[Interesting, Chu Xuan… that wise man everyone agrees is far superior to me? Alice is one thing, I do lack experience. But a mere dead man… no, I can't let subjective judgment interfere with my calculations. I'll assume he is indeed stronger than me…]