You say this is a love game?

The only thing missing is the final ending: "Bad news came from the Rift Circle, a 16-year-old young exorcist ascended to the secret medicine planet!"

"Should I challenge the Gap Girl now?"

"No, that's not right. The secret medicine is quite valuable. I only have one of each left. Buying it from Kurosawa Yoshihito is also very expensive, and the quantity is limited... It's not impossible to use it directly, but I always feel unsure. Yes, don't squander this last one for now. I can go get a [Boiling Blood Secret Medicine] first, and then use them together to increase the success rate. I can also try to see if I can get Miss Miko to mass-produce the secret medicine..."

Makoto Mizutani turned back and took a look at the raw materials needed for the three secret medicines from Ruriko Furuya.

These raw materials include everything, real herbs as well as elixirs that no one has ever heard of... Fortunately, the back mountain that Guwu Ruriko pointed to seems to produce related elixirs.

At least the raw materials for the [Secret Medicine of Boiling Blood] must be there.

Furuya Ruriko: "The most important thing about spiritual medicine is the nature of its spiritual power. In this crevice filled with killing, resentment, and brutality, the vast majority of spiritual herbs that grow have obvious biases."

According to Ruriko Furuya, the most likely thing Mizutani Makoto would find on this trip to the back mountain is the herbs for the [Secret Medicine for Boiling Blood], and later for the [Secret Medicine for the Flesh]. However, as the [Secret Medicine for the Spirit] emphasizes "calmness and restraint", it is unlikely that all the herbs would be found in this place.

Mizutani Makoto took all of these words to heart.

At the same time, he had to find a way to move the real herbs into the cracks.

But regarding this, Mizutani Makoto had already had a bold idea when he looked at the [Gorgeous Gold Box] in his backpack.

Just Do It!

Mizutani Makoto decided to give it a try. If he failed, he would simply not be able to make the [Secret Elixir of Boiling Blood]. He had a mission to explore the map, so he had to go to the back mountain.

The back mountain is behind the Kendo Club dojo.

Standing in front of the gymnasium, the buildings in front of you unfold one after another, and you can see the kendo club dojo behind the gymnasium and the back mountain behind the dojo.

In fact, there is an open-air swimming pool, but that place is not as obvious as the dojo, so Mizutani Makoto only took a look when he passed by.

Since he planned to kill the girl in the gap first, he didn't think too much about it and didn't have a strong desire to explore.

Let's put it aside for now and wait until he reaches the same level.

Mizutani Makoto walked all the way to the back mountain. The corner of the back mountain was relatively remote, and there were basically no small monsters on the road.

"So big?"

The moment he saw the mountain behind, Mizutani Makoto narrowed his eyes slightly.

Not all schools have a mountain behind the school, but whether you have any impression of it or not, it is logically impossible for this thing to occupy a very large area.

It is generally referred to as the back mountain, but in fact it is just a small hillside with cement steps and fences winding up. If you add some benches or horizontal bars and other sports facilities, that's basically it.

Mizutani Makoto originally thought so too.

There was a "No Trespassing" sign on the rusty iron gate, and a moss-covered stone staircase winding up the mountain. Everything seemed normal.

But if you look into the distance, you can see the back mountain that has replaced the entire school wall and can fill your vision with just a corner. Are you telling me that this map is the back mountain of the school?

You really live in the mountains, right?

Mizutani Makoto almost forgot that the things in the cracks were alienated by obsession or longing, and the appearance they presented was most likely not the real appearance.

What does the back mountain in the real world look like? What does it have to do with the back mountain in my crack?

I am here, I am the "mountain"!

Mizutani Makoto was truly speechless.

Look at the lush ancient forest on the mountainside, which is more than ten meters high, with slopes, cliffs and peaks. This back mountain is just like the first chapter of his Black Monkey game.

Grooved.

Isn't there a big guy waiting for me inside?

Mizutani Makoto no longer had the heart to complain about these things. He now had an important task in exploring the map, which was to find the raw materials needed by the shrine maiden to refine the secret medicine.

His medicine!

His high-concentration secret medicine!

The details of identifying elixirs that Furuya Ruriko gave him flashed through Mizutani Makoto's mind again. His extraordinary memory allowed him to reproduce them perfectly in a short period of time.

He drew his two swords and stepped directly onto the stairs.

Soon, after walking more than thirty steps, the stairs came to an end. At the end was a broken locust tree stump, the cross section of which was covered with ochre fungal spots.

The way down is to literally climb a mountain.

Of course, we didn't climb up by climbing, but walked along gentle slopes or some walkable roads, slowly exploring the complex structure of the back mountain.

But in the mountains, Mizutani Makoto actually felt a strange sense of "like a fish in water".

He examined it carefully and found that this feeling came from the knowledge in his mind...the knowledge of Shugendo!

The Shugendo sect is full of mountain climbing fanatics. Those ascetic monks regard mountain climbing as a part of their practice. They are either climbing a mountain or on the way to climb a mountain.

Nowadays, Mizutani Makoto is also considered half a "Yamabushi"... Is he familiar with it? Of course he is very familiar with it!

Mizutani Makoto explored along the way, picked up a few [Weak Souls], and soon encountered the first enemy.

He had purchased intelligence from Kurosawa Yoshihito, so he naturally knew what the enemy in front of him was.

This is - Wood Ghost.

Chapter 101: Wood Charm, medicinal herbs from the back mountain.

The stench of rotten leaves licked the back of the neck like a snake's tongue, bringing a slightly chilly feeling.

Mizutani Makoto was on a gentle slope. The roots of the beech trees bulged at the soles of his feet. In the light spots leaking through the treetops, there were some inexplicable flocs floating around, making the air feel particularly heavy.

Just ahead, there is an ancient tree.

"Wooden Charm."

The key information about this guy flashed through Mizutani Makoto's mind.

When you open "A Hundred Demons Night Parade", the first person you see is this guy.

Wood spirits, also known as tree spirits and wood spirits, generally refer to trees with souls living in them. These trees look similar to ordinary trees. However, it is said that if someone intends to push down or damage the tree, that person and even the entire village will suffer a great disaster.

This is how "wood spirit" is explained in the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons.

But Makoto Mizutani is a person who likes to trace the origin. After some investigation, it is not difficult to find that the roots of this thing are among the old Chinese.

That’s right - Mumei, this concept originated in China.

Bao Zhao of the Southern Dynasty mentioned in "Wucheng Fu": "Wood spirits and mountain ghosts, wild mice and city foxes, howling in the wind and rain, appearing at dusk and heading towards dawn." The wood spirits in this passage are actually tree monsters, or wood spirits, which are elves living in trees.

Since ancient times, the Chinese have held a reverence and worship for trees, whether evergreen or withered, believed to possess life and the potential for reincarnation. Legends of these trees possessing spiritual power are commonplace. Japan, a trusted aide of the Chinese, has long been a passionate adopter of Chinese culture and customs. Even in modern times, despite the impact of Western influence, many corners of its culture still retain a lingering Chinese influence.

For example, in terms of tree worship, it can be said that it inherited and carried forward his tradition.

In Japan, trees are widely believed to possess mysterious powers, and koji are the carriers of this spiritual power. Those who revere the spirits and protect the mountains and forests will be blessed by the koji, but those who harm the trees will be cursed, suffer from abdominal pain, and eventually die.

This kind of worship has even evolved into a belief. In Qingdao, Izu Islands, Japan, there is a small temple built on the roots of a huge cedar tree. It is called the "Wood Spirit Temple". The temple worships the "Wood Spirit". When the locals cut down trees, they must go to the "Wood Spirit God" to offer sacrifices.

"But a wood spirit is ultimately a tree demon. What does the wood spirit god worshipped there have to do with the crevice? If a wood spirit is born in a crevice, even the best of them will turn into a man-eating monster."

Thirty steps away, Mu Mei thought he was pretending well, but Mizutani Makoto's intuition was sounding the alarm, letting him know what kind of danger was hidden in this seemingly normal tree.

"These tree monsters are surprisingly strong, reaching the mid-level of paper..."

Through the information obtained from Kurosawa Yoshihito, Mizutani Makoto easily judged Mu Mei's strength.

——Middle of paper.

An elite monster of the same level as the Sword Ghost.

In the cracks, the monsters that Mizutani Makoto encountered were generally "lower-level paper", followed by "upper-level paper". On the contrary, as for the monsters and ghosts of the middle-level paper, he had only encountered a kind of miscellaneous soldier called "Sword Ghost" in more than a month, and their number was even rarer than that of the monsters of the upper-level paper.

This is a weird monster layout!

But now it seems that the elite monsters in the middle of the paper should all be concentrated in the back mountain.

According to Kurosawa Ryojin's information, there are only two kinds of monsters in the back mountain. One is the "wood spirit" in front of him, and the other is the BOSS hiding in the deep mountains and old forests... That thing is also a monster of the same level.

It’s hard to say how strong this map is compared to the Kendo Club Dojo, but it’s definitely a more advanced place than the gymnasium!

"After all, there are spiritual medicine resources..."

"Thinking about it this way, this map is indeed suitable for me at this stage... Especially if I want to pick the spiritual herbs that Miss Miko needs, it's really impossible to explore without some skills!"

With this thought, Mizutani Makoto no longer thought about it. He stretched out his hand and waved it, and the tar cloak behind him fluttered. Then he clenched his hands, and a long and big wild sword appeared directly in his hands.

In this map, he put on the [Tar Cape] again.

Furthermore, the twin swords in his hands had been replaced with [Sword Demon's Nodachi]—there was no other way around it. [Kendo Apprentice's Tachi] was always lacking in hardness. The Wood Ghost had both its spiritual form and its defensive posture of burying its spirit into the wood. The former was fine, but once the Wood Ghost hid in a tree, he would have to chop it down. And the Tachi...

Tsk, you're chopping down trees with a sword?

Then you have a very happy life!

Makoto Mizutani's choice is [Sword Demon's Nodachi]. This large sword relies on the advantage of "increased hardness", so it can also be used to chop trees!

"As long as we can win."

"Then everything is 'Niten Ichiryu'!"

You rotten piece of wood, just die under my second-class trap!

When Mizutani Makoto approached with a slightly burning breath, the wood spirit that was still disguising itself as an old roadside tree reacted immediately. It wanted to wait for Mizutani Makoto to get closer before launching a sneak attack, but it didn't expect that this stranger was even more ruthless than it, and rushed forward with a terrifying large sword in hand!

Scream!

The shape of the ancient tree twisted and deformed in an instant, the bark exploded, and the moss-covered branches twisted into the shape of sharp spears, stabbing towards Mizutani Makoto who was attacking them with a strong earthy smell.

But what does Mizutani Makoto have to fear?

Hold the knife with both hands and thrust it upward with all your might!

The power of the wild sword was fully demonstrated at this moment. The branches that were difficult to cut with an ordinary sword were broken into pieces by the heavy sword, and thick green juice was directly exploded from them, accompanied by a dull but shrill howl.

"Ahhh!!"

Although it was a tree, when it was injured by the blow, it twisted like a human, with its branches curled inward, as if afraid of the pain.

Such an enemy is indeed no match for the sword ghost wielding a nodachi!

Even if they are at the same rank, the sword ghost holding a nodachi is definitely a unique existence!

The roots of the wood spirit were pulled out from the ground. At the same time, a faint light emerged from its trunk, and a green ball of light struggled out. It was obviously a spirit, but it made a "clacking" sound of wood friction when it moved.

This is the true form of Mu Mei.

In some legends, the Wood Spirit sometimes even appears as an enchanting woman, but this is actually mixed up with many other tree spirit legends...

In other words, almost every tree demon has a legend of transforming into a human, either a handsome and elegant man or a charming woman.

The wood spirit's ball of light screamed, and while driving the ancient tree trunk to escape, it did not forget to spit out a green spirit bullet that was no bigger than its ball of light towards Mizutani Makoto.

Mizutani Makoto dodged to the side, and the emerald green spiritual bullet directly hit other tree trunks in the background. In an instant, a large pool of corrosive liquid burst out, and wisps of corrosive green smoke were floating up from the tree trunks. It was obviously highly poisonous.

I vaguely remember that Kurosawa Yoshihito sells [antiseptic bandages], which are used to detoxify.

Mizutani Makoto has explored so far and found that there are very few places in the crevices where detoxification items are needed, but even the [Ashes Pills] have their uses, and the [Anti-corrosion Bandages] also displayed in the store must have their meaning.

Obviously, those bandages are for Makoto Mizutani to use in this map.

Mizutani Makoto would not stop. A pair of blood-red eyes suddenly opened behind him, and the light ball that was about to escape stopped in the air. Mizutani Makoto swung the nodachi in a spin, and while shattering the light ball, the remaining power of the slash hit the trunk of the ancient tree.

In an instant, the treetops swayed, countless leaves fell, and the nodachi was directly embedded in the trunk, cutting into two-thirds of the trunk. The whole tree was almost broken in half and began to shake.

The thick sap burst directly and splashed onto the ground.

Soul +73

It was not until Tongzi's pop-up window appeared that Mizutani Makoto was willing to relax his vigilance. His eyes fell on the wooden spirit that was gradually collapsing and turning into flying sand.

Mu Mei seemed to be acting alone.

Unable to find any other wood spirits nearby, Mizutani Makoto simply called out Sanatori Yoshiko. The girl was now jumping for joy, wandering through the woods in the back mountain, and soon found a corner for him.

Mizutani Makoto was led by Satori Yoshiko and bent down in front of the tree roots.

It was a red medicinal herb.

——Miraculous medicine.

Scarlet Ganoderma Lucidum

Description: This fungus originally grew in a land rich in spiritual energy, but is now tainted by blood and filth. Its cap is covered in veins, and the back of the cap continuously oozes sweet, fishy blood.

【Evaluation: Don’t you want to have a bite? 】