Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01 during the Spirit Awakening Era

Sadao Maou's suggestion was very practical. This map was obviously problematic, with many things drawn on it, including a large circle with a huge question mark, and the words "Here?" written in Japanese next to it. It seemed that besides being a huge problem, it could also be a very good thing.

Regardless, it's impossible. The former could mean an unpredictable bomb; no one knows when it will explode, or how big the explosion will be.

As for the latter, if the treasures buried in such an ominous place are most likely to be top-notch, then missing out would be a lifelong regret. If it really is some kind of top-tier treasure, not to mention others, Isayama Mei would definitely regret it for the rest of his life.

Therefore, these three people are unlikely to consider selling the map directly to several organizations. Putting aside everything else, the Onmyōryō, which specializes in these mysterious things, would definitely be interested. However, even if Izumo no Okuni offered a relatively high price, it wouldn't be much higher. If the four of them split it, a few hundred thousand yen would probably be the maximum.

Who could stand this?! Even without asking Mei Izayama, just imagining the Onmyōryō (the Bureau of Yin and Yang) unearthing some rare treasures based on this map and proudly showing them off to the outside world makes Shinji Ikari feel like he's going to have a mental breakdown.

Therefore, Shinji Ikari is absolutely certain that among an adventurer who is not short of money, an exorcist who is very short of money, and himself, a transmigrator who is not afraid of trouble but is afraid of not being able to cause trouble... no one will vote against this matter!

"Then we need to make the necessary preparations." Watching Sadao Maou's departing figure, Shinji Ikari sighed. Clearly, for the Demon Lord, all sorts of magical treasures held very little appeal, so his reaction directly expressed his attitude of not participating in this matter.

Sadao Maou has plenty of money! He bought a cheap house in Tokyo-3. As the new Demon King's castle, the only thing that matters to him now is the McDonald's store manager's performance! His acting manager position was just removed, and whether he can hold onto the position depends on this quarter's results.

"So we need to be prepared. We can't just stumble in like some unlucky guy, completely clueless." Shinji Ikari shook his head with a smile.

"The Zero-type film is almost used up after what happened last time. I need to make some new ones to replenish it, which will probably take a few days." Because she had just rested for a few days under Kurosawa Rei's supervision, Asou Yuu hadn't had time to immediately replenish the various items she had used up in Minakami Village, especially the life-saving items, which made Asou Yuu feel a little heartbroken.

Meanwhile, Mei Isayama frowned. She had a very simple problem: the egg of some unknown creature that she had bought for 20 million was still in NERV. It shouldn't have taken them long to get there in the next few days, but Mei Isayama's mindset had changed, and she was somewhat... like a dragon. She didn't want to stray too far from what she owned, especially since she had high expectations for the egg.

Of course, Shinji Ikari was unaware that a certain shameless guy was still plotting whether to send a certain spirit over. Gojo Satoru had found this spirit particularly amusing to tease for the past few days, so he seemed to be a little reluctant to part with it (Spirit: I'm not human, you're a real dog).

"So how many more days will it take you to finish your preparations?" Shinji Ikari casually sent a message to Okuni, asking if the Onmyōryō had any plans to explore the hidden place discovered by Asō Yuu. He knew very well that Asō Yuu would also need some time, and as for Isayama Mei... well, it's hard to say. It's really hard to say what kind of mentality Isayama Mei himself was.

So relatively speaking, I seem to be the most relaxed. I can still go play ball with my friends next weekend and relax a bit. I've been a bit too tense lately. Although I've had some opportunities to break through, I still lack the right timing. It's a good time to go back and play baseball to relax. I'll also go to Totsuki Academy to deal with those sycophants who are watching me.

“A week is the minimum… The complete destruction of this Mountain God Festival really wiped out most of the black market in a short period of time. Now I don’t even know where to buy some things.” Aso Yuu had a bitter smile on her face. A madman’s revenge slaughtered not only monsters, but also many people who were just trading some supplies at this Mountain God Festival. They were also wiped out by Morishita Yamato’s revenge.

According to the countermeasures bureau's report afterward, at the monitoring point at the foot of the mountain, apart from the people who came down the mountain together in the last battle, they did not see a single person or monster run out of the mountain alive. So in a sense, Morishita Yamato, that madman, wasted so much time and the food battle with Dojima Gin. This guy was just stalling for time. Going down the mountain meant death, and staying on the mountain meant death too!

So Asou Yuu was quite annoyed to discover that most of the material suppliers he used to contact frequently had been completely reduced to ashes by someone's very successful lightning strike in this incident... This left him speechless, suffering from the pain of having money but nowhere to spend it.

Fortunately, money can move mountains. Even if it's sold domestically, it can still be bought abroad, although the price and shipping costs will obviously be more expensive. But these are not big problems for Aso Yuu, as he is not short of money. So it's just a matter of time. After all, even if it is a special item in a special industry, which is handled on a case-by-case basis, it still has to go through customs procedures, and that takes a lot of time.

Moreover, such special cross-border trade is prone to being affected by issues in relations between the two countries, and may be detained in strange places for very strange reasons. However, Aso Yuu has a solution to this. He purchased a copy from multiple countries, including the United States and China, so at least one of them will arrive. In any case, having more stock is never a bad thing.

"A week? Will it all arrive in one week?" Shinji Ikari looked at Yuu Aso with a puzzled expression. After all, it was an international shipping route, and it should take some time.

"They're already in the air. The fastest ones have already cleared customs. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be able to start preparing to make the items the day after tomorrow." Asou Yuu shrugged. After returning, he learned about the incident at the Mountain God Festival, and immediately took advantage of the fact that prices abroad hadn't yet skyrocketed, placing orders directly with overseas suppliers. Several items already had their main materials, and in the past few days, the prices had skyrocketed. Asou Yuu had essentially made several million yen for free...

"Understood. Then we'll check back in about a week and see what that woman, Okuni, has to say." Izayama Mei nodded. In a week, he'd probably have a better understanding of the egg he bought, and then he could leave with peace of mind. Then, Izayama Mei casually asked about Shinji Ikari's situation. They'd worked together a lot and were very familiar with each other, so when he saw Shinji rapidly typing on his phone, he knew that Shinji had started contacting Okuni Izumo.

"Okuni... The Onmyōryō has taken control of the area, but... well, it's my fault." Shinji Ikari chuckled coldly and showed the others the contents of his phone. Izumo Okuni had sent a lot of photos. Clearly, he was too lazy to complain about the matter and was just showing them the current situation.

Several photos show the Onmyo-ryo (Yin-Yang Bureau) outpost near Minakami Village. It's not just the few cars from the Onmyo-ryo; there are dozens of cars. There seem to be some people around these vehicles, and there are often a lot of supplies piled up near them. But the expressions on the faces of the people on board... well, it's hard to describe their fear.

“Understood.” Mei Isayama and Yuu Aso glanced at Shinji Ikari’s phone and rolled their eyes in unison. “It really is just as you said, Shinji Ikari. You’ve given a lot of people the wrong impression.”

The reason for this is none other than that Shinji Ikari, through unknown means, successfully stabilized the Himuro Mansion and successfully established a good relationship with a fierce god. During the Mountain God Festival, the terrifying thunderous punishment that everyone feared was blocked by Himuro Kirie with a simple gesture, which made everyone witness the power of the fierce god.

This directly led to many people planning to be like Shinji Ikari, believing they could be just like him. This greed drove them to venture into the Lost Sanctuary like madmen, and then... well, there was no then. Regardless of their strength, none of them returned. It's just that time is still short, and these people are still waiting outside, or gathering more manpower to prepare for rescue or reinforcement.

Then, because the temptation of success was too great, they repeatedly sent people to investigate that area after the previous group lost contact. They actually managed to find out the hidden area by doing this kind of thing, which left the Onmyoji Bureau somewhat speechless.

In short, these institutions and organizations are like a group of gamblers at a gambling table. They show no sign of stopping until they lose everything, and they're insane! And dangerous! The danger isn't to them, since they themselves don't value their lives, so the Yin-Yang Bureau naturally won't let them go to their deaths. But the Yin-Yang Bureau is worried that if too many are sacrificed, it might burst the Shenyin Temple!

Although the exact details of what happened are unknown, this hidden place has indeed ensured the peace of the surrounding area, preventing it from becoming a paradise for the dead due to the out-of-control Minakami Village. Therefore, the Onmyoji Bureau absolutely does not want to see the hidden place explode before they understand what happened.

However, this group of people also knew very well that the Yin-Yang Bureau, which had not yet fully recovered from the aftermath of the mountain god festival, could not do much at the moment. They could only watch helplessly as they sent wave after wave of people in. Both sides were racing against time.

Ultimately, regardless of whether it was before or after the disappearance, Minakami Village had never been so lively...

"Den!"

Just then, the phone rang again. A new LINE message from Izumo no Okuni had been sent. It had no other meaning than that this exploration mission was at least an A-level mission, which was something that peripheral personnel like Shinji Ikari and his group, who did not want to belong to the Onmyōryō, would normally not be allowed to accept.

However, thanks to Izumo no Okuni's communication, and the fact that the higher-ups of the Onmyōryō felt they couldn't let these idiots continue their nonsense (who knows if the Kamikaku would just explode), Shinji Ikari and his friends became the ones specially allowed to enter. After the sorcerers and the Onmyōryō jointly prepared another layer of hidden defense measures outside the Kamikaku, preventing these bastards from causing any more trouble, they were allowed to enter.

"That old woman really can't forget you!" Mei Isayama sneered. The last picture on LINE was a photo taken from above, showing the white snow-capped mountain in perfect shape, which looked particularly majestic due to the angle.

"But it is indeed quite big, isn't it?" Shinji Ikari glanced at Mei Isayama, his gaze slightly downward, before being kicked away. If Sadao Maou hadn't casually swiped to open the McDonald's electronic door in advance, the McDonald's door probably wouldn't have been saved.

Chapter 137 The Burning Flame in Seiichiro Yukihira's Heart

"So this is the little restaurant you mentioned?" Mei Isayama followed Shinji Ikari and pushed open the door of the Yukihira Restaurant. He then glared at the Nakiri Middle School baseball team members who were exclaiming, "As expected of Shinji Ikari!" Later, some of them would start calling Shinji Ikari "brother-in-law" after learning that Rei Ayanami was theoretically Shinji Ikari's sister. Mei Isayama would then find a reason to throw them out.

After Shinji Ikari returned to Nakiri Middle School, he participated in a morning training session, and then in the afternoon, he played a visiting match with his teammates against another school. Well, as for the process, Mei Isayama, lying on his back, simply couldn't stand it anymore. What was he trying to do, making the opposing players look like defeated dogs in a friendly match?

However, for Mei Isayama, the main reason she came along today was to fulfill her duties as a supervisor and not let down the Countermeasures Bureau's salary. Another purpose was to take the opportunity to eat at the super delicious home-style restaurant that Shinji Ikari had mentioned.

"This is it~" Shinji Ikari felt right at home after returning to the Yukihira Hotel. He was all smiles and naturally gave a high-five to Soma Yukihira, who was tidying up the table. Then he greeted Joichiro Yukihira, who was preparing food, "Yo, Uncle Yukihira! I'm back!"

Shinji Ikari was originally thinking of going to find Ryoko Sakaki, since the opportunity was rare and he might be able to get a meal made by Uncle Joichiro Yukihira. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it would be great if Ryoko Sakaki could cook a couple of meals for him.

But today, Ryoko Sakaki actually went to Totsuki Academy, leaving Shinji Ikari, who wanted to surprise his girlfriend, extremely helpless. However, Ryoko Sakaki said she would probably be back by evening, so they might be able to see each other after dinner.

"You little brat, you might as well not have come back." Yukihira Joichiro rolled his eyes, glancing at Shinji Ikari, who was sitting confidently at the bar, as he lifted the curtain from the kitchen. "One last time, two this time, tsk tsk!" Emerging from the kitchen, Yukihira Joichiro hooked his arm around Shinji's neck and tightened it. His arm strength, honed from years of working in the kitchen, was considerable.

"This is my teammate, Mei Isayama." Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes. What was there to envy? Mei Isayama was a rose with thorns, beautiful, but too familiar. The bruise from the kick he received yesterday hadn't even faded yet. "I really bragged about you a lot."

"Hmm? What else can you say? Tell me?" Yukihira Joichiro's lips curled into a smile. Dojima Gin, it was indeed a name he hadn't heard in a while. He became interested.

“When you get serious, your cooking is way better than Dojima Gin’s,” Shinji Ikari said with a smile. “We even ate two different food battle recipes at the Mountain God Festival.”

"...Yamato Morishita?" Joichiro Yukihira released his grip and glanced silently at Shinji Ikari. "Food Wars, huh? What kind of food wars are those? But I heard from Gin that he felt he lost, so what was the opponent's recipe?"

"Drunken Shrimp Sashimi," Shinji Ikari said of the dish that Yamato Morishita had served that day. "And it was sashimi made by a fierce god wielding a knife, a dish that makes one sigh at the hardships of life."

"A malevolent god? Wielding a sword?" Yukihira Joichiro was stunned. He was truly stunned, even standing there blankly staring at Shinji Ikari for a long time before asking his own question, "Is this dish edible, no, I mean, is it a dish meant for the living?"

Uncle Yukihira's question was very interesting. First, he asked if the dish was edible. But obviously, no matter how unconventional Morishita Yamato was, he should at least have some respect for the food battle... But after thinking for a moment, Yukihira Joichiro suddenly laughed, "You've already eaten, haven't you?"

“Yes, I’ve eaten them all. Looking back now, I’m no longer a child. I have many feelings about it,” Shinji Ikari said with a smile. “So, regarding the final result…”

"So you've also tasted Gin Dojima's cooking?" Hearing Shinji Ikari's drawn-out tone, Joichiro Yukihira immediately understood Shinji's meaning. Needless to say, Gin Dojima lost, but that wasn't surprising. "What was his dish?"

"Curry lobster seafood risotto," Shinji Ikari said simply. He knew that Joichiro Yukihira had agreed to cook him a proper meal! That was it!

"Hey! You little brat, you got a good deal! I just happen to have some leftover curry powder, and I also bought some shrimp today." Yukihira Joichiro shook his head. He thought he had let go of the past, but it seemed he hadn't completely let go. However, it was clear that his competitive spirit hadn't been completely extinguished as he held onto this little shop. Today, this little brat had easily provoked it.

As the sound of ignition rang out, the flames began to illuminate Yukihira Joichiro's face, which suddenly appeared triumphant. It was clear that although the stove was simple, the ingredients ordinary, and the seasonings not even fully complete, for a culinary master, this was his battlefield on the kitchen counter that he knew so well! A less-than-fair food battle with two people who were not present.

"The ingredients sound rather ordinary..." Mei Isayama muttered softly beside him. Mei Isayama had also eaten the dishes from that day, and even ate one more dish than Shinji Ikari. After all, Shinji Ikari didn't get to eat the curry lobster seafood risotto; by the time he woke up, all the dishes had been devoured.

"Just wait patiently for your meal. You're in good spirits today~" Shinji Ikari smiled. Soma Yukihira may be the protagonist of an anime, but he's basically a pushover in his father's hands. His skills are entirely derived from his battles with his father. The Yukihira Restaurant recipes that Soma Yukihira knows were originally created by his father. He can even win over the young God Tongue just by cooking.

"Here you go!" Three steaming bowls of curry seafood fried rice were placed on the table, and the rich aroma of curry wafted through the small restaurant.

"I'm starting to believe what you're saying." Just by inhaling the aroma, Mei Isayama and Shinji Ikari felt an intense hunger. Mei Isayama had experienced this feeling before, not just anywhere, but during the Mountain God Festival.

"..." Rei Ayanami didn't seem to have many thoughts. She simply scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth, her eyes slightly glazed over, before looking at the surprised Joichiro Yukihira.

"What? Is it not good?" Although his ingredients were very ordinary, Yukihira Joichiro never expected that the girl in front of him would not show any emotion after eating his dish, which made him seriously doubt his cooking skills.

“Delicious.” Rei Ayanami’s answer was very simple, and her expression was even very serious. This was something she genuinely acknowledged. However, she stopped after taking a few spoonfuls, which made Joichiro Yukihira even more confused.

"If it's so delicious, then why..." This was an unexpected development for Yukihira Joichiro. His cooking had captivated countless people. Some, like Katsuragi Misato, were so engrossed in it that they didn't even realize Shinji Ikari was stealing their food. Others, like the two people next to him, would close their eyes and savor the food carefully. But this was the first time he had ever seen someone like Ayanami Rei put the food down after just a few bites.

"Nagisa-nee, I made soup. Don't be disappointed." It's unknown whether Shinji Ikari will go back tonight, but Rei Ayanami and Mei Isayama are planning to go back, so Nagase Nagisa prepared dinner for them.

"...Hahaha!" Yukihira Joichiro was taken aback at first, then covered his forehead and laughed wildly. "Really, I almost forgot about that! What a blunder! Thank you, and please thank Nagase Nagisa for me...she's the lady from the car dealership, right?" The town wasn't that big, and although it was on the other side, Yukihira Joichiro knew about Nagase Nagisa and the others. However, he had recently heard that they had moved away, and it seemed that this guy had moved to Tokyo-3 with Shinji Ikari. "Tell them to come back and visit when they have time, and maybe even come to my shop for a visit."

"Looks like you've also been set on fire for some inexplicable reason?" Shinji Ikari chuckled, putting down his spoon. Before him lay a plate licked clean, smeared as if it were his face. "Thank you for the treat!"

"Don't waste it. I bet you won't go, right? After all, Ryoko Sakaki won't be back until evening unless something unexpected happens." With a mischievous grin, Joichiro Yukihira placed a dessert in front of Rei Ayanami and moved Rei's fried rice to Shinji Ikari.

"That's not fair!" Mei Isayama reached out and scooped half of the food off the plate. "I don't mind Rei eating it, but I can't let this bastard eat it."

"You bastard, you're robbing me!" Shinji Ikari rolled his eyes, but instead of eating, he turned and took a sealed jar from a bag he carried with him.

"Commander Nakiri asked me to bring this to you." Shinji Ikari looked at the person in front of him. "He didn't say anything, just this one thing." Nakiri Senzaemon didn't say anything because he didn't need to. Back then, Morishita Yamato said too much. This man in front of him, only by letting him find the path he wants to take can he be truly effective!

The anime didn't say anything, but Yukihira Joichiro suddenly decided to close the restaurant and go on a trip, and then casually sent Yukihira Soma to Totsuki Academy.

However, now, although it's quite a coincidence, Shinji Ikari is certain that a small flame has been ignited in the heart of the man before him, and handing over this thing to him could very well be like pouring gasoline on that flame...

"..." Yukihira Joichiro frowned, sighed, and casually brushed his hair aside, his aura shifting slightly. "What's inside?"

"SSS-grade ingredient, Apostle's Blood. This is the last one. I don't know when I'll be able to kill it again."

"Commander-in-Chief... I accept it, thank you."

"You're welcome. Just cook me a meal when you get back."

"You little brat! Fine!"

Chapter 138 Aso Yuu came prepared

"This is quite a secluded place." Shinji Ikari, following Yuu Aso, looked around at the surroundings. He had to admit that in a place where no one lived, the vegetation grew very lushly. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a series of dappled patterns on the ground. Coupled with the occasional gentle breeze, it was quite pleasant.

"If we include the hidden spirit nearby, then my feeling isn't so good." Asou Yuu, who was next to Shinji Ikari, carefully looked around. Although he had no memory of it, the remaining impressions made him somewhat suspicious.

"This is the reservoir where you got yourself into trouble by investigating!" Izayama Mei made a framing gesture from the side, actually using spiritual power to probe. Unfortunately, with such a high level of invisibility, the results of such a simple and quick method of exploration were undoubtedly unrealistic. In the end, having found nothing, Izayama Mei pointed to a small room next to him that seemed to be managed by an administrator who didn't know it was an equipment room. "Did you check out the small room next to you back then?"

The three of them were dressed like a poor photography crew taking models out to shoot photos at famous tourist attractions. Aso Yuu and Ikari Shinji were carrying big bags and small bags, while Isayama Mei looked like the beautiful model who was responsible for posing for a while, wearing sunglasses and looking very relaxed.

The most interesting thing is that the packages Shinji Ikari and his companions were carrying actually contained photography equipment and related devices. Aso Yuu, who suffered heavy losses last time, seemed to have brought his entire set of homemade equipment with a determined attitude, which was completely different from the last time when he only took a simple camera. This time, he obviously wanted to make the demons and monsters in the ghost village understand the meaning of "times are progressing".

The Type-0 film high-speed camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens and 1000 shots in a row will turn anything except for malevolent spirits into mincemeat! Ordinary vengeful spirits and evil spirits will be annihilated! It's like going from using a small pistol to a large-caliber cannon to mow them down!

In addition, it has 6 hours of self-sustaining power and a dynamic sensing automatic shooting lens. As long as the spirit moves within the camera's shooting range, it will take full automatic video recording without any hesitation. Although it is not used as a decisive weapon to directly shoot Zero-type film, its target is not a spirit that is too powerful, right? 30 shots in 5 seconds, as long as it is not a powerful evil spirit, it will be enough to make the opponent suffer.

The only problem is that these devices are incredibly expensive. Even for someone as wealthy as Asou Yuu, this is the first time he's used them. After all, a thousand rolls of Type-0 film could force Asou Yuu to mooch off his girlfriend for months... So whether it can actually achieve the desired effect remains to be seen after testing it. Therefore... Shinji Ikari complained all the way, saying that this thing is really overhyped, and they have no idea if it's actually useful! ! Awesome!

"No need to go, every inch of land has been turned upside down!" came Izumo no Okuni's voice from the tree. Izumo no Okuni, who had somehow caught up with them, flipped over and sat down on a branch. He was holding half a watermelon and eating it with a spoon, a look of pure enjoyment on his face.

"It's just a watermelon, is it really that big of a deal?" Shinji Ikari was somewhat speechless. Although he was the one who suggested it, this woman didn't seem to have a small goal like Mei Isayama. Especially after their long collaboration, Shinji was quite certain that this woman was definitely not short of money, and she didn't seem to have any hobby of buying expensive jewelry. How could she not afford a watermelon?

She didn't actually buy these watermelons. On the way here, Shinji Ikari and the others saw a watermelon farmer resting by the roadside with a truckload of watermelons. Shinji Ikari called for Aso Yuu to stop the truck, asked about the price, and then bought a dozen or so watermelons as a gift for the Onmyoji and the exorcists and sorcerers.

Naturally, the moment Shinji Ikari opened the trunk, the watermelons were snatched up by the group, who were already too exhausted from the sun to even curse. These guys even went so far as to bring in some cool stream water to cool the watermelons down, making them even more refreshing. The most popular item was watermelon soda, made by Shinji taking edible ice from an ice bucket, pouring Sprite into it, scooping out watermelon balls, and adding watermelon juice. The only thing they found lacking was salt; otherwise, the watermelons would have tasted even better.

However, there are some exceptions. Shinji Ikari quietly told Izumo no Okuni, who was about to get watermelon soda, "Personally, I prefer to eat half a watermelon with a spoon." Then, amidst the shouts and curses of a group of girls from the Onmyōryō, Izumo no Okuni snatched a watermelon and ran away. Now that she's back with half a watermelon, she's probably already eaten half of it.

"Impression! Impression! It's all about the impression! Ah~ That feels so good!" Izumo no Okuni pointed at Shinji Ikari with his spoon, enjoying the rare moment of exhilaration. "It's rained these past few nights, so there's still water in the reservoir. We drained the reservoir and conducted a thorough inspection of the entire reservoir. The conclusion is that everything is fine, and there's no pollution from the Shinigami Temple as we had imagined."

"I don't know why I'm a little disappointed." Asou Yuu sighed. He was caught up in the ghost here, and the ghost's territory should have included this area.

"When will you set up the barrier and tent?" Shinji Ikari turned to look at the lush forest behind him. No one knew what strange things were hidden in the forest, or what the situation was like inside.

"It will probably start in a little while, but you can go in anytime you want. After all, your actions are not controlled by the Yin-Yang Bureau. We just want to keep those unlucky guys who want to go and die in check." Izumo Okuni swung his legs and continued to watch the show.

According to Izumo no Okuni's description, seventy or eighty people have entered the hidden place called Minakami Village during this period. Although no top-level experts have entered yet, theoretically, there are more than one team whose level should be comparable to their small team.

Of course, the "similar" here refers more to overall combat effectiveness. With more people, they can carry more supplies and are obviously more adept at dealing with various emergencies. That's how it works in theory.

"..." Shinji Ikari and Mei Isayama looked at each other and sighed in unison, "What a pity."

"You actually feel sorry?" Izumo no Okuni looked at Shinji Ikari with a strange expression, jumped down from the tree, and reached out to touch Shinji Ikari's forehead.

"Yuyu's equipment is quite expensive and bulky, and it's very effective, so it's impossible for her to just throw it away. That means the good stuff we can pick up is very limited." Isayama Mei's explanation was simple, direct, and easy to understand. That's right, these two shameless people, but very interested in money, immediately wanted to plunder these people's belongings! Anyway, once people die, everything left behind is unclaimed, so why not let these things contribute to the living? Isn't that better?

Moreover, the equipment obtained here is virtually impossible to be substandard; even a few items picked up would be worth at least several million in market value, so it's essentially pure profit! In this situation, neither Shinji Ikari, who is not short of money, nor Mei Isayama, who is truly poor, could refuse such a fortune.

"Picking them up? Wow... this is really a risk-free business!" Izumo no Kuni nodded. "But the nearest entrance is right next door, so why not take action?" Izumo no Kuni wasn't surprised at all by this situation. In fact, why do some dangerous places become more and more attractive over time? Isn't it all because of these relics? The saying "wealth dazzles the eye" couldn't be more true.

"Alright, let's do one last tidying up here. Leave all the unnecessary stuff behind..." Shinji Ikari looked around but couldn't find a good place to hide it. "Leave the stuff here, and then we'll prepare to enter the Void."

"Your preparations are very thorough." Looking at Shinji Ikari and his group's combat packs, one could see a large number of protein bars to quickly replenish their energy, sports drinks filling an entire back sac, as well as plenty of first-aid gauze and emergency medicines. They even had potent stimulants.

Of course, there are also talismans, special array plates, and various special equipment for dealing with emergencies in the underworld. Izumo no Okuni tilted his head and looked at them, confirming that these guys hadn't contributed much to the Onmyo-ryo's GDP. However, with Shinji, that sweet-talking guy, around, the girls at Izumo Taisha always gave Shinji extra discounts, so he didn't have to spend much money.

"I'm used to it. But even if something happens, I won't panic when I go out like this." Isayama Mei tied up her long hair, put on a sports backpack and vest, and neatly organized all her odds and ends. Izumo Okuni felt that all they were missing were three assault rifles; these three would be like an armed assault team from a movie.

"Okuni, can you show me the way?" Shinji Ikari said with a smile. Izumo Okuni nodded, threw out a few pieces of barrier rope and hung them on the tree. He then recited a series of hand gestures and incantations. Soon, Shinji and the others found a place in the forest where the light was distorted and twisted. The three of them looked at each other, nodded, and stepped into the area.

"Be careful, Shinji!" Izumo no Okuni's voice still lingered in my ears.

"It gets dark so quickly..."

Chapter 139 Minokami Village

It was indeed completely dark. No, it should be said that because of the failed ritual, Minakami Village, which had fallen into seclusion, had not seen the magnificent sunrise again. Shinji Ikari glanced at the twin Jizo statues nearby and sneered. This was no exaggeration.

"A radio, a standard US military equipment, but obviously this unlucky guy never got to use it before he died." After entering, Asou Yuu didn't rush to unfold the equipment she had brought with her. Instead, she observed her surroundings and immediately noticed a freshly pasted talisman on the door of a nearby hut. The group exchanged glances.

He walked straight in, his eyes wide open, a strange smile on his face, blood flowing from his seven orifices—a very standard look of someone killed by an evil spirit, the perfect facial expression for a minor character in a ghost movie.

“The blood hasn’t clotted, so the time of death can’t be too long.” Asou Yuu said nothing, picked up his old camera, pulled the handle, rolled the film, and took a picture of each of the corpses. The magic circle engraved on the camera showed no sign of being touched.

"The talismans inside have been burned, but the talismans pasted on the outside of the door are intact, so it seems the guest was originally inside." Isayama Mei untied the bag containing his naginata, a somewhat interested smile appearing on his face.

"Can you hear me? Or rather... are there any living people here?" Shinji Ikari switched the communication channel to the public communication channel and made a wide-area inquiry, but no one responded in the silent radio. "It seems that everything is about as I guessed." Shinji Ikari suddenly reached out and grabbed something. A vengeful spirit was directly choked and struggled painfully on the other end.