Love is not as fun as World of Warcraft

"There's no need to do that."

Ichinose Shizuka shook her head. She certainly knew why Shirasaka asked this. Many years ago, both the Japanese officials and other forces thought the same.

But later, with the passage of time and a deeper investigation into Chang An in the Rose Courtyard, everyone tacitly withdrew the forces monitoring the area.

Not to mention that it is impossible to go deep into the courtyard, just this terrifying dark area and the power contained in it are enough to explain a problem to everyone.

That is, even if the monster inside really came out, Shenbin currently does not have the power to stop it. In that case, what is the point of monitoring it?

Moreover, the courtyard covered by thorny roses is so conspicuous that if any problem really occurs, it can be observed from other places very early.

"How should I put it, it fits my impression of those people."

When Shirasaka saw Ichinose Shizuka's reaction, she immediately came to her senses. One can only say that she is worthy of being a Japanese and never disappoints anyone in this regard.

He sighed silently in his heart, but Baisaka still walked towards the area shrouded in darkness. Now that he was already here, it would not be his style not to explore deeper inside.

"Why don't you just wait here? I'll go in and take a look and then come out. From what you just said, even if you have the help of the barrier talisman, it's still not easy to move around in here, right?"

Shirasaka stopped Ichinose Shizuka who was about to take out the barrier talisman from her bag and stick it on her body. She was mainly worried about the talismans in her hand. She said that these things were not cheap and there was no need to waste them in such a place.

Especially since Shirasaka herself didn't know what kind of dangers there were, it would be a bit reckless to take her in rashly.

If it was just one person going in, Shirasaka thought that as long as he didn't encounter any particularly outrageous situations, it would not be a problem for him to escape.

"……OK."

To Shirasaka's surprise, she originally thought that Ichinose Shizuka would argue with her about this matter. After all, it was a matter concerning her relatives, a serious matter that could make her lose her composure. She should not give up the opportunity to enter so easily.

As a result, she hesitated for just a moment, then nodded very obediently and put the barrier talisman back into her bag.

Ichinose Shizuka just looked at the boy in front of her indifferently. She knew better than anyone that she was just a real burden to him, so although she actually had a thousand thoughts of wanting to go in with Shirasaka, in order not to cause trouble for him, she finally used reason to overcome her emotions.

As for Ichinose's understanding that made people feel distressed, all Shirasaka could do was pat her shoulder lightly and give her a reassuring look.

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. I won't eat alone without telling you."

Raising an eyebrow slightly towards Ichinose Shizuka, Shirasaka quickly left her side and stepped into the everlasting darkness that enveloped a vast forest.

The moment he entered the darkness, Shirasaka felt a deep chill that was completely different from the darkness he had entered before. It was like he had suddenly walked from the hot summer into a freezer where frozen meat was stored. The sudden drop in temperature made his hair stand on end.

But fortunately, Shirasaka quickly adapted to the sudden change in temperature, and apart from that, the obviously more gloomy darkness had no other effect on him.

Reaching out to tighten his clothes, Shirasaka exhaled a breath of foul air. When he didn't see the common white fog in winter, he had confirmed a small doubt.

The temperature here is probably just a sensory change. The actual temperature has not reached the exaggerated level of below zero, otherwise the flowing water around would have frozen long ago.

But even so, the scenery in this eternal darkness cannot be described as beautiful at all. The surrounding trees may have existed in this eternal darkness for too long, so that the green leaves that should have been full of vitality have long turned yellow, and the branches are like twisted limbs that cover the sky, making the already dim darkness even more eerie.

It has to be said that the scenery outside alone is enough to be used as a filming location for a horror movie, but Shirasaka just pinched his chin and looked around, as if he was very satisfied with the environment.

In fact, these are equivalent to nightmare conditions for ordinary people, but for Shirasaka, they are real advantages.

The more eerie and terrifying it is, the less likely anyone will come here. Coupled with the influence of this ever-dark area and the official inaction mentioned by Ichinose, it can be said that this ever-dark area is a lawless area where no one would come here for no reason.

In that case, if he secretly built a base here, probably not many people would know about it. When Shirasaka came in before, he confirmed with Ichinose Shizuka that not only the courtyard where Chang'an was located belonged to her mother's home, but even this park was theoretically her family's property.

In addition, the organization is nominally responsible for monitoring this dark area for demon ninjas. It can be said that as long as Shirasaka does not leave this dark area, no one will find out even if he secretly rubs a nuclear bomb, let alone build a moon well and a troop deployment building.

Shirasaka didn't say he had to build his base in that so-called rose garden, so it didn't matter where he built it. It was enough to get the permanent darkness effect, right?

Chapter 97: Still Gaining

Having said that, Shirasaka's reconnaissance of the Rose Garden is still very necessary.

Although my purpose does not require me to enter it, there is a saying that goes, "How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed?"

If there is a large monster copy next to it, Shirasaka will definitely not be able to feel at ease even if he wants to build a base.

Who knows when the thing inside will suddenly go crazy? What if it doesn't want to accept him as a neighbor? If someone robs his house, won't he be in big trouble?

Therefore, Shirasaka Ken must build a base here, but before that, he must first figure out the situation in the Rose Garden.

A controllable neighbor is a good neighbor. Shirasaka doesn't want his neighbor to be a mine that explodes at any time. That would be boring.

In addition, since there is an agreement with Ichinose Shizuka, it is even more impossible for Shirasaka to just turn around and leave.

But before that, Shirasaka first looked for a relatively hidden and flat open space as a temporary location for building the Moon Well, and then he actually went deeper into the location of the courtyard.

Building a base is still a bit too far away for the time being, but if it is just the entire Moon Well, then there is no problem. Anyway, the cost of this thing is not high, and Baisaka is not worried that others can use his well water, so it is definitely a good idea to build it first.

After figuring out the real reason why he wanted to enter the darkness, Shirasaka finally had the mind to focus back on the courtyard.

The area of more than ten miles is not small, but it is not that big either. Baisaka just walked deeper for a while and saw the outer edge of the courtyard wrapped by huge rose vines.

The courtyard was surrounded by a giant thorny rose that seemed to have been magnified countless times in proportion. Spikes as tall as a person grew on every branch of the rose, preventing anyone from approaching.

Shirasaka just walked a little towards the inside of the courtyard, and saw that the thorny roses seemed to come alive, pointing their spear-like thorns towards him.

As Baisaka continued to move forward, the spikes broke away from the branches like crossbow arrows, and in the blink of an eye, they were stuck where Baisaka had just landed.

If Shirasaka hadn't seen something was wrong and immediately retreated, he would have probably been shot into a hedgehog by these things.

After a little probing, Shirasaka's expression grew slightly serious.

The shooting speed of these spikes is not very fast, at least for him now, it is not difficult to dodge them, but that is only for one spike.

On the branches of the roses in front of him, the number of thorns visible to the naked eye was so great that it was impossible to count them all. Not to mention that Shirasaka could clearly see that the branches that had originally launched thorns had grown another batch of thorns after a brief rest.

Shirasaka could easily guess that if he just rushed in without caring about anything, he would probably be pierced to death by thousands of arrows before he even reached the outermost wall.

So theoretically speaking, using force to break through is something that he cannot do, at least for now.

What's more, the roses on the periphery are already of such strength. Shirasaka doesn't dare to imagine what level the monsters inside are. She estimates that they are at least on the same level as those legendary big monsters, right?

Casting an inquiring glance towards the depths of the courtyard, Shirasaka decisively gave up the idea of going deeper into it.

However, it might be difficult to force his way in, but there are other ways for him.

To be precise, for the skills of the Warcraft that he can draw, there are plenty of loopholes he can exploit if he wants to skip classes.

Let's not talk about the outrageous skill of Blink that can penetrate all obstacles. Just the existence of Void alone is something that Shirasaka can use to great effect. There are many ways to avoid the attacks of these spikes.

But the problem is, even if we get in, how will we deal with the monsters inside?

So in the final analysis, Shirasaka feels that for now, improving his own strength is the only real way to solve this problem once and for all.

Shirasaka glanced reluctantly at the courtyard still covered with thorns and roses. He was actually looking forward to what secrets were hidden in it, but for now, his best choice was to wait until later to explore it.

"Ah, and these thorns, they always give me the feeling that maybe I should burn something to completely burn them off. I must have played too many games in the past."

Shirasaka shook his head, throwing away the strange thought in his mind. Isn't it normal for wood to be afraid of fire? Why did he first think of which girl would be better to use as firewood?

It must be because I played too many games.

Having given up on that somewhat weird idea, Shirasaka really wanted to try whether ordinary flames could work on these thorny roses, but then he changed his mind and thought that there was no reason why those Onmyojis who had come before to try to enter couldn't think of what he could think of. Judging from the growth rate of those thorns just now, the speed of fire might not be as fast as the growth rate of this thing.

With a sigh of regret, Shirasaka temporarily gave up the idea. Of course, ordinary flames couldn't do it, but Shirasaka didn't think his flames would be ineffective.

Perhaps the effect of Flame Storm may not be so effective when facing such quickly recovering branches, but what if it is replaced by Ashes?

The infinite stacking of fire damage is a truly god-level skill when facing a target that is not good at counterattacks. Even if it recovers blood quickly, can it be faster than the infinite stacking of his burning ash?

Of course, imagination is imagination, and Shirasaka still has to draw this skill first. For now, it can only be said to be theory talk, and it doesn't seem to have much practical value.

After looking around again, Shirasaka confirmed that the entire courtyard was covered with thorny roses, leaving no shortcuts for skipping classes. Only then did he turn around and leave the periphery of the courtyard.

The return journey was much simpler than Baisaka had imagined. It seemed that the biggest obstacle in the entire periphery was the darkness that enveloped everything. He didn't even encounter a small monster blocking the way, and the whole journey was peaceful.

It seems that those thorny roses not only prevent people from entering, but in a sense, also prevent things inside from escaping?

Suddenly, he had a bold guess. Shirasaka narrowed his eyes and secretly hid it in his heart.

This is just a guess after all. I guess there are many people who can think of this. Otherwise, no one would think that the current state is good enough and want to maintain the status quo of the Rose Garden.

Soon, Shirasaka, who returned along the same route, saw the figure of the girl who was waiting outside the darkness. While extending his hand to greet her, Shirasaka slowly walked out of the darkness.

"I am back."

After wishing Ichinose Shizuka safety, Shirasaka looked at her with a smile. Although he was unable to enter the courtyard on this trip, it cannot be said that he gained nothing. Just finding a good place to build a temporary home was enough for him to achieve his original goal.

"Did you discover anything?"

Ichinose Shizuka looked Shirasaka up and down, and after confirming that he did not seem to be in any danger, her eyes, which were obviously tense, finally relaxed, and she turned to ask about Shirasaka's gains from this trip.

Looking at his appearance and how fast he came out, Ichinose Shizuka could guess that he probably couldn't enter the courtyard directly, but this didn't prevent her from believing that Shirasaka had the ability to create miracles.

Just as Shirasaka herself thought, Ichinose Shizuka also had a feeling that as long as the young man in front of her was given enough time, it would only be a matter of time before he entered the courtyard.

"It's not a lot, but it's not a complete failure either. The only regret is that I didn't see any monsters in the periphery. I thought that a place with such a level of darkness would definitely breed a bunch of small monsters."

While telling Ichinose Shizuka about his regrets, Shirasaka took out a sharp thorn from the thorny rose from his backpack in front of her.

"But, I've collected quite a few of these things. I'm afraid we'll have better long-range means in the future. So, it can be considered a bit of a gain, right?"

Ever since he discovered that the things placed in the backpack could be packed and stacked, Shirasaka had begun to develop it to the maximum extent. At this moment, those spear-like spikes shot out from the roses on the periphery became long-range props that could replace bricks in Shirasaka's eyes.

He had tested it on the way back. Although this thing looked like it was made of wood, it was actually as hard as steel bars. In addition, the end was extremely sharp, enough to penetrate the steel plate. Using it as a throwing spear would definitely be the most suitable prop.

And another point is that this thing is completely free. Shirasaka just tried it once and got a hundred of the same spikes. If they are all used up in the future, he can get more by walking around again. Why would he need a bicycle for this?

Anyway, if it's stuck in the ground, it must be something that no one wants. If he picks it up, it can be considered as protecting the environment, right?

Chapter 98: It’s broken. How can the elves mine the raw ore?

"So, are you going back?"

Ichinose Shizuka looked back at the courtyard that had appeared in her nightmares countless times, then turned around and confirmed with Shirasaka.

From Shirasaka's answer, it can be seen that he has no way to enter for the time being. In that case, he can only put this matter aside for the time being.

"Well, leave the rest to me. When I can go in, I will definitely take you with me."

Shirasaka nodded. There was no need to continue exploring this area at the moment. It was not a good idea to stay outside since he could not break through those thorny roses. He might as well continue to upgrade and see what new skills he could draw.

As for the attributes, Shirasaka deduced carefully that if he simply wanted to break through those thorns by force, he would need at least ten points of strength and agility. It was a bit unlikely to rely solely on upgrades, but if he could get one or two king's crowns, it would not be impossible to give it a try.

In general, there are many ways to get in, but they all require some accumulation first.

"Okay, then do you need me to accompany you to take a look at the gold mine?"

Ichinose Shizuka nodded and did not dwell on this topic any further. Instead, he asked Shirasaka about another thing that he was concerned about.

She remembered clearly that Shirasaka needed to find a gold mine with exploitable veins.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow. The distance is really too far. I should go back and have a good rest today. But first, you can tell me about the cursed gold mine."

Shirasaka glanced at the setting sun. Considering that the coordinates of the gold mine that Kitami Natsuka gave him were already in the suburbs of Kamihama, it would be a bit too much of a stretch for him to simply rely on a bicycle to get there. It would be better to put it off until tomorrow.

This way you can have more time to prepare, so you won't end up with nothing when you get there.

After all, that was something that even a magical girl like Kitami Natsu who possessed the power of monsters was somewhat helpless against. If it gave her a headache, it probably wouldn't be something that could be easily solved.

"Ah."

Ichinose Shizuka nodded. She had no objection to Shirasaka's choice. After all, he was the one in charge of the operation, and he had the final say on how to arrange it.

"Remember the so-called evil spirit you once told me about? I suspect the thing that appeared in that gold mine is this kind of thing."

There was a brief silence at first, as if he was recalling the information about the gold mine in his mind. Ichinose Shizuka quickly organized his words, and then walked back home with Shirasaka while talking to him about the gold mine.

"To put it more simply, it's haunted."

Ichinose Shizuka sat quietly on the back seat of the bicycle and explained to Shirasaka in a very calm tone.

As long as it doesn't involve things that concern her, she always looks so calm and overly so.

"It's okay if it's haunted, but it's really a haunted gold mine, right? Wouldn't that make it easier to collect?"

Shirasaka curled his lips. Admittedly, he had this guess the moment he heard the curse, but when he really confirmed the news from Ichinose Shizuka, he couldn't help but complain.

Isn't the Haunted Gold Mine a gold mine exclusive to the Undead? Speaking of which, I'm still a gathering person using a Pokémon, so I don't need the Entangled Gold Mine to gather it, right?

Suddenly, he thought of a guess that was somewhat unfavorable to him, and Shirasaka's face turned ugly.

You have to know that the elves can't just run home with gold mines on their backs like farmers or laborers. If the gold mines are not entangled by ancient trees, the elves have no way to collect them. If they want to entangle gold mines, they must have an ancient tree of life of the night elves.

The problem is that Shirasaka doesn't even have enough money to build a Moon Well, so why would he risk his life to build one?

Not to mention, making this thing requires consuming a Pokémon. Shirasaka doesn't dare to let himself light this thing. What if he consumes himself? Who can he cry to?

"Yes, ever since that gold mine experienced a massive landslide, burying dozens of miners working there, that place has started to become strange."

Ichinose Shizuka didn't understand Shirasaka's complaints, so she just nodded and told Shirasaka what had happened in the gold mine.