Chapter 59: Renge Trading Company

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Any player of “The Moonlit Veil” would surely have vivid memories of the final boss in the first chapter. This great shamaness, transformed into a vampire, possessed an extraordinarily high health pool, along with exceptional attributes and relentless skills: she came with an innate damage reduction buff; her basic attacks carried a 5% instant death effect; each time she eliminated an enemy unit, she would frantically summon minions; when near death, she unleashed an unavoidable, screen-wide ultimate that drained a third of all health; and, on top of that, she had a special skill designed specifically to strike down the backline healers.

In the early stages of the game, the only healer available for cultivation was the venerable Granny Zhu Hua from the Healing Institute. However, her stats were extremely low, and her healing skill could only restore one ally at a time. Moreover, once Granny Zhu Hua was killed by the boss upon entering the battle, the round became unwinnable—due to the lack of any healing characters—and players were forced to restart the challenge after death.

Since the battles took place in the boss’s chamber with no option to reload, each death meant retracing a long path repeatedly. This cycle of relentless retrying was a harsh slap to the hopeful Yu family, who were desperate to complete the攻略.

“Do you enjoy seeing the shamaness’s health bar glow red, only to be forced to take a near-certain hit of 99% accuracy right off the bat, losing health forcibly?”

“Hmm... love it to bits.jpg”

“Just the thought makes me glow red.”

“The shamaness has no sense of fair play—she starts with a five-hit black flash basic attack combo! I was careless and didn’t dodge…”

“What black flash? Does she really think she’s some super athlete who’s been training for two hundred chapters?”

Thus, the gaming community’s resentment toward the first chapter’s final boss was understandable.

“No, wait!”

Upon further reflection, he felt this assumption couldn’t hold.

“By this point, Hiyoko Hiiragi probably hasn’t yet turned into a vampire. The reasons behind her transformation are somewhat complicated...”

Hyaku’s gaze fixed deeply on the ghostly figure before him, a flicker of thought stirring within.

“In that case, this must be her apparition in the dream... After all, if I can appear in dreams, so can this great shamaness.”

Yet, this dreamlike figure of hers seemed frozen in place, motionless.

“Let me try—”

Resolute, he took a deep breath and stepped toward the figure at the center of the flower field.

Boom!

A crushing forcefield surged toward him like a tidal wave.

“Cough...!”

It pressed down on Hyaku as though an elephant were trampling him.

In an instant, he felt his skin tearing, limbs about to be crushed.

‘What’s going on? Is there some power protecting this woman?’

He gritted his teeth, joints creaking, his body instinctively resisting the advance.

“...What’s that?”

Suddenly, a fierce wind whipped up, lifting the red flowers from the field into the sky above.

Hyaku sensed danger, nerves taut, and looked up to see the red petals swirling, scattering like celestial blossoms.

Yet, these red flowers burst midair with a *puff*, transforming into bright crimson blood.

The blood rained down.

Countless dark red lights fell like a torrential downpour from the moonlit night sky.

A drop of blood fell from midair, grazing his elbow with a sizzling sound as it corroded the fabric of his clothes.

“Pain!”

Hyaku realized the severity of the threat.

This was a wide-range attack that couldn’t be blocked even by the curse-returning barrier.

Splash! Splash!

A torrent of corrosive poisonous blood poured down, eating through the earth it touched, burning through shrubs.

Though falling like rain, the poisonous blood altered its trajectory midair, some spiraling, others plummeting straight down.

When the blood rain touched his shoulder, the corrosive pain seared his skin.

“Damn it!”

Hyaku gritted his teeth through the agony, raising his spear high.

The poisonous blood poured like crimson rain.

One droplet, struck by the spear’s tip, was precisely pierced through.

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Had this happened before, he would have resigned himself to fate.

But now, Hyaku wielded the spear techniques he had learned from the Spear Saint.

Amid the blood rain, he carefully aimed at the droplets falling upon him, using the spear’s tip to deflect them.

He infused his spiritual energy into the spear’s tip, manipulating the blood droplets’ trajectories, warping their paths.

This was a spear technique beyond ordinary understanding, a secret art pioneered by the Spear Saint.

“That’s right—I don’t have to deflect every drop of blood rain, only those that fall on me!”

In that moment, Hyaku held his spear firmly, erecting a defensive line.

The faint spiritual energy at the spear’s tip twisted the blood rain’s descent, sweeping them all aside.

This was no ordinary spear technique.

Yet, this wasn’t purely the effect of his “Mirror Reflection Power”; part of this ability came from Hyaku’s own relentless effort.

Since his days as a low-ranking ninja, he had trained painstakingly every day.

Even without a clear direction, even when his spear thrusts struck nothing but empty air, he persevered daily.

—He once practiced thrusting under the moonlight, facing the reflected moon on the water.

—He had tracked falling raindrops in pouring storms to hone his swings.

To the world’s strongest and gifted, such efforts might seem like mere grains of sand, insignificant.

But Hyaku accumulated those grains in his own way.

With the awakening of his Mirror Reflection Power, the fruits of his past labor finally manifested.

“Is it... really possible to block it?”

Even he doubted the effectiveness of this move.

Hyaku took a deep breath, clutching his spear tightly.

The blood rain ceased.

“Forward!”

He took a step ahead.

The next moment, his feet grounded firmly, he gathered all his strength and charged forward.

As he surged ahead, he thought: if the great shamaness Hiyoko Hiiragi were truly asleep, then this figure in the flower field must represent her self.

‘Then, if I stab her with the spear, maybe I can end this!’

Hyaku raised his spear and thrust it with all his might toward Hiiragi.

Whoosh!

Something brushed past his body—a streak of blood-colored wind.

Lowering his head, he noticed his lower body had been severed.

—What kind of attack was that?

“Too... fast!”

Hyaku spat blood, his upper and lower halves separated as he collapsed.

In the moment before losing consciousness, he saw—

The girl’s ghostly figure kneeling motionless in the flower field slowly opened her eyes—blood-red and ravenous.

‘Could it be... she had already begun her transformation into a vampire this early?’

His consciousness sank deeper into the dream world.

Finally, it ended in profound darkness.

***

In the dream, death as a concept didn’t exist.

Only severe injury or being killed led to chaos and broken awareness.

Hyaku had experienced this many times.

But this pain—this really hurt.

No, wait—why does my face hurt so much?

“Servant, you’ve kept me waiting so long? How bold of you...”

Hyaku awoke, feeling the sharp pain of a foot clad in tabi pressing against his face.

“Mi... Miss?”

He was shocked, cold sweat beading on his brow.

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“Why... why are you here?”

In an instant, he was fully alert.

Besides, isn’t this inn meant for low-ranking ninjas like himself? Why would someone so important come here?

Hyaku couldn’t understand why the Second Miss would humble herself to appear here.

“You seem to have grown arrogant since becoming a Chunin recently.”

Katsura smiled, but her words were merciless.

“I told you before to be prepared... ‘On the second day in Kasumi City, there’s an important task for you.’ Yet you’ve kept me waiting so long?”

The girl lifted her foot, curving her lips into a cat-like smile.

“It’s already the afternoon of the second day... Tell me, how should I punish you?”

“I’m truly sorry.”

Hyaku was greatly shocked.

He had never overslept before.

Usually, he woke naturally at the set time.

‘Could it be because I was injured in the dream of the Sakura tree Maho? But my comrades didn’t wake me up...’

No, on second thought, he had gone to bed late yesterday.

The lower-ranked ninjas probably felt awkward waking him.

Sweat beaded again on Hyaku’s forehead.

Given the Second Miss’s personality, she wouldn’t let such a mistake slide.

He didn’t know what new trouble he was about to face.

Katsura watched Hyaku’s troubled expression with affection.

But her love ran far deeper than most—her way of showing affection twisted from “I like you so much” to “I just want to tease you.”

—Like how elementary boys tease girls they like, just to catch their attention.

As a low-ranking exorcist, Hyaku could hardly reciprocate her intense feelings—and the Second Miss was fully aware of this.

Still, knowing logically did not mean she could accept it emotionally.

In fact, trapped in this cycle of “impatience” and “desperation to control,” she could only soothe herself by teasing Hyaku a little.

“Just a little teasing, not too much, and I have to give you some sweetness afterward,” Katsura knew well.

Their difference in status, plus the black hand of the Kurohimeyama clan lurking behind, meant she had to be cautious.

Otherwise, if she let her dark feelings erupt like lava, Hyaku might literally be “devoured alive” by her love.

“All right, get ready.”

Katsura gently nudged him with her foot.

“We’re heading to the Renjo Trading Company today... If you do well, you’ll get some benefits.”

“Please don’t say that.”

Hyaku immediately offered flattering words: “It’s my utmost honor to assist Miss Katsura in any way.”

“Then don’t waste time. Wash up, change, and come quickly.”

She said this firmly.

Hyaku dared not speak further. He quickly washed and changed, then followed Katsura with a nervous heart.

“Shall we go?”

Just as they stepped out of the inn, a familiar voice greeted them.

“Lord Hyaku... Are you free today?”

The melodious voice came from outside the inn—a girl dressed in a crimson silk kimono, her face glowing with excitement.

Upon seeing Hyaku, she hurried forward.

“If you have time, could you accompany me—”

Tsukikagura Yomei’s words were cut short by Katsura’s fierce glare.

Terrified, the girl whimpered, trembling as she stepped aside to clear the way.

“Sorry, I have other matters today.”

Hyaku apologized verbally, but inwardly he felt sorry for her, sensing the Second Miss was in a foul mood.

‘No way—being the protagonist doesn’t guarantee an easy time when the Second Miss is angry...’

Hyaku muttered quietly.

—Forget it... I just don’t want to get on her bad side today.