"??????????"
"The streamer is genuinely getting into it."
"Hahaha... when that [Noob] appeared, I laughed so hard my stomach hurt."
"Laughed all the way to the bank, family!"
"???? What the heck!"
...
The barrage of question marks lit up. Chun Hei's face turned red after respawning, never expecting to be the first to fall on this stage.
"Who was it that suggested jumping off the cliff to commit suicide? Stick your head out, I'll give you a buff!"
Chun Hei's face contorted into a bitter melon, nearly losing his composure.
After the jest, his expression returned to normal, and he said seriously, "The last quarter of the health bar has nothing to do with me or the monk, which means it's still related to the monkeys. Either one of the monkeys has a clone, or..."
His gaze fell upon the last blank painting, a wicked smile playing on his lips, "Or there's another monkey..."
No portrait, no name, no description... doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Chun Hei, just like the monk, had been trapped in a thought pattern. He'd assumed there were only three monkeys on the field, and defeating them would lead to victory.
Little did he know, there was another invisible monkey whose ID was even concealed.
To confirm his suspicion, Chun Hei reset the game and instead of immediately attacking the monkeys, he sat in place, closed his eyes, and quietly listened to the surrounding footsteps.
He was very familiar with the footsteps and distances of the other clothed monkeys; a careful listen would differentiate them.
*Thump—*
*Thump-thump-thump—*
*Thump-thump—*
*Thump~~~*
*Swish!*
Chun Hei's eyes snapped open. "As expected, there are four sets of footsteps! And—"
*Gurgle!*
The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed. Chun Hei, sword in both hands, thrust backward almost parallel to his waist. From the angle, it looked as if Chun Hei had killed himself.
Top-left of the screen: [See Monkey, Hear Monkey, Speak Monkey] ——— (HP: 4/3)
"You little invisible thing, you sure made me work to find you."
Once the invisible monkey was discovered and eliminated, the remaining three clothed monkeys were no longer a problem.
[SLAY]
Text appeared, and Chun Hei's vision plunged into darkness.
In a daze, he found himself before the four screen paintings again.
Notably, the monkeys in the paintings, previously in various postures, were now all facing away from him, heads bowed, looking dejected.
"Please forgive them."
The voice, as if from the deepest abyss, was ethereal and melodious, just like the voice of the painted figure he'd encountered when he first arrived at Senpou Temple.
"Those children were only trying to protect me."
"But it seems that won't work."
"Please close your eyes."
"Meet me at the Inner Sanctum."
Upon hearing this, Chun Hei clasped his hands together, closed his eyes devoutly, and followed the instructions of the painted voice.
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!*
The sound of rushing water reached Chun Hei's ears. He slowly opened his eyes, and his vision met a dilapidated temple, beside which a waterfall cascaded down three thousand feet.
High mountains, flowing water, maple forests – the scenery was beautiful.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this place a mortal paradise.
Habitually lighting the ghost fire before the nearby Buddha statue, Chun Hei proceeded directly into the depths of the dilapidated temple.
Not far away,
Inside a brightly lit small temple, a young black-haired woman sat on a meditation cushion, deep in thought.
"Why have you come?"
Sensing the arrival of a guest, the young black-haired maiden tilted her head slightly.
"I have come to seek the Mortal Blade."
Chun Hei went straight to the point. The maiden was beautiful, but his mind was solely on the mission.
Of course, the primary thought was "three years to start, can't think too much."
"Have you heard of the sword that cannot be drawn?"
"Yes."
"The meaning of 'cannot be drawn' is that no one who has drawn that sword has survived. Even so, do you still wish to try?"
The long-haired maiden provided a more direct explanation for the long-standing rumor. It was novel and chilling.
Of course, relatively speaking.
Wolf, an undying being, was certainly not afraid of such rumors. Chun Hei nodded heavily, "I am willing to try."
Hearing this, the young maiden softly said, "Is that so... I understand."
Then, she lifted a well-sealed wooden box. Judging by its size, it was undoubtedly a sword sheath.
"If you are prepared—"
"Then please take it."
The retrieval of the sword was surprisingly smooth, making Chun Hei almost disbelieving. He stared at the dark crimson demon sword within the sheath and resolutely picked it up.
Cold, heavy, as if gripping a block of ice. The chilling aura emanating from the Mortal Blade surged straight to Chun Hei's forehead through his arm.
"Everyone dies, but I am undying. What is there to fear?"
*Click!*
Chun Hei's thumb gently flicked, and the dark crimson demon blade slid out of its sheath by a third. Scarlet curse energy began to spread.
*Thump!*
Before his consciousness faded, Chun Hei only heard the sound of his body hitting the ground heavily.
"Sigh~"
The black-haired, straight-haired maiden sighed softly as she looked at the corpse, "Why is everyone so intent on seeking death..."
With that, she clasped her hands together, preparing to deliver a prayer for Wolf.
"You wouldn't understand this. Brother never takes bets he can't win."
From a bird's-eye view, Chun Hei was remarkably calm. "I am the protagonist who possesses the Power of the Divine Heir, triggering the 'Return of the Shadow'! Let's go!"
*Swish!*
Accompanied by falling pink petals, the 'corpse' lying on the ground moved.
"Ah?~"
The maiden's eyes widened in disbelief, her hand covering her mouth to muffle her gasp.
"You, what exactly are you...!"
Just then, the melodious background music began to play, and the entire live stream ignited.
"Sekiro: I am the protagonist!"
"This can still get exciting?"
"So cool!"
"I'm dead, I was faking it!"
"Revival coin -1"
"What a chuunibyo streamer!"
...
"That right eye... are you cursed by the Divine Heir?"
The maiden's gaze towards Wolf now held a hint of fear, clearly having some understanding of the Divine Heir's power.
*Clang!*
The resurrected Wolf drew the Mortal Blade, which exuded scarlet death energy. "Mortal Blade— I have indeed... accepted it."
"To be honest, it's kind of cool."
From the bird's-eye view, Chun Hei looked indignant. "But cool or not, Wolf, why are you pointing your own weapon at the pretty lady's face? You're scaring her."
*Whoosh!*
As he spoke, Chun Hei felt his consciousness twist, and he returned once more.
[Mortal Blade
A great katana that can slay even the undying.
Its crimson blade will claim the life of its wielder.
Without the power of resurrection, one cannot wield the Mortal Blade.
If you hold the Mortal Blade, you can deliver a killing blow to insect-possessed entities.
This sword has long been hidden in secret within Senpou Temple. The inscription carved into its blade is 'Tears of Worship', which is the sword's true name.]
"Power of resurrection..."
Chun Hei observed the blade glowing with a crimson hue with great interest. "Isn't this tailor-made for me?"
The only undying being to forge a pact with someone possessing the Divine Heir bloodline. There's no one more fitting.
"Are you a retainer of the Divine Heir Prince?"
In the flickering candlelight, the maiden's expression returned to normal.
"Yes."
"Why do you seek the Mortal Blade?"
"To obtain Dragon's Tears from the Divine Realm... to sever immortality."
"I see. I read in a book about a method to sever the Divine Heir... meaning, does the Prince despise the Divine Heir?"
The young maiden seemed excited, as if she had been waiting for this day for a long time.
"That's right."
"Fate works in mysterious ways," the maiden explained. "I am... one of the Rejuvenated Princes, a prince bearing a false Divine Heir, crafted by those who seek immortality."
????????!!!!