Tokyo: Starting with the Shrine Maiden

The key feature is his exposed skin, which is dry, hard, and wrinkled, resembling tree bark.

It doesn't look like a human, but rather a monster transformed from some kind of tree.

Haruhiko subconsciously looked at Minami Utsunomiya.

He doesn't know much about monsters.

To be more precise, he can recognize the true form of a monster, but in this situation, it is difficult to tell what it is.

Among monsters, they are often identified by their aura.

Minami Utsunomiya is a youkai, and theoretically, she can tell what a person in front of her is just by their aura.

Noticing Haruhiko's gaze, she took two steps forward.

The attacker was not dead, but had fallen into a coma and was only breathing faintly.

This further proves that he is a monster.

As Minami Utsunomiya was carefully observing, the attacker suddenly opened his eyes.

She immediately spread her wings, preparing to attack.

"and many more."

The attacker stood up and said, "I meant no harm."

As he spoke, the bark on his body peeled off, revealing human skin.

He was a middle-aged man with pale skin, as if he had lived in darkness for a long time.

"no offence?"

Minami Utsunomiya snorted coldly, "You clearly wanted to kill me just now, without holding back at all."

"that's not me."

The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "It's the immortal vine on my body."

"The Everlasting Vine?"

Minami Utsunomiya frowned.

She had never heard of such a monster.

Confused, she turned to look at Haruhiko, Mina Utsunomiya, and the others, all of whom looked bewildered.

"The evergreen vine is a special plant. It is not a monster, but it has instincts."

Noticing their reaction, the middle-aged man explained, "Being possessed by it will make you confused and disoriented, but it's not entirely without its benefits. The benefit is that you can gain immortality and live a very long time."

Haruhiko and the others were all somewhat surprised.

If he wasn't lying, it means the middle-aged man is indeed human and has lived for a very long time.

"I willingly allowed myself to be possessed by it, just to wait for your arrival."

Just then, the middle-aged man uttered something astonishing.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, all feeling a sense of dread.

Could it be a trap?

How did you know we were coming?

Haruhiko recalled the game's settings.

Prophecy does not involve any related spells.

Even among the gods, there is none.

This fourth-tier psionicist clearly could not possibly possess the ability to foresee the future.

"It's not that I knew you were coming, it's that I knew humans were coming."

The middle-aged man corrected him, saying, "I stayed here precisely to convey to you the secrets left behind by the Genji."

His words reminded Haruhiko.

Throughout Japanese history, the Genji clan has produced a wealth of talented individuals and enjoyed a very distinguished period.

But in the game, it is already very dilapidated, with only fragments of legend remaining.

Based on the middle-aged man's words, it can be inferred that something extremely terrifying must have happened back then.

So much so that he would rather be possessed by the Everlasting Vine than give up his life.

"The door outside is protected by a barrier; only humans can pass through it."

The middle-aged man raised his hand, pointed, and said, "The Otherworldly Demons cannot enter."

Is it related to the Otherworldly Demons again?

Haruhiko subconsciously narrowed his eyes.

If they were demons, then the decline or even annihilation of the Genji would be understandable.

"Most Otherworldly beings are just beasts."

The middle-aged man continued, "Only after reaching the fifth level will they possess intelligence comparable to that of humans."

This secret isn't really a secret.

High-level psionicists can learn about this through the Grand Palace or their families.

Haruhiko also learned about this from Tsuchimikado Mashiro.

If it were just this secret, there would be no need for a middle-aged man to go to such lengths.

He didn't ask any questions and continued to wait for what would happen next.

"Each fifth-tier demon possesses its own unique innate abilities."

The middle-aged man paused, then suddenly asked, "Can you still see otherworldly demons in your time?"

"Yes, we will be able to see it."

Haruhiko paused for a moment before replying, "To this day, the Otherworldly Demons can still be randomly teleported into our world through space. But fortunately, most of them have been eliminated, leaving only seven extremely troublesome fifth-tier Otherworldly Demons, which are sealed away by the barrier."

"Seven?"

The middle-aged man said with satisfaction, "It seems that our efforts back then were not in vain."

Haruhiko understood the hidden meaning in his words.

He must have participated in the war between the Yamata no Orochi and the other demons against the gods.

That war naturally affected both humans and monsters.

The lower-level demons were only barely repelled by their combined efforts.

"Do you know the innate supernatural abilities of these seven demonic creatures?"

The middle-aged man's tone turned serious, "Is one of them gifted with the ability to change its form?"

"No."

Haruhiko shook his head and then looked at Mina Utsunomiya.

The intelligence he received all came from the Tsuchimikado clan.

Logically, there shouldn't be any mistakes.

But just in case, he decided to double-check.

"No."

Mina Utsunomiya asked, "Does 'changing form' refer to transforming one's body?"

"It's not just about changing the body."

The middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "It also includes appearance, aura, and bloodline."

"what?"

Mina Utsunomiya's expression changed slightly.

The same applies to Minami Utsunomiya and others.

"It seems you've already realized the problem."

The middle-aged man sighed and said, "Back then, when our Genji clan encountered that otherworldly being, we couldn't distinguish friend from foe and suffered heavy losses. In desperation, everyone hid in the sealed ruins."

"Is this the ruin?"

Haruhiko already had a bad feeling.

"This is it."

The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "But you don't need to worry. It left after all the Genji people died. I was lucky to escape with the help of the Everlasting Vine, but I was powerless to protect myself, so I used a Genji artifact to create a restriction on the door."

"..."

Haruhiko was speechless.

This is what should be most worrying.

A fifth-tier demon escaped, unnoticed by either humans or monsters.