A Stardew Valley farmer came to Gensokyo.

"run--!"

Xia Xun gritted his teeth and pushed his speed to the limit. The wind whistled in his ears, and the low growls and footsteps of the magical beasts followed him closely.

Chapter Forty: The Red Guard

"The Flame of the Phoenix!"

The crimson flames transformed into the shape of a phoenix, tearing through the night and devouring all the lingering demons, burning them to ashes.

"Tch, endless trash."

The white-haired, red-eyed girl dispersed the flames dancing around her, kicked the ashes at her feet in annoyance, turned around and looked at the warmly lit human village in the distance, scratching her hair in frustration.

"Where did these damned things come from? We killed one wave and another came!"

Recently, many out-of-control monsters have mysteriously appeared in the wilderness of Gensokyo. Although they cannot harm the immortal Fujiwara no Mokou from Hourai, they pose a deadly threat to ordinary people.

The thought that the children in the village might be in danger and that Kamishirasawa Keine might be saddened made Mokou restless.

Even though she was reluctant, she would still patrol the area around the Human Village after nightfall, cleaning up these twisted beings as she went.

Just then, a bright white light suddenly shone from the darkness in the distance—it was the Hakurei Shrine Maiden's talisman!

"Who's running around in the wild at a time like this?" Fujiwara no Mokou frowned, her red eyes reflecting confusion and annoyance. "What kind of stupid idiot isn't afraid of death?"

Without further hesitation, she burst into flames and transformed into a streak of light, shooting away.

On the other side, Xia Xun was running at full speed, with five blood-red monsters in hot pursuit behind him.

"I swear—I will never dare to linger outside after dark again—!"

He screamed in despair as he frantically squeezed every last bit of strength out of his legs.

Xia Xun did try to fight back, but he exhausted his magic power and used three low-level talismans to kill three of them. In the blink of an eye, five more emerged from the shadows. Although the talismans were powerful, his magic power simply couldn't sustain a prolonged battle.

Just when he was so exhausted that he couldn't catch his breath.

"Chirp—!"

A clear and high-pitched bird song pierced the night sky.

A phoenix formed from crimson flames descended from the sky, and a scorching storm instantly swept across the road, engulfing all the demons.

As the flames died down, a figure walked steadily out from within.

With snow-white hair and fiery red eyes, the girl in the firelight wore a white dress and red pants, adorned with bows, yet exuded a heroic and awe-inspiring presence.

However, the moment the other person spoke shattered the atmosphere:

"Where did you come from, you idiot?! Are you trying to get yourself killed in the middle of the night?!"

Fujiwara no Mokou glared at her, her tone fierce, "Didn't your parents teach you that you must never leave the Human Village at night?!"

“Uh,” Xia Xun was startled by the shout, but since the other party was her savior after all, she answered honestly, “My parents have passed away.”

Mokou's expression stiffened, and her imposing manner involuntarily softened by three points: "Well... didn't relatives and neighbors remind you?"

"I'm new here, I live alone, and I don't know my neighbors yet," Xia Xun continued to honestly explain.

"..."

Fujiwara no Mokou was completely speechless. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

A thought even crossed her mind: Was her tone too harsh just now? Should she apologize?

“…Never mind.” Finally, she turned her face away, trying to make her voice sound calm. “In any case, you are absolutely not allowed to leave the Human Village at night. It is very dangerous outside.”

"Even if you have a priestess's talisman, an ordinary person will still die when facing a monster."

She turned her head back and glared at Xia Xun again: "You've had such a good time today. Do you understand? Tonight—you're not—allowed to come out!"

"Understood, thank you very much!" Xia Xun nodded quickly.

"Hmm." Fujiwara no Mokou breathed a slight sigh of relief, secretly glad that she hadn't made the situation even more tense.

I almost broke down because I hadn't had a serious conversation with an ordinary person in so long.

She turned and walked towards the Human Realm, leaving behind the words, "Come on, I'll take you back."

Xia Xun jogged to her side and said, "Thank you so much for saving me. My name is Xia Xun, and I'm a farmer who came from the outside world."

"May I ask your name? Where do you live? I will definitely repay this kindness."

"No need." Fujiwara no Mokou said coldly without turning her head.

Xia Xun tried to strike up a conversation, but the other person didn't respond and just walked ahead in silence.

Soon, the glow of the bonfire at the west gate of the Human Village came into view.

At the boundary between light and darkness, Fujiwara no Mokou stopped and glanced at Natsumi.

"Just drop me off here, don't come out again at night."

After saying that, she turned around and quickly disappeared into the night, never looking back.

Xia Xun stood on the edge of light and darkness, gazing in the direction she had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.

Information from her memories gradually emerges: Fujiwara no Mokou, the woman from Hourai who swallowed the elixir of immortality. Having witnessed too many people die before her, she ultimately chose to distance herself from humanity and walk alone through the years.

The theory of lifespan... he sighed softly.

But then, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

But hehe, what does this have to do with him, a Stardew Valley farmer who can live forever as long as he doesn't die?

However, tonight I truly realized once again that to have fun in Gensokyo, you need great strength.

From now on, I will have to spend my evenings diligently practicing magic.

Perfect timing! The beginner's magic book Alice gave him is exactly what he needs for training.

Thinking it over, Xia Xun arrived at the main gate of the West Gate.

A roaring campfire illuminated the surrounding darkness, where a group of soldiers clad in armor and weapons stood guard.

Upon seeing Xia Xun approaching in a disheveled state, the guard first made him stop, then stepped forward to conduct a thorough inspection and questioning. Only after confirming that he was not a monster did he allow him to pass.

"Xia Xun, right? Remember, you absolutely cannot be in the human realm after nightfall again." The guard captain solemnly instructed, "Recently, the number of monsters outside has suddenly increased, and the wilderness has become increasingly dangerous."

"This could very well be another dangerous mutation. If you don't want to die, you'd better behave yourself."

"Yes, yes, yes." Xia Xun obediently accepted the reprimand, after all, the other party was doing it for his own good.

Upon hearing the word "mutation," he looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Um, what is mutation?"

Natsumi's current knowledge of Gensokyo's unique incidents is limited to what she has learned from anime short stories and fan fiction.

In his memory, it was just a bunch of idle, bored people making a ruckus, and then having a banquet and drinking.

But hearing the captain of the guard's serious words, he suddenly realized that reality was definitely different.

"Anomaly, as the name suggests, is an abnormal change," the captain of the guard said, uttering a pointless statement.

"In short, it's all sorts of dangerous anomalies, often caused by extremely dangerous great monsters. We ordinary people have no way to resist them and can only wait for the Hakurei Shrine Maiden to perform exorcisms."

"But there's no need to worry. As long as we follow the rules and stay in the human world, there won't be any problems. We humans also have our own inherent qualities."

As he spoke, the captain of the guard looked up with pride in the direction where Fujiwara no Mokou had just disappeared.

"That guy just now, the old folks in the village say he's the legendary Red Self-Defense Force, a powerful being who can fight monsters with a human body."

"Unfortunately, that was a ninja unit that lived in seclusion in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, hiding in the darkness to guard the human world, and rarely came into contact with us."

Finally, the captain of the guard had a look of longing and regret on his face: "My biggest dream when I was a child was to join the Red Guard."

Chapter 41 Cultivating Water Magic

The night sky was bright with stars and moon.

Xia Xun dragged her tired body back to the hut, took off her clothes which were covered in dust and sweat, drew water from the well, and carefully washed herself from head to toe.

After changing into clean clothes, he went to the kitchen and took out a silver crucian carp from his backpack.

"You are the one."

Xia Xun rolled up his sleeves and deftly removed the gills, scales, and internal organs from the fish.

Flames licked the bottom of the pot from the stove, and the oil temperature gradually rose.

He slid the prepared crucian carp into the pot along the side. With a sizzle, the boiling oil instantly coated the fish. Xia Xun carefully turned it over with a spatula, watching the white fish meat gradually turn into an enticing golden color.

Judging that the water was almost ready, he picked up the kettle, which had been boiling for a while, and slowly poured the clear hot water along the edge of the pot.

"Whoosh—" A burst of heat and steam erupted, and the milky white liquid churned and condensed in the pot at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The aroma of the oil from frying the fish is transformed into a richer, more savory fragrance by the hot water, blending with the natural sweetness of the fish. As the steam rises, the aroma spreads, making one's mouth water.

Xia Xun took a ladle, scooped up a small half-spoon of milky white fish soup, carefully blew on it, and waited for the temperature to drop slightly before eagerly putting it into her mouth.

The delicious, warm soup slid down my throat and into my stomach, and a warm current spread throughout my body, soothing the fatigue of the day's work and the fear of the night.

"This deliciousness truly lives up to its Silver Star quality," Xia Xun exclaimed with satisfaction.

He could clearly feel that not only was his tired body and mind soothed, but even his almost depleted magical power was beginning to recover quietly, and even subtly increase, thanks to the abundant nutrition brought by high-quality food.

With a bowl of freshly cooked white rice, Xia Xun drank every last drop of the delicious crucian carp soup.

He only put down his chopsticks with lingering relish when he felt a blissful fullness in his stomach.

After tidying up the kitchen and wiping the stove, Xia Xun lit an oil lamp, carried it to the steps in front of the courtyard, and sat down.

The spring night breeze still carried a slight chill. He looked up at the night sky, where the starlight and moonlight, along with the tiny lamp in his hand, illuminated the cover of the thick, exquisite book on his lap.

A detailed explanation of the basic principles of magic and elementary spells, gifted by Alice Magtroyd.

Xia Xun solemnly turned the pages of the book. Under the soft light, rows of neat and beautiful handwriting came into view, revealing the writer's unique seriousness and rigor in the strokes.

He could almost see through these words the profile of the blonde girl who lived deep in the magic forest and controlled puppets, meticulously writing this book at her desk.

As Xia Xun flipped through the pages, his gaze swept over the various basic spells listed in the catalog. The sheer variety was dazzling.

However, no matter how the techniques change, the book clearly states at the beginning that the foundation of all magic stems from the understanding and mastery of the characteristics of the basic elements of the world: the sharpness and solidity of metal, the growth and resilience of wood, the flow and change of water, the heat and destruction of fire, and the weight and capacity of earth.

"Mastering the five elemental properties is an indispensable and most important foundation for every mage's path of training," the book emphasizes.

With a thought, Xia Xun brought up the system interface that only he could see.

In the skill bar, the icons representing "Gathering," "Fishing," and "Farming" are labeled with different levels, and below them are three lines of text emitting a faint glow:

Blessings of Plants and Trees Lv.1

Blessing of the Flowing Water Lv.1

Blessing of the Soil Lv.1

The three blessings that have been received correspond precisely to the three elements of wood, water, and earth.

This may not be a coincidence, but rather a profound connection between the system skills and the magic system of this world.

"So, what about the remaining mining and fighting..." Xia Xun pondered.

Will mining or dealing with rocks and minerals bring you the blessing of the element of "gold"?

And what element does improving combat skills, facing conflict head-on, and unleashing power correspond to? "Fire"? Or some more comprehensive trait?

His thoughts drifted back to the near-miss he had experienced earlier that evening.

In retrospect, today can be considered a blessing in disguise.

He originally thought he would be unable to gain combat experience to level up for quite some time.

I used a talisman to kill four monsters today, which raised my combat level to lv1. I'll receive a new blessing tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, I had a great catch today while fishing at Liuzhiyao Yougua Milunpu~bait fishing spot, especially catching several silver star quality fish, which successfully raised my fishing skill experience bar to Lv.2.

Considering that the main skill to improve in the coming period will be fishing.

After skimming through the magic book, Xia Xun turned straight to the chapter on water elemental magic, deciding to start by studying the part that best matched her existing blessing.

The book's pages contain a detailed and beautiful description of "water":

Water possesses five virtues: flow, change, purification, healing, and concealment.

Flowing water is a ceaseless, ever-flowing current, which is the foundation of power and circulation.