Why is my anime art style so weird?

What dangers await him in the final event 'Blood Moon Cycle,' a two-star difficulty event that can only be unlocked after completing all the branches?

Xu Ming had no idea.

He can only make full preparations to meet the more difficult challenges ahead.

Now that it was already daylight, Xu Ming felt safe and bold as he roamed through the forests of the Far Moon Tea House.

He first went to the Polar Star Dormitory for breakfast, and then took the subway back home.

After offering incense to his sister, Xu Ming lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

Xu Ming slept until nearly evening, then washed up, went downstairs to buy a discounted bento box, and went straight home.

While eating his tasteless bento box, Xu Ming opened the system panel.

A whole bunch of information popped up immediately.

—Congratulations, host, for completing the side event 'Chinese Culinary Research Association—The Screaming Sounds from the Coffin (Half Star)'. Quest settlement in progress…

—Settlement complete, event completion rate: 80%!

—Gained 15 Strange Points (150%)!

—Rewards for the chain of quests will be accumulated and distributed upon completion of the final quest!

—Obtain the key item 'Blood Moon Roulette Fragment (Fire)'

Xu Ming currently has a total of 20 Weird Points.

He needs to think carefully about how to use this strange point.

This exploration of Chinese cuisine brought him a lot of experience, but also made him aware of his shortcomings.

He lacks effective means of harming, or even killing, the 'weird'.

Although the 'slow down' feature of the spirit-capturing phone saved him several times, Xu Ming still hoped that he could master the ability to inflict damage, instead of being powerless to fight back against various 'weirds' and only able to run away!

In addition, when facing multiple enemies, it is safer and more relaxed to eliminate some of them first.

Currently, the most cost-effective option is to upgrade the lens of the Celestial phone.

The only damaging ability of the lens is 'Exorcism', which costs 20 points to upgrade, twice as many as 'Suppression' and 'Purification'. However, Xu Ming hesitated for a moment, but still chose to upgrade.

Chapter Thirty-One: Visits and Illusions at Meiji Shrine

A purple ball of light appeared out of thin air and sucked Xu Ming's phone into it.

A minute later, the phone fell out of the purple light, and Xu Ming quickly caught it.

After examining it carefully, Xu Ming finally noticed something extra near the camera lens on the back of the phone.

Originally, the lens had many golden, Sanskrit-like markings engraved on its edge. Now, many more markings emitting a purple light have appeared, densely packed, giving it a mysterious look.

Xu Ming couldn't help but give a wry smile.

This phone is getting more and more bizarre. If someone saw it, they might think I'm a severe case of chuunibyou (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur).

After upgrading the camera, Xu Ming's remaining strange points were completely eliminated.

After finishing the rest of his bento, Xu Ming began to seriously consider the next side mission.

There are no more half-star difficulty side quests, but there are two one-star difficulty side quests: 'Office Building No. 4' and 'Animal Expo Park'.

As always, the system did not provide any prompts, and Xu Ming could not determine which task was more difficult. However, since the difficulty was the same, they should be similar, so Xu Ming chose 'Office Building No. 4' as his next target.

After identifying his target, Xu Ming began searching for relevant information online.

Office Building No. 4 is located in the southwest corner of the Totsuki Tea House, near the Academy Plaza, and is also home to many teaching buildings and practical training buildings.

This area comprises more than a dozen buildings of varying sizes, making it the most modern part of the entire Totsuki Tea House.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Xu Ming instinctively chose this place.

According to news reports, Eizan Etsu, the former ninth seat of the Ten Outstanding Young Heroes, also suddenly disappeared. Shortly afterward, for unknown reasons, his subordinates engaged in a large-scale armed brawl in the fourth office building, resulting in more than a dozen deaths and injuries.

Xu Ming was not surprised by this.

On the one hand, Eizan Etsu is also a money-driven pragmatist. He recruits subordinates based solely on ability, not character, which results in most of his subordinates being unscrupulous and ruthless delinquents.

On the other hand, the vast majority of bad elements are people who don't like to be restrained. They don't respect each other and usually rely on Eizan Etsuya's prestige and money to keep them in check.

Why do delinquent teenagers engage in large-scale armed battles?

It's nothing more than a struggle for power and profit.

Eizan Etsuya was not only one of the Ten Heroes, but also known as an alchemist. He was famous for his ability to make money, and the rights and assets he left behind were absolutely tempting.

Now that Eizan Etsu is gone, there's no one to control these delinquents. Coupled with the tense and panicked atmosphere inside the Totsuki Tea House, these delinquents could no longer hold back and collectively erupted.

Having learned the location of 'Office Building No. 4', I downloaded a map of the building's interior and also got a general understanding of what was happening inside.

After completing these preliminary preparations, Xu Ming went to bed early to rest and recharge.

The following day, Xu Ming offered incense to his sister, briefly reported his whereabouts for the evening, and then left home.

This time, however, Xu Ming did not take the subway, but instead took the JR Yamanote Line.

About twenty minutes later, the train arrived at Harajuku Station, and Xu Ming followed the flow of people off the train.

To the right of the station is a dense forest located in the heart of Tokyo.

This is the site of Meiji Shrine, one of the five major shrines in Tokyo.

Although located in the bustling commercial district of Shibuya, this place is like a rare oasis in the heart of the city.

After walking south for about 100 meters with a large number of tourists, Xu Ming turned into a long path leading into the woods.

The towering trees lining the approach blocked out the sun, and the clear chirping of birds danced among the leaves.

Surrounded by such peaceful nature, Xu Ming felt the tension, fear, and excitement he had been experiencing for days gradually subside.

Xu Ming originally came with a purpose: to meet Fujinami Masaharu, the priestess introduced to him by Granny Fumio, and to take the opportunity to get to know people in the industry.

Unexpectedly, before even seeing the people, my restless soul was first cleansed by nature.

Xu Ming gradually slowed his pace, browsing the exhibits like a true tourist.

As Xu Ming walked along the approach, he saw sake and wine racks on both sides of the road, which were offered to the gods, and he also saw the large torii gate at the intersection of the north and south approaches.

Following the flow of tourists, Xu Ming took the opportunity to visit the shrine area, including the third torii gate, the main hall, the Kagura-den, and other attractions.

'Let's bring your sister here again next time?'

Xu Ming browsed through the pages with great interest, thinking to himself.

However, Xu Ming did not forget his true purpose for coming here.

After visiting the main attractions, Xu Ming left the crowds of tourists, turned onto a side road, and then walked further and further away from the main road.

Soon the tourists on the road gradually disappeared, and instead, there were more shrine maidens dressed in white robes and scarlet hakama and priests dressed in hunting robes and wearing tall hats.

Xu Ming was soon stopped by a shrine maiden with a Hime-style haircut.

"Excuse me, guest, tourists are not allowed to enter this area."

The shrine maiden wore a gentle smile, but spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal.

Xu Ming was prepared and said calmly:

"I've come to see Masaharu Fujinami, the priest."

Before she could refuse, Xu Ming took out the old amulet that Granny Wenxu had given him from his pocket and said to her:

"Please give this to him; he will see me."

When Xu Ming not only revealed the priest's full name but also produced a token, a hint of surprise flashed in the priestess's eyes.

She accepted the amulet with both hands, then bowed slightly and said:

"Please wait a moment, guest."

"Thank you for your help."

The priestess left in a hurry.

Xu Ming could only stand by the roadside, idly looking around at the scenery.

It must be said that without the disturbance of tourists, the scenery in this area appears even more tranquil and elegant.

A dozen minutes later, the priestess arrived late.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please come with me."

As she spoke, the shrine maiden made a 'please' gesture.

Xu Ming followed the witch's footsteps and turned onto a side road.

There were no tourists to be seen along the way, only priestesses and priests passing by the two.

The passing clergy members were all surprised to see Xu Ming dressed in a way that seemed out of place.

However, these clergy members had clearly received rigorous etiquette training, and although they were very curious about Xu Ming, they did not gossip about him behind his back.

Xu Ming followed the witch through many twists and turns for about half an hour before finally arriving at a secluded temple.

Xu Ming looked at the building in front of him with curiosity.

The temple was not large, and it was far smaller than the main temple of the shrine that Xu Ming had just seen.

However, this temple hidden in the forest has a unique, timeless and tranquil atmosphere.

Just then, the paper sliding door opened, and a figure that looked somewhat familiar to Xu Ming appeared in front of him.

Chapter Thirty-Two: An Ordinary Apprentice Priestess

"You...have we met somewhere before?"

Looking at the figure emerging from the paper sliding door, Xu Ming frowned, his expression hesitant.

"This is extremely rude, Xu Ming. We've been classmates for almost a year, and you don't even remember what I look like?"

The man said calmly.

The girl who came out of the temple was also dressed as a shrine maiden in white robes and red hakama.

Her short, dark brown hair was tied into a neat single ponytail that hung down her back. The girl's eyes were calm and serene, yet bright enough to pierce through to the heart. Her features were delicate, her appearance lovely, and she was very pleasing to the eye.

Most importantly, the aura she naturally exuded blended perfectly with the temple and forest behind her, creating a serene and timeless atmosphere.