I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

Until Lu Ban appeared.

"I am inherently filthy. Perhaps it is only because of that witch's obsession that I pretend to be a good person who wants to save this island, so that I can feel at ease."

Hongye said with a bitter expression.

"Now, it's just about returning to our true nature within this pure fire."

Lu Ban saw Hongye come to his side, place her hands on his chest, and a kind of gentle, warm, and comforting power flowed into his body, repairing his damaged and bleeding internal organs and healing his burned and cracked skin.

His consciousness cleared.

It is clear that the island will eventually sink under the burning of the Pure Fire, and Red Leaf will probably not be able to escape its fate either.

This was the ending predetermined from the very beginning of the mission, or, when Momiji became the Wicked Shrine Maiden.

She once said that she wanted to become a god, not for power or strength, but simply to protect the world, just like the god of the past saved her.

The Uncertain Mist distorted this wish, causing Momiji to be sent into the abyss by the very people she was protecting, and harming countless others she wanted to protect.

Such distortion is more terrifying than physical or mental harm.

"Have you ever considered that there might be some way to restore you to normal and continue living, such as seeking help from the Divine Child? Since you were able to turn Wan Ye into a normal person, wouldn't the even more powerful Divine Child be able to do something similar?"

Lu Ban asked one last question, as he himself was unsure of the extent to which the power of this world had reached.

Hongye shook her head.

“I am completely corrupted. As long as I have a breath left, I will pollute the surrounding area. If it were the Divine Child, he would definitely kill me without hesitation.”

Lu Ban remained silent for a moment.

Now, there's only one thing he can do.

At least in the end, let Momiji die as a human being.

She did not die as a filthy creature that plagues the world, but as a witch who eliminates evil.

He stood up and looked at Hongye, who was kneeling on the ground.

"I have another wish. I hope you will have the opportunity to bury my ashes under the cherry blossom tree at the Kazushima Shrine. All the shrine maidens who were once candidates for the position of priestess have their ashes scattered there after they pass away."

Hongye spoke calmly, not as if she were making her final arrangements, but more like she was chatting casually and planning her next travel destination.

"I'll do my best."

Lu Ban didn't know if he would ever have the chance to come to He Island again, or even visit the real He Island Grand Shrine, but at least for now, he had to agree to this promise.

"Oh, right."

Hongye suddenly remembered something and chuckled softly.

"Could I listen to that song you mentioned last time that brings good luck again?"

Lu Ban was taken aback.

He thought for a moment, then materialized a silver "last words" in his hand.

Immediately, the words of "Good Luck" were launched and hit the red leaves.

"So that's the melody..."

Hongye sighed and closed her eyes.

Lu Ban raised the crowbar and killed Hongye in the most precise and certain way, in a way that would hardly cause her any pain.

The purifying fire enveloped her corpse, and a crimson crystal twisted and tangled, forming the system's cold text.

[Surviving until the end of the Poetry Festival: 1/1]

[Task completed]

Will he return?

【whether】

As soon as Lu Ban clicked "Yes," all the flames around him suddenly rose up and enveloped him.

[Mission complete, now returning to base]

【3......2......1......】

Within the flames, Lu Ban seemed to see a black-haired shrine maiden dressed in white robes and crimson hakama.

She smiled radiantly amidst the undying pure fire, softly reciting ancient songs from her lips.

"The affairs of the ancient world are long gone, unheard of; maple leaves dye the Dragon Field River, and the deep, murmuring stream flows on..."

Chapter 112 [The Real World]

When Lu Ban's feet touched solid ground again, he first felt a cool sensation.

He opened his eyes and glanced at it.

"I forgot to turn off the air conditioner..."

Lu Ban thought for a moment and turned up the air conditioner temperature a few degrees.

"Luckily I got back early, otherwise the electricity bill would have been much higher."

He glanced at himself; his clothes were tattered and his backpack was almost broken. Luckily, Lu Ban had eaten all the compressed rations last night and this morning, otherwise they would have been wasted.

However, the suona remained bright and undamaged by the fire. Lu Ban even thought that even if he threw it into the fire, it might not catch fire.

Sitting on the bed in a daze for a while, Lu Ban briefly reviewed the previous tasks in his mind, finally settling on a piece of crimson crystal in his hand.

These are the last things Hongye left behind.

[Unlock Side Quest: Homecoming]

[Like fallen leaves returning to their roots, a soul yearning for the sky eventually turns to dust. She longs to return to her homeland, fulfill her last wish, and receive a reward.]

"So it really is beyond saving..."

Lu Ban sighed.

Although he and Hongye only spent one day together, they had a life-or-death bond, and she had even helped him. Thinking of Hongye's background and fate, Lu Ban was overcome with sorrow.

There is no essential difference between myself, a chosen one of this quiet place, and the priestess of the island.

All must fight against these indescribable things, and all have the potential to be polluted, eroded, and alienated.

Who knows, Lu Ban might turn into a monster someday.

"Don't worry, if I have the chance, I will definitely take you back to the Kazushima Grand Shrine."

Lu Ban placed Hongye's ashes crystal on the table, took off his tattered clothes, and prepared to go to the bathroom to take a shower and change clothes, and also to have his body checked.

It was eight o'clock in the morning, about thirteen hours after Lu Ban entered the mission. The bathroom was fairly bright, and he looked in the mirror.

In the mirror, Lu Ban's body showed only faint traces of burns from the flames and the uncertain mist. If someone who didn't know the situation saw it, they would only think that Lu Ban had gotten sunburned at the beach.

"Ok?"

Lu Ban noticed that there seemed to be some wounds on his neck, where the gills should have been split open.

He leaned closer to the mirror and observed carefully.

You could see that blood was seeping from those wounds.

The blood gradually flowed down, dripping from Lu Ban's neck into the sink.

He looked down and saw that the empty sink had no bloodstains.

"..."

Lu Ban reached out and touched his neck, but it was very smooth and there were no wounds at all.

"Don't be naughty."

He said something to Lu Ban's reflection in the mirror and turned on the shower.

While taking a shower, Lu Ban saw that the water on the floor formed the cold text of the system.

Congratulations on completing the task!

Settlement will now commence.

[Mission Exploration Progress: 100%]

[Task Completion Status: Perfect]

The festival on Sakae Island has ended, and the mist that gathered at sea has dissipated. You witnessed a grand dream, and encountered others bound by fate like yourself. The festival will one day return, but those who accompanied you will never come again. The affairs of the ancient gods are long gone, forgotten.

[Gained Silence Points: 13500]

[Reward Obtained: Skill: True Sight]

[Reward for obtaining the profession: Item: Hyakunin Isshu]

Settlement complete

It's time to step onto a new stage. In this entertainment-driven era, even ordinary people can showcase themselves. Keep creating; your future is bright and dazzling!

[Choose to complete career development tasks and receive career rewards]

Welcome back to the Silent Land!

"One hundred percent completion..."

This was the first time Lu Ban had reached 100% mission exploration. Compared to his previous 95% completion rate, this extra 5% increased the points Lu Ban earned by 600.

"So, if we calculate it that a 5% exploration rate is enough to pass?"

He glanced at the Silent Shop.

My current total Silent Points are 49800, which is 200 points short of 50,000 to unlock the next stage of the shop.

"It's a bit uncomfortable, I'm stuck here."

Of course, if Lu Ban can successfully complete the subsequent career development tasks, he will definitely be able to unlock it before the next task. With the 30,000 Silent Points he currently has, it will be enough to spend some money.

However, based on previous patterns, Lu Ban guessed that the items sold in higher-level stores should cost no less than 50,000, which he couldn't afford at the moment. He could only admire them from afar and gain some knowledge about other realms from the item information.

[Hyakunin Isshu] is definitely video material, probably directly stored on Lu Ban's hard drive. He just hopes the hard drive won't fill up and explode. It seems that buying a new high-capacity hard drive is imperative.

As for the skill [True Vision], judging from the name alone, Lu Ban thinks it sounds like a skill that can see invisible objects.