Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

The sound of breaking wind was heard.

The next moment, several assassins were killed with a single blow.

The one who made the move was not Theresa, but a beautiful figure in cherry blossom pink.

Are you two alright?

Volume 1: Chapter 77 The Spanish Duck Imprisoned in the Dungeon

A more agile assassin charged in from the side.

The tall, slender figure drew her sword to defend, easily parrying the assassin's attacks.

Taking advantage of the counterattack, the katana drew a beautiful crescent moon, instantly cleaving the unfortunate assassin in two.

That's not all; the real danger lurks in the forest.

Before long, dozens of strangely shaped and extremely agile assassins attacked her.

With her solid basic skills, the girl easily killed them one by one.

In less than a few minutes, dozens of assassins were wiped out.

"My name is Sakura. Are you alright?"

Sheathing her sword, Yae Sakura extended her hand to the two of them.

After they introduced themselves, she was surprised that the two of them had chosen this day to clean up the business road.

With the shrine festival approaching, the demons lurking in the shadows begin to stir.

The so-called demons naturally refer to the assassins and Honkai Beasts.

Sending someone out at this time is either stupid or malicious.

The two were incredibly lucky to have made it to the valley.

"The sacrificial ceremony is the day after tomorrow, so you should all stay in town."

These next few days are not a good time to leave Yae Town; we can only wait until the festival is over.

"like?"

Ziyao astutely grasped the crux of the problem.

"Sakura, aren't you a shrine maiden?"

Yae Sakura is dressed in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, with a sash tied around her waist and a cherry blossom hairpin in her hair.

No matter how you look at it, she is a shrine maiden.

If what she said is true, then her sister will be sacrificed the day after tomorrow.

The so-called rituals at the shrine were nothing more than sacrificing young girls' lives to win the favor of the 'gods' and in exchange for favorable weather.

"This outfit was a gift from a friend at the shrine, and it fits me perfectly."

"The night is still long. If we don't leave soon, the demons will gather again."

"Sakura has a small house on the edge of town, I hope you won't find it too shabby."

The girl invited them, saying that no one would open the door for them at night, let alone ask them to stay overnight.

"Thank you. Sakura is as gentle as Mei."

Theresa didn't think too much about it and agreed immediately.

Her decisiveness made one worry that she might be kidnapped.

Ziyao followed with a skeptical attitude, after all, one should always be wary of others.

This is a bamboo house, made of bamboo with wooden planks laid on top, simple yet beautiful.

The room was sparsely furnished, with only an oil lamp and a basic bed, making it hard to believe that a girl lived there.

"Tea, please."

Yae Sakura skillfully brewed tea for the two of them and placed it on the table.

How long did Sakura live in Yae Town?

“I grew up here. I’ve only been out a few times, but I spend most of my time in town.”

Yae Sakura answered fluently, and Zi Yao couldn't find a single flaw in her response.

"I'm sorry, I was just being paranoid."

The shrine has two full-rank shrine maidens. Logically, Yae Sakura should be one of them, and the other is her younger sister.

If not, then who is the other person?

"It's okay. Girls should be more careful when they go out at night."

“The way you speak is very peculiar. Sakura met someone similar a few days ago; she seemed to be locked up in a dungeon.”

"Who is it? No... is it a girl? What does she look like?"

"Finally got a clue!" Theresa exclaimed excitedly, spilling some tea.

"Her hair is curled up like a spiral, and she's about your height."

Yae Sakura gestured with her hand, needing no further explanation, she was definitely referring to Bronya.

"Can you take us there?"

There was no time to lose; Theresa wanted to leave now.

"Now?"

Seeing Theresa's eager expression, Yae Sakura was somewhat troubled.

Night was fast approaching, and curfew was imposed. Anyone caught wandering around the town by the shrine would be severely punished.

"Sakura, if it's really difficult, just tell us the location."

After a moment of contemplation, Yae Sakura asked Zi Yao if she had any money.

"At least ten strings of cash, is that enough?"

"Yes, that's enough. Please come with me."

They blew out the oil lamp and, under the cover of night, made their way to the center of town.

There is a dungeon hidden beneath the old shrine.

They bribed a dozing guard and made their way to the bottom.

The ground was covered with rotten straw, which gave off a slightly sour smell.

The dungeon was dark and extremely damp, with moss growing all over the walls.

Following the order of the search, I finally found the duck in a corner.

"Bronya cannot leave here yet."

Before Theresa could even speak, Bronya immediately rejected her.

This is the best room in the dungeon.

The girl sat upright on a stone bench, with writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone on the table, and a large stack of yellow hemp paper at her feet.

"This world is very unstable, and Bronya's random movement will affect its survival."

she explained.

Having participated in quantumization experiments, she possesses a peculiar adaptability and was accidentally drawn into this world by Jizo Mitama.

If the dream becomes distorted, it will affect people in reality, which is something she doesn't want to see.

"world....?"

Yae Sakura was completely confused, having no idea what they were talking about.

Is there any way to leave safely?

"Once the master of the consciousness space is dealt with, the dream will automatically dissipate."

This is not a dream, but a space within the Divine Key.

Where is it?

Theresa pressed on, the two separated by a wooden fence.

"Yae Shrine."

"...I'm sorry, Bronya might not be able to help you."

As she spoke, the girl's voice trailed off considerably.

According to her, she had been in this world for several days, but for Ziyao and the other person, it was only a matter of ten minutes.

During this time, she tried to leave.

After repeated failures, Bronya arrived at a conclusion.

"Here, it can do anything."

In the consciousness space, their power is infinitely reduced, making it an impossible dream to deal with their master.

"Let's go back and discuss it further, everyone."

Yae Sakura noticed that someone was patrolling outside and urged them on, saying that it would be troublesome if they were discovered.

"I have a spare room here, would you like to come?"

"Bronya doesn't want to cause trouble for everyone. It's okay, we'll wait for your good news."

Unable to dissuade the girl from her determination, the group had no choice but to return to the bamboo house outside the town.

Theresa looked at the distant mountains with great concern. How could she possibly enter the shrine to search it?

Isn't this guarding a bit too strict?

Even in the dead of night, there were armed guards, who seemed to possess Honkai energy from the Corruption Key.

There was even a hint of sarcasm in it; the other party clearly wasn't worried at all that they would cause trouble.

"Sakura, what are the names of the two shrine maidens at Yae Shrine?"