Aoki looked at the System panel, a silent assessment of his progress, a calculation of the resources he had and the challenges ahead.
He hadn't been idle on his way to Asakusa. He'd followed rumors, tracked whispers of demons. He'd hunted in the shadows, seeking to feed the darkness within.
But it had been a meager harvest, a few scraps compared to the feast he craved.
In this era, information was a trickle, not a flood. News traveled slowly, if at all. He was a lone hunter in a world that valued the pack.
"Only one hundred fifty experience points? Kyogai was a disgrace to the Lower Moons!"
Aoki shook his head, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face.
Kyogai had worn the title of Lower Moon, but he hadn't earned it. His power was a shadow of the true Lower Ranks, a pale imitation of the monsters he sought to emulate.
He'd been a stepping stone, nothing more.
At least the System recognized the title, even if the demon himself was a sham.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 14]
[Constitution: 13]
[Intelligence: 13]
[Agility: 13]
[Profession: Hunter, Aberrant Demon]
[Free Attribute Points: 2]
[...]
[Aberrant Demon]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv8 (54/800)
Skills: Demon Blood Ⅲ, Space Warp, Transparent World (Available), Demon Devour
Tasks: Lower Moons' End (2/3)
Free Skill Points: 3
The two stat points... Aoki added them to Intelligence and Agility, a careful balancing act, a steady hand on the scales of power.
He'd leave Constitution for last, a pragmatic choice born of his demonic resilience.
Aoki's gaze drifted down, stopped at the number after "Free Skill Points," a small victory in a long war.
Three skill points.
It had taken time, a journey through snow-swept mountains and shadowed cities. But he'd earned them.
"Time to level up Demon Blood Level 4."
There was no other choice. Demon Blood was the core, the foundation of his power. It was the engine that drove his evolution.
Boom!
A surge of power flooded his body, a wave of heat that washed away the fatigue and doubt. The System chimed, a cold, mechanical pronouncement of his growth.
[All Stats +1.]
"That's good," Aoki thought, a flicker of satisfaction in his golden eyes.
All stats up by one. It was like a free level, a bonus he hadn't expected.
His regeneration, his night vision... All his demon powers had grown stronger, a silent testament to the power of his blood.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 15]
[Constitution: 14]
[Intelligence: 14]
[Agility: 14]
[Profession: Hunter, Aberrant Demon]
[...]
[Aberrant Demon]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv8 (800/800)
Skills: Demon Blood Ⅳ, Space Warp, Transparent World (Available), Demon Devour
Tasks: Lower Moons' End (2/3)
Free Skill Points: 2
"Stats almost average 15. That's progress."
Aoki nodded, pleased.
Each point was worth more now. The higher his stats, the greater the impact of each increase.
He was stronger, faster, smarter, more resilient. He was evolving.
He stopped smiling. A shadow crossed his face, a flicker of frustration in his eyes.
The good news was overshadowed by the bad.
The cost of Demon Blood had risen. Level 5 would take four skill points.
Worse, Transparent World was available. It also cost four skill points.
"Damn."
He needed both.
"Demon Blood" was power. "Transparent World" was knowledge.
He was caught in a vise, a prisoner of his own ambition.
"If I choose wrong, I'll have to wait until level 16."
The thought was a cold weight in his chest.
Four plus four was eight. Eight divided by one was eight. Eight times eight was sixty-four. Four times seven was twenty-eight…
Aoki's lips twisted, a silent curse.
He needed sixteen skill points.
Without a task reward, he'd have to level up eight more times.
It was a distant goal, a mountain he had to climb one painstaking step at a time.
He'd thought tasks would solve his skill point problem.
He'd been naive.
Tasks were rare. And not all tasks gave skill points.
"Escape from Death," the hardest, most dangerous task he'd faced, had given him just one skill point.
"Lower Moons' End," a task that had cost him blood and bone, gave nothing.
Aoki stared at the System panel, his mind racing, searching for a solution.
Then, he saw something new.
[Learn Space Warp Level 2... Sorry, Skill Points Insufficient.]
[Learn Demon Devour Level 2... Sorry, Skill Points Insufficient.]
Hiss!
Aoki inhaled, sharp.
He could level those skills?
He hadn't known.
It made sense.
Demon Blood was at least level 5. Why would the others stop at 1?
Aoki studied the skills, his mind a whirlwind of calculations.
He learned the truth.
Space Warp Level 2 created "Space Marks." He could warp to them, no matter how far away. And it cost less energy.
It solved the range problem. Space Warp was no longer a short-range tool. It could take him anywhere.
Demon Devour Level 2 was better. Much better.
Level 1 gave stats. Level 2 gave skill points!
"This is how I solve the skill point problem."
Aoki murmured, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.
It also solved another problem.
He'd fought Rui. He'd seen his healing. Demon Devour wasn't enough.
Strong demons could resist it. They could purge the tainted flesh.
He needed more power. He needed more control.
He needed to devour faster, to consume more, to leave nothing behind.
Level 2 would help.
It would also hurt demons more, making his attacks more deadly.
Maybe it would even work on Upper Moons.
Maybe, someday, it would work on Muzan.
But...
Level 2 skills cost four skill points.
Four skills to level. Sixteen points in total.
Aoki inhaled, a deep breath to steady his racing thoughts.
The skills were good. He needed them all.
He could only learn one at a time.
Demon Devour Level 2 had to come first.
It gave him more skill points. It was the key to everything.
Besides...
With Level 2, he could devour faster, kill easier.
He needed that edge.
But even Demon Devour Level 2 took four skill points!
He'd need to reach level 12.
It was so far away.
"If I get a task with a skill point reward," Aoki thought. "Then, it'll be faster."
He tried to feel optimistic.
He knew it wouldn't be easy.
Finding another Lower Moon was a long shot.
There were only six. Lower Six and Lower Five were dead. Lower Four might be replaced. That left three.
Three needles in a haystack.
---
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