The sword rose, and the wind came with it.
As Xiaxi continuously swung the Nichirin Blade in his hands, enormous black cyclones faintly began to coil through the air.
The winds wrapped tightly around the cold gleam of his slashing path like the roots of an ancient pine.
It was wild wind.
And also an all-pervading momentum.
A shrill howl erupted through the training ground, and in an instant sand and dust were driven everywhere.
Fifth Form: Cold Autumn Mountain Wind
Blending his whole body into the sword form, Xiaxi looked as though he had thrown himself into a giant whirlwind, his figure almost blurred by the motion.
The already razor-sharp pressure of the wind suddenly became even more solid and distinct.
Crack.
As the massive blade of wind swept across several wooden posts in the yard, those relatively sturdy targets were torn apart on the spot.
Even the ground beneath them was scored with crisscrossing cuts.
Holy hell, why does this feel like way more than just a minor Level 1-to-Level 2 upgrade?
Xiaxi clicked his tongue as he looked at the destruction he had caused after coming to a stop.
So this was the gap between "Just Barely Learned the Basics" and "Moderately Proficient"?
Higher damage, flashier effects, better strength and reflexes—even the blurred slash-tracking lines from the system assist had become noticeably stronger.
For a moment, Xiaxi actually had the illusion that this Final Selection might be completely in the bag.
As expected of the results he had won through two straight days of desperate grinding.
This felt pretty damn good.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, Xiaxi turned and headed back toward his room.
The little achievement points he had left weren't enough for another level-up.
So instead, immediately and without delay—
sleep.
Now that his skill level had gone up, restoring himself to full condition and clearing the [Fatigued] debuff before heading out on a mission was basic player common sense.
And more importantly, the game's realism was simply too intense.
Once his excitement subsided, Xiaxi genuinely felt the urge to collapse onto the bed and pass out on the spot.
As for spending some extra time adapting to the newly improved physical abilities?
Xiaxi's answer was simple:
If these were stats he had earned through his own hard work, why should he have to adapt to them manually?
It wasn't like he had learned some brand-new skill that required actual combo practice and combat timing.
…
While Xiaxi was asleep, unaware of heaven or earth,
far away in a certain estate in Nara, in the Kansai region—
Japanese corridors and sliding doors painted with wisteria stood in silence, while soft birdsong mingled with the crisp clacking of a bamboo water hammer striking stone.
Peaceful.
Solemn.
And… filled with a faint sorrow.
"My lord… we deeply regret bringing this news. Lord Fudō, the Stone Hashira… has fallen."
Several men in black uniforms, faces covered, knelt on one knee before the young man and reported in voices thick with grief.
There was nothing arrogant or overbearing about the boy before them, nothing of some haughty young noble or sword-bearing warlord.
If anything, he was gentle.
So gentle that he almost seemed frail and sickly.
And yet neither the swordsmen nor the intelligence agents before him held the slightest trace of disrespect in their eyes.
Because he was an Ubuyashiki.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
The ninety-seventh head of the Ubuyashiki family, and the lord of the Demon Slayer Corps.
A man of ability and resolve, but one doomed by a curse to an early death.
"So… this time, it was Lord Fudō who has left us?"
After a brief silence came sorrow.
But the boy did not let too much of that feeling spill out and burden those around him. "We have lost yet another member of our family… The pain of this, my Ubuyashiki bloodline will repay with the destiny of our entire house."
"Everyone… please do not blame yourselves."
Seeing that the others were still silent, he endured the faint throbbing in his forehead brought on by grief and anger.
Straightening his back, he continued to comfort them in a calm voice.
"When you grieve for the death of your comrades, and begin to believe that your own existence is a kind of sin because of it, that is exactly what Kibutsuji Muzan wishes to see."
"Lord Fudō's sacrifice was by no means meaningless."
"It is the future he won for us with his life. Proof that he fought to the very end."
"So I ask you all—"
"Raise your heads."
His voice was soft, but filled with strength.
For a moment, it almost felt as though even the sorrow hanging over the courtyard had stilled.
Only then did the men manage to steady themselves and continue reporting on recent matters within the Corps.
"All six Final Selection sites across Honshu have completed their preparations…"
"This is a letter from Lady Nikaidō. She says the shinobi you introduced to her is promising…"
"And over at Butterfly Manor, there are two children showing extraordinary talent…"
The long stream of reports was an enormous physical burden for Kagaya.
Because of the curse he bore,
even every breath he took, every slight movement of his hand, was a strain on him.
And not long ago, he had only just learned of the death of Fudō Hino, the Stone Hashira.
Yet from beginning to end, he maintained the same gentleness and sincerity, listening carefully to every word spoken to him.
Another Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps was gone.
The burdens on Mr. Rengoku, Mr. Kazatoriin, and Mr. Igarashi would only grow heavier.
And there was also that child, Gyōmei—he had only just become a Hashira…
I only hope those children can grow stronger more quickly.
Ah… how useless I am, that I can only pin my hopes on children…
…
After saying goodbye to Master Kazami, Xiaxi quickly set out for the Final Selection.
Lake Ashi, in Hakone.
A few days ago, he probably would have chosen to take a train there.
If he arrived earlier, he could even squeeze in some extra time to grind Breathing proficiency.
The game setting did have trains—he had ridden one before.
Sure, you couldn't use them to leave the game's designated regions, but taking one of those old relics would still definitely be faster than walking on two legs.
But now, he had other ideas.
Huff… haah…
Carrying his luggage, Xiaxi had already been jogging along the road for three or four days.
And sure enough, several new skills had appeared in his Life Skills panel.
[Basic Sword Swings Lv.1 (97/500)]
[Physical Training Lv.1 (273/500)]
[Running Lv.1 (160/500)] NEW
[Camping Lv.1 (88/500)] NEW
[Cooking Lv.1 (120/500)] NEW
[Fishing Lv.0 (117/250)] NEW
Remaining Achievement Points: 4
So Level 0 skills don't provide stats?
Xiaxi thought it over.
Though not every action in daily life would raise proficiency, the system really did classify quite a lot of things as life skills.
And after experimenting over the past few days, he had realized that many forms of learning didn't count as only a single skill.
For example, during these days of travel,
as his Running proficiency rose rapidly, it would also slightly increase the proficiency of Physical Training.
And during breaks, when he practiced his basic sword swings,
it would also slightly raise the proficiency of Wind Breathing.
At this point, his Breathing proficiency had already climbed to:
[Wind Breathing Lv.2 — 173/1000]
Master Kazami had said he was talented, but Xiaxi still had no idea where his level would rank among the candidates participating in the Final Selection.
If it was really called the Final Selection, then surely not every participant would be some absurd hidden dragon among men.
But it also couldn't possibly be full of nameless fodder either… right?
If things really went bad,
he could always spend all those achievement points. Once he got through this mission, he could slowly start saving again.
Originally, he had planned to keep those points for a new Breathing style…
After sunset,
while chewing on a roasted river fish, Xiaxi checked and calculated his various skill proficiencies.
He didn't know if it was because he had gained Level 1 Cooking, but he felt as though the fish in his mouth was actually a little more tender now.
Just… the fishy smell was a bit too strong…
Hm?
Fishy smell?
Xiaxi suddenly realized that the faint scent of blood wasn't because his fish had been undercooked.
It was coming from the forest around him.
Oh?
So this was the first fight after the tutorial, huh!
Far from being scared, Xiaxi was actually excited as he looked around.
Very quickly, he spotted the anomaly.
Deep in the darkness of the woods, just beyond the reach of the campfire, a brightly lit status panel floated in the blackness.
[Bloodfang ???]
[Race: Demon]
[Power Level: 39 (Body: 28, Skill: 5, Mind: 6)]
[Threat Level: Low]
So this was the kind of demon his bargain-bin master had been talking about?
Xiaxi quietly rested a hand on the hilt of his Nichirin Blade.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he opened the system.
And silently turned down the brightness of the UI icons.
It was pitch black out here, and the game interface was seriously way too glaring.
-------
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