Mad Ramblings, Uesugi Zangetsu

"Congratulations, player, on obtaining the new achievement - [Supreme Master]."

"Earth's strongest regards you as a mentor and a guiding light."

"Current Main Quest completion progress: 17/30."

With this, the third stage of the Main Quest was more than halfway complete.

Yan Anqing's eyebrows twitched slightly as he murmured in an almost imperceptible voice, "As expected of the strongest... even if it's just a qualitative change in life level, there are no solid combat achievements..."

Challenging opponents of a higher tier was not an impossible feat.

After all, many golden-eyed individuals, backed and supported by various countries on Earth, were stuck at a 10% infection rate of the Limitless Cell.

Even if these individuals hadn't fully evolved their resilient muscle fibers and couldn't break through this bottleneck, their progress was not significantly different from Yu Hongyi's 11%.

Among the strongest individuals in this batch, some possessed years, even decades, of combat experience.

For instance, America's officially promoted "superhero" Christian, and Japan's "beautiful swordswoman" Uesugi Zangetsu.

In Yan Anqing's opinion, if Yu Hongyi were to engage in a desperate battle with these two, the ultimate winner would remain an unknown.

Watching Yan Anqing's lips move silently, Yu Hongyi kept his gaze fixed forward, as if nothing were happening.

Genius, everyone has their flaws, right?

Shang Yin, who beat up computers, Xie Zhe, who was better off with his mouth sewn shut, Jiang Xinyue, who practically lived in the lab for eating and sleeping, Luo Jiashi, who, despite being a man, detested all male life forms...

Many people were aware of Yan Anqing's peculiar habit of talking to himself.

Among the genius researchers in this secret base, very few were considered normal.

Or rather...

Researchers with quirks were the norm. Every time Yu Hongyi, Ma Ran, Zhang Xiaoyue, and Miaomiao went to the canteen for meals as a group, they could hear people arguing loudly. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for disagreements to escalate into physical altercations.

Yu Hongyi had personally intervened several times...

He couldn't understand a single word of the topics the researchers debated, but fighting was, after all, not a good thing.

"For the next half month, come here every morning at eight and every afternoon at five. I need to comprehensively track your bodily data changes."

Yan Anqing's gaze returned to Yu Hongyi, and he waved his hand, signaling for Experiment Subject B to leave the room.

He reclined in his chair, closing his eyes slightly, and focused his attention on the database, bringing up a photograph of a woman.

The picture had concise text annotations.

[Uesugi Zangetsu, Owl.]

In contrast, the photograph of Kira Walmar was grayed out, with the character "Hero" written after his name.

This Japanese woman was an accidental byproduct created by Yan Anqing when he was researching the "Scrap Killer" catalyst agent to strengthen Ma Ran's willpower.

In the "Strongman Cultivation Plan," Experiment Subject A, Ma Ran, was a standard excellent candidate, while Uesugi Zangetsu's situation was more complex.

It couldn't be considered a failure, yet it couldn't be called a success either.

Nara Prefecture, in the central part of the Kii Peninsula, Japan.

Tōshōdai-ji Temple.

This temple, built in 759 AD, was a veritable ancient cultural heritage site.

It stood alongside the Kaidan-in of Tōdai-ji Temple as one of the two major centers for Buddhist propagation and Vinaya studies in Japan.

And now...

In front of the Sutra Repository Hall, a young man and woman sat facing each other.

The aura emanating from these two was so sharp that it deterred people from approaching.

Tourists instinctively avoided them, keeping their distance.

A clear space had formed in front of the main gate.

The young man had flowing long hair, sharp eyebrows, and piercing eyes. His nose was well-defined, and he wore a black and white kimono, with a great tachi resting horizontally before his knees.

The tachi was sheathed in a blue-dyed sharkskin scabbard, concealing its sharpness.

His appearance was handsome, possessing a martial aura reminiscent of Japan's Warring States period. His pair of brilliantly golden eyes gave him a distinctive charm.

This person's name was Tokugawa Ishimasa, a typical member of a noble family with astronomical wealth. Even without working, he could squander it for ten lifetimes.

What was terrifying was that despite having such advantages, he chose not to live a life of leisure but instead diligently studied and trained.

Tokugawa Ishimasa, skilled in both literary and martial arts, sought to forge his own path.

Before the Crimson Moon Incident, the company founded by Tokugawa Ishimasa had already earned a strong reputation in Japan, accumulating capital sufficient to challenge the Fortune Global 500.

According to Tokugawa Ishimasa's plan, within ten years, the company he had built with his own hands would be among the Fortune Global 500.

After that night, everything changed!

He became a golden-eyed individual.

Tokugawa Ishimasa's ambition began to swell, and his original ideals shifted accordingly...

Compared to being a figurehead in a Fortune Global 500 company, being a Supreme Master who suppresses a nation's luck better showcases his value.

He wants to surpass all swordsmen and sword saints in history!

Miyamoto Musashi, Sasaki Kojiro, Tsukahara Bokuden, Ito Ittosai, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, Hayashizaki Jinsuke – their reputations and glories in history will be far surpassed by him!

Those past sword saints bragged a lot, but in reality, they left behind no visual evidence to prove their strength.

But now, everything is different!

A while ago, Tokugawa Ishimasa felt his energy and stamina surge wildly, as if he had returned to being twelve or thirteen years old, his body entering a peak developmental stage once more.

He grew stronger every day than the day before!

Following his current trajectory, it wouldn't be long before he surpassed all the strong individuals recorded in ancient history, becoming a new myth, a living legend.

But now, Tokugawa Ishimasa had to face a problem that needed to be dealt with.

"Crazy woman, what exactly do you want to do?"

Tokugawa Ishimasa looked coldly at the girl sitting on the floor opposite him, his first words a reprimand, "Are you going to kill all your countrymen?"

The girl had short hair and a delicate face, and she was also a golden-eyed individual.

Her eyebrows were slightly thin but had a distinct flick at the end. Her expression was indifferent, and she held a ridiculously long, unsheathed blade in her hands.

Its length was at least 190 centimeters, far exceeding the girl's height.

Even when standing, she could only drag the spine of the blade diagonally across the ground.

The blade had a dull black color, but if one looked closely, they would realize it wasn't a black coating at all, but solidified, oxidized bloodstains!

This woman's name was Uesugi Zangetsu, born into a family of swordsmanship masters.

She had started practicing with a bamboo sword at the age of six, and it had been twelve years now.

After the Blood Moon, Uesugi Zangetsu had been behaving normally.

Although she had a lifelong habit of staring at vital points like the neck, heart, spine, and kidneys of others, she had always suppressed her inner desires and never acted out of line.

But recently, she had suddenly fallen into some kind of obsession, going around madly challenging famous swordsmen.

Normal challenges were one thing, but this crazy woman seemed to have no concept of "stopping at the decisive moment."

Every time Uesugi Zangetsu struck, her precious blade had to be stained with blood.

She would not stop until she had taken another life with her sword!

"Idiot!"

Seeing that the girl ignored his words, Tokugawa Ishimasa gritted his teeth in anger.

He had once considered pursuing her, forming a good relationship, and having a child of exceptional talent.

Now, he was very glad that he hadn't made a hasty decision.

He asked hatefully, "Where is your scabbard?"

The girl opposite him finally reacted.

"I don't need such a thing. I myself am the scabbard."

Uesugi Zangetsu's voice was somewhat hoarse, not fitting for a girl of her age, as if a much older soul resided within her skin.

Tokugawa Ishimasa roared, drawing his famous blade from its sharkskin scabbard, and said sternly, "The scabbard and the sword are one! By losing your scabbard, you mean you have already lost! Your samurai beliefs have a problem! It's not too late to turn back now!"

Hearing this, the girl merely glanced at him with a blank expression.

She gripped the exaggerated long blade, covered in black blood scabs, with one hand, pointing it at him, her gaze fixed on the weapon in her hand.

Uesugi Zangetsu's cold tone carried an incomprehensible madness, "Stop talking nonsense."

"Come, let me cut you down."

"As a good whetstone... your wisdom, your beliefs, your motivation, your Blood Essence, your soul..."

"Everything about you will become nourishment for her!"

As an accidental byproduct of someone's Remaster plan, Uesugi Zangetsu was unaware that her endocrine system and subconscious had become disordered.

Originally possessing only a slight tendency towards darkness in her nature, she had now truly fallen into the abyss of madness.

Every word she spoke was like the ramblings of someone whose sanity had been wiped clean.

At this moment, the extremely paranoid Uesugi Zangetsu firmly believed that her path was the correct one.

If others didn't recognize her, it could only mean...

Everyone else was wrong!

It could never be her who was wrong, but this world!

Now, Uesugi Zangetsu had only one goal.

To cut down the man in front of her!

This guy was Japan's last high-quality whetstone...

The next stop would be China.

In the island nation, swords and scabbards are not distinguished. To optimize the reading experience, I have revised this six or seven times...

(ˊˋ) Wishing everyone who reads this book long-lasting luck!