First Time Meeting Someone Like This

The sky gradually began to brighten.

For the people of Aragane Station, this night had been long.

The place where they had always lived was gone.

Some family members had died, others had turned directly into Kabane and would never return.

Even Yomogawa Ayame bore the grief of a broken home and lost family, welcoming the end of this long night.

Thus, for those still alive aboard the Iron Fortress, today's sunlight was especially harsh, and especially long-awaited.

People say that a new day equals a new beginning.

That saying should have fully come true for the people of Aragane Station.

Today, for those who had escaped with their lives, it likewise marked a new beginning.

Because they not only needed to find a new place to live, but also had to consider their future livelihood.

The only thing that remained unchanged was probably the Hayajiro built entirely of steel — the Iron Fortress.

Carrying the residents of Aragane Station one and all, the Iron Fortress still ran along the railway, its whistle sounding, continuing forward.

"Mmm..."

Mumei woke under the light of the somewhat glaring sun.

Opening her sleepy eyes, letting out a drowsy yawn, Mumei stretched comfortably.

"That was a good sleep."

After a night's rest, Mumei's energy had fully recovered.

Then, Mumei finally noticed her surroundings.

Bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window, the entire car was quite bright.

Steam boilers were working one after another.

The rumbling sound of the train running echoed.

In this car, where the gleam of steel spread everywhere, Mumei noticed two other breaths besides her own.

First was the boy across from her.

What his name was, Mumei hadn't remembered — she only knew he was a Kabaneri like herself.

Right now, this fellow creature was sleeping soundly against the wall, looking even more exhausted than she was.

Actually, if she really thought about it, he must be more tired than her, right?

After all, for him, in just one night, the station he lived in had fallen, he was no longer human, he was rejected by those around him, and on top of that, he seemed to carry some inexplicable sense of justice — he must have been thoroughly worn down.

As for the other person present, he was sleeping leaning against the door leading to the front car.

This person, Mumei found quite interesting.

He wasn't a Kabaneri, just an ordinary human, yet he could kill Kabane with an even more ordinary dagger.

What was even more incredible was that Mumei, skilled in various combat techniques, could tell that this person was a complete amateur in fighting, yet he was oddly proficient in exquisite killing methods.

In a word, he knew how to kill an opponent, but didn't know how to defeat one.

Moreover, Mumei had repeatedly felt a strange throb from him.

That throb seemed to tell Mumei...

"Don't underestimate him, or he'll definitely kill you..."

This was also one of the reasons Mumei found this person interesting.

He looked so weak on the surface, yet he kept giving her a very dangerous feeling — how could that not spark curiosity?

"This is the first time I've met someone like this..."

Saying this, Mumei was about to stand up, but felt her head dizzy and her body weak.

"Ah..." Mumei immediately understood her condition.

"I'm hungry."

Yes.

Hungry.

Thinking about it carefully, from yesterday until now, Mumei hadn't eaten anything.

"No good, I won't last like this..."

Mumei's amber eyes gradually turned a crimson hue.

Then, Mumei cast her gaze forward.

Toward that human who had sparked so much of her curiosity.

And then, Mumei slowly walked over.

Compared to Mumei and Ikoma, Fang Li was actually more exhausted.

Mumei's exhaustion came from her own constitution, an unavoidable circumstance, but she hadn't expended much mental energy.

Ikoma's exhaustion came from the shock to his spirit—the loss of his home and family, the change in his very form of existence, leaving him mentally drained and weary.

As for Fang Li, it was purely a matter of having expended too much physical strength.

From the moment Aragane Station fell, Fang Li had barely rested at all. Yet he had gone through multiple battles, even outright slaughter, killing over a hundred Kabane until his hands grew numb. The consumption was far from negligible.

After that, Fang Li had confronted the samurai of Aragane Station to protect Mumei and Ikoma, then dueled Kurusu Kunoichi, whose overall strength surpassed his own. If he said he wasn't tired, that would be a lie.

Still, the gains were certainly gratifying.

Not only were all the main quests completed, allowing him to return to the space at any time for scoring and rewards, but he had also earned a staggering 29,700 Exchange Points. Nearly thirty thousand points—that could absolutely be called a bumper harvest.

According to the guidance information provided by the Main God Space, Main God Envoys receive special treatment during their first Instance World, reflected in the earning of Exchange Points.

For Fang Li, killing a single Kabane earned him 100 Exchange Points. Such treatment would not continue after the first Instance World.

This made Fang Li countless times grateful.

Grateful that he had been granted the Innate Skill of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

Without the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, if Fang Li wanted to earn Exchange Points by killing Kabane, he would have had to honestly curry favor with the original protagonist, Ikoma, worship him like a god, and beg him to manufacture a Tsuranuki-zutsu and provide Hayagumo Rounds before he could kill Kabane to earn points.

Of course, even if one obtained the means to kill Kabane, actually killing them still required fighting.

This hurdle was extremely difficult for newcomers entering the Main God Space for the first time.

After all, even if you were given a gun, if you couldn't use it, even aiming was a problem, not to mention other factors.

Because of his innate personality defect, Fang Li did not fear death, was not afraid of battle, did not begrudge taking risks, and did not worry about consequences. Coupled with his abnormal sensitivity to "death," he had mastered killing techniques without a teacher, easily crossing this hurdle.

Thus, Fang Li's gains were so gratifying.

For any other newcomer, simply completing all the main quests in their first Instance World would already be an excellent result.

And such gains naturally came at the cost of considerable hardship for Fang Li. After many matters were settled, he immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Just as his consciousness was growing somewhat hazy, Fang Li sensed it.

Someone was approaching him.

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