"What is that? A Breathing Style? But I've never heard of one with blue-white flames."
The sight of the flames coating Ye Chen's sword rattled the Oni Boss. He was a relatively high-ranking demon, true, but that depended on whom he faced. Ordinary members of the Demon Slayer Corps didn't scare him, but against anyone ranked Kinoe or higher, especially a Hashira, he would run faster than a rabbit. A moment's delay could cost him his life, and the man before him gave him exactly that feeling.
But after thinking it over, the Oni Boss realized he had never heard of this man. He would test him first, then flee if he couldn't win.
With that thought, the Oni Boss stopped hesitating. He moved both hands, and the two demonic hands already pursuing Ye Chen accelerated again, hurtling straight toward him.
Ye Chen took a slow, deep breath, holding the Samurai Long Sword as white flames continued to surge from it. Then he leaned forward slightly and moved. The ground shattered beneath his feet, and he shot straight at the Oni Boss like a rocket.
Ye Chen's eyes narrowed, and he swiftly swung his sword. One of the demonic hands, previously as hard as iron, was sliced clean through as easily as tofu. His attack lost none of its momentum. Another unstoppable swing severed the other hand before it could react.
"How is that possible?"
The sudden surge in Ye Chen's power terrified the Oni Boss, and he began thinking of retreat. But Ye Chen wouldn't give him the chance.
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and planted his foot again. Every muscle in his body tensed, veins bulging along his hands. Then he moved once more, even faster than before. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the Oni Boss, his long sword slashing down in a blaze of white fire.
The Oni Boss's eyes widened. He tried to flee, but his vision went black, followed by a dizzying whirl. Then he saw his own headless body collapse helplessly.
"Aaah, I can't die yet... I can't die..."
The Oni Boss's head fell to the ground, but he didn't die immediately. His consciousness lingered, though it was visibly fading. He murmured softly, tears trickling from the corners of his eyes.
Ye Chen watched the Oni Boss in silence. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only indifference. Having chosen the path of slaying demons, he would not pity creatures that had murdered countless people.
He was different from Tanjiro. He wouldn't sympathize with creatures that had nothing to do with him, nor would he comfort demons that had killed countless people. He knew that, having chosen this path, they deserved this retribution. And now that he had taken the path of a Demon Slayer himself, who knew when his own life might be in danger?
[Ding! Intermediate demon slain. Exchange points ×127.]
Ye Chen looked at his soaring exchange points and let out a soft breath, then turned his gaze toward the two lesser demons preparing to flee.
"Aah!! Run!!"
The two lesser demons took to their heels in terror when they saw Ye Chen look their way. They hadn't gotten far before two Kunai wreathed in white flames flew toward them, striking them squarely in the forehead. They collapsed on the spot, and the white flames on the Kunai kept burning until their bodies were reduced to ash.
[Ding! Two low-level demons killed. Exchange points ×33.] [Ding! Quest refreshed.] [Hunt a total of 100 demons to obtain the Proficient Demon Slayer title (24/100). Difficulty: D. Exchange points ×1000.]
Ye Chen sighed softly at the newly refreshed quest. Killing twenty demons had already been hard enough, and now it had jumped straight to a hundred. Are you kidding me?
Still, he didn't complain much. Quest or no quest, he had already set foot on this path and was destined to clash with demons. The difficulty didn't really matter. The system imposed no restrictions on him anyway; instead, it was the source of his growing strength.
Seeing his exchange points surge to 1,053 filled him with satisfaction. Completing the earlier quest for the Demon Slayer title had earned him 600 exchange points, and the reward for slaying an intermediate demon was quite substantial too.
"Sigh. Still, there's only so much the Monster Hunter Shop can offer me. Let's see what might come in handy."
Ye Chen opened the Monster Hunter Shop, then looked at the Monster Shop. He couldn't afford the vast majority of the monsters inside. Of course, even if he could, he wouldn't buy them until he was strong enough. Wandering around this world with monsters in tow would undoubtedly make him stand out, and he didn't want that kind of attention yet.
There was only one reason he had opened the Monster Shop: he had discovered Palicos inside!
Anyone who had played Monster Hunter knew just how useful Palicos were. Their raw combat strength generally wasn't outstanding, but they made up for it with versatility. They could help mine, harass enemies, draw aggro, and more. They were excellent hunting companions.
Another point worth mentioning was that cats were nocturnal. With a Palico keeping watch beside him at night, wouldn't he feel wonderfully secure?
Without further ado, Ye Chen eagerly opened the Palico page.
Melee-oriented: Leader Palico, Fighter Palico, Defender Palico, Bomber Palico, Felyne Warrior. Support-oriented: Healer Palico, Gathering Palico, Trapper Palico.
These Palicos were much like the ones he remembered. Ye Chen browsed around before settling his gaze on the Trapper Palico. The reason was simple: right now, he needed to play it safe and stay alive. The Defender Palico was a good choice too, but the Trapper Palico suited him better.
Ye Chen opened the Trapper Palico category. His eyes lit up, and he grinned before clicking an entry.
Xiao Hua: white-furred cat with black ears. Trapper Palico. Boomerang can perform a three-stage attack. Equipment: Bone Short Sword, Bone Boomerang, Bone Helmet, Bone Chest Armor. Exchange points ×400.
Palicos really were a blessing for hunters. Buying one even came with equipment. The gear wasn't particularly good, but its combined value was almost equal to the Palico's price. Now that was a fair deal.
Ye Chen clicked purchase without hesitation. A moment later, a little cat wearing bone equipment and carrying a large Bone Boomerang on her back appeared before him.
Ye Chen smiled faintly, extended a hand toward her, and greeted her.
"I'm counting on you from now on, Xiao Hua."
"Meow..." The little cat looked at Ye Chen, then placed a paw in his hand as a gesture of friendship.
Name: Xiao Hua (lv1) Sex: female Equipment: Bone Boomerang, Bone Helmet, Bone Chest Armor Skills: Trap Mastery, Triple Boomerang Spin Strength rating: E+.
"Hmm? Her strength is nothing special, but I didn't expect her to have a level."
Ye Chen hadn't bought this Palico to increase his combat strength, but seeing that she had a level still surprised him a little. Then he remembered that Palicos in Monster Hunter did indeed have levels.
"Does that mean once she grows stronger, she'll be able to mow down enemies all by herself?"