The blade rose, and the wind came.
As Xia Xi kept swinging his Nichirin Blade, great ink-black whirlwinds began to swirl faintly through the air.
Like the tangled roots of an ancient pine, the wind coiled tightly around the cold gleam tracing the blade's path.
It was a savage wind.
And a force that permeated everything.
A howl erupted across the training grounds. In an instant, sand and stones flew.
[Fifth Form: Cold Autumn Mountain-Descending Wind]
Throwing his whole body into the sword form, Xia Xi seemed to plunge into a massive whirlwind, his figure blurring.
The already fierce wind immediately grew more solid.
Crack.
As the enormous wind blade swept past several wooden posts on the grounds, the fairly sturdy posts were churned into splinters.
Crisscrossing blade marks were gouged into the ground as well.
Holy shit, why does this feel way stronger than it did at level 1?
Looking at the destruction he had caused, Xia Xi stopped and clicked his tongue in astonishment.
Is this the difference between [novice] and [basic proficiency]?
More damage, flashier effects, better strength and reflexes-even the system-assisted, blurry slash lines have gotten more powerful.
For a moment, Xia Xi had the illusion that passing the Final Selection was practically guaranteed.
Just what I'd expect from the results of two days of grueling training.
This feels pretty damn good.
Then Xia Xi headed straight back to his room without looking back.
The few achievement points he had left were not enough to raise his level again.
Might as well go sleepy-bye right now!
Now that his skill level had increased, recovering to full condition and clearing the [fatigue] effect before a mission was basic player knowledge.
Besides, whatever else could be said about it, this game was far too realistic.
Once his excitement faded, Xia Xi genuinely felt like collapsing into bed.
As for spending some time getting used to his newly improved physical abilities?
Xia Xi's take: I earned those extra stats by leveling up through hard work. Why should I have to get used to them myself?
It's not like I got a new skill that needs combo practice and better execution.
Meanwhile, as Xia Xi slept like the dead...
Far away, in a mansion somewhere in Nara, Kansai...
Japanese-style corridors and doors patterned with wisteria stood quietly, while gentle birdsong mingled with the crisp clacking of a bamboo water feature striking stone.
Peaceful and solemn.
And... suffused with a faint sadness.
"Master... I'm sorry to bring you this news. Mr. Fudō, the [Mountain Hashira]... has fallen."
Several masked men in black uniforms knelt on one knee.
They addressed the young man before them respectfully, their voices slightly choked.
He had none of the arrogance of a powerful noble, nor was he some young general sporting a shaved-pate topknot.
Instead, there was only gentleness.
A gentleness that made him seem almost frail and small.
Yet the swordsmen and intelligence personnel before him showed not a trace of disdain in their eyes.
Because he was an Ubuyashiki.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
The ninety-seventh head of the Ubuyashiki Family, and Oyakata-sama of the Demon Slayer Corps.
A capable, resolute man, yet one doomed by a curse to die young.
"So this time... it was Mr. Fudō who left us?"
After a brief silence came sorrow.
But the young man did not let too much of that emotion spill out and affect the others. "We have lost another member of our family... For this pain, my Ubuyashiki Clan will stake our entire family's fate to make amends."
"Everyone... please do not blame yourselves."
Seeing that they remained 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 steady voice.
"When you grieve for a fallen companion, and come to feel that your own existence is a sin, that is precisely what Muzan Kibutsuji most wishes to see."
"Mr. Fudō's sacrifice was by no means meaningless."
"This is the future he bought for us with his life, proof that he fought to the very end."
"And so, I ask you..."
"Raise your heads."
His voice was soft, yet powerful.
Even the sorrow hanging over the courtyard seemed to pause for an instant.
Only then did they bring their emotions under control and resume reporting the Corps' recent affairs to Ubuyashiki.
"Preparations for the Final Selection at all six locations across Honshu are complete..."
"This is a letter from Ms. Nikaido. She mentioned that the ninja you previously introduced to her, Oyakata-sama, shows great promise..."
"And at the Butterfly Mansion, two children have demonstrated remarkable talent..."
The lengthy reports were a tremendous test of Ubuyashiki's stamina.
Because of the curse he bore.
For him, every breath and every lift of his hand was a burden.
Not to mention that he had only recently learned of the death of Fudō Hino, the [Mountain Hashira].
Yet he remained as gentle and attentive as ever, listening carefully to everything they said.
The Demon Slayer Corps has lost another Hashira.
The burden shared by Mr. Rengoku, Mr. Kazetoriin, and Mr. Igarashi has grown heavier again.
And that child Gyomei has only just become a Hashira...
I hope those children can grow up a little faster.
Ah, I'm so powerless that all I can do is place my hopes in those children...
After saying goodbye to his master, Kazami, Xia Xi soon set off for the Final Selection.
Lake Ashi in Hakone.
A few days earlier, he probably would have chosen to take the train.
Arriving early would have given him time to practice his Breathing Style proficiency.
Trains existed in the game's setting, and he had ridden them before.
Although he could not use a train to leave the game area, riding one of those old relics would certainly be much faster than relying on his own two legs.
Now, however, he had a few other ideas.
"Huff... huff..."
With his luggage on his back, Xia Xi had already spent three or four days jogging toward his destination.
Sure enough, several new skills had appeared among his life skills.
[Suburi 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
Does level 0 not give any stat points?
Xia Xi pondered this.
While not everything, like eating and sleeping, could increase proficiency, the system did recognize quite a few activities as life skills.
And after experimenting over the past few days, he had discovered that many learning activities did not count toward just one skill.
For example, his travels over the last few days.
While his [Running] proficiency increased rapidly, his [Physical Training] proficiency also rose a little.
During breaks, he practiced basic Suburi.
That likewise brought tiny increases to his [Wind Breathing Style] proficiency.
By now, his Breathing Style proficiency had risen to (Lv. 2, 173/1000).
Although Master Kazami had called him a genius, he had no idea where his abilities would rank among the Final Selection candidates.
It's called the Final Selection. Sure, not everyone has to be some formidable outsider...
But they can't all be nameless cannon fodder, can they?
If worse comes to worst...
I'll just spend these achievement points and slowly save up again after clearing the mission.
I'd originally planned to save these points for a new Breathing Style...
After sunset.
Xia Xi checked his skill proficiencies and weighed his options while chewing on a roasted river fish.
Perhaps because he now had a level-one Cooking skill, the fish in his mouth seemed a little more tender and flavorful.
It's just a bit too fishy...
Hmm?
Fishy?
Xia Xi suddenly realized that the faint bloody smell did not mean his fish was undercooked.
Instead, traces of blood scent were drifting from the surrounding woods.
Oh?!
The first battle after finishing the beginner tutorial, huh!
Rather than feeling afraid, Xia Xi surveyed his surroundings with excitement.
Soon, he spotted the anomaly.
In the depths of the woods, beyond the campfire's reach, a brightly lit panel floated in the darkness.
[Blood Fang ???] [Race: demon] [Energy level: 39 (body: 28, skill: 5, mind: 6)] [Threat level: low]
So this is one of those demons my bargain-bin master talked about?
Without betraying anything, Xia Xi rested his hand on his Nichirin Blade.
Then, as though remembering something, he opened the system.
Quietly, he turned down the icon brightness.
It's pitch-black out here. The game UI is seriously glaring.
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