The transition wasn't instantaneous. It felt like being squeezed through a tube of toothpaste,a crushing pressure on all sides, followed by a sensation of weightlessness.
Then, the biting cold hit him.
Su Chen gasped, his lungs filling with air that was sharp, icy, and incredibly clean.
He opened his eyes. The flickering emergency lights of his hallway and the stench of rotting zombie blood were gone.
Replaced by white. Endless, pristine white.
He was standing knee-deep in a snowdrift. Tall, dark pine trees loomed over him, their branches heavy with powder. The silence here was absolute, broken only by the soft thud of falling snow clumps.
[Arrival Successful.]
[Current World: Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba)]
[Location: Base of Mount Sagiri.]
[Local Time: Taisho Era, Year 1912. Late Winter.]
"Incredible," Su Chen breathed out, watching a cloud of white vapor escape his lips.
He looked down at his attire. He was wearing his pajamas, with thick glossy magazines duct-taped around his forearms and shins, and a heavy iron frying pan strapped to his waist with a leather belt.
"I look like a lunatic," he muttered. "Good thing there's no fashion police in the mountains."
He shivered. The cold was penetrating. But unlike his previous self, who would have been freezing to death, his [Constitution] stat of 6 (which was slightly below average previously) combined with the adrenaline kept him moving.
He activated his System vision.
[Environmental Analysis: Spiritual Energy Density is 3x higher than Earth (Pre-Expansion).]
[Note: Breathing this air passively increases Stamina recovery by 10%.]
"This air is a resource," Su Chen realized.
He immediately placed his hand on the empty space in front of him.
Copy.
[Target: Atmosphere of Mt. Sagiri (High Oxygen / Trace Spirit Particles)]
[Stored: 10 Cubic Meters.]
He did it again. And again.
While walking, he continuously copied the air and stored it in his [Infinite Storage]. Why? Because back on Earth, the air in the city was filled with the virus and rot. Having a stash of pure, high-quality mountain air to release into his RV later could be a lifesaver.
"I need to find Urokodaki Sakonji," Su Chen reminded himself, trudging up the slope.
"According to the timeline, Tanjiro should already be training here."
He walked for about twenty minutes. The physical exertion was grueling. The snow dragged at his legs.
Whoosh!
A faint sound of displaced air came from his left.
Su Chen's improved nerves—courtesy of the [Rigor] passive he copied from the zombie—fired. He threw himself forward, face-first into the snow.
Wham!
A massive log, suspended by a rope, swung through the space where his head had been a second ago. It slammed into a tree trunk with enough force to splinter bark.
"Traps," Su Chen spat out snow, scrambling to his feet. "Urokodaki's training traps."
He wasn't angry; he was excited. The traps meant he was on the right path.
He continued, moving more cautiously now. He held the frying pan in his hand like a shield.
Ten minutes later, he heard it. Heavy, ragged breathing.
Huff... Huff...
Su Chen hid behind a massive cedar tree.
Running down the mountain path was a young boy. He had burgundy hair, a checkered haori, and a distinct burn scar on his forehead. He was dragging a heavy rock tied to his back, sweat steaming off his skin despite the freezing temperature.
Kamado Tanjiro. The protagonist of this world.
Su Chen watched him. He didn't feel the urge to run up and ask for an autograph. He felt the hunger of a predator seeing prey.
"System, scan."
[Target: Kamado Tanjiro]
[Race: Human]
[Potential: SSS (Child of the Sun)]
[Copyable Attributes:]
Hard Skull (Genetic Talent) - Grants skull density of steel.
Olfactory Sense (Enhanced) - Can smell emotions, intent, and opening threads.
Water Breathing (Rudimentary) - Proficiency: 5%.
Charcoal Burner's Stamina - High lung capacity.
Su Chen's eyes lit up.
"Jackpot."
He couldn't copy the [Water Breathing] yet because Tanjiro barely knew it himself. But the other talents?
Su Chen stepped out from behind the tree.
"Hey!" he called out.
Tanjiro stopped, startled. He almost slipped on the ice but corrected his balance instantly. He looked at Su Chen—a strange man in pajamas with magazines taped to his arms holding a frying pan.
"Umm... Hello?" Tanjiro panted, his voice polite despite his exhaustion. "Are you lost? It's dangerous here."
Su Chen walked closer. He needed to get within 10 meters to copy, but to touch him would be instant.
"I am a traveler from... far away," Su Chen said, using the automatic translation function of the System. "I am looking for the cultivator named Urokodaki. I wish to learn swordsmanship."
Tanjiro blinked. "You want to see Urokodaki-san? I'm his student! But... you're dressed so strangely."
"I was robbed by bandits," Su Chen lied smoothly. "They took my clothes. I barely escaped with my life and this... shield." He raised the frying pan.
Tanjiro, being the purest soul in anime history, immediately looked sympathetic.
"That's terrible! Can you walk? Do you need help?"
He walked toward Su Chen.
Perfect.
As Tanjiro reached out to steady Su Chen, Su Chen gripped the boy's hand firmly.
"Thank you, you are kind."
Touch confirmed.
System, Copy: [Olfactory Sense (Enhanced)] and [Charcoal Burner's Stamina].
[Copying...]
[Success.]
A sharp stinging sensation hit Su Chen's nose, followed by a rush of sensory input.
Suddenly, the world exploded with smells.
He could smell the pine needles. He could smell the old blood on a rock ten meters away where a rabbit had died days ago. He could smell the sulfur of the hot springs up the mountain.
And most shockingly, he could smell Tanjiro.
The boy smelled like... burning charcoal and pure, unwavering kindness. There was no deception in his scent.
"I'll take you to Urokodaki-san!" Tanjiro said, unaware that his genetic talents had just been plagiarized.
"Lead the way," Su Chen smiled.
The small wooden hut at the base of the mountain was simple and rustic. Smoke curled lazily from the chimney.
An old man wearing a red goblin (tengu) mask stood at the doorway. He had his arms crossed.
Urokodaki Sakonji. Former Water Hashira.
He stared at Su Chen. Even through the mask, Su Chen could feel the piercing gaze.
Su Chen didn't wait for Tanjiro to explain. He stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Master Urokodaki," Su Chen said
respectfully. "My name is Su Chen. I know who you are. I have crossed great distances to ask for your guidance."
"I don't take students lightly," Urokodaki's voice was gravelly and stern. "Tanjiro is my final student."
"I don't need to be your successor," Su Chen raised his head. "I just need the technique. I need to learn how to breathe."
Urokodaki remained silent. He was judging Su Chen.
thanks to the newly copied [Olfactory Sense], Su Chen could smell Urokodaki's emotion. It smelled like dusty iron and skepticism.
"Why?" Urokodaki asked. "You have no sword calluses. Your steps are heavy. You are weak."
"Because my world is ending," Su Chen said truthfully. "And I need strength to save myself."
He reached into his pocket (which was actually a portal to his Storage) and pulled out the pouch of gold rings.
"I cannot offer much in terms of talent, but I can pay for my food and lodging."
He poured the gold rings into his hand. There were about fifty of them. In this era, this was a small fortune.
Urokodaki didn't look at the gold. He looked at Su Chen's eyes.
"Put the money away," Urokodaki grunted. "I don't teach for money. If you want to learn, you must survive the mountain."
"The mountain?"
"Climb to the top," Urokodaki pointed a finger upward. "And come back down before sunrise. If you live, I will teach you."
Tanjiro looked worried. "Urokodaki-san! It's almost night! The demons..."
"If he dies, he was not meant to be a Slayer," Urokodaki turned and walked back into the hut.
Su Chen stood there. The wind howled.
He looked at the darkening mountain path.
Back on Earth, a zombie level 1 was scary.
Here, the traps could decapitate him.
But Su Chen smiled. He sniffed the air.
With [Olfactory Sense], the traps stood out like beacons. He could smell the oil on the mechanisms, the disturbance in the soil, the scent of the rope.
"Tanjiro," Su Chen patted the boy on the shoulder. "Is there any leftover rice balls? I'm starving."
"Ah, yes! But are you really going?"
"Watch me," Su Chen said, clutching his frying pan. "I'll be back before the rice gets cold."