Chapter 3
The four words revealed a lot of information.
Was the mission not designed for a direct confrontation with a demon?
Zhuge Liang carefully replayed the events, considered the rules of this world, and looked again at the flooded fields outside.
A newborn demon,ravenous. Fresh corpses on the ground.
He suddenly slapped his thigh in frustration.
Damn it!
He'd gone in brute-force and head-on.Classic rookie move.
Fortunately,the mission reward was a pleasant surprise.
[5% Transcendence Aura Acquired]
[3 Attribute Points Acquired]
[Map Acquired]
[You have obtained an Exquisite Treasure Chest (Green)](Completion Bonus)
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Chapter 4: Mount Kumotori
Li Xia carefully examined the chest that had appeared in his palm. It was about the size of a smartphone box, fitting snugly in one hand.
The material was a fine,smooth wood with clear grain, reinforced at the corners and edges with polished brass.
The front was carved with an intricate scene—upon closer inspection,it depicted his own desperate struggle with the demon. A highlight reel?
But more dazzling than the carving was the green gemstone set into the lid.Teardrop-shaped, about the size of a pigeon's egg, it emitted soft, emerald specks of light.
[First-Time Treasure Chest Instructions]
Treasure Chests vary by Tier and Quality.
Quality Tiers: Common (White), Good (Green), Rare (Blue), Epic (Purple), ???
Refinement Grades: Inferior, Common, Exquisite, Luxurious
Drop rates for higher grades vary by Tier. Discover specifics through experience.
Treasure Chests are the Hall's physical manifestation of loot. Some foes may carry spatial storage items.
Agents obtain loot by opening chests. Unclaimed loot is reclaimed by the Hall.
[SPECIAL NOTICE]
Chests contain 'Equipment'—special items imbued with Hall resources that can be taken out of a world.
Most items found within a world are bound to it and cannot be removed.
For more information, consult the Hall.
Li Xia dismissed the notification. The meaning was clear enough.
Kill an enemy,the Hall cleans up the corpse, strips anything useful (even from spatial items), and packages it in a chest. What you don't get, the Hall keeps as a disposal fee.
Mission completion rewards were probably just loot from enemies the Agent had already defeated.
Makes sense. The Hall and its working-class Agents.
It was efficient.Many spatial items were reportedly impossible to open after the owner's death. And who knew which part of a monster's corpse was most valuable? The Hall handling it for a small fee was fair.
After steadying himself, Li Xia weighed the chest in his hand and decided to open it immediately.
With a Luck stat of 0,worrying about bad rolls was pointless. Not opening it at all was the surest way to get nothing. Even a basic reward was better than dying with an inventory full of unopened chests.
Open.
With a soft click, the clasp released. Wisps of black smoke accompanied faint trails of light as the chest dissolved into nothingness.
Several small orbs of light,each encapsulating an item, floated before him.
[Acquired: 10 Meiji Dragon Dollars, 2 Pickled Plum Rice Balls, 1 Vial of Pure Demon Blood, 200 Hall Points]
The Meiji Dragon Dollars were silver coins, similar to old silver dollars. One side featured a flying dragon, the other the Chinese characters for "Trade Silver." They looked newly minted.
[Meiji Dragon Dollar: Common currency of this trial world. Can be removed from the trial.]
[Valuables/Currency]
[Note: A silver coin. In some worlds, collectors might pay a premium.]
Fiddling with a coin, Li Xia examined the next items. The rice balls were a welcome find.
[Pickled Plum Rice Ball (Hall-Enhanced)]
Quality: Green
Type: Consumable (Recovery)
Effect: Contains trace life force. Consumption slowly restores 20% Health (can also mend minor injuries).
[Note: Percentage-based recovery is a variable value, influenced by Tier and physical condition.]
"Excellent." Li Xia smiled, looking at the two baseball-sized rice balls. This was different from the games he knew. Here, the Health bar didn't fix everything. A severed arm wouldn't regrow just because you maxed your HP. These injury-healing items were valuable.
Checking his status, his Health had stabilized around 50%, the bleeding stopped by his enhanced 200% healing. After a moment's hesitation, he took small bites of one rice ball. Staying in top condition was priority; who knew what was next?
The rice was soft,sticky, with a delicate sweetness and the subtle tang of pickled plum.
He looked at the final item.
[Vial of Pure Demon Blood]
[Bloodline-Related Item]
Tier: D
Effect: Upon use, 60% chance to transform into a 'Demon.' Greatly enhances regeneration and physical attributes. User develops severe photosensitivity/photophobia and vulnerability to Yang-aligned items and certain skills.
[Evaluation: A common bloodline in Tier-1 worlds. A weak amalgamation of cursed energy, mysticism, and darkness. Extends lifespan by cannibalizing peers to circumvent cellular division limits. Without major flaws, potential ceiling: C-Tier.]
[Note: Can be evolved into 'Perfect Demon Blood' via mystical means using 'Blue Spider Lily' and ???, overcoming inherent flaws.]
A bloodline item. Li Xia stored the vial in his personal space instantly. He had zero interest in becoming a demon. The Hall's description made its limitations clear. Maybe he could sell it later. Surely someone would buy it.
Along with the chest loot, there was the map.
It was rough,with a small red circle marking his current location. Several prominent landmarks were noted.
Mt. Kumotori — Sagiri Mountain.
Below the characters for "Mt. Kumotori" was a sun symbol. Below "Sagiri Mountain," a water symbol.
Li Xia nodded.This marked the locations of the Breathing Styles.
Sun Breathing at Mt.Kumotori. Water Breathing at Mt. Sagiri. Flame and Stone Breathing near the Butterfly Mansion. Thunder Breathing at Mt. Momo.
This map was likely the base mission reward.
Which one to choose?
He studied the map.In terms of proximity, Mt. Kumotori (Sun Breathing) was closest, though the lack of scale made the distance unclear. Next was Mt. Sagiri (Water Breathing). Mt. Momo (Thunder) was the farthest.
The task didn't state prerequisites,but surely there were some. Perhaps distance was one of them.
After some thought, Li Xia pressed a finger decisively on the map.
Mt. Kumotori. Sun Breathing.
The reasons were simple:it was the original and strongest style.
And most importantly—it was the closest.
His Health was now above 50%. His body ached like the day after extreme exercise, but it was manageable.
He picked up the axe and tucked it into his belt—infinitely more practical for a beginner than any sword.
Standing in the doorway,the sky was paling. Dawn would soon scatter the darkness.
Squinting,he could see wisps of smoke already rising from the farmhouses hundreds of meters away. Farmers rose early, in any world.
Let's go. To Mt. Kumotori.
---
Before leaving, Li Xia gave the room one final, game-honed sweep.
He found some scattered items:a dozen more silver coins and assorted small change. These, however, were marked as trial-bound and non-removable.
The most valuable find was a hairpin,made of pure silver with intricate, vine-like patterns and a small inlaid pearl. It had been sewn into the demon's obi; he'd only noticed it because one end had pierced through the fabric.
Turning it over,he found two characters engraved: Sachiko.
The name instantly conjured a tragic story:a poor boy leaving his village, promising to return for his love… only to meet Muzan on the road.
All Li Xia could do was wish that Muzan Kibutsuji found himself in sunlight every day and that Yoriichi Tsugikuni haunted his dreams every night.
As the dawn broke, painting the distant mountain ridges, Li Xia set out along the narrow paths between the fields.
The morning air was cool,stirring his hair. The damp scent of the paddies was strangely calming.
Unconsciously,the tension in his shoulders began to ease. The road was long, but he had taken the first step.