Chapter 6: Is This the Joy of Leveling Up?
[Kokonoe Natsuya]
[Power Level: 37 (Body: 17, Tech: 9, Mind: 11)]
[Wind Breathing LV.2 (231/1000)]
Life Skills (Total: 7)
LV.2: Physical Conditioning
LV.1: Suburi, Running, Camping, Cooking, Fishing
LV.0: Gathering
Achievement Points: 6
Walking through the woods, Natsuya was already planning his next move. He needed to learn other Breathing Styles as soon as possible, but first, he had to find enemies in this immediate area.
Logically, these man-eating demons had been trapped in the mountains around Lake Ashi for a long time. They should be starving. The moment they caught the scent of a fresh human, they should be swarming him like mosquitoes in a swamp.
Natsuya gripped his Nichirin Sword, his heart full of anticipation.
For other swordsmen, this Final Selection was a nightmare of being ambushed in the dark, struggling to survive until dawn. But for Natsuya, it was a completely different story.
He didn't need to fear an ambush. He just needed to watch for a floating nameplate to enter his "Detection Range."
Sure enough, a small line of text appeared in the trees to his right, growing larger as the entity approached.
[Noturi ???]
[Power Level: 33 (Body: 22, Tech: 6, Mind: 5)]
[Threat Level: Low]
"Holy crap! Finally, a live one! I'm starving to death over here!" With a series of bizarre shrieks, a creature that looked 70% human and 30% toad dropped from a tree.
It kicked up a cloud of dust as it landed, its eyes scanning Natsuya's skin with ravenous hunger.
"boy, don't resist. This Great One can give you a—"
Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!
Several slashes, resembling the claws of a massive beast, instantly tore through the demon's torso. The gale-force wind followed through, and the demon's head was sent spinning into the air.
"—can give you a quick death? Wait... HUH?! MY HEAD!"
The head hit the ground, only realizing what had happened after the fact. The demon's body began to disintegrate into ash.
"I remember now... it was that monster... that monster turned me into—"
[SKIP]
I'm farming XP in a dungeon here, I don't have time to watch your personal character arc.
[Wind Breathing LV.2 (265/1000) +34 XP]
"Oh? 34 XP?" Natsuya mused. He had expected the toad-demon to give less because it looked so weak, but it was a decent payout.
Just then, the forest behind him rustled again. The "Fast-Forward" time dilation of the System immediately snapped back to normal speed.
A new combat encounter had been triggered.
Natsuya swung his sword into a defensive parry. A long, sharp claw slammed into his Nichirin blade, sending a shower of sparks into the night.
"Noturi was a fool to die at the hands of a brat."
"In that case, I shall graciously accept this meal myself."
It was a gaunt, spindly demon. Aside from its unnervingly long, deformed limbs, it looked almost human.
[Shikan ???]
[Power Level: 52 (Body: 41, Tech: 6, Mind: 5)]
[Threat Level: Low]
Natsuya's interest piqued slightly.
The stats were significantly higher than the last one. This might actually be fun... although he wondered why the "Threat Level" was still rated as "Low."
Natsuya lunged forward, his Nichirin Sword pulled back to his waist.
Thrust!
Combined with the momentum of his sprint, the tip of the blade accelerated into a streak of emerald light.
"What an arrogant brat."
"It seems I must teach you a lesson."
Facing the lightning-fast thrust, the demon reacted with surprising grace. It retreated while twisting its joints in an inhuman fashion to dodge the blade. Simultaneously, it looped its long claws around the sword, swiping at Natsuya's throat.
The boy didn't flinch.
He instantly cancelled the thrusting animation. Dropping his center of gravity, his right hand released the hilt. He used his elbow to strike directly at the demon's elbow joint.
THUD.
The demon winced in pain as Natsuya's elbow strike forcibly broke its offensive momentum.
As expected. As long as it's a humanoid creature, it's limited by joints and leverage.
Tendons pull muscles, muscles pull bone—every swing and slash has a logical flow. The more "realistic" the game, the more these physical laws mattered. Humanoid monsters had predictable attack patterns. This was a trick Natsuya had mastered over a lifetime of action games.
Furthermore, the System's assistance was active.
Before every enemy attack, there was a momentary [Red Warning Flash].
When he slashed, the System provided a degree of "Aim Assist" based on his Tech stat.
With high enough stats, he could even see translucent "Trajectory Lines" predicting the enemy's next move.
In critical moments, the game would even slow down into a "Bullet Time" cinematic view.
Honestly, as far as combat went, Natsuya felt like he was playing on "Story Mode." Compared to the hardcore, soul-crushing titles he usually played, this was child's play.
The demon known as Shikan was enraged at being momentarily overpowered. It lunged at Natsuya with total abandon. In its mind, even if this human was skilled, it didn't matter. The demon had an immortal body; it had infinite room for error. The human only had to fail once.
But before it could close the distance, Natsuya's foot came down hard.
CRACK.
It wasn't a kick, but a heavy stomp directly onto the demon's instep. It interrupted the demon's forward motion and dealt a massive "Pain Critical" hit.
The sheer force crushed the demon's foot into the dirt. Agony surged through its body like a lightning bolt.
Before Shikan could even scream, a hard object slammed into its face.
It was the pommel of the sword.
In the close quarters where a full swing was impossible, Natsuya hadn't backed away. Instead, he gripped the sword sideways and smashed the metal hilt directly into the demon's philtrum (the space above the lip).
The intense pain, combined with a "Stun" effect, left Shikan reeling. It tried to stumble back, but because its foot was still pinned under Natsuya's boot, it lost its balance and fell sideways.
"You brat... aren't you a swordsman?!"
Elbows, foot-stomps, and now face-bashing?! The demon wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all.
Natsuya didn't hesitate. He flipped the blade back into a standard grip.
An upward slash!
A fountain of black-red blood sprayed into the air. Shikan rolled away frantically, narrowly avoiding a decapitation.
Natsuya didn't follow up immediately. Instead, he watched the demon with a detached curiosity.
"So, your blood is actually red too, huh?"
He watched as the demon's wounds began to knit back together at a visible speed. No wonder they don't fear pain. Some kind of cellular regeneration ability?
Across from him, Shikan was trembling with fear. It was actually considering running away.
This kid... his aura is weaker than mine, so why is he so terrifying?! No wonder that idiot Noturi disappeared in an instant.
"Hey. You aren't thinking of running, are you?"
Damn it... why does it feel like this kid is the hunter and I'm the prey?
Natsuya shrugged. "Well, if you aren't going to move, I will."
Shikan finally snapped, roaring, "Don't you look down on me!"
It threw everything into a final, desperate charge.
It was met by the Nichirin Sword.
In an instant, blade-light erupted. Beneath the elegant moonlight and the dreamy wisteria, the sword traced several chilling arcs. It looked as if Natsuya was inviting a partner to a dance.
And the demon, unwillingly, was dragged into this Waltz of Death.
Sparks—
The sound of metal-hard claws clashing against the Nichirin blade, sending shards of light into the dark.
Blood—
The spray of fear and agony as the demon was cut.
Every spark that lit the night was proof of the two dancers' struggle. In the firelight, the demon's expression became more distorted with terror; in the reflection of the blade, Natsuya's eyes grew brighter and more focused.
Finally, the sparks stopped flying.
[Wind Breathing LV.2 (265/1000)] → [Wind Breathing LV.2 (377/1000)]
The dance was over.