In the Demon Slayer world, on Mount Natagumo. It was a dark, lonely forest.
Calm moonlight shined on the ground. A full moon hung high in the sky, lighting up a confused young man in the forest.
"Did I transmigrate?"
A handsome young man, with a face almost as good-looking as the reader's, slowly opened his eyes.
At this moment, Su Chen's eyes were full of confusion.
The strong smell of blood was in the air. The wind was cold. He saw the bodies of Demon Slayer Corps members everywhere. He could also hear crying in the distance.
All of these things proved to him that he had transmigrated.
Then, a soft, clear sound echoed in his mind.
"Ding! You have transmigrated to the world of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. To help you survive, you are rewarded with Heaven-Defying Comprehension!"
In an instant, Su Chen's mind became crystal clear.
Everything in front of him became sharp and visible. Su Chen's brain began to work very fast.
His senses were so sharp that he could notice tiny details in the environment.
Using the system's message and what he saw around him, Su Chen figured out where he was.
Mount Natagumo!
This was the territory of Lower Moon Five, Rui!
"This isn't good!"
Su Chen's heart immediately felt tight.
His special power was a "growth" type, but he had just arrived. He didn't have any skills or equipment!
If a demon found him now, he would probably die here!
Su Chen prayed silently. Just let me walk out of here quietly.
Hmm, I'm useless right now. Useless people should be invisible.
After deciding, Su Chen tried to move his feet.
But as soon as he turned around, he heard a "hehehe" sound from the shadows behind him.
Su Chen's eyes widened. "It can't be this unlucky, can it?"
Something was moving in the shadows.
Su Chen really didn't want to believe it, but a horrible face slowly appeared, and his heart sank.
That's right. Su Chen had found a demon.
This demon was large and ugly. Its eyes stared at Su Chen like he was a delicious meal.
Bad-smelling drool dripped from its large mouth. "Hungry… Ugh… You smell so good!"
The scene was terrifying, but Su Chen suddenly noticed something about the demon.
[You observed the demon's teeth. Your eyes lit up. You comprehended the 'Twisted Smile'.] [Your heart rate increased. You felt nervous. You learned the 'High-Frequency Heartbeat Technique'. Your body temperature rose, and you are about to awaken a Mark.] [You sensed the demon's 'enthusiasm' and had an idea. You created a Breathing Technique that can make the body warm: the 'Warm Breathing Technique' (Retsu no Kokyū)!]
"Holy crap!" Su Chen was stunned.
The ideas had just flooded his mind automatically, and he had learned so much by accident.
He even created his own Breathing Technique?!
Is this what heaven-defying comprehension is?
Su Chen's heart filled with joy.
But in the next moment, he felt very dizzy.
It seemed his brain couldn't think that hard for very long. How long had it been? He felt like he had used too much energy, and his blood sugar was low.
While Su Chen was lost in thought, the demon couldn't wait any longer.
It aimed for Su Chen's neck and pounced, looking happy!
Seeing this, Su Chen automatically twisted his mouth. He easily dodged the demon's attack.
His body temperature was rising high, but Su Chen was surprised to find that he didn't feel weak. Instead, he felt more powerful than normal!
At that exact moment, a figure floated down from the treetops above Su Chen's head, as lightly as a butterfly.
She had a unique, patterned Nichirin Sword at her waist. A colorful butterfly-wing haori was draped over her shoulders.
She had long black hair with purple tips, and a beautiful butterfly hairpin held her hair up neatly.
Her body was graceful. She looked like a fairy from heaven.
This newcomer was one of the current nine Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Shinobu Kocho!
Shinobu Kocho was a Hashira-level expert. Her speed was one of the best among the Hashira. In the blink of an eye, she was already standing in front of Su Chen.
She drew her sword and swung it. The blade moved so fast it was dazzling.
But Su Chen saw the whole thing clearly.
[You observed Shinobu Kocho's elegant sword technique. You were very shocked. With a clear mind, you successfully comprehended 'Sword Skill Mastery'.]
"Insect Breathing: Butterfly Dance - Frolic."
Shinobu danced in the air like a butterfly. She quickly thrust her poisoned Nichirin Sword into the demon beside Su Chen.
Poison entered the demon's body. The demon, which was full of energy just a second ago, quickly dried up.
After beating the demon, Shinobu's figure landed gracefully.
Her colorful butterfly-wing haori floated gently, like real wings. It released a sweet, pleasant smell.
She walked to Su Chen's side.
Shinobu Kocho narrowed her eyes and gave him a sweet smile.
"Moshi moshi. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Su Chen replied.
He had just comprehended 'Sword Skill Mastery', and now his mind was tired. He felt like he wanted to sleep.
At that moment, Su Chen swayed. He had thought too hard, and his vision started to get blurry.
But just then, Shinobu Kocho's face moved very close to his!
A bright smile appeared on her face, and her dark purple eyes stared right at him.
They were so close that Su Chen could smell the sweet wisteria perfume coming from her.
Shinobu blinked, and her beautiful eyes slowly moved down toward Su Chen's neck.
Her eyes moved lower.
Then, she saw a patch of black markings on Su Chen's chest.
"A Mark?!"
Shinobu's purple pupils suddenly grew wide. She was so surprised that the smile on her face vanished for a second.
She had read about Marks before while she was studying medicine, but she didn't remember all the details.
Shinobu only knew that when someone awakened a Mark, their physical power would get much stronger, maybe several times stronger than normal.
But the man in front of her was not wearing a Demon Slayer Corps uniform. He was clearly just a normal person.
And yet, he had awakened a Mark. What did this mean?
This person had the potential to become a Hashira!
Shinobu knew she couldn't make this decision alone. She planned to take him back to see the Master.
The next moment, Shinobu put her usual smile back on her face.
"Ara ara~, my dear sir, what is your name?"
"Su Chen."
"Alright, Mr. Su Chen. Where do you plan to go next? Are you going home?"
Su Chen paused. "I don't have a home. I'm an orphan."
Shinobu's face lit up. "Is that so? That's really a pity. Most of the members of the Demon Slayer Corps are orphans. Why don't you come with me, sir?"
Su Chen lowered his head and started to think.
His 'Heaven-Defying Comprehension' needed more things to learn from, like Breathing Techniques or Blood Demon Arts. But he was very weak right now and needed time to grow.
Joining the demons was too dangerous, and he didn't share their values.
But the Demon Slayer Corps was different.
He would have the chance to observe the Breathing Techniques of all the Hashira. He could also show off and maybe flirt with the ladies sometimes. Wouldn't that be great?
So, Su Chen chose to join the Demon Slayer Corps.
When she heard Su Chen's answer, Shinobu smiled happily.
"Then, Su Chen, come back to the Butterfly Mansion with me first. I can check your body. You must be exhausted from fighting that demon."
Su Chen nodded. But as soon as he tried to stand up, a wave of dizziness hit his brain.
Using his comprehension power for so long had overloaded his mind. He stumbled and fainted, falling directly into Shinobu Kocho's arms.