Aoki's figure emerged from the shadows of the alley, exclaiming, "Such keen senses! No wonder she's the future Insect Pillar."
The girl he'd just seen bore a striking resemblance to the girl he'd met at Mount Natagumo, and with her petite figure, it was undoubtedly Shinobu Kocho.
He hadn't expected her to be the guest Takina and his master's wife were waiting for.
"I remember Takina mentioning in her letter that they encountered two Demon Slayer Corps members, one of whom was Shinobu Kocho? And the other? Kanae Kocho?"
Aoki stroked his chin.
He couldn't fathom how Takina and his master's wife could be connected to Shinobu Kocho.
"That's fine. If Shinobu Kocho comes around often, there won't be any demons around."
Through the walls and houses, Aoki glanced at where Takina and his master's wife lived, then left Haku without looking back.
He didn't intend to see them.
Muzan Kibutsuji wasn't a magnanimous person, nor did he possess any sense of proportion.
The idea of "not harming one's family" would never cross Muzan Kibutsuji's mind.
Now, his importance in Muzan's heart is second only to the Ubuyashiki clan, even greater than all the Pillars.
For the safety of Takina and his master's wife, the best way is to stay away from them.
After meeting Takina and his master's wife, Aoki's luck suddenly improved; within a month, he found three demons of considerable strength.
"Wait, don't kill me! Don't kill me!" A demon with curved horns on both sides of its head desperately shrank back, its face filled with fear.
Aoki paused: "Do you know the location of the Upper Moons?"
"No, I don't know,"
the two-horned demon's words had barely left its mouth when its head exploded.
"Then I'm sorry!"
Aoki politely withdrew his right foot and extended his palm.
"Swallow!"
[Killed a demon, gained 80 experience points.]
"Only 80 experience points? Leveling up is getting harder and harder!"
He sighed inwardly.
This two-horned demon was even stronger than the demon father of Mount Natagumo.
Could it be that only demons of the Twelve Demon Moon level could provide a considerable amount of experience in the future?
But...
how many of the Twelve Demon Moons are there?
I wonder if I could talk to Muzan and ask him to expend more blood to create some demons of Lower Moon strength?
As Aoki's mind wandered, the system notification sounded again.
[Skill point +1.]
[Congratulations on leveling up.]
"Huh? Double happiness!"
Aoki's spirits lifted immediately, and he threw away those messy thoughts.
He had already saved up 2 skill points, and with the 2 he gained this time, he could learn another skill.
Aoki opened the system.
He quickly added the 2 free attribute points to Intelligence and Agility, and then his gaze fell on the skill section.
Which skill should he learn this time?
First, spatial teleportation could be ruled out.
The long-distance teleportation was very appealing, but what he needed more right now was combat power.
He then ruled out level 5 "Demon Blood."
"Demon Blood" mainly helped him break through his bloodline limits, granting him the ability to survive decapitation.
In terms of combat power, it only provided a "+1 to all attributes" bonus.
Four attribute points were good, but definitely not as good as "Transparent World."
Aoki no longer hesitated. His
four painstakingly accumulated skill points vanished instantly.
Aoki felt the world suddenly become clear, and then everything around him began to become transparent, giving him an absolute sense of control.
"Is this 'Transparent World'?"
He murmured,
"The Transparent World has two main effects.
First, it provides a special kind of perception, like X-rays, unaffected by surface obstacles, allowing direct vision of the human body. This perception is far more powerful than sight or hearing, capable of detecting subtle muscle changes and the expansion and contraction of blood vessels, thus predicting enemy movements and exploiting weaknesses.
This powerful perception can even make one feel as if the enemy's movements have slowed down.
Second, it aids in self-control. This exceptionally powerful perception not only affects the outside world but also one's own mind, allowing one to seal their fighting spirit and better control their emotions.
This brings an additional benefit.
'Others who want to enter the Transparent World first need to improve their breathing and swordsmanship, but for me, it's the complete opposite,'
Aoki remarked.
He activated the Transparent World with the power of the system, and can use it to assist in creating, improving, and refining his techniques.
If nothing unexpected happens, his combat skills will improve rapidly in the coming period.
It's somewhat similar to Yoriichi Tsugikuni's situation.
Aoki exhaled, and the transparent world gradually returned to normal."
Through the system, he skipped the stages of training his breathing and swordsmanship, directly entering the "Transparent World." Unfortunately, he didn't reach the level of Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
For him, both activating and maintaining the "Transparent World" were extremely difficult, and the mental and physical strain was severe.
Similar to "space travel," the "Transparent World" couldn't be used for extended periods.
Aoki glanced at the system panel: "As expected, the 'Transparent World' can still be improved. Level 2 should be enough to reach Yoriichi Tsugikuni's level."
However, he didn't have any skill points for it in the short term.
With the current duration of the "Transparent World," it was sufficient for just one battle.
He didn't need to fight continuously.
There were only two or three enemies stronger than him who required the "Transparent World."
Excluding Muzan Kibutsuji, there were even fewer.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 18]
[Constitution: 17]
[Intelligence: 18]
[Agility: 18]
[Occupation: Hunter, Otherworlder]
...
[Otherworlder]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv13 (12/1300)
Skills: Demon Blood IV, Space Travel, Transparent World, Devouring Demons II
Quest: The End of the Upper Moon (1/3)
Aoki showed a satisfied expression.
Finally, all skills were unlocked.
Although he didn't have obsessive-compulsive disorder, every time he opened the system and saw the words "Not yet learned" after "Transparent World", he felt a little annoyed.
His attributes were also almost all at 18 points.
"I wonder, how do I compare to Kokushibo now?"
Aoki compared them in his mind.
Kokushibo's swordsmanship was more superb, and he also had the Blood Demon Art bonus, but his Blood Demon Art was also good. Although his combat skills and combat awareness were a little lacking, he had "Devouring Demons", which was enough to make up for all his disadvantages.
They both had Transparent World, and in terms of attributes, he estimated that they were about the same.
Aoki shook his head.
The specifics will only be known after a real battle.
Unfortunately, even if he wanted to fight, he couldn't find a target.
"It doesn't have to be Kokushibo; Akaza, Gyokko, Hantengu are all fine, any Upper Moon will do. I'm not picky."
Aoki smiled, shut down the system, and disappeared into the night.
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(End of Chapter)