Kyusha Natsuo
Scepter, Chariot, Star
Power Level: 29
Body: 12
Skill: 7
Mind: 10
Combat Skill: Wind Breathing
Wind Breathing
Level 1: Beginner
Progress: 271/500
Sword Forms Mastered 9/9: First Form: Dust Whirlwind, Cutting Slash, Second Form: Claw Strike, Koto Wind, Third Form: ...
Compared to the cluttered, overly flashy stat sheets most games loved, the interface in front of Natsuo was clean and straightforward.
Kyusha Natsuo was an auto generated in-game name the system created based on what he entered during character creation.
It was a safeguard, meant to stop certain players from typing in bizarre symbols and ruining the experience.
After all, when an NPC was delivering a heartfelt life-and-death farewell, only to scream out names like "Mr. Wolf-Fang Potato Wedges," "Armstrong Spiral Armstrong Cannon Little Bro," or "Bro J"...
Yeah. That kind of thing destroyed immersion.
As for the three keywords after his name, those were random background traits he rolled while building the character.
Reversed: Scepter
You have become a torch of vengeance and poison. Your parents were murdered by villains, and the little sister who depended on you was eaten by a demon.
Effect: To a certain extent, it draws other people's sympathy. In battle, willpower increases slightly.
Upright: Chariot
Scars worn like medals. For you, fighting? Killing? It is as simple as eating and drinking.
Effect: In battle, slightly increases damage dealt. Slightly improves training efficiency.
Reversed: Star
With your spine as your sword, you walk against the dull crowd of the world. An unbending will and a backbone of rebellion make you never bow your head.
Effect: In battle, reduces the penalties caused by injuries. When facing powerful enemies, slightly increases attributes.
Uh...
Natsuo stared at the traits and fell into brief thought.
He played games for fun. Pure "humanity first" vibes. In other games it was always "serve the human empire" or "exterminate all aliens" and the like.
This time he had also picked the human faction and jumped straight in. He had never really looked closely at the background he rolled.
Now that he did, they were basically all combat-oriented traits.
So it was an orphan start...
No wonder his sensei always looked at him with that mix of sympathy and understanding.
As for attributes, there were only three.
Body (physique), Skill (technique), Mind (spirit and will).
Together they barely added up to 29 points, not even one fifth of Kazami Koyoshi's.
If he remembered right, this account had started with a total around 10.
It was only through a year of training and breathing practice that it had climbed this far.
And Breathing Styles?
They were the game's core combat system.
Train this art to temper a stronger body and sharper fighting skills.
Use that foundation to battle man-eating demons who far surpassed human limits.
Win while weak against the strong.
Every strike lands.
Counter after counter.
Classic action game. Natsuo knew it well.
So after grinding physical conditioning for over half a year, his character only took three or four months to grasp all the essentials and sword forms of this Wind Breathing...
Even by Kazami's years of training experience, Natsuo's pace was fast.
"But having to enter a high-fatality selection the moment I've 'entered the gate'..."
Was the Demon Slayer Corps so well-staffed they could afford to throw rookies away?
Ancient Far East setting, humans fighting monsters, action genre.
Was this going to be that old local trope again? The one that goes, "If you don't have the resolve to die, then die here instead"?
Thoughts aside, his hands never stopped.
Taking a standard stance, Natsuo began swinging his wooden sword again and again.
Two hours of swing practice, two hours of breathing training, and two hours of form training.
Between each set, another half hour of meditation, or going up the hillside to feel the wind.
It was the routine Kazami had designed for him.
Of course, at the start there had also been conditioning and sparring drills, but once Natsuo's strength broke past 10 and he mastered Wind Breathing, those basics gradually took up less time.
There were three days left.
Natsuo decided to use them to see if he could raise his breathing level even a little.
Soon, he felt his awareness gradually detach from his body.
He had entered System Assist Mode.
Modern games, to avoid boring repetition and protect the player experience, often sped up repetitive training and tedious travel.
For Natsuo, it meant that while he trained, the system basically switched to autopilot, played a training animation, and accelerated in-game time.
Experience +1
Experience +1
In short, he suffered through watching the status panel, harvesting every bit of progress with his eyes.
While Natsuo trained with total focus, pouring out sweat, Kazami Koyoshi quietly watched from a distant room.
In his eyes, Natsuo had always been a silent, extremely disciplined child.
He did not fool around or slack off like other kids.
He never complained that the training tasks were too harsh.
As long as it would not kill him, he would train himself to the edge of death.
He would not leave himself even a moment of rest.
Kazami knew why.
His sister's death.
In the flames, crying and screaming as a Lower Rank demon devoured her alive, bit by bit.
The impact of that scene, forget a kid in his teens.
Even Kazami could not bear to recall it.
It had affected Natsuo too deeply.
Kazami did not know whether that blazing fire of revenge against all demons would one day burn him down, or become the strength that carried him forward.
The old man unconsciously tightened his grip on the window frame.
The wood creaked faintly beneath his palm.
"I hope your effort and your anger will help you pass the Final Selection."
Day and night alternated.
Two days quietly slipped away in the sweat the boy poured out.
Wind Breathing
Level 1: Beginner
Progress: 316/500 (+45)
Skill like this was the work of a thousand days, not something achieved overnight.
Two days of nonstop grinding was not enough to push Wind Breathing to Level 2.
All it really gave Natsuo was a Fatigue status.
Even so, the visible speed of his progress was already exceptional compared to other swordsmen.
"I'm not going to make it... huh? A new function unlocked?"
Realizing he would not reach Level 2 in time, Natsuo ended his bitter training.
While wiping off sweat, he noticed a new prompt on the system panel.
On the new Life Skills page, two icons had lit up.
Swing Practice Level 1 (17/500) (NEW)
Physical Training Level 1 (89/500) (NEW)
He opened the details on instinct.
Swing Practice Level 1 (17/500)
Summary: The foundation of the sword is the tempering of mind, energy, and body. It is also the essence of training.
Effect: Slightly increases sword training speed.
Physical Training Level 1 (89/500)
Summary: Build a strong body and lay down a solid foundation for training.
Effect: Slightly increases growth speed for strength and agility.
At the same time, another prompt popped up, one Natsuo never expected.
Achievement Points gained: 2
These points can be used to increase combat skill level.
Huh?
Natsuo froze.
Wait, was this the real core gameplay?
Unlocking life skills could raise a Breathing Style level?
So as long as he crazily grinded life skills, he could keep dumping points into Wind Breathing forever?
That meant he could farm points until they overflowed.
He hurriedly switched back to Wind Breathing.
Sure enough, a plus sign had appeared next to it.
With a thought, a faint preview bar appeared over the experience bar, showing the conversion effect if he spent achievement points.
Experience +325
Please note: Current Breathing Style compatibility is 65%
Conversion loss: 35%
What?
Natsuo went blank.
This leveling system had loss?
He suddenly remembered Kazami-sensei saying there were many Breathing Style schools in the world.
None was absolutely superior.
But because everyone's body, temperament, and even spiritual aura differed, results could vary greatly.
Even the power of the sword forms matched to the style would be affected.
In other words, everyone had a Breathing Style that fit them best.
The higher the compatibility, the smoother the training, and the stronger the moves.
The lower it was, the more effort for less gain.
Only now did Natsuo realize that Wind Breathing might not actually be his best match.
Did that mean he had to switch to another Breathing Style?
And would his bargain-bin sensei slap him with the label "traitor to the school" for it?
Garbage devs, come out and take a beating.
He complained in his head, but his body still honestly chose to invest the points.
After all, Wind Breathing was the only Breathing Style he had right now.
A chime sounded that only Natsuo could hear.
Wind Breathing Level 1 to Level 2
Beginner to Adept
Progress: 141/1000 (+325)
Power Level: 29 to 35
Body: 12 to 16
Skill: 7 to 8
Mind: 10 to 11
Your mastery of sword forms has improved.
"This ranking system feels exactly like some wuxia game next door..."
He had barely muttered that when a warm flow, like a gentle spring breeze, swept through his entire body.
Kyusha Natsuo froze for a beat, then a light flared in his eyes, his cheeks flushing slightly with excitement.
Oh, oh, oh!
It's here. That long-missed feeling of breaking through.
He could feel it clearly.
Power. Power was surging up.
(End of Chapter)
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