[Currently compatible racial template: Quincy]
[Integrating racial imprint to acquire talents and skills.]
[Racial imprint integration in progress]
[0.3%...0.8%...1.2%...]
An indescribable agony exploded alongside a surge of raw power! His bones creaked under the strain, meridians burning like fire.
Countless unfamiliar memory fragments—instinctive knowledge of drawing bows, nocking arrows, releasing shots—flooded his mind, as natural as breathing, as if he'd been born a master archer!
[Racial Imprint Complete]
[Racial template integrated: Quincy (Normal) – Current fusion level: 10.02%]
[Talent acquired: Spiritual Affinity]
[Innate skill acquired: Spirit Particle Cluster – Basic Quincy ability; gathers ambient spirit particles and converts them into personal power.]
[Racial skill acquired: Holy Annihilation Arrow – Condenses spiritual energy to shape atmospheric particles into an arrow, fired from a formed bowstring to strike enemies.]
[Item acquired: Quincy Cross – Symbol of the Quincy; enhances spirit particle gathering. Novice Quincies use it to form spirit bows and arrows.]
["Annihilation Cross" converted from physical object to spiritual rune; engraved on the back of the right hand.]
[Additional information acquired: Quincy Archery Fundamentals]
[Establish a foothold in this world. Gather more energy crystals to raise fusion level and unlock greater skills and control.]
[Accumulate energy crystals to reopen the stone gate for new power support.]
[Current energy crystals: 0]
A searing heat flared across the back of his right hand. A intricate cross-shaped spirit rune materialized in an instant!
The deathly pain receded like a retreating tide, replaced by an exhilarating rush of power he'd never felt before!
But Hyūga Aokawa immediately noticed something off.
Wait... there are no "spirit particles" in the air here at all!
What he sensed instead were vibrant, welcoming natural energies swirling all around him!
The force shaping his arrows wasn't spiritual power—it was chakra, already flowing through his body!
Had the cheat been localized to fit this world?
Or was it because he couldn't sense reishi properly?
And how the hell do you even get energy crystals to boost fusion?
Questions piled up, but there was no time to ponder.
He lay motionless like a corpse, yet inside his mind raced: calculating distances, angles, trajectories—simulating a "Divine Annihilation Arrow" powered by chakra!
...
As night deepened, the dim light inside the wooden shack faded further.
"Sizzle—!"
With sadistic relish, the burly man tore what remained of the woman's tattered kimono to shreds once more.
He licked his lips, eyes gleaming perversely at the pale skin peeking through the rags.
This kind of exquisite view was his favorite.
Despite his brutish looks, he savored the buildup, drawing out the atmosphere.
The woman's eyes had gone vacant—her only spark of hope fixed on the motionless figure on the floor.
Her last, fragile lifeline.
But he remained still, lifeless.
"Don't bother hoping, trash!"
The burly man noticed her stare. He planted a heavy foot on Hyūga Aokawa's shoulder and sneered.
"Let me tell you a little secret: I was the one who beat him half to death last time!"
"Those four worthless shinobi ganged up on me, and I slaughtered them like dogs! He was the weakest of the bunch!"
"If someone hadn't suddenly put a bounty on the black market for breaking that cursed seal of theirs, even a branch family reject could've cashed in."
"The first thing I'll do when I get up is twist his head clean off!"
She whipped her head toward the man, voice trembling with desperate pleading.
"I'll give you anything... please, just let us go."
"Let you go?"
"Let you go?"
The burly man arched a brow, then broke into a wide, vicious grin.
"I should be thanking you, really."
"If you hadn't dragged this kid to safety, I wouldn't have even realized he was still breathing when I came back through."
"You earned that bounty for me."
Seeing a flicker of absurd hope reignite in her eyes, he leaned in close.
His grin turned cruel. "So I've decided to be generous—I'll make sure you both get nice, intact corpses."
"Brute!"
In a final burst of strength, the woman thrashed wildly. Twisting her head, she sank her teeth deep into the man's neck.
"Damn it!"
"Crazy bitch!"
Roaring in pain and fury, the man shoved her away hard.
His massive hands clamped around her arms like vices.
He dragged her roughly toward the central pillar, treating her like cargo.
"Eriko, run! Don't worry about Mommy!" she cried to her daughter.
"Waaah... Mommy... I don't wanna leave..."
"Bad guy! Let go of Mommy!"
Amid the chaos—
The figure on the ground, seemingly unconscious...
Moved!
Hyūga Aokawa flipped to his feet in one fluid motion. With a flick of his wrist, several shuriken appeared between his fingers. He hurled them like lightning!
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
The shuriken screamed through the air, aimed straight for the burly man's face and heart!
"Ninja-sama!"
In an instant, the woman's despair shattered into wild, tearful joy—salvation!
The burly man, caught off-guard, released her instinctively and clumsily raised his kunai to block.
Clang! Clang!
Even so, a deep gash opened on his arm, exposing bone!
"You little shit! You're dead!"
Face twisted in rage, the man roared and charged to rip Hyūga Aokawa apart!
But—
In the next heartbeat!
The figure who'd seemed so imposing didn't even check the damage.
He spun on his heel and drove a fist forward!
Boom—!
A massive hole exploded in the already cracked wooden wall!
Without a backward glance, he leaped through and vanished into the night beyond!
He... ran?
He actually ran away?!
A deathly silence gripped the shack.
The woman's ecstatic smile froze solid.
The fading footsteps struck like hammer blows, crushing her last illusions.
She whipped around like a cornered mother beast and unleashed a heart-rending wail toward the dark breach in the wall:
"Take Eriko with you!!"
"Please! Just take her!!"
"Ninja-sama! Come back!"
"Come back—!"
Her cries echoed hoarse and broken, answered only by the empty mountains, the rustling forest, and footsteps growing ever more distant.
(End of Chapter 2)