After the system activated Stone Breathing, Kuguruma Natsunishi immediately previewed his compatibility.
[67%]
One Achievement Point would convert into 335 proficiency points for Stone Breathing.
It was significantly higher than Water Breathing. However, compared to Wind Breathing, the advantage was somewhat limited.
Still, this period of time hadn't exactly been a waste. Because while Stone Breathing was his primary cultivation goal, his life skills had actually leveled up first.
[Blacksmithing LV.2]
Effect: Slightly increases physical attributes; higher quality when crafting weapons.
Remaining Achievement Points: 14
And that wasn't all. Perhaps because training under Matsuyama Daimon placed a heavy emphasis on fundamentals and character, Kuguruma Natsunishi's attributes had been forced upward by a significant margin.
After investing two newly earned Achievement Points into Stone Breathing to round out the numbers, Kuguruma Natsunishi's total attributes had officially broken the 80 mark.
[Kuguruma Natsunishi]
[Energy Level: 82 (Body: 39, Skill: 24, Spirit: 19)]
[Wind Breathing]LV.3 (490/2000)
[Water Breathing]LV.2 (294/1000)
[Stone Breathing]LV.1 (170/500)
The only slight disappointment was that during this trip, he hadn't really learned any sword forms for Stone Breathing. He had asked Matsuyama why he wasn't teaching him swordsmanship.
The man simply replied indifferently: "You came here to cultivate Breathing Styles, not to learn sword techniques. Why waste time?"
Facing Kuguruma Natsunishi's skeptical gaze at the time, Matsuyama merely set down his hammer, his eyes as calm and steady as a rock. "The essence of Stone Breathing lies in 'intent.' The specific form of the sword is irrelevant. As long as you can slay demons, does it matter if you are holding a forging hammer?"
Kuguruma Natsunishi then thought about the swordsmen Matsuyama had trained. Between training sessions, Matsuyama would occasionally chat about other topics, and Kuguruma Natsunishi had learned a bit about his former disciples.
Setting aside a few minor swordsmen who never reached Kinoe rank, the previous disciple who became a Hashira, Mr.Fudo, used a war hammer. The current disciple who became a Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, used a flail and axe. As for Matsuyama himself, his most trusted weapon was a battle axe.
Emmm...
Since Kuguruma Natsunishi was already waiting for his custom-made katars from the Swordsmith Village, he suddenly felt that the man's logic made perfect sense.
Having completed his Stone Breathing training, Kuguruma Natsunishi naturally bid farewell to the cultivator. When Kuguruma Natsunishi shouldered his bag and the iron hammer gifted by his mentor to leave, Matsuyama didn't offer any sentimental parting words. It wasn't because he was cold-hearted, but because he had witnessed such departures far too many times.
He simply stood before the gate and gave a serious reminder: "Wind is too sharp, and water is too soft. But with this bit of 'Stone' as your foundation, perhaps you will be able to stand firm when facing a desperate situation in the future..."
However, he was interrupted by an unexpected question from Kuguruma Natsunishi. Kuguruma Natsunishi's voice was soft, yet it made Matsuyama swallow the rest of his words.
"Master Matsuyama, which Demon Moons did Senior Fudō... die to?"
The light of the bonfire flickered across Matsuyama's face for a moment. Kuguruma Natsunishi remembered the bottomless pain in the man's eyes whenever that disciple was mentioned. Since he had learned skills from this man, it was only natural to offer something in return. Even if he had come here as a favor to Master Kazami, one thing did not replace another. This was Kuguruma Natsunishi's principle and the etiquette he had been taught since childhood.
Matsuyama fell silent. He had already walked Kuguruma Natsunishi out the door, but he hadn't expected such a question.
"Why do you ask?"
"To avenge him for you," Kuguruma Natsunishi's voice was calm, yet it suppressed all other noise. "I was going to cut down those Upper Ranks anyway. If I know which one did it, I'll make sure to give them a few extra hacks when the time comes."
Matsuyama stared at the youth's profile. There was no impulsiveness there. It was a matter-of-fact killing intent. There was even a sense of blood-deep enmity, as if his own family had been slaughtered by demons.
"The Twelve Demon Moons are not opponents you should be thinking about right now." He eventually shook his head, his voice raspy. "Especially the Upper Ranks... those are monsters that humans are not meant to face."
"Not now doesn't mean not later."
Kuguruma Natsunishi knew his current level wasn't high enough. He rubbed the hilts of the Nichirin swords at his waist and asked curiously, "By the way, Master Matsuyama, you encountered a Lower Rank Demon Moons back in the day, didn't you? With my current strength, how many of them could I take down?"
Matsuyama closed his eyes, speaking only after a long pause. "The Lower Ranks are not constant; over the years, they have occasionally been slain by swordsmen. As for the newly promoted Lower Ranks—their abilities, Blood Demon Arts, combat skills... no one can say for sure. But if I judge based purely on my experience back then..."
"If you encounter the lowest-ranked Lower Rank with a mediocre Blood Demon Art, you might be able to hold your own for a while without suffering an immediate defeat."
Kuguruma Natsunishi pressed further, "Only 'not immediately defeated'?"
Defeated? He meant losing within seconds, right?
"Your chances of winning are less than twenty percent," Matsuyama opened his eyes, his gaze like tempered iron. "But if you focus solely on escaping, or choosing to stall until dawn, you have about a fifty percent chance of survival."
However, Matsuyama did not see the cautious reflection or disbelief he expected from Kuguruma Natsunishi. On the contrary, he saw a light in the boy's eyes. It was a light of excitement and relief.
"Twenty percent win rate already? If I wait another six months or a year, won't it jump straight to fifty percent?"
Seeing Matsuyama's solemn expression earlier, he thought it was going to be much harder. A 20% survival rate for a first-time boss encounter? In a hardcore action game, those stats are actually quite friendly. In fact, in most action games, the first boss makes over 80% of players reload their save multiple times.
Furthermore, even right now, he had nearly a 50% chance of survival. 20% to win outright, 50% to stall until the game ends—doesn't that mean a nearly 70% success rate? In a competitive game, that would be a terrifying win rate. Most PVP games, under ELO balancing, keep players right around 50%.
Besides, once he dumped all these Achievement Points... he wasn't sure about the Upper Ranks, but his win rate against a Lower Rank was bound to skyrocket.
Kuguruma Natsunishi suddenly smiled. There was no fear of demons in that smile. Instead, it was like a clear breeze blowing over a mountain ridge, transparent and bold.
"Fifty percent... that's very high," he repeated, his tone carrying a certainty that Matsuyama found hard to grasp. "And besides, time is on our side."
Once his level was higher, he might be able to just steamroll them. As for the enemies leveling up? He'd heard of bosses having multiple phases or second encounters, but he'd never heard of a boss leveling up alongside the player. If bosses could level up, the ones who had lived for a thousand years would have maxed out their stats long ago.
In short—this game was winnable.
Matsuyama looked at him and suddenly thought of that similarly stubborn disciple from years ago. They both had such sharp edges.
"Your... spirit is commendable." His throat moved slightly before he spoke again. "But! Not now. I understand you want revenge and to prove yourself. But you are still young. Your Breathing Style will grow, and your blade will become sharper. Wait," Matsuyama said, emphasizing every syllable. "Wait until you feel that 'twenty percent' chance has become fifty or seventy percent before you seek out a Lower Rank. The demons aren't going anywhere, but once your life is gone, everything is over."
Matsuyama believed that with Kuguruma Natsunishi's talent, he could achieve what he promised. But that was exactly why he shouldn't act impulsively now. He reached out and gripped Kuguruma Natsunishi's shoulder with incredible force. It wasn't fear; rather, he found a sense of expectation in Kuguruma Natsunishi.
Perhaps, just perhaps... once this child matured... the thousand-year stalemate between the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji would change because of him!
"Stay alive, Kuguruma. When the time comes, you shall surely be surrounded by all as you walk toward the finish line we never managed to reach."
I should write a letter today and have the crow deliver it to Oyakata-sama (Kagaya Ubuyashiki), so this bright pearl isn't lost prematurely, Matsuyama thought.
A morning breeze blew through the yard, and a cluster of sparks crackled in the iron furnace. Meanwhile, Kuguruma Natsunishi was secretly complaining in his head.
Hey, I call you Master, and you go and set up such a high, stable death flag for me? Is that right? But... why does it feel kind of inspiring?
(Former "Mountain Hashira," Mr.Fudo)
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