Chapter 17: Grinding Skills
"Flow! Your breathing must flow! The blade in your hand and your entire being must flow! Do not stop!
Be like water! Whether it's a river, a stream, or a surging tide, flow! Do not be stagnant water!"
Urokodaki Sakonji circled Roland incessantly, issuing stern reprimands and pointing out the errors in his Breathing Technique training.
Roland stood beneath the waterfall, practicing the Ten Sword Forms of Water Breathing repeatedly, silently comprehending the "flow of water" under the guidance of the other party.
The movements of his hands gradually slowed from rapid to gentle, like terrifying waves calming down, finally settling into stillness.
"Hoo!"
Slowly exhaling a long breath, Roland opened his tightly shut eyes.
The Paradise notifications appeared in his line of sight.
[Proficiency +47. Water Breathing has been upgraded to LV.7.]
As the skill level increased, a large volume of insights was poured into his mind, and certain techniques related to the forms were etched into his muscle memory.
"Speaking of which, I feel like Water Breathing and Ashina Style share many commonalities in their form concepts. I wonder if that's why my speed in mastering Water Breathing... is very fast!"
Water Breathing, First Form: Surface Slice!
The blade light, carrying the ripples of a water wave, flashed through the waterfall curtain. Although it was only for an instant, Roland was sure that this single strike had severed the flow of water.
He quickly withdrew his blade, returned to the low stance, and several water-wave-like energy currents appeared around him before being drawn back into his body.
"After breaking through Level 5, not only can the maximum stack count of the Breathing Technique reach 20 layers, but there's also a new skill effect. As long as I maintain the Breathing Technique at the maximum stack count, I gain an additional 10% resistance to negative status effects.
Using the Sword Forms requires consuming Breathing Technique stacks, but now that I've mastered 'Total Concentration: Constant' and also acquired the crucial additional ability 'Zanshin,' my sustained combat ability is guaranteed, and I no longer have to worry about 'running out of breath'!"
Urokodaki Sakonji looked at this "disciple," who had reached the level of a Demon Slayer Corps Kinoe-rank Swordsman in just three hours, and nodded in satisfaction:
"I have nothing more to teach you. You must walk the rest of the path yourself!"
With that, his figure vanished into the air, and the surrounding scenery of mountains and waterfalls reverted to the appearance of the [Training Ground].
"Continue! Summon Tomioka Giyuu, set the time to two hours! Master 'Crimson Red Nichirin Blade' upon reaching Level 8, and activate the 'Demon Slayer Mark' upon reaching Level 9.
Once I reach the maximum level of 10, I can use 'Transparent World.' I'll push the Water Breathing level up in one go, and then I can start grinding the next skill!"
[Special Authority Activated. Tomioka Giyuu - Intermediate Mirror Image has been designated for summoning, originating from the demon slayer: kimetsu no yaiba world. 50% of the Paradise Facility Usage Fee has been waived for you.]
The young man with the low ponytail appeared before him, and the moment he opened his mouth, Roland couldn't help but feel awkward.
"You, are not human!" (Your strength is immense, the kind that surpasses ordinary people!)
"...Forget it, let's just start training!"
"Do you have no time?" (Are you in a hurry?)
"I..."
...Tomioka Giyuu was originally a genius of the Water Breathing lineage, and under his one-on-one tutelage, he quickly helped Roland raise the skill level of [Water Breathing] to Level 10.
[Water Breathing LV.10:
Proficiency: MAX
Skill Effect: In combat, maintaining a specific breathing rhythm grants "Breathing Technique" stacks. The maximum number of "Breathing Technique" stacks is 30.
For every three Breathing Technique stacks, Strength, Agility, and Stamina attributes are each increased by one point, and blade skill damage is additionally increased by 1.5%. When the Breathing Technique reaches the maximum stack count, an additional 15% negative status resistance is gained.
——First Form: Surface Slice: Consumes 2 Breathing Technique stacks. Launches an attack by horizontally swinging the blade, additionally increasing Attack Power by 10%.
——Second Form: Water Wheel: Consumes 3 Breathing Technique stacks. Swings the blade along a circular arc, additionally increasing Attack Power by 12%... Total Concentration: Constant: When there is no consumption, the Breathing Technique stack count will be fixed at 10 stacks.
Crimson Red Nichirin Blade: Provided that the Breathing Technique stack count exceeds 12, the held melee weapon deals bonus scorching damage equal to the Breathing Technique stack count, and reduces the target's Life Recovery Speed by 15%.
Tip: If facing an undead creature, this effect changes to reduce the target's received Life Recovery effect by 40%.
Demon Slayer Mark: Strength, Agility, and Stamina attributes are permanently increased by 8 points (equivalent to 80% of the maximum Breathing Technique stack bonus).
Tip: After the Demon Slayer Mark is activated, the natural rate of life force loss increases by 80%. This effect will disappear once the Stamina attribute (unmodified, without bonuses) exceeds 30 points.
Transparent World: Perception Rank +1. Upon activation, it simultaneously consumes the user's Mental Power (5% per second) and Mana Value (10 points per second), increasing Perception ability by 50%.
Tip: At the current stage, Transparent World will have a 1-hour cooldown after each use. The cooldown will decrease as the Intelligence attribute increases, until it disappears entirely.
Additional Ability 1: Zanshin: Quickly returns to the original stance, and restores 50% of the Breathing Technique stacks and Stamina consumed within the previous 6 seconds.
Additional Ability 2: Tranquil Still Water: Provides an additional 10% resistance against mental and spiritual negative status effects.]
Because of this, even Tomioka Giyuu, who is the Water Hashira, couldn't help but declare:
"I'll give up my position as Water Hashira, you take it!"
Is that not just like you, Tomioka Giyuu?
Even a mirror image can be so annoying!
Fortunately, the two hours of summoning time quickly passed, and Tomioka Giyuu's detestable face soon disappeared from his sight.
Taking a deep breath, Roland quietly felt the state of his body being filled with power.
"[Water Breathing] has reached max level. If I want to grind the next skill, I have to wait 18 hours for the talent cooldown.
I'll go to Combat Mode first to get familiar with the controls! Paradise, switch to Combat Mode, designated combat target: Ghoul!"
[Combat Mode (Waived Fee) consumes 5 paradise coins per minute. Designating a combat target consumes an additional 25 points per minute. Yes/No to pay.]
"Pay."
[Combat Mode activated. 100 D-rank Ghouls will appear in thirty seconds. Please prepare in advance.]
The surrounding scenery switched, turning into the interior of an abandoned office building, with scattered documents and overturned desks everywhere, as if the place had just experienced a riot.
Roland put the [Ice Jade] hanging around his neck into his [storage space] and assumed a low stance.
Before the Ghouls in the darkness could complete their encirclement, he proactively struck out.
Amidst the flashing of his blade, these humanoid monsters craving flesh and blood were all slain.
[100 C-rank Ghouls will appear in thirty seconds. Please prepare in advance.]
Compared to the weakness of D-rank Ghouls, Ghouls of this rank can already utilize Kagune in combat, but they still pose very little threat to Roland.
Without even using a Breathing Technique, these Ghouls all died by his blade less than five minutes after appearing.
[100 B-rank Ghouls will appear in thirty seconds. Please prepare in advance.]
"I'm starting to feel a little pressure!"
...[100 A-rank Ghouls will appear in thirty seconds. Please prepare in advance.]
"I need to take this seriously now!"
...[10 S-rated Ghouls will appear in thirty seconds. Please prepare in advance.]
"I can still handle this, even if it costs me a minor injury!"
...[10 SS-Rank Ghouls will appear in thirty seconds. Please prepare in advance.]
...