It was already noon, but I wasn’t the sort of lunatic who could sit down for a al with the stench of blood wafting from the corpses I’d just made. We walked on a while longer before finally stopping for a late lunch.
We settled on a sun-ward clearing where a flat rock made for a decent seat. I pulled out so tough, dried jerky.
It would’ve been nice to light a fire, soak the jerky in water, and turn it into a steaming stew, but that wasn’t an option. Fire and smoke risked giving away our position, and we didn’t have the leisure anyway. At night, when the cold threatened to sap body heat, maybe—but in broad daylight, there was no sense in taking unnecessary risks. The fewer tis we lit a fire, the better. Especially while on the run.
I chewed the jerky with those thoughts in mind. Shushruta was gnawing on hers when she spoke.
“Ashuban.”
“What?”
“Is jerky all you have?”
“I’ve got so biscuits. Want one?”
She nodded. “Give .”
I tossed her a piece. Her face brightened as she caught it.
“Taste good?” I asked.
She chewed the biscuit slowly. “Not good. But not hard. That much I like.”
Nibbling at the edges like a squirrel, she suddenly gave a little “Ah!” of realization. Rummaging in her bag, she pulled sothing out and handed it to .
“Here. Take it.”
“What is it?” I asked around a mouthful of jerky.
“You shouldn’t eat only jerky. Eat so fruit too.”
It was dried fruit—apples, apricots, cherries, raisins. I never cared much for fruit, and dried fruit least of all.
I turned my head away. “Don’t want it.”
I pulled out another strip of jerky instead, chewing on its salty, savory richness. Not bad at all. Maybe I really was cut out to be a rcenary.
But Shushruta wasn’t giving up.
She tapped insistently on my shoulder, pushing the dried fruit at .
“I brought plenty. Don’t refuse.”
“I said I don’t want it. Keep it.”
“Just try one. Tastes better than you think.”
“I said no. Leave alone. Eat it yourself.”
“….”
Her stubbornness flared. She leaned in and pressed the fruit against my cheek.
“You need a balanced diet. How old are you to be this picky?”
“Twenty-eight. Pri of life.”
“Keep this up and you’ll die young.”
“Could die tomorrow with a sword in my gut anyway. What’s the difference.”
She tapped the fruit against my lips. “Eat.”
“….”
I turned my head and locked eyes with her.
For ten long seconds, neither of us blinked.
Then, a wave of absurdity washed over . What the hell were we doing?
With a sigh, I opened my mouth and took the dried apple. Then, out of spite, I shoved the rest into my mouth at once, chewing noisily before glaring at her.
“Happy now?”
Shushruta bead. “Yes. Very.”
“…Unbelievable. Definitely not normal.”
I grumbled and leaned back against the sun-ward rock, jerky between my teeth as I went over the earlier fight in my head.
My first opponents had been a harsh greeting. Dangerous, but I hadn’t panicked—I kept calm, made a plan, and executed it.
[Calm? I rember you fumbling around like a fool.]
…Alright, I panicked a little. But I didn’t drown in it. I ca up with a strategy and pulled through.
[Tsk, pathetic. When will you beco a proper man?]
Well, I couldn’t deny I’d needed the Heavenly Demon’s help.
Still, in the end, I survived. I won.
And I’d stolen their strange martial art.
It was designed for sickles, so it didn’t fit swordsmanship perfectly. But I’d morized the principle.
Thinking of it, I stood and drew my blade.
I rembered Regarde’s wide, startled eyes when I turned his own technique back on him.
My first attempt had only half-cut his wrist. It should’ve severed it clean.
I needed practice.
Shushruta watched curiously as I faced an imaginary opponent and rehearsed.
I brought my sword down in a straightforward strike. The phantom blocked as expected.
Normally, I’d have pulled back and tried a new angle. Instead, I continued the motion—
The white blade that . Fluffy gave curled like a serpent around the opposing weapon, snapping down at the wrist that held it.
“Mm.”
I nodded in satisfaction.
To think I could replicate it after seeing it once. Even I found it hard to believe.
This was the Heavenly Demon’s gift at work.
I decided to na the style Great Snake.
[…Are you serious?]
The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue.
“What? Sounds cool.”
[Call it the Serpent Coil Sword.]
“…Hm. Not bad. Fine, we’ll go with that.”
Sure, Great Snake sounded cooler, but I owed this to him. I’d take his suggestion.
Content with the new na, I sheathed the blade and sat back down.
But this was only the beginning. Stronger foes awaited . Cutting them down wasn’t enough.
Because wounds remained.
This ti I got away with a shallow cut, but to think I’d always be so lucky was foolish. Even shallow wounds, accumulated fight after fight, would eventually break .
Only now did it truly sink in—what I was attempting was madness.
To pull it off, I needed to win without injury.
Perfect victory.
For that, I had to grow stronger.
More than walking onward, growing stronger mattered first. Because only if I lived could I keep walking.
Still seated, I called out.
“Shushruta.”
“What? Want more fruit?”
I heard the rustle of her reaching into her bag.
“No. I’m going to cultivate now. Guard .”
The rustling stopped. Then ca her grumbling—she was bored, with nothing to do while I ditated.
“Then at least leave your dagger. I’ll work on solving the cipher.”
“As if I’d hand it over.”
“…Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t even sleep.”
I shrugged. “If you’re bored, go forage for elixirs.”
“Elixirs?”
“Herbs or beasts that carry a lot of natural energy.”
“Energy?”
“Nature’s vitality. Think of it as mana, if that’s easier. Anything that looks unusual might be one. If you’re bored, try finding so.”
“Hmm… I understand.”
“Don’t go far. Just look around here. If you hear anything strange, tell right away.”
“Of course.”
With that, I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing.
My inner power coursed along the ridians of my body, while my consciousness sank inward.
“Huu…”
The small noises of the forest receded, until at last I stood before the quiet lake of my inner world.
I removed my clothes one by one and folded them neatly at the shore.
Leaving behind only a sliver of awareness, I stepped into the lake.
The water rose.
Ankles. Thighs. Chest. Neck.
And finally, over my head.
Completely subrged, I simply waited.
Waited, though I knew not for what.
Then, far off at the dark bottom, two n began walking toward .
The Reaper Brothers, Heven and Regarde—the ones who had died by my hand.
Each held a sickle, the curved blades glowing a ghostly blue even in the suffocating darkness.
I lifted my gaze from their weapons to their faces.
They grinned at , a grin that matched their nickna: grim reapers made flesh.
For a while, we simply stared at one another. Then I raised my hand.
With starlight from the Night Sky Star Moon Art, I forged a sword.
I held the starlight-forged blade in one hand, and crooked a finger at the brothers who had co seeking revenge.
Co.
Their smiles widened. Then, like wraiths, they charged, sickles flashing.
I welcod them, blade eting blade.
Lost in the frenzy, I fought.
Strike, defend, clash, strike again—until the chaos itself beca joy.
Heh, heh, heh.
Laughter slipped from my lips unbidden.
Heh, heh, heh.
They laughed too.
We exchanged dozens of blows.
Bloodied but relentless, we fought on.
Slash!
Bright red blood sprayed across a field of white snow.
At so point, the lake had beco a snowy plain, flakes falling as we fought.
And amid our frenzied duel, a new figure appeared, striding through a raging blizzard.
The wind howled louder as if to announce his arrival.
Even the brothers halted to look back.
The figure walked slowly toward us, snow swirling around him.
The mont the brothers saw him, they howled in fury and charged with bloodshot eyes.
The man swung his sword with casual ease.
Instantly, the brothers froze solid, entombed in ice.
A frost that could even freeze death itself.
He dispatched them as though they were nothing, then turned to look at .
Our eyes t.
“Hhck.”
I jolted awake.
“Haah… haah…”
My heart thundered as I struggled to steady my breath.
I was drenched in sweat, as if I’d truly walked into that lake.
Just sitting and ditating, and yet… it felt like I’d woken from a nightmare.
I snapped at the Heavenly Demon.
Master. Was that supposed to happen? I was cultivating and had a nightmare.
He answered with indifference.
[It’s normal. During cultivation, illusions sotis surface, like dreams. Nothing strange about it.]
Really? That’s normal?
[Rember, cultivation isn’t just about building inner power. Its essence is contemplation. Since you’re sinking into your inner self, visions like that co naturally.]
…So he said.
Then what about that pale ghost of a man?
[That white thing was your subconscious made manifest. Likely your mind conjured the image of that Frost Knight.]
So, he had watched the whole thing.
On a whim, I raised a finger and willed a star into being.
Success. A tiny sparkle of starlight blood at my fingertip.
I tried again—middle finger, ring finger, little finger—and starlight glimred at each one.
Now I could summon stars not only at the tip of my sword or my fist, but on each finger as well.
Seems that fighting those brothers with a blade of starlight had deepened my realm.
[Depth always brings breadth.]
As the Heavenly Demon said, the deeper my realm, the more ways I could wield it.
[You should now be able to use ground techniques and palm techniques to so degree.]
Ground techniques? Palm techniques? What’s that?
[I’ll explain on the road. It’s my talent, after all. Just a bit of guidance is enough for you.]
Got it.
Step by step, I was truly growing stronger.
Looking up, I saw the sun hadn’t shifted much. Its position and light were nearly the sa.
Not much ti had passed.
I’d gone in determined to finish quickly and sharply, and it seed that mindset had worked.
Then I glanced down—and nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Shit—!”
A little ways off, Shushruta was silently watching .
“…Why are you just standing there like that?”
“Ashuban.”
She ignored my question and asked her own.
“Is this the right thing?”
She tapped sothing at her feet.
I followed her gesture—and my eyes went wide.
“…!”
A ginseng root, massive, lay sprawled in the dirt, fresh soil still clinging to it. Twice the size of the one I’d dug up near the Mist Cliff—and its aura was leagues beyond ordinary.
“You…”
I stared at her in disbelief, like soone staring at a cat that had dropped a dead bird at their feet.
She waited, blinking innocently, the ginseng before her like prey laid down for its master.
Tapping at the red berries clinging to its stalk, she asked,
“This is what you ant, isn’t it?”
“….”
I could only nod stiffly.
The stray cat had evolved into a stray cat that brought back elixirs.
(End of Chapter)
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