Chapter 108: Masachika Kumeno
A few days later, Natsuya stepped out of the mist at Lake Ashi.
There was no joy of a "bountiful harvest" on his face. Although there were a few
more demons than he expected, the quantity was limited.
Just like before.
Trash mobs with a Power Level under fifty and no Blood Demon Arts only
provided 30 to 40 XP. Furthermore, due to the quest constraints (protecting the
"seeds" of the Corps), Natsuya avoided killing the lower-tier demons, meaning
the XP they provided was negligible.
Mobs over Power Level sixty granted about 70 to 80 XP. But honestly, those
spawns were rare. Throughout the entire circuit, the only decent payout was the
Hand Demon at Mt. Fujikasane, which dropped about 150 XP because it was an Elite
with a Blood Demon Art.
After sweeping two Selection Grounds, his Thunder Breathing proficiency had only
increased by about 700.
[Thunder Breathing] LV.5 (713/8000)
The higher the level, the more massive the XP requirement becomes...
The "Mob Spawn Frequency" simply couldn't keep up with his leveling curve.
Natsuya mused: I wish these demons were like leeks in a garden. You just water
them and they sprout in batches. I could just show up every few months and
harvest a mountain of XP.
Outside of slaying demons, he was left with only three options: Manual
Cultivation, Side Quests, or Achievement Points.
As for Manual Cultivation...
It wasn't that he was being lazy. But looking at the Hashira and the
Cultivators, he saw the "Meta." They spent years, sometimes decades, just
pushing a style to LV.5 or LV.6.
Slowly filling an 8,000 XP bar at LV.5, then a 16,000 bar at LV.6, and then the
even more gargantuan gaps at LV.7... Even after mastering Constant, which
significantly boosted his training efficiency, it was still a timeline measured
in years.
For a pro gamer like me, this efficiency is trash, Natsuya thought.
As expected, the only way to break the curve is through Side Quests and Life
Skill Achievement Points.
Side Quests were purely RNG-based, making them unreliable. High-value
Achievement Points came from hitting LV.1 to LV.3 in Life Skills, so he needed
to prioritize "Quantity over Quality."
But where am I supposed to go to unlock that many distinct Life Skills?
Natsuya pushed the thought aside for now. He decided to report his progress to
his "Cheap Master" first. He had officially mastered all five basic Breathing
Styles. Aside from the legendary Progenitor, he was likely the only person in
history to achieve this milestone.
I have to flex a little in front of that old man, Natsuya grinned.
As he drew closer to Kazami's mountain hut and dojo, the excitement in his chest
softened into something warmer. He realized he hadn't brought the old man any
local specialties from his travels.
That's probably bad manners for an NPC interaction.
He stopped at a nearby town and bought some milk, eggs, and smoked meat. He
remembered the old man always grew bitter, tasteless vegetables.
I'll buy him some high-quality seeds too. It's almost the New Year, after all.
When Natsuya finally arrived at his starting dojo, travel-worn and dusty, Kazami
Koichi saw a boy draped in a flamboyant haori, but he was also carrying a
mountain of bags and packages like a traveling merchant.
If it weren't for the three distinctive swords and the unique hair color, he
might not have recognized him.
This child... he's grown quite a bit taller.
"Kazami-sensei! I'm back!"
The old man stopped instructing a young student on their sword swings. The
wrinkles on his face smoothed out into a smile. "Natsuya. It is good to have you
back. You didn't need to bring all... this."
"Well, I've been gone a long time," Natsuya said, dropping the bags one by one.
"I have to bring gifts for the Stay-at-home Senior, don't I?"
Kazami: "?" Stay-at-home Senior? Am I a shut-in to him?
Natsuya ignored the Master's look and continued unloading the "loot." Tea cakes
and smoked meats from the local towns. New robes for the old man. Vegetable
seeds for the garden. He even brought two live chickens.
The look on the old man's face was complex—half-helpless, half-touched. "I have
no use for such luxuries, Natsuya. Why waste your money?"
"Waste money?" Natsuya raised an eyebrow.
Old man, I'm a high-roller. I've almost got enough for a down payment in Tokyo.
You think I care about a couple of chickens?
"I bought them for you, so just take them," Natsuya said, thrusting a box of
oil-paper-wrapped dried persimmons into the old man's hands. "I had these
before. They're good."
"They aren't returnable, so you better not throw them away."
The Master shook his head with a sigh and led the boy into the dojo.
Traveling between dojos, executing high-tier missions, and meeting various
Hashira... returning to the starting point of his journey gave even Natsuya a
sense of "Temporal Displacement."
He scanned the familiar courtyard. Everything was the same. Even the practice
dummy he had notched with his wooden sword a year ago was still there.
Except for one thing: a short, honest-looking boy standing nearby.
The boy waved excitedly, a bright smile on his face. "Kokonoe-senpai!"
"Who's this kid? A new recruit?"
Natsuya felt the boy looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place him. Probably
a nameless background NPC from one of those training montages I skipped, he
thought.
THUD!
Kazami Koichi delivered a moderate smack to the back of Natsuya's head.
"You brat! You've already forgotten Masachika?"
Masachika? Who?
Seeing Natsuya's blank stare, Kazami's mustache began to quiver with annoyance.
"Your Junior was often away on errands, but he was here for the final months of
your Breathing training! You sparred with him multiple times!"
Natsuya blinked. Oh... wait. That does ring a bell.
I guess he wasn't just a generic background asset after all.
Natsuya turned to the black-haired boy. The kid didn't seem offended or angry
that Natsuya had forgotten him. He just rubbed the back of his head and gave a
sheepish grin.
[Masachika Kumeno] [Power Level: 18 (Body: 8, Tech: 6, Mind: 4)] [Wind Breathing
LV.0]
This kid's stat sheet... well, it has plenty of room for improvement, Natsuya
noted.
"Ahem. Right. Kumeno. It's been a while," Natsuya said, his tone still a bit
awkward.
Kazami huffed. So you DO remember.
"Senior Natsuya!" the boy said happily. "Master and I have been hearing all the
news about you. It's incredible!"
"The Five-Colored Radiance! The fastest rising Slayer in recent history! Even
the Master of the Corps has shown you personal favor!"
The titles are spreading that fast? Natsuya was slightly taken aback.
Seeing that Masachika was about to launch into a long series of questions,
Kazami waved him off and sent him back to his drills. He led Natsuya inside to
sit for tea.
Kazami inspected his student. The "rookie" energy was gone, replaced by a
steady, condensed aura. It was the presence of a man who had crossed blades with
death multiple times and reached a significant level of enlightenment.
"I assume," the old man said softly, "that your Wind Breathing has seen great
progress?"
Natsuya nodded. Yeah. My Thunder is LV.5.
"Have you mastered Constant?"
"I got it while I was in Tokyo," Natsuya confirmed.
Kazami stroked his beard.
Mastering Constant meant the boy's strength was at least on par with his own. If
you factored in the other Breathing Styles and his developing physical frame...
Natsuya was likely already superior to him.
He's officially graduated, Kazami realized. There was no resentment or envy in
the Master's heart—only pure, sincere pride for the monster he had helped
create.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you