Chapter 56: Hunter [56]: Fighting Demon
Lin Jiu picked up the treasure chest and casually collected the two scarlet cards dropped by the contractors. In this world, the probability of dropping a scarlet card is 50%, and since both contractors dropped cards, Lin Jiu figured it was his accumulated luck from not getting treasure chests from the lower-ranked demons he had killed.
After killing Akaza and absorbing the soul power, Lin Jiu's perception became even more keener. Maintaining a state of extreme energy concentration, although his stamina was constantly depleting, he faintly felt a force surrounding him.
Returning to his normal energy concentration, the amplification from condensing his soul disappeared, and everything returned to normal. This left Lin Jiu with a feeling of emptiness, and Akaza's body had completely dissipated—he had forgotten to collect blood.
However, Lin Jiu still felt that the experience he had just had was more important.
[Main Quest (2): Demon Slayer (Completed)]
Difficulty Level: LV.3
Quest Description: As a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, you should fulfill your duties and hunt evil demons!
Quest Info: Kill a certain number of demons by any means (10/10)!
Quest Duration: One day.
Quest Reward: 1 attribute point, 2000 Paradise Coins.
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Lin Jiu checked and saw that there was only one day left for the second main quest. He needed to rest a bit and didn't want to drag it out further, so he chose to complete the quest immediately. This brought on the third main quest, which was also the final stage.
[Main Quest (3): Demon Annihilation (Completed)]
Difficulty Level: LV.4
Quest Description: Under the command of Muzan Kibutsuji, the evil demons run rampant, and the Upper Moons have remained unchanged for a century!
Quest Info: If a contractor from the Demon Slayer Corps faction kills any one of the Upper Moons, the quest is completed.
Quest Duration: Ten natural days.
Quest Reward: 2 attribute points, 5000 Paradise Coins.
Failure Penalty: Forced execution!
[Due to the hunter killing more than half of the Twelve Kizuki, a hidden quest is activated: Savior! (Accept/Decline)]
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Lin Jiu wondered why he hadn't seen any contractors from the Demon Slayer Corps faction and thought they were all dead. It turned out they had completed their quests and left.
After he killed Doma, as long as the Demon Slayer Corps contractors completed the second main quest, they could directly complete the third quest and leave this world.
Lin Jiu had also met the requirements for completing the third main quest, but instead of offering a return option, a hidden quest appeared, which surprised him. He immediately checked the hidden quest!
[Savior]
Difficulty Level: Lv.6
Quest Description: When happiness is destroyed, the scent of blood always lingers. Even if my body perishes, I will surely slay the evil demons!
Quest Info: Single-handedly kill all Twelve Kizuki and finally end the Demon King! (8/13)
Quest Duration: Ten natural days.
Quest Reward: 10,000 Paradise Coins, 1 small Soul Crystal.
Failure Penalty: Forced execution!
(Accept/Decline)
Seeing the quest name and understanding the trigger conditions, Lin Jiu speculated about the content of this hidden quest and was not surprised. After some thought, he chose to accept the quest.
...
"Hey! Don't keep hanging around here if you have nothing to do!"
Yushiro shouted through gritted teeth at Lin Jiu, who was lying in bed recuperating. But as usual, Lin Jiu ignored him.
About to roar again, Yushiro immediately withdrew under the sharp gaze of Tamayo.
"Mr. Red is too hasty in dealing with Muzan Kibutsuji's side. At this rate, his body will collapse."
Tamayo also learned that more than half of the Twelve Kizuki had been cleared, and even two Upper Moons were dead.
What terrified Muzan Kibutsuji even more was that all these results were achieved by a single person. The sinister boss had no mind to continue creating lower-ranked demons and only wanted to gather information about Lin Jiu.
All the contractors from the demon faction received a faction quest to gather intelligence on the one who had killed the Upper Moons.
Muzan Kibutsuji fears the emergence of a human like the swordsman from several hundred years ago, who made him flee in terror by self-destructing.
After painstakingly enduring a century to outlast Yoriichi Tsugikuni and thoroughly erasing any trace of him, Muzan dreads the possibility of facing another human of such caliber, which would force him into hiding for another century.
To ensure he can sleep soundly, Muzan must ascertain the information about the individual who killed Doma and Akaza. This task takes precedence over killing the boy with the earrings, who merely has the potential to inherit Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sword techniques but is not particularly strong.
The greatest threat lies in the one who single-handedly killed Upper Moons Two and Three.
For this reason, Muzan even dispatched Upper Moon One, Kokushibo.
Lin Jiu was unaware of this development. If he knew, he might laugh out loud. True to form, Muzan, feeling threatened, doesn't mobilize his entire force to annihilate the enemy. Instead, he sends out his generals one by one, seemingly to ensure there's always enough experience to go around.
Lin Jiu took the medicine handed to him by Tamayo and, after some thought, said, "Are you sure you don't want to take the first sip of Lady Tamayo's brew?"
At these words, Yushiro grimaced and snatched the medicine from Lin Jiu's hand, taking a big gulp.
"Yushiro!!"
Tamayo's displeased voice made Yushiro return the medicine to Lin Jiu.
Seeing that Yushiro showed no adverse reactions, Lin Jiu figured the medicine should be fine. Although Yushiro is a demon, if there were any issues, he would likely have sensed something wrong.
It wasn't that Lin Jiu didn't trust Tamayo, but in this world, besides Tanjiro's squad and the Hashira, no one was truly trustworthy. If Lin Jiu's death meant Muzan Kibutsuji would die too, Kagaya Ubuyashiki would probably be plotting his death in minutes.
Tamayo's centuries of medical research were not in vain. After drinking the medicine, Lin Jiu felt a warm sensation spread through his body, bringing a sense of ease, much like adding lubricant to a rusting machine, making it run more smoothly.
"This medicine can alleviate the hidden injuries in your bodies," Tamayo explained with a smile, seeing Lin Jiu's surprised expression at the medicine's effect.
Lin Jiu had every reason to suspect that Tamayo might be secretly collaborating with the Ubuyashiki clan. She could provide medicinal formulas for the swordsmen, and the Ubuyashiki clan could supply her with the demon blood needed for her research.
From Kagaya Ubuyashiki's words to Tanjiro, it was clear that he knew Tamayo. Tamayo and Yushiro's Blood Demon Arts were special abilities; their combat effectiveness wasn't strong, even struggling against demons weaker than the Lower Moons.
Tamayo needed demon blood for her research to revert demons to humans. Higher concentration demon blood would yield better results, and the simplest way to obtain it was to cooperate with the Demon Slayer Corps.
Tamayo's research was crucial for the Ubuyashiki clan as well. Both sides had a solid foundation and conditions for cooperation, making it a natural alliance.
The cooperation between the Ubuyashiki clan and Tamayo was kept secret, as many members of the Demon Slayer Corps, including more than half of the Hashira, had irreconcilable hatred towards demons. To respect their feelings, this alliance couldn't be made public.
This understanding made Lin Jiu better grasp why Kagaya Ubuyashiki protected Tanjiro and Nezuko. It wasn't just because of the former Water Hashira Sakonji Urokodaki's guarantee; knowing from Tamayo how important Nezuko was to the research on reverting demons to humans made the action even more reasonable.
After the battle with Akaza, Lin Jiu arrived at Tamayo's place under the blazing sun. After drinking the medicine and resting for a while, night fell, but Lin Jiu didn't care where Tamayo and Yushiro had gone.
Lin Jiu took out the two scarlet cards dropped by the contractors. This wasn't about luck. He chose to use them, and two red vortices appeared before him.
Reaching into one of the vortices, he first felt some bottles and jars but didn't take them out. Then he touched a hard object that felt like a firearm. He decisively pulled it out.
Seeing the black firearm in his hand, Lin Jiu's excitement turned to disappointment upon noticing a sticker on the side that read, "Realistic Toy, Not for Children Under 14!"
Lin Jiu wasn't sure whether to smash it or put it away. Sighing, he set the toy gun aside and continued exploring the vortex.
With two scarlet cards granting him six chances, Lin Jiu's luck yielded three useful items. The first was a container with two green-quality capsule-shaped recovery items.
The second was a silver pistol, a genuine white-quality weapon. Lin Jiu inspected it and understood why early-stage contractors using firearms were so common. This white-quality gun's attack power rivaled green-quality weapons.
If Lin Jiu hadn't already exchanged for the Flame Sun Sword, this pistol could have been useful for a while.
The third item, from the scarlet card dropped by the hammer-wielding contractor, was a pair of white-quality gloves, which were of little use and could be sold later.
After opening the two scarlet cards, Lin Jiu took out the treasure chest dropped by Akaza and chose to open it. A flash of blue light appeared before him, which felt normal! Unlike the extraordinarily lucky ones like Su Xiao, this seemed like a typical outcome for most contractors.
[You opened a treasure chest (Green) and obtained the following item!]
[Fighting Demon]
Lin Jiu held a red armguard engraved with dark blue tattoo patterns. Near the wrist, there was a snowflake imprint. The bright glow indicated its quality.
[Fighting Demon]
Origin: Demon Slayer
Quality: Blue
Type: Armguard
Durability: 50/50
Requirements: Strength 15, Agility 13.
Effect: Will of the Strong (Passive) – For every 20% of health lost, Strength +1, Agility +1.
Note: This effect allows the wearer to ignore the near-death state.
Rating: 70
Description: I will become stronger than anyone, even if I am already dead!
Trade Price: 7,000 Paradise Coins.
Weekly Power Status
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