Bab 118: Chapter 118: Muzan's attack, aborted plan
Chapter 118: Muzan's attack, aborted plan
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There was no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity that had presented itself.
This time, Aoki decided against delaying any further. Once these ten demons were slain, Muzan Kibutsuji would undoubtedly realize something was amiss with this mountain. Any further trickery would be useless.
However, Aoki wasn't worried about Muzan giving up. The more one invests, the harder it is to walk away. Muzan Kibutsuji had poured a considerable amount of time, energy, and subordinates into this endeavor. Would he abandon it all due to a minor setback? That was certainly not his style.
Aoki immediately began the hunt. Although ten lower-rank demons weren't as satisfying as upper-rank demons, they could still temporarily sate his appetite.
…
Muzan Kibutsuji suddenly halted, his face darkening with murderous intent.
"He's still there!"
Another demon dispatched to find the Blue Spider Lily had lost contact. From its last memory, it was clear that the defector had struck again. Whether the defector had never left or had returned, one thing was certain: the defector had his sights set on that mountain.
Continuing to send demons there was akin to handing them over to the defector.
Give up?
The very thought crossed Muzan's mind, only to be swiftly torn apart.
No!
To give up would be to show weakness to that rat, something he absolutely could not tolerate.
Should he send Kokushibo?
This idea briefly flickered in Muzan's mind. In the past, difficult tasks had always been assigned to the upper ranks. Now, only Kokushibo remained among them.
But he quickly dismissed the thought. He had to admit, Kokushibo might not be a match for the defector. Sending him could result in nothing more than delivering another gift to the defector—and possibly even Kokushibo's death.
Muzan mulled it over, and the only viable option seemed to be to take action himself. However, the thought of making the effort to go there, only to watch the rat slip away, filled him with deep dissatisfaction.
Unless, of course, the Blue Spider Lily was indeed on that mountain.
"Wait…"
A sudden thought struck Muzan: What if the defector wasn't staying on that mountain just to kill demons, but also to find something—like the Blue Spider Lily?
Logically, the defector shouldn't know about the flower, but the defector was a strange one. Perhaps he had come across the information somewhere.
As a demon, the defector would also desire the Blue Spider Lily to conquer the sun.
"Could it be possible that the Blue Spider Lily is really on that mountain?"
The idea took root in Muzan's mind, growing stronger with each passing moment. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
"I must go."
Muzan decided, a cold smile forming on his face.
If the defector was lingering on the mountain in hopes of obtaining the flower, then this might be the perfect chance to eliminate him. This time, Muzan didn't plan to go alone—he intended to bring significant power with him. Even if the defector had the Demon Slayer Corps as allies, it didn't matter. In fact, he preferred it that way. If the entire corps was there, he could deal with the defector and the Demon Slayer Corps at once, killing two birds with one stone.
Soon, the last link in the chain sent to find the Blue Spider Lily was severed. But this time, Muzan was not angered. Instead, his heart was filled with a burning desire for the flower.
…
[Free skill point +1.]
[You have killed Lower Rank Five and gained 40 experience points.]
After dispatching the last demon, Aoki heard the familiar voice in his mind and felt a surge of excitement.
Good, very good!
Finally, a worthwhile prize.
Free skill points—exactly what he needed most at this moment. With a thought, the azure blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 24]
[Constitution: 24]
[Intelligence: 25]
[Agility: 24]
[Occupation: Hunter, White Walker, Martial Artist]
…
[White Walker]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv19 (1317/1900)
Skills: Demon Blood VI, Space Shuttle II, Transparent World, Devourer II
Quest: None
Free Skill Points: 2
"Only 600 more experience points to go," Aoki thought, feeling a blaze of ambition.
Two more waves of demons like this, and it would be enough.
This monster-slaying was starting to feel rewarding.
With three free skill points now within reach, it was only a matter of time before he could max out his level and learn the second level of "Transparent World." Then, he could "accidentally" leak the location of the Blue Spider Lily to Muzan Kibutsuji.
Aoki didn't return to the others; instead, he continued to patrol the mountain.
All ten demons that Kanae had mentioned were dead, including the newly promoted Lower Rank Five. However, as she had pointed out, they couldn't monitor every inch of the mountain. There could be demons that had slipped through their surveillance.
Despite thoroughly combing the area, Aoki found no trace of any more demons.
Near a small sea of blue flowers, two women were conversing. One was tall and beautiful, gentle as water, while the other was intellectual and elegant, her beauty unmatched. They were Kanae and Lady Tamayo.
Aoki had promised Lady Tamayo that he would allow her to witness Muzan Kibutsuji's death firsthand, so he had arranged a time to bring her over.
Seeing Aoki approach, Kanae immediately stepped forward to greet him. "Mr. Aomura, you're back. How did it go?"
"Everything's been taken care of," Aoki replied.
"As expected of Mr. Aomura!" Kanae expressed her admiration. "This time, there were ten demons with the power of lower ranks. I wonder what kind of lineup Muzan will send next."
"I'm hoping for Kokushibo," Aoki remarked.
Lady Tamayo then produced three fusiform syringes. "Mr. Aomura, this is the final version of the poison. One injection is enough to ensure that Kibutsuji Muzan will be affected."
Aoki took the syringes, inspecting them briefly before asking, "Has anything changed from the previous version?"
Lady Tamayo explained, "The effects remain the same: cellular destruction, accelerated aging, and prevention of cell division. However, with the help of Miss Kanae and Miss Shinobu, the potency of the poison has been greatly enhanced. Now, in just one minute, it can age Kibutsuji Muzan by 100 years, and the cellular destruction effect masks the poison, making it even harder to detect."
Aoki nodded in approval.
In this scenario, even if the battle dragged on, his advantage would only grow stronger over time.
However, the poison still lacked any effect to turn Muzan human. He wasn't sure whether such an effect had simply not been developed yet or if it hadn't been included.
But now was not the time to dwell on that.
The poison was ready.
All that was left was to find the right moment.
Once he reached the maximum level and learned the second level of "Transparent World," he could initiate the ultimate battle with Muzan Kibutsuji.
So far, the plan had unfolded almost exactly as Aoki had anticipated.
He could only hope that Kibutsuji Muzan would continue to cooperate and send forth another suitable batch of demons.
At that moment, Shinobu appeared, her face solemn. "Mr. Aomura, something's wrong!"
Aoki asked, "What happened?"
Taking a deep breath, Shinobu slowly responded, "Muzan Kibutsuji is here!"
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