Chapter 129: Aoki's Pardon
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There are three types of rewards in "The Road to the Demon King."
The profession has advanced, but there's no way to upgrade; new skills have been obtained, but there are no skill points to learn them; and an opportunity for extreme enhancement has been granted, but now there's the difficulty of choice.
"Let's deal with some of this first," Aoki thought, turning his attention back to the system.
He had 10 free attribute points available.
He decided to distribute them evenly, allocating 2 points each to Strength and Constitution and 3 points each to Agility and Intelligence.
Boom!
A surge of immense power exploded within him, and a powerful energy coursed through his body. For a moment, Aoki felt as if he could shatter the world with just one strike.
In reality, this was just an illusion caused by the sudden spike in strength.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 28]
[Constitution: 27]
[Intelligence: 28]
[Agility: 28]
[Occupation: Hunter, King of the White Walkers, Martial Artist]
…
[King of the Others]
Quality: ★★☆
Level: lv20 (0/2000)
Skills: Demon Blood VI, Space Shuttle II, Transparent World II, Demon Devourer II, Soul Shock (not learned yet)
Nearly all attributes had reached 28 points.
Aoki showed a satisfied expression.
If he were to fight Muzan Kibutsuji again, the battle would certainly not drag on as long as it did before.
After confirming that there was nothing else missing, Aoki turned off the system and looked out the window.
Before he knew it, dawn had broken.
Ding ding ding.
There was a knock on the door.
When Aoki opened it, he was immediately surprised.
"Miss Tamayo?"
Tamayo removed her sun hat and smiled, "It feels so good to walk in the sunlight."
"Only after we obtain the blue spider lily and develop the drug to fully overcome the sunlight can we truly stand in it," Aoki replied, inviting Miss Tamayo inside.
He had worn a sun hat for so long that he understood well how uncomfortable it was to walk in the sun with one.
Surrounded by the deadly light, it felt like walking a tightrope thousands of feet in the air with only a safety rope to rely on. Although there was no real danger unless something went wrong, the fear was always there, lingering in the back of the mind.
Tamayo said, "Mr. Aoki, let's go for a walk."
"Alright... wait, what?" Aoki started to agree out of habit, then stopped mid-sentence as he realized the implication.
"Mr. Aoki, you've overcome the sunlight, haven't you?" Tamayo looked at Aoki, speaking slowly.
Though phrased as a question, her tone was certain; it didn't sound like a guess at all.
Aoki was silent for a moment, then nodded calmly. "How did you figure it out, Miss Tamayo?"
Tamayo smiled and said, "It's because of the blood you gave me, Mr. Aoki."
"Compared to the blood of ordinary demons, yours seemed like it came from an entirely different creature. Based on my previous research, I deduced that the owner of such blood had most likely conquered the sunlight. Who else could it be but you? If it were any other demon, Muzan Kibutsuji would have gone mad long before last night."
"I didn't expect that I'd be the one to give myself away," Aoki sighed, glancing Tamayo. He seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
Was her reason to live gone again?
Sensing his thoughts, Tamayo smiled gently and said, "Actually, I came today to discuss this with you."
Aoki felt a spark of hope—perhaps the situation wasn't as bleak as he had feared.
Tamayo put her Sunshade hat back on and suggested, "Mr. Aoki, let's talk while we walk."
"Alright," Aoki agreed, following her out into the bright sunlight that warmed their bodies.
Since November, the weather had grown colder, and warm days like this were becoming rare.
"Perhaps even the gods are pleased to see Muzan Kibutsuji defeated" Tamayo joked with a smile.
The remark might have been lighthearted, but it struck a chord with Aoki.
Gods? Could there really be gods in this world?
He had once discussed this with Ubuyashiki kagaya, who believed gods existed, but he had never seen any divine beings nor heard of them intervening in human affairs.
They continued walking until they stopped at the cherry blossom tree named "Sakura." Unfortunately, it wasn't blooming season, so the tree stood bare.
Tamayo turned to Aoki and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Aoki, I won't commit suicide. Why should I die when I can still live?"
Aoki frowned slightly.
This statement seemed to indicate a deeper issue.
Tamayo's expression grew more serious. "I'm not trying to be dismissive, Mr. Aoki. Although my wish has been fulfilled, I have no regrets left, even if I were to die now."
"However, I have yet to repay the debt I owe you. When the day comes that you no longer need me, then I may consider ending my life."
After a brief pause, she added, "If I really wanted to die, I wouldn't be here today."
Aoki nodded in agreement.
Indeed, for demons, committing suicide was simple—they only needed to step into the sunlight.
The fact that Miss Tamayo had come wearing a Sunshade hat made her intentions clear.
"Miss Tamayo, although I have overcome the sun, I do have something very important that I need your help with. The search for the blue spider lily is not a mere excuse," Aoki explained.
Tamayo nodded slightly.
"You defeating Muzan Kibutsuji feels like a new lease on life for me. Please, tell me what you need."
Aoki felt a headache coming on.
Although Tamayo seemed calm, she was actually trapped in profound negative emotions.
It felt like living was more painful than dying for her. If not for her desire to repay her debt, she might have already chosen to end her life.
This wasn't acceptable.
He had saved her, only for her to feel even more tormented. Moreover, in such a state, how could she be expected to work efficiently?
But Aoki wasn't particularly good at comforting others, which made things difficult.
He carefully chose his words. "Miss Tamayo, although I don't know all the details about your husband and children, I do know they would want you to look forward, not remain fixated on the past."
Tamayo's eyes flickered, and she pursed her lips. "Thank you, Mr. Aoki."
Aoki continued, "As for those whom you've killed, I'll pardon you on their behalf"
Tamayo was taken aback. "Why? Am I not qualified?"
Aoki smiled, "In terms of strength, I'm the strongest in the world. I can change County's with my power alone. In terms of merit, although my actions were primarily for myself, it was I who played the central role in defeating Muzan Kibutsuji. Isn't that enough to offset your crimes?"
"I..."
Tamayo gazed at him, seemingly in a daze.
"Furthermore," Aoki added, "you also contributed significantly to Muzan Kibutsuji's defeat."
"So, Miss Tamayo, from now on, you can set aside all your guilt and live with your head held high."
Tamayo was silent for a long time, then smiled. "Doesn't this mean I owe you even more? It feels like I'll never be able to repay this debt."
"Then be prepared to work for me for free, forever" Aoki said.
He wasn't sure if his words had persuaded her, but it didn't matter. They had Plenty of time to figure it out.
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