The north wind bit fiercely, snowflakes swirled like dancing spirits, and the world was blanketed in a stark, cold white. Amidst the desolate scene, a long-haired woman, barefoot and desperate, fled across the frozen terrain, glancing over her shoulder in terror. Her once-beautiful face was now contorted with fear.
"Hehehe, you can't escape me!"
A sinister shadow cut through the blizzard, closing in on the woman with terrifying speed.
In her frantic flight, her foot snagged on something hidden beneath the snow, and she stumbled forward, her eyes wide with despair. Just as she braced for the icy impact, a firm hand caught her shoulder. A calm male voice murmured from behind her.
"Excuse me, do you know how to get to Mount Natagumo?"
Startled, the woman turned her head. Standing before her was a young man with jet-black hair, seemingly not more than twenty years old. He was tall and striking, with a pair of golden, cat-like eyes that gleamed with a peculiar intensity.
"Demon… the demon is coming!" she stammered, her voice trembling as she tried to pull him away. "We have to run!"
But the young man didn't budge. He held her in place effortlessly, his eyes fixed on something behind her.
"Demon? You mean him?"
The woman followed his gaze and saw a grotesque figure emerge from the snowstorm—a demon with a face like a monkey and unnaturally long arms. The creature glared at them, its expression dark with malice.
"This is my territory!" the demon screeched at the young man, baring its fangs.
"It's over!" the woman gasped, stumbling backward and collapsing into the snow.
"Relax, I'm not here to fight over territory," the young man, Aoki, said calmly.
In the blink of an eye, Aoki vanished from sight.
"Huh? Where did he go?" the demon spluttered, its eyes darting around in confusion. Suddenly, its view of the world tilted as if it were looking at the sky. It wasn't until the demon saw its own decapitated body fall backward that it realized what had happened.
"You bastard! How dare you attack me? I will—" the demon raged, its voice cut short as it noticed Aoki's serene face up close. Recognition dawned, and the demon's fury turned to fear.
"You… you're a defector from his ranks!" the demon shrieked.
Aoki's lips curled into a faint smile. "So, even demons recognize me now. Muzan sure does spread the word fast."
Each demon Aoki had encountered since his defection seemed to know who he was, a testament to how much attention Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon king, had given him.
"No, please! I don't want to die! Let me go!" the demon begged, its severed head struggling in its hands as its body staggered toward Aoki.
"If wishing away danger were enough, the world would be a much less painful place," Aoki said. With a swift motion, he hurled the demon's head at its own body, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Hahaha, you're so stupid! You actually threw my head back to me!" the demon cackled, reattaching its head with a grim satisfaction.
Aoki's expression didn't change. "Aoki-ryu, Storm," he whispered.
His entire body became a blur of motion. Fists, elbows, legs, and knees became a whirlwind of deadly strikes, tearing through the demon like a storm of blades. Flesh and bone were shredded in seconds, and the demon was reduced to a quivering, dismembered heap.
As the demon's regeneration began to falter, Aoki raised his palm. "Devour."
An invisible force pulled the demon's remains into his hand, absorbing them until nothing was left.
[You have killed a demon and gained 28 experience points.]
[Congratulations on your level up.]
"Not bad, 28 points," Aoki mused, satisfied. Although the demon had been easily defeated, it had been more formidable than many of the others he had encountered recently.
Turning back to the woman, Aoki asked again, "Do you know how to get to Mount Natagumo?"
With a trembling hand, she pointed towards a distant mountain. "Over there, about ten kilometers away."
"Thank you," Aoki said with a slight nod. He turned and walked away, disappearing into the snowy distance.
It wasn't until he had vanished from sight that the woman regained her composure. Standing up, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted into the blizzard, "Thank you!"
Aoki paused for a moment, then continued on his way. He hadn't expected to gain a level before reaching Mount Natagumo. The unexpected encounter had provided just enough experience points.
He glanced at his system panel and added his newly earned attribute points into physical fitness and agility. A warm sensation spread through his body, briefly countering the biting cold of the storm. The constant sense of oppression he had felt was now gone, replaced with a newfound balance.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 13]
[Physique: 12]
[Intelligence: 13]
[Agility: 13]
[Occupation: Hunter, White Walker]
…
[White Walker]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv6 (5/600)
Skills: Demon Blood III, Space Shuttle, Transparent World (not learned yet), Devouring demon
Free skill points: 1
"The attributes are finally almost balanced," Aoki noted with a sigh. He could feel his body approaching an optimal state, and his combat abilities had slightly improved.
He had one remaining free skill point, which he decided to save. Upgrading Demon Blood to level 4 required three skill points, and unless he found missions that rewarded skill points, he would need to reach level 8 to gather enough.
"If I can eliminate the demon family at Mount Natagumo, I should be close," Aoki thought, quickening his pace.
After about half an hour of trekking through the snow, Aoki raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blizzard and looked up at the imposing mountain ahead. This was Natagumo Mountain, the lair of the Lower Moon Five demon.
Aoki's eyes narrowed. "Lower Moon Five."
His mission had led him here. Since leaving Azabu, he hadn't been in a rush, preferring to hunt demons along the way to gain strength. But his ultimate goal had always been clear: Natagumo Mountain, where the Lower Moon Five resided.
"The last time, I barely escaped from the Lower Moons' siege. What will happen this time?"
[Ding! You have received the mission "The End of the Lower Moon."]
[The End of the Lower Moon]
The Twelve Kizuki are the elite demons under Muzan Kibutsuji's command, each a formidable foe.
Mission Requirements: Kill three Lower Moon demons (0/3).
Mission Rewards: 1200 experience points, 3 Qi and Blood Pills
Qi and blood pills? Aoki's interest was piqued. These were rare and valuable items that could significantly boost his power, much like the sunshade hat and ghost wine gourd he had acquired previously, although they didn't directly enhance his strength.
The reward of 1200 experience points was generous, though the mission was far from simple. The challenge lay not only in defeating the Lower Moons but also in locating three of them. With only six lower-rank demons in total, this task was daunting.
Aside from the fifth lower-rank demon, he had no information on the whereabouts of the others.
Additionally, there was the rival organization, the Demon Slayer Corps.
Unlike him, a lone hunter, the Demon Slayer Corps had far superior intelligence capabilities.
Fortunately, the mission had no time limit, allowing him to proceed at his own pace.
Regardless of this specific task, his goal remained the same: to demons and seek out elite adversaries like the lower-rank demons.
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T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 15 chapters.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite
And also give me some power stones!!
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