Word count: 2013
<—>
A large rock, roughly the size of a man's lower body up to his abdomen, was tightly bound with ropes. The ends of the ropes were being pulled by someone.
With sweat dripping down his face and his teeth clenched, he strained against the weight, dragging the stone through the dirt. It scraped and scratched as it moved. The shirtless man, dressed only in loose-fitting white pants typical of martial arts attire, gripped the ropes firmly.
"Come on... just a little more!" he urged himself, pushing through the fatigue and the burning in his muscles. Despite his dwindling energy, he fought on until he completed a full circle and returned to his starting point. The ropes slipped from his hands as he collapsed against the rock, panting heavily from the effort.
[+2 STR]
[+1 DUR]
[1000 XP]
He smiled at the notification, then leaned back against the rock and checked his stats.
[Name: Fujino Yuki
Level: 48 (7470/25,000)
Race: human
Health: 830/830 (+5.3/sec)
Stamina: 56/890 (+5.9/sec)
STR: 107
DUR: 78
END: 86
AGI: 89
INT: 31
CHA: 44
Attributes Points (AP): 17]
As he absentmindedly reviewed his stats, he reached for his waterskin from his Inventory, savoring the cool liquid as it refreshed him. Next, he pulled out some senbei to snack on, but these weren't your ordinary rice cakes.
[Cotton-Candy flavored Senbei
Rarity: Uncommon
A beloved type of rice cake made by baking stretched rice and seasoned with various flavors. This particular one is infused with cotton-candy flavor. Restores 15 HP]
Naturally, one might wonder how a man in the Taisho era could suddenly enjoy cotton-candy flavored treats. It seems puzzling, considering he had neither the ingredients nor the machinery to create such a delicacy, right?
It's only natural to question how a man from the Taisho era could suddenly indulge in cotton-candy flavored treats. It seems a bit strange, especially since he lacked both the ingredients and the equipment to whip up such a sweet delight, doesn't it?
For starters, it had been around 2 months since the incident at Mount Natagumo. After facing off against lower moon 5, Rui, Fujino realized just how outmatched he was and how narrowly he escaped death, thanks to Tanjiro and his sister coming to his bail him out.
Determined not to find himself in a similar predicament again, Fujino committed himself to rigorous training, focusing not only on combat skills but also on the other non-combat ones.
He initially considered creating gym-like equipment by hiring blacksmiths to forge iron dumbbells and other traditional gear. However, as he progressed, he recognized that such equipment would quickly become outdated, and the time required to construct new items was impractical.
Instead, he opted to utilize rocks. There was a rock formation near his home that served as an excellent substitute for the equipment he had envisioned.
His training regimen was designed to enhance all his physical attributes. For instance, dragging a large rock while walking helped boost his STR, while running uphill with a basket full of rocks improved his END. He also incorporated stretching exercises while wearing the basket to enhance his AGI.
As for his DUR, it naturally improved through his other training, although he didn't have a specific exercise for it. His regular attacks were more than sufficient to crack and even break rocks, making the idea of punching them pointless.
He contemplated purchasing tougher materials to see how that would work out.
Regarding his demon-slaying efforts, he acquired a different sword when he left Mount Natagumo, but this venture proved less fruitful than his training, as he rarely encountered any demons.
—> Prey to Hunter
In a world where demons prowl about, you're weak and pitiful, but you're determined to live your life to the fullest and show those who oppose you that you are not to be trifled with.
Main Objective: Kills 50 Demons (43/50)
Reward: ?]
He lacks any connections or information that would help him track down the demons' whereabouts, and he can't foresee where they might show up next. All he has are rumors of demon sightings, which he either looks into or he roams the streets alone at night, hoping not to get caught off guard.
It's not the most effective approach, but it's the best he can manage.
As for his skills, however.
[Cooking (Passive) (LV 100/100): Ever since the discovery of fire, Cooking has been a staple in human culture. Enhances the flavor of cooked items by 100% and decreases the time it takes to cook by 50%]
Sewing (passive) (LV 7/100): When you think of sewing, you might picture sweet grandmas in rocking chairs, crafting cozy socks for their beloved grandkids. Even if you're not a grandma, you have a knack for it! This skill boosts the durability and quality of your sewn garments by 3.5%.
[Skinning (Passive) (LV 43/100): Hunter gatherers have always relied on animal hide to stay warm during bad weather. Increases hide gained from an animal by 43%]
[Foraging (Passive) (LV 27/100): Why buy food when you can search and get it for free? Increases the amount of wild food by 27%]
[Unarmed Martial Arts (Active) (LV 37/100): A codified system and traditions of combat have existed for centuries, doesn't use weapons. Increase your proficiency and damage done to opponents by 9.25%]
[Swordsmanship (active) (LV 40/100): Whether it's a large sword or a small one, unique or ordinary, swords have long been humanity's weapon of choice for combat throughout history, right up to the modern age. This skill boosts your proficiency and increases the damage you deal to opponents by 10%.]
[Stealth (active) (LV 34/100): You've always dreamed of becoming a shinobi, and now the opportunity has finally arrived! Increases your ability to remain undetected by 17%]
Everything was going smoothly; in fact, he had even mastered the cooking skill, which allowed him to create senbei that tasted just right.
[Flavor Manipulation (Active): Have you ever thought about how chocolate-flavored fried chicken would taste? Or green tea-flavored carrots? Probably not, since who would want that? You now have the power to alter the flavor of any food item to whatever you desire.]
[Flavor Manipulation (Active): Have you ever imagined the taste of chocolate-flavored fried chicken? Or how about green tea-flavored carrots? It's not something most people would consider, right? But now, you have the incredible ability to change the flavor of any food to whatever you can want!]
Fujino, being the mature 21-year-old he is, couldn't contain his excitement and started jumping around like a little kid when he received it.
Kami knows how much he missed the taste of the delicious treats from back home.
After checking his progress and running low on snacks, Fujino stood up, stretched, and began his walk back home, tucking the ropes into his inventory along the way.
After a brief stroll, he finally arrived at his home. What used to be a campsite had transformed into a half-finished house, with only the roof and flooring left to complete. The days of sleeping under the stars were behind him; soon, he would have a proper home.
His house was nothing extravagant—just a two-bedroom place with a kitchen, living room, storage room, and a small garden where he planned to grow some plants in the future. There were also plans for an outhouse since his location lacked a sewer system.
All of that cost him 35,000¥, which he felt was worth every single yen.
Off to the side, his eyes fell on a grave marked by a small stone. His cheerful mood dimmed at the sight. Beneath it lay the kimono of the mother spider he had encountered weeks ago.
Recalling the events that led to her passing, he felt a pang of guilt, even though she had died peacefully. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had somehow let her down; if only he had been stronger or quicker, perhaps he could have saved her.
Those feelings puzzled him. He had only known her for a few hours, yet it felt as if she had been a close friend rather than just an acquaintance.
"I guess Xeno was right. I really am a softie," he murmured to himself as he walked away, heading toward the nearby village.
<—>
Fujino had developed a routine that he had grown accustomed to over time. He would wake up early, enjoy breakfast, train until noon, then head to his Udon cart to start selling. He would work until dusk, and after that, he'd venture out late into the night to hunt for demons. Once he returned home, he'd catch some sleep and do it all over again. Occasionally, he would need to camp out or stay at an inn.
This kind of schedule would likely overwhelm an average person due to lack of sleep, but he wasn't just any average person, was he? If it weren't for his high END, he wouldn't have been able to manage it.
Lately, however, he was beginning to feel the weight of exhaustion. It wasn't that he was unhappy with his efforts, but the relentless grind and the stress was starting to wear him down.
The recent Spider Mother incident had only aggravated this issue .
That's why he decided to close up shop today. Instead, he was enjoying a cup of tea on the veranda, sitting next to Nitta Azumi, the village head, whom he affectionately referred to as...
"Granny, when are you going to share that recipe with me?" Fujino asked, taking a sip and relishing the taste.
"Ha! Not a chance, Fujino-dono. And by the way, who told you to call me Granny? Who tought you manners, boy" she replied, feigning indignation.
"I can call people whatever I want, Gran-Gran. And what's with the honorific? I thought we agreed you'd just call me Fujino. We're buddies, after all."
"Hmph, does hypocrisy run in your blood? "I can call people whatever I want"—isn't that what you just said?" Fujino shot her a deadpan look, which quickly turned into a cheeky grin.
Fujino wasn't particularly close to many villagers, aside from Nitta and a few kids; he generally kept to himself.
They soon fell into a comfortable silence, the only sound being the clinking of cups. This peace was soon interrupted by Nitta's inquiry.
"Are you going to explain why you haven't opened up today? It's quite out of character for you, especially since it's the middle of the week," she inquired.
Fujino let out a sigh, realizing he should have steered clear of her today. It was foolish to think she wouldn't notice. "Well... I'm just not in the mood today."
"Why's that? Is something bothering you?"
"No, no, it's just... I've been feeling really drained lately with all the work and training I've been doing. I just can't seem to find the motivation for anything." A half-truth. He wasn't comfortable to open up his feelings to people. And he didn't know how to convey his woes to her.
Nitta nodded thoughtfully at his words. "Sounds like you're experiencing burnout. I think you should take a few days off. How about a trip to Tokyo? I remember you saying you wanted to go, but it seems you haven't had the chance."
Fujino looked at her for a moment before focusing on the cup of tea in her hand. She had a point; he had been so busy that he forgot to take time for himself.
He finished his tea and stood up. "Yeah, you might be right. Since when did you become so wise, Granny?"
"I'll have you know I've seen enough stuff that will make you tremble, young man!"
"Seen enough? You just sit around sipping tea all day; you don't do shit!"
"Hah?! Is that how you talk to your elder? Come back here, young man! This woman will give you an earful if you don't!" she shouted at his retreating figure.
<—>
Aogashima village, a quaint little place, was beginning to experience a significant economic uplift, largely due to the renowned Fujino Udon cart. This popular attraction was drawing many visitors to the village, inspiring more people to move in and start their own businesses.