Chapter 12: Your Own Failure Is Scary, But Your Friend’s Success Is Even More Heartbreaking
Tokugawa Ririko, whose corners of the mouth could barely be suppressed, naturally went along with it smoothly.
She walked alone to the corner and continued her daily sword swings practice.
The sound of wind-cutting from nearby made Shangshan Che click his tongue in displeasure.
This was just like how university students can sleep soundly amid the clamor of blue-axis keyboards but stay up all night tormented by the sound of their roommate turning pages.
Shangshan Che focused his attention on the Soul Incense Ash that was shining brightly, and soon a prompt popped up asking 【 whether to use 】.
Shangshan Che was stunned for a moment. So he himself could use Soul Incense Ash too?
Wasn’t this thing a consumable for demon incarnations to level up stars? Wouldn’t a person drop dead immediately if they consumed it?
However, although Soul Incense Ash was a necessary consumable for leveling up demon incarnations, it actually wasn’t precious at all.
On the contrary, it was a commonplace thing that came out nine times in a ten-pull from the gacha pool.
Narrowing his eyes in thought for a moment, Shangshan Che clicked to use it.
In just a moment, Shangshan Che felt the world before his eyes shift from blurry 1080p to incredibly clear 4K, with countless tiny movements slowly flowing through his senses.
And when Shangshan Che gripped the bamboo sword, Lili Zi’s words and hands-on guidance from not long ago suddenly became clear in his mind.
All the movements and theory seemed to become exceptionally simple.
“I get it.”
He murmured.
Lili Zi, who was doing sword swings, stopped her movements and glanced at him: “What do you get?”
“Stance, sword grip, center of gravity control, sword swings, stepping forward…”
Like reciting a menu, Shangshan Che listed out all the basics that Lili Zi had just taught him, making the latter’s expression gradually become fascinating.
She covered her mouth, her body shaking for a while before she seriously said: “Say more, I promise not to laugh out loud.”
But Shangshan Che didn’t reply to Lili Zi. He knew this state definitely had a time limit, and Soul Incense Ash was a consumable.
So he had to quickly engrave these insights into his body before the effect wore off.
Under Lili Zi’s half-smiling gaze, Shangshan Che activated the Ki-Gong Technique Fragment, maintaining a calm as still water state as he began to stand, grip the sword, and swing empty…
Thus, Shangshan Che’s sword technique level rapidly transformed during the sword swings from that of an ordinary person completely ignorant of sword technique to that of a sword enthusiast who had practiced for about one or two months.
Lili Zi’s expression also shifted from barely holding back at first to gradually serious, then to puzzled, and finally to silent.
Once all this was over, the time…
Lili Zi stared blankly down and looked at her mobile phone.
Only one hour had passed.
Accompanying the disappearance of the Soul Incense Ash effect, the world before Shangshan Che’s eyes immediately blurred by more than one level.
Only then did he discover that he was drenched in sweat all over, as if fished out from water, and his muscles were extremely sore, as if he had been beaten up by Lili Zi beside him.
However, everything was worth it.
【Under the effect of using Soul Incense Ash for the first time, after arduous training, your skill, Ki-Gong Technique Fragment’s proficiency +18!】
【Ki-Gong Technique Fragment（Beginner 74/100）】
【Under the effect of using Soul Incense Ash for the first time, after arduous training, your skill, Natural Reason School’s proficiency +50!】
【Sword Technique·Natural Reason School（Not Beginner 51/200）】
【Under the effect of using Soul Incense Ash for the first time, after arduous training, your willpower +1!】
Not only did the proficiency of two skills greatly increase, but willpower also rose from 7 to 8 points.
Shangshan Che turned to look at Lili Zi, barely maintaining a smile, and said faintly: “I said, let me be quiet for a while to sort out my thoughts.”
Lili Zi was bewildered.
To cross her one month of day-and-night effort in just one hour.
Others swinging a sword once equated to her swinging thousands, even tens of thousands of times.
Effort, it turns out, is truly negligible in the face of talent.
The clown turned out to be me.
In the silence, Lili Zi suddenly spoke: “Xiao Che, come, slap me.”
“Ah?”
Shangshan Che hadn’t reacted yet.
“As expected, it’s reality.” Lili Zi sighed: “If it were a dream, I’d have been beaten into a pig head by now.”
Lili Zi paused, then asked: “Want to learn more today?”
“Spare me, I can’t even lift my hands anymore.”
Shangshan Che shook his head and dangled his limp arms.
“Mm.”
Lili Zi nodded, silently disassembled the bamboo sword, carefully wiped and polished every part, then reinstalled the guard, mid-grip, and hilt wrap, finally stringing on the tension cord to straighten the bamboo sword.
Watching Lili Zi who was as serious as if experiencing a great battle, Shangshan Che felt the atmosphere was somewhat off.
But he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.
He had just focused on practicing sword, without provoking Lili Zi anywhere.
After a while, Lili Zi put the bamboo sword into the bag and waddled to the doorway, looking back puzzled: “Shangshan Jun, not coming?”
Shangshan Che pondered for a few seconds and decided to ask directly: “Do you have something on your mind?”
Lili Zi stared at him for two seconds, no longer pretending to wait: “Like you said, let me be quiet for a while to sort out my thoughts.”
Shangshan Che had no reason to stop her, so he nodded: “Tomorrow, I’ll teach you breathing techniques.”
The kendo girl smiled dashing, pushed open the wooden door heavily, and her voice came from ahead:
“See you tomorrow then, Shangshan Jun.”
Shangshan Che watched Tokugawa Ririko’s back recede; he had originally planned to treat this guy to barbecue tonight.
But whatever.
Since Lili Zi left first, he could also find time later to go to the sports field and clear the new map.
As long as the shrine at the spawn point was lit, it wasn’t necessary to enter the Eternal World only at designated locations.
For example, now even in the Kendo Hall, Shangshan Che could enter Edo Castle.
……
After a quick shower and changing clothes, Shangshan Che found a shady corner on the sports field to lie down.
He used his thought to click the 【Enter Eternal World】 option, then his vision went black again.
New map, startup!
Fresh thatched scent mixed with pungent sulfur filled his nostrils; Shangshan Che was nearly dazzled and immediately donned the Laughing Hannya mask.
He sat up and looked around.
He found himself still spawning in a narrow thatched cottage, just with some changes in the interior furnishings.
Besides the usual old tatami mats, haystacks, and low table, there were actually two or three broken chairs leaning against the wall.
“This map’s era is at least after the Meiji period.”
Shangshan Che pondered; the sight before him confirmed that different eras coexisted in the Eternal World.
Though chairs had entered Japan from Tang Dynasty China as early as the Nara period, they only became popular in common homes after Western culture massively invaded during the Meiji period.
Hopefully the miniboss here doesn’t use American-style iaijutsu…
With such a thought, Shangshan Che began searching for the shrine.
First time awkward, second time familiar.
Soon, Shangshan Che lit the shrine.
His eyes lit up.
【You have lit the Aragawa Ghost Village shrine.】
【Current area unlocked: Aragawa Ghost Village（One-Star）】
