I don't have much to really say right now. So, instead of rambling on, I'm just going to get straight to my response to reviews/comments.
[Response to Reviews/Comments]
(Qoutev) Mini: Here's more!
(Ao3) Tymaddux: Oh, the Uzui slander has only just begun, my good friend :).
(Ao3) Kolt: Still getting used to reviewing on Ao3 rather than FF. Anyway, I guess I should clarify stuff when it comes with this fic. This story takes place AFTER the events of GOTM. I won't spoil anything that happens, but the background world, of which will be barely explored if at all, is AFTER the events of GOTM.
As for the worry of Muzan potentially coercing Jessica into helping him complete his goal…. Well, I won't say much of anything but know that if that were to happen, it would lead to a fairly crappy fate for our boy Muzan.
Have a good day, Kolt!
(Guest) Guest: Thank you!
(Guest) Fire Turtle: Her having Wood Release would be BEYOND broken just because of some of the stuff she could do with it. Unfortunately, a lot of it requires Chakara, and the DSverse doesn't really have that nor is it readily available. I could find some way to make it work, so I'll think about it. The same goes for substitution jutsu. Also, when she comes around to making a garden, the answer to that question is yes.
Aecw123: I had the same theory when it came to why Muzan never explored the world beyond Japan. Probably could've found other cures that way TBH. Not that it mattered in the long run. As for Yoriichi's Transparent World… yeah, that is lowkey magic, and no one can convince me otherwise lmao. The same goes for Mitsuri's ridiculous physical strength. Adrenaline can only explain so much.
Shadowpanther93: Yes, she will be taking her own path. As for if she'll be supplying help to the Demon Slayers… I can't answer that because if I did that would be spoilers. For now, though, she will be avoiding them like the plague. Or at least as she can manage.
Now, with that out of the way, let's get into the chapter!
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[Jessica POV]
Frankly speaking, when I got this new dungeon creator gun thing, I thought that the dungeons would be difficult. But as I sat atop a pile of corpses belonging to zombies, picking my ear with a frown, I couldn't help but feel cheated. Not because this wasn't giving me nearly enough EXP to level up, that would be a lie. I was expecting a challenge!
Then again, I do have it set on the second difficulty level of 1. So perhaps that has something to do with it. That aside, I had made some pretty decent progress when it came to levelling up. I've been hopping dungeons for the last few hours, that was to be expected. Although now it was costing me ten thousand Exp to level up, and the most these zombies were now giving me were 50.
Yeah, you can see the problem.
Flicking my wrist, my stats screen came up, and I frowned.
HP: 140 [1.5 Hp regen per second] (Rank: F+)
MP: 140 [1.5 Mp regen per second] (Rank: F+)
Atk: 23 (Rank: F+)
Def: 28 (Rank: F+)
End: 25 (Rank: F+)
Mg Atk: 28 (Rank: F+)
Mg Def: 33 (Rank: F+)
Crit: 5.5 (Rank: F+)
Mg Crit: 5.5 (Rank: F+)
Everything was still F. Adding a plus sign didn't make it any better. Though I suppose it meant I was actually making progress. Still, I had to wonder what a stat had to be to get it past F. One of them had to be close! HP scaled higher, same as MP, that much I understood. But everything else? Like, my Magic Defence was 33. It was above the twenty range. Then again, it did say F+. That had to mean something.
I sighed, placing a hand on my chin, and looking down at the mountain of zombie corpses. Razor Leaf and Vines were pretty strong all things considered. I had been able to get Razor Leaf to level 19, and Vines to level 10. Though considering Vines scaled with my Attack Stat, I don't know what it meant to level it up. The mana cost hadn't been reduced, so what was the big deal? Maybe I'd find out later down the line.
As for Razor Leaf, the chance for it to inflict bleed increased. It went from 5% to 15%. A massive jump all things considered. And considering it still cost 5 mana to cast a single leaf, and with 35 more extra mana to my name, that meant that I could summon 28 razor leaves, each of which having a 15% chance to cause bleed. If that didn't scream strong early game, then I don't know what does.
Although, I have no idea what "bleed" could mean. Was it some sort of damage over time thing, or was it like something from FromSoft, where it did a percentage of damage based on the health of the person affected? I honestly don't know, but I cannot wait to find out. I only recently had gotten the increased chance to cause the bleed status effect.
You'd think that during this massacre of the undead, I'd activate it, but that's not what happened. In fact, I'm pretty sure zombies are immune to it. It's just an assumption, because I killed easily more than 100 of these things, and not once did I activate Bleed.
I'd have to ask Xeno that.
Grabbing the dungeon maker, I fired at the wall and created a dark grey portal. It was swirly, it was misty, and it had a homey kind of energy around it—kinda like the feeling you get when you walk into your apartment or house after a long day's work. After all, it was the return home portal, it would be weird if it didn't feel like that.
Stepping through the portal, I put the dungeon maker back in my inventory as the grey mist thing disappeared. I was back at my cabin in the early morning sun. If I were to guess, it was probably six to seven in the morning. I lost track of time inside the dungeon, but I knew I hadn't been home for at least six hours. Especially considering I was hardly getting any experience with those waves and waves of zombies.
I walked into my cabin and sighed. The inside of my cabin was small, nice, and comfortable. It had a bed, an open window, a table, a shelf, and a wooden chest I had carved out of wood. The bed was given to me by Xeno as part of a "starter kit". The starter kit contained a bed, something called a Gacha Token, and… that was about it. I had to make the house myself, and everything else I got was thanks to my efforts.
I was glad I didn't need to sleep, otherwise, I wouldn't have had shelter so quickly. Well… a week wasn't very quick, but you get the point. It was quicker than what most people would have been able to do. I mean, a house like this, especially in this era, would take literal months.
As for the Gacha Token, I was hesitant to use it, because Xeno hadn't explained jackshit when it came to it. All the damned thing told me was that it was a coin that could "give me something useful." And that was it. That was all it said and I don't know what Xeno thinks something useful is. For all I know this thing could give me a dildo, a vibrator, or something stupid…
Though considering all the frustration and recent stress, unwinding wouldn't be that bad of an idea…. Also, why was that thing that was on my mind? Ugh, I blame my horny mind. For as much as I hate Douma because he was a predatory Demon that ate women, and considering I was a woman now… even back when I was alive I thought he was kinda hot.
This was his fault, wasn't it?
Thoughts aside, I sat down on my rather comfortable feather bed and sighed. I fetched the Gacha Token. When I did, a pop-up came up.
[You've got yourself a Gacha Token! You can earn these by completing Story Quests, or special Side Quests. This comes with your starter package, so feel free to use it whenever you want! Just remember, you only get one, and the item you can get can be either useless or useful, depending on what class you are. These are the rarities of items you can get, as well as the chances with them! Common (50%), Uncommon (33%), Rare (7%), Epic (6%), Legendary (3%), Mythical (1%). All you have to do is bend the coin with your fingers, which is easy because it has the same flexibility as rubber, and then it will break on its own! Good luck, and happy Gambling!]
Well, the name of the token was "Gacha" so it makes sense. But still, why would that be helpful?! Gambling for items just seemed like a hassle! Unless of course it was rigged. If it was rigged, then maybe it would be more useful, but still!
"Whatever, let's just get this over and done with…" I grumbled as I began to bend the coin. When it began to bend, a golden light began to leak off of the coin. From what I remember from the Gacha Games I played, that meant common. "This is gonna suck…." As those words left my mouth, the coin snapped, and when it did….
A sword appeared in my hand. Which, for all intents and purposes was kind of useless given that I was a witch and not a swordswoman. The blade itself was quite large and came with a sheath to match that length. The blade was narrow at the tip and through the whole thing, up to the base, where it widened out slightly at the end. The cross guard was just that, a regular cross guard made of a black metal alloy of some kind. It shone in the daylight, reflecting the sun's rays.
The blade itself was black, with a slight red tint to it. It reminded me of a nichirin blade. If it was, it would be kinda strange for me to use it considering I was a witch and, again, not a swordswoman, but I digress. The hilt of the blade was about the same as one was to expect. It was metal, though it looked more pink gold than metal, and it had a kind of black fabric around it to make it less of a pain to hold. Holding it in my hand, the blade tipped to the ground, it was quite comfortable to hold. There was a slight heft to the blade, but nothing my arms couldn't lift.
The blade itself, from what I could gather thanks to using Observe on it had a length of about 36 inches, which was standard across the board. It was a flat edge, meaning it wasn't modified in any way. I brushed the tip of my finger across the blade, and much to be expected, it was sharp. In fact, it was sharp enough to cut my finger, which had only dealt a minor 1 damage to me. I wasn't exactly paying much for testing the blade, but at least I knew it could cut through skin.
Once I was done inspecting the blade, a pop-up came in front of me, which gave me the description of the item I received. Needless to say, I was more than a little shocked at what I had just obtained.
[Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi – Legendary]
[Sword class: Legendary]
[Requirements: 20 Atk, 25 Mg Atk, and 5.0 Crit]
[Effects: Deep Poison, Inflicts every 10 strikes. Strikes must be done one after another or Deep Poison will not be inflicted. Once Deep Poison is placed onto an opponent, damage dealt with Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi will be doubled for the duration of Deep Poison's effect, which typically lasts 30 seconds]
[Description: A legendary blade forged out of the scales of Yamata-no-Orochi. It is said that anyone can wield the blade, no matter the skill. Due to its nature, and due to the fact that it is made out of the scales of Yamata-no-Orochi, it is said to be cursed. While this is unfounded, wielders should take caution when using the blade, should one believe in the superstition surrounding it. Take calm in knowing that these rumours and legends are untrue]
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[New Skill Gained: Swordsmanship – Lvl 1, Rank: Beginner: To become a master, there is a long road ahead. In a world where magic can only take you so far, being one with the sword is vital for survival. (100 Exp till Level 2)]
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[New Trait gained: Blessing of Yamata-no-Orochi – The path of the serpent is unlocked for you. It is a special kind of nature magic that will allow you to gain access to high-level poison spells far earlier than normal when one has gone down the path of a nature witch. All poisons are twice as potent as they typically are, and with the blessing of Yamata-no-Orochi, you are immune to every kind of venom and poison in the world]
I stared at the information that was given to me, then looked at the blade in my hand. You know what they say about beginners' luck, right? This blade was quite literally one of the legendary swords of, well, legend! And that wasn't even considering the fact that I gained a trait because of a blade!
I don't even know how that works, but considering this blade is made directly from Yamata-no-Orochi, my guess is that, with it being made out of said legendary creature, said legendary creature's soul must've approved of me wielding it, and therefore it blessed me and said blessing turned into a new trait.
While I could wax poetic about how busted that was, I sheathed the blade and attached it to the sash on my kimono, which was now free of blood. I don't know how that happened, but my guess is that it happened due to my special status. That was good. It meant I didn't need to wash my clothing. All of that said, now that I had a sword, I figured that I might as well begin to train myself with it. After all, it gave me something else to do.
I yawned. Not out of tiredness but out of boredom. Gamers Body made it so I didn't need to sleep, at least, I think so. I haven't felt tired at all for the last week, so it was just an assumption. Although maybe I should get some sleep. There was a reason why I had a bed in the first place. I just need some curtains to put over my windows or even hatches with a latch to close the window to not let the cold in.
At night, it got really cold, so I needed some kind of warmth. The problem was that swingable hatches and a latch would require metal. Metal can't be found in the forest unless I want to go cave-splunking. And that was something that I didn't want to do. Dungeons didn't drop anything until difficulty 4 and above, and I was still stuck on difficulty 0 to 1.
So, in other words, I need to go into the town…. Lovely. Thankfully, it wasn't too far away, but it would be a decent ways away. Granted, I have infinite stamina, but still….
"So much for me being a hermit completely," I grumbled, as began my walk to the nearby town on Kumitori Mountain.
[Tanjiro's POV]
Tanjiro Kamado had been to town a lot throughout his life to trade coal for goods, or even sell it to purchase said goods. Plenty of folks knew him, and he knew plenty of folks in return. Okutama town was a nice quaint place with a small population. Everyone here was kind and nice, and everyone here enjoyed each other's company. It wasn't often someone new showed up, so when someone did, they were greeted with open arms.
But, for some reason, there was an air of caution today. And it all had to do with a strange woman who had shown up earlier in the day. Tanjiro would have to admit that the woman looked normal. But what was putting people off guard, at least in his opinion, had to be the sword on her hip. Was she Yakuza? No… Yakuza didn't allow women to join. At least, not unless that changed recently.
Frankly, Tanjiro didn't really pay any attention to that sphere of things. But that still didn't mean the young boy wasn't curious. His coal basket was nearly empty. Maybe he could get something out of her. He just needed to sell a few pieces of charcoal before he went home. Every time he went to town, he wanted to leave with an empty basket. If it wasn't empty, then it was a failure. At least, that was what he thought, anyway.
As he approached the woman in question, he noted her rather pale skin. Compared to almost everyone else in the town, she looked extremely out of place. But her black hair fixed that. Her kimono reminded Tanjiro of Nezuko's kimono. Hell, it even had the same ribbon and sash that kept it in place. Maybe she went to the same tailor as his mother had to make a similar Kimono?
The sheath on her hip was completely black. The only hint of colour was the pink-gold diamond-shaped hatches due to the black cloth over the tsuka of the blade—he was guessing it was a katana, because what other kind of sword would a swordswoman carry? The woman's hands were almost completely eclipsed by her sleeves, although that was just a minor detail. Her black hair was done up in a bun, with a single chopstick keeping the bun in place. Her bangs framed her face, and that was all there was to talk about hair-wise.
She looked… normal. But because she looked normal that could've been what made a few people weary of her. Especially because she was trying so hard to fit in. Why? Was she a foreigner, or mixed race? It was possible. Not that he judged, everyone had a right to live in Okutama town. Even the destitute. So long as no trouble was caused, Tanjiro didn't care much for who lived here.
Tapping the woman on her arm, she spun around on her heel and for a brief second, her eyes widened upon seeing him. Like she had been expecting him for some reason. Tanjiro pushed that aside in his head, before speaking. "Uh, ma'am, could I interest you in some charcoal? I haven't seen you in town before, so perhaps you might need it?"
It seemed to pique the woman's interest, as she muttered something under her breath, something that Tanjiro was able to hear, and it was a little strange all things considered. "So… it hasn't happened yet…. Good."
Tanjiro was a little confused at what that meant, his head tilted to one side as the woman shook her head. "My apologies, kiddo. Uh… charcoal huh? Well, I don't know if I have much to offer. All I have is…" she stopped, shuffling her hands inside her kimono, most likely searching for something to give to him for an equal trade. His question though was how she was going to carry the coal without dirtying her clothing.
It was then that she brought out something that… probably shouldn't have fitted within her kimono, though he didn't question it. It was a whole quarter log. It was pretty big, too. If he thought about it, it could probably make double the charcoal he had in his basket right about now. "I know it's probably worthless to you, but it's all I have of value at the moment. This is my first time in town, so I don't have much to my name."
Tanjiro nodded, smiling. "It's quite alright ma'am. And, actually, that log is worth a lot, especially seeing as… hmm, just by looking at it, I could probably make double what is in my basket right now. It also saves me time from chopping trees, even if only by an hour. Um… but how will you fit the charcoal on you? You don't have a bag or anything to carry it with?"
The woman smiled, putting the log down in front of Tanjiro before opening her hands. Tanjiro raised a confused eyebrow. Was she asking him to put the charcoal in her hands? He shrugged. If she wanted to carry it by hand, then that was up to her. Strange as it may be, who was he to judge? He fished around in his basket and grabbed the ten pieces of charcoal left. It would be enough to warm a house for six hours if used correctly. It was also high quality, so it wouldn't burn immediately.
The woman took the charcoal, before pressing her hands together. Tanjiro's eyes widened as a green aura covered her hands, and when her hands opened, the charcoal was gone. For a brief second, he could've sworn that the woman's eyes widened when her hands glowed, but aside from that, it was all-natural—as if she had done it many times before. "I'll carry it within myself, young man. Much as I carried this log within me to here."
"I-I—"
The woman giggled, before putting her hands together, both hands disappearing underneath the sleeves of her Kimono, before bowing. "Thank you, young man. What is your name, so that I don't forget it?"
Tanjiro stopped stuttering, coughing into his right hand, clearing his throat in the process before he spoke. "My name is Kamado Tanjiro, and you are?"
"Jessica Blackmore. It is a pleasure to meet you. I really must be going, but… should you ever be curious about what it is that I have done just now, seek me out. I am a small trek eastward of this place. While I doubt it will happen, I have a feeling that you'll find yourself needing some kind of assistance in the near future."
With that cryptic message, the woman turned to leave. Tanjiro couldn't help but feel a mix of confusion and concern. Confusion at what she had just done, and concern because… what did she mean by "in need of assistance in the near future." Was something bad going to happen? What was that that she had just done?
Whatever the case was, Tanjiro couldn't help but feel like meeting her was a good omen. After all, she seemed like a nice person. He couldn't sense a single bad bone in her body. Plus, she had taken the last bit of charcoal off of his person, and gave him a new log to boot! So she had to be nice! That was just simple logic. Be kind to others as you would be to yourself. That was his philosophy, so he was glad that someone else had seemed the same way, even if it was only once.
With his mission complete, and with all of his charcoal sold, Tanjiro began his trek back home for the evening with a proud smile on his face.
[Jessica POV]
When I got back to my cabin, I came back with less than what I needed. Some charcoal from the protagonist himself, a few metal hinges that were kindly donated to me so that I 'did not taint their peaceful village with my presence' and some wooden panels given to me by a kind old lady at the ends of the town.
My experience in Okutama town, which had been what the locals at the entrance of the place had called it, was a little less to be desired. The people wanted nothing to do with me, except for Tanjiro, who seemed just like he had been in the manga. I knew that in a few months, his life would be up-ended thanks to Muzan, but it was still so nice to see him so full of happiness and kindness. Untainted by what that monster did to his family.
Speaking of monsters, the moon was beginning to appear in the sky. I thought the walk was going to be a short one, but it wasn't. It was easily over five hours from my humble little cabin to town, and another five hours bag atop of the time I spent in Okutama town, which was easily over three hours. Needless to say, I spent almost all day in town.
Still, I found it rather interesting. Aside from a few words that I didn't really understand, namely slang and the like, making conversation back in the day seems to be the same as the present. Customs are different, and money is also different, but still.
And I was right, people back in the early 1900s hated foreigners. I'm surprised Tanjiro was an exception. But considering it's Tanjiro I should've expected no less but politeness directed toward me. The boy had wonderful parents and a wonderful family.
It was a shame that it would taken away from him soon. Four months, and the boy's life will turned upside down. I know I should step in, but what is there that I could possibly do? Muzan would no doubt kill me in the blink of an eye, and I know that I won't be getting that strong to deal with him…
Unless I could.
I was a Gamer, after all. That meant that I had potential unlike any other. I could become as strong as I wanted to, and nothing in this world could realistically defeat me if I did so. I could become a God in four months if I so choose.
But, I could also live a meaningful life…
Nah, fuck it. I'd rather become a God. Besides, why have problems for myself? I know I won't be able to kill Muzan, but I will be able to drive him off. I had four months to do it, so that is what I'll do.
But first… "I should probably fix up the window so it doesn't get unbearably cold in the winter…" I turned to look at the entranceway to my little cabin in the woods and frowned. "And possibly go back tomorrow to get the materials to make a door…
[You could also duplicate the hinges, Jessica Blackmore.]
I blinked. "I can what?"
[You can duplicate materials, Jessica Blackmore. Though it will cost you Yen to do so. Not everything is for free, Jessica Blackmore. And considering you are now level 17, you can now reasonably do a Quest. Would you be interested in taking up a Quest, Jessica Blackmore?]
I hummed, rubbing at my chin. I looked down at my sheath and smirked. I needed to get my swordsmanship skills up. If anything, this would be perfect for that. "Alright, I'll bite. What do you got for me, Xeno?"
[One moment… Loading Quest…. Quest loaded!]
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[Monster of the Night (Recommended Level: 15)]
[Quest: Kill a Demon]
[There are plentiful Demons lurking about in the woods at night. Night draws near, and the people of Okutama Town need protection. Of course, Demon Slayers are in the town as well, but you are special. You can combat Demons more directly than they can, as you have Magic]
[Objective: Kill a Demon to prove your worth!]
[Bonus Objective: Kill a Demon using Magic in front of a Demon Slayer]
[Hidden Objective: ?]
Rewards: 15,000 Exp, 1,000 Yen, 10 Reputation with Demon Slayer Corps
Bonus Rewards: 1 Gacha Token
Hidden Rewards: 100,000 Exp, 10,000 Yen, minus 50 Reputation with Demon Slayers Corps
I looked at the quest and smirked. That was easy. Well, as easy as it could be for someone like me. The bonus objective was just that, a bonus objective I didn't have to do it, but that extra Gacha Token would be nice. That, and the money wouldn't be all that bad. The hidden objective though… that was a lot of exp and a lot of money. It was hidden, so I wouldn't be able to know what said objective is, but if I were to make a guess, I'd have to say it would be something to piss off the Demon Slayer Corp.
I stepped outside of my cabin, looking up into the sky. The moon was just starting to rear its friendly head. My hand drifted to the hilt of my newly acquired sword, and my smirk widened into a smile with devilish intent. Kill a Demon? Easy. I might not be a skilled swordswoman, but I have hacks and powers that no normal "Demon Slayer" could ever hope to have.
And if push comes to shove… if my guess about the hidden object was correct, then I think I know exactly what that hidden objective is. Granted, I would only do it if I was provoked, but I wouldn't stop it if it was looking to head in that direction.
Extra rewards are just that, extra rewards. And if I was given the chance, I would take them. I'm still a weakling, and being able to get a jump start on my grind to eventually stop Muzan from killing the Kamados, I'd take it.
After all, I am a Witch. And no one ever said a Witch had to be a good person….
With that in mind, I went off on my hunt for a pesky Demon. I would begin my search around the forest, and work my way to Okutama town. My hand gripped onto the hilt of my blade, before turning back to my house. I could make the window, but this was more important.
And so, off I went into the forest beyond.
-To Be Continued-
