First Battle

The information about the derived world appeared before Lin Jiu:

[Entering the World: Demon Slayer]

[World Difficulty: LV.3 Hard (Difficulty lowered due to the average strength of ordinary contractors.)]

[Source of the World: 0% (Hunters can explore or interact with characters in the current world to increase this percentage. At world settlement, it will be calculated with mission difficulty to form the final score.)]

[World Introduction: In Japan during the Taisho period, it is said that demons appeared after sunset to eat people. There are also demon slayers who kill demons to protect people.]

[Main Mission: Join the Demon Slayer Corps or the demons. Subsequent missions will activate after the hunter joins one of the factions.]

[Hunting Mission: Eliminate the violator, contractor No. 13521. When the hunter enters within one kilometer of contractor No. 13521, the tracking function will automatically activate.]

[Warning: Do not mention anything about Reincarnation Paradise in this world. If the warning is ignored, you will be forcibly executed!]

[Tip: The main mission in this world is a chain mission. After completing three main missions, you can choose to return to Reincarnation Paradise (hunters need to complete the hunting mission). The more main tasks completed, the higher the comprehensive evaluation.]

[Tip: It has been detected that the hunter does not understand the language of this world. By consuming 100 Paradise Coins, you can automatically learn the language of this world.]

Choosing a faction for the first ring of the main mission is straightforward; it has to be the Demon Slayer Corps. Most contractors think this way. To join the demons, Kibutsuji Muzan would surely turn you into a demon to feel assured.

Unless failing to join the Demon Slayer Corps, contractors generally do not want to become demons, as it means being controlled and fearing sunlight! However, there are always a few fools who think they can solve the demons' weaknesses in Reincarnation Paradise afterward and choose to become demons!

The time limit for this first ring of the main mission is 48 hours. The penalty for failure is deducting 13,000 Paradise Coins. If you lack enough coins, your equipment will be deducted. If that's insufficient, death is the only option.

Lin Jiu also needs to take the hunting mission seriously. He knows that the punishment for failing later is being forcibly conscripted into a world war as an Arbitrator. In such wars, Reincarnation Paradise comes with the inherent disadvantage of being besieged. At that time, Su Xiao only managed to win after exhausting all means.

With Lin Jiu's strength, having experienced only one world, he could only hope the conscripted teammates were strong enough to directly face a three-on-one.

Even though Doma's eating process is graceful, many contractors still dry-heaved. This second world is not like the trial world; it's a regular world, matching contractors who have only experienced four or five worlds. Speaking of which, Lin Jiu is still a rookie.

"This batch of contractors is just not up to par! How can they handle bigger scenes later if they can't manage this small one? As a five-good youth trained by the state..."

Lin Jiu thought halfway, his mouth twitching, realizing that the scene before him was indeed a small one unlike in Tokyo Ghoul world!

When the protective shield disappeared, the contractors immediately entered a state of readiness, not daring to flee. They feared Doma would target the first runner!

"Some little mice are hiding here... Oh~ and a few cute little squirrels among them! How did you appear here? Can you tell me?"

Doma instantly noticed the contractors, his mouth still smeared with blood, smiling brightly and curiously looking at them.

Tap, tap, tap...

In the silent night sky, the sound of shoes walking on the bluestone road was exceptionally clear. The contractors were surprised to see their fellow contractor dressed in stylish black attire, with a sword at his waist, walking towards Doma.

Did he decide to join the demon faction to survive? If they couldn't escape later, it seemed like an option. However, his words overturned this thought.

"From your tone, you sound very brave! Let me see..."

Lin Jiu transitioned from walking to running, charging at Doma.

Seeing that the opponent's sword was not a Nichirin Blade and not using any breathing techniques, just like an ordinary samurai, Doma smiled and said, "Commendable courage, but you're just a mortal..."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Jiu appeared in front of him. Doma intended to show them how helpless they were, smiling and spreading his arms, waiting for the attack.

And then Doma's smile froze. He saw this ordinary samurai didn't draw his sword but instead powered his foot and kicked towards his heart.

The bluestone slab under the kicking foot shattered instantly, forming a small pit. The kicked foot seemed to cause an explosion in the air, or so Doma felt.

It was too late for Doma to regret now. Lin Jiu had already kicked him. It wasn't an illusion; Doma spat out blood, his chest cracked, with ribs sticking out. His body flew out, crashing through the wall of a house.

"The quality of this road is terrible!"

Lin Jiu murmured, seeing mud on his foot. He didn't pursue the victory as the dust obscured his vision, possibly giving Doma an opportunity. He also felt some soreness in his right leg; indeed, Doma was Upper Moon Two!

"Interesting, you've piqued my interest!"

Doma emerged from the rubble, looking disheveled but fully healed.

If a ghoul gets injured, they escape and eat to recover. But these demons, after long-term feeding on humans, have accumulated energy in their bodies. When injured, this energy quickly heals the wounds.

This is very troublesome!

Most of the demons in the Twelve Kizuki have lived for over a hundred years, having eaten countless people in that time, with ample energy in their bodies for recovery.

"Blood Demon Art: Frozen Lotus!"

Although Doma maintained his usual lively demeanor, he felt threatened by this human who carried nothing that could harm him.

Without hesitation, he brandished his weapon, sending lotus-shaped ice crystals flying toward Lin Jiu.

Lin Jiu drew his sword, shattering two ice lotus flowers, swiftly breaking through the surrounding ice crystals and charging towards Doma. Frost appeared on his sword and body, but these cold frosts had almost no effect on Lin Jiu, whose body had been strengthened.

With a swift swing, his most practiced sword technique struck, as if a gentle wind was guiding the blade, making it fall even faster, leaving Doma no chance to dodge.

Doma's throat was instantly cut open but healed in a flash. As expected, there was no annoying sun energy that could trigger his energy consumption flowing through the wound. The recovery barely cost him any energy! His opponent was wielding an ordinary sword!

"Heh~"

Doma chuckled lightly, preparing to unleash his Blood Demon Art, but in his rainbow-colored pupils, he saw his opponent sheathing his sword and advancing, delivering a knee strike toward a certain area.

Even though he had turned into a demon, Doma still felt a chill facing such an attack. It was too late to retreat, so he quickly sidestepped. Lin Jiu's knee smashed into the side of his thigh.

Crack!

The sound of fracturing bones echoed. Doma staggered a few steps, his leg quickly returning to normal.

"Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotuses!"

Doma swung his fans, scattering numerous fine ice flowers, each petal as sharp as a blade. This forced Lin Jiu to distance himself; these two knee strikes frightened him, and he couldn't allow Lin Jiu to get close again.

Lin Jiu frowned, aware of the current situation. His sword couldn't harm the demon, and he didn't possess energy like the Blue Steel Shadow, nor did he have magic skills. What should have been his sharpest weapon was somewhat useless at this moment. Instead, his enhanced strength, stamina, and unrestricted combat techniques, though not injuring Doma, left a psychological shadow.

Doma didn't expect that, even after becoming a demon, he almost got a fatal knee strike from a human. None of the Demon Slayer Corps members ever attacked him this way!

For normal beings, the threat of Lin Jiu's blade was greater than that of fists and feet. But for demons, such fine damage consumed less energy to heal compared to recovering from bone fractures or internal organ damage caused by punches and kicks.

Since his sword was less effective than his fists and feet, Lin Jiu decided to mainly use his fists. He didn't put away his sword but held it in his left hand. Although he needed more training to fight with his left hand, it was enough to sweep away the ice flowers.

Although Doma had forced Lin Jiu to retreat, he couldn't hurt him either. Just as he was about to smile and taunt his opponent, his colorful pupils dilated again. He saw Lin Jiu reaching for his hair!

What kind of human does this?

Lin Jiu had learned from Nemoce to inflict maximum damage. Doma's body healed too quickly from physical wounds, making Lin Jiu's attacks merely a waste of energy. Looking at the sky, the sun was already out, and Doma would soon flee!

Mental harm was also a form of damage! Doma couldn't understand human emotions. Since childhood, he had no emotional fluctuations, no normal joys and sorrows, and couldn't comprehend so-called love and hate. Lin Jiu was helping him cure this flaw in this way, and he should say thank you!