Part 3

Ichibe made a lot of ground. He adapted more and more to his speed. He was thinking of using Shunpo to speed it up even more but decided against it.

There was no need to rush, apart from getting to solid ground. Even if it's only 1980, there is a chance that people will see him. And that was not something he wanted yet.

So, he took it slow. Or at least slower than he could. Ichibe was able to appear in front of Yhwach instantly after he had smacked him back 1000 Ri. 1 Ri is about 4 kilometres in today's Japan. So that is a serious distance he can cover with his Shunpo.

On his way, he passed Tsushima and then came to Jeju Island. Everyone that reads Manhwas knows Jeju Island. This island where the raid against the ants took place was in the world of Solo Levelling.

Ichibe thought that it was a very nice piece of land. He would like to stay, but with the way he looked, he had to change his clothes first. So he continued his journey. It was the way his power deemed the best for him, so he decided to walk it.

The time it took Ichibe to get from Jeju to Shanghai was about the same as it took from Okinoshima to Jeju Island. The more he used his powers, the better he got at using them. And he got faster and stronger as well.

He could feel his strength and speed rising as he was travelling.

After two full days of travel, Ichibe finally made it to China. He chose to get on land, north of Shanghai. With that many people, someone was meant to see him come ashore.

When he finally got on land, Ichibe decided to get something to eat. With the rags he wore, he looked like a homeless person. He only had a torn shirt and worn-out trousers on. And there was blood on everything as well.

But nonetheless, he had a smile on his face. It seemed not much could happen to him that could make his mood go down. He was saddened though by the poverty he saw all around.

He was not sure what he should do in this world, but he wanted to help people. At least somewhat. Being the friendly neighbourhood helper was good but he could do more.

He had to think about it further though.

Ichibe made his way on foot. It was surprising how easy it was to go around unnoticed when you looked poor. His physical appearance should have gotten more attention but it didn't.

Making his way southwest of Shanghai, Ichibe was getting excited. It seemed his path led him to the Himalayan mountains.

He was happy because he always wanted to visit the Himalayas.

Ichibe walked all day long. He never had the chance to just travel. This was the best thing he could think of. No responsibility, no going to work on a daily basis, no schedule and no boss that looked over your shoulder to find faults in your work.

So he walked and ate whenever he got the chance. He had no money. That meant that he would not get anything to eat. But then he had an idea.

Why should he not profit from his powers? He has them and it seems like the best time to try them out.

So Ichibe entered the city of Nanjing. He had plans to find some crime and get himself some money. He didn't have his Zanpakuto yet, but his powers worked differently than the other Shinigami. And now, that he had fused with the Soul Stone, he has become something vastly different.

Ichibe remembered the talk he had with the Soul Stone. Yes, he had a talk with the Stone. It told Ichibei about itself. It had a lot to say and Ichibe listened to it.

The Soul Stone told Ichibe about its feelings and desires. It craved souls. It craves knowledge. And Ichibe had both.

He was a Shinigami. A soul reaper. That was his job and that was what made the Soul Stone so happy. They were meant for each other. No moral restrictions were present that would hinder the reaping of souls.

That was why the Soul Stone fused with Ichibe. And Ichibe allowed it. How much of the Soul Stone's potential you can tap into, depends on your understanding and mastery of reality.

So someone who has the Reality Stone can use the Soul Stone better. And Ichibe did not need the Reality Stone. His power allowed for much more than just reality manipulation.

He was the best person to use the Soul Stone because they were so similar to each other. And they both knew that. So, they fused together, becoming one.

This meant that Ichibe and the Soul Stone had evolved into something new. Something more. And what's important, is that Ichibe has gained all the abilities of the Soul Stone.

He is not strong enough to use them yet. But he is constantly growing stronger. Bit by bit. Each time he uses his strength or any part of his power, he grows stronger.

No, THEY grow stronger.

.

Ichibe had found a criminal gang in Nanjing and had just entered their hideout.

It was time for some soul-reaping.

Ichibe made his presence known and was instantly surrounded by men with all sorts of weapons. Most had handguns.

They were talking to him in, what he assumed to be, mandarin. He didn't understand what they were talking about.

He moved close to one member and grabbed his head. He then performed soul reading and got to know the language and all the truths about the person.

His entire life lay before him. Ichibe saw all the deeds he had done and the hard life he had. The world is not black and white, but grey.

The process took less than a second. When he was finished, Ichibe moved to the next one and did the same. He did that with everyone in the room. When he was finished he had chosen those that were just pure evil and decided to eliminate them.

The gang was involved in extortion, r*pe, murder and prostitution. It was a terrible group of humans.

Ichibe moved to the first one and punched him in the chest.

Due to Ichibe's strength, he punched straight through the man. His whole arm was inside the man. A lot of blood was sprayed on Ichibe and the surrounding.

Ichibe was surprised. He had just killed for the first time and he felt normal. He was unhappy and did not like what he did, but he did not feel bad.

It was a necessity and he did it.

Ichibe could feel it. The Soul Stone was very happy about this. Finally, his wishes and desires were met. It seemed he was right in his assessment. Ichibe is the one he belongs with. They belong together.

Ichibe continued with this act. He was too fast for anyone to do anything to stop him. As the 'fight' progressed, Ichibe started to use his muscle memory and without knowing was using Hakuda.

The 'fight' was not nearly long enough for him to get proficient in martial arts, but it was a start.

When Ichibe was finished the room was littered with corpses. He had reaped all their souls and collected them.

He cleaned his hands with the clothes of the gangsters. After, he went over all the things they had there. It was time for him to clean this place up a bit.

There was a new sheriff in town. And it was time that the criminals in this town knew that.

Ichibe went over their documents and files on high-ranking politicians. There was a lot of dirt on many people and he could use that. He took a lot of money and some new clothes to wear and then left the hideout.

Ichibe knew all the locations the gang used for their business. He was going to have to clean up this mess. He had not removed the head of the organization yet. Those were only a branch of the group.

They called themselves the rising dragons.