4- Trial

"You're taking too long, if you can't do it. Give it to me." Growing irritated at Tanjirou hesitation at finishing the demon with the rock he had picked up. Nade held out it his hand and said.

"Listen, the sun's almost up. Go make sure Nezuko's safe from it. I'll finish it from here." Rolling his eyes at Tanjirou's indecision, Nade reminded him and took the big rock from his finally willing hand.

"Oh yeah, the sun! Nezuko! Back in the basket quick!"

Witnessing that, the old man put a hand to his face and sighed wearily. "What am I gonna do with that boy..."

Not hearing the man's mumbled words. Nade trepidently approached the demon panicking head and taking a deep breath, smashed the stone down on it.

*CRACK*

A sickening crunch resounding, Nade paused for a bit at the drops of blood falling on his face before rising the rock and striking again. And again, and again. Until the head finally stopped regenerating its wounds.

Dropping the stone, Nade expected himself to shake a bit or be at least a bit upset at what he had just done. But he felt nothing, only a sort of distachment.

What he was doing was all for his survival, and there was nothing wrong in killing a man eating monster for that.

The game like window appearing in his vision certainly didn't help.

[ You have killed 1 low rank demon! EXP rewarded!

+1 LVL!

The perk {Feed} is in effect! +2 Lady's favor for a low rank demon soul!

-The quest: Baby steps has been completed! 1/1 low rank demon killed.

+1 Level and 1 item {hands bandage} obtained!

Would you like to unlock the inventory feature and stock the item for 1 Lady's favor?]

Selectioning yes with a frown, Nade didn't have the time to investigate his rewards as someone adressed him.

"Very decisif, along with your quick thinking. These two things will help you stay alive."

"But enough about that. Who are you and why are you with that boy?" The old man asked Nade with a hard tone, indicating that not answering was not an option.

"It isn't very polite to ask someone to introduce themselves without doing it first. Who are you and why did you come out from nowhere?" Nade asked back with a scowl. Surprising himself at the harshness of his voice.

"Hmm? You have more fire than I thought. Very well, we will do as you wants. I will answers you and you will answer me in return. But before that, we have unfortunate souls to bury and pray for." Grunting, the man replied somberly.

"We?"

"Will you not accompany me?"

"Never said that." Shaking his head, Nade breathed out. Taking in without much fear that the 'changes' he had been waiting for were appearing.

—————

"So, Nade. Is it? Not a name from here... You wants to become a demon slayer?"

After having buried the victims and giving a harsh scolding to Tanjirou about his indecision when asked what he would do in the case his sister harms an innocent. The old man now known as Sakonji Urokodaki severely eyed up Nade from behind his mask.

"I do, I want the strength necessary to survive anything." Nade simply told the truth, as he remembered that Sakonji enhanced smell could distinguish emotions to a certain degree. Who know if he could 'smell' lies?

"A reason like any others. But lacking when compared to someone like Tanjirou desire to save his only remaining family member." Sakonji observed meaningfully.

"I would have done it for my family too if they were here!" A sudden flare of frustration and anger rising in his heart, Nade snapped. Immediatly realising his mistake afterward.

...

"I see. If I'm taking in a potential student, another one would not be too much. Though if you prove yourself worthy, we'll have to work on that temper." After staying silent for a bit, Sakonji finally decided.

"Now both of you, follow me. If you give up or can't keep up, I will not take you in." Suddenly beggining to jogs away from the mountain. Sakonji informed both kids.

A startled Nade and a contemplating Tanjirou hastened to fall behind the old man quick pace.

Profiting from the temporary respite given by his five time as effective stat. Nade finally looked at his status.

[PHYSICAL SUPREMACY SYSTEM]

NAME: [erased]

Level: 2

STATS:

Strength: 7

Dexterity: 9

Resilience: 8 (4)

Intelligence: 8

Wisdom: 7

Free stats: 0 (4)

Lady's favor: 1

PERKS: {Physical Supremacy (modified)} {Feed} {Inventory}

SKILLS: {Blunt Damage Resistance LVL 13}, {Pain Tolerance LVL 20}, {Fear tolerance LVL 9}, {Hard knuckles LVL 11} {Sharp Axe LVL 3} {Heavy Kicks LvL 3}]

Immediatly noticing the four free stats he gained from his two levels and investing them In RES to even out his physical stats. Nade afterward inspected his inventory and his new skills to see if there was anything special about them.

His inventory was a 1 square meter of auto organizing space he could upgrade the size of with Lady's favors point. At a doubling price for each additional square meter of space. Thus, the current price to reach 2 meters was currently sitting at 2 points.

As for his skills, they weren't anything special. Enhancing his attacks with axe type weapons and his kicks to the same rate of 0.5xLVL.

After doubling his RES, Nade suddenly found himself more energetic and every breath taken to be more easy on his lungs.

All of this allowed him to easily keep pace with Sakonji. Not that he wasn't already before that.

Despite being able to run alongside the old man, Nade opted to stand beside Tanjirou who was already sweating.

Their totally different state of tiredness was without a doubt a crushing defeat for Tanjirou, and that was what his quest: If you can't beat them, join them, and then leave them in the dust, required.

In hindsight, it was no wonder the quest rewards were so low if it was going to this be easy.

Just as he thought that, he saw Tanjirou throw a glance in his direction and immediatly become startled at his light and easy breathing.

The boy didn't speed up or anything like that, but Nade could see a certain fire lit up in his travelling companion's eyes before he faced forward again...

—————

Arriving at a small wooden house Sakonji lived in after a lengthy and fast jogs through a road and a mountain path. Tanjirou dropped Nezuko who had fallen asleep somewhere during the run in a bed.

"I'll keep an eye on her. And don't you relax now, this was only the warmup. Now the real trial begins." Promising Tanjirou to look over his sister, Sakonji ascended further up the mountain.

Both boy looked at each other, one shrugging and the other sweaping the sweat from his forehead and shaking his head bitterly.

—————

"You two followed until here, good. Now find back your way to the house. Before sunset."

"Eh!? Urokodaki-San! wait!" Despite Tanjirou calls, the old man didn't turn back and slowly vanished in the mist of the mountain.

"Well, I have a good nose. We should find our way back easily. So don't worry Nade-San. Nade-San?" Looking around, Tanjirou suddenly realized he was alone.

—————

Not by choice, as the instant Sakonji had vanished in the mist, he had been kidnapped and dropped out elsewhere by the old man.

"This is an individual trial." Was what he had said to Nade.

"How I'm supposed to find the way back if you teleported me to wherever the heck this is!?" Nade cried out in frustration. Though it was useless as the only answer he received was from the fauna around him.

...

"Senile old man..."

"Anyway, if it's like that. The I think It's time to use a trick as old as the world."

Lifting his head, Nade realized the foliage was too thick to see the sun.

"Whatever, I'll just return to monkey for a bit." Shrugging, Nade put to test the full potential of his enhanced stats as he began climbing a tree.

His experiment went surprisingly well, his grip and core strength proving sufficient to heft himself up with relative ease.

At least, all went well before he ate a bamboo sprout moving faster than a car to the face while reaching for a certain fold in the bark.

His head bouncing back between the bamboo and the tree multiple time, Nade lost his grip and fell from the tree.

"HAA~Aaa~aaa..."

*BOOM*

"That's one soul I wouldn't mind offering to the Lady..." Lying still in his human- shaped crater, Nade's mouth twitched.

"And seriously, who set traps ON. FREAKING. TREES!"