This quest was an optional hidden quest, so there was no penalty for failing—it was up to you whether you wanted to do it.
Gusion had already planned to hunt down the Twelve Kizuki, so this quest was just extra income—of course, he'd do it.
So he might have to change his plans and go to the capital. If he was lucky, he might even run into Muzan himself.
"Lord Gusion, are you sure you don't need to tend to your injuries?"
Hinatsuru asked with concern. In her mind, Gusion must have suffered serious wounds in such a bloody battle—maybe just hidden under his clothes, and he was only pretending to be fine.
"Hmm?"
Gusion snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Hinatsuru.
"Why are you still here? I'm fine."
He'd killed eight powerful demons in one battle, but he hadn't taken a scratch, still full of energy, and his soul reserves were over 90%.
Winning so overwhelmingly was thanks to his own stats and skills, but also to the power of the Origin Spirit Seed—being able to keep Armament Haki up nonstop without cost felt almost like cheating...
"Lord Gusion…"
Hinatsuru tried to speak again, but Gusion cut her off.
"Don't call me that. Didn't you hear my conversation with that guy just now? I only joined the Demon Slayer Corps yesterday as a new recruit—not your superior."
Gusio0n waved dismissively. Strictly speaking, his day in the Demon Slayer world had been a brazen.
He'd cleared Fujikasane Mountain last night, arrived in Yoshiwara at dawn, and as soon as the sun rose, slaughtered Upper Moon Six and a bunch of new Twelve Kizuki.
His rapid actions probably caught the enemy off guard—hence the lack of reinforcements here.
"What!?"
Hinatsuru's jaw dropped.
"You only joined the Demon Slayer Corps last night!?"
As Uzui Tengen's wife, she knew the corps' internal affairs well. She knew last night was their annual Final Selection, so Gusion's timing matched up.
But there were several issues—Final Selection was supposed to take seven days, and Fujikasane Mountain was hundreds of kilometers from Yoshiwara. How did he get here overnight? And how could a rookie be this strong!?
She had a million questions, but Gusion didn't give her a chance. After picking up the last treasure chest, he got up to leave.
"I suggest you call the Kakushi for cleanup and go find Uzui Tengen."
"Find Lord Tengen?"
Hinatsuru frowned, watching Gusion leave, her mind full of confusion. This man named Gusion was just too strange.
Now that all the demons were dead, there wasn't any danger left. Why did they need to rush to find their husband?
But Gusion didn't answer, walking toward the distant light. As he reached the border between night and dawn, the false night shattered, revealing a clear blue sky.
He'd told the three women to find the Sound Hashira so they wouldn't linger here and risk being caught by Muzan's explorers as hostages against Uzui Tengen.
The Sound Hashira was valuable—Gusion didn't want him compromised. Besides, he didn't like seeing others suffer. That didn't bring him any happiness.
On the boardwalk, Gusion flagged down an ox cart, paid the driver a gold bean, and told him to head out of town. Sitting on the haystack in back, he rested.
The driver tried to chat a few times, but seeing Gusion wasn't talkative, he wisely stayed quiet.
Gusion, feeling cheerful, pulled out a Deadman's Chest. He remembered it belonged to the female mage explorer. Mages were said to be rich, so he was curious what he'd get.
The Deadman's Chest was heavy and black-gold, with intricate patterns and a skull design in the center.
It was about the size of a household storage box, but its space matched the explorer's original storage space.
According to End Space rules, when an explorer dies, everything in their storage is transferred to their Deadman's Chest as loot for the victor. Their clothes become mere disguises, losing any special properties.
Each Deadman's Chest could be drawn from three times. The process was fun: instead of the usual gacha, you reach in and grope around.
You couldn't feel each item's full shape—just a part, and it always felt vague.
For example, you might think you're touching a curved piece of steel and guess it's a shield, but end up pulling out a shovel.
If you felt something you wanted, you could try to pull it out. But success wasn't guaranteed: according to End Space probabilities, there was a 50% chance you'd get the item, a 40% chance you'd get some End Coins, and a 10% chance you'd get some other random item from the storage.
So, the Deadman's Chest was part pick-and-choose, part RNG.
It reminded Gusion of a certain limited pool from a company's gacha game in his previous life.
Full of anticipation, Gusion reached into the chest, calming his mind to sense the items inside.
Hmm, this thing felt soft and smooth—could it be a piece of equipment? Maybe clothes? He kept searching, thinking it wasn't a main weapon.
After a while, his eyes lit up—he felt a stick.
He gripped it, finding the texture nice, the thickness just right. He was sure: this must be the mage's staff!
He pulled hard, passed the probability check, and as he drew it out, a system prompt appeared.
[You obtained: Erotic Fairy Wand ×1]
"Shit!"
Gusion rarely cursed, but this time he did, immediately tossing the pink wand aside in disgust. It felt worse than getting hit by Gyutaro's Blood Demon Art.
"What the hell, who packs stuff like this!?"
But he quickly regained his composure. Looking back, this had been his own mistake. The female explorer's staff had a glossy look, and he'd felt a bumpy texture but still pulled it out. Lesson learned.
Failure wasn't scary—failing without learning was. Gusion resolved to be more careful next time.
He forced himself, as if reaching into a trash can, to try again.
After a while, his eyes lit up again—another stick! This time, he felt it carefully. Smooth, the right thickness, matching his memory of the staff.
This must be it! Confident, he pulled it out and passed the check.
[You obtained: Giant Red Candle ×1]
Gusion immediately threw it away.
What the hell!? Just how kinky was this explorer!? Was there nothing normal in her storage!?
Fuming, Gusion blindly grabbed for a third draw.
[You obtained: End Brand Shampoo (37% remaining)]
Gusion: …