Chapter 299: Orochimaru: I'm a Ghoul—Specialized in Eating Demons
Chased by both Konoha and the Navy,
Orochimaru never expected to find such a high-quality experimental specimen in Grand Forest.
Without a Life Lock, death would result in the random loss of equipment, skills, or even bloodlines.
At first, he planned to ignore the opponent—
But the abilities Muzan Kibutsuji displayed sparked his scientific curiosity.
"Lukas destroyed too many of my high-tier undead. What a shame… If players could truly kill one another, I'd have added you straight into my undead army."
Orochimaru felt genuine regret.
Though he couldn't kill this one, he could still study him.
"Arrogant fool. You're seeking death."
Muzan didn't say much.
Used to reigning supreme, even among the Upper Moons he held an air of absolute superiority.
Even after sensing Orochimaru's strength, he still refused to back down.
Black-Blood Brambles!
His skin split open, spraying countless streams of blood.
They twisted into iron-wire-like thorns and lashed toward the seemingly unguarded Orochimaru.
"You can control even your blood independently? This is getting interesting."
Orochimaru didn't move.
The thorny brambles shredded him to pieces. His body fell in chunks to the forest floor.
"Hmph. Weak human."
Muzan snorted and adjusted his suit, preparing to leave.
In the Demon Slayer world, no one—human or demon—dared to provoke him.
He hadn't expected some idiot in this game to try.
Then—
A soft voice came from behind.
"So that's how it is. Sounds like… you're not human. Care to tell me your species?"
Shlck.
A moist, rubbery arm—ghoul-like in texture—pierced through Muzan's chest.
Orochimaru's eyes glinted with curiosity and delight.
The curiosity came from what he sensed when his arm impaled the opponent—necrotic energy spread through the body.
From that brief contact,
he realized Muzan had multiple hearts and brains. What a strange organism.
And—
He could already tell that Muzan hadn't undergone any system enhancements.
Which meant this Muzan was a non-human player from another world.
Not just a human who'd bought a strange bloodline.
"He's not dead? Impossible!"
Muzan stared in disbelief—
Looking down at the gaping hole in his chest, it felt like a dream.
He was supposed to be a near-perfect lifeform.
His blood-forged bramble spikes could detect a target's life force the moment they pierced skin.
By all logic, Orochimaru should be dead.
How was he still alive? What was this creature?
"Surprised? I'm a necromancer with a ghoul bloodline. Technically speaking, I've been dead for a long time."
Orochimaru raised his other hand—
And crushed one of Muzan's heads.
There were many types of ghouls—flesh-eaters, dark-energy undead, bloodline ghouls, and even rare ghoul kings.
But they all shared one trait: death.
So trying to sense life force in a ghoul was pointless.
"Ghouls…?"
Muzan instinctively tried to flee—
But two gray-black bone spears pinned him to the ground.
Necrotic energy began eating away at his flesh.
"A legendary undead race, known for devouring corpses… and demons."
Orochimaru kindly explained,
just as he once guided Sasuke toward strength and agreed to help him kill Uchiha Itachi.
Mutual exchange. Both sides got what they needed.
Every life had meaning—it didn't just vanish pointlessly.
"Eat… demons?"
A guttural growl rose from Muzan's throat.
Goosebumps rippled across his skin.
He couldn't gauge this opponent's strength.
And hearing that Orochimaru ate demons—he didn't even stop to question whether it was true.
He prepared to use his ultimate move: self-replication.
Even Yoriichi Tsugikuni with his Sun Breathing couldn't kill him once this technique activated.
He would split into 1,800 fragments.
As long as one remained, he could regenerate completely.
This was his most powerful survival method!
"What a chaotic world… even monsters that eat demons exist here. Damn you! Once I become the perfect lifeform, I'll make you pay in blood!"
Muzan seethed internally.
But more than anger—he felt fear.
Since Yoriichi's death, it had been nearly a thousand years since he last felt the terror of imminent death.
Even though Hantengu said death didn't exist in this game,
without personal experience and proof, he wasn't willing to take that risk.
If he could escape, he would.
A crack split across Muzan's face, rapidly spreading.
His body began to fragment—
Then, Orochimaru smiled and said:
"Splitting up? I'd advise against it."
A surge of necrotic energy exploded outward.
Skeletons, decayed flesh-eating hounds, skeletal Blue-Winged Drakes circling above, wailing specters—
Thousands of undead materialized, instantly surrounding the area.
"What… is this?"
Muzan froze.
His exploding body halted mid-process.
He felt it—
Those undead weren't just watching. They were waiting—like wolves circling prey.
The moment he shattered into pieces—
They'd lunge, devouring every single fragment.
His limit was 1,800 shards.
But there were more than enough undead to eat every last one.
Gulp.
Muzan swallowed hard.
Then he remembered what Hantengu said about resurrection, and gritted his teeth, preparing to proceed.
He had full control over his own mind.
Hantengu wouldn't dare deceive him. If he said resurrection was possible, it had to be true.
"You haven't bought a Life Lock, have you?"
Orochimaru smiled eerily, as if reminding him:
"If you die, the game will randomly delete one of your abilities."
Delete an ability?
Muzan's brain buzzed.
He didn't recall Hantengu ever mentioning that.
He vaguely remembered reading something about Life Locks while scanning memories—
But most of his focus had been on the in-game shop, so he had skimmed over the rules.
Meanwhile, when Hantengu entered the game—
He had better luck.
Skilled at infiltration and stealth, Hantengu had slipped into a town early, purchased a Life Lock, and upon death had not lost any abilities.
So he hadn't emphasized it in his report.
"Damn you, Hantengu… You dare hide such vital information?!"
Muzan's eyes widened in terror.
If dying would strip him of a power, then dying was not an option.
His entire existence—
Depended on his mutated body. If he lost just a Blood Demon Art or skill, he could live with that.
But if the game took his body—
He would revert to a normal human.
And if his demon progeny all died with him, fine—he could hide, rebuild.
But if only he reverted—
Then the moment he returned to the real world and reappeared in Infinity Castle—
Nakime would kill him instantly.
That much—
Muzan knew all too well.
He never trusted his underlings' loyalty.
His entire confidence came from one thing: his power to control their lives and deaths.
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