Chapter 21: Hamon Breathing
Kaito flexed his right hand. The "human skin glove" was as thin as a cicada's wing, and he felt no discomfort wearing it at all.
He had ultimately decided to break down the C-rank Singularity into three D-rank ones, and then one of those D-rank Singularities into three E-rank ones. After his business in the Alchemy Workshop, he had spent 1 E-rank Singularity and 1800 Dimensional Points to acquire the Disguise Mask and the special right hand that concealed his ID number.
His remaining assets were now: 1 B-rank, 2 D-rank, and 2 E-rank Singularities; and 3950 Dimensional Points.
[Remaining time in the Nexus: 57 minutes, 55 seconds]
Kaito glanced at his remaining time. It probably wasn't enough to get anything meaningful done at the [Training Hall]. He decided to first check out the place that had piqued his curiosity the most: the Stall District.
Based on the logic of most games, the cheapest and best deals were always found in player-to-player trades. Official system vendors were always expensive and inconvenient.
When Kaito arrived at the sprawling bazaar, he instantly became the center of attention. His unique appearance made it impossible for people not to notice him, and then, a second later, to frown and avert their eyes in discomfort.
Kaito was very satisfied with the "Visage of an Elder God" he had created. It completely concealed his true appearance while also serving to establish a memorable identity among the other Reincarnators.
"Whoa, brother, that custom face of yours has some real power!"
The owner of the stall closest to Kaito had a completely generic face, the kind you would instantly lose in a crowd. He teased Kaito without any malice, which successfully drew Kaito's attention to his stall.
[Scroll: Basic Marksmanship Proficiency], Price: 800 Dimensional Points
[Scroll: Advanced Marksmanship Proficiency], Price: 2500 DP, or item trade
[Item: Hope Flower's Snipe (Blue)], Price: 4500 DP, or item trade
…
The stall owner was clearly a gunslinger-type Reincarnator. His wares consisted almost entirely of marksmanship scrolls and special firearms. Kaito glanced over the items, gave the owner a smile, and turned to leave.
The owner reflexively covered his eyes, feeling as if the smile had done him psychic damage.
"Damn it, is that guy a genius?" he muttered to himself. "How did he figure out a way to mentally attack people in a safe zone?"
He watched Kaito's back until he saw the next stall owner also flinch and cover their eyes, at which point he finally burst out laughing.
Kaito, meanwhile, browsed from stall to stall, inflicting minor mental trauma on several more people before finally stopping at one in particular. He had seen a unique item.
[Stone Mask]
[Quality: Blue (Rare)]
[Description: A special mask from the world of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, possessing a terrible and evil power.]
[Requirement: Constitution > 10]
[Effect: When worn, the Reincarnator will be forcibly transformed into a vampire.]
It was a lineage item. It could grant an ordinary person immense strength and constitution, as well as a degree of immortality and a vastly extended lifespan. Of course, it also came with the characteristic vampiric thirst for blood and a fatal weakness to sunlight.
Nevertheless, this item held immense power, both for Reincarnators and for those in the real world.
The stall owner was a burly man with a thick beard and messy brown hair. He was lying down next to his stall and only spoke up after noticing Kaito lingering for a long time. "That thing ain't cheap. If you know what it is, make an offer. If you're a clueless newbie, then scram."
He only bothered to speak because he noticed the robe Kaito was wearing seemed special. He usually couldn't be bothered to quote prices to random Reincarnators.
While the Stone Mask wasn't a top-tier item for Reincarnators, in the right hands, it could be converted into a terrifying resource. In every country, weren't there powerful and wealthy figures who were growing old and terrified of death? The true value of this Stone Mask wasn't in the Nexus; it was in the real world! That was why he wouldn't sell it to just anyone. It was a filtering mechanism. He only cared about dealing with those who understood the item's value and could afford its price.
Kaito pondered for a moment before speaking. "Are Singularities enough?"
Hearing the word "Singularity," the stall owner slowly sat up, studying Kaito with a serious expression for the first time. But the moment he got a good look, a throbbing pain erupted in his temples.
"The hell is that ugly face?!" Kai couldn't stop himself from swearing. He felt like his mind had been polluted.
Kaito was very pleased with this effect.
After a few more curses, Kai slowly managed to acclimate to Kaito's Elder God visage. He asked gruffly, "Singularities? What rank?"
Kaito tried to touch the mask, but the stalls had some kind of barrier that prevented him from picking up the items, though he could still see their stats.
"I have E-rank and D-rank. And… a B-rank."
Kai's pupils constricted, his expression changing completely. He realized he had misjudged his customer. A B-rank Singularity could only be obtained by the death of a special character who drastically altered a world's timeline, or by successfully hunting a powerful plot character of at least [Cataclysm]-rank. Either way, anyone who could obtain a Singularity of that level was no ordinary Reincarnator.
His tone softened, a sign of respect from one strong person to another. "This mask… one C-rank Singularity plus 5000 Dimensional Points. Non-negotiable. You should understand what kind of resources this thing can get you in the real world!"
Kaito quickly checked the rules and learned that the [Infinite Space]'s non-disclosure agreement was cleverly worded.
[Annihilation for any who reveal the existence of the Nexus.]
According to the Nexus's explanation, only Reincarnators who directly caused the Nexus's existence to be revealed would be annihilated. In other words, you couldn't tell a normal person that a magical space full of incredible items exists. However, if you simply used one of those magical items in front of them without explaining its origin, letting them come to their own conclusions, they would never know about the Nexus's specific existence. Therefore, you would not be annihilated.
This space didn't want to be completely hidden. In a way, it was actively encouraging Reincarnators to expand their influence…
A flurry of theories ran through Kaito's mind.
Outwardly, however, he simply shook his head.
Kai snorted and was about to lie back down when Kaito spoke again. "Since you were able to obtain this Stone Mask, you must have been to the world of JoJo, correct?"
"I want Hamon."
Kai's expression shifted again as he re-evaluated Kaito.
"You're a newcomer?!"
Kai wasn't stupid. For a truly powerful Reincarnator, Hamon's destructive power and physical enhancements were mediocre at best. It was an ability one would only need in the early stages, or for a very specific purpose.
After a moment's thought, a light flashed in Kai's hand, and a new item appeared on his stall.
[Ability Scroll: Hamon (C+)]
[Quality: Blue (Rare)]
[Description: A special Qigong from the world of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, possessing remarkable effects.]
[Requirements: Constitution > 10; Must possess Martial Arts Aptitude or any Hand-to-Hand Combat proficiency of Lv4 or higher.]
[Effect: Master the art of Hamon, allowing the body to erupt with powerful energy and inflict devastating damage on sun-fearing creatures such as vampires.]