Chapter 34: The Goddess
[Through arduous training, Hamon Lv1 has been upgraded. Current Level: Lv2]
[Hamon Lv2: When active, slightly increases cellular activity and slightly enhances the body's natural healing ability.]
White bandages were wrapped around Kaito Shirogane's arms. The rhythm of his breathing was sometimes short, sometimes long. This special cadence continuously generated ripples within his body. After five days of nearly uninterrupted use, combined with a training regimen that bordered on self-harm, his Hamon proficiency had finally leveled up.
For the first time, Kaito could clearly feel a warm wave inside him—the so-called ripple had manifested as a tangible presence in his body.
[You have comprehended the sense of ki. You can now unlock the Martial Artist and Qigong Master related sequences.]
Kaito's theory had been correct. The so-called "ki" was just another type of special energy generated by the body. Many different breathing methods and qigong arts shared a common foundation. The only differences were the quality, quantity, and efficiency of the energy's use. For example, both the worlds of Demon Slayer and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure had breathing techniques that could enhance a person's physical abilities and cellular activity. The "ki" of the Dragon Ball world, on the other hand, was defined by its sheer, overwhelming volume. A powerful martial artist could gather a ki blast and destroy cities or even continents. The monsters in the later stages of that world could destroy planets at will.
And now, Kaito Shirogane finally possessed the key to walk that same terrifying path.
Kaito unwrapped his bandages. His knuckles and the back of his hands were covered in scars. In the world of Kengan, there were training methods similar to ancient Chinese martial arts. Before one could master devastating techniques like Rakshasa's Palm or [Devil Lance], one had to spend years conditioning the body.
The training for the Koei Style began with [Water Smiting], which involved repeatedly striking the surface of water in a basin to feel the changes in the water and the force. Day and night of this arduous training would eventually make the soft, formless water feel like iron sand, capable of scraping the skin from one's palms. Through this training, one mastered the [Twisting of Force] and the power of the spiral. After that came [Sand Smiting], then [Stone Smiting], and finally, one could reach the stage of [Flesh Smiting]. The deadly art of [Koei Style - Rakshasa's Palm] was born from this brutal training.
Coincidentally, the [Kaiwan Style] required for [Devil Lance] also involved tempering one's limbs to an inhuman degree through arduous training. Even more coincidentally, Hamon in the world of JoJo also had two training paths. One was the ascetic, meditative training of Tibet. The other was a method of rapidly advancing one's skill through extreme, torturous physical conditioning.
It was based on this knowledge that Kaito had purchased large quantities of iron sand to begin his own brutal training. For five days, he had acted as if he couldn't feel pain, and in return, he had earned a rapid upgrade to his Hamon.
[Notice: ID# Ex051, you will be deployed on a new mission in 1 hour. Please ensure your surrounding environment is secure beforehand.]
The crimson notification abruptly appeared before Kaito.
He paused for a moment, then continued applying ointment to his hands. He had about 30 minutes of Dwell Time left in the Nexus, and it would take him about 10 minutes to get from here back to his dorm. He wasn't in a rush.
Kaito calmly packed his things and left Katsu's gym, patting the latter on the shoulder as he left. The gesture made Katsu's face go pale, terrified that he had done something wrong.
Kaito returned to his dorm, closed the door and windows, and made sure the surveillance bird couldn't get in. He checked the time, then focused on the mark on his right hand and gave the command to return to the Nexus.
The character for [SIN] instantly expanded, then dissolved into a stream of crimson data that enveloped him.
When Kaito opened his eyes again, he was back in his private space. But unlike last time, his room had nearly tripled in size, from a small dorm of less than 20 square meters to a room of almost 60. This was the result of his space absorbing Evans's after his death. Kaito had returned once before to check on the change and had found that Evans had only stored some food and water, nothing of value. He had taken the opportunity to redesign the space into a minimalist-style studio apartment.
Kaito organized his inventory, changed into [Mercenary Tao's Pink Robe] and his "Visage of an Elder God" disguise, then pushed the door open and headed straight for the [Goddess's Sanctum].
The so-called "Miracle of the East Sector - the Goddess's Sanctum" was a mysterious place located behind the four major facilities, at the top of a grand staircase made of white jade.
When Kaito reached the entrance, he saw two white jade lion statues guarding the steps. As he approached, the two lions lowered their heads, sniffed the air, and then spoke in human voices.
"The smell of a newcomer."
"Mm. He bears tribute. He may pass."
The two lions were over ten meters tall and had an imposing presence. Kaito raised an eyebrow. He guessed that the "tribute" they were referring to was the [Singularities]. It seemed to be an unwritten rule among Reincarnators that one could only visit the Goddess's Sanctum if they possessed them.
His time was short, so he didn't delay, quickly ascending the stairs. But at that moment, a woman's voice suddenly echoed around him.
"Within my sanctum, the flow of [Time] stands still."
The voice, in both its tone and pitch, was a perfect match for Kaito's aesthetic ideals. Any higher and it would have been shrill; any lower and it would have lacked its melodic quality. It was so perfect that just hearing it was enough to make one stop in their tracks.
Tsk. A voice so perfect it makes you want to puke, Kaito thought. He disliked things that were flawless. But he did notice that the timer for his Dwell Time was no longer counting down. He also realized that after stepping onto the jade staircase, he couldn't see any other Reincarnators. Given the sheer number of players in the East Sector, that didn't make sense. No matter how rare Singularities were, he couldn't be the only one here.
Perhaps the moment he stepped onto the staircase, he had been moved to a private instance of this space.
"A clever boy, this time."
The female voice spoke again. Kaito was now certain she could read his thoughts. So this is the Goddess…
It took Kaito about 60 heartbeats to climb the white jade staircase and arrive at a vast, empty plaza, also paved in white jade. The area was surrounded by what looked like clouds, and through occasional breaks, he could see a deep blue sky and a sea of clouds below.
Walking to the center of the plaza, Kaito looked up at the massive figure in the middle and sighed.
"So this is… the Goddess."
She had flowing silver hair, blood-red eyes, and skin as White and flawless as fine snow. The only difference was that she was likely over ten meters tall. Even while floating in the air, she completely filled Kaito's field of vision.
"What is it? Does this appearance not befit a Goddess?" the voice asked. "According to my statistics, among the East Asian demographic, the preference for silver hair and red eyes is the highest."
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