Chapter 66: Magatama of Secret Prayers
The talisman that Ōgami Masaya had given him contained a vast array of items, most of which were artifacts that had been worshipped for many years, some even passed down from more ancient times. They were all saturated with a great deal of [Information], and thus were all recognized by the Nexus.
Kaito was beginning to understand. The purpose of the [Infinite Space] sending Reincarnators to these worlds was likely to plunder this unique [Information]. He just didn't yet understand the full value of these [Derivative Worlds].
He quickly scrolled past the lowest-tier items. Most were simple charms that offered a weak protective power.
Kaito was a direct person. Or rather, he was a person with an extremely clear sense of purpose. Just as he had guessed from their first meeting that these old priests wanted Hirohito dead for their own power and not because of some divine revelation from Inari, his goal in helping them was to demand payment. If this head priest had tried to cause trouble just now, Kaito had been fully prepared to kill him. It would have saved time.
While many considered him a madman, Kaito had always defined himself as an overly rational "anomaly." And a rational person is not constrained by the so-called "common sense" that has been ingrained in the masses through various channels.
The "common sense" in this case was the assumption that the rewards given by the Nexus were the most precious things a mission world had to offer. Many Reincarnators only gradually realized after stumbling through many missions that the worlds themselves contained resources far more valuable than any mission reward. Kaito, having benefited greatly from the guidance of a martial arts master like "Mercenary Tao" in his very first world, had understood this from the start.
The greatest reward a mission world could offer was never the handful of points or Singularities you might get from completing tasks.
In the eyes of most Reincarnators, the most valuable thing about the [Demon Slayer Derivative World] was the lineage. One could obtain the Demon lineage from Muzan Kibutsuji quite cheaply. If you were willing to risk your life, you could gain a lineage specialized in survivability. Even with its massive flaws, for a newcomer living day to day, the temptation of an [Undying Body] was irresistible.
But Kaito, even before he had discovered the hidden [Shintoism] faction, had realized that besides the obvious path of Muzan, the [Demon Slayer World] had always had another, hidden resource line: its religious and mythological system.
When you analyzed Muzan's existence, you realized that the Demon lineage was, in essence, a pharmacological or biochemical one. Its power came from a medicine created to treat Muzan's special illness. The immense life force, the fear of sunlight, the thirst for blood—these were all side effects of that drug.
But in opposition to that was the Ubuyashiki Clan, which had been afflicted by a genuine curse after producing the world-plaguing evil that was Muzan. This curse caused the men of the Ubuyashiki family to be plagued with illness from a young age, none living past the age of thirty. On the advice of priests, they had intermarried with a family of Shinto clergy for generations just to keep their bloodline from dying out.
The curse of the Ubuyashiki, unlike Muzan's condition, possessed strong mythological elements. It was a clear hint that this world did indeed contain powers that transcended common sense, but those powers had waned to the point where they could no longer exorcise Muzan on their own.
Therefore, given that Kaito had no intention of becoming a demon controlled by an idiot like Muzan, he had naturally set his sights on this other path. He had originally thought the key to this power was Amane Ubuyashiki, but after arriving in Kyoto, he had made direct contact with the head priest of the largest shrine instead.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Kaito's gaze had already moved to the items further down the list.
[Dark Curse Substitute - Requires 30 Reputation Points (Friendly) to exchange]
[Quality: Blue (Rare)]
[Description: A special ritual tool of the Shinto faith, imbued with the power of incense and prayers.]
[Effect 1: When worn, can block 1 Yin-attribute attack or instance of damage of medium intensity or lower.]
[Effect 2: When actively crushed, can transfer a current negative status effect to the substitute and remove it.]
Kaito was tempted, but he didn't exchange for it immediately.
[Magatama of Secret Prayers (Left) - Requires 50 Reputation Points (Revered) to exchange]
[Quality: Green (Set 1/2)]
[Description: A magatama that has been worshipped with incense and prayers for hundreds of years, containing a special power.]
[Spirit +1, Energy +2]
[Effect 1: When worn, the Reincarnator gains the ability to hear the voices of spirits, ghosts, etc.]
[Effect 2: When worn, grants slight immunity to spiritual attacks.]
[Set Bonus (2/2): Reincarnator gains the special ability, Spirit Summoning.]
…
[Magatama of Secret Prayers (Right) - Requires 50 Reputation Points (Revered) to exchange]
[Quality: Green (Set 1/2)]
[Description: A magatama that has been worshipped with incense and prayers for hundreds of years, containing a special power.]
[Constitution +1, Energy +2]
[Effect 1: When worn, the Reincarnator gains the ability to transmit their voice to spirits, ghosts, etc.]
[Effect 2: When worn, grants the ability to attack spiritual bodies.]
[Set Bonus (2/2): Reincarnator gains the special ability, Spirit Summoning.]
This pair of special magatama was the first complete [Set] item Kaito had ever seen. The two magatama were earrings. Wearing them not only gave a considerable boost to his Energy attribute but also granted the special ability [Spirit Summoning].
Unfortunately, the price was extremely high. Not only did it require a [Revered] reputation level, but exchanging for both would cost 100 reputation points. With his current reputation at [Revered (15/100)], if he exchanged for one, his reputation rank would immediately drop to [Respected]. This meant he would need to grind more reputation before he could acquire the complete set. Kaito guessed that if he were to exchange for the [Magatama of Secret Prayers (Right)] right now, he could complete the [Spirit Toucher (Rare)] milestone.
At the same time, Kaito discovered a "loophole" in the Nexus's reputation system. The [Reputation Rank] and the [Reputation Value] were calculated separately. For example, his current rank was [Revered], but his total spendable reputation value was actually [Revered (15) + Respected (100) + Friendly (100) = 215]. To purchase an item, he had to meet the [Reputation Rank] requirement. But as long as he met the rank requirement, even if his current reputation was listed as [Revered (15/100)], he could still purchase an item that cost 50 reputation points.
Therefore, the optimal way to exchange for the items would be to grind his reputation to [Revered (51/100)], then exchange for both items in succession.
Kaito was about to exchange for one of them to complete the milestone, when he suddenly felt a tug on his clothes.
He looked down and saw the little fox-girl shikigami. Her crimson eyes stared at him. Then, she slowly floated up and transformed into a ray of light that flowed into the talisman in his hand.