"Devour!"
Aoki's eyes narrowed. He activated Demon Devour.
His palm felt like a whirlpool.
The horned demon's body twisted, compressed. From head to neck to chest, it sank into Aoki's palm.
The fight wasn't just to vent. Demon Devour was easy to interrupt. He had to make sure his target couldn't fight back.
In moments, the horned demon was gone, swallowed by Aoki's hand.
A surge of energy flooded his body. The hunger that had haunted him since turning into a demon finally faded.
[Killed a Demon, Gained 15 Experience.]
["Aberrant Demon's Path" Complete. Rewards Issued.]
[Congratulations! Leveled Up!]
"Fifteen experience. Not bad!"
Aoki nodded, pleased. He focused, and the blue screen appeared.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 10]
[Constitution: 8]
[Intelligence: 8]
[Agility: 8]
[Profession: Hunter, Aberrant Demon]
[Free Attribute Points: 2]
[Items: Sun-Blocking Hat]
[...]
[Aberrant Demon]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv2 (3/200)
Skills: Demon Blood (Available), Space Warp (Available), Transparent World (Available), Demon Devour
Tasks: Mt. Fujikasane Dungeon (Demons 1/30, Hand Demon 0/1)
Free Skill Points: 1
[...]
Aoki thought for a moment. He put one point into Strength, one into Agility.
The stats on the System panel weren't separate. They were different aspects of a whole. They were connected.
The gap between stats should stay within two points. Otherwise, his body would have problems.
For example...
If his Strength was too high, his Constitution too low, he might hurt himself before he hurt his enemy. Muscle strains, broken bones...
If his Strength was high, his Agility low, his coordination and flexibility would suffer. He'd be a slow, stiff muscleman.
Of the four stats, Strength had the biggest impact on physical attacks. It was the priority.
Adding 1 to Agility kept the stats within the two-point rule.
He had 1 skill point, too.
No hesitation. He put it into Demon Blood.
He'd studied the skills.
Aberrant Demon was different from Hunter.
Hunter's four skills were separate. He could learn them in any order.
But Aberrant Demon's skills were linked.
Demon Blood was the base skill. He had to level it up before he could learn the others.
Boom!
The moment Demon Blood lit up, a surge of power flooded his body. A System message followed.
[All Stats +1.]
"I didn't expect that!"
Aoki grinned.
All stats up by one... That was like leveling up twice. A big boost.
His regeneration, night vision... all his demon powers probably got stronger, too.
Demon Blood was the base, the core. It was as good as the other three skills.
"Finally..."
Aoki's hand held a black hat. It was wide, with a black veil around the edge.
Sun-Blocking Hat. The other reward from Aberrant Demon's Path. His first real item from the System.
He felt it for a moment. His eyes widened again.
It blocked the sun. The name said it all.
But unlike a normal hat, this one blocked the sun completely.
And it wasn't just the area covered by the veil. It was a cylinder, with the hat's edge as the circle.
When he wore it, his whole body would be safe from the sun.
The name was plain, but for a demon, this was a treasure.
Aoki hung the hat around his neck, on his back. "With this, I don't have to be so afraid of the daytime."
The Blue Spider Lily could let demons walk in the sun. He hadn't forgotten.
In fact, turning into a demon had made him think of the Blue Spider Lily right away.
But there were problems.
First, he didn't know if it would work for him.
Muzan was the Demon Progenitor. He had the System. He couldn't compare himself to them.
Second, the Blue Spider Lily bloomed for a short time. And weather and environment mattered. It might not bloom every year. Even if he knew where it grew, he might not get it soon.
Third, he couldn't just eat it. It had to be made into a medicine. He didn't know medicine. He didn't have anyone he trusted.
Fourth, he didn't know where Tanjiro's house was.
He could look, but it would take time.
He could use that time to level up with the System. Maybe he could beat the sun that way.
If the System couldn't do it, then he'd look for the Blue Spider Lily.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 11]
[Constitution: 9]
[Intelligence: 9]
[Agility: 9]
[Profession: Hunter, Aberrant Demon]
[...]
[Aberrant Demon]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv2 (3/200)
Skills: Demon Blood, Space Warp (Available), Transparent World (Available), Demon Devour
Tasks: Mt. Fujikasane Dungeon (Demons 1/30, Hand Demon 0/1)
Aoki looked at his new stats.
Double what they were before he turned into a demon.
Stats didn't increase evenly. The higher they were, the bigger the boost from each point.
Aoki felt good. He adjusted the hat, chose a direction, and walked away.
...
A week later...
"Third one!"
Aoki gasped. He grabbed the demon's head, activated Demon Devour. "Not bad today."
This was the third demon he'd caught tonight. He usually only got two.
Ding!
The familiar sound. Aoki blinked.
"Did I level up? I thought I needed twenty more experience!"
Before he could think, the System spoke again.
[Constitution +1.]
Huh?
Where did that come from?
Aoki looked at the System panel. He thought for a moment. His eyes went to Demon Devour.
Replenish stamina, strengthen himself...
That must be it.
It gave him stats directly. Nice!
Rustle!
A flurry of footsteps broke his thoughts. Aoki turned.
A demon with a long tongue, hanging out of his mouth, disappeared into the trees.
"You got lucky."
Aoki hesitated. He didn't chase.
It was almost dawn. He didn't have time for another demon.
Moments later, the sun rose, bathing the world in light.
Aoki put on the Sun-Blocking Hat, left quickly.
After using it for a few days, he knew the hat was stable. It wouldn't fall off, even if he moved fast.
Of course, he couldn't fight in the daytime with it.
---
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