About five years ago, sometime between the Meiji and Taisho eras.
The timeline of this story differs slightly from the original. If anything seems off, the final interpretation belongs to the author. There is no need to dwell on the details, just enjoy the story.
Sunlight spilled across the slopes of Momoyama, while a biting wind howled through the forest and valleys.
A bare-chested young man stood before a wooden cabin, swinging a Nichirin blade. Each strike seemed to freeze the air for an instant, accompanied by a low rumble like distant thunder. Anyone passing by would have been startled by the sudden sound.
"Moqin, time to eat," a voice called from afar.
The boy stopped his daily Thunder Breathing practice and sheathed his blade. He picked up a coat from a nearby rock and draped it over his lean but well-built frame.
Though he looked somewhat thin, the scars across his body and the defined lines of muscle made it clear he was far from harmless.
Lin Mochen dashed toward the voice, his movements ghostlike and erratic, his speed far beyond that of an ordinary person. The freezing wind and plummeting temperature had no effect on him as he weaved through the forest like a mountain monkey.
The wind swept aside his bangs, revealing a strikingly handsome face and a pair of deep, focused eyes. His brows were sharp, like drawn blades. As he ran, he opened his system interface.
[Character Information]
Name: Lin Mochen (Demon Slayer Corps Trainee)
Health: 100%
This attribute cannot be fully quantified and fluctuates depending on injury severity.
Strength: 9
Related to attack power and carrying capacity
Agility: 11
Related to movement speed, attack speed, and neural response
Endurance: 9
Related to health, defense, and resistance
Charisma: 8
The higher the value, the easier it is to earn others' favor or hatred. Barely reaches the average level of someone considered respectable.
Note: The standard attribute value for an adult male is 5. Maximum charisma is 10.
Visitor from Beyond: A miracle born from distorted time and entangled souls within chaos.
[Unique Talent]
Lone Noble: Slash speed +50%, slash power +20%
"With no distractions in the heart, the blade flows naturally. This strike is pure, without thought."
The strong always know how to embrace solitude.
This talent is an advanced form of the "eternal single" trait. Extremely rare. Remaining alone across two lifetimes is no easy feat.
[Awakened Talent] Demon Slayer Mark
Activation Conditions: Body temperature exceeds 39°C and pulse surpasses 200 beats per minute. Upon activation, consumes 10% of maximum health. If health drops below 10%, it is forcibly deactivated.
Passive Effect: All attributes +1 permanently. Physical activity +10%.
Active Effect: Temporarily surpasses physical limits. All attributes increase significantly, reaction speed +50%, resilience +25%.
Warning: Overuse will greatly drain life force.
Transparent World
Active Effect: By reaching the peak of concentration, the user can perceive through living bodies and identify their weak points. Due to heightened perception, enemy movements appear slowed.
Warning: Activation consumes a large amount of oxygen instantly. Insufficient breathing control may result in immediate suffocation.
[Trait Activated] Tenacity
When in an abnormal state, Tenacity is triggered. Base strength +50%, body enters an extreme state of stimulation, resilience +25%.
Warning: This trait continuously affects the body. Use with caution.
Lin Mochen glanced over his stats. Aside from the system's slightly sarcastic descriptions of his talents, all his attributes had improved. From a previously unhealthy state below average, he had reached nearly double that of a normal person. This was the result of relentless training under the Tenacity trait.
Before being transported into the world of Demon Slayer, Lin Mochen had been nothing more than an ordinary office worker, living a dull nine-to-five life.
Aside from his looks, he felt he had nothing worth mentioning. Back in school, he had once been a standout figure. Excellent grades, good looks, always the center of attention.
But once he stepped into society, he realized his intelligence meant little in the face of reality. At work, he was sidelined by his superiors, his chances for promotion quietly crushed.
He tried starting a business, only to fail miserably and suffer heavy losses. Years of grinding effort took a toll on his body, and his spirit gradually wore down.
Now, however, he was a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, a user of Thunder Breathing. He had a chance to change his fate, and perhaps even alter the fate of others.
He needed to become stronger, braver, more resolute. Only then could he survive in this cruel world and protect those he cherished.
Lin Mochen decided he would no longer let the shadows of his past bind him. He would face the future head-on and embrace new challenges.
In this new world, he was no longer trapped by mediocrity. He had the chance to rewrite his life.
Through effort and determination, he would make his story extraordinary.
All of this is drawn from the author's personal experiences. Surely, many readers have also struggled under the burden of their overwhelming good looks.
...
Lin Mochen sat on the tatami, his chopsticks moving rapidly as he devoured the food before him in no time.
Across from him sat an elderly man, short in stature, with a deep scar across his face as though clawed by a beast. A closer look revealed a crutch resting at his side. His right leg was gone, replaced by a wooden prosthetic.
This man was Jigoro Kuwajima, the former Thunder Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Once hailed as the strongest among the Hashira, he had lost his right leg in battle against a demon. After that, he withdrew from the front lines and secluded himself in Momoyama, dedicating his life to training the next generation of Thunder Breathing users.
As the current inheritor of Thunder Breathing, Lin Mochen had learned that before taking in Kaigaku and Zenitsu, the old man had never officially accepted any disciples.
This meant the main storyline of Demon Slayer had yet to begin. Tanjiro Kamado's family had not been slaughtered by Muzan Kibutsuji. There was still time.
Time to grow stronger. Time to change the fate of those fearless warriors of the Corps.
He would not allow the old man to take his own life because of Kaigaku's cowardice. The Hashira who had yet to fall deserved to live happy lives.
Lin Mochen would carve out a different ending with his own hands.
"Mochin, your heart is still not calm enough."
Jigoro Kuwajima watched Lin Mochen's rather unrefined eating habits without anger, simply pointing out his flaw in breathing technique.
"Your talent is the best I have ever seen, but your heart is restless. I do not know what troubles you carry, but to reach the peak of Thunder Breathing, your heart must be as still as a calm lake, while your movements strike as swiftly as lightning."
"Old man, I will reach the peak in my own way and become the blade that cuts through this thousand-year grudge. You have my word."
"So until that day comes, you must live well."
Jigoro Kuwajima fell silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.