The game treasure trove of the Endless dreamers had transformed into the power of the system.
Resources that could be converted into cards were divided into several categories: first were item cards, followed by skill cards, weapon cards, and others. Convertible resources were currently limited by realistic factors. Because his soul strength was relatively weak, the system's functionality was restricted. Perhaps, in the future, after his soul was amplified, the system could expand to convert character cards, treasure cards, and more.
"Supreme Will," Oboro murmured, his eyes flickering as he walked back toward the village.
Sublimating self-will was the purest form rather than using abilities or external objects to strengthen the soul, as in full-time work. In other words, there would be no need to lighten the soul or make cuts when traveling between worlds; it was a primitive transformation of the soul itself.
Growth required experience and understanding.
In the full-time world, Oboro had realized much through the expression of his own will. In the Demon Slayer world, the will he intended to convey was inheritance.
Self-will was entirely personal. Simply put, as long as he grew stronger and acted on his ideas with conviction, that would suffice. However, the success of the inheritance of will depended on the chosen target, the outsider. There were many uncertain factors.
Therefore, Oboro needed to determine if someone in the Demon Slayer world could carry on his inheritance. The most important thing was that a perfect manifestation of this inheritance would give him new insights and allow him to develop a more thorough understanding of his spirit, including the "Supreme Will." As long as he understood and embraced the meaning of "inheritance," Oboro's goal would be achieved.
Otherwise, it would most likely end in failure.
Regardless of the outcome, however, he could collect valuable resources in the Demon Slayer world and prepare for the next world with the power of the system. After helping the power system of this world grow a second time, he should be able to reap the benefits of this world's "little tree."
Oboro had already glimpsed the path he would take in the future. Before returning to the full-time world, he would enrich the system's capabilities through his supreme will. This would help him break through barriers between time and space dimensions, one after another. This would give him the capital to survive in each world. From now on, the power systems of the worlds he visits will not be inferior to that of the Demon Slayer world, each filled with unknowns. If he encountered powerful or unusual power systems or settings, he would need sufficient strength to protect himself.
In Demon Slayer, the leisurely feeling brought about by "power system suppression" might not always be maintained.
"Whether or not the will of inheritance succeeds, this won't be a wasted journey," he concluded.
After a while, Oboro returned to the shrine in Aobashi Town. By this time, all the previously unconscious villagers had awakened. Seeing the traces of fighting and blood, especially the destroyed shrine, caused them to panic and descend into complete chaos.
The villagers had tied up Oboro's two maids with ropes. They were considered sacrifices and were not allowed to leave. The villagers planned to continue the "transaction" ceremony after the demon returned.
"It's him!" someone shouted, noticing Oboro approaching.
A crowd quickly gathered around him.
"Where is our god?" "Tie him up first!" "Why didn't he die?"
Distorted faces appeared in his blurry vision.
Through "trafficking," these villagers received money from Gyokko and gained protection. The selfish side of human nature was fully displayed and magnified infinitely in this environment. As long as they lived comfortably, morality and the concepts of good and evil didn't matter. This was an inherently unequal, cannibalistic world.
The old man who had escorted Oboro here before pointed his blade at him again, a fierce expression on his weathered face.
"Those two warriors with swords, one with fiery red hair and the other with gray. They suddenly broke in and must have done something. Do you know anything about it?!" The old man pressed the tip of the dagger toward Oboro's face, demanding answers in a stern tone.
In the old man's eyes, the shogunate official before him was merely a coward afraid of death. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been brought here without putting up a fight. With just a little threatening, the man would surely reveal everything.
"You are not wrong," Oboro began softly, looking at the aggressive villagers surrounding him. Some children even stared at him with hatred and murderous intent. "You are all trying to survive, and selfishness is an innate quality of human nature. However, there are good and bad ways to express it, and these ways determine each person's fate. So, when you choose this path, you must learn to accept your fate."
"Huh?" Everyone stood stunned after hearing this, unable to comprehend his meaning.
But they understood in the next second.
The black haori fluttered upward like a thin cloud floating in the breeze.
The two maids kneeling in the distance watched as the wooden stick in their master's hand instantly transformed into a blade, sweeping across the crowd with deadly precision.
The figures standing together on the ground collapsed like torn rag dolls. In an instant, organs and flesh flew through the air as the figures fell lifelessly to the ground.
The hazy shadow swayed a few times among the crowd.
Then, he flashed before the maids.
Behind him, corpses were strewn across the ground. No one had been spared—all were dead.
Chiyoko and Rina both turned deathly pale. As Oboro's personal maids, they had served him since childhood. This lord had been sickly since birth. Although he came from a background of shogunate retainers, he had always been humble and somewhat cowardly. His samurai status was little more than an ornamental title that allowed him to live in the magistrate's office. He had barely ever touched a sword.
He only appeared when major events occurred within the office, and he rarely ventured outside.
However, everything changed when he recovered from a serious illness several months ago.
Both maids had noticed the transformation in his character.
First, he changed his family name. Then, one night, he killed a demon with a sword and moved to live at the foot of the mountain. Now, they were in Aobayashi-cho again.
Throughout this period, Oboro had always behaved gently, occasionally smiling and remaining polite to others. Although this seemed strange to them, it felt comforting.
But at that moment, the scene unfolding before them made the two women feel as if they had plunged into an ice cellar. He seemed almost unrecognizable, especially with his eyes filled with nothing but cold detachment.
Cold and emotionless.
Most importantly, people were dead. In the blink of an eye, he had killed them all.
Those killed were humans, not demons.
This behavior completely overturned their understanding of Oboro over the past few months. They both wondered silently: What had happened to him?
The fluttering feather kimono swayed and slowly settled at his waist.
The bloodstained cane fell to the ground as Oboro walked past the two maids without a backward glance.
He showed no concern for their fear and offered no explanation.
"Follow or leave, your choice," he said. His voice lingered in the cold night breeze as he disappeared into the darkness.