Looking at the results of his skill optimization, Riku rubbed his temples. On the bright side, at least he didn't have to eat humans anymore, right?
But then again… weren't oni (ghosts/demons) just humans transformed?
"Damn it, this is ridiculous!"
Riku felt his composure crack, but he quickly pulled himself together. If one optimization didn't fully fix things, he could just keep optimizing! This time, he'd progressed to eating oni. Maybe next time he'd be munching on grass, and the time after that, normal food!
Besides, oni weren't exactly human anymore. Every oni he ate was technically a contribution to world harmony!
This outcome… was barely acceptable.
"This system is wild, but I've gotta figure out how to keep leveling up. Based on my years of gaming experience, leveling up usually means attribute points, skill points, or optimization points."
With more skill optimization points, he could eventually iron out the flaws in his [Oni Transformation] skill!
One of Riku's strengths was his optimism. People who could find humor in tough times tended to have a resilient streak, and these challenges weren't enough to stop him.
Closing the [Personal] interface, Riku switched to the [World] tab to check the recharge progress of his traversal function.
"Already at 10%?"
He was surprised. He hadn't been in this world long, yet the [Traversal] cooldown was already at 10%. That progress bar was moving fast.
"Looks like the cooldown for this traversal function is pretty short—maybe just a day or two."
Without knowing the exact time, Riku could only estimate. He figured he'd been in this world for no more than five hours, and if five hours equaled 10% progress, the full cooldown would take about two days.
That meant in roughly two days, he could embark on his next journey to another world.
"For the next two days, my main quest is to survive. Side quest: level up as much as possible, earn skill optimization points, and fix the flaws in [Oni Transformation]."
Riku set a small goal for himself. Surviving was the priority, especially in his current state—looking like this, staying alive was no small feat.
As for whether he'd leave in two days, that depended on the situation. At least he'd have an escape route if things got dangerous.
Right now, Riku was battling hunger. He wasn't sure how long he could hold out, but he was determined to stick to his principles.
Glancing at the cave entrance, he saw the snow falling harder, with icy wind howling into the cave.
"So, this start is pretty hellish, but not that hellish, right?"
Leaning against the cave wall, Riku gave a wry smile, accepting his reality.
Amid the hunger, he forced himself to sleep. The physical and mental strain left him exhausted, and he hoped sleep would dull the gnawing hunger.
He didn't know how long he slept, but a familiar scent—the same one he'd smelled at the foot of the mountain—jolted him awake.
"Someone's here?"
Riku's eyes snapped open. At this point, the only thing that could smell this enticing was likely a human. The scent of an oni was completely different.
Instantly alert, he fought to control the flood of saliva pooling in his mouth. Was this scent too delicious because he was starving?
Gulp.
Swallowing hard, Riku's gaze locked onto the cave entrance. It was daytime now, and the light pouring in was blinding, almost painfully so.
At the entrance, a boy was cautiously peeking inside. Riku noticed a prominent burn-like scar on his forehead.
"Could that be Kamado Tanjiro?"
The moment he saw the boy, Riku's mind jumped to the protagonist of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He was getting used to seeing anime characters in a hyper-realistic, live-action style.
"Hello? Is anyone in there?"
Kamado Tanjiro peered into the cave but didn't step inside, politely calling out first.
Tanjiro's nose was extraordinarily sensitive—beyond human comprehension. Passing by, he'd caught a unique scent he'd never smelled before, which led him here. He carried a bamboo basket filled with charcoal, on his way to sell it down the mountain.
"Sorry, I'm… not in a good state. Could you please not come in?"
Realizing who was at the entrance, Riku quickly responded. But as he spoke, he paused. Since when could he speak Japanese?
He hadn't even noticed that Tanjiro was speaking Japanese because he understood it effortlessly.
It didn't take long to figure out why. A [Limit System] capable of world traversal naturally came with a language translation feature—pretty standard stuff.
"Oh! I'm so sorry for intruding!"
Hearing the response from the "mysterious being" inside, Tanjiro was startled. He apologized immediately and prepared to leave.
But before he did, he hesitated, turning back to ask, "Do you need any help?"
Tanjiro was surprised because he hadn't expected a human inside—the scent was nothing like the human smells he knew. But since it was a human, and they seemed to be in trouble, he wanted to offer assistance. Being stranded on a mountain in this weather wasn't good.
"Thanks, but I'm fine. I just need to be alone."
The voice from the cave carried a clear hint of wanting the outsider to leave.
Tanjiro scratched his nose awkwardly. He'd probably disturbed someone resting. If he were woken up by a stranger, he'd feel annoyed too. Responding politely was already generous.
"I'm really sorry for bothering you. I'll go now."
Bowing toward the cave, Tanjiro hurried off, not wanting to be urged again.
Riku waited a moment, confirming Tanjiro was gone before letting out a sigh of relief.
Though he hadn't watched Demon Slayer, he knew Tanjiro was a professional oni hunter. With Riku drooling like this, if Tanjiro saw him, the demon slayer probably wouldn't believe any explanations.
"I've gotta hold it together. Once I cross that line, there's no coming back."
Despite his hunger-induced haze, Riku was clear on this. He couldn't eat people. Absolutely not. Once he started, it'd be a slippery slope.
If he fell that far, he'd be no different from the oni. Even if he later optimized away the "cannibalism" side effect, the mental shift would be irreversible.
Fighting the hunger, Riku went back to sleep. It was still daytime, and he couldn't go outside. Sleep was his only defense against the hunger.
Falling asleep wasn't easy. The hunger gnawed at his mind, making him toss and turn—a different kind of torment from physical pain.
He endured in the cave until sunset. Nearly fainting from hunger, his eyes bloodshot, Riku finally staggered out.
He knew nightfall didn't guarantee safety. For other oni, this was prime hunting time. Neither fully human nor accepted by oni, he had to tread carefully even at night.
Moving through the forest, Riku marveled at its untouched wildness. Having lived in a concrete jungle, he'd never been in a place like this.
"Are there any animals? I need to level up."
Though the [Limit System] hadn't explained how to gain experience, Riku's gaming instincts pointed to the classic method: killing monsters.
But the snow, though lighter than during the day, kept falling. In this weather, animals were unlikely to be out, leaving him no chance to test his theory.
The moon was faint, nearly invisible, and the forest was silent except for the howling wind and snow.
Riku wandered alone, his body not cold but his heart heavy. After two or three hours with no results, he felt utterly isolated.
If he hadn't marked trees every few steps since leaving the cave, he'd be hopelessly lost in this snowy wilderness.
"Maybe I should head back…"
Just as he considered retreating, an overwhelmingly rich scent hit him, nearly knocking him out.
"This is…"
Tormented by hunger, Riku instinctively moved toward the scent's source.
"Humans…"
He fought to stay clear-headed, knowing what the scent meant. He'd finally encountered people in the forest.
But this smell was too potent—far stronger than anything he'd smelled before, almost overflowing.
Driven by hunger, Riku hurried to the source. Then he understood why the scent was so intense.
"It's literally overflowing… even the intestines are spilling out."
Before him was the site of a massacre. In a wooden house, a mother, three boys, and two girls—a whole family—lay dead, neatly arranged in death.
"Wait… one of them might still be alive."
Hunger clouded Riku's judgment, but he noticed one of the older girls was still breathing.
"I…"
He wanted to help, to see if she could be saved, but his feet wouldn't move. His mind screamed at him.
"Eat! Eat! You're starving! Don't you want to level up? Eating them might do it! Go on, eat!"
A demonic voice whispered in his ear, eroding his fraying nerves.
Crunch!
A sharp sound of flesh being bitten snapped him back. Pain cleared his mind slightly. He'd bitten his own arm, hard, blood seeping out. But the wound healed almost instantly.
"Sorry, I can't help you. I have to make sure I don't eat you first. If I stay, I won't be able to hold back."
Seizing his moment of clarity, Riku turned and fled, desperate to escape the intoxicating scent.
In the wind and snow, following his marked trees, he retraced his steps, biting himself countless times along the way.
Back in the cave, leaning against the rock wall, Riku panted, his face smeared with blood, now frozen from the cold.
"But… why do I feel like I'm not as hungry anymore?"
Staring at his arm, a sudden thought hit him, spiraling out of control.
"Did I… just find a system glitch?!"