For the moment, the chat had gone silent after a while. The others were likely still processing everything—their starter packs, the system's mechanics. That was fine. He needed a break from it, too.
With his mind no longer preoccupied with the Multiverse Chat System, his thoughts returned to the real world—his family, his training, and the need to grow stronger. The supernatural side of this world wasn't going to wait for him to be ready, so he had to start making moves.
But the question was... how?
---
The Options
Kenji sat at his desk, staring at his system interface. His stats had improved, and his skills were growing, but he was still far from being strong enough to face the threats lurking in the shadows. He needed a plan.
---
Option 1: The Devils of Kuoh
The easiest route was the devils in Kuoh Town. Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri ran things there, and devils were known for making deals. He could probably get something from them—maybe even training—in exchange for a favor.
But no. That was too dangerous. Getting involved with devils meant stepping into the underworld's politics, and that was a level of risk he wasn't ready for yet. The last thing he needed was to owe a devil a favor he couldn't repay.
Option 2: The Fallen Angels
The Fallen Angels were another option. Azazel, their leader, was an intelligent and pragmatic man. But the Grigori had too many internal factions, and their past with the devils made them unpredictable. More than that, their methods were... questionable. He didn't want to owe them anything.
Option 3: The Yōkai of Kyoto
That left one more choice: The Yokai, and Yasaka. or at least the area of their Faction in Kyoto. Because he wasn't even going to try the church and angels. So kyoto.
Yōkai existed there. A structured society of supernatural beings that weren't directly tied to either Heaven, Hell, or the Fallen. And unlike devils or fallen angels, yōkai weren't as actively involved in supernatural conflicts in the anime. They were a wild card.
Yes, that could work.
Kyoto wasn't far from his town, and he knew from the anime and light novels that the yōkai faction, led by Yasaka, ruled over it. While yōkai were hidden from normal people, there were shops and markets in Kyoto that catered to the supernatural. He was sure he could find magic books, knowledge, and maybe even trainers there.
But that raised another question: How did he approach them?
Unlike devils, yōkai weren't known for recruiting humans. If he just showed up and started asking questions, he might be ignored at best—or attacked at worst. He needed to find a way in before making his move.
Kenji exhaled and leaned back in his chair, staring at his system interface. If I want their attention, I need to prove I'm worth noticing. That meant leveling up, training his abilities, and maybe completing some quests from the Quest Board to get stronger before making his move.
Time to hit the dungeon again.
He activated his Instant Dungeon and stepped inside. The empty space stretched out before him, a blank canvas for his training. He activated his Gravity Manipulation skill, focusing on increasing the gravity in the area. The air grew heavier, and Kenji felt the strain on his body immediately.
This should make training more effective. Using his gravity manipulation to increase the weight and train both his physical ability and The skill.
A group of zombies, their rotting forms shambling toward him. The increased gravity slowed them down, but it also made every movement more taxing for Kenji. He clenched his fists, his muscles burning as he prepared to fight.
Kenji charged at the first zombie, his fists glowing with mana. The increased gravity made his movements slower, but it also forced him to use more strength and precision. He landed a solid punch, the impact sending the zombie flying.
---
[System Alert!]
Enemy Defeated: Zombie
Experience Gained: +100
Item Dropped: Rusty Sword
---
Kenji picked up the sword, feeling its weight in his hand. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He swung it experimentally, testing its balance. The increased gravity made the sword feel heavier, but it also made his strikes more powerful.
Let's see how this works.
He activated his Gravity Manipulation skill again, this time focusing it on the sword. The blade glowed faintly as the gravity around it increased, making it hit harder with each swing. Kenji grinned. This was exactly what he needed.
Leveling Up
Kenji spent the next few hours fighting zombies, using his Gravity Manipulation skill to increase the gravity in the area and make the battles more challenging. The zombies dropped a variety of loot—weapons, items, and even a few skill books.
---
[System Alert!]
Enemy Defeated: Zombie
Experience Gained: +100
Item Dropped: Minor Healing Potion
---
[System Alert!]
Enemy Defeated: Zombie
Experience Gained: +100
Item Dropped: Skill Book: Basic Fireball
---
Kenji picked up the skill book, his eyes widening. A fireball spell? He activated it immediately, feeling the knowledge flow into him.
---
[System Alert!]
New Skill Acquired: Basic Fireball (LV 1)
Effect: Creates a small fireball that can be thrown at enemies.
---
Kenji grinned.
By the time he was done, Kenji had collected a variety of items:
- Rusty Sword x3
- Minor Healing Potion x5
- Skill Book: Basic Fireball
- Zombie Fangs x20
- 500 Gold Coins
'Not bad. This should help me get stronger.'
He checked his stats, noticing the improvements.
---
[Status Update]
Name: Kenji Takahashi
Level: 14
Free Stat Points: 12
Attributes:
- Strength: 25 (Tier-9)
- Speed: 30 (Tier-9)
- Endurance: 27 (Tier-9)
- Intelligence: 23 (Tier-9)
- Wisdom: 28 (Tier-9)
- Charisma: 30 (Tier-9)
- Luck: 95 (Tier-2)
Skills:
- Unarmed Combat (LV 10)Maxed- Adept Combat(Lv1).
- Magic Control (LV 4)
- Mana Efficiency (LV 4)
- Mana Shield (LV 5)
- Mana Punch (LV 6)
- Spatial Awareness (LV 5)
- Danger Sense (LV 4)
- Mana Ball (LV 6)
- Mana Rope (LV 4)
- Basic Cooking (LV 5)
- Instant Dungeon Creation (LV 3)
- Sword Mastery (LV 6)
- Gravity Manipulation (LV 4)
- Basic Fireball (LV 1)
Perks:
- Gamer's Body (Passive): Grants immunity to physical exhaustion, enhances recovery rate, and prevents permanent injury from non-fatal wounds.
- Gamer's Mind (Passive): Grants immunity to psychological effects such as fear, stress, and mental manipulation, while allowing calm, logical decision-making.
- Father's Resolve (Passive): Increases resistance to psychological effects when protecting or thinking about family. Provides a temporary boost to Strength, Speed, and Endurance when near or protecting Ren.
- Devil Slayer (Passive): Increases damage against devil-type enemies by 15%.
- Undead Slayer (Passive): Increases damage against undead enemies by 20%.
---
Kenji smiled. Progress was progress, no matter how small.
Kenji walked through the quiet streets, the chill of early autumn settling in. The streetlights flickered overhead, casting elongated shadows across the pavement. His mind wandered to the future—his family, the supernatural threats, and the challenges ahead.
He thought about the yōkai in Kyoto, the devils in Kuoh, and the fallen angels lurking in the shadows. Each faction had its own agenda, and he needed to navigate them carefully.
One step at a time.
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