Alone and Infinite.

Chapter 10 Killer Bear
It wasn't until Tanjiro came in that Li Xia realized he had been sitting there for over an hour without even noticing.

The air outside was filled with the aroma of food, and Tanjiro noticed that his father's originally pale and thin face had regained some color.

I was deeply moved. It was so wonderful that Sherlock-san came to see his father. His father must be very happy too.

His gaze toward Li Xia was filled with gratitude.

This left Li Xia somewhat bewildered, and she had no idea why her favorability rating had suddenly increased.

Gatherings are always enjoyable, and at Li Xia's suggestion, instead of using individual servings, they found a long wooden board to serve as a table.

Everyone sat around the table to eat together; perhaps it had been a long time since the house had been so lively.

The children of the Kamado family all had bright smiles on their faces, and even Tanjuro seemed to be infected by this mood, unable to help but smile as well.

Murata told them stories about the outside world, and those slightly exaggerated tales clearly appealed to the children, making the atmosphere at the dinner table even more lively.

The children's laughter is the most fragrant wine, and one becomes intoxicated by it without even realizing it.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Xia noticed that Tanjuro's complexion had improved somewhat, and he began to have some guesses about what was going on.

Tanjuro's life force is depleted. Could it be partly due to hunger?

This hunger doesn't mean he didn't eat anything, but rather that there was a strange prohibition in the community before.

Meat Ban

In other words, ordinary people were not allowed to eat meat. This restriction was not lifted until modern times.

Breathing during the day already consumes a great deal of energy, and coupled with long-term malnutrition, it's no wonder that vitality is depleted.

“Yes, boiling is fine, and it’s even better with other ingredients. Food supplements are gentler than medicine supplements.” Under Li Xia’s guidance, Kui Zhi boiled the nourishing soup she remembered and had Tanjuro drink it.

Li Xia finally confirmed that Tanjuro's current state was definitely partly due to long-term malnutrition!

There are naturally various ways to replenish vitality, one of the two prerequisites.

As for the rice balls I used, I also got some energy-boosting medicine, which was naturally the top reward.

In short, they've won so much they're completely exhausted!

The depleted energy cannot be replenished in a short time, but Tanjuro, who possesses the Transparent World, can already feel the subtle changes in his body.

This left Tanjuro somewhat disappointed. In the current situation, if he didn't take action, he could live for a few more years; if he did, he would still die.

If possible, he would prefer to kill the bear himself rather than treat it like a transaction.

So he decided to do what he could, such as promising Li Xia that he would help him find the bear.

In the tranquil forest, the only sound was the rustling of footsteps on fallen leaves. Although Tanjuro still looked frail, he moved through the forest at an extremely fast pace.

"Coming"

Tanjuro's gaze swept around for a moment before leading Li Xia to a depression in a cliff.

Bears have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, even more so than dogs, so Tanjuro deliberately chose a downwind spot.

"There's a cave over there—"

Li Xia looked in the direction Tanjuro was pointing and saw that there was indeed a dark cave on the cliff below.

A scent carried on the wind from afar. Tanjuro, his gaze calm, looked into the dense forest and said softly:
"It's coming soon."

In the jungle, two scarlet lights first appeared, followed by a shadow slowly emerging.

When it had completely disappeared, Li Xia couldn't help but take a soft breath.

What a giant bear!
When it walks on all fours, it is several times larger than the polar bears I have seen in the zoo.

Li Xia guessed that its height when standing could exceed four meters, and its weight would definitely exceed one ton.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on its fur, giving it a greasy sheen.

Li Xia suspected that ordinary demons were like infants compared to this behemoth. No wonder Tanjuro didn't make a move; killing it without using his breathing techniques would probably be very difficult.

He quietly took out the scroll, aimed it at the slowly approaching giant bear, and used it!

[Comparing the intelligence attributes of both parties, judgment in progress. Judgment passed.]

Killer Bear

Top predator in the Kumotri Mountains region

[Vitality: 100%]

[Mental Strength: 100%]

[Physical Strength Assessment: 2 (First-order carbon-based organism)]

Strength: 17 (Increasing this attribute will increase Strength)

[Agility: 8 (Increasing this attribute improves attack speed and reaction speed)]

Intelligence: 2 (Increasing this attribute improves spell model construction and complex fuzzy logic capabilities)

[Spirit: 4 (Increasing this attribute raises the maximum Spirit Power and reduces the cost of casting abilities)]

[Physique: 12 (Increasing this attribute improves healing ability, cardiopulmonary function, and other endurance-related aspects)]

[Skills: Slam, Bite, Charge, Sharp Roar]

[Synopsis: The killer bear has an extreme craving for royal jelly, a unique substance found only in Mount Kumochi. This wondrous liquid nourishes it, allowing it to gradually grow into a apex predator of Mount Kumochi.]

The killer bear slowly walked into the dark cave, and the sun was setting at that moment, leaving only a touch of fiery red on the distant horizon.

Li Xia stood up, and with just a glance, Tanjuro nodded knowingly and turned to walk back the way he came.

"How about it?"

Tanjuro asked softly; if they weren't so close, his voice would have been drowned out by the rustling of the leaves.

He was naturally referring to the result of Li Xia using the scroll. As someone who had personally experienced it, Tanjuro was now extremely convinced of the 'miraculous magic from another land'.

Li Xia's steps were somewhat heavy, just like his mood. After a pause, he added, "Very strong."

As the sky grew darker, the moonlight shone exceptionally bright, hanging like a jade plate on the horizon, draping the entire forest in a silver veil.

"In a direct confrontation, the chances of winning are almost zero."

It seems there's a big difference between the incomplete version of Breath of the Sun and the complete version; otherwise, the Hall of Fame wouldn't have used such a monster to balance things out.

Li Xia took a deep breath, feeling as if his blood was boiling. He hadn't experienced this feeling in a very, very long time.

After his parents passed away, he felt as if he were 'dead' until he entered the trial and encountered his first ghost.

The shock of hovering between life and death was like an AED; he felt 'alive' again and had finally found his purpose. He wanted to continue walking in this magical world.

Go see a more magnificent world, pursue the limits, even if you die halfway, it's better than shrinking back at the starting line.

"Mr. Tanjuro—"

Li Xia stopped in his tracks, his deep brown pupils seemingly glowing in the moonlight, a determination and sincerity that would surprise even Tanjuro.

"Let's go back and start learning 'Hinokami Kagura'!"

A faint smile appeared on Tanjuro's gaunt face.

"it is good!"

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1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

(End of this chapter)