Chapter 5: Continuous Fishing! The Haunting Tanjiro

Troy quickly calculated that the large batch of bait obtained from the death bombing, plus the five F-rank zombies he killed earlier, could be exchanged for four E-rank baits.

"Should I go for four E-rank fishing attempts or more F-rank fishing attempts?"

Before Troy could decide, [Beast Breathing: Spatial Awareness] detected a large group of zombies rushing in from the front, attracted by the massive explosion just moments ago.

"Looks like I need to change my escape route!"

Troy's expression changed slightly as he adjusted his route to leave the town, finding a secluded path to avoid the horde of incoming zombies.

Without the support of explosive weapons, he couldn’t handle such a large number of zombies with just a small spike hammer.

Troy wasn’t disappointed, though; the harvest he got earlier was already substantial. He left the town without looking back.

On the way, Troy used [Beast Breathing: Spatial Awareness] to constantly scout the area, aiming for a more remote direction in the countryside, eventually reaching the foot of a desolate small stone peak.

"Now I've retreated far enough… This small stone peak is isolated, with no zombie threats; plus, its elevated terrain and clear view make it a perfect temporary base for the next few days!"

Troy, with sore legs, collapsed beside a large boulder at the foot of the peak, leaning against the rock as he took out some food and drinks from his bag to replenish his energy.

While eating, Troy kept an eye on the aerial battle above.

"The intensity of the fight between Kaido and Zephyr is dropping… I wonder when those two powerhouses will finally be done… It's both good and bad news."

Shaking his head, Troy summoned the light screen, looking at the considerable number of F-rank baits and choosing to combine them.

He had already made up his mind while on the road—he would go for four E-rank fishing attempts directly!

"Let's start by using that tall mutated zombie's E-rank bait!"

Before fishing, Troy glanced at Lady Luck’s curve.

Still a big "D."

"Oh, shaky Lady Luck…"

With his finger as a rod and his mind as the line, Troy cast the E-rank victory bait into the dimensional sea. Moments later, there was a response.

[This fishing yield: Item]

[E-rank item: Nichirin Blade (Sharp Weapon)]

[Source: "Demon Slayer"]

[Item Description: A Nichirin Blade forged by Swordsmith Haganezuka of the Demon Slayer Corps, infused with some sunlight-absorbing material—scarlet crimson iron sand.]

[Item Effects: 1. Sturdy: Compared to ordinary weapons, it has higher hardness; 2. Sharpness: Compared to ordinary weapons, it has a sharper edge; 3. Color Change: The blade changes color depending on the user's attributes (first use only); 4. Sunlight Bane: Deals increased damage to species vulnerable to sunlight.]

[Item Evaluation: Manual color change~ (lol)]

Smack!

Troy felt a weight in his hand as a katana fell into his palm.

The blade had a straight black scabbard and blade, with a circular, hollow-carved tsuba. The indigo-wrapped hilt almost blended in with the deep blue hilt wrapping, unless looked at closely.

"A Nichirin Blade, the standard gear of the Demon Slayer Corps in 'Demon Slayer'..."

Troy didn’t draw the katana immediately, though he did find the blade’s appearance appealing.

"Too bad I don't know any swordsmanship, and all the techniques recorded in [Beast Breathing] are dual-wield. One sword is less useful than swinging a hammer!"

He casually strapped the Nichirin Blade to his waist, picked up the second E-rank bait, and murmured to himself.

"Except for the first fishing, everything afterward has been items... Could it be that [Fishing] can’t yield abilities?"

The light screen soon proved Troy’s worries unnecessary.

The second and third fishing results were both ability traits, derived from zombies.

[This fishing yield: Ability Trait]

[E-rank Ability Trait: Enhanced Hearing]

[Description: After being infected by a virus, a zombie’s vision, touch, smell, and taste drastically deteriorate, but hearing is greatly enhanced.]

[Effect: Within fifty meters, no movement escapes your ears.]

[Evaluation: Your earlobes won’t turn sensitive because of this!]

[...Fishing...]

[This fishing yield: Talent Trait]

[E-rank Talent Trait: Tenacity]

[Description: After being infected by a virus, a zombie's motor skills completely degrade, but physical attributes are slightly enhanced, and resistance to negative states improves to varying degrees.]

[Effect: 1. Endurance attribute gains 1 E-rank increase; 2. Pain tolerance, fear resistance, and hunger tolerance are significantly enhanced.]

[Evaluation: The zombie is speaking human language!]

“Whoa—”

After the third fishing attempt ended, a tingling sensation like an electric shock spread throughout Troy's body before he had time to react. This tingle soon turned intense, eventually transforming into a stabbing pain.

“Hiss—”

Troy sucked in a cold breath, gritting his teeth as sweat poured from him like a fountain.

If it weren’t for his previous “practice” from overusing [Beast Breathing] and experiencing muscle tear aftermaths, he probably would have fainted from the pain by now!

Even so, Troy was tormented by the sudden attribute leap in [Endurance], feeling the agony vividly.

Thankfully, the pain didn’t last long. Once it subsided, he looked as if he’d just been pulled out of the ocean, his clothes drenched in sweat.

“Why can't there be a pain-free upgrade?!”

Despite his complaints, his eyes shone brightly, clearly indicating his joy and excitement.

“[Enhanced Hearing] isn't as far-reaching as [Beast Breathing: Spatial Awareness], but it’s a passive skill that doesn’t cost anything to use!”

“The talent trait [Tenacity] might be the biggest gain this time! Although it doesn't improve combat strength directly, it significantly upgrades my overall endurance and combat duration!”

Looking at his newly acquired traits, Troy grew more eager about the fourth fishing attempt!

“Lady Luck is smiling!”

The fourth fishing attempt!

Begin!

[This fishing yield: Item]

[E-rank Item: Tanjiro Kamado's Special Rice Ball]

[Source: "Demon Slayer"]

[Description: A rice ball handmade by Tanjiro Kamado for his sister, filled with a brother’s warmth and love.]

[Effect: 1. Feeding it to a sapient being smaller in age or size than the user greatly reduces hostility while increasing their affection; 2. Fills the stomach.]

[Evaluation: This is not a child catcher!]

The smile on Troy's face hadn't fully bloomed before it was extinguished by yet another rice ball from "Uchiha Tanjiro."

"Stubborn ghostly little brother complex!"

A new day, requesting collection, recommendation, investment—still requesting everything!