[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse":3,"chapter-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-3":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","From Thunder Breathing to the Multiverse",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1676037,2141,"Chapter 3 3: A Punch for Kaigaku","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-3",3,"\u003Cp>Tachibana Kyūjō lowered the heavy bundle of firewood from his back and neatly stacked it behind the kitchen of a small eatery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He let out a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, and turned to the gruff old man standing by the back door—short, wiry, and sharp-eyed, with a voice like gravel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oi, Oyaji. After carrying and chopping all this firewood, I'd say I've earned myself a free lunch, yeah?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inoue Shōgo let out a snort, unimpressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph! Brat! You think a bowl of food comes cheap?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He jabbed a thumb toward the kitchen, voice rising with each word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That was three servings in one bowl, you glutton! You inhaled it like a starving demon! If you want to pay it off, work another half a year and maybe we'll call it even!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the old man turned around and stomped back into the building, leaving Kyūjō sighing in exasperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Old fox,\" Kyūjō muttered, though there wasn't any real venom behind his words. He knew Oyaji was just milking the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already been two months since Kyūjō left Toyama Prefecture. In all that time, he hadn't seen a single demon—let alone any sign of the Demon Slayer Corps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His provisions had long run out, and he'd been living like a wilderness survivor ever since. If this world were a game, he figured he'd already qualify for some elite survivalist badge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things were manageable in the mountains where resources were abundant. But as soon as he approached Tōshō City, everything changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forests nearby were… too quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eerily so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No signs of wildlife—not even rats. The rivers were barren. No birdsong. No rustling. Just silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three days of starvation, Kyūjō had no choice but to descend from the mountains and sneak into the city. He'd eaten without paying, and was now working part-time to repay the debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that experience had taught him one important truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something wrong with this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could smell it—the scent of demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if that were the case, then it was only a matter of time before the Demon Slayer Corps showed up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until then, Kyūjō played the part of a humble debt worker—chopping wood, hauling goods, and secretly watching the forest for any sign of demon activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a swordsman who had sharpened his blade for years, part of him was… itching to test it against a real demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That afternoon, as usual, Kyūjō was splitting logs with smooth, precise swings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from beyond the stone wall by the roadside, a woman's panicked voice echoed sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Help! Someone, please help! That boy—he stole all my money!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"S-Stop! Please… that's all I have…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice cracked in desperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middle-aged woman stumbled down the road, pale-faced and breathless, clutching the wall for support as she chased after a fleeing teenager in black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku didn't bother looking back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not until she collapsed behind him, unable to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his hand, he clutched an old, faded pouch tied shut with frayed string.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since that night—the night he let a demon into the temple to save his own skin, dooming Himejima Gyōmei and the other orphans—Kaigaku had returned to a life of theft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no more free bread. No more protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he was \"smarter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't steal from the strong anymore. He lingered near clinics, watching and waiting for easy marks—people who were sick, fragile, and powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku didn't care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had one goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To become a Demon Slayer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only way to stop them from hunting him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ran out of town and collapsed beneath a tree, wheezing, hands on his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stupid woman! Idiot!\" he spat between coughs. \"This money won't save you anyway!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should've just died and rotted there!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tch…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quiet snort shattered the still air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From behind the thick tree trunk in front of him, a young man stepped into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tachibana Kyūjō rolled his shoulder and flexed his fingers—each knuckle cracking one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze locked onto the boy before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air around Kaigaku stank—not just of sweat and desperation, but of something far deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something rotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all his years—this life and the last—Kyūjō had never felt such an unmistakable stench of human corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku had annoyed him back when he was just a fictional character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But facing him in person—sensing that festering soul without the barrier of a screen—Kyūjō could no longer suppress the disgust boiling in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I don't beat you half to death right now, I won't deserve dinner tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku froze when the stranger stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wh-What?! Who the hell are—?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't get to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō's fist slammed into his nose with terrifying speed and precision, flattening him to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood sprayed across the dirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm your father, you disgrace,\" Kyūjō barked, following up with a brutal kick to Kaigaku's gut. \"And today, I'm giving you a lesson you'll never forget!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku tumbled backward like a ragdoll, coughing and crying out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he tried to move, Kyūjō's foot found him—hitting pressure points, muscle knots, weak spots. Precision strikes meant to hurt without lasting damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, Kaigaku was squirming like a worm in the dirt, sobbing brokenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"P-Please… stop… I-I'll give it back…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's all here… please…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō took a long breath, then grabbed Kaigaku by the collar with one hand and lifted him like a sack of rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku—his eyes swollen and barely open—trembled as he reached into his jacket and pulled out the coin pouches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō accepted them silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku lowered his head, hiding the gleam of hate in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take it… just go…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave before I—…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I swear I'll kill you one day…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seared Kyūjō's face into his memory—his voice, his smell, everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Burned it all into his soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kyūjō merely looked down at him with cold, unreadable eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kaigaku.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku flinched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head turned slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knows my name…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How…?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knows everything?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear slithered into his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His whole body began to shake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō leaned in and whispered, voice eerily calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Relax. I won't kill you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was true. He couldn't—morally, emotionally, ethically—kill a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku was still just a boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Kaigaku could feel even the slightest relief…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kyūjō's voice cut back in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I will break you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew back his fist, adjusted his knuckle so the middle joint protruded just slightly, and gently struck Kaigaku's ribs—just enough to shock the lungs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku gasped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So you want to learn Thunder Breathing, huh? Kyūjō thought bitterly. Then eat dirt, you bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a grunt, he slung Kaigaku under one arm like a sack of grain and began walking toward the nearest clinic in Tōshō City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kaigaku, barely conscious, glared at Kyūjō with hatred so thick it could curdle air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't know who this guy really was—but one thing was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn't normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah? What's with that look?\" Kyūjō muttered, glancing down. \"Don't tell me you think I'm the villain here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get real. You're the scumbag, not me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave Kaigaku one more light slap to the cheek—just enough to sting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✨ Special thanks to my newest Patreon supporters!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your support keeps this series alive and growing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>$10 – Joseph Sepulveda, Big Brizzz\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>📚 Want to read more chapters or get early access?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Join my Patreon here:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>🔗 patreon.com\u002FFaaanzKun\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✅ Enjoy 10 chapters ahead of WebNovel\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✅ Get 1-2 new chapters every day exclusively on Patreon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>> Already caught up with the latest chapter on WebNovel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continue the journey early for just:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>$5\u002Fmonth\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Join now and dive deeper into the story—weeks ahead of public release!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for your amazing support 💖\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>",1348,"2026-06-06T13:14:23.720Z",1,"novelbin.me","de2923b15739e00b6c39f9ca5147149bf00bb8c62fa6bb58b1bf327fb8f1af02","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-4","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-2",389,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffrom-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-cover.jpg"]