Chapter 18: Kiai Technique, Proficient Level!

Pushing the doll that was already staggering toward the doorway, Uesugi Toru shook his head at it.

"I'll do it."

He made that mouth shape, took a forceful deep breath, then placed the doll in the corner of the wooden table, together with the homework that had been untouched for a long time.

"Dad? You're not knocking on the door to make me prepare a midnight snack, are you?"

Muttering in dissatisfaction, Uesugi Toru casually and actively pulled the room door open with one hand.

Standing outside the door was none other than the faceless middle-aged man.

It just quietly faced Uesugi Toru, saying nothing.

Silent pressure climbed over Uesugi Toru's whole body; just as his face was about to instinctively start twitching, he immediately entered the state of Heart Like Still Water.

"What, you can watch ball games but I can't stay up late to watch matches?" Uesugi Toru took out his mobile phone, showing off the flashing game inside as if boasting: "Electronic sports are also matches!"

After speaking, Uesugi Toru calmly walked past the man, and while running water in the bathroom, said:

"If you want a midnight snack, say so, I'll heat up the bento in the refrigerator. If you don't say anything, I'll just eat it all by myself."

Shaking himself, and after washing his hands under the man's gaze, Uesugi Toru took out the bento from the refrigerator, heated it, and ate while brushing his phone, occasionally laughing out loud from time to time.

From beginning to end, he did not reveal the slightest bit of abnormality.

Finally, when Uesugi Toru was about to lick clean the plastic bowl of the extra-large portion curry beef bento, the faceless man who had been pressing his face against Uesugi Toru's cheek to observe him all along slowly walked away.

Once again, he returned to the sofa in front of the television that was always replaying the same ball game, and sat down.

Uesugi Toru appeared completely unaware, still focused on dealing with the bento in his hand.

Only after finishing the bento completely did Uesugi Toru, as if victorious, throw it into the garbage bag.

Before returning to his room, Uesugi Toru even said to the faceless man on the sofa:

"Dad, I'm going to sleep, you go to sleep early too."

Thud.

The moment he closed the room door, Uesugi Toru collapsed weakly.

Like a drowning person just pulled ashore, he panted silently and with large gulps, and his originally dry back was soaked through in an instant.

Thank you, Shizuku!

Uesugi Toru leaned against the table corner, gasping for breath, never having thanked someone so much as at this moment.

If not for maintaining the Heart Like Still Water that Shizuku had taught him before, he would definitely have sweated, his hands would have trembled, or he would have revealed some flaws that he himself had not even noticed.

Then, he was swallowed in one gulp by the three-star level old man known as the "Evil Ghost"!

Uesugi Toru looked at the doll running to his side, thinking that perhaps he wouldn't be instantly killed, but he would definitely have to face off directly with that three-star level faceless old man!

That way, not only would he lose this doll given to him by Nanjo Sister that was enough to deter the old man, but he would also lose a three-star level safe house!

That's right, the reason Uesugi Toru had plucked up the courage to actively open the door earlier was precisely to let the "old man," who had sensed something was wrong, feel reassured again after observing him.

Rubbing the doll's little head, Uesugi Toru hugged it and lay on the bed, sighing with relief as if unburdened.

—Plan Success!

Uesugi Toru's idea was very simple.

The old man wanted to attack him for unknown reasons, but feared the doll, so he had blurred his memories and kept waiting for the right moment.

And since the old man was "raising" him, naturally he wouldn't let other yaoguai run amok.

So wasn't he, Uesugi Toru, essentially getting a free ride with a guardian possessing three-star combat power!

"Thank you too."

Poking the doll's sagging little face, Uesugi Toru placed it by the pillow and covered it with the blanket again.

"Three-star level..."

He sighed, glancing at the progress bar for the Laughing Prajna that had not yet reached halfway.

Truly a long way to go.

Thinking this, Uesugi Toru actually subconsciously fell asleep while maintaining the breathing rhythm of the Kiai Technique.

【Through practice during sleep, your skill, Kiai Technique Fragment's proficiency +7!】

The next day.

Uesugi Toru, walking on the way to school, had a face full of surprise.

Unexpectedly, the proficiency of the Kiai Technique could actually increase even while sleeping.

Even if not as much as normal practice, this was still a great discovery!

And...

Uesugi Toru gazed at the 【Incomplete Kiai Technique (Entry Level 87/100)】 status window before him, determined to fill up the remaining proficiency during morning class, striving to break through before lunch!

With the help of Heart Like Still Water, the teacher's instruction and the students' noisy chattering all drifted past his ears like a gentle breeze.

When Uesugi Toru once again connected with this world, he found that the classroom was already empty of a single person.

"Did they go to physical education class?"

He smiled understandingly and did not care.

Because, after nearly a whole morning of focused effort, the Kiai Technique had successfully broken through.

【Your skill, Kiai Technique Fragment's proficiency +13!】

【Your skill, Kiai Technique Fragment has been raised to Proficient Level!】

【Kiai Technique Fragment (Proficient 0/300)】

【Effect: Gather the qi of the flesh, combine into one place, effect obvious.】

【Your physique +2!】

The moment the breakthrough was completed, Uesugi Toru could feel his whole body so comfortable as if soaked in warm water.

After that feeling faded, Uesugi Toru could feel a body far sturdier than before, and the "Qi" within him more than doubled in thickness.

"I am evolving, becoming stronger."

Uesugi Toru murmured softly, clearly experiencing the transformation from his original weak and powerless body to this powerful one.

This taste was truly too wonderful.

Opening the Attribute Panel again, the numbers had become—

【Uesugi Toru】

【Physique: 6】

【Will: 8】

【Charm: 9】

【Spirit Arts: 1】

Except for the Spirit Technique Attribute still being a pitiful "1", both Physique and Will had seen significant improvement.

As for Charm...

Uesugi Toru didn't think this thing was of any use; could it make Yokai willingly cough up Soul Ash?

Taking a deep breath, Uesugi Toru mobilized the Qi within him, and immediately saw his Physical Attribute increase by +1 again.

"Not bad."

Uesugi Toru smiled like an old farmer.

A single upgrade of the Kiai Technique actually brought him a full 3 points of Physique improvement in his constant state.

Although there was that previous 0.5 point of Physique Remainder among them, it could still be considered a rich harvest.

With half an hour left until class ended, Uesugi Toru didn't act particularly unconventional, but instead walked onto the Playground and silently mixed into the team of sports students surrounded by Spectators playing Basketball.

With his low Existence Sense, naturally no one noticed that an extra person had suddenly appeared among the Crowd of spectators.

On the Basketball Court, the sunlight was Sunny.

"Ando-kun and them are playing so Handsome!"

Listening to the Cheer of the girls beside him, Uesugi Toru nodded in Agree: "Yeah, they're playing very Handsome."

Then he found a dark, empty Corner and continued to Calm Mind and practice Breathing of the Kiai Technique.

Basketball? Handsome?

What was that, could it be eaten as Physique? Or, when Demons came to kill, could he say hey brother wait, I want to Challenge you to a one-on-one Basket Shoot?

Uesugi Toru felt it Not Work.

So, Uesugi Toru mixed into the Cheerleading Squad was still silently Cultivating.

"Afternoon, drag Shizuku along to skip Class and Cultivate together."

He thought.

End of Chapter