A strange sky…
Where… am I?
His brain still sluggish from being struck by a car, Mo Wu hurriedly scrambled to his feet, his head spinning.
The dim surroundings carried a faintly eerie atmosphere. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy above, most of it absorbed by the leaves, leaving only scattered rays shining down on the figure sitting on the ground.
Where the hell did that truck send me…? Is this even the capital anymore?
Rubbing his throbbing temples, Mo Wu began sorting through his memories.
He remembered being hit by a car. Then a sudden voice had asked him whether he still had dreams left unfulfilled.
Of course he did.
Mo Wu had struggled in the capital for years. He was about to be promoted to supervisor. Getting taken out by a car right before that… who wouldn't say yes?
Wait…
Was that the reason he ended up here?
"Welcome to the Infinite Paradise Grand Tournament… Single-Player Dungeon Challenge!"
A loud, excited male voice exploded beside his ear, making Mo Wu jump in shock.
The voice continued.
"Welcome, newborn Dreamer."
"Complete tasks to obtain Dream Points!"
"And finally—achieve your dreams! Hahahaha! Of course… that depends on whether you earn enough points."
"Of course, every participant will receive a small bit of assistance!"
The voice abruptly cut off before Mo Wu could even understand what was happening.
Infinite Paradise? Dream Points? Tasks?
What the hell is all this?!
Before he could gather his thoughts, his vision blurred, and a virtual screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Clearance Mission: Live? Live!
Objective: Survive the night on Mount Fujikasane.
Reward: 500 Dream Points
Countdown: 6:58:46
Side Mission: Lord of Mount Fujikasane (1/3)
Objective: Kill ten demons (0/10)
Reward: 100 Dream Points
Mount Fujikasane?
Demon Slayer?
With those familiar words—and the system panel floating before his eyes—if Mo Wu still didn't understand what was happening, he would truly be an idiot.
"Phew…"
He let out a breath. His hands trembled slightly while cold sweat poured from his forehead.
An infinite world scenario…
He spat lightly, his expression grim.
Those three words meant many things—but most famously they meant danger and death.
But wasn't his first world a little too unfriendly?
In the world of Demon Slayer, the enemy creatures were demons that could only be killed by Nichirin Blades or sunlight.
The strong might thrive here like fish in water.
But someone like him? A normal man facing man-eating demons?
He'd be reduced to a skeleton in minutes.
And if he remembered correctly, Mount Fujikasane contained a demon personally turned by Muzan Kibutsuji during the Edo period—the Hand Demon.
That monster had killed and devoured its own brother before being captured by Sakonji Urokodaki and imprisoned on the mountain.
It had lived there for nearly half a century.
In terms of combat power, it could easily be considered the early-stage ceiling.
Its achievements might involve a bit of luck, but the fact remained—it had wiped out every single one of Urokodaki's disciples.
Its strength was undeniable.
Which meant Mo Wu was in serious trouble.
If he wanted to survive… there was a real chance he would run into that monster.
Damn it.
Can another truck hit me and send me back?
"Countdown: 6:55:23."
Time ticked away second by second.
Drip…
A cold droplet fell from his forehead onto the ground.
Coming back to his senses, Mo Wu wiped his forehead. Only then did he realize that his clothes were already soaked in sweat.
"I'm not a swordsman like Tanjiro who knows Breathing Techniques!"
He slammed a fist into the nearby tree, sending dry leaves scattering.
His brain spun rapidly as he searched for a way to break this deadlock.
He didn't know what point in the timeline this was. If it happened during Sabito's generation, he might be able to cling to a powerful ally.
After all, according to the original story, during that Final Selection the only person who died was Sabito.
He killed every demon on Mount Fujikasane until he finally encountered the Hand Demon.
Trying to cut through its neck with a Nichirin Blade, Sabito failed because the demon's arms protected its neck. Exhausted, he was eventually killed.
Even so, he had still been the only casualty of that selection.
Every other candidate survived under his protection and later joined the Demon Slayer Corps.
But if this wasn't that same Final Selection…
Then he, an ordinary person…
Just imagining being torn apart by demons made Mo Wu's head throb with pain.
No.
I need to calm down first.
He vaguely remembered that the voice earlier mentioned some kind of help.
Following the usual system-novel logic…
Mo Wu exhaled slowly, his eyes sharpening.
"Status panel."
A screen appeared.
Mo Wu
Occupation: Dreamer
Combat Power: Normal adult
(Battle power of five trash)
Dream Points: 0
Talent: Great Feat
Skill: Pseudo-Omniscient Insight
Equipment: Nichirin Blade (not yet retrieved)
Pseudo-Omniscient Insight?
Does that mean he knows the plot?
Frowning, Mo Wu stared at the two words listed under his talent.
Great Feat.
His scalp tingled.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
As if responding to his confusion, the panel suddenly expanded, displaying two lines beneath the talent.
Those who grasp the right moment accomplish great feats.
Those who act timidly suffer strange hardships.
And below it, an additional line appeared:
Great feats give birth to miracles.
"What kind of riddle is this…"
Before he could finish complaining, Mo Wu suddenly stiffened.
His face turned pale.
Something… was watching him.
Every hair on his body stood on end. A gaze from somewhere unknown made his scalp go numb. It was pure, instinctive fear.
Where…?!
Without hesitation, Mo Wu summoned the Nichirin Blade from his inventory.
With a clang, a blade about seventy centimeters long suddenly dropped from the air beside him, embedding itself halfway into the soil.
Gripping the dark gray handle, feeling the reassuring weight in his hand, Mo Wu finally regained a sliver of courage.
Exhaling slowly, he forced his mind to calm down and carefully traced the direction of that gaze.
There!
He spun around instantly, pointing the gleaming blade into the darkness.
Rustle… rustle…
As sunlight reflected from the blade's tip and pierced into the forest, the sound of leaves shifting echoed from the shadows.
The oppressive gaze vanished.
But Mo Wu felt no relief.
Because in the darkness illuminated by that beam of sunlight—between twisted tree trunks—
He saw them.
Crimson eyes.
Eyes filled with the hunger to devour.
Damn it.
A demon had already targeted him… in broad daylight.
He dared not relax. Quickly moving into a patch of sunlight, Mo Wu held the Nichirin Blade before him, ears straining to catch every sound around him.
"What should I do… what should I do…"
A demon had already noticed him.
If night fell…
The outcome would be obvious.
Mo Wu's heart raced with anxiety. Even though he kept telling himself to stay calm, the relentless ticking of time made it impossible.
All he felt was growing panic and frustration.
"Countdown: 6:32:23."
He reopened the panel, hoping to find some way out.
But the moment he saw the words Great Feat, his frustration only deepened.
"What the hell does this talent even want from me?!"
Anxiety turned into anger, and curses burst from his mouth as he vented his fear of the unknown.
"What great achievements? I don't understand that crap!"
"What sword training, what dreams, what stupid paradise—damn it all!"
As if the air before him were the demon watching him—or the mysterious space that threw him here—Mo Wu began wildly swinging his Nichirin Blade, hacking at empty space again and again.
Then suddenly—
A cold, mechanical whisper echoed beside his ear.
"Standing at the edge of life and death—calm amid danger."
"Swinging the blade within peril—tempered through effort."
"Fifty sword swings completed."
"Swordsman milestone achieved."
"Milestone unlocked."
"Ding."
"O nameless soul…"
"Miracle granted: strength, speed, and stamina increased."
"Miracle granted: Basic Swordsmanship Lv1."
"Continue walking the path of Great Feats toward the next milestone."
Mo Wu's overheated mind instantly cooled.
For a brief moment, he even thought the final mechanical voice carried a faint trace of warmth.
Clenching his fist, feeling the surge of newfound strength in his body, Mo Wu finally understood how his talent worked.
Great feats… and miracles.
Taking a deep breath, Mo Wu rolled up his sleeves.
Then he swung his blade.
The Nichirin Blade cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
Perhaps thanks to the newly unlocked swordsmanship, this strike was far more precise—smooth and fluid.
But this was still far from enough.
Within these six hours, he needed to grow strong enough to survive in this demon-infested mountain…
Even if Sabito never appeared.
There was no way back now.
The only thing he could do was trust his talent.
Trust the power within himself.
Trust… in miracles.