Chapter 16: Space shuttle

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a pale glow over the quiet village. The only sounds were the occasional barking of distant dogs, their echoes mingling with the night.

Shimura, carrying a bucket, bait, and a fishing rod, slipped quietly out of his house. Fishing was his greatest passion, but his wife's strictness meant he could only indulge it in secret, sneaking out while she slept.

"Before nightfall, I set up a bait spot with corn. I'm sure I'll catch a big one tonight!" Shimura thought eagerly, quickening his pace.

He arrived at his usual fishing spot and, with practiced ease, adjusted the line, baited the hook, and cast his rod.

As the hook hit the water, Shimura sighed contentedly. "Tonight is perfect."

Just as he began to worry about returning empty-handed again, the float dipped suddenly, and the line tightened.

"I got a bite already!"

Shimura's joy quickly turned to surprise. "This one's strong! Must be a big catch!"

He fought with all his might, and after a grueling struggle, managed to reel in the catch.

As he pulled the shadowy figure closer, Shimura's excitement turned to confusion.

"This thing's enormous. Bigger than any fish I've ever seen!"

He hesitated, wondering if there could be such a large fish in this small river. But as the dark shape approached, his unease grew.

"It doesn't look like a fish... It looks more like... a person!"

Horror gripped Shimura as he realized the truth. "Is it a body? Did someone drown?"

Despite his fear, Shimura steeled himself and slowly pulled the "corpse" closer.

"There's no smell. Maybe it hasn't been dead long?"

Setting down his rod, Shimura prepared to drag the "corpse" ashore. But then, a cold hand seized his arm.

The "corpse" lifted its head, revealing cold, golden, vertical pupils.

Shimura's heart stopped. After a few seconds, he screamed, "A demon!"

He yanked his arm free and sprinted back towards the village, shouting, "Demon! There's a Demon!"

A look of apology flickered across Aoki's face as he watched Shimura flee.

"I just woke up. I didn't mean to scare him."

Feeling a pang of guilt, Aoki grabbed a large, five-kilogram fish and tossed it into the bucket on the shore. Glancing at the village that was now stirring with activity, he leaped away into the night.

Not long after, a group of villagers arrived at the riverbank, armed with kitchen knives and shovels.

"Where's the demon? Where's the demon?"

Shimura, trembling, pointed to his fishing spot. "I fished it out right here."

The villagers looked around but saw no ghost. Only a wooden bucket and a large fish flopping inside.

An awkward silence settled over them. After a few moments, someone said, "Shimura, did you catch a big fish and then make up a Demon story to show off?"

"I wouldn't do that!" Shimura protested, "And I didn't catch any fish!"

"So you're saying you saw a demon, and it gave you a big fish instead of hurting you?"

Shimura was at a loss for words. "But I really did see a Demont!"

"Describe it then. What did it look like?"

"Well, it had golden, vertical pupils and looked very... handsome," Shimura stammered, realizing he hadn't taken a good look in his panic.

"Alright, enough. Let's all go back to sleep," someone else yawned.

"I swear, I saw a Demon!" Shimura insisted.

"Yes, a kind and handsome demon who doesn't harm people but gives them big fish. I hope I meet one next time," another villager chuckled as they all began to leave.

Shimura was about to argue further when a sharp pain in his side made him wince.

"Ah! Wife!"

His wife glared at him. "We'll discuss this at home!"

Shimura hung his head, "Wife, I really saw a Demon! Don't you believe me?"

She gave him a stern look. "I'm more concerned about you sneaking out to fish at night. No wonder you've been so tired during the day!"

Shimura's defiance melted away.

"Pack up and don't forget the fish!" she added.

"Huh?"

Shimura picked up the fish with trembling hands. From that night on, he never dared to sneak out to fish again.

...

Aoki found a rock to sit on, still feeling sore and weak.

"I didn't expect 'Boiling Blood' to be the most effective skill from the 'Hunter' profession."

It had saved him twice now.

"But the aftereffects are brutal!"

Aoki focused, and a blue screen materialized before him.

[Name: Aoki]

[Strength: 13]

[Constitution: 11]

[Intelligence: 12]

[Agility: 11]

[Profession: Hunter, White Walker]

[Free attribute points: 2]

[Item: Demon Wine Gourd]

…

[White Walker]

Quality:

Level: lv5 (218/500)

Skills: Demon Blood III, Space Shuttle (not yet learned), Transparent World (not yet learned), Demon devouring

Free skill points: 2

Ignoring the attributes, Aoki's eyes went straight to the "White Walker" skill list.

"Space Shuttle, learn it! Learn it now!"

The blood demon magic used by those two demons had been a harsh lesson. But from now on, things would be different!

As two skill points disappeared, new knowledge filled Aoki's mind, and subtle changes occurred in his body. While there were no immediate physical changes, for the first time since his transformation, he smiled genuinely.

Now, the sky was open for birds to soar, and the sea for fish to leap.

Whoosh!

Aoki's figure vanished and reappeared a hundred meters high in the air.

Before he could fall, he blinked out of existence again.

Space blurred around him.

Two quick flashes, and he had crossed a vast forest. What was moments ago a distant village was now behind him.

The breeze rustled through the grass as Aoki lay down, half his vision filled with the starry night, the other half with the bustling town below.

He had overexerted himself, but "Space Shuttle" had not disappointed.

Blood demon Art lacked a cooldown period, but various factors made it difficult to use instantly.

Currently, Aoki could use "Space Shuttle" once per second without interruption.

The travel distance wasn't fixed.

In essence, he could teleport to any place he could see.

With his "Eagle Eye" ability, this became incredibly powerful.

In open sky, a single teleport could cover dozens of kilometers.

On the ground, particularly in dense forests, the range was significantly shorter due to obstacles.

Controlling the landing spot was another challenge, especially over long distances.

During his landing just now, he overshot slightly, fusing his knees with a rock.

Thankfully, he was a Demon.

Had he been human, his legs would have been crushed.

Learning to land accurately would be a long-term task for him.

The only downside of "Space Shuttle" was its high energy consumption.

It drained not just physical energy, but mental stamina as well.

And the further the teleport, the greater the cost.

This meant Aoki couldn't use the ability recklessly or repeatedly in a short period.