Chapter 5: The Haunting Rice Balls
Trace quickly ran the numbers.
With the massive bait haul from the death-bomb, plus the five F-rank zombies he'd soloed earlier, he now had just enough to convert into four E-rank Victory Baits!
"Should I go with four guaranteed E-rank draws, or roll the dice with more F-rank attempts?"
Before he could even finish weighing the options, Beast Breathing: Spatial Awareness picked up a large horde of zombies charging in his direction—clearly drawn by the earlier earth-shattering explosion.
"Well, guess I'm taking the detour today."
Trace's expression shifted. Without hesitation, he veered off course, quickly rerouting his escape path through a secluded backroad to avoid the incoming flood of undead.
Without his stockpile of explosives, and only armed with a dinky war hammer, there was no way he could take on that many zombies in one go.
Not that he was disappointed— What he'd gained earlier was already well worth it.
He left the town behind without looking back.
---
Along the way, Trace repeatedly scanned the landscape using Spatial Awareness, heading deeper into isolated, desolate terrain. Eventually, he arrived at the base of a small, barren crag of rock—remote, elevated, and with a commanding view of the surrounding area.
"This far out should be safe enough…"
The rocky hill had nothing of value, no zombie presence, and excellent visibility—perfect for setting up a temporary camp for the next few days.
Exhausted, Trace collapsed next to a large boulder, back resting against it. He pulled out some rations and a bottle of water, slowly replenishing the energy he'd burned in that adrenaline-fueled escape.
As he ate, he tilted his head to glance up at the sky.
"Kaido and Zephyr's battle intensity is definitely tapering off… No idea when those two titans will finally wrap it up…"
"Could be a good thing. Could be bad…"
Shaking his head, Trace summoned his system screen and eyed the bulk of F-rank bait he still had.
Time to fuse.
He had already decided back on the road: Four solid E-rank pulls. Go big. Always.
"Let's start with the E-rank bait from that giant mutant zombie."
Before casting, Trace took one quick glance at Lady Luck's, ahem, "curve."
Still rocking the classic double-D.
"Wobbling ever so valiantly, Lady Luck…"
He raised his finger like a rod, cast his thoughts like a line, and threw the E-rank bait into the Dimensional Sea.
Moments later, the screen rippled.
---
[Fishing Result: Item]
[E-rank Item: Nichirin Blade (Weapon)]
[Origin: Demon Slayer]
[Description: Forged by master smith Haganezuka of the Demon Slayer Corps. Contains traces of Scarlet Iron Sand, a sunlight-absorbing material.]
Effects:
[1. Durability – Stronger than standard weapons.]
[2. Sharpness – Superior cutting edge.]
[3. Color Shift – Blade color changes upon first use, based on user's attributes.]
[4. Sunlight Purge – Deals bonus damage to species weak to sunlight.
Evaluation: "Manual color shift~ (lol)"]
---
Clack.
Trace's hand dropped slightly from the weight—
A katana had materialized in his palm.
Sleek black scabbard. A straight, narrow blade. The guard was circular with carved floral motifs, the deep blue handle wrapped in darker cords that made it nearly blend into the scabbard if not closely examined.
"Nichirin Blade—the standard issue for all Demon Slayer Corps members…"
Though he liked the design, Trace didn't draw it right away.
"Shame I've got zero sword skills. And [Beast Breathing] only includes dual-wielding styles. One katana? I'd be better off swinging my hammer!"
He casually strapped the blade to his hip, picked up the second E-rank bait, and muttered as he prepared to cast:
"Aside from the very first draw, every single fishing result has been a damn item… Don't tell me I can't pull Traits anymore?"
The system immediately silenced his doubts.
---
[Fishing Result: Skill Trait]
[E-rank Skill Trait: Heightened Hearing]
[Description: After being infected and zombified, human sensory faculties degrade—except for hearing, which becomes hyperactive.]
[Effect: You can detect any sound or movement within a 50-meter radius.
Evaluation: No, your earlobes won't turn into pleasure sensors.]
[Fishing Result: Talent Trait]
[E-rank Talent Trait: Tenacity]
[Description: Upon zombification, motor skills collapse, but durability and resistance to negative conditions increase moderately.]
Effect:
[1. +1 Endurance (E-rank boost)]
[2. Greatly increased resistance to pain, fear, and hunger.]
[Evaluation: "The zombie speaks!"]
---
"Hell yeah—"
Before he could fully react, a strange tingling sensation zipped through his entire body. It started soft—like static electricity—
Then ramped up fast.
From tingling,
To shocking,
To full-on needle-stabbing agony.
"Tsss—!"
Trace gritted his teeth, sweat pouring from his body like a busted dam.
If not for the muscle-tearing "previews" he'd already experienced from spamming [Beast Breathing], he would've passed out cold.
Even so, the sudden tier jump in Endurance pushed him to the brink.
By the time the pain finally faded, he looked like he'd just been fished out of the ocean—his clothes soaked through from sweat.
"Would it kill the system to make upgrades less painful?"
Despite the groaning complaint, the gleam in his eyes said it all—
He was ecstatic.
"[Heightened Hearing] doesn't cover as much ground as [Spatial Awareness], but it's passive—no cost. That's huge."
"[Tenacity] might be the biggest win of the batch. Doesn't increase combat output directly, but drastically boosts survivability and stamina."
Grinning, Trace reached for his fourth and final E-rank bait.
"Lady Luck is smiling on me today…"
Fourth cast—go!
---
[Fishing Result: Item]
[E-rank Item: Tanjiro Kamado's Special Rice Ball]
[Origin: Demon Slayer]
[Description: A rice ball handmade by Tanjiro for his sister, filled with love and brotherly warmth.]
Effects:
[1. Feed it to any intelligent creature smaller or younger than yourself to dramatically reduce hostility and increase affection.]
[2. Fills your belly.]
[Evaluation: This is not a child-luring device, thank you.]
---
Trace's smile froze mid-form.
Gone.
Extinguished.
Another Tanjiro rice ball.
"You again?! You obsessive, undead, headbutting sis fucking con!! Would you get out of my fishing pool already?!"
Tanjiro's haunting culinary affection continued to follow him like a cursed shadow.