NOVEL WEB Chapter 59 - Transition
Ono Yoko had possibly been lonely for too long, as she was more than willing to stay with Kitahara Hideji, even if he was absorbed in his studies and not engaging in conversation with her.
She stayed until the show “R-chan, Ganbatte” was about to start airing. She didn’t want to disturb Kitahara Hideji’s studying, so she planned to go home to watch it. She was so well-behaved that it was endearing.
After bidding farewell to Kitahara Hideji and getting a tail-wagging send-off from Hyakujirou, Ono Yoko left. However, she couldn’t take Hyakujirou home with her. Her mother had warned her that if she ever brought Hyakujirou into their house, she would kill it. So, she only petted its head and gave it a hug before leaving.
As Ono Yoko departed, Hyakujirou stood at the door for a while before shaking its head and listlessly moving to a corner of the room. It lay down and began carefully licking its belly fur. Kitahara Hideji glanced at it, noticing a small bald patch on its belly, but he didn’t think much of it. He turned his attention back to his studies.
Although this simple-minded dog was now eating, drinking, and sleeping with him, it likely still considered Ono Yoko its true owner. Kitahara Hideji imagined, hypothetically of course, what would happen if he were to slap Ono Yoko on the head. Of course, he would never actually do such a thing to the well-behaved girl. But in this thought experiment, he pictured that even though Hyakujirou was acting all cute and docile, it would instantly change its demeanor and playfully confront him if he were to hit Ono Yoko.
Yet, Kitahara Hideji didn’t find this annoying. Loyalty was indeed a valuable quality. Despite Hyakujirou’s attachment to its previous owner, Ono Yoko, he felt that it was more comfortable for the dog to be with him. The fact that Hyakujirou hadn’t forgotten its old master was actually quite remarkable.
His study session extended into the night. He put down his pen, rubbed his eyes, and stood up to pace around the room. Studying was always a mentally draining and monotonous task. While some geniuses might find long hours of studying enjoyable, Kitahara Hideji was not one of them. After hours of forcing himself to study, he was becoming increasingly restless.
He took a few laps around the room to stretch his muscles, then lay down and picked up the two books Fukuzawa Naotaka had given him: “Ono Ittō-ryū Ougi Explained” and “Rigid Taijutsu.” With the intention of not letting his efforts go to waste, he integrated the techniques from “Ono Ittō-ryū Ougi Explained” into his 【Ancient Swordsmanship】skill and learned the techniques from “Rigid Taijutsu.” Finally, he opened his character panel to check his attributes—
Character Name: Kitahara Hideji
Occupation: High School Student
Title: None
Level: 【8】
Energy Value: 188/210
Strength: 【15】 Agility: 【19】 Stamina: 【18】 Intelligence: 【21】 Charisma: 【30】
Skills: 【Japanese LV9】, 【English LV7】, 【Ancient Swordsmanship LV10】, 【Medical Skill LV5】, 【Family-style Cooking LV6】, 【Rigid Taijutsu LV1】
Currently In Effect Passive: 【Neat Handwriting】
Idle Passive: 【British Accent】, 【Dual-Wield Mastery】, 【Sword Specialization】
Enabled Skills: 【Meditative Battle】, 【Foreseeing】, 【Observation, Inquiry, and Discernment】, 【Five Flavors】
Equipment: 【Simple Clothing】
Money: 【92,005 yen】
After reading for a while, he was really frustrated and couldn’t hold back his complaints. This darn mobile game had crossed the line by trying to lure him into spending money, and now he couldn’t even spend money on it. Gaining experience points was ridiculously difficult, and the allocation of attribute points was absolutely absurd. He didn’t want his Charisma to be too high, but it was increasing rapidly, and he was worried that his Japanese and English skills would eventually surpass the Middle Rank and continue to rise significantly.
He had a strong premonition of impending romantic troubles, which was definitely not a good sign.
He considered adding more points to Intelligence, but what skill could he choose that increased Intelligence? Martial arts focused on Strength and Agility, magic focused on Intelligence, and life skills leaned towards Stamina, with other attributes as secondary. Various random skills seemed to potentially increase Charisma, but in his current situation, if he wanted to boost his Intelligence, where could he learn magic?
Moreover, even if he could learn magic, he’d risk exposing himself if he started conjuring fireballs for experience. He’d likely be apprehended and dissected if anyone saw it. He didn’t have the means to confront the power of the state.
He wondered if magic was a viable option, but…
One day, I’ll find a way to go look for books. All the books in the bookstore are sealed, making it impossible to browse through them. I might have to go to the library, but I’ve heard that getting a library card can be quite expensive. I’ll have to try my luck in the free section… Hopefully, I’ll have some success!
After reading “Reading the Opponent’s Mind” for a while and coming up with a less conventional solution, I turned my attention to the recently learned 【Rigid Taijutsu】. I was too lazy to cross-reference the thought imprints, so I delved into the explanations. It turns out that it’s a form of empty-handed martial technique that falls under the category of Aikido, a type of Japanese martial art. Judo is similar to wrestling, Karate is more focused on strikes, and Aikido involves joint locks and throws. Kendo, on the other hand, is weapon combat, covering swords and even spears, while Iaido is centered around surprise attacks and assassinations.
Although the name 【Rigid Taijutsu】 might sound like a form of iron shirt technique, it actually focuses on joint locks and immobilization techniques. The term “rigid” refers to maintaining one’s own posture while disrupting the opponent’s, using joint locks to subdue the opponent or disarm them.
Adding another form of empty-handed martial art didn’t particularly excite me. I thought I’d give it a try if the opportunity arose, but I wasn’t overly invested. After all, my goal wasn’t to become a righteous hero or a master of an evil sect.
We’re living in a civilized society governed by laws now. Even if I trained to leap like the wind, wield a sword like lightning, and face handguns without fear, what about automatic rifles? Are rifles any less formidable than cannons? Can you withstand missiles if you’re that powerful? Hoping to become impervious to missiles with sheer physical strength is quite a stretch, isn’t it? Besides, with armies numbering in the thousands, not to mention aircraft, tanks, and warships, even if an individual’s combat prowess is exceptional, staging a rebellion would be a daunting challenge.
Moreover, what’s the point of going against society for no reason? Integrating into society and becoming one of the elite who holds the fate of humanity is the more sensible path.
However, he do like the 【Ancient Swordsmanship】 skill. It offers enough self-defense capabilities, and the 【Meditative Battle】 is an excellent outlet for venting frustration. The exhilarating sensation of life-and-death combat with blades is quite stimulating, a great way to stimulate the nerves. He shifted my focus to reviewing the thought imprints from “Ono Ittō-ryū Ougi Explained” It became apparent that these imprints differed from the general knowledge collected by Shima Kanae.
The Sword Technique details in this book were more intricate and profound, delving deeply into various aspects of swordplay. The content had deviated far from the realm of sports and instead focused on lethal techniques—clearly a book written with the purpose of teaching deadly combat techniques. The techniques covered essential targets such as the neck, chest, abdomen, and other vulnerable areas, including instructions for group battles, one-on-one combat, ambushes, and counter-ambush tactics.
These kinds of books probably can’t be published; they can only circulate privately. It’s quite challenging to acquire such material. Kitahara Hideji also became interested and closed his eyes, savoring the moment for a while. In the blink of an eye, he activated 【Meditative Battle】 again to test the effectiveness of the Ittō-ryū’s Kirioroshi technique, wondering if it would work well.
His eyes closed, and after a moment, his facial muscles twitched slightly, revealing a trace of hostility. This sudden change caught the attention of Hyakujirou, who had been napping in the corner of the room.
The dog’s eyes were filled with confusion and fear as it stared at its second master. It still couldn’t quite understand the eccentric behavior of its enigmatic second master, who seemed to be up to something bizarre all the time. Most likely, Hyakujirou thought that its second master was a bit deranged.
Closing his eyes and emitting an aura of murderous intent while alone – it probably believed that its second master was seeking companionship with its gentle and lovely first master day and night. Feeling a bit uneasy, it began to retreat towards its dog bed, but it was too late. Kitahara Hideji suddenly opened his eyes, clutching his neck.
In Meditative Battle, he had “killed” eleven people, a span of just over twenty seconds in reality. His face was slightly pale, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he took deep breaths to alleviate the extreme discomfort of being “killed” mentally.
Though the hostility in his eyes hadn’t faded, he took a moment to catch his breath and instinctively surveyed his surroundings. Hyakujirou, ever quick on its feet, interpreted the remaining hostility in Kitahara Hideji’s eyes and promptly rolled onto its side, exposing its belly and offering a fawning smile. Ignoring Hyakujirou’s antics, Kitahara Hideji lay down and caught his breath. He felt a sense of satisfaction.
The insights into this unique Sword Technique were indeed superior to the common knowledge he had gathered earlier. It was truly impressive. In one-on-one combat, the Kirioroshi combined with a finishing blow led to a direct victory.
Against two or three attackers, he had to expend minimal effort. Even when surrounded by four assailants, he only sustained minor injuries. Facing eight aggressors, he managed to take out three while holding his ground. He pinched the book “Ono Ittō-ryū Ougi Explained” and felt that it was truly a valuable find—although it was practically useless in his everyday life.