- The Reincarnation World Where Only I Know the Storyline
- RWWOKS Chapter 71
**Chapter 71: The Fearsome Shinobu Kocho**
“Good stuff,” Fang Bo said with a smile, clearly pleased.
Although the Headless Puppet hadn’t contributed much, Fang Bo was growing fond of controlling it. The feeling of staying far from danger and merely moving his fingers to take down powerful enemies was addictive. Perhaps this was the allure of being a summoner.
If he could improve his close-combat abilities, the puppet’s effectiveness in battle would certainly increase.
“Too bad, though—there’s still a difference between a puppet and a doll. At the very least, it can’t have attachments added to it.”
There were many kinds of puppets. The one he had was of the flesh-and-blood type, suited for violent close combat. Then there were others, like the Yoriichi Type Zero, filled with intricate mechanisms. Though they lacked durability, they could be outfitted with various attachments.
If possible, Fang Bo could even equip the Dragoon Rifle onto a mechanical puppet, granting it long-range shooting capabilities.
“Maybe I could even install the omnidirectional mobility gear… then the puppet could fly.”
As Fang Bo fantasized about an invincible puppet for the future, he diligently applied the lubricant to the puppet, the motion reminiscent of an uncle applying sunscreen on the beach.
His two companions, meanwhile, found the sight a bit hard to watch.
“Done!”
**Durability: 148/280**
Seeing the puppet’s durability restored to a safe level, Fang Bo knew he could still rely on it in upcoming battles.
When they returned to the Reincarnation Space… no, when they reached the Swordsmith Village, Fang Bo knew he had to learn how to repair the puppet there.
The rewards given by the space couldn’t be bought again, and currently, the merit shop didn’t sell anything similar. If he wanted the puppet repaired, he’d have to do it himself.
[Main Quest: Exterminate the Demons (Active)]
[Quest Description: The world is full of tragedies. As a demon slayer, your duty is to eliminate evil.]
[Quest Objective: Hunt at least ten demons within 30 days.]
[Special Note: Rewards will vary based on the quality of demons hunted!]
The second act’s main quest had begun. As expected, the space wanted them to hunt as many demons as possible.
Of course, killing demons was a given, but hunting regular ones wouldn’t compare to taking down one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Not to mention, the latter was certain to trigger hidden missions, which would greatly help in strengthening their abilities.
“Complete more hidden missions to power up, and dealing with enemies will be much easier,” Fang Bo thought.
As for his next target, wasn’t it obvious? The first choice would be the **Mugen Train Arc**.
With two reliable teammates and the Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro’s strength… well, the hope of killing Upper Moon Three was still a bit slim. To defeat an Upper Moon, at least two Hashira would need to team up.
Moreover, they’d have to follow the storyline closely. Otherwise, Akaza wasn’t dumb; he wouldn’t just show up if all nine Hashira were gathered.
“One Hashira should be enough, and the target will depend on the situation. Not everyone is free or willing.”
The time allotted for the second act was generous, giving Fang Bo plenty of time to wander around.
After dealing with the Mugen Train, he could visit the Entertainment District. He’d heard that the women there were all young and beautiful, with one of them even hiding an Upper Moon Six.
Unlike the other two arcs, Gyutaro and his sister wouldn’t roam around. They’d always be there, waiting for him to strike.
Compared to Akaza, the sibling duo was much weaker. Fang Bo considered that he might even be able to take on the Entertainment District alone.
If not, he could always bring along the main cast. As long as no other Reincarnators tried to steal the storyline treasure chest, it would be fine.
Lost in thought, Fang Bo didn’t notice the figure descending from above.
“Hello there~”
A girl with curly hair descended gracefully, her white haori fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. Her violet eyes fixed on him as she murmured to herself, “Poor thing, so young and already rendered mute by those nasty spiders.”
“… Do you need something?” Fang Bo asked coolly, not underestimating the girl despite her innocent appearance.
One of the Nine Hashira, the **Insect Hashira** Shinobu Kocho, was deadly with her poisons. While her direct combat strength wasn’t the highest, her tricky and lethal abilities made her far more dangerous than many stronger opponents.
Even if he had to deal with the Flame or Sound Hashira, he’d rather avoid provoking this seemingly harmless girl in front of him.
“Oh, so you can speak. What a pity.” Shinobu gave a gentle smile, but her words made Fang Bo’s two companions step back a few paces. “I was hoping to test some medicines on you, but I guess I’ll have to find other test subjects.”
With that, she called over a few members of the Butterfly Mansion to tend to the three of them.
After all, they had been instrumental in killing Lower Moon Five. Her earlier remark about experiments was just to scare them—Shinobu typically wouldn’t harm her comrades unless provoked.
However, no one wanted to find out what would happen if they did anger her.
“Our intel did mention her. Seems she’s just as terrifying as they say,” even Darren muttered, showing that Shinobu’s reputation among Reincarnators wasn’t exactly positive.
With the arrival of the Demon Slayer Corps members, the mission at Mount Natagumo was officially over. The next stop was the Butterfly Mansion for some much-needed rest.
Due to the contract they had signed, neither Darren nor Ali showed any inclination to leave.
There was no need for words; everyone understood that regular demons weren’t worth their time. If they were going to kill something, it had to be one of the remaining Twelve Kizuki.
And with their luck? Well, they could wander for ten years and still not find one.
The best approach was to head to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. It wasn’t far from the Butterfly Mansion, so they could stop by the medical base first to check for any assignments.
When the trio arrived at the foot of the mountain, they stumbled upon the main protagonist group: Tanjiro Kamado, his sister Nezuko, Inosuke, and Zenitsu.
“What?! The mission’s already over?! Now I won’t get a chance to show off!” Inosuke bellowed in frustration.
“Phew! That’s a relief, Tanjiro. We won’t have to face any enemies now,” Zenitsu whimpered with tears of joy.
Fang Bo watched the group converse but chose not to approach them.
Knowing who the main characters were wasn’t particularly useful by itself.
The key was understanding their pasts and leveraging that knowledge to gain benefits that wouldn’t otherwise be available in the storyline.
From Fang Bo’s perspective, there was no need to get chummy with Tanjiro. His value to Fang Bo wasn’t particularly high.
The main protagonist’s only notable qualities were twofold: Nezuko, who could maintain her sanity as a demon, and the **Breath of the Sun** technique passed down from Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
The former could be replaced, and as for the latter, even if Fang Bo asked for it, there was no guarantee Tanjiro would give it to him.
Unless, perhaps, Fang Bo offered something in return, like helping Nezuko turn back into a human or killing Muzan Kibutsuji.
But those were matters for another time. For now, he just needed to rest.
With his shikigami Jorogumo having returned to the Onmyoji world, Fang Bo took the opportunity to restore his mental energy.
Even though his body was uninjured, mentally, he was close to his limit. If he didn’t rest soon, it might lead to physical discomfort.
They climbed into the Butterfly Mansion’s carriage, and as the wheels began to turn, the three, exhausted, quickly fell asleep.
It was unclear how much time had passed, but Fang Bo, with his superior mental strength, was the first to wake up.
Glancing at his still-sleeping companions, he quietly slipped out of the carriage and smiled at the Demon Slayer Corps members standing guard outside.
“Where’s Shinobu Kocho?” he asked.
The masked female guard frowned slightly, displeased by his casual attitude, but eventually pointed him in the right direction.
In the lead carriage, Shinobu was busy conducting some kind of experiment, her test subjects a few demon spiders she had captured along the way.
Judging by the screams from inside the carriage, it wasn’t hard to guess what kind of experiment it was.
When Fang Bo pulled back the curtain, he was greeted by the sight of a despairing demon spider.
Judging by its pitiful state, it had clearly been through quite an ordeal.
“You’re awake,” Shinobu greeted him without turning, gently stroking the demon spider’s head with a look of excitement on her face. “I discovered some very interesting things on the mountain.”
Seeing she was in the mood for conversation, Fang Bo didn’t interrupt, curious to hear what she had found so fascinating.
Raising a small bottle, Shinobu proudly showed it to him. “Do you know what this is? This toxin can effectively inhibit cell division.”
“Oh?”
“If injected into a demon’s body, it prevents their regeneration, making it much easier to fight them.”
“I see.”
Seeing Fang Bo’s indifferent response, Shinobu smiled as she tightened her grip on her sword, leaning in closer to ask softly, “
So, Mr. Jason, could you tell me where this toxin came from?”
Sensing her subtle threat, Fang Bo sighed, “Alright, yes, it does have something to do with me.”
“I thought so.”
Seeing her unsheathed sword, Fang Bo could only nod helplessly. “If you need more, I’d be happy to help.”
“Your wording is a little odd, but thank you anyway,” she said with a smile.
Just then, a notification popped up in Fang Bo’s mind.
[You have triggered a side quest: Shinobu Kocho’s Request.]
[Quest Description: The poison from Jorogumo has attracted the attention of a researcher who believes it can aid the Demon Slayer Corps.]
[Quest Objective: Assist Shinobu Kocho in developing a new type of medicine.]
Seeing the side quest, Fang Bo decided to overlook her earlier threat.
Just as she was about to turn back to her experiment, Fang Bo prepared to state his real purpose.
But before he could speak, his pupils suddenly dilated as his gaze shifted outside the carriage.
There, a man with an indifferent expression was watching him.
Fang Bo hadn’t sensed the man’s presence at all until he stepped into view. But what shocked him the most was that he immediately recognized who the stranger was.
This man was another Reincarnator.
“I knew it. There’s no way we were the only ones who survived.”
Noticing his gaze, Shinobu chuckled and explained, “I did say I found some interesting things on the mountain.”
“Besides the toxin, the most interesting thing I found… was him.”
“When I spotted him, this man was dissecting one of the demon spiders.”
(End of Chapter)