"Failed?"
When Jay returned to his room, he was still a bit dazed.
Because he hadn't even seen Inosuke Hashibira's face yet, and the time hadn't run out.
So how did it fail?
Suddenly, a possibility came to mind.
Since there were demons in the deep mountains, could it be that Inosuke had been discovered early by a demon and eaten?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
So he began reviewing his experience in the instance.
At the beginning, he had a surprise encounter with a humanoid [demon], which didn't pose much of a threat. Its strength was mediocre and it didn't even use Blood Demon Arts, just the most basic type of demon.
Still, it took quite a bit of effort to deal with.
Because Jay didn't have a weapon specifically designed to kill [demons], and the sky in the instance was perpetually overcast. It wasn't pitch black, but there wasn't a trace of sunlight either.
As a result, while he could beat the [demon] into the ground, he couldn't kill it. He was always missing that one crucial element.
But Jay was quick-witted and soon found a workaround for that crucial element!
The key came from one of the character cards he had equipped:
~[Genya Shinazugawa]
Source: Demon Slayer
Tag: Demon Eater
Rarity: Purple
Passive Ability -Demon Eater: Possesses exceptional biting strength and a unique digestive system that can consume and digest demons and anything infused with demonic energy.
Activation Condition: Drink the blood of 10 demons.
Active Ability - Demonization: Convert the consumed demonic power into one's own and use it in battle.
Activation Condition: Kill any one of the Twelve Kizuki and consume their blood and flesh.
Status: Non-fusible.
...
Jay wasn't sure at first whether this instance space could count as a valid activation zone for such conditions.
But he decided to try anyway!
So, with the [demon] looking completely confused, Jay drank its blood.
And the activation progress bar for [Demon Eater] moved forward by 10%.
It worked!
This discovery thrilled him.
It meant his hypothesis was correct: some special conditions that couldn't be fulfilled in the One Piece world could potentially be completed inside certain instance dungeons.
But right after that, an intense wave of pain shot through his body.
The blood inside a [demon] is essentially diluted Muzan Blood, highly infectious.
Ordinary humans who drink it are immediately transformed into [demons].
However, the stronger the body, the more diluted Muzan Blood is required to trigger demonization.
Jay's rather reckless move had indeed placed him in danger, but not enough to turn him into a demon.
So he made a firm decision: to use this dungeon instance to complete the activation of [Demon Eater].
From that point on, he repeatedly used [Tactile Perception] to search for creatures within his range.
But until the system forcibly teleported him out and declared the instance a failure, he never once found Inosuke Hashibira.
He did, however, find two more [demons], or rather, they found each other.
Because those two [demons] also wanted to eat him.
That's one of the inherent challenges of this instance.
In the end, both of those demons were tied to a tree and bled out, by Jay.
Drinking the diluted Muzan Blood from three demons began to produce changes in Jay's body, his nails lengthened, his eyes turned red, and his craving for flesh and blood grew increasingly intense.
Oddly enough, the initial pain had disappeared, as if his body had started adapting to the transformation induced by Muzan's blood.
"I can't stop, I must activate the [Demon Eater] ability as quickly as possible. Otherwise, I really might be turned into a demon."
"Even though [demons] possess powerful regenerative abilities and Blood Demon Arts, the fact that they fear sunlight alone is a death sentence!"
Jay had no desire to abandon his human identity and become some flesh-eating, light-fearing demon.
So, without hesitation, he re-entered the instance space.
He still had two activations left, barring any accidents, that should be enough to fulfill the activation requirement.
As for actually clearing the instance…
That would have to come second.
If he couldn't finish it, then so be it.
~[Instance - Hide and Seek in the Deep Mountains] Activated. Activation count remaining: 2].
[Clear condition: Capture Inosuke Hashibira (child) and bring him to the marked location.]
[Countdown: 5 hours.]
"The spawn location is different this time, which means the layout inside the instance isn't fixed."
Jay didn't rush to act; instead, he carefully observed the changes in the surrounding environment.
Though it was still full of trees, grass, and other vegetation
it was clearly different from the first time he entered.
He was certain of that.
So heading straight for the previous "spawn zone" to hunt demons would be a foolish move.
Jay quickly made his decision, to continue clearing the area!
But before that, he did something surprising.
He pulled out a card, which instantly transformed into a sharp kunai. Even in an instance space, system functions could still be used normally, which was a very nice feature.
Then, he swiftly cut open his palm, letting fresh blood flow freely.
The scent of human blood would travel far, attracting those flesh-hungry demons!
And then…
[Tactile Perception], activated!
…
"The smell of human blood… but there's demon blood mixed in? Strange."
"Maybe they've already been attacked by another demon. No matter! I need to get there fast, might still be able to snatch a leg for a snack."
The nearest demon was eagerly rushing toward Jay's location.
Its eyes were full of greedy hunger for human flesh.
Closer… closer…
Just ahead!
As it leapt out from behind a tree, what greeted it wasn't the terrified gaze of a helpless human
but Jay's enthusiastic hospitality.
Crack!
With a single move, Jay twisted the demon's neck.
But even with its head turned 180 degrees, the [demon] was still alive, and its attack was completely unaffected.
If this had been Jay's first encounter with a [demon] in the instance, he might have panicked and fumbled a bit.
But now that he had fought three [demons] already, he had a solid grasp of their attack patterns and their unkillable nature.
So without flinching, he grabbed the demon's extended claw, and twisted it like a pretzel.
Next were its legs, he stomped them until they snapped.
While the creature wailed in helpless fury, Jay pulled out another card from the system deck, this one printed with an image of a rope.
These utility cards, pulled from the gacha pool at great expense, might seem like junk, but if they could be put to any use at all, it brought Jay a bit of comfort.
He tied the demon to a tree with the rope
and began bleeding it dry, like a seasoned pro.