Chapter 95 95: Merging Traits

— — — — — — Ki At its core, the word originally referred to things like mist or breath—essentially, any kind of flowing energy. But in ancient principles, Ki came to represent something much greater. It was seen as the primal force behind all things—a vital energy that powers the universe and fuels all transformation and movement. From this concept arose the theory of the Original Source—the idea that everything in existence originates from a single, unified energy. The source of all: Divine Ki. Spiritual Power? Haki? Nen? Chakra? Reiatsu? Touki? Yōki? All share a common thread—they are variations or interpretations of Ki. At least that's what some believe. And that's exactly the kind of concept that fits what Veyron was looking for: A new energy system—one that could absorb and unify all his existing powers, while also being capable of evolving and growing alongside him. "Is that even possible..." Yagokoro Eirin exhaled slowly after hearing Veyron's explanation. "The Ki you're talking about, it's really just another way of harnessing spiritual nature. When you get down to it, it's not all that different from the spiritual power you already use." As she spoke, the swirling Ki in her palm shifted—morphing into a vortex of spiritual power, perfectly under her control. "Yeah, I kind of figured," Veyron nodded. He hadn't expected to understand everything in one shot anyway. "Eirin, I just need you to explain what you know about Ki in full. Let me experience it—get a feel for how it compares to spiritual power." After that, Veyron stayed inside the pocket dimension created by the Hourai Elixir—a sealed realm under Eirin's control. With her guidance, he dove deep into the study and understanding of this world's concept of Ki. --- After a few days When he finally emerged from her room, something had changed. His spiritual power could now shift back and forth—seamlessly—from its original form into Ki, just like Eirin had demonstrated. And when he checked the trait panel, it confirmed the progress: His Spiritual Power, which had been stuck at Lv. 28 when he entered, had now jumped to Lv. 32. His next goal? Yōki—demonic energy. Yōki is the power that yokai like Inukimi use, in contrast to the spiritual power used by humans. But in truth, the relationship between Yōki and spiritual power is pretty similar to that between spiritual power and Ki. They're all just different expressions of awakened spiritual nature. Naturally, for someone like Veyron—who was trying to construct an original energy cycle based on "Divine Ki"—understanding Yōki had some serious value too. --- "...Why haven't you broken through to Great Yokai yet?" Half an hour later, Veyron asked this question while lazily stroking Inukimi's fur. "You know that's kind of rude, right?" Inukimi, who had been helping with his research, bared her sharp canine teeth with a gleam. She didn't bite him—yet—but that look? Definitely enough to send a message. "I just thought... if you were already a Great Yokai, I could probably finish this with your help alone." Veyron chuckled, scratching under her chin with practiced ease. "Come on, go with me on another trip, would you?" Now, what makes even the weakest Great Yokai a whole tier above ordinary yokai? Well, when a yokai breaks through the boundary between High-Level and Great, they undergo a complete transformation—physically, spiritually, and energetically. A full-on leap in lifeform level. Take a High-Level Yokai at their peak—they can destroy a few hundred meters around them with a serious attack. That's already considered pretty impressive. But even the weakest Great Yokai? They can level several kilometers in one blow—three to five thousand meters obliterated in an instant. That might not sound like a big leap on paper, but think about it: A few hundred meters is like wrecking a street or a palace. A few thousand? That's wiping out a whole town. That's the difference in quality. A quantum leap in power. With Eirin's immense experience and mastery, the Ki she taught was naturally of the highest quality. That's why Veyron's training went so smoothly—he could feel the shared essence and subtle differences between Ki and spiritual power with clarity. But Inukimi? Still stuck at the threshold of becoming a Great Yokai, her Yōki...Well, let's just say it wasn't quite there yet. So, the question became: among the people Veyron currently knew, who could provide him with a steady, high-level source of Great Yokai–tier Yōki (Demonic Energy)—without being someone like Yakumo Yukari? — — — ???? Sunflower Field ???? "You want to experience my Yōki?" Kazami Yuuka smiled the moment she heard Veyron's request. "Sure. Want to start now?" "Yeah, let's begin," he nodded. And just like that, the Yōki flowed into him—gentle and violent at the same time, yet perfectly balanced—channeled directly by Yuuka. As the energy coursed through him, Veyron carefully tuned in to every detail, comparing it to both spiritual power and Ki. He even disabled the message notifications from his Trait System to keep his focus sharp, but the pop-ups still started piling up behind the scenes: [Spiritual Power (Lv.32) gained 1 EXP] [Spiritual Power (Lv.32) gained... [...] ——— That very night, his Spiritual Power leveled up from 32 to 33. By noon on the third day, it hit Lv.34. By sunset on the fifth day, it rose again to Lv.35. And finally, on the ninth day of his stay in the sunflower field— [Spiritual Power (Lv.35)] has leveled up to [Spiritual Power (Lv.36)] It was right after this final upgrade that things truly shifted. With Yuuka watching him closely, clearly intrigued, Veyron fully converted his spiritual power into a form of energy that closely mirrored her unique brand of Yōki. "...You pulled it off?" Yuuka asked, noticing the smile on his face as he opened his eyes. Veyron nodded. "Almost. Just one last step." Inside him, his spiritual power transformed entirely into Ki, which then began fusing with his three forms of Haki. It wrapped around his body like Armament Haki—solid, unbreakable. It expanded his senses like Observation Haki—synced with the world around him. And it burst outward like Conqueror's Haki—radiating an overwhelming force of will. On the Trait System panel, the following traits began to flicker and fade: [Armament Haki (Lv.37)]——[Observation Haki (Lv.45)]——[Conqueror's Haki (Lv.69)]——[Spiritual Power (Lv.36)] All four traits began to blur, then vanish completely—merging into something new. A blank trait slot appeared in their place. "Huh... Should I name this one myself?" Veyron raised an eyebrow. After a moment of thought, Veyron typed in the name: [Divine Ki]. Once the name was locked in, the faded traits of the three types of Haki and his Spiritual Power completely disappeared, their accumulated experience points funneled. . . .