Chapter 3: Regeneration!

First, Takeo began organizing the information in his mind. Based on the information he received after making contact with Logan, it was clear that he had already transmigrated long ago. It likely happened the moment this body died in this life—either he arrived in this world then, or his memories from his previous life awakened at that time. However, simply recovering memories from a past life wouldn't have been enough to bring him back from the dead. What truly resurrected Takeo… was the regenerative ability inherited from Old Man Logan! And this was his cheat ability. At regular intervals, within the space of his consciousness, a fictional character familiar to Takeo would be summoned. As long as he earned that character's acknowledgment, Takeo would gain all of their powers and combat skills. Ordinarily, receiving that recognition would require Takeo to engage in a duel with the character and defeat them. But for some reason, Logan hadn't made him go through that. Maybe it was because he pitied Takeo, or perhaps because he had no will to go on himself… but either way, he acknowledged Takeo easily, even allowing him to borrow a portion of his power in advance. The version of Logan that had appeared in his consciousness was the one from the movie- Logan (2017)—Old Man Logan. Even so, his regenerative ability was very real. Even if weakened to its limit, it was still strong enough to bring Takeo back from the dead. Later, when Takeo returned to that inner world again, Logan entrusted him with the full extent of his powers. Super regeneration, bone claws, enhanced senses, delayed aging... and all the hand-to-hand combat techniques Logan had mastered over more than two hundred years of life— All of these abilities now belonged to Takeo. They were his foundation—his key to surviving and standing his ground in this world! "Looks like I didn't get the adamantium skeleton… but that's fine. For Old Man Logan, adamantium was basically as poisonous as it was powerful." Retracting his bone claws, Takeo muttered to himself. The abilities he had received from Logan were all innate—abilities that belonged to Logan's body itself. Things like the adamantium skeleton, which had been implanted later, weren't part of the inheritance. Or more precisely, physical materials couldn't be passed on—only knowledge and abilities could be transferred through the legacy. That's why Takeo's claws were just ordinary bone, not metal. But that was perfectly fine—in fact, it was probably for the best. In his old age, Logan's healing factor had significantly weakened. His passive regeneration was only slightly stronger than a normal human's. For more serious wounds, he had to consciously activate his healing ability in order to recover quickly. What used to be automatic had become manual—and when that happened, the adamantium, which was inherently toxic, became a heavy burden on his body. That same burden would apply to Takeo as well.In other words, if he had inherited the adamantium skeleton, it might have actually killed him faster. "…It kinda hurts…" Takeo winced, glancing at the slowly healing wound between his fingers. The wounds caused by the bone claws piercing through the skin—in Logan's prime, they would've healed in the blink of an eye. But now… it would probably take several minutes, maybe even ten or more, for a full recovery. Still, if Takeo actively used the healing ability, the speed would increase significantly. Looking down at the injury on his hand, and not wanting Grandpa Saburo to notice anything unusual, Takeo closed his eyes and focused—activating his regeneration. A minute later, the wound on his fingertip had completely healed. Aside from a faint trace of blood, there was no sign of injury at all. "Looks like you're awake." Just as Takeo finished healing the wound, Grandpa Saburo pushed the door open and stepped inside. He was carrying an armful of firewood. Without much care, he tossed the logs near the stove and then sat down with his back to Takeo, puffing calmly on his pipe. "Since you're up, come eat. Once we're done, I'll walk you home." Walk me home… Hearing that, Takeo suddenly remembered the situation he was in. He silently walked over to Saburo, sat near the stove to warm himself, and after a moment's thought, he said quietly: "Thank you, Grandpa Saburo. But… you still have work to do, right? So how about I head back on my own later?" "Hmm? Decided not to run away from home after all?" Grandpa Saburo glanced over at Takeo, still under the impression that Takeo had come down the mountain the night before because he was trying to run away from home. Given the circumstances, Takeo couldn't possibly say that his whole family had been wiped out. So, with no other option, he nodded stiffly. "Yeah… I thought about it, and I realized I was in the wrong. So I've decided to go back." "I see. That's good, then." Grandpa Saburo didn't seem suspicious. He exhaled a puff of smoke, then pointed toward the rice steaming nearby. "Go ahead and eat first. You'll need energy to climb back up the mountain." "Okay." … After breakfast, Takeo began making his way back up the mountain. He had left in such a rush yesterday that there were still things he hadn't done—and now, he could use today to take care of everything that needed to be handled. With his stomach full, a good night's rest behind him, and having awakened all of Logan's powers, Takeo felt completely refreshed. The path that had taken him half a day to walk yesterday, he now covered in less than a morning. When he returned once more to the Kamado family's home, he saw the soil he had dug through to climb out still left uncovered, as well as the four snow-covered graves nearby. He pressed his hands together in silent prayer, then began refilling the dirt over the grave that had once been his own. Whether Takeo Minamoto had become Takeo Kamado, or whether Takeo Kamado had awakened the memories of someone once called Takeo Minamoto—he wasn't quite sure anymore. Philosophical questions like that were no longer something the boy intended to dwell on. Since he had already become the boy named Takeo Kamado, then Takeo would live on under that name and identity, after all, his first name was still the same. As for the world he came from before transmigrating—to be honest, Takeo didn't have much to miss. His parents had passed away long ago, and he had no other family. He didn't even have a single close friend to confide in—at most, some old college roommates he had gotten along with decently. With such a simple and detached social life, abandoning it completely didn't feel like much of a loss. In fact, being transmigrated into another world… stirred a bit of excitement in him! After all, when he was working late nights and drowning in overtime, he often fantasized about ending up in a different world. And now, in a way, that wish had come true. Of course, that was largely thanks to his cheat ability. If he hadn't had that, Takeo suspected he'd be more desperate than anyone to return to the modern world. At the very least, modern society was safe. "…Sorry. I've taken over your body…But I swear, I'll find a way to avenge you. I'll also find Tanjiro and Nezuko. Please rest easy." After rebuilding the Kamado family's gravestones, Takeo stood in front of them and quietly offered his prayers. No matter what the truth was—whether this body had given him a second life,or whether he was Takeo all along, merely having lost his memories—he owed a debt, and it was a debt he intended to repay. And if he really was Takeo…Then that debt ran even deeper—and abandoning it was never an option. At the very least, Takeo had to uncover the truth behind the Kamado family's massacre—and find the one responsible, so he could avenge them. That was what he ought to do, as Takeo Kamado. "From how things look now, Tanjiro and Nezuko… no, I should say big brother and big sister… they're probably still alive. I just don't know where they went… It's a shame I got Logan's enhanced sense of smell a bit too late—otherwise, I might've been able to track their scent." With his bundle packed, Takeo Kamado began thinking about what to do next. Based on what Grandpa Saburo had said, it seemed that Tanjiro, the Kamado family's eldest son, was still alive. And since Nezuko's body wasn't found among the dead, the chances that she had also survived were quite high. In fact, it was even possible that the four graves had been dug by them. Though why there were no gravestones remained a mystery. Still, Takeo had already made up for that, so there was no point in worrying further. And if the two of them were alive, then there was a good chance they knew who the killer was. That made it even more important for Takeo to find them. Partly so he could reunite with the family of this body—and partly so he could identify the killer and eliminate them, to avenge the Kamado family. As he planned out his next steps, Takeo descended the mountain from the other side, muttering to himself with a puzzled expression: "Kamado Tanjiro… Kamado Nezuko…Why do those names sound so familiar? Wait a second—don't tell me I've transmigrated into some anime series?! Fuck… I don't even watch anime…" To reiterate—Takeo was a movie buff. Aside from a few childhood shows, he didn't watch anime at all. ______ (≧∇≦)ﾉDon't forget to add this to your library~!