Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 266: Left and Right Embrace

_______

One year later.

Aoki stared at the back of his hand, where the silver flowers that had dimmed for the past year now shone brilliantly once more.

"It's finally full," he murmured.

After a brief moment of sensing, he turned his gaze southward.

"The pole is over there? It doesn't seem too far away."

Shifting his focus, a blue screen materialized before him as if responding to his thoughts.

---

[Status Panel]

Name: Aoki

Strength: 125

Constitution: 125

Intelligence: 126

Agility: 125

Occupations:

Hunter

King of the White Walkers

Martial Artist

Doctor

Infinite Dragon Beast

Nature Spirit

---

Infinite Dragon Beast

Quality: ★★★★

Level: Lv30 (574/3000)

Skills: Spirit of Vengeance IV, Devouring II, Dragon's Breath, Ultimate Form IV

Mission: The End of the World Government

Free Skill Points: 4

---

Nature Spirit

Quality: ★★★★

Level: Lv25 (2314/2500)

Skills: Nature Spirit III, Armament Haki III, Observation Haki II, Conqueror's Haki

---

His four-dimensional attributes were extraordinary, with all stats exceeding 125 points. Even without relying on skills, his sheer strength and speed alone granted him formidable combat power at a four-star level.

When factoring in his skills and professions, Aoki smirked.

"I should be worth that 5 billion bounty now."

---

His gaze shifted downward on the status panel.

The "Infinite Dragon Beast" profession remained unchanged.

In this world, apart from a few exceptional breathing swordsmen, most people were ordinary. At his current level, fighting ordinary individuals yielded no meaningful experience.

The "Nature Spirit" profession, however, had reached Level 25.

Unlike the combat-heavy "Infinite Dragon Beast," this progress was earned entirely through hard work and consistent effort.

The impressive four-dimensional stats were largely thanks to the "Nature Spirit" profession. From Level 4 to Level 25, he had gained a total of 84 free attribute points, averaging 21 points across Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Agility.

Additionally, leveling up "Nature Spirit" granted an automatic 5-point increase to all attributes with each level. From Level 1 to Level 3 alone, this added another 10 points per attribute.

Altogether, "Nature Spirit" had boosted each of his core attributes by 31 points.

---

The requirements for upgrading skills had also become clear over time:

Level 1 Skill: 1 free skill point

Level 2 Skill: 3 free skill points

Level 3 Skill: 6 free skill points

Level 4 Skill: 9 free skill points

Rather than investing in Conqueror's Haki, he prioritized the other three skills for now.

Until he mastered the Entanglement of Conqueror's Haki, further upgrades to this skill would offer limited utility.

"Spirit of Nature" took precedence due to its ability to enhance his connection to natural forces while providing additional attributes.

Between Armament Haki and Observation Haki, he chose to focus on Armament Haki, as it directly bolstered his combat strength.

His Transparent World ability already provided a similar function to Observation Haki, albeit with some limitations against stronger opponents.

---

"Even at max level, there won't be enough free skill points to master every skill," Aoki mused, his eyes scanning the system panel.

He was no longer surprised by this limitation; it was the same for both the "King of the white walkers" and "Infinite Dragon Beast" professions.

However, the "Nature Spirit" profession was unique in one key way.

Both "White Walker" and "King of the White Walkers" had access to the "Demon Devouring" ability, which granted additional skill points.

Meanwhile, "Infinite Dragon Beast" offered a plethora of missions to complete for rewards.

The "Nature Spirit" profession, on the other hand, had provided neither missions nor additional means to earn skill points.

---

"This past year, I haven't received a single mission from 'Nature Spirit'," he thought with a frown.

Even "Infinite Dragon Beast" had triggered several missions during this time, though Aoki had rejected them all as unsuitable.

But "Nature Spirit"? Nothing.

It was as if the profession was stuck in a half-finished state.

He sighed, feeling a twinge of frustration. "A four-star profession that behaves like it's barely two stars. How ironic."

This is the nature of half-star professions. Even when upgraded to the maximum level, they may not necessarily trigger a quest.

"It looks like I'll still need to fight," Aoki thought silently.

Although experience could also be gained through cultivation, the core of the "Spirit of Nature" profession lay in combat. Over the past two months, the experience earned through cultivation had noticeably diminished.

When Aoki first acquired the "Spirit of Nature" profession, he understood that while practice was essential in the early stages, grinding and combat would be unavoidable in the later stages.

"It's time to move on," he decided.

Closing the system screen, Aoki stretched. Just then, the gate to the yard creaked open, and three beautiful women entered, each exuding her own unique charm.

"Ah, why is Fuchi done with training so early today?" Shinobu Kocho teased as she approached.

Over the past year, Aoki had spent most of his time training, earning himself the nickname "Fuchi"—the unrelenting martial fanatic.

Aoki glanced at them and said, "I'm ready to leave."

The three women froze for a moment, startled by his sudden declaration.

Takina broke the silence. "We were just discussing this on our way back. We didn't expect to get an answer so soon."

Kanae smiled gently. "It's perfect timing, then. We bought plenty of food today. Let's prepare something special for Aoki."

Aoki raised an eyebrow. "?"

"Kanae, you've picked up some bad habits!" Shinobu quipped, though there was warmth in her tone.

Kanae's gentle smile remained, but a subtle sadness flickered in her eyes—hidden, yet not entirely concealed.

---

That evening, the four of them lay side by side on a cool mat spread across the yard, gazing up at the night sky.

The stars shone brightly, illuminating the heavens in a dazzling display. A cool breeze drifted through, chasing away the summer heat and keeping the mosquitoes at bay.

Suddenly, Takina sat up, breaking the silence.

"Aoki, you've been to another world, haven't you?"

Aoki nodded slightly. "That's right."

From the beginning, he had no intention of hiding this truth.

While Kanae and Shinobu looked a little surprised, their reactions were calm. They had long suspected this possibility.

Aoki's immense power and his references to the Millennium Empire clearly hinted at something beyond their world.

For them, the concept of other worlds wasn't difficult to accept. Their understanding of the world was limited, and in their eyes, there wasn't much difference between other worlds and distant lands.

"Can we come with you?" Takina asked, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and anticipation.

Aoki shook his head. "No."

On one hand, the safety of crossing worlds was still uncertain. On the other, while the Demon Slayer world was far from ideal, the worlds of One Piece and Akame ga Kill weren't much better. Taking them there would serve no purpose.

"I see," Takina said quietly. Taking a deep breath, she added, "Then be careful. Mom, Kanae, and Shinobu will all be here, waiting for you to come back."

"I will," Aoki promised.

Takina didn't say anything more. She lay back down beside him.

A moment later, Aoki felt something soft pressing against his left arm. Turning his head, he found himself staring into Shinobu Kocho's sharp yet mischievous eyes.

"Don't move," Shinobu ordered, her voice firm. She pressed his arm down and pulled Kanae closer, letting her sister rest her head on it.

Aoki sighed internally and looked away.

'Let them use my arm as a pillow. It's not like I have to worry about poor blood circulation or numbness.'

None of them spoke again, quietly basking in the peacefulness of the moment.

---

Time passed, and a faint light began to creep over the horizon.

As dawn broke, Aoki quietly left the yard, heading straight south. Before long, he reached the coastline and found the pole he had been seeking.

"Let's go," he murmured, glancing back one last time.

With a thought, the silver flower on the back of his hand glowed brightly. In an instant, his figure vanished into the air.