Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

After one of the most hellish experiences he had suffered across two lives, Nobu awoke to find the lower half of his face wrapped with a damp cloth, a minty aroma assaulting his senses.Compelled by instinct, Nobu attempted to remove the cloth from his face only to find his hand grasped in another, followed by a stern, "Leave it. Whatever you were doing managed to open your Nasal Acupoint. Without using your Aura to block it out, even something as mundane as body odor will overwhelm your olfactory senses."Following the sound to its source, Nobu found Yui staring down at him with the kind of accusatory glare that was typically associated with mothers who had learned of their child's bad behavior. This caused him to feel more than a little annoyed, but, after several seconds of tense silence, he forced himself to mutter, "Thanks..." before closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing.Restraining a sigh, Yui's expression noticeably relaxed as she stated, "You don't have to explain right this instant, but it would help if I knew what happened. Opening your Nasal Acupoint typically takes a considerable amount of effort. It isn't the type of thing that just happens without cause..."Though he was tempted to tell her he could only explain if she lowered her head and began calling him Master, the thought of anyone actually doing that was extremely cringe. He had heard girls call him Daddy, but, even if he were to accompany his parents on a trip to Japan, he would avoid places like Akihabara and Maid Cafes at any cost..."I was just breathing in and out like I've been doing for the past week. Then, all of a sudden, it was like someone smacked me in the face with a brick. After that....uggghhh...."Recalling his experience in the rocky corridor leading to the bathroom, an expression of profound disgust manifested upon Nobu's face as extreme nausea surged forward like a predator pouncing on unsuspecting prey. Before he could lurch forward and find a place to vomit, however, a golden needle manifested in Yui's left hand as she used her right to pin him down. Then, with the precision of someone who had been practicing acupuncture for decades, she deftly inserted the inordinately thin needle at a point in between his eyebrows.Feeling a sensation similar to warm water flowing over his forehead, a relieved sigh escaped Nobu's mouth as he repeated, "Thanks..." in a sincere tone. This actually earned him a slight frown from Yui, as, for the past two weeks, most of the words coming from his mouth had been harsh, abrasive, and outright callous. She even thought her ears might be playing tricks on her, but, observing the pure and unadulterated relief in Nobu's countenance, she could tell he was being sincere."Think nothing of it...I was just doing my duty..."A stark contrast to Nobu's straightforward gratitude, Yui found her own words to be hollow and insincere. Despite this, the former just chuckled in a light-hearted manner before replying, "Well, thanks for doing your duty. If not for you, my ass would have been grass a long time ago. Since I didn't get to say it before, I'll say it now. Thanks for saving me..."Though he nearly called her by name, Nobu managed to restrain himself thanks to the pout-like frown on Yui's face. He had clearly caught her off guard, but, after what he had just gone through, he wasn't really in the mood to tease anyone. His body felt like it had endured several marathons, so, more than anything else, he just wanted to sleep...Seeing Nobu close his eyes, Yui's frustrated expression immediately became one of concern as she hastily leaned forward to check his pulse. When she detected the usual strong and steady rhythm, a sigh of relief escaped her lips, followed by the shaking of her head as she complained, "This man is going to be the death of me..." (A/N: *heavy sweating*)......Though it was a little annoying with Yui constantly watching over him, it didn't take long for Nobu to discover the ups and downs of the Breath Progression Technique. It turned out to be a lot more complex than he expected, but, considering it was a technique that would allow a normal person to become a superhero, he wasn't all that surprised.The thing Nobu had difficultly wrapping his head around was his sudden and unexpected ability to inhale continuously. It quickly consumed his Aura, but, so long as he had the reserves to sustain its activation, he basically had an unlimited supply of oxygen to his body. This caused his mind to buzz in a manner similar to a runner's high, and, as a result, his mind would become crystal clear as every muscle in his body cried out in subline exaltation.Simply put, while his Aura wasn't nearly as durable as a cultivator of the Metal Infusion Technique, Nobu's five senses, stamina, and reaction time were drastically improved with the consumption of his Aura. He would most likely need to rely on the use of external tools, but, so long as they weren't exponentially more powerful than him, he should be able to overwhelm most opponents solely due to the fact he no longer needed to take a break.Other people had to regulate their breathing, and, the more they exerted themselves, the harder it would be to supply their body with the oxygen it needed to continue functioning. This limitation no longer applied to Nobu. Rather, he could inhale so quickly that it would only take a few seconds for him to pass out due to the sheer amount of oxygen entering his system. In other words, so long as he had the Aura to sustain it, he had functionally unlimited stamina.Though this ability came with the extreme detriment that he would pass out the moment his Aura had depleted, such side effects were common among cultivators. After all, Aura was effectively the amount of energy a person could pull from their own vital essence, spirit, and willpower. Thus, the moment you ran out, your body would naturally shut down in order to preserve itself and prevent permanent damage. There were techniques that would allow you to overdraft these reserves, but, in exchange, you would literally be burning away your life. As for how Nobu had learned of this, well, it was only natural that Yui would discover the irregularities within his Aura when he was constantly exhausting it........."Keep your back straight. Even if you can inhale continuously, your posture and the way you move your body are important. The more you exert yourself, the quicker your Aura will deplete. A skilled opponent will be able to exploit this. Never give them any openings, or..."Trailing her words, Yui sidestepped Nobu's attempt to tackle her before manifesting a pale golden crossbow and firing a blunted bolt into his back, adding, "...you will most certainly die."Though the bolt had been blunted, the force behind it was still enough to break the skin and leave a large bruise at the point of contact. Since she had accurately targeted a nerve near Nobu's spine, the latter was forced to inhale sharply due to the sudden and intense pain. This wouldn't have been an issue for a normal person, but, thanks to his breathing technique, Nobu's brain began to buzz as he collapsed forward into the snow.Converting the crossbow back into pure Aura, Yui approached Nobu's side, kneeling next to him as she plainly remarked, "The most important lesson any cultivator can learn is humility. Never assume you are the strongest. Prove it by defeating every opponent who stands in your way. If you can't do that, such sentiments are pure hubris...now, get up. I know you're not unconscious."Crushing a bit of snow in the process, Nobu balled his hands into fists before attempting a sneak attack. Unfortunately, Yui had seen through his intentions from the very beginning so the only thing he managed was eliciting a monotone, "Pathetic..." as she instantaneously stepped out of his range. Then, taking advantage of the fact he was basically on all-fours, she kicked him directly in the chin, knocking away the partially frozen cloth covering the lower half of his face.Though the attack was only enough to enrage him, Nobu's offensive capabilities were effectively crippled as he instinctually covered his mouth and nose. Unfortunately, even the aroma of the soil on his palms was completely overwhelming. As a result, he could only grimace in fury and disgust as Yui kicked him away and dangled his make-shift facemask between her thumb and index finger, saying, "In your present state, you have too many weaknesses to count. If your sense of smell gets stronger with each Rank, you may even need to order a custom mask from the Iga Clan. They use a special technique that gives them a stronger sense of smell than most canines so they commonly wear masks to conceal their identity and inhibit their sense of smell. If you save up a few hundred Koushukin(golden coins used during the Sengoku Period), you might be able to commission their craftsmen to produce one..."Using the upper-half of his tunic in a vain attempt to filter out some of the smells, Nobu glared at Yui as he growled, "Give it back..."Before she heard Nobu's threatening tone, Yui had every intention of returning the face mask. Now, hoping to instill just a marginal amount of discipline into him, she adopted a serious expression and said, "If you can't ask respectfully, the only way you're getting this back is if you snatch it away from me. Without power, bravado and threats are meaningless."With Nobu glaring with even greater intensity than before, Yui's body tensed in anticipation of the attack that would come. What she didn't expect was for Nobu, through clenched teeth, to promptly reply, "May I please have my mask back?"Though it made him feel like he was back in kindergarten, Nobu would rather swallow his pride than put up with the odors assaulting his senses. He also knew he wasn't Yui's match, so, rather than suffer in vain, his only focus was on recovering the face mask. Everything else, even his rage and indignation, could wait.Furrowing her brows, Yui was tempted to refuse Nobu's request since the look on his face didn't even remotely match his words. Unfortunately, he had a habit of resorting to extreme measures if pushed too far, so, after a moment of consideration, she tossed over partially frozen cloth, saying, "We're done for the day. Your Aura density is already approaching a dangerous level. Go inside and warm yourself up. I'll be back in an hour or two with something to eat."Without waiting for Nobu's response, a golden aura shrouded Yui's body as her figure flashed into the distance. She knew he needed time to calm down, so, before he did something they would both regret, she took it upon herself to vanish beyond the tree line.........Though he told himself he wasn't following her instructions, merely seeking warmth, Nobu dragged his exhausted body into the cave before falling, face-first, onto the thatch bedding. This prompted his muscles to scream out in protest, but, ignoring them completely, he just lay in silence for several minutes before groaning, "That bitch really is a sadist..."(A/N: Let me know what you guys and gals think about the MC's cultivation method. I have quite a number of ideas in mind regarding its progression but I'm more than willing to change things up if any of you have interesting ideas. For now, I want the MC to focus on the aspects that make him unique rather than having him follow a generic path of cultivation. He will become strong, sure, but, as he has mentioned several times till now, strength is just a means to an end. If you expect him to suddenly start behaving like the psychopathic and murderous MCs found in most cultivation novels, you're probably going to be severely disappointed. He might kill someone who is trying to kill him, but, no matter how you look at it, it isn't 'normal' to believe that wiping out entire clans and stuff is 'necessary' for survival. If you had that kind of power, you could literally just walk away and there is nothing anyone could do to stop you xD...)

With a gradual increase in the temperature outside, it wasn't long before the snow covering the mountain and forest began to fade away. The sounds of birdsongs could be heard with increasing frequency, and, in certain regions, the first flowers of spring had already started to bloom.By this point, more than a month had passed since Nobu's reincarnation. He had yet to fully adapt to his current situation, but, like most humans, the numerous traumas he had experienced since his arrival had gradually shaped his character into something 'more' than his previous self.Most people would call this maturing. Humans were surprisingly adaptable, and, so long as they weren't killed, they could eventually overcome, or, at the very least, accept the circumstances they had found themselves in.A stark contrast to the precedent that had been established by his fellow humans across countless generations, most of Nobu's development thus far had been the antithesis of maturation. He felt as though this world was proactively trying to break him, so, rather than accepting his circumstances, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was becoming increasingly childish, temperamental, and jaded..."Get up, Nobu! I know you can keep going! Show some backbone! You're a man, aren't you...!?"Ignoring Yui's words, Nobu continued to lie with his half-veiled faced pressed to the emerald green grass she had previously planted him into. They had been 'training' every day since he advanced to Rank 1 Breath of the Mortal. In the beginning, he thought this would help him improve his control and teach him how to protect his nose. Instead, it had resulted in him receiving an ever-increasing number of bruises, and, in one instance, he had even broken a finger when he stubbed it in a bad landing.Though Yui had helped him to both set the bone and recover from the injury using the tried and true method of 'Yin Transference' method, Nobu's frustrations towards training had been mounting with each passing day. No amount of sex could convince him to let someone torture and treat his body like a ragdoll, so, even though Yui had called out to him numerous times, he just continued to lie there in silence.Realizing that Nobu was effectively throwing a tantrum, an exasperated sigh escaped Yui's mouth. Her impression that he was essentially a child in the body of an adult had been compounding with each passing day. This had caused her to seriously consider enticing him with nightly 'rewards', but, while he certainly appeared to enjoy it, he lacked the 'zeal' expected of a young man who had only recently learned the pleasures of the flesh. Rather, he was frustratingly casual about it, so much so that she thought her techniques were somehow flawed...After waiting for a full three minutes, Yui approached Nobu's side before squatting down next to him and saying, "You really are making a lot of progress, Nobu. I'm only being hard on you because you're far weaker than other cultivators your age. This wouldn't have been an issue if you remained a normal person, but, now that you have awakened this strange ability, a lot of people are going to target you. As difficult as it might be for you to believe, trust me when I say I've been relatively kind to you these past few weeks..."Since chastizing and taunting him didn't seem to work, at least not in the manner she would have hoped, Yui decided to try a gentler approach. Nobu had mentioned his mother numerous times in their conversations, so, while she lacked certain 'maternal traits', Yui wanted to see if you would try harder if she approached him as a mother worried about her son's future...Had he known what Yui was thinking, Nobu would have reacted with extreme hostility. Instead, he thought she was just trying to be nice. Thus, after remaining silent for several seconds, he exhaled a sigh of his own before rolling onto his back and saying, "All I need is time...if you really want to help me, find a way to get me as far away from Owari as possible. I don't know what the people who put you up to this are planning, but it can't be for my benefit. If they were that eager to help, I wouldn't have spent the last two years as a catatonic cripple relying on the mercy of complete strangers just to survive..."As this was the first time he had broached the subject of his past, Yui was extremely tempted to ask Nobu about his sudden change. There had to be some kind of impetus behind it, and, based on his words, he should be able to shed some light on things. If he really had consumed something along the lines of a Heavenly Treasure, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he could become one of the most significant people in all of Owari. Inversely, he could also become a threat to the entire archipelago, so, while she wanted to help, Yui's sense of duty and responsibility prevented her from making any rash decisions.With a conflicted look on her face, Yui sat on her bottom for the first time since she and Nobu had met, softly replying, "I can't pretend to understand what you had gone through. However, I can say with some degree of certainty that the person who sent me to retrieve you harbors no ill will. I can't say the same for the rest of my family, but, so long as I draw breath, I swear to do everything in my power to protect you from their influence..."Though he could tell she was being serious, Nobu couldn't help snorting in response to Yui's words, his tone crass and defiant as he retorted, "Everything except letting me go free..."On that note, Nobu climbed to his feet with a grunt before awkwardly hobbling towards the cave in the distance. There was a sharp pain in his lower back, and, though she had controlled her strength, Yui had struck the side of his knee with a makeshift golden baton. Even the corrupt policemen back on Earth had the good sense to use rubber batons, yet, here in this world, it was apparently normal to unhesitantly beat the shit out of people with exponentially harder and heavier weapons. He was honestly sick of it, so, after hearing Yui's words, he was fed up and done for the day.Following Nobu's departure with her eyes, a conflicted look appeared on Yui's face as she silently muttered to herself, "It's for the best...even if I did let him go, it wouldn't be long before someone with a wicked heart set their sights on him. He is far too naive to survive in this world on his own..."Though she would have liked to explain these things to him, Yui knew Nobu wouldn't want to hear her excuses. In his mind, she was keeping him against his will. They had been able to cohabitate for the better part of a month, but, were it not for their extreme difference in strength, she could easily imagine him leaving the first chance he got. To that end, there was a very real chance that the only reason he even bothered listening to her at all was because he didn't really have a choice..."I really am becoming the very thing I detest more than anything else...forcing someone against their will just because I have the power to do so. Right or wrong, it doesn't change the fact I am making decisions for another person without their consent..."Exhaling a tired sigh, Yui was tempted to follow Nobu's example by lying down on the grass and just staring up at the heavens above. These last couple of weeks had caused her to doubt things she had never even questioned previously. Nobu's words also possessed a certain 'surety' to them that made them hard to outright refute. Thus, even after resolving herself to do carry out her duty countless times, she, once again, found herself considering other alternatives.........After dragging himself all the way back to the cave, Nobu plopped down near the edge of the pool of water before mentally preparing himself to remove his face mask. He was no longer able to hold his breath like a normal person as his pores seemed to exhale everything through his Aura. Thus, at least for the time being, the only way he could tolerate removing his mask was by shoving crushed mint up his nose and slowing his breathing to the point it was indiscernible to onlookers.("This technique is a serious pain in the ass...if it doesn't get better over the next few Ranks, I might lose my shit completely...")With 32 days having passed since his reincarnation, Nobu had managed to accumulate a little more than 1800 Aura. His actual earnings were closer to 1900, but, every now and then, he found himself using his Camera App to analyze various objects he had taken an interest in. It was going to be one of his most important tools in the future, so, while it might be smarter to preserve as much Aura as possible, Nobu didn't want to develop the mentality that it was untouchable.After investing thousands of hours on numerous Clicker Apps, Nobu was well acquainted with the fallacy that points should be hoarded. It was through accumulating Achievements and purchasing various upgrades that your clicks reached truly ludicrous levels, so, even if a 'reincarnation' function was unlocked in the future, effectively resetting his cultivation back to 0, he would only hesitate for a moment before making use of it. After all, in virtually every Clicker game, things like reincarnation, ascension, or whatever the developers wanted to call it, were essential if you wanted to unlock end game content and drastically increasing the efficacy of your clicks.("Let's just hope it doesn't force me to reach the Ninth Realm before giving me the option...")Shaking that thought from his mind, Nobu removed his face mask before carefully setting it to the side so that he could wash his face. The cool water helped to calm his nerves quite a bit, but, even though weeks had passed since the time he awoke to find Yui severely injured, a herbal aroma was still present within the crystal clear water. This caused a frown to develop across Nobu's face, but, having grown accustomed to subtler aromas, he didn't overreact as he had done several times in the past.("If even the water of a mountain spring smells this bad, I can't even imagine how bad things will be once I reach a city. I really shot myself in the foot on this one. I'll need to look into acquiring one of those masks Yui mentioned previously. If my sense of smell really does get stronger with each Rank, I'm fucked in a backwater place like feudal Japan. Most people only clean their bodies once a week and only Nobles can actually afford baths. Things might be a little better if I move someplace with a hot spring resort but then I'll have to contend with the smell of sulfur...")"This fucking sucks..."Unable to express himself adequately with thought alone, Nobu couldn't help speaking them aloud. Everything about this world had been a kick in the dick, and, thanks to his decision to reincarnate as an adult, he had missed out on the adaptation period afforded to most children. Now, he was being dragged off to god knows where, and, depending on the decisions of people exponentially stronger than him, he might be royally fucked the moment he arrived. As for Yui's promise, he was actually a little grateful, but, based on their previous conversation, it was pretty fucking obvious she wasn't in a position to protect others. She wasn't even allowed to pursue her dream freely yet, in spite of this, she believed she could protect him?"Ridiculous..."......(A/N: I feel like Nobu just needs to man up and convince Yui to elope. If you can't defeat a Tsundere with raw power, your only choice is to tame them...!)

After considering the positives and negatives for the better part of five hours, Nobu had separated the three paths as such...------------------------------------[Nine Divine Sacraments]Pros: Free heals, Divine Protection, Maces are pretty cool, potential favor of a GodCons: Healers are incredibly rare in Nian, costs a shit ton of money, the God might be an asshole[Ten-Fold Path of Entertainment]Pros: Fuck lots of women, get hammered, shit ton of buffs, extremely liberalCons: The 'need' to fuck lots of women, alcohol is expensive, support specialist, extremely liberal[Breath Progression Technique]Pros: Breathing is easy, Low threshold for entry, doesn't require resourcesCons: Requires traveling to numerous, potentially dangerous, locations.------------------------------------Though the last one might not sound like much of a con, the requirement for advancing to the Fifth Realm, Breath of the Mountain, forced him to scale numerous mountains without the use of tools or external support. As for the Ninth Realm, Breath of the Heavens, he was required to spend an entire year at an altitude of 40,000m. This was practically space, so, unless he learned how to fly, there was a chance he would be stuck at the Eighth Realm, Breath of Transcendence, for the rest of his life.Fortunately, even if a person were stuck at a specific Realm, there didn't seem to be any cap to their Aura reserves. One of the cultivation paths, Mandate of Heaven, literally required him to accumulate 1,000,000,000 Aura just to attain Rank 1 of the First Realm. Using the Metal Infusion Technique as a standard, this was equivalent to reaching Adamantine, the Eighth Realm.As tempting as it was to select the most powerful cultivation method, Nobu needed strength now, not a hundred years from now. His father, one of the most powerful Feudal Lords in the present era, was a mere Mithril Lord after more than sixty years of cultivation. This was considered a monstrous achievement, but, from the perspective of someone who wanted to return home in the next couple of years, Nobu couldn't afford to follow convention."Ah, fuck it..."In the end, Nobu decided to just leave things to fate. It had been pretty keen on dictating his path thus far, so, using a coin, he pitted each option against each other, round-robin style, to determine his path moving forward. This resulted in the Ten-Fold Path of Entertainment losing out to the other two, and, once everything was said and done, fate had decreed he would become a Hippie."Well, that takes care of that. Guess I'll need to invent a hot air balloon or some shit..."Shelving that idea for the future, Nobu adopted a halfhearted lotus position before doing his best to follow the instructions listed for obtaining Rank 1 'Breath of the Mortal'. It told him he needed to take a single breath in a single minute, so, assuming a breathing technique wouldn't require him to hold his breath, he did his best to take a single, slow, and steady breath...After a mere nineteen seconds, Nobu felt as though his lungs were about to burst. His follow-up attempt clocked in around twenty-five seconds, but, no matter how many times he tried after, he could not exceed twenty-three. Even taking a series of deep breaths to try and oxygenate his body didn't help. Instead, his vision began to turn black around the edges, almost as if his mind had been primed to continue taking in more oxygen and was now panicking due to its sudden absence...Exhaling a frustrated sigh, Nobu was about to try lying on his back when the silence of the cave was broken by a soft, "What are you doing...?"Starling to a sitting position, Nobu exclaimed, "Holy shit! What are you, a fucking ninja!? At least say something when you come in!"Furrowing her brows, Yui's voice became stern and somewhat defiant as she flatly retorted, "Did I not just say something...?"Though he was highly tempted to shout a rebuttal of his own, Nobu just massaged his temples for a few seconds before answering, "A certain someone won't teach me any cultivation techniques so I'm trying to create my own. Now, if you don't mind, I'm busy training."Contrary to his words, at least from Yui's perspective, Nobu promptly rolled onto his back, crossed his feet, and folded his hands behind his head. From an outsider's point of view, he was just lazing about, but, in reality, he was doing his best to regulate his breathing.To her credit, Yui was actually able to perceive what Nobu was doing, but, thinking nothing would come of it, she just shook her head before taking a seat and preparing their meal. Aura Breathing Techniques were quite common, so much so that she knew thirteen different variants, but, as far as she could tell, Nobu was breathing normally. His ability to control Aura was around the same level as a child throwing a tantrum, as, without being extremely angry, he couldn't muster even a fraction of the ever-growing reserves in his body. Thus, without some kind of miracle, he would forever be stuck at the Foundation Building Realm.........Matching Yui's expectations, days passed without Nobu making any observable progress. The only things that kept him going were the knowledge that he could perpetually increase his aura through clicking, and, more importantly, the notion that he was tantalizingly close to success.Staring at the time on his tablet, Nobu's eyes were on the verge of becoming bloodshot as he did his best to force additional oxygen into his lungs. He had been able to consistently clock in around 55 seconds, so, with a bit of effort, he was sure he could reach a minute. The key, strangely enough, had been exhausting his body before attempting the breathing technique. This was the opposite of what he would have thought, but, after working out for three hours and lying on the cold floor for around two, he felt as though he could naturally draw out each and every breath.("Tick faster you stupid motherfucker...!")As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu's body seemed like it was about to force him to breathe out, but, just as he was about to smash the seemingly indestructible tablet against the ground, he suddenly felt as though he could keep breathing. At the same time, a powerful aroma assaulted his senses with such intensity that he could have been convinced that someone invisible asshole had just smacked him in the face."What the actual fuck...!?"Covering his nose in an effort to block out the extremely pungent smell, Nobu's eyes widened as he quickly realized where it was coming from."Holy shit! Is this me!? And...oh god! My fucking breath! Did that bitch feed dog shit to me in my sleep!?"Feeling a sudden and intense urge to vomit, Nobu ran to the isolated area at the back of the cave that served as a latrine. It was basically just a massive hole that Yui had dug out using her aura, but, as it was far more dangerous to venture outside, it was the only option he had to relieve himself.Before he got anywhere near said hole, Nobu felt as though he had walked into a physical wall of shit and piss due to how powerful the aroma was. It existed outside the barrier intended to conceal their presence, so, while the aroma was prevented from invading their living space, it was effectively confined to a much smaller space.Overtaking by an indescribable feeling of nausea, Nobu emptied the contents of his stomach onto the cave floor. This caused an even more pungent aroma to spread through the air, and, much like a person who had just gotten a whiff of someone else's vomit, Nobu couldn't prevent himself from heaving even as stomach acid began to burn the interior of his mouth and throat.("Oh god...! This can't be happening...! Shit...! Fuck...!")Unable to voice his thoughts, Nobu was left with little choice but to scream out in his mind as tears and mucus began to pour from his eyes and nose. He felt like a drug addict that had been forced to ingest a spoonful of ipecac, as, no matter how desperately he resisted the urge, he continued to dry heave with such intensity that every muscle in his body was beginning to seize.........Returning with the day's harvest, Yui was about to announce her presence when she noticed that the cave was empty. This caused her to momentarily freeze in place, but, after confirming that her Scouting Owl was still stationed outside, she quickly calmed down, muttering, "He must be using the bathroom..."Convinced this was the case, Yui sat down in her usual spot and began peeling various fruits. One of the downsides to an all-fruit and berry diet was that it could cause gastrointestinal discomfort if you ate too much all at once. Thus, with the intention of balancing out his diet, Yui pulled out a handful of wild chestnuts and began carefully extracting the oil-rich nuts within. It was only after a half-hour had passed that she began to seriously worry, muttering, "Don't tell me he fell in..."Though she typically would avoid walking in on someone trying to relieve themselves, the hole Yui had dug was nearly five meters deep. If Nobu really had fallen in, there was a very real chance that he might have injured himself. Even a minor wound, once infected, could become a life-threatening injury, so, without any discernible hesitation, she rounded the slight bend leading to the back of the cave."...!"Seeing Nobu collapsed on the ground, Yui immediately flashed to his side without any regard for the putrid vomit covering the ground and staining his clothes. When she turned him over, his face was completely pale, sweat staining his face as his heavily dilated eyes darted around sightlessly in their sockets.Feeling more panic than she would have anticipated, Yui smacking the unconscious Nobu before shouting, "Wake up! I need you to tell me what happened! Did something bite you!? Did you eat anything strange...!?"Rather than responding to her calls, Nobu's eyes promptly rolled upward and towards the back of his head. This caused Yui's already racing heart to beat loudly in her chest and ears as she borrowed a page out of Nobu's book, shouting, "Fuck...!"Looking around, Yui's eyes turned to the vomit on the ground before setting Nobu on his side and rummaging through the foul-smelling contents without any hesitation. She was looking for any sign of poisonous herbs, plants, or mushrooms that might have been mixed in. She would need to know what he had eaten if she were going to carry him back to the city for treatment. If she failed to find the cause, even a common toxin could be fatal.Failing to find anything out of the norm, she would know, Yui's next course of action was to quickly strip away Nobu's clothes. Though slim, there was a chance a poisonous snake or spider had been able to penetrate a gap in the barrier. There were a number of insects smaller than a fingernail who could even drop experienced warriors with their venom. If Nobu got bitten by one of those, he was almost guaranteed to die. The most she could do at that point was put an end to his suffering, but, as such creatures were typically bred in captivity, she held out hope.Finding no traces of any injuries or puncture wounds anywhere on his body, Yui was starting to feel incredulous as she quickly yet methodically combed through Nobu's hair for the third time. She was checking him for ticks, fleas, lice, or any other type of insect that might have attached itself near the base of his hair or scalp. Unfortunately, even after searching every nook and cranny of his body with a comparable degree of scrutiny, the only abnormality she discovered was that an inordinately large volume of snot was trickling from his nose..."Nobu...what the fuck..."......(A/N: It seems our boy is slowly corrupting our naive young heroine...)

Chapter 21: Breathing is Hard