"demon slayer?"
Tatsuya frowned. He had a vague impression of that name; it seemed to be an anime?
He immediately pulled out his phone, his fingers rapidly swiping across the screen to search.
He quickly browsed the story background and core settings—man-eating demons, the Demon Slayer Corps, Breathing Techniques, nichirin blades… a world filled with life-and-death struggles in the dark of night, yet strangely imbued with the flavor of its era.
Tatsuya scanned the encyclopedia entry, reading ten lines at a glance, catching every keyword.
Then he opened Douyin and watched some historical Popular Science and related clips from the original work.
"Demons... Twelve Demon Moons..."
His heart sank.
The level of danger far exceeded his expectations.
This was not a peaceful world where one could comfortably do business.
Just then, his phone vibrated, and the screen lit up, displaying a transfer notification: [Lucci transferred 250,000.00 yuan to you. Note: Just take it for now.]
Immediately after, Lucci's call came in.
Tatsuya looked at the string of numbers, his throat tight. He took a deep breath before answering.
"Hello."
"Did you get the money?" The background noise on Lucci's end was a bit chaotic, like he was in some entertainment venue, but his voice was clear.
"I just wrangled it from my old man. Hurry up and pay all the fees for Hoshino."
"...How did you know?" Tatsuya's voice was a bit dry.
He thought he had hidden it very well.
"Nonsense. You've been in and out of the hospital so frequently lately, is it hard for me to ask around?"
Lucci's tone carried his usual sarcasm.
"I'm telling you, Cheng, you top student, are you trying to shoulder everything by yourself again? Can self-respect be eaten as food or used as medicine?"
Tatsuya remained silent.
He had been like this since high school. Because of his family background and having to take on responsibilities early, he was more astute and sensitive than his peers.
Unwilling to accept unnecessary sympathy, he preferred to rely on himself, calculating everything.
Lucci was one of the few friends who saw through this but still stayed.
"Thanks..."
Tatsuya finally uttered only these two words, his voice low but heavy with meaning.
"I'll pay you back this money as soon as possible."
"Oh, please. Who's expecting you to pay it back? Hoshino is my sister too."
Lucci seemed to have moved to a quieter place, and his voice softened a bit.
"But... Tatsu-bro, to be honest with you, my family's business has also run into some problems recently. My old man is frantic every day. This 250,000 is what I managed to save by cutting corners recently."
"For the rest... I'll figure something out."
Tatsuya's fingers tightened on his phone.
He knew Lucci came from a wealthy family, but hearing him say he was also in difficulty, and still unhesitatingly giving him 250,000 at such a time... a mix of gratitude, guilt, and immense pressure surged in his chest, making it almost impossible for him to maintain his outward calm.
He could even imagine Lucci probably had an arrogant, nonchalant expression right now to hide his true concern.
"Lucci..." He paused, took a deep breath, "...It's enough, really. I can figure out the rest myself."
"What the hell can you figure out?!"
Lucci retorted unceremoniously.
"Don't go taking on those dead-end freelance jobs again! Listen to me, stabilize things for now. The sky won't fall, there's always a way. If you need help, you absolutely must speak up. Don't you dare bottle it up again, understand?"
"...Mm." Tatsuya responded softly.
"Alright, I have some things to do here. I'm hanging up. If it's not enough money, tell me, and I'll go badger my old man again!"
After Lucci finished speaking, he hung up the phone in a rush.
With the call ended, silence returned to the room.
Tatsuya looked at the transfer record on his phone screen for a long time without moving.
Lucci's words were like a warm current, yet also like a whip, urging him to move forward faster.
He cast aside his chaotic emotions, his eyes becoming sharp and calm once more.
His abundant energy and enhanced mind urged him to act.
Now was not the time for sentimentality.
He glanced at the time: midnight.
The lab should be mostly empty at this hour.
He stood up, feeling the surging power within him and his tireless brain, and walked straight out the door.
The campus was quiet and deserted in the dead of night.
Tatsuya's steps were light, even carrying a scientific, experimental mindset. Applying a little force, he began to run, his figure almost merging with the night, moving so fast that only a faint whisper of wind was left behind.
Back in the lab, he turned on the computer and pulled up the accumulated electrophysiological data.
The complex analysis that once required intense concentration and a long time was now exceptionally clear and smooth under the super-frequency operation of his brain.
His fingers flew across the keyboard, writing analysis scripts, processing massive amounts of data, generating charts... His efficiency was astonishing, his attention could remain absolutely focused for long periods, and occasionally, for parts that needed verification, his mental calculation speed far exceeded what it used to be.
Outside the window, the sky changed from pitch black to a fish-belly white, then gradually brightened.
Tatsuya was immersed in the sea of data, forgetting the passage of time.
It wasn't until the next afternoon that he sent a perfectly formatted, deeply analyzed report, even with several meaningful extended conclusions, along with the data package, to his mentor Hizan's email.
After completing all of this, he finally felt a slight mental fatigue, but his body was still full of strength.
Less than half an hour later, Hizan's call came in.
"Tatsuya? The report you sent..."
Hizan's voice carried unconcealed surprise and admiration.
"These analyses... are exceptionally well done! Especially those parts of cross-validation and trend prediction, the angles are tricky, but the logic is completely self-consistent! You, kid... did you pull another all-nighter?"
"It's alright, Professor, the data itself was quite interesting."
Tatsuya's words were calm, without much emotional fluctuation.
"More than just interesting! Your quality and speed of completion..."
Hizan paused, his tone softening a bit: "Tatsuya, the project progress isn't urgent by a day or two. You need to take care of your health."
"How about this, you've worked hard these past few days. I'll give you a few days off to rest well and adjust your state."
Tatsuya keenly noticed a hint of extra care in his mentor's tone, different from usual.
He immediately understood that his mentor had likely learned about his family situation through some means.
"...Thank you, Professor."
He didn't expose it, simply accepting the kindness.
"Mm, rest well. If you have any difficulties... don't try to bear them alone."
Hizan gave a final instruction before hanging up the phone.
Putting down the phone, Hizan looked at the exemplary analysis report on the screen and sighed.
He had indeed asked someone to inquire about Tatsuya's family situation. The burden on that smart and hardworking child's shoulders was too heavy.
He thought about whether he could organize a fundraiser in the department or privately lend Tatsuya a sum of money.
But then he remembered Tatsuya's eyes, always with a sense of distance and pride, and could only temporarily put the idea aside.
He decided to wait and see, to find a more suitable way.
Tatsuya left the lab and walked across the campus in the afternoon sun.
The sunlight was a bit dazzling, but his mind was preoccupied with matters of another world.
He had a holiday, and Lucci's money temporarily alleviated the most urgent medical expense pressure, giving him about a week of buffer time.
Now, he had to fully prepare for his journey to the demon slayer world.
What could he trade in that world?
And what did he need to get from that world?
Information, power, resources.
He needed to look up more detailed information about demon slayer, to understand as much as possible about the dangers, power distribution, and special items of that world.
He needed to prepare some items that could be used for trade or self-defense in that world.
What things from modern society would be attractive to people of that era?
medicine? High-energy food? Fine tools?
Or... knowledge?
His brain was working at lightning speed, plans emerging, being overturned, and then reassembled.
First Crossing, unknown risks, unknown rewards.
He had to be meticulous and make full preparations.