Chapter 22: Caged Bird

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...

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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..."

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(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...!)