Chapter 28: Temple Town

He could be considered a key character, much like a “clue character” in a game.

But so far, he hadn’t had any contact with this “clue character” yet.

Last time he called, he tried asking the shop manager Hatakena Gensai about it. He said he hadn’t heard from Elder Jinno, and that the old man’s hometown was very remote, making it hard to reach by phone.

“It feels like a part of the story that can’t be triggered for now. Wait, that’s odd… How could there be such a remote place in modern times where even phone connection is difficult?”

Though he had many doubts in his heart, Fang Jing had his own considerations. He calmed himself and glanced at his own data.

Name: Nishizuka Tsukasa

Age: 17

Occupation: Primary Fate Devourer

Fate Grade: Bronze

Strength Attribute: 3.1

Physical Fitness Attribute: 4.2

Speed Attribute: 2.9

Stamina Attribute: 1.7

Mental Attribute: 2.5

The remaining 3 units of Growth Value from the last enhancement were all put into the three newly learned skills.

These three skills were Boxing, Aikido, and Wrestling, which were also the three combat clubs at Wu Long Private School where Fang Jing attended.

Combat skills were naturally limited to battle-related activities; switching to track and field like running wouldn’t help.

By now, Fang Jing had visited and experienced almost all the combat clubs at Wu Long Private High School through participating in club trial sessions. That meant he couldn’t continue learning current combat techniques in school clubs anymore.

“After going back, I need to think carefully about this issue. The ability given by the Fate Fragment is to learn more skills, which allows my strength to grow rapidly.”

He chose not to use the remaining Growth Value to improve his Judo skill, but instead invested in the other three skills, because the more skills learned through the Fate Fragment, the faster his strength, speed, and physique would improve.

Fang Jing felt that for this trip to Semma City and entering Sagirimiyama to find the “Defiled Temple”, what he needed most was the enhancement of his basic abilities.

…Strength, speed, and physique—these three aspects provided the most direct and obvious feedback when strengthened. At least at this stage, after consecutively increasing these three attributes and accumulating a 0.3 point rise, Fang Jing could clearly feel the difference.

“My strength really has increased.”

He clenched his fist, feeling the tightened muscles under his clothes, full of power like a strong leopard. Outwardly, his body shape hadn’t changed much; in fact, many boxers were like that too—their muscle outlines weren’t very large, and they didn’t specifically train for big muscles. When wearing a jacket or shirt, they looked no different from ordinary people.

But you couldn’t deny that their strength wasn’t strong enough or their explosive power wasn’t fierce enough.

The improvement in physical fitness brought obvious changes. Although it couldn’t be called a complete transformation, it did help Fang Jing build confidence in his heart.

…Confidence never appeared out of thin air; it was gradually cultivated through strong abilities.

As his strength slowly grew, confidence naturally emerged. It could be said that Fang Jing’s mental state was now completely refreshed.

The former “Nishizuka Tsukasa” gave off a gloomy, nerdy impression, but now he exuded a mature and seasoned feeling.

The train finally arrived at the station. Fang Jing picked up his backpack, stood up, left his seat, and got off the train.

“Semma City, I’m here.”

He let out a breath and muttered to himself.

————————

In a small city like Semma City with a population of less than 100,000, besides the relatively bustling area near the commuter train station, the only places with noticeable activity were the Commercial Street and tourist spots.

Fang Jing first walked around the town and found that apart from supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Izakayas, family restaurants, and a few scattered shops, the central area was mostly residential—quiet, clean, and with a slow pace of life. This was his first impression of the small city.

In his previous life, he had always lived in fast-paced, busy, and noisy major cities in the country. Thinking about it, it had been a long time since he experienced such a peaceful and tranquil place.

Such a remote small town naturally gave off a feeling of time moving very slowly, with a leisurely and calm atmosphere.

The streets were very tidy, with few pedestrians and vehicles. It was around noon, yet there weren’t many cars on the road—just a few people riding bicycles.

“Oxford Temple Town… Since it’s called Temple Town, it should be related to a temple…”

He was just guessing blindly. In reality, he had no idea where the Oxford Temple Town that Yuasa Junichi mentioned was located. Luckily, he had a travel brochure with locations of various local tourist spots.

“Oxford Temple Town is located on the west side of the Kodama River, in the northern part of the city district. You can get there by bus…”

Looking more carefully, it seemed there weren’t many bus schedules. Public transport wasn’t well-developed in such small places because the daily number of commuters was limited, so there was no need for many bus routes.

“Taking a taxi is too expensive. I’ll just walk there!”

Fang Jing had nearly 100,000 yen for travel expenses, and the rest was spent on equipment for entering the mountains. But he decided not to take a taxi and instead planned to run the whole way.

Taxi fares weren’t cheap. He checked the map, confirmed the direction, and found the distance was about fourteen kilometers. With his current abundant physical energy, he estimated he could get there in less than an hour.

“Might as well treat it as exercise! Speaking of which, with my improved stamina, my running ability should be better too…”

He started off at a slow pace with his backpack. Once he began running in earnest, he realized his physical stamina was much stronger than he had imagined. In fact, it took him just over forty minutes to cover the fourteen-kilometer distance.

“It seems my current physical condition can be compared to that of an ordinary third- or second-tier athlete…”

Long-distance running was just one way to measure physical fitness; it couldn’t reflect a person’s overall quality… Besides, he was carrying quite a bit on his back—it was a weighted run. Probably his overall physical fitness had reached an impressive level.

He was slightly sweaty, but overall his breathing was smooth, which gave him a better understanding of his physical condition.

Oxford Temple Town was just across the street ahead. It was a street with a strong traditional atmosphere, lined with various shops—quite a few Izakayas, along with some grocery stores, pottery shops, and small stores selling souvenirs.

At the end of the street was a winding stone staircase leading to a path surrounded by green shade.

“It looks like Kinzawa Temple is right here.”

He went up the steps and realized that Kinzawa Temple was built on a small hill.

“The scenery is surprisingly nice…”

Fang Jing thought about it and felt he had been to many scenic spots, both domestically and abroad. Without exception, each place offered a different feel—the majestic beauty of great landscapes, the pastoral charm of Western-style manors, and various exotic sceneries—he had experienced them all.

If asked to judge which was better or worse, he probably couldn’t say. In his view, every place immersed in historical, cultural, and natural charm had its own uniquely moving aspect.