Chapter 134
Yuki unleashed a crimson crescent moon, which sliced the priest, who was frantically trying to Moon Slash his weapon, in two.
As the sword was swung out, Yuki quickly ducked his head, only to feel a strong wind brush against his face. A circular saw swept past his head, and he raised his leg to deliver a "Rabbit Kicks Eagle" move.
Smack
The push-off collided with his forearm, sending them both flying several meters. Dimitri steadied himself, lightly shook his hand, and roared:
"Kill him!"
This roar directed the chaotic group to their destination. Yuki looked around and saw only ferocious faces.
Being tricked is a terrible feeling; all the resentment and anger erupt, and for a moment, it's impossible to tell how many people are targeting you.
He stirred up a hornet's nest, and he faced a furious retaliation. With so many believers, even a single spit from each of them would be enough to drown Yuki.
But then, arrows flew out of the mist, and several believers who rushed forward were hit in the chest and fell limply. Everyone, including Yuki, was surprised.
Are there other outsiders?
This wasn't part of the plan, how dare she make a move?
Yuki was surprised by Moon Bow's courage, and after feeling the Tranquility Barrier unfold, he suddenly smiled with relief.
That's more like it.
"Don't panic. Send ten men to find the outsider. The rest of you, come with me and kill him first!"
The believers at least had a commander, so Dimitri didn't get distracted and kept his main target firmly on Yuki.
Centered around the priest, a raging tide swept in, the intense killing intent making Yuki. A dozen shotguns were aimed, and even the released energy might not be enough to stop it.
Yuki dove to the side and hid behind a nearby rock, hearing a chorus of gunfire.
Bang bang bang bang.
Powder flew up, and the stone was actually shattered. Before he could move his position, the rumbling sound of footsteps entered his ears.
Like a stampede of ten thousand horses, the ground began to tremble. Gunfire covered the charge, pressing down so hard that Yuki couldn't even lift his head. He could only draw his gun and raise it above his head for a 'faith shot'.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots of shrapnel tore several believers to pieces, but the rest remained fearless. Dimitri was at the forefront, using a circular saw to deflect the bullets.
His purple robe was torn, revealing a body covered in stiff black hair. His eyes were filled with excitement; no matter how strong this despicable outsider was, he was doomed this time.
Twenty meters, ten meters, five meters.
For these Transcendental Grade monsters, a mere few dozen meters was covered in an instant. Their followers provided them with boundless courage and strength, but just as they stepped over the rubble and saw the strangers hiding behind the trees—
Clang, clang, clang.
The assembly bells rang.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Relying on Survival Instinct (First Update)
The time for the assembly has arrived.
The sound of the bell is a signal, transcending all reason and consciousness, and unaffected by anyone's emotions.
A clanging sound rang out, and the rumbling footsteps immediately stopped. Yuki peeked out from behind the tree and saw the bizarre scene before him.
The smiles and detached expressions that appeared on the faces of all the believers instantly extinguished their murderous intent. They couldn't even see Yuki just a few meters away, as if it were just an ordinary noon.
No matter what we are doing or thinking, upon hearing the bell, we devoutly go to the square to gather and enjoy a moment of peace.
This was unscientific, even beyond instinct, but Yuki, leaning against the tree, showed no surprise whatsoever.
Since the beginning of the game, he has experienced three gatherings. Even a blind man could see that these gatherings went beyond their literal meaning; believers and ordinary townspeople alike would obey the call of the bells.
"Supreme rules, transcending human will."
Yuki's plan was built around the rules from the very beginning, without any gambling element; it was more about experience.
He had witnessed the power of rules in the Demon Hospital, where the rules were supreme and even Director Fukawa, with his own will, could not challenge them.
"That time and that moment are just like this moment."
Yuki watched the dispersing crowd. They sheathed their weapons, wore kind smiles, and went down the mountain in groups, leaving only a few priests behind, who looked extremely out of place in the forest.
"I didn't expect you to know so much. No wonder you dared to hide in the group," Dimitri said in a deep voice. He wasn't surprised; in fact, he felt that checking his watch had been helpful.
"No, I didn't know church members could be immune to the bells." Yuki stared at its furry body, which resembled a werewolf. "But now I understand, well, the next steps need to be adjusted."
Plans? Adjustments?
The priest felt a deep sense of threat; this stranger wanted more than just to survive. He suddenly realized that the church had not sent any support, and that the saint could not be distracted once the ceremony began.
In other words, the outsider could do many things in the next hour, and the whole plan was interconnected, leading him to unwittingly fall into the trap.
'The message must be sent back before the baptism ceremony begins to remind the saint to prepare.'
Dimitri made up his mind, tore off the remaining part of his robe, put his hands on the ground, and winked at the gray-robed priest beside him.
Without exchanging words, the two grey-robed priests fled on the spot. Now they had to race against time, even if it meant fighting in the town to attract attention.
They did not return with the group. The saint knew, of course, that the search had failed, but this precaution was far from sufficient. The church had to mobilize all its forces to keep the outsiders out of the square.
"Good reaction, but a little too late." Yuki didn't stop them; there were still two players behind him who hadn't heeded the bell's call, and he was absolutely confident he could stop them.
A giant wolf?
Yuki raised his head and watched as Dimitri's body swelled up, transforming into a five- or six-meter-long black-furred giant wolf. It snatched the circular saw stuck beside it, releasing a strong sense of mission.
You must stay here and await death.
"I killed so many believers, and I'm still a bit stronger than that guy in the factory?" Yuki raised an eyebrow, implying that at his peak, he was no match for him when he first entered the instance.
He held a knife in his left hand and a gun in his right, then crossed the weapons, displaying a ferocious power like a tiger.
"But now, you're dead."
Ding ding ding.
The bells echoed throughout the town, reaching the ears of every resident and player.
The final time has come; even the laggards can make it back if they just coast through the next few hours.
The trash can transformed back into a meticulous middle-aged man. Black Sword stroked his full head of silver hair, watching the crowd converge on the square, his black eyes filled with doubt.
Still no one stepped forward to stop the ceremony?
He could sense a barrier unfolding over the cemetery, which must be the main battlefield. But the gathering was about to begin, so why was the fighting still going on?
"What are those people up to? Did you go inside and check? Was that Phantom Thief involved?"
"I looked, but I didn't see anything, and I even lost my life. Seriously, if you keep messing with me like this, I'll soon become a newbie player." Pan Zi complained, grimacing, as he lay beside him.
His ability lies in stealth, but now players all know to kill dogs, and there are no normal animals to cover him in Yadu Town. What's the difference between him and a human scout?
"They're fighting, the Phantom Thief is there too, but he doesn't seem to be involved."
Black Sword was already used to this complaint. After thinking for a while, he said, "They haven't damaged the foundation of the church. What's the point of continuing the fight? They'll just take out a few priests, but in the end, they'll still face encirclement and annihilation."
"At least the enemy has been weakened. After the rally, they can hold out for another two hours and then return."
"Do you think the church can hold them together? Is this final gathering just a simple baptism ceremony?"
"How would I know? Let's focus on ourselves."
[A tip for ordinary people:]
[1. You can join the cult, Undercover, or Judge' camps at your own discretion.]
[2. Choose one side to join and try to ensure that one side wins]
[3. Resist the temptation of evil gods, join the religion but do not believe in it]
[4. Once you join a party, you must demonstrate your value.]
It seems like freedom, but it's actually the most mentally taxing, because ordinary people can't gain trust and are also targets of the church's attacks.
They chose to side with the church, which is simple: the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And according to their analysis, hint 3 meant not to participate in baptism and to ensure that they were 'ordinary people'.
If the Judge and the Undercover win, it violates hint 4, and the mission evaluation will be very poor, but so far, they can't see the Judge's chances of winning.
"Are you afraid of being dragged down by them?" Black Sword sensed the implication in his voice.
"Nonsense, we're just ordinary people. We can only help secretly. Those lunatics won't care about anything. They'll kill us all. Do you want your life or your mission evaluation?"
This problem is not easy to solve. Black Sword wanted to say, "I want it all," but the situation was unpredictable and beyond his control. He could only ask his companions to reveal all the information.
The intelligence was simple: the opposing players were divided into two groups, one fighting on the hill and the other hiding in the town.
The former is undoubtedly the main force, while the latter is unpredictable and occasionally has the air of a 'Clown'.
They initially thought the person hiding in the town was one of the 'Undercover,' but now it seems unlikely. Even if the battle on the mountain ends now, it will be too late to stop the ritual.
The final ritual before returning is certainly not as simple as a 'baptism'; in the style of the Reincarnation Game, the last moment is also the most dangerous.
If we invite that evil god, we're all doomed.
"They must have left themselves a way out, to find the players in town, whether it's Rick or Li Dan, and pry them open."
Black Sword changed his plans; he was completely confused and desperately needed intelligence.
"A way out? Are you sure?" Pan Zi's interest was immediately piqued.
Black Sword glanced sideways and patiently explained, "The Phantom Thief is a cultist; it's already good enough that he can remain neutral. Since he's on their side, he must have something to pursue. What do you think he's pursuing?"
Of course, it's about safely getting through the dungeon. What else could it be?
"Okay, he should be in the market in the north. I'll go find him right now." Pan Zi immediately controlled the remaining Hound, also wanting to know what the other team of players was up to.
This was neither a desperate counterattack nor a proper cover-up.
Are you playing?
The forest was a mess, with fallen trees everywhere.
The battle raged fiercely within the barrier, but the nearby town remained peaceful, without a single sound leaking out.
"I told you you were dead." Yuki stood in front of the giant wolf carcass, kicked the massive wolf head away, and then turned around. "Thanks, I would have wasted a few more minutes without you."
Oreki Houtarou raised an eyebrow slightly, holding a bloodstained blade in his hand. The weapon was invisible; only the bloodstains on it were visible.
"You're not upset that I stole your kill?"
Just now, Yuki fought the giant wolf with all his might. He was stronger, but the wolf would stall for time, jumping around like it had ADHD. Fortunately, the boy finished off the fleeing priest and turned back to help.
With the two of them working together, there's not much to say. The giant wolf held out for a total of ten minutes, and to prevent it from reviving, Yuki thoughtfully chopped off its head.
"Let's not talk about heads now." Yuki didn't care, and instead picked up the circular saw next to him with a strange expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Why isn't this weapon Chaos Item? We're both purple-robed priests, yet I took this gun." Yuki brandished the hunting rifle, genuinely curious, awaiting the boy's explanation.
Oreki Houtarou pondered for a moment, then stroked his hair and said, "I can't answer that. The chances of finding Chaos Item in dungeons are slim; it's probably random."
"It can't be completely random; every setting in Reincarnation Game has its own patterns."
"There is indeed a pattern." The boy nodded, then spread his hands. "But now is not the time to discuss this."
Ding ding ding.
The second bell has rung, and Moon Bow has gone to meet Rick; there is no longer any possibility of stopping the ritual.
Yuki and he knew that this ritual was not a baptism, but was definitely aimed at the players, and might even be related to the evil god hidden in the background.
"You're right, it's time to start the third step." Yuki nodded calmly; this plan was entirely based on the other party's intelligence.
The gathering is essentially a ritual to summon an evil god; this information is crucial. Combined with hint 2, it confirms the entire process.
Why did the townspeople gather unconditionally? Why was God's gaze so focused? And what did Yuki see with his Demon Eye?
"All the townspeople gathered in the square to begin the ritual to summon the evil god, and the evil god turned its gaze to the church and bestowed power upon it," Yuki explained, explaining why the fanatics and priests possessed Transcendental Grade powers, and why killing the believers would weaken the evil god's power.
It's like a transformer; if there are fewer believers, the power cast by the evil god will also decrease, and thus the power He bestows will also weaken.
"Now the only problem left is identification, and your hint is that indiscriminate killing is not allowed." Oreki Houtarou accurately pointed out the core issue.
A Judge and a believer were discussing something together, creating a rather eerie scene.