Chapter 145
He looked down upon all living beings. Whether in reality or in the Reincarnation Game, Shinomiya Oko always felt that he was the special one. Looking down, all he saw were ants.
This stems from the pride of being born, and also carries the enhancement after the Transcendental Grade experience of the Reincarnation Game. Things that seem unbelievable to others can be solved with ease, so it is inevitable that one will make oneself special.
At this point, reality is far inferior to the game; money has long become just numbers, and only power and authority can ignite ambition.
The chaebols are merely tools; they require less than a tenth of the effort. Just like the documents in our hands, ordinary people can't see more than 90% of the content.
"It's been two days, and that college still hasn't figured it out?"
"The situation inside is very complicated. There are at least two player organizations involved. Lord Yellow Light, please wait a moment longer."
The purple-haired woman who answered was dressed in a business suit, but her eagle-like sharp eyes were something that could never be found in an ordinary person.
Behind Shinomiya Oko stood a row of people, most of whom knew nothing about business, some of whom had not even graduated from high school, leading many to believe that this business empire was about to be dismantled by the incompetent heir.
But in reality, that wasn't the case, and Shinomiya Oko didn't care, because due to the setting of the Reincarnation Game, he couldn't use this tool indefinitely.
Let it burn brightly for as long as it lasts.
"We've lost two members during the day; I can't let other organizations laugh at us."
"They probably don't have time to laugh at us either; everyone's running out of time," a bald man chimed in, shrugging somewhat rudely. "The Reincarnation Game didn't leave any room for various organizations to unite across regions; our best plan has fallen through."
Those present were all seasoned players, so there was no need to be polite. Only when you reach their level do you realize how naive your previous plans were.
There are many more conglomerates than just Shinomiya's; above them lies a massive organization called the 'Nation.' Why has the Reincarnation Game, which has been around for more than just a year or two, never been exposed?
"Using the power of the Reincarnation Game to form alliances and control the world—that idea certainly ended before it could be implemented." Yellow Light didn't seem to have much regret; instead, he smiled at the window. "But we players were luckier; at least we had the opportunity to form an organization and knew our timelines in advance."
"It's just that time is running out; sooner or later we'll have to leave reality." The purple-haired woman shook her head slightly, then suddenly remembered something else. "Chun, is there any progress on that 'Taiyi' you were asked to investigate before?"
A group of people looked at the boy with bangs at the same time, causing him to open his squinting eyes slightly. Everyone here was stronger than him, all of them were A-level members, and the pressure was like a mountain.
After considering his words, he shook his head. "No, I haven't been able to find any information at all."
"So you weren't scammed, were you? According to the intelligence we found, once players reach that stage, they can't come back." The purple-haired woman became increasingly suspicious.
"Alright, Celas." Yellow Light raised his hand to help the boy out of the predicament, and casually said, "If it's true, then it's a power beyond our imagination, so it's normal that we can't find it; if it's false, then it's just Chun's personal stupidity, nothing to worry about."
These words sounded somewhat like an insult, but the boy let out a long sigh and continued reporting, "Sir, Miss Kaguya has made some unusual movements."
As soon as he finished speaking, most people didn't react, except for Yellow Light and the short-haired young man next to him who turned to look.
What kind of unusual activity?
"Miss Kaguya disappeared briefly, but this cannot be verified."
"Don't say anything without verification. We don't have time to waste on her right now," the young man admonished impatiently.
Control of the Shinomiya Group is far less important than the Advanced Nurturing High School at the moment.
There's a group of players gathered there who could be a source of future help; at the very least, the Chaos Item they possess are worth ten thousand times more than money.
"No, Hongzheng." Yellow Light called out to his younger brother, stroking his chin with an interested expression. He remembered that Hayasaka Ai hadn't reported anything for a long time. He hadn't cared at first, but now he found it somewhat interesting.
"It's not just Kaguya. You need to handle this personally and confirm things first."
"Brother, what if she's a player?" Shinomiya Hongzheng didn't quite understand. He had no feelings for this younger sister born to his mistress and had no intention of helping her improve.
"That depends on her value. If not, then we should eliminate her decisively. The Shinomiya Group is still useful, and I don't want to waste my energy. If she is valuable, then she has no choice; we are one entity."
There is no kinship; all that matters is using others to the best of one's ability. This is the family motto.
"That's Kaguya then. But the Advanced Nurturing High School needs to act ahead of schedule; I've realized time is running out." Yellow Light turned to face the crowd as if he had dealt with a trivial matter.
"Even if departure is inevitable, the departure of one person is different from the departure of a group of people, while 'Day' will endure forever, bringing us a continuous source of power."
Everyone nodded in agreement; this was in everyone's best interest, as there was currently too little information available for the next phase.
"Then I'll inform all members to increase their aggressiveness."
"I'll handle that academy; if they don't join, we'll wipe them all out."
"I'll lead my men to gather intelligence; the identification work can wait until later."
"I'll continue monitoring the players. There should be two or three more dungeon runs left in the last month; maybe we can find some talent then."
Everyone started working like clockwork; the plans had already been drafted, and the goals had been changed.
'Conquering the world is ultimately a delusion. Every player must face endless unknowns and struggle with all their might.'
Shinomiya Oko pondered for a moment, then gave a self-deprecating smile. Speaking of intelligence, he suddenly remembered something else.
"Black Sword and Pan Zi haven't returned. Judging by the timeline, they must have died in the dungeon."
It's normal for players to die; even having a large organization behind you can only slightly increase your survival rate. And during the 'Day,' there are people who specifically pay attention to this kind of news.
"Yes, the extremely rare duo perished together." A middle-aged man wearing a black eye patch and with a hunched back stepped forward. It was unclear how he had seen it, but he turned his face towards the Yellow Light:
"A duo can cooperate effectively, and one of them can survive and report back. Cases where both perish together need to be taken seriously."
What are their copies called?
"Those the Bystander Is Blind."
Experienced players will receive the dungeon name in advance, and it's already been recorded, so it's not difficult to answer.
Yellow Light lowered his head slightly, unable to discern anything from the name, and then looked at the boy with bangs. "Don't waste time on that 'Taiyi the Bystander Is Blind,' and figure out the reason for their downfall first."
"Understood, I'll go find Shiratori and the supercomputer master right away." Tsubaki nodded immediately, turned and left. It was really good that the Shinomiya Clan wasn't involved.
However, as he opened the door, he vaguely heard Yellow Light say "Send Adam out," and his eyes twitched, and he turned around in surprise.
They're actually going to use that player who's almost gone mad trying to get stronger? Looks like the opportunity is finally here?
Chun decisively closed the door; what happened next was no longer his concern—that was the domain of seasoned players.
A field that approaches the Limit of reality.
Splash!
Yuki wrung out his soaked vest, and seawater gushed out.
It was late at night, and there was no one to be seen on the beach. He had just tested his Transcendental Grade power in reality, and the result was both pleasing and full of doubts.
Sprinting is like teleportation to ordinary people, and lifting a rock larger than a car with one hand is already far beyond the reach of humans.
If 'Limit' means reaching a world record, and 'extraordinary' means being dissected for research, then Yuki believes he can handle an entire army equipped with heavy weapons.
"This is even with Chaos Item prohibited, and I shouldn't be the first player to reach the Transcendental Grade level. This kind of power is enough to demolish a building with bare hands. How was it covered up by the Reincarnation Game?"
Yuki didn't know; perhaps the Reincarnation Game's ability to modify the rules was too powerful, perhaps players at this level had long since outgrown the desire to show off, or perhaps it was because he leveled up too quickly.
There are only three instances, and many permissions haven't been unlocked yet, so naturally, no notification will be received.
But no matter what the situation, Yuki would never reveal his power. The reason is simple: reality doesn't match him. He could turn someone into Blood Mist with a single slap.
You try to show off and get slapped in the face; once you're slapped in the face, you're gone. How can you still show off then?
In the meantime, he extracted some traits and scratched his head as he looked at his stats.
"Is this considered a formal dress?"
After the trait is upgraded to LV.3, the cooldown time will be extended to one dungeon cycle, and the reward is a positive Craft Essence, so you no longer have to rely on luck.
[Conceptual Craft Essence: Stop Acting Crazy Here]
[Creates an area that causes severe mental confusion, where sanity is replaced by madness; the effect is reduced with the strength of the enemy.]
A regional skill, it doesn't say it's ineffective against the user, so where should it be used?
Filled with questions, he turned around and saw his senior running barefoot across the beach, panting heavily with her hands on her knees.
Her physical condition was excellent, but of course she couldn't compare to Yuki. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, glanced at Yuki, and then looked away.
This pig's head is quite sturdy...
"Are you here for a walk or to go on a triathlon?"
"Sorry, I got carried away when no one was around." Yuki quickly apologized and walked over.
After dinner, the two decided to go for a walk to digest their food. They hadn't walked far Yuki started experimenting with his powers, and only then did they come to their senses.
Having done what he needed to do, he was happy to relax, so he walked side by side with Mai Sakurajima, chatting about trivial matters outside of the Reincarnation Game.
"Senior, are you working tomorrow? Do you want me to come visit you on set?"
A strong sea breeze swept by, ruffling the girl's hair. She gently pressed down on the hem of her skirt with her hand, and a faint smile appeared on her pale face illuminated by the moonlight.
"Whatever you say, I'll just stay in the forest park in Izu and take some photos for the magazine."
"So agreeable? Aren't you afraid of causing misunderstandings?" Yuki, who had been deliberately testing the waters, was surprised by the answer.
A man visiting an idol on set would likely generate negative publicity for the idol.
Mai Sakurajima paused slightly, then continued walking along the beach, enjoying the smooth texture under her feet.
"What am I afraid of? Work is just a hobby and a cover. In this situation, it's impossible to be a proper entertainer."
"Senior, why are you being so tsundere again? Just say you want me to come visit."
"Pah, you pig-headed idiot, stop flattering yourself. Who wanted you to come?" Mai Sakurajima's face flushed slightly, but she couldn't explain anything.
The rumors meant nothing to her, and were even less of a concern to Yuki. What they both cared about was a philosophical question: how much pain must the living suffer when the other can never return?
As human beings, we are born with a desire for emotions; as gamers, reason allows us to keep our distance.
For example, when they entered the instance separately this time, Yuki was unusually emotionally unstable. Mai Sakurajima didn't say anything, but she was worried and scared for two days, and would take out her phone and stare blankly whenever she had a spare moment.
In the silence, the footprints stretched along the beach, only to be washed away by the waves and disappear without a trace.
There are many problems, but don't I trust him?
Mai Sakurajima seemed to realize something; her fingers trembled slightly, and she quietly raised her hand. The next moment, even her heart trembled.
A hand decisively and directly grasped her palm. Ever since the Bloodthirsty Red Moon, this hand had grasped her countless times, dragging her out of the sea of corpses and pulling her out of the demon's lair, but this time the feeling was completely different.
Mai Sakurajima felt her face getting hot and secretly glanced over, only to see Yuki staring straight ahead as if nothing had happened.
Without blushing or hesitating, Yuki seemed to be in a difficult dungeon, his gaze fixed on the finish line, seeing the future.
"Senior."
"Hmm?" Mai Sakurajima quickly looked away, held her breath, and prepared to be bombarded with lewd remarks.
She was wrong. Yuki held that hand, and for some reason, her heart calmed down, becoming as peaceful as the moonlight in the night sky. She didn't take advantage of the situation.
Do you like Reincarnation Game?
"Huh? Of course I hate it. Why do you ask that? You absolutely mustn't be like Li Dan!" Mai Sakurajima became wary.
"I was just asking. What do you want to do?"
The question was somewhat abrupt, leaving Mai Sakurajima, who was initially on guard, bewildered. Without thinking it through, she replied, "Just be a good actress, be with the person you love, and do well in both your family and career. Wait, why am I telling you all this!"
Mai Sakurajima quickly shut up, her vigilance returning. She thought to herself that this idiot was definitely plotting against her, and she had inadvertently blurted out her true feelings.
Wait a minute, what should I say if he asks who my crush is?
"I understand." Yuki surprised her by simply holding her senior's hand and gazing at the boundless sea.
I'll help you achieve your wish.
Chapter 4 Iori Kitahara
The next morning, Yuki got up from the sofa and stared blankly at the neatly made bed and breakfast on the table.
His head was spinning, and he had a strange feeling. In his current physical condition, he could hear a pin drop, yet he didn't even notice when his senior got up and left.
'This is definitely a feeling of relaxation. Looking back, I was exhausted from being 'blinded by my the Bystander Is Blind,' fighting at night and scheming during the day. I barely slept for two whole days.'
The memory of the evil god faded away silently. Yuki put on his slippers, went to the bathroom to wash his face, and looked at the two cups and toothbrush on the shelf, feeling very good.
Indeed, the pursuit of power is only one of the reasons for fighting. Senior's clarity of mind surpasses that of most players; she knows she needs to live, and even more importantly, she knows why she lives.
Then I became even more motivated.
Yuki looked at himself in the mirror and slapped his face hard. One of the important reasons why the group could entrust each other with their backs was that they shared the same goal.
"Let's have breakfast first, then we can get started. There's a lot to do this time around."
As Yuki walked, he thought to himself that his first priority was to trade away the useless Chaos Item. He borrowed Houtarou's Serenity Gem, as Houtarou was very interested in this type of barrier item.
Secondly, draw Craft Essences every day, save the most useful one, and then build a strategy around it in the next quest.