Chapter 159
"After thinking about it for so long, have you made any progress?"
At that moment, a cup of hot tea was placed on the table. The senior student had reheated the water several times before coming to his side, only after Yuki pushed the sketchbook aside.
"No, maybe it's just my imagination. My mind gets foggy when I'm in different spaces."
Mai Sakurajima nodded without asking any further questions. She simply leaned forward to tidy up the table and threw the crumpled draft paper into the trash can.
"Senior, you look just like my mom."
"You're just too lazy. You don't mind the trouble when you're scheming against people, but you're too lazy to even clean the table when asked."
The girl complained as she worked, her full chest brushing against the table, her black hair brushing against Yuki's cheek, making one want to smell the fragrance in her hair. Yuki buried his face in his senior's back, his forehead was pressed down.
"Stop looking like a pig, Kaguya-chan is still here."
Oh, I almost forgot about someone else.
Yuki turned his head and saw Kaguya Shinomiya boiling water in the kitchen, and was momentarily confused.
What is she doing?
"Kaguya-chan is quite serious about learning how to brew tea, though she's a bit stubborn."
Moreover, he is extremely competitive when it comes to things he cares about. He may appear nonchalant about getting second place, but he may secretly be heartbroken.
Yuki glanced at the green tea in the cup, then at the girl's white hairband. She was safe now that she had returned, but she hadn't taken it off.
Green tea, white hairband, Destiny is truly stubborn.
Yuki chuckled meaningfully, then felt a slight pain in his cheek as his senior gently pinched his face.
"Let me make this clear first, a pig's head is the absolute maximum I can accept."
"I've already said I wouldn't lay a hand on her. Can't you see I'm tired of having such a long face all day?"
"But she already thinks you're like a masochistic pervert."
"Wouldn't that be better?"
What's so good about it?
Mai Sakurajima quickly let go, lowering her voice. "What will happen to her after that?"
The senior was referring to Kaguya Shinomiya's whereabouts. A lot had happened, but it had all been less than 24 hours.
"Stay here for now. Hayasaka sent me a message saying my identity hasn't been exposed." Yuki didn't take it to heart. It wasn't that the plan was flawless, but rather that 'Day' simply couldn't spare the time.
Kaguya Shinomiya went home yesterday at noon; the whole thing had nothing to do with her. So what if she's a player?
In the midst of surging, towering waves, the color of a single wave is insignificant.
"You want to continue hiding your identity?" Mai Sakurajima understood what she meant.
"I'll try my best. Kaguya Shinomiya is quite wealthy, so it can ease some of the financial burden. Yuki, remember to put her room and board on the tab." Ignoring the girl's eye roll, Yuuki smiled and said, "Summer vacation is almost here, Hayasaka Ai has already made plans for an overseas trip. It's no problem for the two of them to disappear for a while."
The decoy target has been prepared, Fool's Mask is enough to ignore all real-world detection. If Shinomiya Oko is tracked overseas, then this matter will not be over.
At that point, we might as well make the charade real and leave the Shinomiya Clan directly.
He always expects a return on his efforts. As long as Kaguya Shinomiya had nothing to do with last night's battle, he didn't believe that 'Daytime' had the energy to send out a large number of players for a comprehensive search.
"Well, it's not easy for them to investigate overseas, since it's other players' territory." Mai Sakurajima was a little relieved, then asked, "By the way, you really aren't going to get involved in things in Tokyo anymore?"
It was already the next morning, and she had specifically checked the morning news. There was nothing unusual, and she couldn't help but marvel at how terrifying the Reincarnation Game's modifications were; such a large-scale player battle hadn't leaked out.
"We already have results, which is why I had Hayasaka take this opportunity to quickly get things done."
Yuki smiled, took out his phone, and waved it. Mai Sakurajima understood immediately after taking a look.
The news leaked from the forum; there are definitely more players in Tokyo than just the Academy and Daytime factions, and such a large-scale battle couldn't have escaped the players' notice.
[Several random instances are simultaneously launching in Tokyo, suggesting a large-scale battle. Do not approach area XX!]
Anyone want to go see it as a group?
[Go ahead and die if you want to; if you get dragged into it, you're just unlucky.]
[A group for onlookers is starting; those who want to join, please gather quickly. Coordinates are...]
[A salty hook with straight bait? You think I'm stupid?]
[Breaking news from the front lines: The fighting has ended]
The post was scrolling, Mai Sakurajima thought to herself, no wonder this idiot looked so calm and collected; he had already planned how to confirm the information.
"At least Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't lose. That guy's amazing. I'm really curious about how he set it up," Yuki muttered to himself, but didn't rush to find out. He rubbed his head.
"Let him contact me. I've come full circle; it's time to get back to my own things."
It was like he had a notebook in his mind, putting in all the things that needed to be done. This time, he had rescued Kaguya Shinomiya and cooperated with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's plan, but there were still two important things to do.
First, organize the props and exchange them even if it means losing money.
Secondly, having accumulated enough enhancement points through random quests, it's time to upgrade [Demon Possession].
Chapter Eighteen: The Regenerative Tail (First Update)
This return was unprecedentedly fulfilling, with almost no time to rest. Yuki accomplished a great deal. But looking back, these events were all closely interconnected.
The battle weakened the enemy, and the Chaos Item were seized, which could be used for trading; the random missions provided enhancement points, which made up for the previous awkward situation.
Having acquired Bloodline Object and accumulated enough enhancement points for four upgrades, Yuki didn't hesitate and immediately invested them all.
[Bloodline Skill: Demon Possession (Order-Scale)]
[Demon Eye: Gain the vision of the soul, observe a world invisible to the naked eye]
[Demon Heart (Normal): Feeds on souls and uses them as energy to interfere with reality]
[Regenerative Tail: Applys energy to the body to increase its repair speed. Note: Consumes a large amount of energy and requires the host to survive.]
"A third type of demon component, is this some kind of the Miracle Nikki?"
Yuki rubbed his cheeks, feeling like he had become a Lego, piling all sorts of things onto himself, and then these parts were related to their origins.
The material for the Demon Heart is the Philosopher's Stone, a rare item composed entirely of souls. As for the Regenerative Tail, it's worth mentioning; it was cut off from a saint. That monster's super-fast regeneration ability made it difficult for him to fight.
"In other words, there is a logical order. If I hadn't obtained the Philosopher's Stone, it wouldn't be linked to the soul. The same applies to the Regenerative Tail; it all depends on what instance you encounter."
This is important; if you have two Bloodline Object at the same time, you can choose which one to use, but so far it seems to be working quite well.
The most troublesome health issue has been resolved.
Yuki has killed many players and has gradually come to understand their abilities. They are either strange or insidious, but their health is too low, making them easy to die under certain circumstances.
For example, those players in the Bone Plains, can you say they aren't strong? But Yuki found the right method, and they couldn't use any of their skills at all.
He's too fragile, and he doesn't have time to use defensive items or skills. Shinomiya Hongzheng. If I hadn't blown off his left hand, the fight would have been a 50/50 affair.
In addition, his abilities work together around a core principle, but this very fact makes him a headache.
"Rampage and other side effects are secondary now; the real problem is that the more I level up, the less soul energy I have."
A hunting rifle needs a soul, releasing energy attacks needs a soul, activating Demonbreaker needs a soul, and repairing the body also requires a soul.
Yuki felt like he was really going to become a demon, reaping lives in a frenzy, but upon reflection, he felt it wasn't so bad. At least he could obtain souls and make up for it with 'effort'.
Damn, I really want to let loose. This entire system is built around the core. If the Demon Heart is upgraded, the whole system will also be upgraded, but with such a huge cost, it will be even harder to upgrade.
Yuki felt like he had become a miser, always having to do addition and subtraction, so he turned his attention back to the Regenerative Tail, especially the explanation at the end.
It consumes a lot of energy, which is understandable. This thing can work in conjunction with [Vitality Shift]. As for the second point, it's even simpler: I need to prevent myself from being instantly killed.
If your head gets chopped off, what's the point of growing back? After a little thought, those last two enhancement points also have a place to go.
"Deploy Vitality Shift and upgrade to a proficient level."
After the words were spoken, Yuki didn't sense anything unusual and could only check the notification.
[The vital organs are slightly transferred internally. When the skill is activated, it grants the concept of 'near death'. Number of transfers: 1. Success rate: 10%]
Yuki rarely saw such a long explanation, but after a little thought, he understood it.
For example, if the neck is cut off, no matter how you move it, it will be useless, but a skilled Vitality Shift has a 10% chance of inducing a near-death state.
"As expected, this kind of skill has many limitations. It's okay, we can just upgrade it later."
Looking back now, the two Transcendental Grade skills I brought out from the Bloodthirsty Red Moon were the most useful: Reinforcement Magecraft and Vitality Shift. They are almost irreplaceable, especially the latter, which I used less often, but every time it was crucial.
"You... you're becoming more and more like a monster," Mai Sakurajima couldn't help but say, having been watching the panel the whole time.
This pig's head now even has a tail growing out; is it still considered human?
"How could you swear at me, senior?"
"I'll just state the facts. Fine, after all, you're of demonic blood." Mai Sakurajima was too lazy to argue with him, and took away the empty teacup. "Hurry up and get on with your work. I made you lunch later, and I still have to go back to the theater."
All that was left was to trade the items, which wouldn't take much time. After thinking for a moment, he decided to hang up the Chainsaw Sword, the mechanical arm, and the Impact Hammer.
Of these three items, I don't need one, and the other two should be discarded. As for the fountain pen and tuxedo I just found, I've decided to keep them. The fountain pen is a collectible, while the tuxedo is rather interesting.
[Chaos Item: Shape-shifting Outfit (Transcendental Grade)]
[Can transform into any known clothing item according to the user's preference, and possess a certain level of defensive capability]
[Side effect: It has a psychological impact on the user depending on the changing clothing style.]
[Description: Clothing, like your name, is a tool you present to others, but it also reflects your inner world.]
A very special item, possessing both defensive and camouflage capabilities, but with this side effect...
No wonder that Attendant looked so elegant; he must have been influenced by the tuxedo. So, does that mean wearing women's clothing can make you gay?
Yuki had no urge to try it and decided to keep the item; stealing clothes all over Yadu Town last time had been quite troublesome.
"I've got this sorted out, let's go out to eat," Yuki called out as he turned around.
"So fast?" Mai Sakurajima had just taken out the cutting board.
"Posting a few trade threads won't take much time. By the way, didn't you pick up a Lightning Orb? Are you going to trade it too?"
"I'll keep it for myself." Mai Sakurajima thought for a moment and decided to keep it, only showing Yuki the description.
It turns out that this Lightning Orb grants the user the Transcendental Grade skill of lightning attacks; if all else fails, it can be thrown out and used as a grenade, with tremendous power.
Yuki to let her senior keep it since the side effects were relatively minor.
Having some self-defense ability is good; using the Singer's White Veil for defense while simultaneously discharging electricity is quite impressive.
"Go out? I think I'd better not." Kaguya poked her head out from the corner, her long black hair contrasting sharply with her pale face.
Just as the senior was about to persuade him, Yuki spoke up, "Let's go together. It's a rare opportunity to come back, so try to relax."
Relax?
Kaguya pondered the word, finding it somewhat ironic. How could this be easy? It felt even more terrifying than a dungeon. Besides, it wasn't wise for me to show my face in public at a time like this.
Before she could argue, Yuki threw the Fool's Mask at her. The girl caught it; she had seen this mask transform people before.
Who do you want me to become?
"No need to change. The Fool's Mask can slightly interfere with others' perception, allowing you to blend into the crowd." Yuki increasingly felt that Hayasaka Ai's characteristic was prepared for Kaguya, and interrupted her when she still had questions:
"Alright, alright, isn't what you just wanted to know—that this won't interfere with the perception of powerful players? I have a way."
"W-what method?"
Yuki had already reached the door, turned around and blinked. "Perfect timing to use you as bait."
A few minutes later, the three left the apartment building. It was a sweltering summer day outside, and the chirping of cicadas was almost meltingly pleasant. Even the senior student had taken off her black stockings and was walking down the street in sandals, showing off her long, white legs.
She glanced back and saw Kaguya a few steps behind, expressionless, radiating a chilling aura, like a human-shaped, self-propelled air conditioner.
"Your mouth is so annoying, you've made her angry again."
Mai Sakurajima knows that fishing is just a joke, and even if you really go fishing, Yuki will prepare a helmet for you to ensure your safety.
"Sorry, I just found it amusing to torment a young lady like her, especially since she wears that ice-sculpt-like mask every day." Yuki suppressed a laugh and walked forward shoulder to shoulder with her senior.
"What's interesting about that? By the way, what would she look like if she took off her mask?"
"Uh, let's turn from an ice sculpture into a sand sculpture."
What the hell? Is she a complete idiot?
Mai Sakurajima suddenly became interested. Kaguya Shinomiya seemed like a cold and rigid problem girl, but she wasn't so cold when she was persecuting her earlier.