Chapter 169
Huh? One-sided visibility???
By then it was too late to react. In the pitch-black night, he only felt a sharp pain in his neck, and the spreading pain caused his eyeballs to bulge out. He fainted on the spot.
Side effects of the Substitute Spirit: The user's pain will be amplified, ignoring any physiological Limit.
The second one.
Yuki was unaware of the item's side effects; he only thought the two of them were lying down too easily, their sleep quality was surprisingly good.
"The two most troublesome ones were dealt with, and then the others didn't rush in, forming an encirclement around them?"
He couldn't see the souls stepping into the darkness, but he knew that the area outside the domain was definitely surrounded by heavy troops. Two of his companions had been eliminated right away, so he couldn't afford to be careless. And he himself had no protective items; he really would die.
But that was Yuki wanted. He reached out and found a rock to sit on. Since the enemy wouldn't dare use overwhelming force, he was absolutely safe for the next hour.
The darkness brought calm, and Yuki wasn't in a hurry. He opened his eyes wide, and what lay before him was no longer pitch black; it was as if he were seeing a different kind of scenery:
On the storm-ravaged sea, cannons roared. A group of young girls rose and fell with the warship. The torrential rain soaked their hair and clothes, but they gritted their teeth and fought against the storm.
Indeed, as Sakayanagi Arisu said, this is fair. Even with the barrier of different dimensions, there is a feeling of doing one's best for the same goal.
Regular tasks usually only take two days, so I hope the senior students can finish quickly so we can have a little respite.
With that thought, Yuki, sword in hand, and stepped toward the edge of the night.
Yeah, I need to hurry too.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Artist and Adam (4K)
Tokyo.
This is a windowless, elegantly furnished European-style room.
The floor was dark brown, the sofa had dark gold armrests, and the walls were covered with framed paintings that were both exquisite and eerie, all in dark red tones and in a primitive style.
Some resemble humans, some resemble beasts, and some are simply a series of bloody handprints. When you look closely, you can discover a rather realistic sense of artistry.
These paintings, accompanied by classical music filling the air, evoke both restlessness and tranquility.
Chun stood squinting, not wanting to look at the paintings that resembled mental pollution, and focused all her attention on what was in front of her.
In the center of the room stands a round table, its surface bearing the marks of time, clearly an antique.
At one end of the round table sat Shinomiya Oko, a smile on his face. He remained silent, simply watching the figure at the other end of the table.
He was a blond, middle-aged man wearing a sharp black suit with gray stripes, his hair was neatly parted in the middle, and he had a thin, long face.
He resembled a learned and articulate university professor, holding a silver knife and fork, enjoying the food on a round plate.
He cut, picked up, and chewed, each movement slow and graceful, even the number of chews and the force of each chew were the same. When the tender meat juices burst in his mouth, and a few drops of bright red blood slid from the corner of his mouth, he would pick up a handkerchief and gently wipe them away.
With little time left, Shinomiya Oko didn't urge him. He watched as Shinomiya put the last piece of meat into his mouth, wiped away the blood with a handkerchief, took a sip of red wine, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the music, seemingly noticing the gazes beside him.
He looked at the boy, his azure eyes filled with kindness, and even gave a slight smile.
Extremely dangerous!
Chun looked away almost instantly, her confidence, which had just been elevated to the Transcendental Grade level, crumbled on the spot, her scalp tingled, and she didn't even dare to look at the other person.
"An interesting boy, confident, yet lacking in confidence." The man smiled at Shinomiya Oko, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed slightly. "Also, thank you for your hospitality; it washed away the dust of my journey."
With impeccable gentlemanly manners, Yellow Light touched his bald head and gave an awkward smile, "Artist, I'm glad you're satisfied."
He tried his best to relax his muscles, but found it impossible; his special abilities and powers were poised to be unleashed simply because the person in front of him was far too dangerous.
The Artist, or rather the 'Bloody Artist,' the leader of that group of madmen—no, he can't be called a leader, it wasn't an organization at all, just a collection of madmen.
No one knew what they were planning to do, only that they were restrained yet indulgent, just like the food on the plate, which looked exquisite and delicious, but he knew it was freshly removed lung lobes, cooked by the other party himself.
Even more outrageous, he invited me to try it with him.
The well-traveled and knowledgeable Yellow Light felt a bit nauseous and, having no time for small talk, began, "You've come here this time..."
Shhh.
The Artist raised a finger, silencing Yellow Light, and then smiled slightly at his puzzled look, "Since you're in a hurry, it'll be more efficient for me to do it."
"Please."
"Okay." The blond man stood up, holding a bright red wine glass, and paced around the room to the accompaniment of an elegant melody.
"First of all, there is indeed an artist who disappeared along with your subordinate in a script called 'Those the Bystander Is Blind Blinded by Their Own Interests,' which we checked before we came here."
"Secondly, I am pleased with your honesty; you didn't place the blame on those children and thus exploit my power."
"In the end, art is accompanied by sacrifice; I have no intention of seeking revenge."
The logic was clear, and the matter was explained in a few words, but Shinomiya Oko was puzzled. If he didn't want revenge, why did he come from so far away?
"Wait, I'm not finished yet." The man raised his finger again, placing the wine glass steadily on the table beside him. "The reason I came is simple: that person's taste is exceptionally delicious."
Intuition? Or some other special ability?
Yellow Light was clearly taken aback for a moment, but considering that these people were already strange, he didn't bother to think too much about it; as long as the goal was achieved, that was enough.
"Yes, through Causal Prophecy and criminal profiling, I have roughly figured out that 'the Bystander Is Blind' is the same person who attacked us before, but I want to make it clear that this is a matter of probability, and it is possible that the two sides are just connected."
"Trust your intuition, don't think about probability," the Artist politely advised, then smiled and asked, "But the damage he caused wasn't significant, so why be so persistent?"
Even if Shinomiya Hongzheng a special identity, Yuki only killed a dozen or so players. If anyone should hate someone, it should be Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
"Because Adam wants to find him," Yellow Light replied, somewhat exasperated.
"Oh? I haven't met Mr. Adam in a long time. He's a very pure person, so I need to revise my advice: even if you don't trust your intuition, trust his intuition."
Looking into those deep blue eyes, Yellow Light felt a pang of unease, as if his entire being had been seen through. Of course, he wasn't telling the truth; the main reason was still about the future.
The characteristics of the Shiratori depict the key words of 'Taiyi', which is very interesting. If there is really a connection, things will become complicated. Zhou even held a seminar.
I initially thought 'Taiyi' was just some random fabricated information, but now it seems it might actually be true, otherwise it would be impossible to portray him in real life.
If it's true, then it represents an important clue for the next stage. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a huge waste to pass the exam only to be killed by the big shots right there?
Whether to beg for mercy or to silence him, it all depends on meeting him in person. If he had won that battle a few days ago, he could have subtly inquired about it from the academy, but since he lost, he has to do it himself.
"Yes, so I adjusted my direction."
The Artist smiled slightly, knowing the man wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't care. The allure was so captivating that it made him ignore the lurking unease of any conspiracy.
I only want him, no matter how many conspiracies are involved or who is behind them.
Thinking about this, he felt a surge of excitement. "Do you want me to find him in the dungeon? Or do you want me to ask those kids?"
"That academy won't be easy to take down, and neither of us has time." Yellow Light shook his head slightly, reminding him, "The probability of Causal Prophecy is low, and multiple instances can appear at the same time. Even if I had that item, I couldn't participate in every one of them. Besides, anyone below the Transcendental Grade level would be committing suicide to deal with it."
"So, we're getting more people involved in the search?"
"Yes, and I need to find him quickly. I need to see him and have a good talk before the final exam."
"Having too many tasks running at the same time is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"I have a way," Yellow Light interrupted, taking a light breath. "I will use that diary to increase the success rate."
That diary? Oh, this is really urgent.
The Artist's lips twitched slightly; he found the urgent expression amusing, filled with desire and fear. Without thinking too much about it, he clapped his hands lightly.
The door was pushed open, and a strong man walked in. His exposed skin was covered in tattoos, even his face, which was covered with all sorts of strange animals.
"Artist," the visitor said with a slight bow, "I've heard about the Clown. Although he remains at the level of artistic expression, his path of learning shouldn't be cut off."
"Esco, so I'd like to ask you for a favor." The blond man was very polite, as if it were a conversation between friends.
"No problem, but I have a small request." Esco grinned, revealing a mouthful of black teeth. "I haven't experienced your craftsmanship in two instances, so this in-person meeting is a rare opportunity."
"A simple and pleasant request, please wait a moment." The man nodded slightly, rolled up his sleeves, put on an apron, and went to the kitchen. Soon, the soft sound of chopping could be heard.
The two seemed to have forgotten that there were other people present, and began to communicate in a very polite manner.
"Heart or liver?"
"Kidney tablets, please."
"Cooking is a pleasure, how can you say it's troublesome? So, should we fry or stir-fry?"
"Your control of the heat during stir-frying is absolutely exquisite. By the way, would you like some extra?"
"There are tablewares in the cabinet, could you please set them out?"
Esco bent down to get the cutlery, then remembered there were other people in the room, so he turned and asked, "Mr. Shinomiya, would you like to join us?"
Yellow Light's expression was unpleasant; he felt nauseous and couldn't understand it. He could only manage a forced smile, "No need, Artist. I'll send someone to contact you later."
After saying that, he left in a hurry, not wanting to stay for even a second longer.
Esco watched his retreating figure until he disappeared at the end of the corridor before turning back. "It seems that even a powerful player like Mr. Shinomiya can't understand us, and his cooperation isn't simple."
"He withheld a crucial piece of information, but Esco must not forget—" The blond man leaned against the doorframe, holding a frying pan, exuding a sense of everyday life.
"Don't expect understanding, don't waste your energy trying to figure it out. A game is just a game; the most important thing is to please ourselves."
The Black Mountains was riddled with pits, large sections of rock collapsed, and the surrounding forest was charred black, turning into charcoal in an instant.
Yuki sat on a large rock, breathing softly. His tattered trench coat was automatically repairing itself. He glanced at the several 'corpses' beside him and nodded in satisfaction.
Done.
The game was over. All twelve players were eliminated, leaving only him standing on the battlefield. As the flames subsided, Yuki closed his eyes.
Did we make a loss or a profit?
Judging from the energy consumed, it was clearly a loss. It was simply consumed without being replenished. In the end, when dealing with Ryuuen Kakeru's trio, they even had to use 'Vitality Shift'. This thing really consumes an astonishing amount of energy.
But he still felt he had made a profit. Soul energy could be obtained from the next dungeon, while experience and knowledge required a lot of time, which was exactly what he lacked most right now.
Mind Barrier, Soul Network, incredibly accurate Flame Bombs, insidious spatial traps, damage swapping, gigantification, and other skills, traits, and items.
Even if Yuki were to become a serial killer, treating all other players in every mission as enemies, it would take two or three dungeons to witness such a powerful and diverse range of abilities.
"For me, if I encounter a similar ability next time, I can prepare a battle plan in advance, and it will also answer many of my questions."
Bloodline skills are indeed very precious. Among the twelve veteran players, only Ryuuen Kakeru possesses the 'Giant Bloodline,' which, judging from the experience, should greatly enhance his strength.
His hands grew thicker than his entire body, and his punch created a sonic boom that shattered the mountaintop. Yuki spent the most time on him.
The best tactic against such organized players is to hunt them down one by one. They include commanders who also act as communication towers, human search radars, and hunters who specialize in setting traps.
"If I hadn't observed beforehand and disrupted the plan with my move, this would definitely have been a huge disaster."
A victory is a victory. Yuki didn't think he was lucky. All the coincidences were the result of prior preparation. If they really went all out, even three of him wouldn't be a match for him.
"You're really despicable." Sakayanagi Arisu arrived at this moment, her eyes filled with fear, anger, and a hint of shame.
She had originally planned to teach this guy a lesson, but these idiots were picked off one by one and didn't even last two days. However, she was still a little unconvinced; it wasn't exactly cheating, but they had used the rules reasonably.
He took advantage of the fact that the dying state cannot withstand a finishing blow, preventing Ryuuen Kakeru and others from covering his attacks. He then used that area-of-effect item to assassinate in all directions. When Horikita Suzune, who specialized in this, was eliminated, the rest of the time became garbage time.
"They were a bit careless at first, but they became very cautious later on. Besides, there's no such thing as being underhanded in a death match. If they could really kill each other, they would have lost even faster." Yuki shrugged slightly.
"Why?"
"Because the dead become my strength, I grow stronger with each battle. How can they not be defeated?"
Soul devouring.
Sakayanagi Arisu's pupils contracted slightly; she finally understood the source of that sense of danger: this man not only wanted to kill her, but also to devour her.
Yuki smiled almost imperceptibly. He had boasted that the absorption rate of Demon Possession wasn't that high, but that wasn't important.
"Not bad, it lasted 38 hours, longer than I expected."
"Can I take this as irony?"
"No, that's a compliment; they have great potential."
And then you took them all down, isn't that ironic?
Sakayanagi's mouth moved, as if he wanted to curse. In terms of raw strength, Yuki and Ryuen were only evenly matched. He couldn't understand how Yuuki had managed to defeat everyone.
But fighting isn't like playing cards; strength on paper is useless.
"Then I must thank you for going easy on me."
"Yes, you should be grateful," Yuki replied casually, but after seeing the girl's glare, he changed his words, "Of course, I'm even more grateful for your trust."