Chapter 170
"That's more like it, but you're welcome. We're also trying to gather information about you."
What was the result?
Sakayanagi Arisu shifted her gaze to the resurrected companions. "Nothing special, is it?"
Arrogance is rampant everywhere, huh? Say what you will.
Seeing that Ryuuen Kakeru and the others were staring at him with lingering fear, Yuki realized that the side effect of that gadget was to amplify pain, which probably left him with psychological trauma.
But to put it another way, Ayanokoji really didn't intend to be my enemy; at least he found a reliable ally.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Iori Kitahara are both allies of Yuki, so at least they can cooperate when they encounter each other in dungeons.
Ten hours left?
Yuki calculated the remaining time in the instance and asked Sakayanagi Arisu beside him, "Now can you tell me why Ayanokoji came up with this plan?"
He didn't believe it was just simple help; tempering is a two-way process, there must be a reason.
"Because in the previous battle, one player taught us a profound lesson." Sakayanagi Arisu, with a hint of fear in her eyes.
This was the first time Yuki had seen this fox-woman with such an expression, and he couldn't help but become interested. "The player associated with Daylight? Who is it?"
"Adam."
Volume 1: Calamity of Blood
Chapter 1 (4K5)
When the time is up, the random instance will automatically crash.
This Yuki's first time experiencing a dungeon crash, but it turned out to be no different from a regular quest; she felt dizzy for a moment, and when she opened her eyes again, she was on the rooftop.
If the random instance reaches its time Limit, it returns to the starting point, which is why he always manages to kill all the enemies.
Back on the rooftop of the teaching building, it was afternoon again. Yuki opened his eyes and saw Ayanokoji sitting against the wall. He was about to make a sarcastic remark.
"Stop talking, I'm not that stupid, waiting here for you for two days." The boy raised his hand to interrupt, not wanting to hear anything that insulted his intelligence. He glanced at the twelve players who had returned unscathed, a satisfied expression on his face.
"Well done, they must have gained a lot of experience in dealing with monsters."
"My fighting style is different from Adam's, so don't try to copy him." Yuki had just slept for a few hours and was now full of energy, but even in his sleep, he was thinking about Adam.
According to Sakayanagi Arisu, this is the most aggressive player during the daytime, no, he is different from most players. How should I put it, he is not like a normal person in modern society.
His relentless pursuit of power, crushing all enemies like a berserker, made him a complete madman who should live on another film set.
"Their fighting styles are indeed different, but they are similar in one aspect."
"Which point?"
Ayanokoji slowly stood up and answered seriously, "That feeling of being a born killer, completely immersed in the battle, with even instincts serving it."
Is this a compliment or an insult?
Yuki's eyes twitched slightly. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that Yuki was right. No matter how well the plan was prepared, there were always countless unexpected events when it came to actually doing it.
But whether brave or cunning, he remained exceptionally calm, all his instincts and intelligence focused on one goal:
Kill the opponent.
"I'm not a serial killer by profession, and I'm pretty normal most of the time," Yuki weakly defended himself.
"I can see that. You were indeed beyond my expectations when we first met, or perhaps you really are that kind of dangerous person that Hiyori wouldn't follow." The boy paused for a moment before slowly asking:
"So I'm curious, what exactly happened to you?"
I did make some preparations, but I wouldn't go to such extremes just for a possibility.
Yuki thought for a moment and replied, "Perhaps it's a natural talent; he was born for this."
He himself didn't believe it. In his past life, he was a corporate slave whose hobby was watching Bilibili after get off work. But the damned big data always made him switch from Bilibili to Bilibili Video.
If we're really talking about talent, then it should be the conduit.
"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." Ayanokoji suppressed her curiosity and casually asked, "You've been delayed for two whole days, did you receive the mission notification?"
Before he could finish speaking, Yuki could no longer hear him because another voice suddenly entered his ears.
[Player Yuki, preparing to enter the story quest - Calamity of Blood]
[Player has enabled the party function. Share the quest?]
[One-hour countdown begins.]
Damn, you're such a jinx.
Yuki didn't even have time to scold him; he'd barely sat down after getting back when a mission notification popped up.
Why isn't this a routine mission?
What does "Calamity of Blood" mean? It sounds so ominous! Does it mean I'm going to have bad luck?
Have the senior students returned yet?
Seeing Yuki's expression, Ayanokoji knew he had been right, so he gave Ryuuen Kakeru and the others a look, signaling them to disperse and not disturb them.
"Don't worry, Hiyori is back. According to her, everyone got through the dungeon smoothly."
"That's great." Yuki breathed a sigh of relief, gave him a grateful look, and was about to take out his phone to make a call when the boy pressed his hand down.
"Don't rush, share the quest first. We can talk about it after we enter the dungeon. There's something I need to remind you of." Ayanokoji paused for a moment, then looked at him with a puzzled expression. "I don't know why, but Hiru seems to be more interested in you than we are."
Yuki was slightly taken aback, then immediately frowned. "Is the information accurate?"
"Indeed, I have an inside man. Zhou is focusing all his efforts on finding you."
Oh, this doesn't make sense.
Yuki was a little confused. If the information was false, then Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was deliberately creating conflict to bind the two sides together, but this possibility was extremely small and would be an insult to each other's intelligence.
Is that really true?
That shouldn't be the case. My original plan was to stir up hatred within the academy, which is why I specifically used Nagumo Miyabi's image to ignite the fuse. Even though the matter has been exposed and Shinomiya Oko knows that a third party was involved, there's no need for him to be interested in me.
The ringleader is clearly right there; who would ignore the ringleader and go looking for an unknown accomplice? Wouldn't that be incredibly pointless?
"Don't look at me. I really don't know why I'm taking the threat for you in the open. It was part of the deal." Ayanokoji raised his hand to indicate that it had nothing to do with him. If he really wanted to renege on his promise, he wouldn't have agreed to help buy time.
That's strange. How exactly did they notice something was wrong with me?
Yuki pondered this, he suddenly realized with a start that something was amiss. Wasn't it only natural that he was being targeted?
"It's alright, once I find the core members of Daybreak, I'll know the answer." Yuki became more relaxed, shrugging his shoulders. "Go give your people some psychological counseling, I'm going to participate in a story mission. By the way, do you have any relevant information, the free kind?"
Information on forums is not always reliable, and getting something for free is a lifestyle choice.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was somewhat speechless, immediately adding the 'shameless' label to Yuuki's name, and said calmly, "Story missions are generally quite difficult, and the local forces are extremely powerful, so don't easily provoke them."
When have I ever encountered a dungeon that wasn't difficult?
Yuki didn't take it to heart. After saying goodbye to Ayanokoji, he immediately chose to share the mission. This was more effective than making a phone call. In less than a second, as if it were a ranked match, everyone was ready.
Mai Sakurajima, Shiina Hiyori, Hayasaka Ai, Kaguya Shinomiya all joined the team, and Yuki didn't rush to contact them; there would be plenty of opportunities to meet them later.
His past two days have been fulfilling yet monotonous. He missed another exciting adventure and doesn't know how his seniors fared. Fortunately, they all returned safely, so the minimum requirement has been met.
"It really does have a kind of dogshit-like sense of destiny."
Yuki sighed. At first, all he wanted was to protect himself and help Hayasaka Ai out of trouble, but later he added Kaguya Shinomiya.
Now, after all this going around in circles, how did we end up back on my head again?
But so what if they're being targeted? As enemies, they should be killed. Only the dead pose no threat. As for that Adam...
[Three]
[Two]
[One]
[Instance Start]
As he murmured, Yuki lowered his face.
I'm really looking forward to it.
Vanished without a trace in an instant, as if erased from the world by an eraser. The late summer breeze rustled through the school uniform, and for some reason, Ayanokoji felt a sense of loss.
"You're leaving already?" Sakayanagi Arisu approached silently, teasing, "Judging from your expression, have you become good friends with him?"
"He helped me, and we have similar goals, so of course we're friends." Ayanokoji expressionlessly, completely unfazed by the teasing. "By the way, he's a character in the storyline, so he's going to suffer this time."
"Why don't you help him calculate his survival rate?"
"Don't say that, it makes me feel like a charlatan." Ayanokoji was too lazy to complain, so he activated his special ability, waving his fingers in the air, and dense numbers flashed. Suddenly, his fingertips stopped.
"The result isn't good?" Sakayanagi Arisu's smile faded. The boy looked up, his face filled with confusion, as if he couldn't believe it, and recalculated the probability.
Sakayanagi Arisu's heart also raced; she rarely saw the other person calculate twice.
"Oh no." Ayanokoji looked up again, blinking blankly as he looked in the direction where Yuki had disappeared.
He is doomed.
"How could that be? There's no such thing as absolute zero probability in the world." Sakayanagi Arisu her cane; she had a fairly good impression of Yuki.
"But this is the result." Ayanokoji raised his head, recalling every word Yuki had said to him. For some reason, he thought of the tipping point and many coincidences.
"Sakayanagi."
"Um?"
"Do you think it's possible that we've reached a critical juncture?" Ayanokoji licked his slightly dry lips and looked up at the clear sky.
"Reincarnation Game, you want him dead?"
One hour apart, two consecutive spatial teleportations left Yuki somewhat dazed, and it took him several seconds to open his eyes.
In front of me was a room that looked like a lounge. It had no windows, only a dark red sofa and some tables and chairs. The walls not far away were covered with forms, like a roster.
It's nothing, anyway, Yadu Town feels much more welcoming, except for the pale white skull hanging in the center of the wall, which is a bit creepy.
"It doesn't look like a model." Yuki carefully examined the skull, wondering which company would hang a human head in the break room, when he heard the 'click' of the door lock.
Turning around, he put down the knife he had just raised, because the person who entered was none other Shiina Hiyori.
"Hey, why are you with me? Shouldn't we gather first?"
"It's probably because of the mission. I just contacted Mai Sakurajima- senpai, and they're all in this building. They'll be joining us soon." Hiyori patted her chest, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
"But Mr. Yuki, it seems like it's been a long time since I've seen you."
"It's normal for dungeons to feel like an eternity; these past two days have gone by quite quickly for me." Yuki chuckled shamelessly, plopped down on the soft sofa, and patted the girl next to him, gesturing for her to come and sit down.
"How was your experience at 'Battle on the Raging Seas'? I think you're more confident now, you must have learned a lot."
Hiyori, always obedient, sat quietly to the side, head drooping. "It's terrible. It's wet all day long, and then there's constant fighting. A lot of people have died."
She is very good at storytelling. Even when telling the truth, she makes the story feel dramatic and engaging. She also tells it concisely, Yuki as if he is in the midst of a stormy sea.
"Battle on the Raging Seas" is a war-themed instance where players belong to different fleets and search for the legendary throne—a very simple and straightforward mission.
There's cooperation, there's battle, and of course, there are plenty of characters and plot points. Yuki listened, he began to appreciate the nuances of the story.
"These NPCs have a very strong presence. A warship has at least a hundred people on it. How could a few players possibly operate it? It's like fighting alongside the story characters." Yuki felt very novel about this. He had been going against the plot all along.
"Yes, we met Captain Jack Sparrow, Dr. Natalie, and the bearded gunner; they were all very nice people." Hiyori's eyes shone; this was a precious memory.
"And the warships were sailing ships from around the 18th century, somewhere in the Caribbean Sea?"
"It only looks like one, but it actually possesses Transcendental Grade power. When we set sail, we can fly up into the sky with the storm." Hiyori became excited, as if that magnificent scenery was right in front of her.
The azure sea, the soaring warships, the thunderous roar of cannons—both sides, possessing Transcendental Grade power, are engaged in boarding action.
A thrilling and romantic adventure.
Hmm, the art style Taiyi from my dungeon.
Through the narration, Yuki also saw that magnificent scene. His dungeons were full of Living Corpse, demons, and evil gods. He also longed to stand shirtless on the bow of a 74mm gun battleship and conquer the sea.
"It feels like this era is different from now. Even if someone had Transcendental Grade powers, they wouldn't need to use sailboats." Yuki found some problems and replaced the 74-gun battleship in his fantasy with an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which immediately reduced the romantic feeling a lot.