Chapter 187

"It fits the character traits of the plot, but it's incomplete." Yuki stroked his chin and hesitated. "The second main storyline is too vague. We still need to verify it. If the world is destroyed, do we have to experience it again?"

"Perhaps it's because of the first half of hint 5. Judging from the analysis just now, Mr. Yuki is very useful, and the Cult is unwilling to exclude you." Hiyori pondered. As a strategy-oriented player, she paid more attention to game hints.

[Tip 5: Players who lose three times will be eliminated]

According to the information provided by Li Mo'an, killing three players in the same team will result in elimination even if you do nothing.

Yuki's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "Go on."

"This also needs to be considered in conjunction with hint 4, our initial guess, and what we've seen along the way. The people in this instance won't hold back; the only way to deal with them is to kill them, so they can't do anything to us?"

With a gentle tone, everyone returned to the questions raised in yesterday's summary, and today there was also information from other players.

There are no strategies or tactics in this instance; players either die or fight—there are only two paths.

So the Cult is like a bunch of diodes; it's not that they don't know what the senior students are doing, but rather that they can't do anything about it?

The only way to stop them is to kill them, and if they die, I will die too. But the Cult thinks I'm useful and doesn't want me to die, so they can't do anything about them?

The formation of this somewhat absurd logic would be a joke in the normal world, but this world is inherently abnormal.

So that's how it is. It's not that they're unwilling, but rather that they can't.

"Based on Kaguya's assessment, the probability is as high as 80%." If it weren't for so many people watching, Yuki really wanted to rub Hiyori, the little genius. "But don't let your guard down. Hint 5 has a redundancy. If you go too far, the Cult might take action against one of you."

"I'll handle the timing; we're not going to walk right into their deaths," Mai Sakurajima chimed in, as she was also a squad leader.

"I trust you to handle things, senior." Yuki quickly flattered her, making her beam with joy before she became slightly serious.

If that's the case, then there's nothing more to say. He won't admire the Cult's simplicity; as a cunning old fox...

I specifically bully honest people!

"Hayasaka, you follow up with Two-Gun Zhang. If he becomes a warrior, challenge him immediately."

"Me? You mean hint 1?"

[Hint 1: This is the world of deathmatch; players will participate in deathmatches as individual players or in teams.]

"That's right, you're also a member of the team. The Reincarnation Game has never said that two warriors must face each other directly. Do you remember what Elk said?"

Warriors can compete within their own teams, let alone between two player teams.

"I'll give it a try." Hayasaka Ai nodded immediately. As for how to enter other deathmatch arenas?

Two-Gun Zhang, can simply accept the challenge at the door; he can also take the opportunity to test whether the Cult can interfere in the deathmatch.

"Seniors, you guys seize this opportunity to investigate the black building. I'll try to lure that red figure away, but be careful, we don't yet know how many of these beings there are."

"Yes, I will protect Hiyori."

"Kaguya, go and test the Limit of the deathmatch time." Yuki called on another person, raising his hand to stop Kaguya's protest. "Don't complain, your ability is best suited for stalling for time. Senpai, lend her the Singer's White Veil again. Remember, you must leave your opponents with a chance of victory, otherwise they'll self-destruct in a heartbeat."

Hey, this is harder than killing someone.

The black-haired girl's lips moved, but seeing Hayasaka's encouraging gaze, she ultimately didn't say anything, unaware that Yuki's idea stemmed from the maid's recommendation.

Shiina Hiyori looked at the man giving orders and knew that he was keeping some things to himself.

If the Cult arranges things this way, it will guarantee Adam's victory. What seems like the simplest battle scenario is actually the riskiest.

"Mr. Yuki, only three groups of players remain out of eight in just two days. Do you think this level of difficulty is problematic?"

Yuki, who was giving orders, choked on his words and instinctively looked at Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima. The three of them exchanged glances and helplessly spread their hands.

"Teaming up with this pig-head always means getting special treatment, Hiyori, are you scared?" Mai Sakurajima went to comfort her, but didn't see any fear on her face.

"I just felt the taste was off; even 'Demon Hospital' wasn't this difficult to find."

"Don't overthink it. At least so far we're doing relatively well. That Cult is full of stubborn guys, and I love those kinds of straightforward boys." Yuki gently patted Hiyori's shoulder, narrowing his eyes. "At least so far I haven't smelled the scent of 'Bloodthirsty Red Moon'."

"What does the Bloodthirsty Red Moon taste like?" Kaguya interjected, curious, but Hayasaka was unwilling to elaborate, only saying that it was very difficult.

Yuki glanced at Yoruichi, and the young lady's heart pounded with unease at her laughter.

"The taste of someone racking their brains to kill me."

"Adam has killed all the warriors at Altar VIII."

At the same moment, in a sealed room, a man in a golden mask was giving a report.

The hall, spanning thousands of square meters, shimmered with a blood-red light. There was no furniture as one might expect; instead, there were only countless skulls.

The walls were covered with skulls, and the floor was piled up like mountains, with no floorboards visible at all. The man seemed to be standing on a mountain made of skulls, with only pale colors as far as the eye could see.

The pale skin was mixed with a touch of crimson; it was a large pile of freshly chopped heads, still mangled and bloody.

At the summit of the 'mountain', a red figure stood quietly, radiating genuine joy upon hearing the report.

"This is perhaps the most convincing warrior in history; I have never seen such a suitable seed."

It is indeed enjoyable. The usual approach is for players to progress from weak to strong, defeating the strongest warrior to advance. The number of battles required depends on the player's combat style.

Generally speaking, 20-30 sessions are sufficient, arranged only by the Cult.

But Adam was different; he truly accepted all comers, provoking the fighting spirit of the entire altar to its Limit.

"This is the most suitable seed. According to the original plan, the demon should have fought him in the final battle. And this time, we've encountered the most unsuitable seed." The apostle's voice became even more gleeful, causing the entire Skull Mountain to tremble.

"This is a blessing from God. With these two completely opposite seeds, we will surely be able to unleash the most magnificent blood tide."

These words excited even the man in the red suit. What sparks fly most brilliantly when weapons clash? Of course, it's the sharpest spear against the strongest shield.

They didn't understand the theory of contradiction, but they knew this was a good opportunity.

The thought of emotions suppressed to the Limit being ignited by the most glorious person is thrilling.

"But Kevin might not make it to the end."

"That's Destiny. Warriors will only fight with all their might; they won't hold back." The red-clad figure never considered anything like match-fixing.

"But Adam isn't guaranteed to win. If he loses, all our planning will have been for nothing."

"This is just an experiment." The apostle waved his hand, the flames in his eyes flickering wildly, as if he hated this troublesome matter and would rather jump out and kill Kevin and Adam.

But in the end, he forced himself to remain calm, as if he had made a huge decision. "Of course, it would be best if he won, and I would provide all the help I can. If he loses, even if there is a chance to incite a bloodbath, the cost will be very heavy."

Just as Yuki had predicted, the people in the instance were overly naive, or rather, straightforward, and had no intention of coercion or kidnapping.

"Alright, let's arrange for 'Golden Skull' to be his opponent in the first Warriors' Battle." The apostle thought for a moment and made a decision.

"I need to at least know just how strong Kevin really is."

Chapter Seventeen: Kill, or Endure?

"Your next opponent has been chosen."

Hours later, Abate rushed into the lounge, wiping blood with a handkerchief as he spoke.

"Who?" Yuki sat up slightly.

"Golden Skull, a formidable opponent, isn't that exciting? Oh no, I forgot you're not one to get excited."

It wasn't Adam after all.

Yuki visibly breathed a sigh of relief. If his opponent was Adam, it would prove that the Cult simply wanted to kill him, and his previous speculation was nothing but wishful thinking.

If that's not the case, then that's very interesting.

"You killed someone again?"

"It's all because of you that I got laughed at by my colleagues." Abate wiped his hands, nonchalantly saying, "I challenged him and beat him, so things should be quiet for a while. By the way, when are you going to die? You're really putting me in a difficult position."

Damn, this is the first time someone has ever asked me this to my face.

Yuki was speechless. Everyone in this instance was single-minded, but at least they were 'upright and honest'. This Abate was very unhappy but still did his job diligently.

And why use "defeat"?

"You didn't kill him? Was it because you didn't want to or couldn't?" Yuki's eyes flickered.

"None of your business." Abate paused for a moment, then didn't answer.

Can't members of the Cult kill each other? Why?

Yuki noted down this clue and changed the subject before Abate became alert. "What's the origin of this Golden Skull?"

"The warrior of Arena I".

"To be more specific?"

"You want to get information out of me?" Abate raised his head, his expression full of mockery. "That's impossible. You have to experience your opponent's strength yourself. I'd rather he kill you."

Yuki knew it was impossible, of course. Her seniors couldn't even get into the deathmatch arena, which was clearly because they were seeking 'fairness'.

"Can I choose where to play?"

"Both I and IV are fine, wait a minute, could it be that you...?"

"I chose number I, just as I couldn't refuse your arrangement; it's my right." Yuki smiled broadly, making Abate grit his teeth.

He turned the Arena IV into a library, and everyone's gotten used to it. He's probably trying to annoy other viewers. I don't know what the higher-ups are thinking, but they haven't bothered to kill this bastard.

"Fine, I'll arrange it." Abate got up dejectedly, but was stopped just as he was about to leave.

"We've spent several days together, so we should be fairly familiar with each other, right?"

"Trying to get close to me? You're dreaming if you think you can get information out of me. If you want to be my friend, you'd better die first."

The man rattled off a whole bunch of things, leaving Yuki speechless again. He didn't dislike this straightforwardness; at least it was more reliable than someone who was two-faced.

"I never intended to be your friend, I just wanted to ask you why you were born?"

He immediately launched into profound philosophical questions, to which Abate retorted, "First, tell me why you fight. You're clearly very strong, yet you don't fight for glory."

"In order to survive."

"And then what, just to survive?"

"It's about living a better life; power is just a tool." Yuki wasn't lying; the entire Reincarnation Game was merely a tool to him.

Abate's expression was strange; he could tell what was real and what was fake, but he just couldn't understand it.

Strength is indeed a tool, but it is a tool for gaining glory.

"I was born for glory," he answered resolutely.

"Isn't this just killing?"

"My thoughts are similar to yours. Power is a tool for killing, and killing exists for glory. This is a deeply ingrained Truth for every warrior." Abate spoke with a sense of sanctity, and upon seeing Yuki's expression, he immediately frowned.

"What are you laughing at? Do you feel so good about trampling on honor?"

"You're overthinking it. I've never intentionally trampled on honor, because I don't care about the cheers of the audience." Yuki interlaced his fingers, speaking instinctively without thinking.

"If there truly is someone who is watching everything, perhaps He wouldn't care about glory at all."

"The purest form of killing is simple: who cares what caused the war or where the blood came from?"

The probing went a bit too far, and after finishing his Yuki, Yuki glanced at Abate out of the corner of his eye.

The guide lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought, lost in philosophical questions about killing and glory, without questioning Yuki about how he learned of 'His' existence.

"What caused the war? Where did the blood come from? Your question is quite interesting."

"Oh? Didn't you have any deathmatches or spectators before?" Yuki expectantly, keenly sensing the change in his emotions.

"I've already told you, don't try to get information out of me." Abate didn't reply, but simply stood up, turned and walked away, then stopped at the door. "But what you said makes sense, it doesn't seem so annoying anymore."

Thump.

He closed the door and left again, causing Hayasaka Ai, who had been silently observing from the side, to frown.

On one hand, I felt that Abate seemed a bit arrogant, but on the other hand, I noticed that Yuki had gained something.

"You mean these rules in the instance have nothing to do with the mastermind behind it?"

She had thoroughly researched the concept of 'The Bystander Is Blind,' knew of the existence of something beyond the copy, and Yuki had already confirmed from the eight pillars that it was not a mythological story.

"It should be, but this instance Taiyi as 'the Bystander Is Blind'; the evil god of Yadu Town did indeed send down clear instructions," Yuki replied hesitantly.

"You mean, all this fuss wasn't the idea of the person behind it?"

"It's just speculation. The rules of this instance are too rigid. Everything is designed to stir up the emotions of the characters in the story. By the way, Hiyori just happened to find three clues."