Chapter 196
"Indeed, it is contrary to honor." Abate didn't know how to describe it; the Cult's current actions were indeed dishonorable.
Arranging continuous battles and allowing other teams to observe is breaking the rules and desecrating the sacred arena.
If all you care about is the final victory, how are you any different from the man in front of you? What gives you the right to hate him?
"So-called honor and fairness are nothing more than tools; they're talked about when needed and discarded when not." Yuki noticed the other's doubt and sighed softly.
"It only needs my life to ignite the emotions, so Adam has already won before the battle even begins."
"Deciding the outcome in advance? This... this is simply..." Abate couldn't describe it; it contradicted the thoughts in his mind.
If one side is destined to win, then there is no need for soldiers; what the audience seeks are those fierce battles where neither side is afraid of the other.
Even if there is a huge difference in strength, the weak will be cheered for every counterattack.
Even with an endless cycle of killing, every clash is enough to get your blood pumping.
Why is Yuki disliked? Why is no one willing to challenge him?
It's precisely because the process of the clash between will and body is not visible that the original intention of a death match is violated.
"But this is the apostle's decision, and I cannot question it." Abate thought for a long time and slowly shook his head.
"You are questioning," Yuki calmly, then, seeing Abate lost in thought, he looked at him with pity and gently patted his shoulder.
"Take me to the lounge now."
"You idiot, we've explored the residential areas and confirmed the cycle theory; the city residents really did appear out of thin air."
"Yuki, Two-Gun Zhang has already 'defeated' me. We have confirmed that the audience can kill him, and the Fool's Mask is effective before the deathmatch begins."
The Spirit Particle Communicator has a recording function and no distance limit inside the instance. Yuki returned to the rest room alone. The damage to his Shape-shifting Outfit was gradually being repaired, and dozens of new messages had already been sent.
I'm locked in a fierce battle, while all three lanes are advancing simultaneously.
He laughed. It was so convenient to have his senior classmates around. If it were located in Yadu Town, even with three heads and six arms, he couldn't manage to operate on multiple fronts simultaneously.
Hayasaka Ai disguised herself as Yuki and entered Arena II. Although she was exposed before stepping onto the stage, Two-Gun Zhang started the battle in advance and used hint 4 to prevent the guards from interfering.
Because they acted ahead of time, the two accidentally injured many viewers. After confirming the clues, Two-Gun Zhang used his last chance to lose and decisively left the stage.
He was no longer a warrior and naturally did not need to continue fighting, but what happened next aroused Yuki's strong interest in this unknown, masked player.
Instead of hiding immediately, Two-Gun Zhang personally killed two Cult members who came to handle the aftermath, and then told Hayasaka Ai that the other party could not regenerate.
"The members of the Cult are indeed unable to regenerate; we don't need to risk verifying that." Yuki with the other person's explanation and asked curiously, "But what's wrong with this person? They're incredibly audacious."
"According to him, even if he obediently became a henchman, he would still be eliminated. You and Adam are enough for the seed." Hayasaka Ai replied calmly, forgetting how surprised she had been earlier. "Since we've chosen to cooperate, I might as well help you a little more. And what about those things like 'a true gambler has to dare to bet, while a gambling king like me only knows how to go all in'?"
Impressive, no wonder they can dominate player cooperation just by their name.
Yuki couldn't help but admire him; his strength was undeniable, but his intelligence was even more astonishing.
This is true wisdom. Realizing that even with certain methods, one cannot hide in this city for long, and knowing that one will inevitably be excluded by the Cult, one might as well turn against them.
Some people, even if they choose to break off relations, are always afraid of this and that. He, on the other hand, is straightforward; he either doesn't do it at all or he does it to the end, which allows him to find a way out.
He's definitely someone who dares to place bets.
He continued to be a warrior, at most serving as a stepping stone for Adam, who had a notorious reputation and was clearly not a suitable partner, so he had no choice but to turn to himself.
After losing to Hayasaka Ai, she lost even her value as a stepping stone and would definitely be targeted by the opposing team, leaving only two paths:
Either hide and wait as long as you can, since you'll be killed if you show yourself anyway; or bet on Yuki and see what he can do to clear the dungeon.
There's no need to choose; he'd do anything except take on a suicidal mission like challenging an apostle.
"That's correct. He's no longer of any use. Those skull mountains inside those black buildings don't require every player's head to be placed there." Yuki paused for a moment, then asked with some anticipation:
"Besides the fact that the Cult members are definitely unable to reproduce, what else?"
"He fought two battles, one after the other."
Really.
Yuki slightly, proving that hint 4 not only applies to passersby and players, but all characters in this instance must participate.
"This Mr. Zhang has been a great help. It's true that if players can unite, clearing dungeons is much easier." Yuki said with a hint of respect, which made Hayasaka suspicious.
"Don't you think there's some kind of conspiracy involved? This Two-Gun Zhang is too straightforward, it's like he's offering himself up to be used by us."
"Don't overthink it. Even if he sold us out, we wouldn't survive. Neither Adam nor the apostles would let them go. This is just a matter of wisdom."
"What wisdom?"
"The wisdom of all-in betting."
The communicator was silent for a moment. Hayasaka clearly didn't understand how 'all in' could be considered wisdom, nor did she need to. She only knew that Two-Gun Zhang's actions had accelerated the progress considerably.
They had considered targeting members of the Cult, but they lacked the strength and saw no need to take the risk. Now that a gambler who had lost everything had personally intervened, it was of great significance.
"Members of the Cult cannot Resurrection and are independent of the Slaughter Cycle. Furthermore, the audience can be killed, thus solving the problem of who to kill." Hayasaka had already discussed this with Hiyori and proposed the next step of the plan:
"Two-Gun Zhang's group has gone into hiding, but the Cult won't let them go. By having them draw attention, we can use this opportunity to figure out the enemy's troop composition."
The enemy has shrunk from the entire city to just two characters, finally giving us a starting point.
"He dared to go all in, so he won't die so easily. Besides, I've found a new angle to approach him." Yuki briefly recounted Abate's story, then said coldly, "That apostle set the rules, and then broke them himself. Sure enough, cracks appeared within their ranks."
"But this entry point needs time to develop, and Two-Gun Zhang and his team can't wait that long." Hayasaka Ai also realized that this was a strategic approach.
"No need to cut in, just annoy that apostle. Don't forget, there are still three groups of players. We can't steal Adam's spotlight." Yuki remained calm and quickly incorporated Two-Gun Zhang into the original plan.
His all-in bet was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire, accelerating the overall plot. Yuki had originally planned to spend two or three days preparing, but now it seems he can't wait that long.
And then there's Adam, that madman. Knowing him as I do, I doubt even the apostle could keep him in check. After all, with Two-Gun Zhang leaving the stage, only he and I, the two warriors, are left. The apostle has no room to maneuver.
Knock knock.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Yuki looked up, his eyes darting around, and he guessed who it was.
Someone is looking for me.
"Who?"
Yuki crossed his legs and straightened his collar.
"Adam's man."
Chapter Twenty-Six: The Great Deceiver
Click.
The door lock clicked, the door opened, and a boy with bangs appeared in sight. His body was like a ghost, semi-transparent, and you could even see the corridor behind him.
This is some kind of stealth skill, very similar to the Void Puppet.
It's finally here.
Yuki breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him.
An organization like Daybreak, which ignores the academy and is so persistent in its pursuit, must have a reason. If it were simply a hunt, Chun wouldn't have come at all. The fact that she came means there's room for negotiation.
As for the reason, we'll find out after a bit of talk.
It wasn't him.
The boy was also sizing Yuki, admitting that this player was incredibly intimidating. If they were to fight one-on-one according to the rules of this dungeon, he would most likely die.
However, compared to that figure from Kanagawa, the two have a similar aura, but the difference is too great.
That figure gave him a sense of insurmountable challenge, like a towering mountain with no peak in sight. He had no desire to challenge it at all, and even though that person regarded him as an ant, he didn't feel arrogant.
This player named 'Kevin' gives off a strong vibe, yet still leaves you with a desire for challenge.
However, he was still arrogant, and he didn't even bother to disguise his face.
"You've come to me from across the instance, what exactly do you want?" Yuki spoke first, trying to project an image of knowing everything, and his hostility wasn't feigned.
The number of Fool's Mask is limited, and the battle is too intense for him to disguise himself. But that doesn't matter. In reality, it would take a lot of time to find himself based on his face alone. He can always go to Europe if necessary.
"Because you killed our people," Chun said calmly, without revealing the reason.
"There are plenty of players who have killed you. Are you going to take revenge on each and every one of them?" Yuki sneered disdainfully, pointing to the door behind him. "If you really want to kill me, why waste your breath? Just call Adam over. I'm going to fight him sooner or later anyway."
"It's not necessary for now. It depends on how much you know." Chun was still guessing. Those abilities had margin of error. If it was just a misunderstanding, there was no need for her to waste her time.
What do I know? Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's secret? No, since he has the ability to track across dungeons, why doesn't he track the players participating in dungeons at the academy?
Yuki cold on the surface, but was inwardly bewildered, her brain racing as she tried to figure out how this was connected to Daylight.
The greatest hatred is nothing more than the Battle of Tokyo, but I was just feigning an attack, so if they really wanted revenge, they wouldn't take it out on me; the second greatest hatred is Kaguya Shinomiya, but it would be easier to find her in reality.
What other reasons could make them interested in me?
Yuki frowned, concealing his question well, his gaze sweeping over the boy in front of him like a knife. Gradually, he actually remembered something.
Damn, no way, that was just something I made up.
He recalled how he had used his Conceptual Craft Essence to deceive the boy back in Kanagawa, his initial idea being to disrupt the daytime investigation and thus make Hayasaka Ai safer.
'But they believed my boasting, and then Shinomiya Oko ran out of time and desperately wanted to know the next phase of information, so he conjured up a cross-phase organization in his mind?'
'Could it be that Causal Prophecy that linked me to the boasts I made before, forcing them to seek any remedy in their desperation?'
Yuki thought about many things for a while, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, because the original purpose of Daybreak was to create an organization to provide a continuous stream of reinforcements for him after his 'ascension'.
If that's the case, then of course I need to gather intelligence. Besides, I have a grudge against them, and I'm afraid of being blocked at the gate after my ascension, right?
The logic is sound; Yuki has information about Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and has also encountered the Forsaken. He relies entirely on guesswork to predict the next stage, and the other players aren't much better off.
"You don't know why I came to find you?" Tsubaki's expression turned suspicious, but fortunately she didn't read any other meaning in Yuki's eyes.
"I know, I just think you guys have admirable courage." Yuki had no choice but to speak, interlacing his fingers. "Knowing who's behind me, you still want to be my enemy? Is Shinomiya Oko planning to stay on Earth for the rest of his life?"
He wouldn't dare use terms like 'lower realm' or 'mortal world,' so using 'Earth' would definitely be correct.
Fortunately, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw the boy visibly relax and quickly put his mind to work at full speed, frantically adding more information to the settings.
It was just a boast back then; even the name 'Taiyi' came about on a whim. There was no real background to it.
"Lord Yellow Light said that even if it's troublesome, we have to face it eventually." Chun had already prepared her answer, and her tone became reserved. "I want to know, why are you enemies with Zhou?"
Because Hayasaka Ai is my wing, and you are threatening her safety.
Yuki really wanted to say that, but he knew that if he said it out loud, he would lose all his prestige. He had to rely on his reputation to fool people. How could a player organization in the next stage be so cliché?
But he really couldn't think of a reason. He couldn't just say he didn't like them, and he couldn't bring up Ayanokoji either, because someone must have figured out his background.
Furthermore, since these people can track across instances, they might have the ability to transmit information.
Yuki shifted his posture and said coldly, "Because an item is useful to us."
"What prop? Whose prop?" The boy was completely taken aback by the answer, and his mind immediately wandered, thinking of many unusual props.
There's no way to guess; perhaps it's in Zhou's hands, or perhaps it's in the academy's.
"You'll tell me, then hide it again?" Yuki sneered, then deliberately changed the subject. "What are you going to do? Torture me to get the next stage of information, then kill me to silence me?"
"No, no, no, we want to clear up the misunderstanding." The boy quickly denied it, as if he knew Yuki had a powerful backer and was afraid of being punished later. "But you have indeed caused great harm to Hiru, and we need to show some sincerity."
So it's my fault, huh? Okay, it really is my fault.
After careful consideration, Yuki realized that Hiru was indeed a victim. Not only did a lot of people die, but he was also forced to make up his own stories. As for sincerity, that was just information.
The key point is that I know about Pi's information: he has three dungeon experience levels and many permissions that haven't been unlocked, so it's easy for him to be exposed.
"Can you make that decision?"
"Yes, that apostle is unfathomable and is definitely plotting something. Only if our three teams of players unite will we have a chance of winning." Chun's words were tempting; a united team of players could indeed put up a fight against him.
Yuki considered it seriously for a while, then nodded as if convinced. "That makes sense. Players can find and verify the ultimate secret by teaming up. The Apostle is betting on Adam and me, and we can betray it at the right time."
"So I used it." Chun took out a roll of parchment, which was clearly a contract tool, and the contents on it were simple and straightforward:
The two teams must not be enemies within this instance; Yuki guarantees that the information provided is true and reliable.
"We don't need this thing." Yuki glanced at the other party and said coldly, "It's just a team. Without Adam, the contract is meaningless. How am I supposed to know if you're even a team?"
The boy paused, his hand holding the parchment, and chuckled sheepishly. "I can get Adam to come, but without a contract, how can I guarantee its authenticity?"
"I don't want to confront him directly; that's too dangerous." Yuki stared intently at him and spoke slowly, "Besides, I never intended to tell you much information anyway. It's no fun to devour a good dish all at once."