Chapter 197
"I understand, this is just to whet our appetites, but without a contract, aren't you afraid we might back out?"
"I've already said, it's meaningless without Adam signing it face-to-face with me. As for going back on your word?" Yuki raised his hand to support his cheek, a half-smile on his face. "You're just low-level players from Earth, yet you can still exchange messages across instances. Why can't I do it across worlds? Trading one life for your entire organization, isn't that a good deal?"
It was a blatant threat, but it made sense. The other party had already shown goodwill and expressed concern, so it would be impolite to continue pursuing the matter.
Seeing the boy put away the parchment, Yuki finally breathed a sigh of relief. He knew nothing about the game, so how could he possibly sign a contract? He probably just made up a couple of sentences and got punished for it.
Besides, they have no sincerity whatsoever. Teams shouldn't be enemies? Are you playing word games with me? Moreover, Ayanokoji said that Adam, that madman, doesn't listen to orders at all. He's in the middle of something big right now, how could he possibly be controlled by you?
Yuki knew perfectly well that all he was doing was passing on false information to Daylight and testing these people.
Because a normal person would never want to go against a player who has a powerful background, shows goodwill, and even provides some information. Everyone says that Adam is abnormal, and he wants to see just how abnormal he is. It would be best if he could cause internal strife.
He coughed lightly and began to speak slowly and deliberately:
"I participated in a special mission where I met a player who was at the next stage. Perhaps seeing my potential, I was recruited as an outer member. But to officially join, I must complete the epic quest on my own. I won't receive much help during this process, and I also need to complete the tasks assigned to me."
Yuki spoke slowly, his face full of longing, while Tsubaki nodded to herself, finding no fault with him.
He had witnessed the other party's qualities firsthand; they were among the best in the daytime organization. It was only natural that such a person was valued. He was just a little curious. "Why didn't they come themselves?"
"Even the most powerful player can't break the rules of the game. You can be considered as an avatar or a consciousness. It's incredible that you can even make contact with us." Yuki frowned, as if he didn't like being interrupted.
"Even if it's just empty promises, the next stage is completely unknown, but once you get ahead, someone will protect you. Wouldn't you be tempted?"
"Of course I'm tempted. It means resources and security guarantees." Chun looked envious and leaned forward. "So what kind of future did they describe to you?"
"What's the rush? Have you ever heard of Forsaken?"
"I know, they are very rare. Occasionally you'll encounter one who is conscious and manage to get a few words from them." The boy's expression was focused. The fact that this person could mention 'the Forsaken' proved that he had valuable information.
Sure enough, I wasn't the only one who encountered this.
Yuki immediately rejected several stories. This person must also have some information about the next stage. If he went into too much detail, it would be difficult to resolve the conflict.
No problem, I've prepared another story.
He lowered his hand, sat up straight, and spoke in a detached tone.
"Have you ever heard of the Imaginary Tree and the Quantum Sea?"
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Final Battle Begins
The Imaginary Tree, the Quantum Sea? I told you the Reincarnation Game wasn't simple.
Chun hurried along the road, two new terms constantly repeating in her mind.
Yuki just provided some information, including how to contact 'Taiyi', what kind of promises were made to him, and what the next stage would look like, with a brief explanation.
Earth is merely a fruit on a tree, and these fruits vary in size, with the smaller ones being countless duplicate worlds.
Players will pass through the barrier to the tree by completing an epic quest, where they will encounter other players emerging from other fruits. This is a selection process, and players from different fruits are distinguished by 'factions', putting them in a state of both cooperation and competition.
As for the selection criteria for the epic quest, Yuki mentioned it was a conflict between trees and the sea. As for the reason for the conflict, how intense it was, and which players were the top players in each faction, he said he would explain in the next installment.
"This person doesn't understand what they're saying either. Their expression and tone sound like they're just repeating what they're saying. There's no sense of immersion. It certainly doesn't sound like they're making up a story."
Tsubaki wasn't easily fooled; she kept observing Yuki's micro-expressions, while the latter looked bewildered as he spoke, as if he had heard it from someone else and couldn't understand it himself.
So Chun didn't understand either, but the theory of the sea of trees, reverse entropy, negative entropy, the erosion and falling of fruits didn't seem to be made up randomly. It was undoubtedly a complete system, and without experiencing it firsthand, one would always be a frog in a well.
"He painted a beautiful picture for me, but he didn't say anything that would actually be of practical use."
Officer Shiratori, who had just heard the retelling, looked completely bewildered, blinking repeatedly as he gazed at the romantic-looking young man.
"I don't understand. Are you sure you're not being fooled? This isn't some kind of science fiction novel setting, is it?"
"I've read every science fiction novel on the market, and none of them have a source material." Chun looked at the womanizing detective with a mind full of wine and women, and raised her chin contemptuously.
These ordinary people know nothing. Players walk on the trees, fighting against the endless Quantum Sea. A universe is just a single fruit, while there are countless universes on the Imaginary Tree.
It sounds epic, beyond the Limit of human understanding, and the theory of the fruit being eroded also matches the intelligence.
Various player groups have discovered that the Reincarnation Game is constantly evolving, or rather, becoming more intrusive into reality, which has even sparked a yearning for heroes among teenagers.
Players in this faction must stop the Reincarnation Game, or rather, the erosion of the Imaginary Tree, to ensure that our universe does not fall into the sea and perish.
Shiratori scratched his head. He genuinely didn't understand, but it sounded impressive. He chuckled and said, "It seems that even after completing an epic quest, one will face endless battles."
"Otherwise what? Surrounded by beauties, as you fantasize? That's a much fiercer battle. We have to fight against players from other factions, invaders from the sea, and even the Reincarnation Game itself. It's clear that Lord Yellow Light has great foresight."
Are you having a fit of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)?
Shiratori finds it hard to imagine, and too lazy to even try, that such things are too romantic for a middle-aged man like him.
"But he didn't mention any of the key issues. Lord Yellow Light needs to know which players will be in the next phase, what Taiyi's attitude towards us is, and whether the players will have their existence erased."
"It's not that easy to reveal. If I did, I'd lose all my value." Chun remained calm, slightly opening her eyes. "I think he's interested in cooperating. Should we change our initial plan?"
Yuki finally revealed some 'information' and indicated that he had the ability to contact his superiors. This must be taken seriously, as the Chaos Item in the instance can only transmit information once, and there is no way to truly communicate.
Shiratori was also stumped. What if the other party could really deliver the message? Wouldn't that make an enemy? If Yuki stuck to his guns, that would have been one thing, but he had agreed to cooperate.
Knock knock knock.
Heavy footsteps approached, and a bald man with dark skin bent over as he entered the room. His body was covered in wounds, and the strong smell of blood made the detective stop thinking.
With this madman around, how could the two of them make a decision? But considering their responsibilities, they had no choice but to step forward.
"Adam, there's something I need to discuss with you."
"Okay, go ahead." The bald, burly man was quite polite, and casually picked up the kettle on the table, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.
"Tsubaki just went to see Kevin..."
"Kevin? Is it him!?"
Shiratori desperately wanted to lie and say no, but stared at by that bloodthirsty gaze, she instinctively nodded.
"Destiny has indeed been on my side!" Adam crushed the kettle into powder and asked excitedly, like a child about to receive a beloved toy.
"When is he going to play against me? Is he already itching to?"
Shiratori felt a chill run down her spine. She gestured to the side, and Tsubaki had no choice but to bite the bullet and come out, recounting the meeting as it had just taken place, adding some of her own analysis.
"What tree and sea? Oh, so there are even tougher people up there to hone my skills. Very good." Adam automatically picked up on keywords like 'combat' and 'confrontation,' then blinked. "What does this information have to do with the present? I'm preparing for a full-on battle with him."
"What I mean is, there are even more powerful players behind this person, so it's best not to provoke them," Chun explained patiently.
"That's good. Just kill them all if they come. What's the point of killing the weak? Oh, I see, you're afraid of getting into trouble, aren't you?" Adam touched his bald head, revealing an innocent smile.
"Don't worry, when I kill him, I won't give him any chance to send a message. Now take me to see him."
You don't know anything.
The two exchanged a helpless glance. Didn't the other person know to pass on the message beforehand? You're so carefree, making the entire 'Zhou' group take the blame.
"Adam, you still need to think more about us..."
Bang!!
Before Officer Shiratori could finish speaking, he was suddenly airborne. Before he could even see what was happening, he was slammed against the wall, and the hand gripping his throat felt like an iron clamp, causing his eyeballs to bulge out.
"The only purpose of your existence is to block other players and create one-on-one opportunities for me." Adam tilted his head, a naive smile still lingering on his face, but his tone was as cold as Abyss Grade:
"Or do you want to teach me how to do things?"
Just like chess players playing a game, when Adam was 'fighting internally,' all the news reached the ears of the apostles.
First, the third seed acted first before becoming a sacrifice. He not only made a swift retreat but also killed members of the Cult. Now, he and his men have disappeared to who knows where.
Secondly, Adam's people took advantage of their goodwill and secretly made direct contact with Seed Number Two.
Finally, Adam clearly received the message and was immediately filled with a violent fighting spirit. He wanted to rush out of the deathmatch arena to find the second seed. The Cult sent people to stop him, but he killed them all.
"These people are such a nuisance, always pulling these off-field tricks."
Flames burned fiercely in his eyes; the apostle, having been tricked twice, was clearly furious.
He arranged for Tsubaki to watch the match simply to increase their chances of winning; he never expected that the latter would use this opportunity to secretly contact Yuki.
From its perspective, there is simply no reason to do so.
Issuing a challenge? The Cult will handle everything; there's no need for you to do it. Showing off your privileges? What's the point of such childish behavior?
"There's something wrong with the third seed too. It must have been planned with the second seed's teammates, otherwise it wouldn't be such a coincidence," Elk muttered to himself.
"It's obvious they're testing the waters."
"To be precise, they've crossed the red line." Elk took a breath, his killing intent fully exposed. "The safest way is to eliminate them immediately, eliminate them all at once!"
Kill them! Kill them regardless of the consequences! Kill them all!
The apostle was the Roar inwardly, but in the end, he glanced sideways with an expressionless face and said, "Seed number three definitely has to be eliminated, but seed number two is also eliminated. Should we send you up to fight Adam?"
Elk was speechless. The eight warriors had all died in less than two days, leaving only Adam and Yuki. Two-Gun Zhang -Gunner was right to go all in. With his retreat, the Cult had no backup option, while Yuki and the others were safe.
Unless they eliminate Adam as well and completely restart the plan, but if they were to choose that path, why have they tolerated Yuki for so long?
Everyone has their own role in the Calamity of Blood, and the Cult and the Apostles are clearly not there to ignite the audience's emotions in the arena.
"There's another issue: some dissenting voices have emerged within our organization."
"I know this is the price, and that's why I refuse to abandon the plan. Believers cannot be incorporated into the cycle; the time can wait, but the loss cannot be made up for." The apostle waved his hand dismissively.
Although Yuki considered the people to be 'simple and honest,' he still broke the rules and provided convenience for Adam in order to ensure the plan went smoothly, which naturally drew criticism.
In gambling parlance, this means that once you've placed a bet, stopping means a pure loss.
Elk nodded; he understood the apostle's thoughts. If they had invested real resources and then terminated the plan, all the apostle's patience over the years would have been for nothing.
"We need to hurry; the longer we delay, the more uncontrollable these seeds become."
"Find a way to eliminate Seed Number Three; we can't let him cause trouble in the shadows. We need to eliminate any internal discord and prevent him from causing problems at crucial moments." The apostle paused for a moment; in this world, the only solution was to kill.
"The most crucial point is that we can't let Adam meet with Kevin right now. Once they start fighting to the death, no one can interfere, and I'm not ready yet."
Elk nodded repeatedly, taking notes one by one. Just stopping Adam would cost many lives; this guy's fighting spirit was too strong, and he wouldn't listen to empty words.
"Many people, including myself, will die."
"Are you afraid of death?" The apostle glanced at him sideways, silently repeating to himself:
They're just a bunch of natives; I'd rather die than not let them leave.
"Of course not, I'd love to." Elk grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and asked eagerly, "Then when can you be ready?"
The apostle remained silent, sensing that things were spiraling out of control, and its patience was dwindling. Every day, it had to fuel its remaining rationality with 'unwillingness to accept defeat'.
"Tomorrow, I will preside over the ceremony and initiate the ceremony for them—"
"The final battle!"
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Let's Do It! (5K)
The championship battle begins tomorrow?
Yuki was surprised when he received the message, which proved that the negotiations had failed and that the 'information' he had provided had not resolved the conflict between the players.
This shouldn't be the case. It seems he already believes me. Even if he had doubts, he should have tested me again.
Unless Adam is as uncontrollable as legend suggests, why is he so fixated on me, risking offending 'Taiyi'?
And the fact that the arrangements were made by the Cult —what kind of logic is that?
There's no problem with fighting; the timing of the fight is beyond the player's control. Two-Gun Zhang's rebellion shouldn't have accelerated this quickly; there must be other reasons.
Yuki couldn't understand it, so he turned around and saw that Hayasaka Ai, Shiina Hiyori, and Kaguya Shinomiya had all returned, and everyone was a little depressed.
There was too little time to determine troop deployment, so the Cult sent members to forcibly bring them back.
There is no way to disobey; if anyone utters a single word of 'no,' a fight to the death will ensue.
Yuki also noticed that it wasn't Abate who came to deliver the message; as a skeptic, given the style of Calamity of Blood, his fate wouldn't be good.
He wasn't saddened, but rather regretted that he discovered it too late and couldn't further exploit the internal strife to weaken the Cult's power.
Looking outside, Bloodlight City remained bustling, with a constant flow of traffic.
But all those big screens were replaced with photos of Yuki and Adam, along with striking blood-red lettering.
[The battle for the championship, stay tuned!]