Chapter 218
"Don't worry, judging from the situation at this Outpost, there will definitely be restrictions on where players meet, otherwise they would have been fighting to the death by now." Yuki was quite calm; he was always confident in his adventures.
He took a deep breath and finally answered the murmur.
"Teleport."
The words had barely left his mouth when, without even a millisecond's delay, Yuki vanished from his spot, so fast that Mai Sakurajima and the others didn't even have time to react.
Yuki had just vanished. Everyone looked at each other in dismay. Hayasaka Ai quickly went up to touch the vortex, then retreated with a sigh of relief.
"No problem, this door will remain. The way it disappeared just now was very similar to joining a dungeon."
"Phew, as long as he's back, that's all that matters." Mai Sakurajima leaned against the wall. Yuki was her pillar of support; if he were gone, how would she clean up this mess?
After regaining her composure, she looked up and saw Shiina Hiyori staring blankly at the street outside.
"Hiyori- kun?"
"Look!" The girl raised her hand in surprise. Through the glass, she could see the gray street.
The snow has stopped.
Well, it's similar to the disorienting feeling of entering a dungeon, but other than that, there's nothing strange about it.
Yuki closed his eyes, carefully recalling the dazed feeling he had just experienced, and finally heard a jumble of sounds.
There were sounds of talking, walking, the screeching of some animal, and people arguing, but no explosive sounds of energy colliding.
His hearing brought him the initial sensation, and as his eyes slowly opened, his scarlet pupils instinctively contracted, causing him to slightly open his mouth. Amidst the shock, he was filled with a sense of fervor.
That's more like it; that's what the next stage should look like.
It was as if a speck of dust was gazing at the sky, before which lay an indescribable city—no, the word "city" seemed pale and powerless, at least Earth's civilization could not yet create a similar term.
From Yuki's perspective, it was as if he were standing in the middle of a circular tunnel, with countless buildings extending into the distance and then arranged in a ring.
All around me were densely packed buildings of various shapes and sizes, and on both sides were also various buildings, which stretched upwards all the way to the sky.
Raising your neck, the buildings overhead seemed to hang upside down like mirrors, the tall buildings resembling strings of stalactites, while in the middle lay an 'ocean,' a vast and deep purplish-red vortex even larger than the Outpost, looking from afar like a giant hanging lamp.
Aside from this the Miracle architectural style, Yuki finally saw living beings.
They were dressed in all sorts of different clothes, too many to count. With Yuki saw some wearing flowing robes, some dressed similarly to himself, and some simply mechanical skeletons. They walked along the long street, ignoring him, who was peeking out like a country bumpkin in the middle of the road.
They're all players.
Yuki was in a bind. All the players he had ever seen combined were less than one-thousandth of what he had seen in that single glance. He even saw players on the 'walls' and overhead, walking upside down in the sky.
People would appear out of thin air from time to time, and others would disappear into thin air. The faint light generated by the movement of space looked like twinkling stars.
Yuki realized his lack of education; faced with such a scene, only one word could express his feelings:
Grass.
Burning with fervor and ambition, Yuki finally understood why Adam had climbed so desperately to the top.
Here lies endless knowledge, boundless unknowns, and limitless power.
Having been in the Reincarnation Game for so long, players are no longer normal people. The constantly performed tasks are dangerous and monotonous because only the content and difficulty have changed; there is no essential difference.
The first task felt novel, the fifth task gave a sense of accumulating strength, so what about the tenth, the twentieth?
The Reincarnation Game never tells you how to quit. Even the most determined person will become numb. Only by stepping onto a new level and seeing a more magnificent view can one rekindle their fighting spirit.
There's still no way to quit, still no end in sight, but as long as the scenery along the way is spectacular enough, it can make you ignore the ending.
[Player Yuki, welcome to the Reincarnation Crossroads]
[Tip 1: This is where players exchange information and trade items. It costs 20 points every 24 hours.]
[2: Except in specific locations, players are prohibited from attacking each other; violators will be eliminated.]
[3: Please abide by the contract, or you will be punished.]
The murmurs were etched into his memory, jolting Yuki out of his philosophical reverie. Ignoring the grand sweep of the future, at least for this moment, he was utterly bewildered.
Who am I? What am I supposed to do?
Yuki turned his head and looked around. He was surrounded by players, completely detached from reality. He didn't know if the interpersonal skills he had learned on Earth were useful, because some of them didn't even look human.
Judging from intuition, the players on this path are strong, but not many can truly make him feel pressured. Yuki doesn't have the power level assessment glasses, but surely not every player on the path is hiding their strength.
Compared to the desolate Outpost, this should be true ascension. Why does it not feel like Transcendental Grade are everywhere, and monsters are less than dogs to me?
At first glance, it doesn't seem so cliché; it just raises more questions.
Smack
Just then, he felt a light tap on his shoulder, which startled him so much that Yuki drew his sword. When he turned around, he saw a figure with a mechanical head right behind him.
It wore a futuristic-looking suit of armor covered in pipes and nozzles, and its slightly reddish electronic eyes reflected its astonished expression.
"Sir, is this your first time at the Borderlands?"
The synthesized voice came through, completely different from the forty Earth languages that Yuki knew, but just like when he first entered the Crimson Moon, he could understand it without any barriers.
Yuki stood still, looking dazed, but his electronic eyes narrowed slightly, revealing human emotions.
"It seems so. I have all kinds of information, from the most basic to the most advanced. With just a little bit of points, there are hundreds of Chaos Item to choose from."
Synthetic voices have little intonation, but machines are the fairest and most stubborn, making them a great collaborator.
Holy crap, hundreds of kinds?
Yuki's expression changed, thinking to himself, "Is this some kind of den of dragons and tigers? How come even a random random player is so powerful?"
Shouldn't I have taken a shortcut to get here? But even if I followed the proper steps, I could have already entered a new stage at the Transcendental Grade level.
Yuki was full of questions, but his expression gradually returned to indifference, and he didn't rush to communicate with anyone.
"Sir, RAX31 is awaiting your response."
The mechanical voice sounded again, without any impatience. Yuki silent, slowly backing away before suddenly turning and disappearing into the crowd.
"Wait..." The robot suddenly raised its hand, but Yuki had already disappeared into the crowd, so it lowered its hand in frustration.
"This country bumpkin is incredibly wary, damn it. Who said Machine Intelligence are the easiest to trust?"
The man turned his head and saw a boy not far away looking up, staring blankly at his surroundings. He immediately slapped his face.
Rippling patterns appeared, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed from a cold, hard Machine Intelligence into a rock figure over three meters tall. He swayed as he walked over and greeted them in a muffled, honest tone:
"Young man, is this your first time in the Borderlands? Valde of the Honest Tribe is here to serve you. I have all sorts of intelligence here..."
Damn, people are indeed treacherous; it's the same everywhere.
Yuki hadn't gone far at all; he'd just watched this shapeshifter fooling around. His ability to disguise himself was comparable to the Fool's Mask; he hadn't noticed a single clue just now.
He realized he was overthinking things; there was no need to worry about the social customs and etiquette of a strange world. As long as the language was the same, many things were the same.
Where there is evil, there is good; where there is passion, there is indifference; when attacked, one will retaliate; when one gains an advantage, one will feel smug.
The logic is the same; aesthetics and such are not important considerations.
Upon arriving in a strange place, Yuki not only followed the path of survival but also returned to his old profession.
Observe, observe as an outsider, and form all the clues gathered into a rigorous logic.
Standing by the street, Yuki quietly observed and gradually discovered many details.
Firstly, there are countless buildings, but very few have actual foot traffic, and most have their doors and windows tightly closed.
Secondly, there's the individual players' outfits.
For example, how could that equipment be so loyal?
Even though there were many players on the road, Yuki still spotted a figure wearing a gray-green military overcoat, a gas mask, and a helmet with a golden eagle emblem in the center.
He carried a rifle on his back and moved slowly, like a walking corpse, giving people a sense of bewilderment yet determination.
Is it the Death Korps of Krieg?
The appearance was so distinctive that Yuki certain it was true. Considering the previous 'Calamity of Blood' and the existence of what appeared to be a super-duplication of Khorne, it wasn't surprising to see the other party.
I can tell them apart by their appearance.
Yuki, this advantage was no longer significant in the dungeon because, due to real-world factors, everyone except newcomers would pretend.
But not here, or at least it's not necessary.
A thought struck him, and he began to observe the passing players more closely. In just over ten minutes, he actually noticed something.
The Tokiwadai school uniforms, the Demon Slayer Corps uniforms—what are those? They look like pilot suits from some Gundam anime!
His blood-red pupils slowly widened as he realized that the cheat system was playing a greater role here, and his long-faded memories gradually resurfaced.
Yuki did not act on her own. She could not judge an individual's personality based on external characteristics alone, so she chose to continue waiting until a more familiar figure walked by on the street.
She had long purple hair, wore a loose robe, and her slightly chubby round face looked somewhat dull. She held a crooked staff.
Is it her?
Yuki paused for a moment, but wasn't too surprised. He quickly walked over, his steps becoming lighter.
That's right, my biggest advantage in the Reincarnation Game isn't advance preparation at all, but rather --
I know people everywhere.
Chapter 5 Is this the Reincarnation Game??? (5K)
I know you, but you don't know me.
The time traveler's Prophet allows them to distinguish between good and evil, but this ability isn't very effective during the closed phase because the real world consists of ordinary people who are easily influenced by the Reincarnation Game.
Aside from newcomers, you shouldn't have preconceived notions about the others; who knows if they've turned evil?
But things are different here. Someone like Wu Raian, who is born with superhuman strength, can't be considered mentally normal either. It's like he has a disease, and the game is more like aggravating his condition.
When joining the game, the stronger your innate power, the less likely you are to turn to the dark side, just like the one in front of you.
"Is there something you need?"
The girl stared at Yuki expressionlessly, appearing calm and collected. Her slightly round, chubby face exuded a sense of pressure, but fortunately, Yuki was already used to this expression.
She resembles Hayasaka Ai somewhat, and is pretty much the same as I remember her.
Frieren, or Fei Lun, was quite an eye-opener for Yuki. This familiar face Taiyi from the ones he had met before; he was a powerful individual with his own strength.
'That's strange. Wouldn't someone like that thrive in the Reincarnation Game? In my world, who could compare? And where did that elf go?'
Frieren noticed the strange look in the eyes of the person who had inexplicably stopped him, but didn't think much of it.
During her travels, she encountered too many players from other factions, and slightly curtsied.
"If you don't speak, please excuse me."
"Wait, miss, I'd like to make a deal with you," Yuki quickly called out to her.
"Trade?"
"Well, I just arrived at the Borderlands and don't know anything. I'd like to exchange points for some information." Yuki sincerely. He had finally caught up with a 'familiar face' and couldn't let her get away.
"I'm not good at pursuing secrets. There are intelligence brokers along the way; you can ask them." Frieren tilted his head slightly, his round face full of doubt and confusion.
"I think you're more trustworthy. I don't need any advanced information, just some common sense."
Why do you find me more trustworthy?
Without hesitation, Yuki pointed to his head and answered honestly, "Intuition. I have Transcendental Grade ability in this area, just like how I ignored those intelligence brokers."
Oh, I see.
Frieren didn't question it. Players have all sorts of skills, so it's reasonable for them to have similar abilities. She wasn't exactly a warm-hearted person, but she didn't mind helping out in her spare time.
"Then ask away. I'll charge a consultation fee based on the value of the information."
"Is there anywhere here to rest? Don't worry, it's on me." Yuki around. The strange buildings didn't have any signs. As long as he sat down, he wouldn't have to worry about Fei Lun leaving because his question was too basic.
The girl gave him a deep look, then turned Lightness around. "Come with me."
A few minutes later, the two entered a simple and elegant building. The building was made entirely of some kind of wood and exuded a refreshing fragrance.