Chapter 219

The hall was filled with all kinds of plants, a riot of colors and quite beautiful, but with Yuki's botanical knowledge, he couldn't recognize any of them. He just felt a sense of peace and tranquility, as if they were more than just decorations.

"Your Rofi Fruit Tea."

A beautiful young woman dressed in semi-transparent clothing walked over, placed two glasses of purple liquid on the table, smiled and nodded at Frieren, and then picked up the tray and left.

An elf, no wonder she comes here so often.

Yuki noticed the girl's pointed ears and immediately understood the reason. Looking at the other elves in the shop, he knew that she definitely didn't come from the same world as Fei Lun.

In the latter world, elves are almost extinct, and each one is incredibly powerful. How could they possibly be clustered together as waiters? At least the elf who served tea just now was definitely no more than Extraordinary level.

Wait a minute, wasn't it said that only those at the Transcendental Grade level could pass the test? Did he get in by clinging to a powerful figure?

'Everyone here is a player, and it's completely different from what I imagined.' Yuki had never seen players working as waiters before. Even the most laid-back types were probably resting and preparing for the next life-or-death challenge, weren't they?

The third hint also reveals that players must abide by the contract. No wonder they're not afraid I'll renege on my promise, and no wonder some people specifically target newbies.

Wherever there are people, there is a social dynamic; this includes not only sociology but also economics.

"Due to the points redemption mechanism, points can be obtained from outside the dungeons, forming a unique economic system under the rules of the Reincarnation Game."

Yuki quickly jotted it down in his notebook, feeling like a primary school student again, curious about everything, his brain constantly absorbing knowledge.

Frieren picked up the white porcelain teacup and quietly watched Yuki write furiously. She had been observing him closely to make sure that his ignorance was not feigned.

No wonder they were all the most basic questions.

She glanced down at the note; everything Yuki wanted to know was written down on it, and her expression turned strange.

You can just ask your fellow faction members for these basic questions, and you probably already figured out most of what you need to know back at the Outpost.

Frieren had also encountered players who were visiting the Borderlands for the first time, but they all asked about information about the Borderlands itself and the distribution of strong players from each faction.

"You... really don't know what Outpost is?"

"I don't know." Yuki stopped writing and looked up blankly.

The game will give you a notification when you enter the Outpost; it's hard to forget.

The girl's confusion deepened. She raised her index finger and wrote a few words in the air, which quickly formed a transparent string of characters in front of Yuki's eyes. He was curious about what kind of Transcendental Grade skill this was, but after glancing at the content, his pupils constricted sharply.

No wonder Fei Lun was so wary, looking like he was afraid of being scammed; it turns out his problem was quite unusual.

As the name suggests, Outpost is a relay point where players from one faction gather. However, it does not connect to the Reincarnation Crossroads. Players will gather at the Outpost to form another social structure, and then undergo a second test before stepping into the heavens.

This also answers his question about what a 'closed world' is. Before connecting to the Reincarnation Crossroads, it is a closed world because you are surrounded by players of the same faction. You will only come into contact with other factions in dungeons.

To put it simply, the Outpost is like humanity leaving Earth and developing within the solar system. After a long period of development, it will begin real interstellar travel and make contact with other 'civilizations'.

"So, it's like a small team jumping off Earth, not even starting to advance their technology, and directly joining the family of cosmic civilizations???"

Yuki a bit thirsty, so he quickly took a sip of some fruit tea worth 5 points. This stuff tasted a lot like sweetened Banlangen (a traditional Chinese medicine), not very tasty, but it calmed him down.

Hmm, is this also a consumable Chaos Item?

He immediately felt that the points were well spent, and regretted not bringing Hiyori along, since there was no one to discuss things with.

This is absolutely abnormal, or rather, illogical.

"The normal process should be that players leave reality, arrive at the Outpost, and form a new social structure. Then, after passing the assessment, they connect with the Borderlands and begin interacting with other factions?"

"That's true for the Trail Blazers."

What are the Trailblazers?

"Literally, the first player or team to reach the Outpost and obtain permission to link the Borderlands has some special privileges. I don't know exactly what they are, it's too far back. In some factions, they're simply called 'gods'." Frieren took a sip of fruit tea and looked at Yuki.

"But you don't seem like it, because you're too weak."

Well, you actually have the potential to be sarcastic.

Yuki smiled wryly. Upon reflection, aside from not having undergone a second assessment, wasn't he already a pioneer?

"Does my ignorance resemble that of a pioneer?"

"If you're faking it, that's going too far, because there are faction quests at the Outpost, and even in a closed world, you'll still know a lot of intelligence." Frieren picked up the note and tossed it around, saying irritably.

"We won't waste time asking such basic questions."

Is it a case of one after another rushing forward? There will always be some players who lead the way, guiding those behind them.

No, player groups like 'Day' thrive even more, forming new societies and new classes.

The significance of the pioneers is extraordinary. According to Frieren, there are countless factions, which must be divided into different levels. Those who can step into this place must be from the highest level faction.

Who was our pioneer? Where did he go?

Yuki was deep in thought when he suddenly looked up and asked, "Then what is a faction?"

Cough cough cough.

Frieren choked on his tea. If Yuki n't invited him for tea, he would have already stormed off. This question was as foolish as asking, "If a person is killed, they will die."

But seeing those eyes, so full of curiosity like those of a child from the mountains, she still stretched out her finger and wrote in the air.

A faction is a general term for a group of players worldwide, and it's also the reason why Outpost exist.

Players will be selected from various worlds and concentrated at Outpost. They will have similar power systems; for example, the Frieren faction is based on 'Aether Particles', which pursue knowledge and utilize energy.

So, a group of mages? That matches Wu Raian, but is it really categorized by professional characteristics? No, it should be based on similarities in the use of magic. In Frieren's hometown, there are also warriors.

Yuki raised an eyebrow, feeling a new world slowly unfolding before him, yet also thinking that the Reincarnation Game was incredibly unfair.

I skipped this stage entirely, and according to this logic, my group is just a bunch of ordinary people?

That's not fair.

The technology is unremarkable, and there are no supernatural abilities involved. The senior student's case doesn't count, and according to my investigation, there's absolutely no such thing as Adolescence Syndrome.

Yuki thought of that gray sky again, with many smaller whirlpools beside the large one.

Could that be the passage? But why is only one of them still rotating?

Yuki didn't know the reason either; his experiences were completely different from Frieren's, and the latter probably thought he was lying.

"If that's the case, wouldn't the beings entering the Borderlands be incredibly powerful, leaving me with absolutely no chance of survival?"

This is the issue that Yuki is most concerned about. This is no longer a matter of ascending to heaven by rocket, but rather skipping the entire process.

"Not necessarily, the strong are always in the minority."

"But entering the Outpost requires an assessment, and after a period of development, we'll finally connect to the Borderlands. Wouldn't that mean monsters are everywhere?"

"Entering the Outpost truly means being detached from one's own world, having all traces of existence erased." Frieren picked up his teacup, looking at his reflection in the cup, a trace of sadness flashing across his face. "But as I've already said, only pioneers need to undergo the assessment; the players who follow can then reach the Borderlands via his path."

One generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade? No wonder they're called deities!

Yuki has solved another major mystery: that gray Outpost was strange, but it was definitely there when players were there, meaning they connected to the Borderlands and got a free ride.

That must have been an epic of pioneering, with the most powerful players leading the way and paving the way for those who followed.

They are gods, beings who exist directly and without confinement.

They are demons; this path must be paved with countless corpses.

Yuki's breathing became slightly heavier. He had an instinctive longing for heroic epics and wondered if those beings that transcended dungeons could be categorized as such.

But that's too far off; let's focus on understanding the nuances of the present situation.

Yuki withdrew his gaze, spent several hours and a cup of fruit tea, and figured out the general outline:

Once selected, players will have their presence erased from their 'homeland'. They will then remain in the Outpost with other players of the same faction and continue their conquest, ultimately connecting to the heavens.

Before being linked, it was known as a closed world. They had ample time to build a social structure composed entirely of players, where money was replaced by points. Economic activities like exchanging fruit tea for points would definitely have flourished in the Outpost.

This no longer feels abrupt; players will continue to grow stronger and eventually pass the second test to escape the closed world.

This will definitely be difficult. It will probably take beyond the 'monster' stage. One pioneer falls, and the second takes over the authority and continues to move forward, paving a path for the faction.

Those who come later are much happier. For example, even though Frieren is no better than himself, he can still come to the Borderlands to gain a broader perspective and richer resources.

Phew, this means there will definitely be many strong individuals. At least the factions connecting the Borderlands will have beings who surpass 'monsters,' but they won't be so Transcendental Grade as to be less than dogs, with monsters roaming everywhere.

"What's the point of linking Borderlands? Is it just to give players a broader trading platform?"

Yuki still didn't understand, but vaguely felt it was related to the abnormal Outpost he was in. He closed his eyes and felt like he was seeing a triple nesting doll.

The first layer is the real world, where players can be likened to Espers hidden in normal society, communicating through forums.

The second layer is the Outpost, where the rules of the game completely replace social laws, and even if they come from different worlds, they can always cooperate if they are on the same side.

The third layer is this Borderlands, where different factions come into contact outside the instance, inevitably leading to conflicts and disputes.

It's highly unusual that we skipped the second layer of nested dolls and didn't experience the new rules set by our predecessors.

Yuki was very excited; every player he saw, and even every sip of fruit tea they drank, was an unknown.

Yuki was also desperate. Even after reaching the third layer of the nested doll, he couldn't see a way out. The Reincarnation Game was like a mountain peak, and no matter how he walked, he was still inside the mountain.

"But overall, I've made a big step forward, and I was lucky enough to find the right person to ask for directions." Yuki knew some of the questions were absurd; if it were a cunning and treacherous person, he would have already given himself away.

"By the way, which faction are you on?" Frieren asked curiously. She didn't think much of it; the world was infinite, and there were countless factions. Who knew if there were any special Outpost?

For example, last time she encountered a faction that forced one-on-one duels, where she could only get the answer by killing the opponent. But how could a dead person answer? When she arrived at the Borderlands, she was just as confused as Yuki.

They've arrived.

Yuki immediately tensed up. He could find reasons for all the previous questions, but he couldn't explain this one.

"Uh, I don't belong to any faction."

Frieren was taken aback. How could there not be? Wasn't the purpose of Outpost to allow players from the same faction to reunite?

"Fine, don't say if you don't want to." She turned her head away somewhat unhappily, pouting to make her face look even rounder, resembling a purple Mushroom.

Upon seeing the familiar expression, Yuki smiled subconsciously and looked out the window at the various players.

But I really didn't. I didn't even understand the players in the 'hometown' area. There were quite a few enemies there, and I couldn't expect everyone to be as cautious as me and know how to hide key information.

Yuki scratched his head, feeling like he had encountered an unsolvable problem. Fortunately, Frieren had also finished being angry and glanced at the note again.

"These are common sense tips; many games will give you hints on their own. We'll call it even with a cup of fruit tea." Frieren seemed eager to get rid of Yuki, glancing at the fourth question and immediately frowning.

"Who else told you that the assessment to leave your 'hometown' requires Transcendental Grade strength?"

Very quickly, Yuuki, who had just been admiring the street scene, turned his Yuki sharply, his expression somewhat horrified.

What? This condition isn't met??

Chapter Six: Is This a Coincidence? (4K)

Outpost.

Mai Sakurajima, dragging her weary body, suddenly appeared in the middle of the corridor and saw an ordinary-looking door.

With a thought, he went straight back to the room door, which was a bonus. He turned his head slightly and saw that Hayasaka Ai and the others had also returned.

"Everyone, have you made any new discoveries?"

"Still no one found. We're the only ones left in this giant city."

"There's a large open space to the west, where it looks like buildings have been uprooted."

"I've seen the tallest building; the interior layout Taiyi. I'll check back later to find out why."

Everyone compiled the information they found. The city was too large, and such a cursory glance wouldn't reveal any real problems.

They hadn't found any clues, and everyone was exhausted. There wasn't even any food or supplies here, let alone people. Luckily, everyone's physical condition wasn't that of ordinary humans, otherwise they would have starved to death sooner or later.

Mai Sakurajima rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit listless. Even though the 'Gray Snow' had stopped outside, the emptiness and desolation still felt terrible, so she preferred to stay inside.

At least if you close the door, you can rest in peace for a while.

"I wonder how Mr. Yuki," Hiyori muttered to herself.

"He's definitely fine. Maybe he's run into some beautiful girl again and is having a good time," Mai Sakurajima joked as she turned the doorknob.

"Mai Sakurajima- senpai, I feel like you're targeting me." Kaguya, who was whispering with Hayasaka Ai, suddenly looked up.

"Just kidding, even with me right next to him, he still managed to find Hiyori."

"Cough cough, even if we're separated in the hospital, I'm just a tagalong."

A low chuckle rippled through the group. They were all sworn brothers, and coming to this wretched place together had dispelled much of their sorrow. Sticking together for warmth was better than enduring it all alone.

"Ugh, if only we could take a shower here. I haven't showered in so many days, I'm practically stinking."