Chapter 232
"How was it?" the girl asked confidently.
"Perfect. This skill is comparable to Hayasaka's coffee. I'll exchange for more tea leaves and continue drinking it after entering the dungeon."
Kaguya quietly clenched her fist. She didn't know why, but receiving this man's praise made her feel even better than getting first place in the grade. Unfortunately, her secret smugness didn't last long.
"How about exchanging it for a maid outfit? Professional skills deserve a professional uniform."
"Dream on, I'd be lucky if I could even make you some!" Kaguya hadn't expected this person to push his luck so much. She ran away like a rabbit, cursing herself for being too careless.
Bah! I personally brewed tea for you, and instead of being grateful, you even dared to dream of rebelling against the Heavenly Gang.
That's so boring; they run away as soon as you tease them.
Yuki was too lazy to chase after her, or rather, all his energy was now tied up in his will to survive.
I can gradually familiarize myself with the formal attire; what's more important now is making predictions. Without a guide, I have to analyze all the information myself.
Yuki opened his notebook, but didn't ask Hiyori for help; there was no one else who could help with this.
"Judging from the situation at the Borderlands, I will encounter an 'acquaintance,' a different kind of acquaintance."
This place is fundamentally different from Earth. People like Mai Sakurajima, Hayasaka, Hiyori, and Night Capital are all acquaintances, but the advantages of being a time traveler are not obvious.
If it's a newcomer, he can determine their personality and trustworthiness based on their memory.
If you're a seasoned player like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, you can learn about their habits in advance and interact with them more smoothly.
It can be said that the greatest use of Prophet lies in interpersonal communication.
"But things are different now. When I meet acquaintances again, they will be the truly powerful elites, and I can maximize my advantages."
For example, Wu Raian, Frieren, Tanya, and Guts, they are born with power, but based on the intelligence we have obtained so far, there are roughly two types of these people.
One possibility is regaining power. For example, if a Super Saiyan were absorbed into the Reincarnation Game, he would slowly regain his power starting from the Transcendental Grade level. This is the easiest to predict, and the skill tree he would upgrade to would probably Taiyi from his own.
Yes, we are all ordinary people. We can make some predictions about our special abilities, but we all start from scratch when we have power. But a Super Saiyan is different. He can just continue to move forward on the original track.
Logically speaking, this is the safest and simplest way. However, allocating skill points is an art, and many players have gone to great lengths only to end up ruining themselves.
This kind of retrieval is very unfair to ordinary players, but Yuki likes it because it's easier to predict.
Another possibility is improvement, which is a bit more complicated, but there are still clues to follow.
Yuki took a sip of black tea and wrote down Frieren's name in his notebook. Philon was an Apprentice Mage, a powerful mage. Yuki didn't know which worlds the 'Aether Particles' contained, but he understood one thing:
These players have already laid a solid foundation and will proceed in the most familiar direction. To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy:
Type-Moon magic and the magic that Frieren learned are both called magic, but they are fundamentally different and have nothing in common. A player who leaves a Western fantasy world and spends his whole life studying magic is very unlikely to switch careers to piloting Gundams.
Conversely, if you're a sci-fi player, why would you bother waving a staff?
"The remaining uncertainty is the Chaos Item. These things come in all shapes and sizes, and can be useful to any player."
He drew a circle, hesitated for a moment, and then wrote the words 'Bloodline Skill' next to it.
Players who acquire these two items will definitely invest in them, whether to retrieve them or upgrade them, perhaps to become more powerful.
"Fortunately, the core shouldn't change. The higher your achievements before becoming a player, the lower the probability of change. It's a pity we don't understand what's going on with these players in their 'hometown'."
Yuki a little disappointed, judging from what Frieren revealed that the three dungeon runs were too short to achieve a qualitative change.
This is also very important. If you use the Reincarnation Game to level up rapidly and then return to your original world to cause trouble, the rewards will be different. On Earth, you can only plunder armories and such, but the treasures of those other worlds are far more terrifying.
"I guess the restrictions are different. Ayanokoji also said that the rules on Earth have changed. If a bottom-tier martial artist in a martial arts world uses the Reincarnation Game to improve and steal all the martial arts manuals, that would be too much of a bug."
Without any reference points, Yuki couldn't verify anything, and he became somewhat restless, eager to meet players from other factions, as he had too many questions to 'ask' them.
What criteria are used to determine the factions? Who will we encounter? How will their interactions with the Reincarnation Game unfold?
Filled with longing, accompanied by the aroma of black tea, a murmured voice floated in my ears.
[Player Yuki, preparing to enter the faction quest - Cosmic Insect Disaster]
[Player detected to have enabled party mode. Share quest?]
[One-hour countdown begins.]
Volume 1: Global Insect Calamity
Chapter One: Departure and Arrival
Here we go!
Yuki was startled, spilling the red tea in his hand. Awakened by the slight warmth, he realized that his feelings were complicated.
On the one hand, as a normal person, I absolutely dislike the bloodshed and carnage in dungeons. It would be so much more pleasant to tease Kaguya and play ' Minecraft senior here.
On the other hand, since arriving at the Outpost, he has been shrouded in countless mysteries, making him eager to find the answers. There is no other way but to explore within the Reincarnation Game.
"I'm actually starting to look forward to the dungeon. Is this the prelude to something more eccentric?"
Yuki shuddered; the amount of information he'd been receiving lately had been overwhelming, making him crave answers.
Thump.
The side door of the entrance hall was suddenly pushed open, and Mai Sakurajima walked in front. Everyone quickly gathered around, which softened Yuki's gaze slightly.
As long as his goal remains unchanged, he will not be outmaneuvered by the Reincarnation Game.
"It's started? The time hasn't changed at all." Mai Sakurajima hurried over; she had already shared the mission notification.
"It seems this is a basic setting; the Reincarnation Game won't give players much of a breathing space." Yuki wasn't surprised at all. He put his teacup back on the table and said with a smile, "It seems we'll be entering the dungeon together this time."
"Yes, we used to meet up in the instance." Mai Sakurajima nodded slightly, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the water stains on the table. "There's still an hour left. What preparations do we need to make?"
This Yuki stumped Yuuki. What preparations should he make?
There's no need to purchase supplies; everything can be exchanged from the spatial storage. I simply recited the dungeon name to myself a few times.
Cosmic Insect Disaster, insects?
"Hiyori, exchange for some insecticide. We'll see if it comes in handy later. We need to test whether we can take anything from here."
"No, I've tried, it can't be put into the storage space," Hayasaka Ai chimed in. She had exchanged a lot of coffee beans and was just waiting to pack them up and take them away.
Oh, I see.
Yuki looked disappointed. In some ways, this place was even worse than the real world. Was this really just a manifestation of fantasy?
"Keep it on your person, the experiment continues."
"Yes, Mr. Yuki." Hiyori immediately exchanged several bottles of insecticide and put them into her handbag.
Whether or not they can take the supplies is not important; given everyone's physical strength, they can go without food, water, or sleep for half a month without any problem.
Improving physical fitness to an extraordinary level was definitely the right thing to do.
Yuki was somewhat impressed with his own foresight, and looked around to see that everyone seemed quite tense.
Entering the dungeon for the first time in this new phase, I was actually so nervous I felt like throwing up.
"Kaguya, go brew a few more cups of black tea; Hiyori, take out the codebook, everyone memorize the secret codes while we have the last bit of time; Hayasaka, give me the Fool's Mask."
Yuki gave a series of orders, and the entire team immediately sprang into action like clockwork.
Kaguya held the teapot and filled each of the delicate black teacups one by one. Drinking tea at times like this helps to calm one's emotions.
Hiyori then opened a thick book and took out the coded messages she had written to distribute to everyone. In the past few days, apart from slacking off and reading, she had been writing simple codebooks.
The Reincarnation Game with built-in translation software, and the Spirit Particle Communicator isn't very secure either; who knows if any players are specifically eavesdropping? Try not to use it casually.
Yuki then donned a Fool's Mask, just in case.
Time ticked by, and once they got down to business, everyone wasn't as nervous as before. Come to think of it, being nervous wouldn't solve anything; they had already done their Limit in their preparations.
Having drunk a bellyful of black tea, his mouth still tasting of it, Yuki the codebook and stuffed it into his storage space.
"That's about it. We'll have five more minutes before we're free to do whatever we want. Stay calm, I'm here, everything will be fine."
It's precisely because you're there that the problems become so significant.
Kaguya muttered to herself, the Calamity of Blood had tormented her enough. She put down her tea set and saw that everyone was quite calm.
Mai Sakurajima- senpai was groping around in mid-air, sorting out the items in her storage space.
Hayasaka Ai had a cold expression and didn't change out of her maid outfit, only wearing the Death Knell, Storm Cleaver, Flying Boots, and other props on her body.
Hiyori then sat down on the sofa, took out a novel, and began reading with great interest.
Am I too nervous?
Kaguya felt a little embarrassed, so she simply put away the tea set and went to the kitchen, where she gently and somewhat ritualistically began to clean it.
They're all taking their time; they're acting like seasoned players.
Yuki gently wiped his long sword with a handkerchief. The mirror-like blade reflected his face. To be honest, he was the most nervous, because all the unknowns were aimed at him, and his relationship with the Reincarnation Game had reached a fever pitch.
He wants me dead, but I don't want to die.
The relationship is that simple.
[One Minute]
As the death knell sounded, Yuki remained calm, raising his sword to examine it closely.
Yes, it's fast and bright.
[Three]
[Two]
[One]
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. A bright flash of light appeared as the man sheathed his long sword and stepped into the void.
"Set off."
Just as Yuki and the others left, multiple ripples appeared in the space of the Outpost.
In another pure white space, an invisible hand is outlining several human figures.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka lay sprawled on the ground, sweat dripping down and quickly forming a puddle. The space was neither too hot nor too cold; the only thing that could cause him to lose his composure like this was his spirit on the verge of collapse.
"An epic quest, this is on a completely different level. I've prepared for so long, exhausted every means, and so many people still died?"
He covered his face, his pupils trembling through his fingers; the boy had already realized something was wrong.
That's right, it's a unified assessment, like a group of underachievers who have delayed graduation. Regardless of their grade level, as long as they meet the assessment standards, they are all scheduled to take an exam.
Starting with the Lone Ranger in The Transcendental Grade Race I, he encountered 20 groups of players in the recent dungeon, a frighteningly large number.
Of course, this is definitely not all players on Earth who meet the criteria, but given this broad scope, it's likely that several testing venues were set up simultaneously.
"With Zhang Jin's help, I almost united all the players, and even then, we were almost wiped out by super-powerful story monsters?"
Ayanokoji covered her head, which was now fully repaired physically but trembling with mental pain, and slowly looked around.
Sakayanagi Arisu, Ryuuen Kakeru, Horikita Suzune, Katsuragi Kohei, Chabashira Sae were all lying on the ground. If it weren't for the sound of them breathing, they would have looked like a pile of corpses.
In the Shadow World, the translucent, ghost-like monsters are terrifying. Players who are not careful will either be killed or dragged into the gray mist. The Shadow King is so powerful that even dozens of players cannot defeat him.
It can even enter the player's inner world. The more mature and complex a player is, the easier it is for them to lose control and eventually become a shadow puppet that attacks its companions.
Luckily, I successfully triggered a low-probability event, allowing everyone to escape the dungeon ahead of schedule.
"Get up, everyone. Now is not the time for sleeping. Scatter and see what this pure white space is all about."
"Ayanokoji, you just escaped death, can't you let everyone rest for a while?" Ryuuen Kakeru rolled over, feeling like the floor was glued to him, and he couldn't get up at all.
For six days straight, he had been fighting every moment, and now all he wanted was to get a good night's sleep.
"There are plenty of ways to achieve eternal sleep in the Reincarnation Game. Get up and take a look; this place is different from what I imagined."
Ayanokoji had the exact same thought as Yuki: this 'ascension' wasn't right. He had even brought many Earth 'specialties' to offer as tribute to his senior, but he hadn't seen a single person.
Forced by him, everyone slowly got up and very professionally explored their surroundings, and soon they brought back the answer.
The pure white space wasn't large, about three or four hundred square meters, but it was more than enough to accommodate the group of them. There was nothing unusual about it, except for a wooden door leading to the outside.
"It's been checked. This door has no traps, its constituent matter is unanalyzable, and even the strongest attacks cannot leave any marks."