Chapter 267
Final move. Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow.
Centered on him, hundreds of clusters of fighting spirit exploded outwards, like a dense rain, with embers flying Yuki forced his way in, only to see Akaza retreat instead of advancing, his fists retracted to his ribs.
The afterglow was merely a cover; a much larger surge of battle aura coalesced into a single line—a technique he had learned from a certain player, taking his Destructive Death to the next level.
Final move: Fighting Spirit Bullet.
More simple, yet more cohesive, less than ten meters apart, Yuki felt the night of death descend upon him, but he smiled.
The Night Domain.
Just like someone suddenly turning off the lights, everything goes dark instantly, and the domain isn't very effective. Akaza could pinpoint Yuki's location precisely with his 'Compass Needle,' but just as he threw his punch, a muffled gunshot rang out right next to his ear.
Bang--
Yuki drew his Hunter's Blunderbuss and unleashed a hail of bullets. This Transcendental Grade weapon was somewhat outdated, unable even to break through the fighting spirit swirling around the demon, but the impact still sent his entire body flying backward.
A torrent of energy pierced through the domain and slammed directly into the Wall of Sighs in the distance. Akaza widened, as if two warriors were dueling and one of them had suddenly used American Iaijutsu.
A close call, utterly despicable.
Huh? They actually used guns?
Bang!!
A second shot followed immediately, the more armor-piercing slug blasting directly into the chest cavity, its energy illuminating the area before the eyes.
The blood nearby, the knife in the distance, and the two knives in that hand even looked somewhat familiar.
This is not Samurai Kingdom...
Without a word, Yuki unleashed the flames of his Blood-Burning Heart to 'Incandescence' intensity, wielding his Phantom Twin Blades as he charged forward.
One stroke to chop off a hand, another to behead.
You fucking think I'm a martial monk?!
Chapter Thirty-One: They Had No Choice! (5K)
The darkness dissipated, leaving only embers.
Considering he didn't have a Nichirin Blade, Yuki chose to finish Akaza off until even Akaza ashes were gone, only stopping when he had burned him to nothingness.
This was the first 'acquaintance' player he actually killed. It wasn't a matter of luck, because Yuki also had to consider the swarm's reaction; it was simply that their compatibility was too good.
"If you want to fight me in close combat one-on-one, and you can't overpower me in terms of strength, aren't you just asking for death?"
Yuki grinned, thinking to himself that his transmigrator's cheat code had finally come in handy. The moment he recognized Akaza, he knew what kind of person he was and what areas he was good at.
Only with this as a foundation can a comprehensive plan be formulated.
He spent all his points on improving his physical fitness; what a poor bastard.
Yuki bent down and picked up the 'Soul Prison'. It was indeed an Arcane Grade Chaos Item, but he didn't have time to listen to the instructions. He took off the Fool's Mask and turned to leave.
Hint 7: Time is running out. Fortunately, the swarm won't approach the walls and isn't interested in player-versus-player combat, thus avoiding revealing their identities.
He looked up at the thousand-meter-high wall, once again realizing his own insignificance, and then his gaze focused on a certain spot on the wall.
That was the opening created by Akaza's ultimate attack, and it shimmered with azure light.
"The interior of the wall is indeed Emerald Stone, a type of Emerald Stone that has been activated, but whose soul is not here."
This time, by Yuki's exploration of the dungeon has taken another big step forward. At least he now knows that this kind of stone is an energy core for both insects and humans, but its uses are completely different.
For a moment, he thought of those skulls with holes in the center of their foreheads, his expression shifted slightly, but he had no intention of approaching the wall.
Johnny Silverhand is almost over, and I have enough chips.
Without further delay, Yuki stopped at a certain spot, made sure there were no insects around, then raised his fist and slammed it hard into the ground, falling into it.
For an outsider, climbing over this thousand-meter-high wall would be difficult, but he knew that the Defense Force had all the secret passages in and out, so there was no need for them to take detours.
"Mr. Yuki!"
Hours later, on the outskirts of the Unfallen Fortress, Captain Chris walked forward somewhat excitedly, her power armor stained red and black with the blood of the swarm.
Yuki gathered at the designated location and looked around. Besides the Crimson Squad, there were dozens of Psychic Warriors. Levi Ackerman and his group stood out conspicuously surrounded by a group of tin cans.
Mai Sakurajima, Hayasaka Ai, Shiina Hiyori, and Kaguya Shinomiya also returned, all looking travel-worn; their journey home hadn't been easy.
They fought their way out and only managed to retreat back inside the walls with the full support of the Defense Force, almost triggering a small-scale battle.
"I'm fine, even more relaxed than you guys." Yuki raised his hand to press down the overly excited captain. Everything was going according to plan, and it wasn't as dangerous as they had imagined.
"Let the captain rest for a bit. We finally managed to drag her back." Mai Sakurajima stepped forward, winking. "She insisted on staying in the tunnel to wait for you, refusing to leave even when ordered by Command Headquarters."
Senior, why do I feel like you're subtly criticizing me?
No, no, I was just moved by the simple camaraderie between soldiers.
Their eyes met, Yuki quickly looked away, glancing at Chris with a mixture of surprise and emotion. But she was just a native girl, Yuki didn't think much of it.
"Captain."
"Yes!" The girl stood ramrod straight.
When will I be able to see the Commander-in-Chief?
Since the conversation immediately turned to official business, Chris was somewhat disappointed, but adhering to a soldier's duty, she replied, "I don't know yet, but the Commander-in-Chief will summon you soon."
Of course I must summon you. I now hold your only way out in my hands. Go deep into the hive, whether it's true or not, the Commander-in-Chief must hear it.
Yuki wasn't in a hurry; he was still lacking some necessary conditions. He waved his hand, signaling the captain to take his men to rest.
Chris didn't want to leave, but didn't know what to say. In the end, it was Hiyori, and she reluctantly left.
The Psychic Warrior retreated one after another, leaving only a few players outside the fortress. Yuki glanced around and saw a gap in the distant mountains, with a huge shadow at the gap and the silvery-white high walls reflecting the sunlight.
This is the Unfallen Fortress, theoretically the only place the Zerg swarm can pass through. The fact that players can come here already demonstrates the Defense Force's attitude.
"Are you alright, Mr. Yuki?" Hayasaka Ai stepped forward, seemingly unfamiliar with the term "Mr."
"A close call, but I managed to kill one player in the process."
"Who?"
"Akaza, oh, that's the one with the short red hair and all those tattoos, that devil."
Mai Sakurajima and the others didn't react much to the name, but Levi Ackerman found it hard to believe.
"What?! You killed it?!"
"Yes, I don't need to brag."
"How did you kill him? No, how could you possibly kill him?" The captain was even more bewildered. Killing him wasn't difficult, but the problem was that in the Zerg's territory, killing a monster-level Lurker player was simply a fantasy.
"But I killed it anyway." Yuki didn't explain, nor did he want to dwell on the topic. Seeing Hiyori return, he asked directly, "Tell me, how are the other players doing now?"
This breach was a coordinated effort by players from all five factions, and a proper analysis will only be possible upon their return. With Hiyori's gentle voice, Yuki quickly grasped the entire situation.
The Graveyard Guard were all wiped out in the south.
The Shadow Realm clashed with the Aether Particles in the east. Neither side was particularly strong, but the Survivors went into hiding.
The Hunters and Mechanical Believers clashed with the enemy in the north, suffering heavy losses on both sides. Only the Smiling Lady, the Armored Titan, and Aslan survived.
Ironically, the highest survival rate was found in the westernmost areas, with no one perishing.
The human players have been mostly eliminated; those remaining are all highly skilled.
Yuki realized that the exploration had been so successful that both sides had essentially revealed their hand.
Guardian players: 3 Mechanical Believers, 3 Hunters, and 4 Thorny Rose.
The infiltrator players are: two from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons and one from the Samurai Kingdom.
The Aether Particles and the Shadow Realm people didn't all die, but they were effectively out of the game, like a group of rats waiting for their Destiny to be sealed, no longer able to control the situation.
"The advantage is mine." Yuki didn't expect that after all the fighting, he would end up with the upper hand. Of course, this advantage only existed at the player level; the difference in strength between the two sides in the dungeon was too great.
"Guardians are the majority of players anyway, since it's too difficult to make contact with the Zerg swarm." Levi Ackerman wasn't so optimistic, tossing over a data storage device. "There aren't many players left on the other side, but apart from one green-skinned ghost, every single one of them is incredibly powerful."
"That red-haired boy?"
"You'll see for yourself."
Yuki plugged the terminal in, and after just one glance, his eyes twitched uncontrollably.
He saw a red-haired boy dressed in a Tang suit, with fair skin, perpetually squinting eyes, and a smile on his face. He saw him use his bare hands to tear the Zaku to pieces, and he saw him blast the 'liberated' Teresa into the ground and slam her against the wall.
Kamui? No, what makes him think he's in the 'Samurai Kingdom'? Does this person have any connection to samurai?
Yuki certainly recognized this Yato from Gintama, a true madman. Compared to him, Akaza was merely a little mischievous.
"Monster II or higher strength, the strongest in this dungeon?"
"That Frankenstein's monster is no pushover either. Teresa is seriously injured, and we don't have many players on our side who can fight him. Fortunately, most of them are at the Transcendental Grade level," Levi Ackerman said sullenly. In terms of strength, he was certainly no match for the captain.
"By the way, do you know this Yato?"
"I don't recognize him, but I recognize this powerful fist."
With a powerful madman and a swarm of insects, the dungeon definitely gets harder towards the end.
Yuki was overwhelmed with thoughts. At this moment, he completely abandoned the strategy of hiding the Fire Seed to buy time. Was he kidding himself if he wanted to escape Kamui's pursuit?
"Luckily, we prepared a second main storyline in advance. No matter how strong Yato is, he's only one person. He definitely can't defend against it." Yuki didn't continue reading. There would be plenty of time to study it later. He raised his head, as if he sensed a huge shadow approaching.
"Don't forget, we've done a great job this time; it's time to reap the rewards."
The Psychic Warrior surgery was arranged beforehand, and I can get a bloodline skill for free.
"This gain is useless to both of us," Levi Ackerman reminded him, as there is usually only one Bloodline Skill.
"I know, but they can improve a lot." Yuki pointed to Mai Sakurajima and the others, a faint smile appearing on her face, "By now, you wouldn't say they're so bad they're just dragging the team down, would you?"
Captain Levi's lips twitched slightly. After experiencing it firsthand, he realized it wasn't that bad. Even the weakest Shiina Hiyori played a crucial role.
What's next?
"Wait for Silver Hand's news." Yuki pointed to his head, his expression calm and collected. "I've seen the Queen. Now it's up to these natives to go all in!"
[Player Yuki, you have completed the exploration quest with excellent completion rate. Reward: 2 enhancement points.]
Yuki quickly received the notification, as did the upperclassman and Levi Ackerman, but they only had 1 enhancement point each.
In terms of rewards, the importance of exploring beyond the walls and the Command Headquarters battle is vastly different; the latter rewards two specialization points. But all things considered, this exploration is definitely worthwhile.
The adventure was incredibly rewarding. In addition to acquiring a massive amount of information and game rewards, everyone's reputation was raised to 'Exalted', and many people even picked up Chaos Item.
[Chaos Item. Soul Prison (Arcane Grade Level)]
[This can bind the souls of living beings within, allowing for interrogation and torture. Storage capacity: 10/999]
[Side effect: May have a negative impact on the user's personality, with a chance of reverse erosion]
[Description: Sometimes death is easier than surviving.]
The Arcane Grade item I found for free has significant side effects, but it's worth at least a few hundred points.
Yuki toyed with the funnel, concentrating to see twisted souls. The description of these things was evil; the souls screamed and howled, making one feel violent and ruthless as well.
Torture is a useful tool for extracting confessions, but those who voluntarily detach from their bodies, like necromancers, are a minority.
He cannot separate souls; he can only use others as fuel to burn. With this thing, he can slowly torture them, but Yuki has little desire to use it.
This thing can easily turn people to the dark side, and judging from the description, there's even the possibility of being possessed. It's more suitable for people like Akaza who are as dark as they can get.
"But storing souls is interesting; it can be used as a blue bottle." Yuki's thoughts were equally wicked. He put away the funnel and picked up the test tube next to him.
Inside the transparent tempered glass was a turquoise liquid, swirling with bubbles, faintly exuding a vast energy.
[Psionic Warrior Injection]
[Gives players a bloodline skill]
[Player Yuki cannot use this feature]
Back at Command Headquarters, the Defense Force delivered the item as promised, with a system notification guaranteeing it, so there was no need to worry about it being a counterfeit or substandard product.
The mere mention of 'bloodline skill' is worth over 1000 points, equivalent to 10 enhancement points.