Chapter 288

Bite.

Gray ripples spread outwards, Yuki felt his heart race, as if someone was pressing on his shoulder. He paused for a moment, then his lips curled into a wide grin.

He understood what it meant to have the ability to "integrate with other Chaos Item to a certain extent." The Death Staff's ability was to instill fear in the undead and increase casting speed, while the side effect was to cause fear in the user and amplify their terror.

However, this shock was mild, and it was clear from the hint that the item itself would bear half of the side effects.

The ultimate artifact for item-based builds, without a doubt.

Players should use Chaos Item selectively rather than in large quantities, focusing on what suits their abilities and the situation. Except for special cases like Adam and 'Mechanical Believers', players generally carry 2-3 items with them.

This involves issues of energy allocation, as well as the side effects of certain items.

"The domain itself bears half of the side effects, so the side effects of the level 4 item itself are no longer very effective for me."

As his strength increased, the side effects of the Transcendental Grade level became less significant. As for the feedback from the Death Staff, Yuki could easily plant ten of them here. Furthermore, he discovered that the staff could be removed, essentially having its own storage space, but it could not be taken out of the domain.

"This is forcing me to change careers. No way, this Alienated Grade item is only in its embryonic stage. What if someone else gets it? My huge investment will be wasted. I need to plan this out carefully."

There are many slots, but Yuki's capacity is limited. He somewhat regrets using the Death Staff for experimentation. This Soul Furnace should have been carefully planned so that the abilities of each Chaos Item could complement each other, applying debuffs to enemies dragged into the domain.

But this raises another issue:

Pay-to-win (or spend real money).

Finding suitable Chaos Item requires a large investment of points, and with the ones she has, Yuki is neither willing to spend them nor is it suitable to invest in them, such as Quiet Dew.

On the one hand, it inflicts fear and shock, and on the other hand, it calms people down. Isn't that a contradiction?

It has great potential; we can explore it gradually in the future. Anyway, we don't necessarily have to buy Chaos Item; there's no difference between taking them from other players.

Yuki set a small goal and then looked at his character panel.

I don't have enough enhancement points. To advance to Demon Possession, I need to go to the Borderlands. I also don't have enough specialization points. I'm two short of raising my physical attributes to Monster (Epic). The Reincarnation Game setting sounds a bit convoluted.

Weak, ordinary, excellent, Limit; extraordinary, Transcendental Grade; monster, monster (epic).

He thought for a moment and decided to use the customary way that players in the Borderlands refer to each other:

The monster (epic) is equivalent to level 8 physique, written as LV8.

"Once we accumulate enough points, our overall rating will be close to Monster II Monster IV, which is where leveling up will be even more difficult."

The leap from the Transcendental Grade to the monster level is significant. Advancing even a step beyond the monster level is very difficult. Only by improving major attributes such as physical fitness and traits to a certain level can the evaluation increase significantly. As for items and skills, unless they are extremely rare, the increase in evaluation points is not substantial.

Of course, that's not important. Yuki would love for someone to see through his overall evaluation and write "human (weak)" on it, and then he could send some surprises.

Looking at the items in his hand again, he realized that the Demon-Breaker Longsword was outdated. In terms of practicality, it was far inferior to the Phantom Twin Blades he had just acquired, although its energy defense was commendable.

"Forget it, I'll use this for the second slot. It's not that powerful, but I've used it for so long and I'm attached to it. Selling it wouldn't give me many points anyway."

Yuki left another knife in the domain, then instead of rushing home, he took out the Black Sword and plunged it into the ground, instantly unleashing countless images.

This is a huge panoramic monitoring room, with the entire Outpost in view. Just as previously planned, the once empty Outpost has become bustling with activity.

Players appeared on the streets and in the high-rise buildings. There weren't many of them, only about a hundred. Some were curiously looking around, while others were especially friendly when they met familiar faces. In addition, since they couldn't attack each other in the Outpost, they had never been so harmonious.

Twenty days is enough to conduct two epic missions for assessment. Yuki, raising an eyebrow.

"There are more than I remember. Are there really that many Transcendental Grade players in the world?"

He was surprised because the players wandering around on the road were definitely not all of them. Some were hiding in their rooms, and some had gone to the Borderlands. Given the high mortality rate of the Reincarnation Game, wouldn't the number of players in the 'hometown' be in the tens of thousands?

Well, the assessment has been delayed for a long time, and there's a backlog of high-level players. I remember that after eight dungeons, there weren't many rewards.

Yuki managed to find a reason to look at the vortex in the sky; only one of them was still running.

Is there only one world, and am I really the one blocking everyone's path?

His eye twitched slightly. He had just left, and the other players had already arrived. It was too much of a coincidence, but the reason remained shrouded in mystery.

Yuki to give up and used the ability of the "authority dog" to observe the players on the street, which actually allowed him to find quite a few familiar faces.

"Gas mask? This is the Tyrant, and he's still alive. Energy-saving boy and Zhang Jin are here too. That Kitahara really dragged Chisa into this mess."

He saw many familiar faces; many players he had worked with before had passed the test. Come to think of it, those who survived the bizarre mission were all exceptional individuals.

Similarly, he also saw some familiar faces he had never met before.

A blond, Akito Takagi man—that looks like Takagi Akito. And the tall man next to him? Nozaki- kun? Damn, aren't they the three idiots from the boys' high school drama? How did they even manage to become Transcendental Grade?

Yuki was increasingly surprised. Back on Earth, players used to be secretive with each other, and he hadn't experienced many dungeons. He had never even met many of his acquaintances. Now, as a privileged player, he could observe others from all angles.

Players range in age from 15 to 40 and come in all skin colors. However, most of the transmigrators' knowledge is limited to 'slice-of-life comics,' and they don't recognize the adults who seem reliable at first glance.

He found Kaguya Shinomiya and Shiina Hiyori, who were chatting enthusiastically with several players in the park. He zoomed in, eavesdropped on their conversation, and his eyes twitched slightly.

Did Mashiro Shiina and Rikka Takanashi meet in the Battle on the Raging Seas?

Yuki this, and upon hearing Hiyori's cleverly cryptic question, he couldn't help but grin.

That's interesting.

It wasn't as exciting as I'd expected. As my experience grew, after meeting Levi Ackerman, Teresa, Johnny Silverhand, and others, these familiar faces from my hometown just weren't so bad after all.

In terms of fundamentals, the two are worlds apart, but upon closer examination, at the same Transcendental Grade level, their strengths are actually quite similar.

Firstly, the Thorny Rose have a racial talent called 'Characteristic', like Rikka Takanashi. Yuki can probably guess what her characteristic is.

Secondly, this stems from the fact that the upward mobility channels have been blocked, and ordinary people have greater potential in facing life and death because those who are not good enough, have bad luck, or lack willpower have long been eliminated.

Because their ascension path is blocked, they rarely encounter players from other factions, allowing them to develop slowly. As Frieren said, the Aether Particles will engage in bloody battles with other factions at the 'Extraordinary' stage.

Finally, there's the content of the dungeons. Based on past experience, Yuki discovered that the dungeons for this faction tend to be more mysterious and puzzle-solving, and brute force is not the absolute factor.

"If you threw these people into a war-themed instance, they'd probably be wiped out long ago."

Yuki suddenly realized that the Reincarnation Game was quite 'favorable' to his own faction; it was dangerous, but the growth was also quite fast. He couldn't help but stare at those scenes in a daze.

In the management office, for some reason, my analytical skills become more acute.

"There's something wrong with this Earth. After interacting with players from other factions, they all have their own worlds, unlike me, who is a mixture of multiple worlds."

Theoretically, it makes sense. The Earth that Yuki arrives on doesn't have Transcendental Grade powers; at most, it's just a matter of adding a school. However, combining the 'Claymore' and 'Attack Giant' into one is very difficult.

But there's no need. Since we're going to come to the Outpost anyway, what's the harm in having a few more Earths?

Yuki looked at the solidified vortexes. The intelligence report said that they were all passages between different worlds, but only one vortex was still in motion.

Something unusual must be amiss, but Yuuki had no idea where this Yuki came from; he simply focused his gaze on one particular scene.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka arrived, and the person next to him is Mr. Ye.

The man was not tall or strong, his skin was sickly pale, and he had a cigarette between his fingers. He looked very lazy and did not have the aura of a big shot. The two were talking about some online game.

This was completely unfamiliar territory for Yuki. For the past ten years, he could enter underground boxing rings and fight gangs in United States, but he had no time to play games. As he listened, his eyes twitched slightly.

Mr. Ye's code name: One Leaf Foretells Autumn.

Chapter Two: Where did you learn of the name 'Taiyi'? (5K)

"Why hasn't that pig-headed guy come back yet?"

While Yuki was eavesdropping as a privileged dog, Mai Sakurajima was sitting at the table, idly swinging her legs. She had changed into a dress, washed away the blood, and was completely relaxed.

The dungeon's pace is astonishingly fast; the battle almost fills your mind, and only the return journey offers a moment of peace.

After all, there's only 'daily life' at home. Twenty days of dungeon life are so short you can barely breathe, let alone have time to overthink.

"Hayasaka, do you think he won't get lost?"

Hayasaka Ai dressed in a maid outfit, was drying her wet blonde hair with a towel when she replied irritably, "You've asked me ten times already, and the answer is still hard to say. Because his allegiance is different from ours, there's a chance he won't come back here."

"What should we do then?!"

"Go find him, isn't the Borderlands where all the players gather?"

"But what if he ends up in that kind of isolated world?"

We can only wait, what else can we do?

The maid rolled her eyes, picked up the boiled water and made a cup of coffee. As the rich aroma filled the air, she leaned against the wall with a half-smile.

"Mai Sakurajima- senpai, are you afraid that Yuki won't come back, or that he doesn't want to come back? I understand, the Global Insect Calamity has made you feel threatened, right?"

Mai Sakurajima glared fiercely, but couldn't utter a single word, because Hayasaka was absolutely right.

As experience grows, one's understanding expands, revealing the vast world of Reincarnation Game, brimming with attractive and beautiful girls.

For example, there's Captain Chris, who exudes a bloodthirsty aura; Rebecca Chambers, with her fiery personality; and the ever-smiling, almost perfect Smiling Lady. Each of these characters is extraordinary and possesses a unique charm.

"Don't you think we're too ordinary? We were just ordinary students before joining the Reincarnation Game, while their life experiences are all unique."

All told, Mai has only been in the Reincarnation Game for two months. Before Mai Sakurajima, her biggest label was "idol," which was nowhere near the level of a demon Hunters or a big shot in Night City.

"Stop being paranoid. We may be ordinary, but don't forget, he's an ordinary person too. Birds of a feather flock together." Hayasaka sipped his coffee, exuding confidence. "Isn't Smiling Lady quite envious of us? She doesn't even know what high school is, and she doesn't want to navigate the cutthroat world of politics."

"That's true. That pighead probably wouldn't understand what a demon Hunters is. Hmm, I'm just afraid..." Mai Sakurajima paused, her face slightly flushed, "I'm just afraid he won't be able to resist temptation, like that Rebecca Chambers, who's so straightforward."

She knew Yuki all too well; he could be terrifying when he was serious, but deep down he was quite restless.

Clatter.

Hayasaka Ai put down her coffee cup, instantly stood up straight, and said loudly, "So please don't get in my way, senpai. It's better to lose to me than to be a loser for players from other factions, right?"

"Pah, when have I bothered you? It's you who always likes to install surveillance cameras to bother me." Mai Sakurajima spat at this, daring to accuse someone first.

"That's because you're hesitant, senior. Trust me, you've been cramming on physiology lately, so you'll be quick and efficient when you do it."

Mai Sakurajima paused for a moment, then suddenly realized. "So that's what you've been secretly doing in your room, Hayasaka. Are you trying to create some new personality?"

"The Reincarnation Game taught me that when making a plan, there should be no reservations. Please give me two hours, senior, and I will definitely be able to fulfill your wish."

"Why should you fulfill my wish!" Mai Sakurajima stood up angrily, stood there for a few seconds, then covered her head and slowly sat back down. "Hayasaka, you should switch to your maid personality. I'm scared, and I'll probably scare that idiot too."

Hmph, good that you're scared.

Hayasaka Ai inadvertently revealed a smug little expression, and then, as if her face had changed, she immediately became expressionless, like a heartless coffee-making machine.

Phew, I'm still more used to the maid personality.

Mai Sakurajima breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly remembered something. "Why haven't Hiyori and Kaguya returned yet?"

After discovering that other players had entered the Outpost, they promptly dispatched a Reconnaissance team and did their best to conceal the fact that they were the first to arrive.

"The young lady said she ran into someone she knew."

"Who."

"Mashiro and Rikka."

"Oh, it's them." Mai Sakurajima also remembered what happened in the game "Battle on the Raging Seas." That team was a group of players from another ship. The two sides had cooperated before, and at least they had exchanged names.

Rikka was originally called Evil King's True Eye, which was too difficult to pronounce.

One was lazy, the other was unconventional; they were initially considered oddballs by Mai Sakurajima, but after meeting Rebecca Chambers and the others, they suddenly became perfectly normal.

The "chuunibyou" (middle school syndrome) is just a fantasy, but those people really live in Transcendental Grade world.

"How's the situation?"

"They just arrived; they should be the third group of players to come to the Outpost. They're full of curiosity about everything." Hayasaka Ai stretched, highlighting her ample bosom, then manually adjusted its position:

"They were lucky; they hadn't seen this Outpost in such a dilapidated state. According to Hiyori, players arrived right after we left."

I arrived right after leaving; it really was related to that pig's head.

The two exchanged a glance, and the atmosphere instantly turned serious. Neither of them was a fool, and it couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

In other words, Yuki alone has stalled the entire faction's progress, and with the unmanned Outpost and the designated pioneer, even a fool would know that Yuki is no ordinary person.

"The worst part is that the gap between us has widened even further. There's a participation requirement for faction missions, and our mission rating is only SS." Hayasaka Ai continued to deliver the final blow to Mai Sakurajima's heart.

Because they are not in the same faction, they can no longer cling to powerful figures like before. In addition, since they do not share the same status, their participation rate in the 'Guardians' mission is only around 75%.

"We participated in all the battles just like Smiling Lady and the others, but we didn't play a decisive role." Mai Sakurajima nodded slightly, placing her hand on her chest. "Fortunately, we weren't a burden either; we were helpful to some extent."

"Of course, our teamwork is far superior to other players, and besides, you Hiyori don't need to use up too many points."

"So you let Kaguya-chan kill that Ship Spirit?"

"Yes, Miss is a combatant, and we must make up for our shortcomings as soon as possible. Hayasaka looked like he was Heart Shatter about the family, and said softly, "Besides emotional value, we also need to provide real combat power. After Yuki returns, I plan to go to the Borderlands."

"I'm going too, but I need to keep a close eye on that idiot."

You're going to keep a close eye on me, aren't you?