Chapter 316
"Invest 16 enhancement points and use the Bloodline Object 'King Insect Carapace' to upgrade the bloodline skill."
[Demon Possession (LV5)]
[Insect Demon Armor]
[Excellent physical and energy-based defenses, capable of targeted evolution based on samples obtained from attacks]
The massive scoreline caused Yuki to close his eyes, his skin turning a charred black-red, covering every inch of his skin as if he were wearing an incredibly form-fitting suit of armor.
Using the sea of blood as a mirror, Yuki saw that his entire body had turned black and red, and his surface was covered with fine scales, making him look somewhat like 'Venom' from American comics.
Evil, tyrannical, and inherently terrifying.
Clang--
Yuki raised his hand and slashed himself with his sword, sending out dazzling sparks that lingered in his crimson eyes, making Yuki burst into laughter.
"The last weak link has finally been filled!"
For a long time, he has always prioritized offense over defense. Using Concept Enhancement to solidify external energy is merely a stopgap measure. With the Insect Demon Armor and the Regenerative Tail, Yuki will become very difficult to kill, extremely difficult to kill.
[Player Yuki, your overall rating has been adjusted to Monster IV]
The final hint was essentially a summary: Yuki was standing at a critical juncture; one more step would lead to the epic realm, placing him among the top tier of countless players in the Reincarnation Game, where even the 'Mechanical Believers' were few and far between.
Swish--
With a swing of his longsword, the earth cracked, and the sheer force of the power made his breathing heavy; it took him several seconds to suppress the excitement.
I can't get complacent; I have to keep moving forward. After all, I'm different from ordinary players; I have many enemies.
He no longer cared about daylight; his real enemy was the Reincarnation Game, the thing that tried to kill him under the Crimson Moon.
He felt the shackles binding him beginning to loosen; the game's hostility remained, but erasing himself was becoming increasingly difficult.
"Let's clear this dungeon first. That Witch God should be epic-level, but I can still put up a fight. As for the other players, not many will be my match."
The domain collapsed, Yuki returned to the Tower of Asura, where he saw a group of people sitting motionless in pools of blood, while the number of survivors had dwindled to six.
There are still two Soulless Ones left, and five mercenaries remain. Looking at the dead, their bodies were almost shattered into pieces, clearly indicating they had deliberately blocked the gun.
They were a group of real men; it was a very pleasant collaboration.
Yuki offered his praise, but no one, including Rita, dared to meet his gaze.
This was a tower explorer who slew the Witch Spirit, surpassing any recorded legend, and that realm was even more terrifying; none who entered it ever came out alive.
Is Yuki Sorajima really this terrifying?
Even Frieren held his breath. The battle just now was thrilling, but upon reflection, the powerful Witch Spirit had never had the right to resist from the beginning; its Destiny had been sealed long ago.
It would be understandable if Yuki completely overwhelmed him, but it's precisely because the gap between the two sides is not large that this ease of play becomes frightening.
Professional, efficient, a natural player.
As their gazes swept over, the girl bowed slightly in respect.
"I'm finally convinced, and I've finally passed the test." Yuki completely accepted this comrade-in-arms. As her senior said, to integrate into the team, you have to trust yourself unconditionally.
Then let me take control of the tower and begin the next phase of the plan.
Under their watchful eyes, Yuki walked step by step toward the throne forged from a skull.
[Player Yuki, you have obtained the Asura Mark (not yet activated), granting you full access to the Tower]
A notification sounded, and hundreds of messages flashed before my eyes.
This mark represents a power that will be usurped upon his death. Whoever reaches the highest level and seeks the throne will be automatically teleported back to accept the challenge, regardless of where Yuki is.
This is a very user-friendly design; now I don't have to worry about my base being raided while I'm carrying out my plan.
Yuki nodded slightly and, under Rita's flickering gaze, solemnly sat down.
The old king has passed away, and a new king has ascended the throne.
The king tilted his head slightly, somewhat puzzled.
This dungeon seems much easier than before.
The Tower of Asura, second floor.
An endless sea of blood surged forth, bringing with it countless Witch Beasts. A burning katana cleaved through the blood waves, from which emerged countless Fangtooth Fish and a gigantic white shark.
The lion-like spirit beast charged forward and began to tear into the level-two Witch Beasts. At the same time, a black flash struck from the side, and a magic-piercing bullet hit it, causing the Witch Beasts to let out a deafening scream.
Before anyone could react, Chaotic Crimson Lotus, her face pressed against his, unleashed an energy cannon that shattered the Witch Beasts. But the Fangtooth Fish that burst out from within caused the spirit beast to scream in agony.
Da da da da.
A burst of azure Light Rain swept across, and the Gatling gun blasted all the Fangtooth Fish to pieces, finally freeing the spirit beast.
"That's enough, let's go back to the first floor. Continuing to fight like this will only lead to casualties." Kento Nanami put down the still-smoking machine gun, scanned the surroundings, and found that the team's condition was not good.
Except for that hot-blooded idiot who was still fighting the blood wave, everyone else was exhausted, and they had only reached halfway up the second floor.
"Is this what that guy meant by 'not difficult'?" Yomi Isayama stroked her spirit beast tenderly, pointing ahead, "Look, another wave of blood is coming. I wonder what kind of monsters are hiding inside this time."
"Because he has the key, if we stubbornly fight back like this, we'll definitely suffer heavy losses. How will we then compete with him for control?"
No one is willing to give up the benefits so easily, but battles also require consideration of gains. Would you rather go in exhausted and become cannon fodder for the enemy?
"Let's retreat. We don't need the tower-climbing reward. Reaching the second floor only gives one enhancement point. It's not worth risking our lives like that. We can hold the first floor for seven days without any problem."
He made a quick decision: this mission was to gain benefits; if he sent all his companions back, he wouldn't be able to explain himself to Gojo.
Before the second wave of blood rushed in, Kento Nanami prepared to activate the Run, but after turning halfway around, his legs seemed to be glued to the spot and he couldn't move an inch.
The blood wave disappeared. Yes, the floor that the Roar just moments ago was instantly calm. But instead of players being overjoyed, they were on edge.
As seasoned players know, this is when something big is about to happen—something that players can hardly resist.
Sure enough, a figure appeared on the horizon. He was walking, very slowly, but each step covered hundreds of meters. He rapidly approached in a flash, and a terrifying sense of oppression came from the front.
Kento Nanami raised his gun, his heart pounding uncontrollably. He almost let Kyojuro cover their retreat, and the others quickly slipped out of the tower.
But then he put down his gun, because--
"How could it be him???" Yomi slightly opened her mouth. This person had black hair and black eyes, and his appearance was unremarkable. It was Li Dan, whom she had met on the first floor.
It's not an illusion, and the tower is unlikely to make an exception; there's only one possible outcome.
"He's gained control of the tower; no wonder the blood waves disappeared." Kento Nanami breathed a sigh of relief, but then tensed up again. "Kyojuro, don't look so eager to try! I don't want to be killed by you!"
The blond man, holding a long sword, stared intently at the man before finally saying, "He doesn't seem hostile. He gives me a good impression. Hmm, he seems like a good person."
Extremely dangerous, how can he be considered a good person?
Kento Nanami, used to his companions' bad habit of jumping to conclusions, let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay, this time I'll trust your stupid intuition."
Interesting. As expected of the Flame Pillar, those eyes are really big, and that voice is really loud.
Yuki slowly approached, seeing the legendary "Flame Pillar" for the first time. Even if a player like this is beaten down by the Reincarnation Game, his heart will not change in the slightest.
He stood with his arms crossed, staring at me confidently and openly, neither humble nor arrogant, but upright and honest.
It can shatter a twenty-meter-long wave of blood; its strength should be above Monster II, which is quite formidable.
Yuki didn't have a combat strength detector, so he could only make a rough judgment, but he was certain that the opponent was no match for him.
"It's nice to see you all again, members of the Demon Extermination Squad."
No one answered, or rather, they didn't know what to say to a player who controlled the tower, who could obviously keep them inside if he wanted, with no one able to get out.
"You must be Mr. Li?" Yan Zhu was straightforward and didn't overthink things like the others. He smiled and extended his right hand, "If I have the chance, I'd like to learn from you."
The atmosphere instantly became tense. Kento Nanami started exchanging glances, while Yuki glanced at the Flame Pillar.
"Why?"
"Because we agreed never to be enemies, and conquering the tower together makes us friends. Besides, you are much stronger than me. Only by learning from the strong can I better protect the weak."
His voice was loud and clear, showing that he truly took his vow to heart.
"I'll definitely have the chance to spar with you, Mr. Kyojuro."
Yuki's kindness relieved everyone, but tension quickly returned.
"Huh, you know me?"
"In a certain instance, I cooperated with the Hunters, and the enemy was the 'Hyakki Yagyō' (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), so I know some things about your faction." Yuki decisively shifted the blame to Levi Ackerman, since they weren't going to verify it anyway.
Yuki had mentioned this before, but at that time it was a tactic to build rapport. Now that he was in a position of absolute advantage, he could add some leverage.
"You've killed demons too? Who were they?" Kyojuro asked curiously.
Yuki gave Flame Pillar a meaningful look. This man was one of the few players in the Reincarnation Game who could judge a book by its cover.
"One is called Akaza, covered in blue patterns, and loves to use battle qi. Another is called Mahito, a top-tier cursed spirit whose abilities focus on the soul. Oh, and there's also a green ghost."
The six players' expressions all changed. There was no need for any lie detectors. Those evil spirits left no survivors once they fought. If someone could speak so clearly, it meant they had truly fought. Moreover, given this person's imposing presence, who would dare say he was bluffing?
He did it?
Kento Nanami recalled Satoru Gojo's words and had been gloating at the time, laughing at those devils who had planned for so long only to suffer heavy losses.
It could only have been him.
Yomi Isayama had no doubt whatsoever that this person was far too powerful; even the three of them working together might not be able to defeat him.
"Thanks. That Upper Moon killed many of our companions both in and out of the game. The Mahito went back alive. Be careful, they will definitely take revenge." Flame Pillar didn't think too much about it and immediately bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"You have avenged our blood feud. Please come visit us after your return. In this instance, I will follow your lead without question."
That was so quick! So fast that even Kento Nanami couldn't stop him. I know you're very touched and excited, but you can't just hand over your bottom line to someone else all at once. How can you do business like that?
But remembering his senior's words, he didn't stop him. Wasn't Satoru Gojo looking for allies to fight the demons? Here was one ready-made.
He's powerful and we have a common enemy. We need to find a way to drag him down with us. Getting closer to him first might be a good idea.
Yuki had no idea that the salaryman had so many thoughts. He was slightly taken aback; this was the first time he had ever encountered someone bowing down so readily.
Once he came to his senses, he realized there was a problem.
I certainly don't have any domineering aura; the Flame Pillar is too straightforward. And look at that hesitant Kento Nanami...
Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, the ghosts are strong and the humans are weak. Oh, so you're looking for allies to help you? Well, I'll just offer myself up.
This little scheme couldn't escape Yuki's notice. He quickly revised his plan, now having the strength to step into the vortex of various factions, while his own troubles were even greater; it was uncertain who would drag whom down with them.
"It was nothing, but since we've met, let's talk." Yuki paused slightly, then asked, "Why do you think there's Hint Four?"
[Hint Four: Each faction can only choose one tower to enter. You can change your target. Tip 3 resets the conditions.]
"It means we can't split our forces, it means retreat will be dangerous, it means we can't try anything recklessly." Kento Nanami, clearly acting as the brains, saw Yuki's expression before uttering his final judgment:
"This implies a connection to the next phase, and I think a new competition will begin, with each tower serving as a unit."
"Smart. Players and story characters in the same tower are locked into an alliance. Combined with hint three, the game's standard strategy should be for all factions to cooperate upon entering a tower." Yuki nodded approvingly. This elite office worker was indeed very intelligent.
"But you've eliminated all your business partners." The man looked utterly helpless.
"Haha, I just took a different strategy route. Every player should be able to analyze the deeper meaning of hint two."
[Tip 2: Activating the sub-tower requires the Witch Spirit or related permissions. The Witch Spirit will automatically activate the main tower at the appropriate time.]
Once the Witch Spirit is activated, the Witch Spirit is simply to replace it yourself. This is a dangerous but highly rewarding path, Kento Nanami originally considered taking, but decided against it after trying it.
This requires absolute strength and control of the key. Even Yuki, without the help of the Soulless Ones, would likely be exhausted when facing the Witch Spirit.
"There's another way: kill the Soulless Ones and any player who dares to climb the tower, grind reputation, and gain the chance to meet the Witch Spirit," Yomi Isayama interjected, then quickly waved her hand when everyone looked at her.
"Of course, this path requires special skills and timing, making it even more difficult in some ways."
"Haha, anyway, with Mr. Li protecting us, we've already completed the first phase of our mission." Kyojuro Rengoku laughed heartily, then his eyes gleamed. "Just tell me what your mission is, and we can sign a contract."
Cross-faction contracts—these people are quite wealthy.
Yuki Kento Nanami's speechless expression, Yuki didn't make things difficult for them. To be on the safe side, he still signed the contract.
Both parties agree to form an alliance during this instance, refrain from any hostile actions, not pry into each other's secrets, and share the rewards based on their own abilities. If either party violates this agreement, the contract will be immediately terminated.
[Contract Achieved]