Chapter 329
Long black hair, black uniform, the embers of a crimson lotus, but that face was completely different from the one in my memory; there was no fear, only a disdainful look that held everything in its grasp.
Draw the sword and give it a slight shake.
Slay the tiger!
Chapter Twenty-Three: Everything is Under Control
The massive tiger carcass fell, adding another corpse to the Night Furnace.
"I've already told you, you're doomed. Yomi has already told me all your methods."
Yuki stabbed his sword back into the ground. As always, bravery was far less useful than intelligence. Tiger Vanguard knew this too, so he was willing to take the risk to eliminate Yomi Isayama.
"Another one."
Looking around, there were already over a hundred corpses of various kinds within the area.
The Witch Beasts, wizards, and players are either torn to pieces or decapitated, making it look like something out of a horror movie.
I'm a pacifist, how could such a cruel tool exist?
Yuki said things he himself didn't believe, closed his eyes, and grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.
Because I killed the most powerful explorer in the Forest Elf Tower, I collected enough marks to enter the mausoleum, and the game even rewarded me with two enhancement points.
That's not important. What's important is that Tiger Vanguard left behind a demon core, which is a unique feature of the Manual of Hundred Demons.
"Like necromancers, it can be used to craft Chaos Item. I'll keep it for now." Yuki put away the golden-black-patterned soul crystal and then picked up the broadsword.
[Bloodblade (Arcane Grade) - Forged Three Times]
[In its normal state, it can transform into a melee bladed weapon of any shape and size. Once activated, it enters an energy state within 1 minute, possessing extremely high lethality against enemies of any form and exhibiting a degree of intelligence.]
[Side effect: Activation requires blood; otherwise, the Blade Spirit will go berserk and harm the user.]
[Description: Enemy's blood, one's own blood, truly insane weapons never discriminate]
Nice one.
Yuki's eyes lit up as he watched the crimson energy in his hand constantly change shape, sometimes into a scythe, sometimes into a greatsword, it could transform into any bladed weapon.
It looks simple, but it is actually a lightsaber that can transform into a 'blood spirit' state for a short time, making it powerful against both physical and energy attacks.
"No wonder it's used as a trump card. It's almost weightless, and with a swing All Things Severed. It also has a certain self-attack capability and can be disguised as any weapon."
Tiger Vanguard is overthinking things. This sword is indeed powerful, but it happens to be an energy weapon, which is exactly what the 'Demonbreaker' counters.
"If it were that original, sturdy, unremarkable broadsword, I was prepared to use Vitality Shift to withstand the attack. But you, instead, did me a favor."
Yuki was extremely grateful and decisively equipped the Bloodblade. The 'Phantom Twin Blades' were really useless; the illusory sword shadows were useless against mobs and had no effect on experts, which was why he had never upgraded them.
However, this superior level-five item was just an appetizer; the real key was this thing.
Yuki looked at the octagonal prop in his hand, which looked a lot like a feng shui master's compass. There was a yin-yang pattern in the center and dense markings around it, with four Blank in each of the four directions: east, south, west, and north.
[Universe in the Sleeve (Chaos Grade Level) - Forged Three Times]
Wait, it's not Blood Pool and Flesh Forest.
Yuki raised an eyebrow, then looked at the effect, his eyes slowly widening.
[Users can set up their own domain barrier with customizable content. This barrier overlaps with the real world, unfolds after a ten-minute warm-up, cannot be moved, and lasts for two hours. Depending on the user's settings, it can have up to four different functions, and one can be selected as the primary function.]
[Side effect: Each function requires 4 enhancement points to maintain operation. It resets after modification and upon user death.]
[Description: The universe resides within a sleeve, Universe in the Sleeve; The Miracle often exist within a small space.]
Wow, what a powerful Chaos Item! This should be the first Level 6 item I've acquired. Are all of them this powerful?
Including the Night Furnace Domain, Yuki has only seen two level 6 items, each with its own unique features. However, to be fair, no one would spend a huge number of points to upgrade a mediocre piece of equipment like the 'Phantom Twin Blades' to level 6.
No wonder Tiger Vanguard always hides in the back; he's waiting for the warm-up. The main function of that Blood Pool and Flesh Forest should be to create Blood Demons, and then it's for mazes, exploration, and restraint.
Yuki finally understood why players used Chaos Item as auxiliary power. Upgrading them to level 6 was extremely expensive and had very strict requirements. If you weren't careful, you could end up giving them to someone else. So, when players were in dire straits, they would put the items back into their storage space.
However, while this Universe in the Sleeve is highly distinctive, it is not invincible.
First, it's too expensive; ordinary players simply can't afford it. Second, its strength isn't outrageous; the Blood Melting skill is only effective against monsters below Extraordinary level, and the Flesh Forest skill can only suppress Monster I.
Well, it doesn't matter how powerful the props are, the key is that they fit. If you don't use tricks, even if you have the Night Furnace that can strip away reality, when facing the tiger in the forest, Yuki can only either run away or die.
"Because the Universe in the Sleeve can be reshaped according to the user's ideas, it is suitable for everyone."
This is the true value of the Universe in the Sleeve; its inability to be separated from the real world and its inability to confine the strong are precisely compensated for by the Night Furnace.
There are seven enhancement points left, just enough to set up a function. As for what appearance to use...
Yuki had no intention of copying the Blood Pool and Flesh Forest. Looking at the wasteland filled with corpses before him, he gradually came up with an idea.
Has Tiger Vanguard been dealt with?
The boundless Blood Pool and Flesh Forest vanished like bubbles, and those magnificent temples reappeared in sight.
Kento Nanami leaned against the wall, slowly lit a cigarette, and after an epic inhalation, he completely relaxed.
The surrounding area was littered with corpses. Without the cover of the Blood Pool and Flesh Forest, both the driven wizard and the two monsters were dead. The Demon Extermination Squad was wary of Tiger Vanguard and that powerful domain artifact, and they didn't take the few small monsters seriously.
"An unexpected gain! I actually completed an S-rank subjugation mission." Kento Nanami was still a little dazed. Who knew that he would encounter that tiger demon in the dungeon, which was even stronger than the last one.
"Without him, we're doomed. Even if we abandon everything and try to break through, that tiger can kill both of us, and the rest won't escape its clutches."
With Saemon dead, only five Demon Extermination Squad remained. The thin boy, known as Xiao Wu, had his left hand torn off and was healing himself with his spiritual power, his face pale.
The Blood Pool and Flesh Forest merely created a suitable hunting ground; the truly formidable creature was still that ferocious tiger.
"Don't worry, I'll cover the rear!" Yan Zhu, who was bandaging Xiao Wu, retorted decisively, causing the boy to cry out in pain.
Then we'll lose a Captain-level powerhouse. If we need to cover the rear, I'll lead Xiao Wu and Bell.
Kento Nanami, too lazy to argue, said indifferently, "Only a domain can counter a domain. Only by separating it from the forest can we have a chance of winning. I didn't expect that Mr. Li to have such a precious item."
"Wrong. Back then, I cooperated with Valhalla and also tried to remove it from the forest, but we still failed in the end."
Everyone looked up and saw Yomi leap down from the roof, holding a knife and sucking on a poke.
"I have intelligence, but I don't have the ability to kill it. But Mr. Li not only has the ability, he's also very good at planning. He actually came up with such an outrageous operation."
She blushed as she spoke, which piqued everyone's curiosity. Each type of domain item has its limitations, and everyone really wanted to know how Yuki would maximize her strengths and minimize her weaknesses.
"Do you think there's a chance for deeper cooperation?" Kento Nanami didn't seem to care about such things, lowering his voice, "Your senior gave you a fragment of access, right? This person can definitely be a great help."
"No rush, let's take it one step at a time and build up goodwill."
Yomi Isayama also remembered his most important task: to cooperate with Yuki in a battle and roughly figure out this man's temperament.
It's complex, but also reassuring.
Just as I was thinking about how to 'conquer' Yuki, a dark object flew in from a distance. I quickly reached out and grabbed it, and upon closer inspection, I realized it was a ferocious tiger's head.
"Don't worry about the process, just take your head back and hand it in."
Yuki walked over slowly, warning the girl with his eyes not to talk nonsense. Cross-dressing was a shameful thing, and he still had some sense of shame.
Did he really kill him?
Even though they had expected it, the members of the Demon Extermination Squad were stunned for a moment when they saw the tiger's head, and then their gazes toward Yuki changed.
I owe you a favor.
"No, it's the Demon Extermination Squad that owes you a favor. The team has rules that any player who assists in hunting down an S-rank target is considered a collaborator." Kento Nanami quickly seized the opportunity.
What benefits are available to collaborators?
"As long as it doesn't violate our principles, the Demon Extermination Squad will do everything in its power to help you." Flame Pillar's eyes shone brightly, as if he had a feeling that 'I didn't misjudge you.'
"We're friends now, aren't we?"
"No, they are comrades-in-arms who share life and death, and fight against evil and promote good!"
The Flame Pillar was always full of energy, Yuki couldn't help but smile as well.
He actually has many ways to motivate these partners of Justice, but how should I put it, it's best if they are convinced of his sincerity, as this is related to future cooperation.
It wasn't in vain that I wasted so much time on Tiger Vanguard.
A crucial prop, enough to complete the necessary traces to enter the mausoleum, and a friendship gained in return – truly a triple win.
"Frieren, have you collected enough marks?"
The round-faced girl, who was recovering her magic, nodded slightly upon hearing this. "Thank you very much to the members of the Demon Extermination Squad for your help; we've collected enough."
Tiger Vanguard was, after all, a explorer leading an entire Forest Elf Tower, and Flame Pillar and the others weren't just thinking about getting kills; they specifically let Frieren kill some of them.
Yuki nodded in satisfaction. He wasn't stupid; he knew how to choose his friends. Players like the Demon Extermination Squad, who embodied 'order and good,' were extremely rare in the Reincarnation Game.
By the time I was dealing with Tiger Vanguard, the situation was pretty much the same in other places.
Yuki squinted, sensing that the battles everywhere had subsided. It was like a game of big fish eating small fish; in the end, fewer and fewer tower explorers would emerge, and players who hadn't collected enough marks would have no choice but to attack their own kind.
I wonder how the wizards who came up from the Tower of Asura are doing. With them around, many people should be able to collect all the marks.
Concentrating solely on dealing with a powerful player, Yuki was almost completely unaware of the outside world, let alone how to conquer the dungeon. However, Yomi's expression remained calm; she hadn't forgotten how those two strange masks had suddenly appeared before her.
But some things shouldn't be asked, much less guessed.
Yuki remained silent, but the Shared Reading had already begun, with Shiina Hiyori recounting everything that had happened on the giant island during the bloody battle.
"Several players have already fallen, and there are currently at least four factions remaining. It has been confirmed that 'Valhalla' consists of two players who do not wish to get involved in the power struggles and have gone to collect enough marks to enter the tomb."
"The wizards in the Tower of Asura have been staying inside; it seems the Alliance is performing some kind of ritual."
"I investigated the energy flow of the seven towers and determined that they not only support the giant island but also act as conduits for continuously recovering energy from the Red Earth Continent. This is similar to your reasoning about the Soul Crystal."
"The influence of the Witch God on the continent is less of a bestowal and more of an infection. I deduce that preventing the Witch God's resurrection requires targeting the seven towers, and I have conducted several experiments."
A large amount of experimental data was handed over to Yuki. Hiyori tried to brute force it with 'Death Knell', but it was completely ineffective. However, the purification with the Soulless Ones was very effective, directly cutting off the torrent.
"Interesting. So this is where the Soulless Ones are used." Yuki was satisfied. With the division of labor clear, he could do both without delay.
"It does have an impact, but it's too minor. The purification method for Soulless Ones involves injecting souls into Soul Crystal, creating a chain reaction. To sever a bridge, it would probably require a hundred Soulless Ones combined with ten times the number of Soul Crystal." Hiyori gently bit the tip of her pen, wiggling her fingers.
"We only have three hundred Soulless Ones in total, and we don't have that many Soul Crystal, unless..."
"Unless the Soulless Ones are willing to give up their lives and inject their entire souls to compensate for quantity with quality." Yuki glanced at Rita in reality, his expression somewhat cold and ruthless.
"Yes, but even if they were willing to do it, the Witch God wouldn't stand idly by. Soulless Ones too fragile. If it were to be implemented, it would have to be activated simultaneously, the more the better."
This is a prerequisite. The Witch God isn't stupid; he wouldn't just stand by and watch people ruin the ritual. The sorcerers hidden in the Tower of Asura are also problematic.
Yuki remained silent, feeling as if he had reached a crossroads. If he were focused on conquering the dungeon, he should have completely eliminated the Alliance Tower Explorers by now, and then concentrated all his forces to dismantle the bridges one by one.
But I can't do it.
This tactic is equivalent to going all in, which will provoke a full-scale counterattack from the entire instance, because everyone knows what you're going to do next, so there's no need to predict it.
They will also concentrate their forces and kill all the Soulless Ones. My biggest advantage so far is that I secretly brought up several hundred Soulless Ones. This trump card must be used in the most critical place.
Yuki had actually considered activating the purification process separately and simultaneously, but the seven towers were too far apart, making it difficult for them to support each other. Currently, the water wasn't murky enough, and everyone had the capacity to monitor their surroundings.
"No rush, there are still five days. Let's go into the tomb first."
"You want all the tower explorers to be too busy to do anything else? But what if the Witch God resurrects prematurely?"
"Ahead of schedule? I suspect He could be resurrected now, but just wants to be in a more complete state. Since the seven towers are energy channels, I can cut them off at the right time and force Him back into his coffin." Yuki licked his lips; a true gambler never plays his trump card lightly.
"Besides, my opponents aren't just from the instance. What's going on with those two people?"
While Yuki was fighting the tiger, Hiyori had already reported that Ulquiorra and Deidara had contacted players at the War Tower. This was also part of the design, the core of which was to go against intuition and use the inviolable Truth of the 'game hints' to hide their identities.
If Tiger Vanguard dies under mysterious circumstances, the minds of the other two will be corrupted, and a super-powerful being will be created from the void. What should be done then?
Of course, you should find helpers. Based on the ironclad rule that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, players of the War Tower are the best choice.
"They said they wanted to eliminate all players in the Tower of Asura, especially the player who had been to the War Tower, which is you."
Really.
The news was finally confirmed, Yuki was relieved. As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. It's easier to scheme against someone when they're out in the open.
What is the attitude of War Orphans?
"Mr. Bradley laughed in exasperation. As you guessed, he's extremely wary, and bound by a contract, the War Orphans can't harm you." Hiyori said softly. The cooperation between the two sides, with Yuki providing ample benefits, couldn't be changed with just a few words. But then she changed the subject:
"But after those two identified themselves, he hesitated, his expression becoming strange, a mixture of disgust, apprehension, and incomprehension."