Chapter 331
"It seems we still have to wait for news from Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge. That Shinomiya Oko is the key figure; at least he tracked the target and has real clues."
Deidara shrugged; he had expected this all along. The dual questioning of the mind and cause and effect had yielded the same result.
"Then I'll go on a killing spree!"
"No, kill only one-tenth, replenish the rest in the city, and find as many helpers as you can."
"You're going back on your word? You don't want to help them clear the dungeon?"
"In the Reincarnation Game, honesty is the most foolish virtue." Ulquiorra raised his head, gazing at the lightning above the city, where it seemed as if a pair of eyes were looking down upon the earth.
"This instance is not simple. I'm afraid it might get entangled with the 'Lost Ones.' The grudges between the Lost Ones and the Reincarnation Game are not for us to interfere with."
Taiyi!?
On the other side, Yuki stopped on the steps leading to the Witch God's Tower, his face turning pale for a moment.
Hiyori shared his encounter with the Judge, the outcome of which not only spiraled out of control but also left him bewildered.
I'm sure they're looking for me, but why are they getting involved in my boastful claims?
Memories unfolded before his eyes, and he didn't even think carefully about this somewhat childish name.
This was something he came up with casually on his way to the alley back in Kanagawa, when he was holding the Conceptual Craft Essence 'Backview Assassin'. This storyline was just to mislead 'Day' and divert Hayasaka Ai's attention.
The second time was during the 'Calamity of Blood', when the people of Daytime came after them. In order to cause infighting among them, Yuki repeated a setting from a certain game.
"This matter should have ended long ago. I was filled with malicious imagination back then, thinking that Shinomiya Oko would be so angry that he would flip the table if he saw this after his ascension. How could there have been any follow-up?"
In theory, once the players ascended during the day, the lie would be exposed, which is why Yuki broke out in a cold sweat when he heard "Taiyi" for the third time.
No, this matter can be investigated further; now we need to think about how to resolve it.
His fluctuating thoughts drew puzzled glances from Yomi Isayama and the others. Fortunately, Yuki remained as steady as a rock and continued climbing the stairs, though his mind was boiling like water.
The Judge sought me out because of 'Taiyi', and then 'Zhou' actually had something on me.
By frantically digging into her memories, Yuki slowly recalled the whole incident. Because there was no Conceptual Craft Essence the second time, Tsubaki's impression of her was that there were two 'Taiyi', deliberately creating the image of an organization.
But at that time, Yuki had no idea what the next stage would look like, so the lie was not well-crafted.
'The biggest loophole is that he could trace the clues back to me.'
Yuki recalled the Tokyo incident, the loophole being Kaguya Shinomiya and the Advanced Nurturing High School. Shinomiya Oko didn't know 'Taiyi's' true identity, but he had a Causal Prophet by his side who found his trail, leading to the Calamity of Blood and the battle with Adam.
' Kaguya is by my side, but Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and his gang know I'm involved. Finding them will allow them to locate me.'
A cold sweat instantly covered his back. It was truly a case of following the clues to find the source. Yuki wished he could fly back right now and silence everyone who knew the secret.
According to information obtained from 'Mechanical Faith', the Judge are the game's henchmen, and the Judges are the will of the Reincarnation Game. The tragic fates of those targeted are still fresh in their minds.
Those were all passive programs; now, players are relentlessly pursuing and killing them. Judging from Tiger Vanguard's attitude, this Judge is not someone an ordinary player can contend with.
"Calm down, calm down. I can't go back to silence her now. Things aren't that bad. Besides, causal items are ineffective against Hayasaka Ai. I've never even seen Taiyi. How could she possibly have a causal relationship with me?"
Yuki began to Self-Hypnosis, analyzing Shinomiya Oko's personality. This zaibatsu was someone who maximized profits, and key clues wouldn't be so easily revealed.
If he revealed the connection to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, this exceptionally intelligent person couldn't have remained completely unresponsive during their last return; if he already knew the answer, the upperclassmen and the others would have been taken hostage long ago.
The most crucial point is, what does your seeking out Taiyi have to do with my Yuki Sorajima? Even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka can only get as far as my mysterious background.
"What's wrong with you? You've been restless ever since you defeated Tiger Vanguard." Frieren quietly approached, seemingly dazed, but actually observing Yuki closely.
"A huge problem. Sorry, I dragged you onto this mess too." Yuki a sigh of relief. She had originally intended to protect the Mushroom, but ended up getting dragged into it as well.
Frieren pursed her lips. She already knew about the Judge, and she understood Judge terror even better than Yuki.
That's a special faction that even the demon kings and warriors of the Aether Particles dare not provoke; they are a hundred times more terrifying than the Hunters.
"Can I get off the ship?"
"Sorry, it's too late now. None of us can escape." Yuki wasn't trying to scare anyone; he didn't know the Judge well, but judging from the latter's style—
Ruthless and merciless, eliminating all traces of enemies is the norm; even cooperative players in dungeons are wiped out, let alone those in the same squad.
"Then let's find a way to solve this problem."
Frieren showed no anger or resentment; she simply patted the man on the shoulder and walked ahead on her own.
I like rational people.
Yuki, it would have been more surprising if Frieren had cried and complained that his character would have broken down. Death is foreseeable everywhere in the Reincarnation Game, and how he dies or who kills him is not important.
When problems arise, let's solve them.
Yuki withdrew from his unrealistic fantasies, adjusted his mindset, and focused all his attention on the thousands of steps before him.
First, quickly resolve this issue and return to the game as soon as possible to patch the vulnerabilities.
Second, those two Judge must remain.
Third, perfect the lie, and make every effort to construct a logically rigorous system.
Based on the three core elements, his thoughts began to spread rapidly. He adjusted, constructed, conjectured, and experimented. Yuki felt that he had entered a superhuman state. All the clues were intertwined, and all the advantages and disadvantages were colliding. It was like finding the end of a thread in a tangled mess and then clearing it away along the lines.
Time, the most important thing is time, and time is created by space. The first step is to create distance and avoid direct confrontation with the Judge. But the timing must be right. If I'm not mistaken, those two will definitely find other players, snowball the problem, and eventually crush themselves.
Also, that Witch God is too quiet, it seems like he's just sitting on the sidelines watching the tigers fight, that won't do.
The Judge is just as important as the dungeon walkthrough. Fortunately, he had already made arrangements and assigned tasks in advance. With Hiyori's intelligence, she will make the Limit the Judge.
Yuki quickly revised his plan. He had originally thought that since hint five required seven days, entering the mausoleum earlier would allow him to make up the time. However, it now seemed that there was no such lazy strategy.
Clatter.
The thousand steps had come to an end, and a massive tombstone stood before them, like a colossal wall without any gaps, exuding an aura of extreme Witch God.
It looks big from the outside, but it must be even bigger inside. Everyone understands that this instance involves 'space,' which is a rather high-level power.
Everyone turned to look, and to be honest, they were all uneasy. They knew too little about the dungeon, and it was unwise to jump straight into the final stage.
"Seriously, shouldn't we wait? There must be many clues hidden in this city waiting to be discovered." Yomi Isayama blinked. She had participated in more than a dozen dungeons, but she had never been so ignorant as to meet the Boss.
Yuki wasn't stupid, of course. He didn't go digging; someone else was. Thousands of murals had already been photographed by the Void Puppet, Hiyori was analyzing them with all her might.
The girl had never felt so comfortable. With errands done for her and Judge 'guarding' her, she could focus on reading the dungeon.
"I have to go and see what's going on. I'm very concerned about the state of the Witch God." Yuki couldn't explain, nor did he need to; that tiger head was for this very moment.
If it were any other faction, they would have disbanded long ago. The members of the Demon Extermination Squad glanced at each other and nodded reluctantly.
At least for now, this Mr. Li seems to be omnipotent.
Entering each one one by one, just like entering the tower before, the seemingly solid outer walls turn into mud when touched by the hands, sucking people in.
This feeling was very uncomfortable. Yuki noticed a flash of blood-red light on his body, which must have been the effect of the mark.
A mausoleum?
When I opened my eyes, a huge room appeared before me. It wasn't as complicated as I had imagined. The walls were like black crystals, the floor tiles were neat, and it stretched into the distance. In the middle were thousands of steps, and looking up, I saw fluffy white clouds.
A gigantic room without a ceiling, with seven enormous statues arranged on both sides, each over fifty meters tall and depicted with lifelike detail.
"They are Asura Witch Spirit and War Witch Spirit."
Yuki immediately recognized two 'familiar faces'; they seemed to still be alive, either baring their teeth or plotting something. But when he switched to the Devil's Vision, all he saw was darkness.
The energy concentration is so high that nothing can be seen anymore.
How large is this hall?
"Infinity, because there is no ceiling here."
"Those steps kept going up, and you couldn't see the top."
The players whispered among themselves. In the distance, there was a staircase that rose at a sixty-degree angle, completely black, reaching straight into the clouds.
Everyone has a phobia of megalomania, and they felt anxious in front of such a massive building. They noticed the tracks left on the ground, indicating that some players had already gone ahead.
That's strange. How could someone be faster than them? Why didn't they search the city properly?
The bigger the better.
Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. If he had come in and faced the Witch God directly, and then gone back and faced the Judge, wouldn't he have been like a rat in a bellows, unable to move forward or backward?
He drew his Bloodblade, activated the item, and unleashed a spear of light, which he plunged fiercely into the ground.
Bite--
Several cracks appeared, but the power that could pierce through a mountain could not advance an inch. After it was pulled out, a powerful energy surged out.
Black mist spread out in front of him, and the cracks in the ground were quickly repaired, just like a broken mirror being put back together.
Yuki glanced at the mist, took out his Hunter's Blunderbuss, and loaded incendiary bullets.
Bang!
A large ball of flame was ignited, startling everyone. Fortunately, the energy that surged out was quickly burned off as the breach was repaired.
"Like the covered bridge, this floor is filled with a high concentration of soul energy."
Yuki lost in thought, feeling as if he were standing on a great river, with terrifying energy surging up the steps and converging at a certain point.
This made the aura of the Witch God inside the tomb several orders of magnitude stronger than outside, to the point of blocking the Devil's Vision.
"This Witch God is probably no ordinary being." Kento Nanami said something pointless. As the final boss, he was of course powerful. He thought about it and realized that his side only controlled two towers and a group of Soulless Ones who could restrain Him.
Just look at Rita's dazed look; she's practically ready to utter the famous line, "I'm fighting the Witch God, really?"
It can definitely be dealt with, but the variable in this instance lies with the Judge.
Yuki, however, wasn't impressed. He pointed to the giant sculpture and said, "Did you notice? The expressions on those sculptures."
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound, and because of their enormous size, the statues were so lifelike that anyone who wasn't a fool could guess that they were Witch Spirit.
Five of them looked up and cheered, while two others bowed their heads in contemplation. The two in contemplation were none other than Shura and War.
"Why does the Alliance want to take back the towers? Those two towers are still operational. Are they just afraid we'll buy them time?"
"Also, when I was alive and possessed the Asura Mark, I received a clear game notification that it was 'not activated.' Under what circumstances would it be considered activated?"
"Do you think it's possible that the Witch God split into seven, and any witch who usurps the mark of the Witch Spirit has to obediently give it back, with only two types of people retaining it?"
Yuki's gradual enticement brought everyone back to their senses. The two types of people were players and Soulless Ones, especially the players, who, backed by the game, would never make a mistake.
"Even if He were to be resurrected, He would be incomplete? Oh dear, if only we had united all the players to seize power, He would have become a featherless chicken!" Flame Pillar thought for a while, then slapped his thigh hard.
"This is the ideal scenario, but it's impossible to achieve. Even if the players unite, the strength of each faction is not equal. To put it another way, once the tower is captured, who would be willing to share the benefits with others?"
Yuki's words left the Flame Pillar speechless. Most players are selfish, and a faction can only control one tower. It's impossible to fight to the death only to let someone else sit on the throne.
If the guess is correct, having the two towers is equivalent to usurping nearly a third of the power of the Witch God. What more could one ask for?
Everyone regained their confidence. In addition to weakening the Boss before the battle, they also brought almost all the Soulless Ones from the Red Earth Continent. If they went any further, they would probably be punished by the game.
"Let's go, let's take a look up. I told you there were clues inside the mausoleum, right?"
No one moved, and the atmosphere became eerie, especially for Rita, who seemed afraid to approach but even more afraid that the players would just leave.
"We still have five days. Why don't we stay here? That way, we only need to hold out for another 48 hours before we can return." Kento Nanami was as cautious as ever. The players would eventually gather here and, based on the clues, work together to fight the Witch God.
"If the Witch God isn't too strong, we can unite and take him down; if he's still ridiculously powerful after the nerf, we'll use other players as scapegoats."
It was a very insidious idea, Yuki originally thought so too, but with the uncertainty of the 'Judge' involved, he couldn't do it that way.
With the Witch God in front and the Judge behind, how can I survive?
"Didn't you all notice how surprisingly easy it was to enter the Witch God's Tower?" Yuki didn't even mention the Judge, but his words immediately brought everyone to their senses.
Yes, the huge city had no defenses, the Witch God had no presence, so no one would want to defeat Him.
"Either the Witch God is a fool, sleeping like a pig and completely oblivious to the outside world, or the Witch God is an idiot, deliberately giving us a chance to jump out and bestow despair upon us." Yuki said slowly and deliberately. After Hiyori's strategy, he actually already knew how to end the ritual and complete hint one.
Cutting off the bridge would cut off the energy supply, which is difficult, but not impossible.
Yuki didn't know the Witch God, but putting himself in the god's shoes, he knew that a cunning old fox who could spend over a thousand years planning and infiltrate silently like water dripping on stone would never leave any loopholes.
"Either He has already been resurrected, but needs time to recover, so He doesn't want to waste a single bit of energy and lets the Tower Explorers kill each other, wasting time searching for clues in the city. The closer we get to the seven-day mark, the better."
"Look at the inside of this mausoleum. Meeting the Witch God won't be something that can be done in a day or two. We and the Valhalla were the first to enter the mausoleum, and that was under the premise of basically meeting the conditions and not investigating any clues."
Yuki wasn't just guessing; he had a perfect first-stage strategy, which is why he gained the upper hand thanks to the Hint Four. Keep in mind that other players with equally perfect War Tower were only just getting started with their investigation of the city.
They paid the price of 'ignorance' to enter the mausoleum as quickly as possible, but even then, they still needed to hold out for 48 hours after the deadline.
No one spoke; this was all speculation, but no one thought the Witch God was an idiot.