Chapter 337
Nero was somewhat taken aback. The Noble Phantasm was a faction talent of the 'Valhalla,' and every player associated with it would possess a Noble Phantasm, which was a faction talent.
Noble Phantasms vary in strength, but Mona's Noble Phantasm is extremely unique.
"Even you can't see through him; this Mr. Li is no ordinary person."
"If he were just an ordinary player, I wouldn't bother with him. He couldn't have built such a successful career. Besides, he even asked about my father." The girl's eyes darted around. She hadn't just brought up her connections; she had cast out a bait.
"He seems to care a lot about the game's settings. Hmph, he'll definitely come looking for us when he returns. Maybe he can help Mom."
Yuki never expected that she had been tricked, or perhaps it was just that the little girl's appearance could always deceive others.
He walked back to Frieren's side, looking at Frieren with a somewhat speechless expression at her strange gaze.
"Tell me, what kind of weird stuff did your senior teach you?"
"No, I just didn't expect that Mona was the captain, and you two got along so well." Mushroom turned its head and ate its Pocky in small bites.
No way! I'm not a lolicon. If I had to pick someone I like, I'd say his mother, Shiki Ryougi, is more to my liking.
Yuki moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing, because it sounded even more perverted.
The atmosphere was a little awkward. Aside from her round face, Frieren looked like a typical "emotionless" girl. After a while, she suddenly said:
"By the way, I invested my points into 'Imagination Burst' and advanced to Monster I."
So far in the dungeon, she has gained 11 enhancement points and 1 specialization point, which is roughly equivalent to completing the dungeon twice, and the real highlight is yet to come.
Congratulations, but you don't seem very happy?
"I'm so glad, maybe you're just a little slow to react." Frieren smoothed a strand of purple hair behind her ear and lowered her voice, "Now I finally understand why the Demon Extermination Squad risked their lives with you."
Heroic spirit and flawless strategy are all superficial. What players care about is the cost and the reward. They can't even manage to wipe out the entire Manual of Hundred Demons.
Upon entering the Witch God's Tower, they didn't actually do anything, but each of them gained an average of 2 enhancement points, which could be considered a side quest.
Yuki considered this quite normal, since he had accumulated nearly 30 enhancement points so far, which would almost seem like showing off.
"Are you saying you only followed me because you saw the benefits?"
"Well, I'm not stupid, but besides the gains, it's more about a sense of security." Frieren didn't bother to hide it, yet he didn't realize that his words were full of contradictions.
These points were earned through extremely risky and exploitative means, and cannot be attributed to luck in any way.
The gains are great, but being hunted down by the Witch God —what kind of sense of security is that?
Yuki didn't expose him. When talking about what he gained, he said that he got a specialization point from entering the mausoleum, which was a reward for exploration. Other than that, there was only one other thing.
[Asura Mark (Activated)]
[This is the manifestation of the authority of the Witch God Asura Authority; it can be used within this instance.]
[The user's strength, speed, recovery, and combat instincts will be enhanced, and their mind will enter a berserk state (cannot be dispelled)]
[Note: There can be a rejection reaction between different authorities]
The warning sounded during their escape, but Yuki never liked to unleash his full power in the heat of battle, so he didn't even bother to look at it.
In his view, no matter how impressive a skill is, it requires familiarity and a development plan, and he can only study it seriously now that he is safe.
"Since the awakening of the Witch God activated seven powers, Hayasaka also obtained the powers of the War Witch Spirit."
Yuki stroked his chin. This was temporary authority, and further proof of the weakening of the Witch God.
"Using the Conceptual Craft Essence and gaining an Asura Authority isn't a bad deal."
He was wondering when to use this mark. The rejection reaction was interesting; it seemed to imply that using two powers simultaneously would cause a canceling effect.
Yuki's eyes gleamed as he included this characteristic, which was unsuppressible, in the scope of his key experiments.
Boom!
Just then, the entire palace suddenly shook slightly. In an instant, all the players—whether they were writing in their diaries, eating Pocky, or spacing out—stood up and took out their weapons.
If so many fake targets are set up, and they are still accurately located, then things will get complicated.
Yuki tensed up for a moment, then suddenly vanished from his spot and reappeared outside the palace. Looking out, he saw dust billowing in the distance, and a column of smoke shooting straight into the sky, forming rolling thunderclouds with the arcs of electricity.
"Ten kilometers away, in the area near the Tower of Asura." Frieren also floated over. This time the shock was even more exaggerated. Visible shockwaves spread throughout the city, knocking down sturdy buildings.
It's important to understand that the buildings here are extremely sturdy, with a structural strength ten times that of Earth. The explosive power of this was roughly equivalent to hundreds of thousands of tons of high explosives.
Yuki didn't speak until he saw a giant white duck appear out of thin air in the sky, grinning.
"That's more like it. No matter how smart or calculating you are, there are some things you can never escape."
A massive bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, Piercer a black light that rose from the ground, forming a protective shield, while the overflowing energy leveled the palace.
Nothing will remain but ruins; all that will be left is nothingness. Players caught in the attack desperately flee, and even a giant sailboat appears in the sky, escaping the attack zone.
"It's Ocean's Chosen. I've seen that ship before; it's called the Desert." Yomi, being quite knowledgeable, quickly reminded Yuki.
What faction are the Ocean's Chosen? But that ship looks a lot like the art style from One Piece.
The ship was chubby, with a black skull on its sail, but Yuki could get a good look, Mutated Giant Tree suddenly appeared and enveloped it.
The sailboat quickly disappeared into the forest of towering trees, hundreds of meters tall. The dense branches covered the hull, and Yuki could almost hear the player's dying cries. This 'Ocean's Chosen' was definitely not strong; it couldn't even withstand the aftershocks of the battle.
From Frieren to Rita, everyone watched until their lips were dry, witnessing the immense power of the Witch God and realizing just how formidable Yuki was, the rearguard.
"Relax, everyone. We're the spectators now." Yuki was watching a movie with amazing special effects, and what's even better is that he was the director of this movie.
Intrigue is a minor tactic; a calculated, overt strategy is the true decisive move.
The Witch God will take action, and He must take action. He cannot wait for the players to Isshin and come to attack Him in three days, no, 60 hours.
The misunderstanding can never be cleared up, even if the Judge has the opportunity to contact the Witch God and say that he colluded with the players to deal with a certain target.
But can He believe? Does He dare to believe?
Yuki glanced at Mena Ryougi, who seemed to be watching a good show, and knew that this clever girl was already eyeing her Destiny. He reached out and took a Pocky stick from Yomi's hand.
Shared Reading with Hiyori while taking small bites.
"Mmm, delicious!"
Chapter Twenty-Nine: This is called scheming (6K)
"That Witch God has gone mad!"
The white human body had no hair, no facial features, and the cracks on its face were hysterically spewing blood.
"We were trying to find a way to eliminate our target, which in a sense was helping Him, but He wanted to kill me!!"
The human body grows hair, facial features, skin, and clothing, gradually taking on the appearance of Deidara, but the artist's face is distorted, and his whole being is shrouded in intense fear.
It was so close, so close to disaster.
He and his 'Ocean's Chosen' were trying to find their target when the Witch God launched a surprise attack, going all out from the start. The battle turned tens of square kilometers of the city into ruins.
If he hadn't crushed the teleportation rune to summon his companions, and if he hadn't had a trump card to save his life, he would be dead by now.
Before them lay a flat ground riddled with craters from the explosion, lava flowing through it, and wisps of smoke rising from shattered giant trees.
With Ulquiorra, wielding an Ulquiorra and flying beside him like a demon, he calmed down considerably.
"It's certain that the target awakened the Witch God. What a ruthless tactic! Isn't he afraid of dying inside the tomb?"
This was unexpected, yet also reasonable. The Witch God wouldn't wake up for no reason; it was just that the target was so bold and cunning.
"It can be confirmed that the Witch God is a Lost Ones, harboring intense hostility towards all players, and the target must have been guided in some way."
"You mean the Witch God doesn't know our target is also His enemy, and just considers us and the target as allies?" Deidara's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "That's ridiculous! Wasn't it supposed to be that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"
"Is it possible for a Lost Ones soul to become friends with a reincarnation player?" The demon looked at him expressionlessly, then covered his head, exuding an aura of despair.
It's really ridiculous, but in his eyes it's a different kind of ridiculousness.
The two Judge still don't know where the target is, how many players are in the Tower of Asura, or even that they've ever met.
He raised his head, always feeling that the person outside the chessboard was coldly and ruthlessly manipulating every piece.
This includes the instance boss, as well as the two Judge come to clear it out.
Is this the legendary 'Taiyi'? Or even just one of them?
The difference between hunter and prey is only a moment. Ulquiorra shook his head, forcibly discarding that sense of dejection. He hadn't done anything wrong, nor had he been mentally impaired, yet inexplicably he was no longer the high and mighty Judge, but had become an ordinary player struggling to survive.
"Help... help me."
A faint sound came from behind. Ulquiorra turned his head and saw a twisted human body lying in the ruins. It was covered with pustules and mushrooms, and its body was highly mutated, making it almost inhuman.
Crocodile the Ocean's Chosen, a Monster II player, died before he could even be used.
But who will come to save me?
The man raised a finger, releasing Cero to relieve the other's pain, then turned back. "The Witch God has his eye on us, and we've each used up a trump card. We need to rethink our plans."
Summoning teammates remotely and reshaping human form both come at a price. I never expected that this trump card would be used before even meeting the target.
"What's the plan? I'm completely lost. We were in a dominant position, how did we suddenly become the most difficult player?"
The Judge are not part of the main storyline, so they can allocate resources from a high position and deal with things at will. Now, the Witch God sees them as a thorn in his side, and his target is hiding in the shadows, wanting to turn the tables on them.
His nose, which he had just pinched shut, twitched, exuding an air of intricate conspiracy, and he raised his voice:
"Since it was he who awakened the Witch God, he must have prepared a follow-up plan. Don't forget, if we can't judge the target, we'll both be eliminated."
"Have you reported the current situation back?" Ulquiorra suddenly asked, posing an unrelated question.
"Of course, a report will be sent every time the fax machine cools down. Are you planning to write your will, or are you preparing to become a human spy?"
"We're human spies, after all. Don't forget, even the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge can't foresee the outcome of a trial." Ulquiorra, as indifferent to his own life, clapped his hands, no longer wanting to listen to his companions' nagging.
"There's still a chance. We just need to fight the target. He must have faced the Witch God directly. If the latter has even a shred of sanity, he'll realize something's wrong and then sit back and watch the fight. That way, we're back to our original plan: kill him and we'll immediately return. The Lost Ones and the dungeon are none of our business."
"But the problem is, we don't know who our target is!" Deidara was completely confused and wished he could blow up the giant island.
Aside from the blond youth's easily changeable appearance, only two storylines remain: the Tower of Asura and a separate faction.
"Kill all the players in the Tower of Asura as soon as possible. Don't forget that the Witch God is also looking for them. The reason he can't find them is because there is only one way to hide on this giant island—" Ulquiorra looked at several people dressed as commoners in the palace. These were the Soulless Ones, and it was because of their cover that they escaped the Witch God's pursuit.
"The War Tower is on our side. They made meticulous preparations for conquering the dungeon and were indeed a great help just now."
Because the Judge were not involved in the main storyline, they knew almost nothing about the dungeon. Just now, the arrows came from afar, taking advantage of the Witch God's distraction, and led them to a safe point.
Initially skeptical, but after discovering that the Witch God truly couldn't find him, he acknowledged the value of the Thorny Rose and finally trusted the players of the War Tower.
"Hmm, as long as everyone hides, the Witch God won't be able to hunt us down. I underestimated those women." Deidara immediately understood his companion's meaning. They also had players helping them and could hide in the shadows. They should take this opportunity to quickly find the players in the War Tower.
Once the two sides clash, the Witch God will naturally be able to tell whether it's a real fight or just an act, and will definitely choose to watch from the sidelines, because it will benefit Him no matter which side wins.
"But what are they after? Thorny Rose might be an ignorant bumpkin, but War Orphans definitely know that we can return by killing our targets. Can they defeat the Witch God?"
"No, they don't know. I said I wanted to eliminate the target and all players associated with the target, but the latter wasn't a mandatory option," Ulquiorra replied coldly. As a smart person, he would naturally adjust the target according to the situation.
He remained calm and analyzed the situation in the most rational way:
"Rationally speaking, the Witch God is too terrifying, and the two of us joining forces can not only fight against the Witch God, but also unite all players, making us a powerful asset in conquering dungeons; however, emotionally speaking, the War Tower prematurely awakened the Witch God, harming all players, and is no longer trustworthy."
The thunderous roar echoed, but the Witch God didn't rush to find the two of them. Instead, he used the time to eliminate the other players. With his strength, apart from a few factions with Soulless Ones, the players had no chance to resist.
As Kento Nanami said, Yuki is hated by other players because of his reckless behavior, which caught everyone completely off guard.
While enjoying hotpot and singing songs, taking a break before the battle and considering how to gain more benefits from the Judge, suddenly, the Boss attacked.
"So they have no choice but to believe me. Every instance is a gamble, and now it's time to place the bet." Confidence finally returned to Ulquiorra's face. It was embarrassing, really, that the Judge had to participate in the gamble before even seeing the target.
I'm betting that I can find the target, at least a player from the Tower of Asura, before the Witch God eliminates the other players; I'm also betting that the War Orphans and Thorny Rose are absolutely trustworthy and will do their best to help.
Deidara took a deep breath, and after a long pause, he sighed dejectedly, "Fine, that's the only way."
Buzzing...
At that moment, the thing in his pocket vibrated, and Ulquiorra pulled out a silver earpiece, a fairly ordinary reincarnation item called a 'Spirit Particle Communicator'.
The items were given by those women; after all, cooperation requires smooth communication. Ulquiorra had been monitoring them and confirmed that the only linkers were them, the Thorny Rose, and the War Orphans.
"Explain."
"Your Judge, something terrible has happened! The minions of the Witch God have attacked!" Hayasaka Ai's voice rang out, overly panicked and filled with the air of a weakling.
"Don't you have the Soulless Ones protecting you?" Ulquiorra frowned. The battle in the distance was still ongoing, and the remaining players weren't some insects that could be crushed with a single step. The Witch God wouldn't start clearing the fog so quickly.