Chapter 342
"You've used up all your defensive items, what are you going to use to fight me?"
A large amount of hot white smoke covered his body, making him look like a demon. The black armor was removed, and his body, which had been melted by the beam of light, was visibly repairing itself.
The Judge has fallen.
As expected, Deidara was practically invisible except for the final explosion. These two Judge were very strong, and when they joined forces, he had no chance to resist.
"But I'm not stupid. Why should I fight you in a fair and square fight?"
Yuki gave a mocking smile, and a second later, he heard a murmur.
[Player Yuki, you have defeated the Judge. You may choose one reward.]
[Specialization Points: 4, or one item or skill possessed by the Judge]
Is this a reward for an SS-rank main story rating? And you can actually choose the reward yourself?
Upon hearing about the four specializations, Yuki understood just how powerful the Judge were. As long as he could eliminate them, he could obtain an SS-rank reward even without doing anything in a dungeon.
Yuki hesitated for a moment, then decisively chose the second option, one he had already decided upon when he was close to Ulquiorra.
"I choose to get the fax machine."
The reason why it's difficult to obtain Chaos Item is because normal players will store non-combat items in their storage space, so they can't be obtained under normal circumstances.
However, this is a special case where the power of the game can be utilized.
Space distorted, and with a slight sinking of the palm, a white-cased prop appeared out of thin air in the palm.
[Special Item: Hyperspace Fax Machine]
[Sends a message to a specified coordinate outside the instance. Cannot be upgraded. 2-hour cooldown. Each message is limited to 50 characters.]
[Side effects: Replacing the user resets all contacts and severs causal, binding, and precognitive relationships.]
[Description: Spatial barriers are both limitations and a form of protection]
This is it.
Yuki was overjoyed and had two reasons for wanting the fax machine.
First, this item is extremely rare. It wasn't available in either of the two different trading venues. Given its scarcity, it's definitely worth more than just four specialization points.
Secondly, only by obtaining this item can Yuki determine how much he has been exposed.
"Fifty characters, not enough to send videos or photos. Extrapolating from the cooldown period, their last message was before the curtain was drawn. Hmm, I didn't expose too much."
"Hey, this side effect is even better; I wouldn't dare use it if it didn't have it."
Yuki was completely relieved, even after hearing the second prompt.
[Killing Judge, you are now wanted, and your faction will be added to the list.]
So what if they issue a warrant for my arrest? They're obviously after me. As for factions, that doesn't matter. I never had any factions to begin with.
Yuki wasn't nervous, but he gleaned more information from the clues.
The Judge were not self-appointed; their identities are consistent with the information provided by the Mechanical Believers. Their identities are backed by the Reincarnation Game. By further analogy, we can arrive at another conclusion:
The Reincarnation Game lacks autonomy; it only intervenes at crucial stages to sabotage me in dungeons. To eliminate me, you have to rely on the players' power.
This is Yuki's experience. It is precisely because of these limitations that there is a glimmer of hope. How so?
"I'm fully developed now. Unless it's a direct elimination at the game level, it won't be so easy to get rid of me."
Targeting me in my early stages, interfering at crucial moments, and now even having Judge —so what? I've overcome every obstacle, and I'm growing stronger every time.
Yuki clenched his fist, confidence overcoming his nervousness, and returned to the ground to pick up the cracked Rubik's Cube.
[Chaos Item: Duplication Cube (Arcane Grade Level, Severely Damaged)]
[Copies all matter, energy, and items; strength is inversely proportional to quantity; must be used within the player's control.]
[Side effects: The more it is used, the more severe the wear and tear, requiring reinforcement points for repair. Excessive overload will reduce quality. Current status: 6 reinforcement points needed for repair]
[Description: Copying never represents the original, and copying comes at a cost.]
One of Ulquiorra's core abilities is an energy reshaping technique for better control of Cero, which is further enhanced by using this cube to increase its power. It seems that he used it quite a bit on the Witch God.
Yuki experienced it firsthand; one or two Cero wouldn't hit him at all, but the final barrage of over a dozen rays almost allowed his opponent to escape.
Yes, and that light spear, that was also copied and then transported to me using some kind of spatial warp ability.
Nodding slightly, he thought, "As expected of the Judge, he's full of good stuff. This is the first time I've seen side effects concentrated on the item rather than the user."
Used within controlled areas; isn't the Night Furnace within my controlled areas?
Yuki glanced at his stats and found he had exactly 7 enhancement points, so there was nothing more to say.
"Consume six enhancement points for repair and load it into the Furnace."
Releasing his grip, the Rubik's Cube fell into the sea of blood and disappeared. The Night Furnace gained another function. This Rubik's Cube, like the Universe in the Sleeve, is a resource-intensive operation. But isn't all that painstaking effort in conquering dungeons and slaughtering players for power?
I'm getting closer to the 'Epic' level, but it's a shame there's no experience bar. I think I'm over 30% complete now.
Yuki closed his Yuki, feeling himself stepping up the stairs, and a more beautiful view was slowly unfolding before him.
"I will eventually reach a level you can no longer reach."
In the city, the two Judge had vanished without a trace, and a dull thud came from afar—the location of the covered bridge.
With the distractions eliminated, all that's left is conquering the dungeons, and the brilliance of Yuki's plan lies in the fact that everything is progressing in sync.
While he was dealing with the Judge, the Witch God wasn't idling, but there wasn't much he could do either.
Eliminate the Soulless Ones? Yes, the Witch God rushed to the covered bridge immediately. The War Orphans had no chance against them. But at this moment, the rats had already rushed into the tomb and were frantically climbing upwards.
Which is more important, the three covered bridges or the tomb? Without much hesitation, the Witch God gave his answer.
He summoned three giant statues to attack the Soulless Ones on the broken bridge, while his true form returned directly to his lair to suppress the rats that had entered. It was only at this stage that he had time to ponder the strangeness of this battle.
'Could it be that these players were originally from two opposing factions, and I unwittingly acted as their ally? No, their mission is to defeat me; they shouldn't be killing each other.'
The Witch God sensed something was wrong; it was being led around like a dog. If the players were Isshin, they could just enter the tomb and defeat it directly. Why split into two groups?
What's even stranger is that when he turned away to eliminate the Soulless Ones, the powerful player showed no intention of lingering or avenging his teammate, even though he still had the strength to fight.
The inexplicable contradiction—I didn't have time to think about it carefully before, but now that I have a little free time, I realize that someone seems to be deliberately escalating the conflict to force Him to take action.
"Who, who orchestrated all of this?"
The Witch God returned to his throne, and the thick fog revealed a series of images, which He examined one by one, finding them increasingly strange.
Outside, the corridors of the Forest Elf Tower, the Tower of Asura, and the War Tower are engulfed in a bloody battle. The three remaining 'War Orphans' are no match for the three Witch Spirit statues. After they are annihilated, the cut energy supply will eventually be restored.
'We've recovered enough energy; relying on the remnants in the tomb, even if we're cut off, it won't matter.'
The Witch God raised his hand, and thick black mist rolled and covered his entire body. Soon, the wounds were healed, and even the scratches on his robe were restored to their original state.
After all this was done, the thick black fog thinned out considerably, as if a significant portion of the deposit had been withdrawn.
The Witch God didn't care; the energy stored up over thousands of years was meant for this moment. Eliminating a dozen or so players couldn't be done without a cost.
"And then what are they doing?"
Turning my head slightly, I saw 10 players climbing up a long staircase in the second image, but their speed was hardly fast.
The Demon Extermination Squad, Valhalla, Thorny Rose all arrived, but apart from the black-haired youth, the other players posed little threat. They could heal quickly without inflicting any damage on the Witch God.
These players gathered together are difficult to deal with. Should we start by targeting those on the covered bridge?
The newly returned Witch God considered for a while, and the remaining two Witch Spirit statues stood guard at the entrance of the throne hall, giving the impression that one man could hold off ten thousand.
If I were to intervene, those three players on the covered bridge wouldn't last more than 3 seconds, but--
Something's not right; some players are missing.
The pale-skinned player with wings on his back has disappeared. Wait, there are still over twenty patches of mist. Are they trying to ambush me from there?
No, he has no one of his kind left outside. If he had the courage to fight me one-on-one, why didn't he stop me before?
The Witch God had experienced countless wars, but had never encountered such a strange situation. He felt that a key point was missing, which caused the logic to deviate.
Unable to understand, truly unable to understand, the murderous intent that had just surged subsided once more. Because the three corridor bridges were blocked, the aura on the giant island was constantly weakening, preventing the Empty Realm Authority from functioning freely.
It looks like an ambush. Are they trying to keep me occupied so their comrades can sneak into my base?
This is the only reasonable explanation. The Witch God looked back and forth, and suddenly slammed his fist on the armrest with a 'thud'.
"Could it be that making me hesitate is also a tactic?"
He suddenly realized that no matter what the conspiracy was, he couldn't sit still. While he hesitated, the ten players had already rushed to the middle of the stairs.
First, capture two players and read their souls; at least we'll know who's plotting against me.
Thunder God Form.
The Giant left his throne, raised his hands, and authority and lightning gathered, transforming him into a lightning Giant, whose terrifying oppressive aura swept over him.
"Then let's begin."
Vanished into thin air in an instant, and a moment later, the Witch God appeared on the steps, seeing the ten players stop in unison.
When they meet on a narrow path, the Witch God can read the tension and fear on the player's face and see the glow of various defensive items.
Then, just as planned, no one dared to hesitate and turned to run, leaving the imposing Witch God stunned on the spot.
Huh? Running away again?
Chapter Thirty-Three: The General Again
"The diversionary tactic has succeeded."
"Team A is showing signs of retreat, focusing all their energy on defense. Yes, they certainly won't go all out; they just want to capture a player and interrogate them."
"Team B, hold the bridge. With Team A providing cover, all you have in front of you is the statue. Don't let it reclaim it."
"The Witch God doesn't have the ability to create clones, and his overall personality leans towards suspicion. Remember, conceal the true core plan."
After Shared Reading, all the information converged on Yuki, who then relayed the latest instructions.
Everything operates like a clockwork mechanism. Yuki is more like a computer, using the clues deduced Hiyori, the scenes seen by Mena Ryougi, and the psychology of the old Yinbi to calculate and deduce the next move of the Witch God.
He guessed correctly. The existence of the Judge was like a logical loophole, leaving the equally calculating Witch God confused and indecisive, thus leading him to predict that the Judge would target Team A.
While Yuki may not be more cunning than the Witch God, he can use his intelligence advantage to manipulate the opponent's state, namely:
I don't want to force you to make a quick choice with overt schemes when you're thinking; I want to leave enough foreshadowing to make you doubt yourself when you're thinking.
"Luckily, we're the same kind. If you were a reckless brute, I would have died several times over."
Yuki laughed. That's why he liked the Boss, rather than those illogical, hot-blooded teenagers.
You wake up too late, and you're too lonely.
Two equally skilled cunning schemers are scheming against each other, relying on who has more intelligence to strike first. Yuki has four factions under his command and more than a dozen players helping him, yet he hasn't had to show his face yet.
"Xiao Wu has been captured. No, he chose to self-destruct. The Witch God's killing intent is intensifying."
With the ability to share all five senses, Yuki 'saw' the battle formation being blasted apart, and an arm made of lightning grabbing the one-armed boy. Without the slightest hesitation, the boy chose to self-destruct before losing consciousness.
That fleeting brilliance was ephemeral; how could the Witch God be harmed by the self-destruction of a Transcendental Grade player? It was just that this manly determination made the Witch God change his mind.
"If we can't achieve the best outcome, then we'll implement a secondary plan, deploying all defensive equipment. Mr. Nanami, be careful; the Witch God is getting serious."
As soon as Yuki speaking, it was as if countless thunderstorms fell on the Stairway to Heaven, causing defensive items such as the 'Singer's White Veil' and the 'Repulsion Field' to shake precariously.
The Empty Realm Authority was activated, and the Giant in the distance vanished instantly. When it reappeared, it was the size of a normal person and stood alone next to 'Yuki'.
The white machete, imbued with lightning, sliced through the Arcane Grade- level defensive artifacts like paper. It was so fast that the surrounding players didn't even have time to react; luckily, they were prepared.
Kento Nanami lowered his head and tumbled down the steps. He barely grazed the ground before the round shield in his hand turned to charcoal.
Hayasaka Ai, who was not far away, had already aimed in their direction and pulled the trigger within milliseconds.
Powerful lethality mode. Death Knell tolls.
Bang!!
The shot blasted out a burst of lightning that then coalesced into the sky, completely shattering the previously tight formation. Some players fell off the steps and managed to float in the air using various abilities.
"Assemble quickly, He won't strike while the iron is hot." Yuki observed everything like an outsider, paused briefly, and then said, "Gentlemen, prepare for a desperate battle."
The players scattered, and apart from a few, almost none could withstand a single blow. However, the Witch God did not seize the opportunity to pursue them, clearly pausing for a moment.