Chapter 350

"Don't worry, he's still him. I'm more inclined to believe this is an evolution resulting from accumulated experience."

"Why?"

"It's his attitude towards Rita, that tenderness hidden beneath the cruelty." Hiyori smiled sweetly, gently swinging her legs. "As far as we know, those terrifyingly powerful beings have no pity for those who are worthless. Mr. Yuki's power is constantly growing stronger, but his humanity has never diminished."

These words sounded like flattery, but to Mai Sakurajima, they felt so comforting. Recalling the previous battle, her anxious heart finally settled down.

Yes, not abandoning teammates can be explained by the pragmatic notion of "they might come in handy later," but Rita and those Soulless Ones are no longer useful, Yuki has no need to care about their Destiny.

"Looks like he's still that complicated, pig-headed boy."

"Not necessarily. Even if there are no problems now, there might be later," Kaguya added abruptly. Seeing everyone looking over, she quickly waved her hand, "This is a rational analysis, absolutely devoid of any personal feelings."

"Miss, don't say such discouraging things. Yuki will definitely be able to handle it." Hayasaka Ai rarely spoke against the grain, and her sharp eyes made Kaguya Shinomiya lower her head immediately before she looked around.

"No matter what he becomes, I will follow him. All we need to do is keep getting stronger so we can be useful in crucial moments."

This was her decision, and everyone's consensus. Only Mai Sakurajima glanced at Frieren on her left, the purple-haired girl remaining unusually silent.

"Frieren, is there anything you want to say?"

Everyone looked over. Frieren was a newcomer and Taiyi from the others.

"I'm already deeply tied to you all, I can't get off the ship." Frieren had been thinking about this, and his conclusion wasn't unexpected.

She looked up at the familiar faces. Actually, they hadn't known each other for very long, but how should she put it?

I've been living a very comfortable life lately.

His slightly round face was expressionless, revealing an weariness that seemed to originate from his very soul.

As a player, she severed ties with her hometown, lost her mentor and companions, bringing her journey to an abrupt end. Ironically, she ended up in a cruel faction, where she struggled to survive.

Struggling to survive in the dungeon, only to find nowhere to go after returning, the question arises: what is the purpose of living?

Power?

Frieren had no interest.

Going home?

After searching for so long, the only answer I've found is "impossible."

The girl's fingers grazed the smooth plate, her nostrils filled with the aroma of food, and she was surrounded by her companions with whom she could lean her back.

Reading strange and wonderful books with Hiyori, playing games while curled up on a beanbag chair, gossiping while taking a bath with Kaguya Shinomiya, and watching the subtle rivalry between Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima.

That's really funny.

As Frieren pondered, a subtle smile curved his lips, "Emotionally, I would say I'm grateful for their shelter, and I certainly don't want to be homeless again. These two returns have given me a renewed sense of being alive."

No wonder Yuki found her; she was homeless.

Mai Sakurajima accepted the reason, and then laughed when she realized that she had created it herself.

"May I ask from a rational perspective?"

When the topic of rationality came up, Frieren immediately regained his mage's seriousness.

"Yuki Sorajima has an extraordinary origin. This is both a danger and an opportunity. The worst thing in the Reincarnation Game is mediocrity. At least in this instance, I have gained a lot. If I maintain this level of gain, no matter how big the trouble is, it can be resolved."

Indeed, it was extremely rational; every word was irrefutable.

Mai Sakurajima knew that, apart from her and Hayasaka, a harmonious team atmosphere alone wouldn't be of much use; the key was that Yuki was a strong enough backer who could provide a strong sense of security.

Where does confidence come from? It comes from perfect strategies time and time again, and from overcoming difficulties time and time again.

Smack

Mai Sakurajima suddenly clapped her hands and used an empty plate to pick out some of each kind of dish.

"Alright, let's eat. We can't wait for that idiot anymore; we're probably going to be very busy soon."

Done.

Yuki defused the Furnace and returned to the shattered starry sky. He was unaware that his senior was helping him stabilize the team, and he didn't need to worry about it.

He has his own tasks, and everyone on the team helps each other out, relieving them of any worries.

The rock on the sword hilt had been completely smashed, revealing a red hilt about a foot long, easily held in both hands. It was wrapped with gold threads, and at the end was a long, blood-red tassel.

It's a rather beautiful two-handed knife. Only Ikkaku the brass-colored guard is visible, barely revealing the intricate carvings.

"This knife is definitely an heirloom; it's unbelievably hard."

Yuki smashed the rocks with all his might for a long time, enough to pulverize a mountain. Bloodblade screamed in agony as it was smashed, and only then did it break through the black rock. As for the hilt, it was even more outrageous. The Transcendental Grade- grade Phantom Twin Blades were cleaved into jagged edges, without even a scratch on them.

He didn't actually want to break the seal, fearing that 'Taiyi' would be activated and possess him, but he had no choice but to use the inheritance. If the loopholes weren't plugged, not only would he die, but his seniors and the others wouldn't be able to escape either.

[The new permissions add up to two restrictions for all players, which cannot be related to the Pioneer himself. The binding force is directly proportional to the player's strength and inversely proportional to the content of the restriction.]

The Authority Dog is also a skill tree, and it is undoubtedly getting stronger with the removal of the seal, but Yuki looked at the Black Sword with a very strange expression.

Coincide?

His biggest worry right now is how to plug the loopholes. Even if he eliminates 'Day,' there will inevitably be some who slip through the net. Moreover, the Judge has already found Thorny Rose, and he will inevitably encounter players who are related to him.

For example, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and his gang, the goofballs from Grand Blue, or Zhang Jin or Mr. Ye.

These people all know some information, more or less. They can hold the Borderlands, but if the Judge go into the instance, there are a million ways to dig out clues.

This is not an exaggeration; after all, the "Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge" is said to know everything.

With this permission, the vulnerability can be temporarily patched.

Yuki looked at the Black Sword, which in a sense confirmed the experiment. Ever since Under the Crimson Moon, the game's targeting and the protection of the invisible hand have never stopped.

Are you watching me? Have you scripted this?

He looked up, but saw no one and had no idea where the end was. Yuki had only one thought:

Keep going, keep going, and one day the truth will come out, and one day I will be able to control my Destiny.

"I set the limits in the name of the pioneers."

"1. During each instance break, no player may leave the Outpost Thorny Rose for more than 48 hours."

2. Under no circumstances shall you disclose information about your faction to other factions.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuki raised his head. Countless screens were monitoring the Outpost's every move. Another half month had passed, and the number of players inside had increased considerably, but they all had the same expression.

Shock, confusion, and then contemplation.

They were restricted, and many whispered among themselves, knowing from the previous rules that a big shot was watching the Outpost.

Yuki is nearing epic level, and the gap in strength between the two sides is enormous.

The restrictions are not harsh, nor do they affect the fundamental interests of any player.

When direct and inverse proportions are combined, the limitation begins to take effect.

Many people began whispering among themselves, brainstorming, and wildly speculating about the mysterious organization behind it all. Amidst the unrest, the foreshadowing left from the last return began to take effect.

Players like One Leaf Foretells Autumn, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and Zhang Jin formed a large organization called the 'Arbitration Council,' which included a large number of veteran players and subtly hinted at connections with a mysterious organization.

They emphasize order and provide shelter; the ascended players have just left Earth and are mostly still accustomed to an extension of that order.

This is the loophole, but it has to exist unless Yuki slaughters all the players at the Outpost or turns it into a haunted place overrun by demons.

"Fortunately, the loophole isn't too big. Only core members know of my existence. Even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka doesn't know I'm Taiyi; he only thinks I'm a contact person for some big shot."

Yuki is used to holding back, which isn't perfect and is somewhat like trying to cover something up, but fortunately Yuki already has a plan.

How to completely stop a lie? The answer is to layer another lie on top of the existing one.

There's no rush with the nesting dolls; it requires cooperation, but fortunately, we already have someone in mind.

Yuki remained silent for a moment, then snapped his fingers again.

"Looking back after I left, the core focus of all important affairs at the Outpost was the 'Arbitration Council'."

As the mastermind behind the scenes, Yuki was also curious about Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and his team were doing. Hundreds of images flashed continuously, replaying the events of the past two weeks.

Well done.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka a long silence, Yuki nodded slightly. Thorny Rose and the others reorganized the order while there were few players. After all, Thorn Rose had just opened, and the players were all poor. Even the big shots didn't have many points to stay in the Borderlands for long.

In addition, Yuki didn't change most people's permissions, and the dungeon cycle is once a week. All in all, even the most diligent player can only do 3 dungeon missions. After doing business in the Borderlands, they have to return quickly.

Everything is in the early stages, most players have already made their choices, and the 'Arbitration Council' is locked in a fierce battle with another organization, vying for player resources.

Ambush, conspiracy, probing, deception.

Even Yuki was amazed by these methods. It wasn't that he couldn't use them, but rather that it was simply not worth wasting his brain cells on such things.

Power is nothing in the face of absolute power, and the other organization is 'Day'.

They devoured many player teams, gathered a large number of people dissatisfied with the hints, and the two sides constantly clashed and poached each other's players.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Yuki licked his lips. Sociologically speaking, this is inevitable; some people are born bad, and some people are always blinded by power.

I've already Transcendental Grade, so why should I obey the law? Plunder, slaughter, and the law of the jungle—that's the Truth of the world.

The law is meant to restrain the weak; the strong should enjoy all resources.

Yuki isn't a saint; she understands these players' thoughts and admires Shinomiya Oko's ambition. Human nature is inherently complex, and the order pursued by Ayanokoji and others may not be the right one.

Well, it's the same reason as last time:

My ideas may not be correct, but anyone who tries to go against them is definitely wrong.

The 'Arbitration Council' suited Yuki's tastes very well. Looking back, it was discovered that the leaders were all very intelligent and were not blinded by power.

They wanted absolute safety, to never again have to worry about being bitten in two by monsters, so they kept collecting clues from other factions to unravel the mystery of the Reincarnation Game.

"They've even discovered the 'benefits' of one-way communication, oh, and they're still refining their Game Infiltration Theory." Yuki stroked his chin. Birds of a feather flock together, as expected. Back on Earth, his ideals were remarkably similar to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's.

Truly intelligent people are not blinded by Transcendental Grade powers. Given the goal of 'survival', how can one achieve true safety?

Ascend to Epic rank? Become the strongest?

No, the Reincarnation Game always presents stronger enemies; Yuki can't even see the top of this mountain.

"True safety lies in escaping the Reincarnation Game and returning to normalcy. In that case, I can proceed with the final plan. The first step is to prevent the cycle of Reincarnation Game from becoming corrupted."

After watching the video, Yuki made a decision: the opposing side of the Arbitration Council, the more game-like 'Daytime', must be eliminated.

"Search keywords: daytime, Shinomiya Oko."

The darkness flickered, and within a millisecond, all members were captured. The once safe Outpost had no privacy or security whatsoever in Yuki.

With 360-degree surveillance without blind spots, you can be watched even if you're hiding in your room taking a break, and it's hard to trigger your instincts.

Wow, there are quite a few people here.

At various Outpost, nearly a hundred players associated with Zhou were captured. As long as it was a keyword, no one would be wrongly accused, because everything was under surveillance without any blind spots.

Not many players have ascended from the Thorny Rose; this is already one-fifth of them. The screen begins to rewind to their past, showing that most of them are players who believe in the Dark Forest, while others inherited their status from other consortium-type teams.

In the Reincarnation Game, this is not a sin; they simply cannot bear having to abide by rules even while wielding Transcendental Grade power.

Shinomiya Oko paced back and forth in a lavish room, clearly anxious. After the previous punishment, no one took the hint as a joke anymore.

This sudden restriction doesn't affect ordinary players much, since everyone is poor and no one will stay in the Borderlands for long. But it's different for them; they have a feeling of being targeted.

"Let's hurry and take refuge at the Borderlands. Even a pioneer's authority cannot exceed that of their own faction, but 'Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge' can provide protection," said a purple-haired woman.

"No, the Pioneers are real and possess privileges beyond those of ordinary players, including the ability to enter rooms and add restrictions."

"Then we should run even faster!"

"Don't forget that we can't use any power outside the room. What if someone beyond our authority can? Wouldn't we become lambs to the slaughter?" Shinomiya Oko shouted, turning his head. He picked up the wine glass on the table, took a sip, and remained calm.

"So the room is the safest place; at least we still have the ability to defend ourselves. Let everyone come back; we need to analyze this carefully."

He didn't think this was directed at him. Yellow Light himself didn't understand what was going on with 'Taiyi', and he was holding onto those clues tightly. Why should he hand them over without giving enough benefits?

Only Xin Zhen and I know the clues about Taiyi. Besides, this clue can only be linked to that young man. No, to be precise, I don't even know the detailed information about that young man.

Why did Shinomiya Oko keep it a secret? First, he was waiting for the right price to go, and second, he was taking precautions. He had never met Yuki either. It was like a game of musical chairs; the next clue was in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's hands. As enemies, what if the True Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge bypassed him and went directly to the academy for cooperation?

"They can only cooperate with us, and only by leveraging their power can we overpower the Arbitration Council."

"You're too greedy." Celas felt a chill run down her spine.