Chapter 351

"How can we succeed without being greedy? We should have someone receive the mission within two days." Yellow Light took out a crystal whip-like prop and waved it in front of his eyes. "The Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge will send people to participate in the mission. When we meet them, we can still receive their protection."

He didn't want to use this item because he could kill each other in the dungeon, but while he maintained a calm facade, he was still uneasy inside.

"Xin Zhen, are you still unable to discern even a trace of cause and effect? For example, the relationship between that young man and Taiyi?"

"No, we could still see bits and pieces of information when we were on Earth, but after our ascension, everything about 'Taiyi' was shrouded in mystery." The blind, hunchbacked man shook his head, earning a cold snort of 'useless' from Celas.

They all have the same goal, so why is there a difference? Also, the ability to write in the Future Diary has been reduced; I clearly wrote, "[Taiyi will ignore our existence]."

Yellow Light couldn't understand it. Xin Zhen's traits had been upgraded to LV4, so he should be more accurate. He had never thought that Yuki was Taiyi. Judging from the attitude of the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge, Taiyi must be a monster of epic level or above, or rather, an organization.

'He contacted the organization, and the organization provided protection, which is why the Causal Prophecy was blocked.'

This is the most reasonable explanation. It's a pity those artists weren't there, otherwise I wouldn't have needed to be afraid at all.

Yellow Light Guanghua spent a lot of money investigating the Vicious team and was certain that Taiyi was not the Taiyi who made the move. The Punisher was powerful, but he was also just a figment of imagination.

"Calm down, everyone. I've already figured out the pattern. 'Taiyi' must have run into some trouble and can only hide behind the scenes, using his authority to impose some restrictions. Otherwise, with our small number of players ascending to immortality, he could just blow his breath and we'd all kneel down like dogs, without the slightest thought of disobedience."

These words drew laughter from the players. An absolute powerhouse should have this ability; they would be the most obedient hounds until the strength of both sides was close.

"But He didn't appear, like a god high above, indirectly controlling the camp. To be honest, I haven't found out whether those kids were just taking advantage of Taiyi or had genuinely made contact with Taiyi, but they certainly didn't get any benefits."

"Have you noticed that in the past ten days or so, some forces have also broken through the notification system? It was later proven that the 'Arbitration Council' dealt with them by infiltrating the rooms to attack, rather than using their privileges to open the door directly?"

With an extremely rational analysis, and assuming a wealth of intelligence to support it, Celas and other senior executives all calmed down.

"Are you saying that 'Taiyi' itself cannot interfere with the faction, and that the person who truly carries out the mission on His behalf is that person?"

"Perhaps it wasn't him, but it was definitely a player like us. Like a religion, those who take action are the agents. Besides, we know that the authority of the pioneers is usually divided, so perhaps He only has a portion of it?"

It's highly likely that something went wrong with Taiyi. The fact that restrictions were only set a month later proves this; the permissions definitely weren't recently obtained. Why didn't they set them up earlier?

Either Taiyi's consciousness is slowly recovering, or His reaction is slow, but definitely not normal.

"You want to gamble again?" Nagumo Miyabi's lips trembled.

"I don't want to gamble. If there's an opportunity to switch sides, I'll seize it, but I have to consider the worst-case scenario." Shinomiya Oko took a light breath and said coldly:

"The worst-case scenario is that Taiyi discovers us and is determined to eliminate us. Who among you is confident that you can close the gap before He returns to normal?"

A group of people shook their heads blankly. They were completely clueless about how to achieve epic achievements, let alone how to advance to epic level.

"Therefore, we need to seek refuge, refuge across factions, and refuge requires value." Shinomiya Oko swirled his wine glass, his eyes cold. "With the few clues we have, we'll be lucky to get a few items. The Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge won't care if we live or die; they'll just follow the clues and investigate further. By then, we'll be useless."

"You're betting that He hasn't discovered us and want to continue gathering clues? But how do we break through the second barrier?"

"This restriction is too broad. There are always ways to do it, such as describing a specific person without including faction information." Yellow Light revealed a sly smile, his face flushed from the alcohol. "Besides, this is only the first gamble. If we don't get caught, it's certainly safer."

Celas stepped forward, her delicate eyebrows trembling slightly. "And what about the second level?"

"This means we've been discovered. We have no choice but to take a gamble. Anyway, if we run now, we'll be back to face our deaths in two days."

Thump.

The wine glass slammed heavily on the table, and a ruthless glint flashed in Shinomiya Oko's eyes.

"Gather everyone at headquarters. If the agent actually comes, I will surrender immediately. If he does not accept surrender, kill him at all costs and use his soul to find the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge at the Borderlands."

"This stake should be high enough!"

He's a remarkable person.

Yuki witnessed the entire top-secret meeting during the day. He hadn't even told his senior about his privilege to monitor other people's privacy, lest he be seen as a pervert.

Therefore, no player will know that their every move is being monitored. Frieren said no, and there is no related information in the Iron Faith's intelligence. However, the 'Oracle' —oh, that is, the restriction that Yuki just set—will exist.

That's weird. I could monitor the entire Outpost from the beginning. It's like I had reverse-unlocked access, isn't it?

Yuki muttered a complaint, then stared at Shinomiya Oko, slightly lost in thought.

This is truly a character—intelligent, decisive, and daring enough to take a gamble, actually considering exchanging the soul of the 'Agent' for protection. Even disregarding the fact that the Agent is none other than Yuki himself, it would still be a perfectly correct choice, even according to Shinomiya Oko's conjecture.

The Executor must know the core secrets. Once they figure out what state 'Taiyi' is in, the Judge will definitely come from another dimension. Even if they are fighting on someone else's home turf, they can still kill the opponent.

It's a pity your thinking is too heavily influenced by Marxism; well, it's more reasonable than the truth, actually.

Yuki chuckled self-deprecatingly. This was the biggest protective shield. Levi Ackerman had said that visiting other people's homes was not allowed under normal circumstances, so there must be exceptions.

In the entire Thorny Rose, he's the only one who can be considered respectable. Since the Judge sent several epic-level figures, he can only hope that the rule against using Transcendental Grade powers within the Outpost will work.

In addition, the future that Daytime desires coincides with the Reincarnation Game, which is exactly the opposite of Yuki's hopes.

If you are spared, the Thorny Rose faction will be no different from the other factions, and according to the erosion theory of the Reincarnation Game, you will all die.

"Shinomiya Oko has accomplished everything based on the current intelligence; he's a talent." Yuki glanced at the screen again, drew his Black Blade, and turned to leave.

As a token of appreciation, I'll leave you with your body intact.

Chapter Three: I'll Annihilate You, No Reason Needed (5K)

"Huh? Why do you look so murderous?"

Yuki opened the door and saw Hayasaka Ai mopping the floor in the entryway with her butt sticking out. Then the side door opened, and Kaguya Shinomiya her head out.

What a coincidence! I was just about to deal with Zhou when I ran into these two people.

The ill-fated relationship between the two was entirely due to Hayasaka Ai; otherwise, they would never have gotten involved.

Yuki peeked through the crack in the door and could hear the sound of running water and laughter coming from inside. He was always self-aware and had never used his access to peep into his seniors' room.

What are they doing?

"You're taking a shower, you don't want to peek in, do you?" Kaguya closed the door, her red eyes appearing through the crack.

What a joke! If I wanted to peek, I wouldn't need to go inside. I would have already enjoyed your 8K high-definition blockbuster, where I could see every single hair clearly.

Yuki ignored her and cracked his neck.

"I have some things to take care of, I'll be right back. You guys add the points first, I'll check the panel when I get back."

"Aren't you going to eat first? It's still warm." Hayasaka Ai put down the mop and straightened her long skirt.

"We'll eat when we get back. First, I'll go and completely eliminate 'Zhou' to prevent future trouble."

Upon hearing "Day," the door opened abruptly, Kaguya stood in the doorway, looking somewhat bewildered, her hair still damp.

"You're not going to plead for Shinomiya Oko, are you?"

"No, I want to ask if you need my and Hayasaka's help." The girl was like an ice sculpture, radiating coldness.

"Forget it, they're half-siblings after all. I'll take care of it for you." Yuki opened the door, pausing slightly. "By the way, I'll be quicker; he shouldn't feel any pain."

Bang.

The door closed, leaving only Frieren's shy laughter in the room; clearly, the scene inside the bathhouse was quite different.

Hayasaka Ai put away the Death Knell, glanced at the gate, and then at her young mistress.

"If you go out now, you might still be able to catch up."

"Hayasaka, do you also think I would plead for him?" Kaguya Shinomiya turned her head, her breathing slightly rapid. She wasn't that cold, but she still picked up the mop and clumsily helped out.

"I can't go back to Earth. My home is here."

Coordinate movement.

Yuki instantly arrived in the corridor. There were still too few players at the Outpost; they couldn't possibly fill this enormous city.

This is the fifteenth floor of a tall building, with hotel-style room doors on both sides, each room varying in size.

Except for Yuki's room, which is unlimited, the others are configured according to the number of team members, with a maximum of 1000 square meters per person. As a large team, Dayu's room is also extremely large.

There's only one entrance and exit, which makes murder quite convenient, but unfortunately the surveillance footage can only be viewed from the management office.

The management office is like looking down on the Outpost from a higher dimension. After leaving, Yuki can't monitor it in real time, but the plan has already been made and the intelligence has already been obtained.

'It makes sense that Monster II is the most powerful player in Thorns Thorny Rose.'

After allocating her skill points, Hayasaka Ai at roughly this level. Keep in mind that she ascended early and only experienced two dungeons, unlike veterans like One Leaf Foretells Autumn who have been stuck at the Transcendental Grade IV level for a long time.

The latter is a case of accumulating experience before unleashing it, while Hayasaka Ai and others simply benefited from the momentum of their own success.

At least they caught up, and the maid became one of the strongest players in the faction.

Thinking of this, Yuki felt quite emotional. They joined the Reincarnation Game relatively late. In the past, let alone Day, they were someone that any large player team had to keep at a distance and couldn't afford to offend.

"And now I'm going to their doorstep to kill them. Destiny is such a strange thing."

As Yuki felt a change in his state of mind.

Having wiped out the Zerg swarm and faced the Witch God head-on, the gap between him and Earth players widened, and he became increasingly willful.

It turns out I was the most unscrupulous one, using my own likes and dislikes to control all the players.

It sounds domineering and evil, but who cares?

Having endured life-and-death trials and tribulations, and crushed all difficulties, is it not all for the sake of unrestrained indulgence, to decide life and death with a single word?

Their lives would be enough to deter any player of Thorny Rose from circumventing the restrictions and thus keeping the secret.

Use their lives to let the Arbitration Council shape the order I want, and then lay the groundwork for the final plan.

This is the simplest and most efficient approach. Yuki doesn't want to be, nor dares to Thorny Rose; he only wants to be the mastermind behind the scenes and enjoy his familiar life to the fullest.

Scheming, cruelty, and chaos—enough has been experienced in the dungeon.

Yuki stopped in front of the door. He knew there would be a grand welcoming ceremony inside, so he straightened his clothes, as if he were going to a grand ball.

Apart from those participating in the instance mission, all 87 players were concentrated in a private space. Just as Shinomiya Oko said, facing an overpowered player, the outside world was even more dangerous.

A wise choice; I've never faced so many players before.

"Then let's give it a try and see how big the gap is between me and my friends back home."

Click.

Yuki opened the door, and the light from the crystal chandelier made him squint slightly. Looking down from a high dimension was ultimately different from reality, and Shinomiya Oko brought with him an air of nouveau riche.

It resembles a castle hall, with a scarlet carpet on the floor, a giant chandelier with up to ten stories overhead, and paintings hanging on the surrounding walls. An antique wooden staircase leads directly to the second floor.

As long as you're willing to spend the effort and a negligible amount of points, you can have as many of the most precious works of art as you want, just like in 'Minecraft', where you can live in a volcano and nobody will care.

"You're busy running dungeons, outwitting Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and even managing to build such an extravagant residence. You're busier than me!"

Yuki raised his head slightly and looked at the bald man on the stairs, who was holding a wine glass in his hand, which concealed his fear very well.

He bet wrong, and he bet right.

This is definitely not 'Taiyi'. Just as I guessed, 'Taiyi's' will must be carried out by the player. He can sense the power of the newcomer, just like the invincible bosses in the dungeon.

But the visitor is still within perception, not a difference in dimensions.

"Who are you acting on behalf of?"

"Kaguya Shinomiya, Hayasaka Ai, weren't you looking for them?" Yuki glanced sideways, not giving a direct answer.

It's him!

The Shinomiya Oko clenched their fists tightly behind their backs, which meant that the newcomer was that player. Even if they would benefit from ascension, they shouldn't be that much stronger.

I'm definitely no match for them, but thankfully, I've left behind all the forces I could muster.

"So it's you. I deeply apologize for my past rudeness. It's my sister and servant's good fortune to have become acquainted with you." Shinomiya Oko bowed slightly, almost shouting out in a disregard for decorum:

I'm your brother-in-law, we're family, and so on.

"I never realized you two were so loving." Yuki could barely contain his laughter.

"That's the Shinomiya Clan's unique way of educating their children. Kaguya is now my dearest little sister, and if possible, I'd like to meet her."

"They must admire a hero like you. As your elder brother, I offer my sincerest blessings and use this as a bond to become your ally."

Yuki's lips twitched. This guy's ability to ramble on and on was truly impressive. His own verbal skills were probably less than a tenth of Shinomiya Oko's.

I came here to wipe you all out, how did the topic turn into forming an alliance?

"That's enough. I'm acting on the will of 'Taiyi,' without any personal feelings involved."

"But you are still a 'person,' so please, for Kaguya's sake, give me a chance to explain." Shinomiya Oko's face was full of sincerity; he was practically kneeling down on the spot.

"Ignorance is no excuse. I was unaware of Taiyi's existence, let alone Taiyi greatness. I am willing to swear an oath under the witness of the game, dedicating everything to Taiyi and promising to be his loyal dog from now on. His will is my mission."