Chapter 363
A faint smell of tobacco wafted through the air. The room was simply furnished. A handsome young man with white hair sat on a worn-out sofa, his legs crossed, flipping through a magazine, occasionally chuckling softly, and pulling potato chips from his pocket.
Satoru Gojo, damn, he's even more handsome than me.
Yuki finally saw the famous Satoru Gojo, the strongest sorcerer, the master of memes, whose name, "2.5 Gojo Satoru," made Yuki want to look at his waist whenever he thought of it.
"Uh, the Demon Extermination Squad doesn't have many rules, and everyone's usually pretty relaxed, so please don't take offense." Kento Nanami suddenly felt embarrassed and glared at Kyojuro Rengoku, who was supposed to be standing behind the sofa as a guard with a rather high-class air, but instead he was also sticking his head out to look at the comics.
"Don't be nervous, you know I'm not some old-fashioned scholar." Yuki waved his hand, stepped in, and sat down on the opposite sofa with a cigarette in his mouth. "What are you looking at, Mr. Gojo?"
"The latest manga, 'Humanoid Weapon,' drawn by a young lady, is quite interesting." Satoru Gojo chuckled easily, waving the manga in his hand. Just like he seemed, he was a carefree person. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead.
"Kyojuro, quickly pour Mr. Li a cup of tea. I'll finish reading it soon."
"Let me do it." A female voice came from inside the room. Yomi Isayama looked at the two of them helplessly, then made herself a cup of coffee.
She placed it on the table, slightly embarrassed. "That's just how they are, please don't mind."
"It's alright. After experiencing life and death in the dungeon, you should relax afterward, otherwise you'll inevitably become bitter and resentful." Yuki gradually understood the meaning behind it all. It seemed that many factions were using their own methods to resist the erosion of the Reincarnation Game.
"So you'll relax after you come back?" the black-haired girl asked curiously.
"I'm very relaxed here, aren't I?" Yuki crossed his legs, looking more like a friend visiting than someone discussing a collaboration.
This is precisely the joy that time travelers bring. For Yuki, aren't Satoru Gojo, Kyojuro Rengoku, and others like old friends?
"Come visit more often when you have time." Satoru Gojo finally finished reading the manga, closed the book, and complained, "Yomi, why didn't you make me a cup of coffee?"
"You should go to the bar by yourself. You're always so unserious. Mr. Li's time is very precious. Please be more considerate of your role Captain-Commander." The girl snorted, quickly put away the comics and snacks, cleaned the table, took a few steps, then came back and dragged Yanzhu, whom she was holding in her arms, away.
"Wait, I'd like to catch up with Mr. Li."
"There will be plenty of time later. They want to talk about serious matters, so don't interrupt."
"Mr. Li, I'd like to invite you to dinner later."
As the sound faded into the distance, Yuki couldn't help but smile. He saw Satoru Gojo staring at him with gentle eyes, a look that seemed quite friendly.
Do you think I'm weird?
"That's true to some extent. Generally speaking, the stronger the player, the more cold and ruthless they are. Only a very few can maintain a relaxed mindset, and I'm glad Mr. Li is one of them." Satoru Gojo propped his head up and smiled silently.
"The Reincarnation Game is too cruel and too tense. Relaxing even slightly can become a weakness that leads to your demise, so most players keep a tense expression, like..."
"Like a weapon that has been forged through countless trials, it can only view everything with reason." Yuki speaking for him, and after obtaining the information from the Lost Ones, this point was now beyond doubt.
"Oh, Mr. Li knows a lot. Yes, in the game, all you want is a weapon, and each dungeon is a test of your skills. But I don't want to be a weapon, just like the author of this comic. She was originally a weapon, but she turned out to be a beautiful and cute girl."
Humanoid Weapon, cute girls, could they be ship girls or something?
Yuki raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "But relaxing comes with conditions. Surrounded by wolves, it's hard to relax even if you want to."
"Yes, yes, just like those players in the 'End World,' they really have a lot of grudges. I heard their 'King' burns players like firewood." Satoru Gojo grinned, then seemed to understand something.
"How do you relax, Mr. Li? You must be very busy every day."
"I am very busy, but I always manage to find time." Yuki ignored the probing, rested her chin on her hand, and said with deep red eyes, "I have many friends, and it's quite comfortable to visit them all. I actually spend very little time in my own camp."
"Hey, does that mean I'm a friend?"
Yuki paused for a moment, then stood up and extended his right hand.
"Of course, you're a new friend."
Chapter Twelve: I Want to Leave, and No One Can Stop Me.
Satoru Gojo is a pretty good guy.
Easygoing, humorous, powerful, and able to carve out a niche for himself in a challenging faction without turning his subordinates into a group of bitter and resentful players.
Resisting the erosion of games seems to be the unanimous choice of many powerful players. Shiki Ryougi chose to fix the root, Satoru Gojo chose to group like-minded people, and the latter is actually quite universal.
Players come from various worlds, and Yuki has a general idea of what criteria to use to divide factions.
This standard can be a global contradiction. For example, the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" is basically a battle between humans and evil spirits, with both sides being hunters of each other. However, the focus is more on the conflict between humans and demons than on the "hunting."
This standard can be a world type, such as 'Aether Particles' and 'Mechanical Faith', one leaning towards fantasy and the other towards science fiction.
This standard can also be global in nature, like the 'End World' and the 'Hero Kingdom', with the key words being 'end' and 'hero'.
So Thorny Rose are just part of my daily life; I haven't taken the wrong path.
Yuki sipped coffee and ate snacks while chatting with Satoru Gojo. It wasn't exactly an information exchange or a business deal; it was more like two friends discussing their experiences.
Fortunately, after completing the two dungeons, Yuki made many friends, figured out a lot of the settings, and was no longer as ignorant as a newbie. He was even amazed at how quickly he had improved. Just over a month ago, he knew nothing and his strength had only just entered the monster level.
"Didn't you ever think about eradicating the evil beings completely?"
"There are good ghosts among them, and besides, how could we possibly kill them all? Players keep coming in." Satoru Gojo swung his legs, looking quite clear-headed. "It's just that the ghosts these days are always going against us, and there are some old grudges involved. But it's about punishing evil and promoting good, so I know which ghosts to leave behind."
That's more like it.
It's too difficult to wipe out half the players in one faction, and Yuki doesn't have that much time either. So, the method of eliminating the ringleader and leaving the other players to be reformed is not bad.
"Can you do it? Don't forget that many members of the Demon Extermination Squad have blood feuds with them."
"Don't worry, I'm the only epic-level player in the Demon Extermination Squad. Besides, why do you think I would create such a relaxed yet serious organization?"
That's true. They may seem unconventional, but their organizational structure is actually quite tight.
Satoru Gojo is the Captain-Commander, overseeing many squads, each with varying numbers of members. Yomi Isayama, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Kento Nanami are all Captain-level. From his description, it seems that Yuki has some idea of what worlds exist.
Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Tokyo Ghoul, Ga-Rei, Devil May Cry, Nioh, etc., this can't really be considered a hodgepodge. As for the power differences between the characters in each world, Yuki already knew that they were not relevant.
Having gone through the trials of the Reincarnation Game, the demons that emerge from Dante are not necessarily strong, and the investigators who emerge from Tokyo Ghoul are not necessarily weak.
"Who do you want to kill?" Yuki succinctly. This clear-cut division of camps made it easy to distinguish friend from foe.
"The ghosts are stronger than humans. There are two main culprits. This is information on the evil ghosts that must be killed."
Yuki dusted off the potato chip crumbs on his hands, took the documents and flipped through them. The so-called culprit was an epic-level player, no wonder he had the upper hand in a 2 vs. 1 situation.
It's them. There's no surprise at all.
One is the Demon King Mundus, who, if I remember correctly, is the boss in Devil May Cry, though I forget which one.
Another familiar one is none other than Sukuna's old rival from 2.5-jou. A familiar face who left behind many famous memes.
Looking further down, more and more familiar faces appeared, such as Muzan Kibutsuji, Yamata no Orochi Rize Kamishiro, and Orochi. Yuki gently rubbed his forehead, thinking to himself, "What a hodgepodge of bosses!"
But this fits the pattern of Reincarnation Game. The protagonist or boss in the original world may not be strong, but their survival rate is always higher than that of passersby. After all, they have some skills to create a great career in their hometown.
"Two Epic-level enemies, four Monster IV or higher. What's your troop strength like?"
"I am epic level, Dante Monster IV has Mr. Dante and Arima, but I have also found a lot of helpers, and the preliminary preparations are all done." Satoru Gojo looked like he had been waiting for a long time. Before the war starts, the preparations are the most troublesome. It involves hundreds of tests and countless conspiracies.
Yuki could still trust Satoru Gojo's planning abilities, and the Demon Extermination Squad also had many capable members, so he considered it for a moment.
How to kill?
"Hey, aren't you going to discuss the terms?"
"Didn't you tacitly agree to my involvement? If I leak the information, all your years of preparation will be wasted."
Satoru Gojo shrugged. He had indeed been planning this day for a long time. On the one hand, he had no choice but to do it, and on the other hand, only by uniting his forces could he have a chance to realize his ideals.
"It's better to sign one, otherwise I'll feel like I'm taking advantage of you." Satoru Gojo took out a gold leaf, which was a cross-faction contract item, the kind that looked very high-end, and the contents were very simple.
[The player helps the Demon Extermination Squad eliminate evil spirits, Demon Extermination Squad owes a favor, which allows them to grant the player any request.]
"Shall we discuss the details? This is a bit too broad, and I'm afraid I might mislead you," Satoru Gojo said with a smile. Indeed, normally the level of participation should be specified, including which players would be eliminated.
"If you cheat me, I can just not do you the favor. On the other hand, aren't you afraid I'll cheat you?" Yuki shook his head. He had gotten a great deal from this contract because the "anything goes" clause was too broad.
I want Satoru Gojo to commit suicide, I want to eliminate all the points from the Demon Extermination Squad, and even--
"If I asked you to fight against the Reincarnation Game, would you dare to abide by the contract?"
"Oh, if there's a good reason, what's there to be afraid of? At worst, I'll find a way to break the contract."
Since Satoru Gojo was so agreeable, Yuki didn't need to be petty after fulfilling his duty to remind him. He hesitated for a moment, recalled the information given by Shiki Ryougi, and shook his head.
"I'll copy the content; please sign this one."
Yuki pulled out the Soil-Offering Contract. This bamboo slip was incomparable to gold foil, but its effect was similar.
"Mr. Li, you're very careful. Are you afraid the gold leaf might fall into someone else's hands and become a medium for causal tracking?" Satoru Gojo gave Yuki a deep look, then hesitated and said, "It seems your troubles are even bigger than Yomi and the others reported."
Yomi Isayama did not participate in the scheme against the Judge; the report only contained speculation.
"This is the price for inviting me into this game. Do you dare to sign?" Yuki glanced at him as well; this was a key component of the Matryoshka Doll Plan.
"The situation is urgent, I have no choice, and besides, I didn't know about your troubles." Satoru Gojo decisively signed his name, and a murmur rang out, setting restrictions for both parties at the configuration level.
The contract is established.
Satoru Gojo nodded in satisfaction. To be honest, he had modified the contract on the spot while reading the manga, and the terms he offered were the most lenient.
Partly due to intuition, and partly due to Yuki's strength.
"We can discuss the specific plan now. I'm planning to launch a surprise attack while Sukuna is on a mission and clip its wings."
"So, where are you planning to launch the surprise attack?"
Satoru Gojo chuckled, opening his mouth like a fox. "Of course, it's the Outpost for the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons'."
That bastard actually schemed against me, but luckily, I schemed against him too.
Yuki huddled on the sofa, secretly sneering. Satoru Gojo had already started planning; he must be very busy these days.
From his words, Yuki gained a deeper understanding of the Outpost's design, which could be corroborated with the information provided by Shiki Ryougi.
The Outpost of the Thorny Rose is indeed an anomaly. Normal factions would not have any contact with their homeland, and combat is not prohibited within the Outpost. It only has a suppressive effect on invaders from other factions. Its strength depends on the completeness of the privileges granted and the player's settings.
The details reveal the horror. I always said that if fighting could be banned, most factions would be living in harmony.
Outpost of other factions can be more dangerous than dungeons. As the saying goes, "Fellow countrymen meet and stab each other in the back." Players are always enthusiastic about their fellow countrymen from the same world, but they can easily get killed if they're not careful.
What is the struggle between Thorny Rose like? It's all about cursing, spitting, and playing house like children.
"Is this also to avoid the corruption of the Reincarnation Game? Self-destruction will create suspicion, suspicion will lead to greater distrust, and then it will snowball. How can you dare to leisurely drink coffee on the street? Aren't you afraid of being poisoned?"
Yuki seemed lost in thought. There was an invisible hand controlling everything, shaping the unique atmosphere of Thorny Rose, and the permissions he kept unlocking were just perpetuating this atmosphere.
This hand is named 'Taiyi'. Judging from this glimpse, Yuki seems to have guessed His goal.
Everything is to slow down the erosion of the Reincarnation Game, to delay the process of evolving from 'human' to 'player' and then to 'weapon'.
What are you muttering about?
A sweet female voice, a face with distinct black and white features, came close to her, Mona blinked her blue eyes, and her small hands rested on Yuki's thighs.
"What do you care what I'm muttering about? But why did you come along? Is Miss Ryougi Shiki planning to interfere in the internal strife of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons?"
The person in front of him was none other than Mona. This girl had actually followed him and found him directly. The members of the Demon Extermination Squad didn't stop her at all, assuming she was an ally of Yuki's faction.
Satoru Gojo, the fox, did not object. He was busy running around, making friends with heroes and good men. He had been doing this for many years, but it was all talk and no action.
'That bastard is eager to drag Valhalla into this mess. No, given Mona's status, even the slightest contact would make the demon extremely nervous. He's used similar tricks far too many times; after a period of tension, the demon inevitably relaxes its guard, and that's where the opportunity lies.'
Yuki wasn't involved in formulating the plan, he knew perfectly well that players couldn't remain on high alert forever, especially since Sukuna had gained the authority to adjust the frequency of player quests.
This permission was incomplete; it could only reduce the frequency with which players received missions. So it was used on the Demon Extermination Squad to prevent them from receiving missions, thus widening the gap. This is why three Captain-level players were dispatched to the Wizard's Tower at once.
However, following Yuki, they gained a lot, leaving Sukuna somewhat bewildered. He thought the Demon Extermination Squad had found a way to deal with the situation, but his men remained on high alert and were unable to carry out their missions, which went against the original intention of the authority.
"Hey, looks like you already know about that white-haired guy's plan?" Mona shook her head slightly; Yuki was the smartest player she had ever met.
"It's just a classic case of 'one effort, then decline, then exhaustion.' Satoru Gojo's jumping around attracts attention, preventing the demons from using their authority to widen the gap, while also wearing down their patience. Then, when their patience runs out, he launches a fatal blow."
"What a brilliant conspiracy! Those evil spirits are definitely not a united front. We can't let one possibility hold us indefinitely. Those players are extremely obsessed with power."
"Wrong, this is an open scheme. Nobody knows how many allies Satoru Gojo has hidden, let alone launch a proactive attack. There are many tricks involved. Satoru Gojo has definitely fished out a few fish, causing the demons to suffer heavy losses." Yuki smiled slyly and licked his lips.
"If they continue to be on guard, the gap between the two sides won't widen, and their authority will be useless. Besides, this won't stop Satoru Gojo from seeking allies from the outside; on the contrary, their strength will become even closer. So they should take a gamble, and they must take a gamble. Of course, there are five ways to gamble..."
As he was speaking, Yuki suddenly stopped talking, and the smile on his face froze.
"Which five modes? I can only think of two: one is reverse fishing, and the other is..." Mona asked curiously, only to see the man staring intently at her.
"Answer my question, what did Lady Ryougi Shiki send you here for?" Yuki warily; this girl was a little fox after all.
"Mom told me to come with you. She didn't mean to interfere with the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, otherwise I would have called Diarmuid and Nero." The girl swung her legs, looking completely nonchalant.
"So what are you doing following me?" Yuki him a look that said, 'Are you kidding me?'