Chapter 373
"What are you standing there for? Cover me! If I die, do you think you'll survive?"
The Taihou's shrill voice reminded them, but fortunately, the remaining players were all elites. Although they didn't know each other, they could still figure out what to do. However, without complementary skills and absolute trust, they appeared extremely chaotic.
Boom--
The cavalry charged in like butter. The Aether Particles player, wielding a large shield, 'forgot' that no one was buffing him. He was kicked into the air by the giant horse and pierced through the chest by a halberd. The Tree Sentinel twisted his wrist and shredded him. He then used his giant shield to knock away the Fiery Wolf. Seeing the players fighting individually, he locked onto the armored carrier that was still continuously releasing war machines.
"Kill her, then crush them completely!"
Chaos reigned, complete chaos unfolded. Dozens of battlefields were simultaneously taking place throughout the Dreadfort. Due to Yuki's intervention, the Demon Extermination Squad was only slightly weaker than the demons, and their reinforcements were even stronger in both quantity and quality.
However, the evil spirits had the advantage of terrain and manpower. When the strength of both sides was roughly equal, the players who had committed their entire teams clearly had the upper hand. It was difficult for them to quit, let alone regroup.
The coordinates of the Gate of the Demon Realm are completely randomized, causing the player teams, who had originally set up their battle formations, to rearrange themselves.
Some were unlucky and returned to reality alone, standing blankly in a blizzard; others were lucky and were reunited with dozens of other players, but their familiar teammates were replaced by strangers they had only met once. Even if they could trust each other, they knew nothing about each other's abilities or items.
Under the cover of the blizzard, the captain couldn't find the team members, and the team members couldn't find the captain. Before they could reach a conclusion, the demons, who had been itching for a fight, all set out.
Hundreds of coordinates, and how many people are at each coordinate, could not be hidden from Mundus at all. There were already people specifically sent by the Demon King to receive the coordinates, and then troops were dispatched to intercept them according to the number of people.
Fortunately, the blizzard provided cover for both sides, so interception could only be based on numbers. Furthermore, there were still thousands of Demon Extermination Squad fighting Tenshukaku, so some players had to be assigned to suppress them.
"Do you really enjoy chaos that much?" Satoru Gojo stood atop the Tenshukaku, looking down at the occasional glimmer of light through the icy mist. "This blizzard will damage players below the Transcendental Grade level. If it continues for a few more hours, neither side will have many survivors."
"The weak don't deserve to live." Mundus slowly shook his head, his huge, pale body appearing and disappearing in the blizzard.
"That's true. Even monster-level demons are just expendable resources in your eyes, making them even more cruel than Sukuna in some ways." Satoru Gojo laughed, his expression quite sunny and cheerful. "But aren't you afraid of causing trouble? You wouldn't be thinking of using this war to create even greater chaos in the Reincarnation Game, would you?"
A total of 15 factions participated in this battle. Apart from the Head Hunters, to which Yuki belonged, who were not well-known, all the other factions were prominent and influential. The forces that came to support them were undoubtedly high-end combatants.
Whoever dies will only deepen the hatred.
"Since the upheaval began, the Reincarnation Game has become boring."
"Oh? You also investigated past secrets?"
"Those Judge tried to hide it, but it was hard to keep it from the epic-level players. That upheaval wasn't good for me, because the game was supposed to be even more brutal."
Satoru Gojo didn't respond, seemingly wary of the topic.
"No need to hide it anymore, you're also dissatisfied with the stagnant situation." Mundus laughed, extending his sharp claws. "Because you didn't tell them that I have the spatial locking authority, and even if you fail, you still want to leave something behind."
Upon hearing this, Satoru Gojo paused for a moment, then grinned, revealing his menacing white teeth.
He laughed again, this time a ferocious and terrifying laugh, accompanied by a kind of madness.
Azure energy surged from his body, Piercer the blizzard like a bright torch, while the incredibly sturdy Tenshukaku was melted into nothingness by the energy.
Satoru Gojo floated in the air, staring at the demon. "You sound like you've already won, and you're declaring victory."
"Isn't it?" Mundus's face, which resembled Old K's, was expressionless. His three eyes were wide open, his angelic wings were spread, and endless Abyss Grade energy flowed from the hollow of his chest.
They spread through the air, forming a black wall of light. Within the Abyss Grade, crimson arcs of electricity flickered incessantly, and countless hideous demons emerged from the void.
Creation from the void, control of thunder, this is --
Epic Metamorphosis. The Demon Emperor.
Mundus gathered lightning into a sword, and saw that the demon he created had already turned into nothingness before it even got close to Satoru Gojo. The man did nothing; it was simply a matter of energy melting away.
"Don't forget, I am Epic II, stronger than you."
Satoru Gojo raised two fingers, making the Roar energy even more terrifying. He wasn't a demon king, nor did he possess many fancy skills; all he had was the most basic, yet most terrifying, ability.
Epic Metamorphosis. Infinite Cursed Energy.
Epic Metamorphosis.
Yuki raised his head; the energy storm was so obvious that even a blizzard couldn't conceal it.
The reason there's a gap between Monster IV and Epic is like the difference between a creature and a living being; they are fundamentally different.
Just like the seven powers of the Witch God, its level of power is above Chaos Item, Transcendental Grade skills, and even bloodline skills.
What skills allow one to wield the seven powers? What items can achieve this effect without any side effects?
None of that is possible, and the qualitative change of each epic-level master is different.
To advance to Epic rank, one must first achieve Epic status, breaking through limitations and venturing deeper into the path; secondly, one's overall score must surpass the monster's level; and finally, the player's strongest ability must progress far enough to achieve a qualitative leap.
This last option is not mandatory, but it represents the strength of different levels.
According to Shiki Ryougi, qualitative change is like sublimation; it can be an item, a Transcendental Grade skill, blood ties, faction talents, or something else entirely.
Yuki has an epic achievement, but he can't possibly carry around a hundred Chaos Item to boost his score. Such a qualitative change would be meaningless; even if he succeeds, he'll just be a clay figure on the beach, unable to withstand any test.
His power system was already vast enough, possessing level 8 physical attributes, various items, Transcendental Grade skills, and bloodline, but his true core ability wasn't any one of them, but rather—
Master the power of the soul.
Soul energy is the core; all skills, items, and bloodlines are built upon this foundation. He has reached the door and needs to use this foot to kick it open.
So how can we transform the power of the soul?
Demon Possession is one path, but it requires a full 32 enhancement points to go from LV5 to LV6. The enhancement points themselves aren't the problem; the key is to have suitable Bloodline Object. For example, the Asura Blood Pool on your person isn't suitable. Yuki not only needs to improve, but he also needs to improve effectively.
This is one option, but luckily I have another one: [Soul Infection], which I just used.
Its requirements are rather demanding; it requires Bloodline Object from epic-level life forms, which are simply not available in the trading market.
"No rush, let's see what we gain after this battle."
Thinking of this, I quickly pulled myself back to reality.
We owe Shiki Ryougi such a huge favor, and putting aside future plans, we absolutely cannot let anything happen to Mona.
Where did that brat go hiding?
Yuki didn't even glance at the Black Blade assassin who had been shattered in front of him. He looked around and saw more than a dozen energy fluctuations passing through the blizzard. How could he possibly pinpoint Mona's location at a glance?
Don't worry, this kid has the ability to read the script and he's carrying a lot of good equipment, so he won't get into trouble easily.
Instead of searching aimlessly, Yuki surveyed the entire battlefield from a higher perspective and came up with an idea within three seconds.
Pick them off one by one? Didn't expect I'd be free so quickly, huh? Perhaps we should turn the tables and do something like this...
"Conquer them one by one in reverse!"
Thump.
With a stomp of its right leg, the sonic boom unleashed a blizzard, and countless shards of ice struck the insect armor, sparking dazzling fireworks. It charged towards the nearest and most intense battle zone, a trail of sparks and lightning.
The Night Furnace stripped away space, and no one knew what state Yuki in, or when and where she would emerge. But there was one thing that even Mundus couldn't calculate.
The team with a 5% suppression advantage Muzan Kibutsuji, a defeat that was too swift and whose reasons defied logic. Like Ulquiorra, they never considered the existence of a particular player.
It can transcend the game's settings.
Call out--
A blur flashed through the air, crossing the plaza and reaching the wall in seconds. The demons on guard outside the battlefield were shivering in the wind and snow. Before they could even see who it was, they were smashed to pieces on the spot.
Their blood and flesh were still splattering in the air Yuki had already barbarically crashed into the battlefield. A quick glance revealed that it was exactly as expected.
There were many corpses on the ground, most of whom I had met once, and many of them were familiar faces from Arknights or Girls' Frontline.
Spatial teleportation disrupts all player teams, preventing them from recognizing each other and reducing their combat strength by at least 30%. Meanwhile—
He raised his head slightly and saw dozens of players fighting. Besides the evil spirits and the Demon Extermination Squad, there was also a group of unfamiliar players, some of whom looked very familiar.
Isn't that Luguna? The one in front is Aura, who treats suicide like playing the violin. The rest are liches and ratmen.
Monster Front, an old acquaintance.
Yuki didn't expect to run into an 'old friend' here, but she had to admit that the complete player team was much stronger, suppressing Misaki Shokuhou so much that she couldn't even raise her head, and their reactions were extremely fast.
Seeing someone attacking from behind, the lich, whose eyes blazed with divine fire, immediately turned around.
Death and Decay.
A blood-red circular array unfolded beneath Yuki's feet, the aura of death corroding his body, the air thickening, and his speed slowing down.
Without wasting words, Yuki threw out his blood-red spear.
Call out.
Before a black-armored knight could raise his shield, the lance had already sent the lich flying. The sudden appearance of a powerful figure from behind halted the attack. With a burst of ghostly blue flames, the knight leaped onto his Nightmare steed and turned it around.
But before it could stop Yuki's charge, it froze as if it had been put on pause.
Cognitive Distortion.
In the distance Misaki Shokuhou locked onto the knight; superpowers and magic clashed, and a torrent of spiritual fire erupted from the gaps in his armor. This monstrous death knight was breaking free from the shackles of his superpowers, and then—
Yuki pressed down the shield he had just raised and pressed the Hunter's Blunderbuss against its mouth.
Bang!
A point-blank shot instantly blasted the knight into a pile of flaming bone fragments. Yuki pierced through the embers and ignited the lich's departed soul with another shot before finally reaching the player behind the Aether Particles.
The crimson spear flew back from afar, landing precisely in his palm. He glanced at the players with their varied expressions, then stood quietly in the wind and snow.
Besieged on all sides, Aura had no choice but to halt her hunt, her beautiful face filled with apprehension.
This is the 'Head Hunters' mentioned in the intelligence report? Wait a minute, didn't those demons say he was being held back by Muzan Kibutsuji?
Muzan Kibutsuji in the Reincarnation Game, but he has survived until now because he is strong enough. A brief comparison will show that the one who comes after him is even stronger.
"Thank goodness, finally someone reliable has come to help."
Misaki Shokuhou with joy, finally seeing her savior. She didn't have much offensive ability to begin with, relying entirely on mental manipulation for support. But whether it was 'distorted cognition' or 'Infantile Regression,' her companions needed to seize the opportunity.
However, these demi-humans with outstretched ears and tactical dolls had absolutely no coordination, making her want to unleash a mental storm and run away without distinguishing friend from foe.
Fortunately, Yuki arrived. Although the two sides had never cooperated before, the swordsman was able to seize the opportunity and blast the Death Knight to pieces with a single spear thrust.
What an unlucky guy. No wonder the team members are mostly explosive Espers.
Yuki immediately noticed Misaki Shokuhou's predicament. Aura, without saying a word, pulled out a scale and spoke succinctly.
"The Undead Army"
Dense ripples appeared in the wind and snow, from which hundreds and thousands of monsters emerged, concealing the female demon and the players of the Monster Front.
Unlike the original work, the undead are bizarre and varied, clearly pieced together from multiple dungeons. The banners fluttering in the wind and snow release halos, looking like a series of flashing neon lights.
After being brought under Aura's command, she spent a long time and used many Chaos Item to strengthen this army, which in a sense was similar to Muzan Kibutsuji's, and could be considered as changing the skill tree.
Should I switch to a summoner-based playstyle?
Yuki swung his spear, cleanly and decisively turning a giant, rotting frog into minced meat. He arched his back, watching as a dense array of magic circles unfolded before his eyes.
Enhancement magic, defensive magic, stealth magic, ranged magic...
Yuki didn't recognize it, nor did he try to identify it. He simply took a large gulp of Quiet Dew and issued the command.
"Misaki Shokuhou, unleash your psychic storm, then have the remaining players attack from the other side. Next, use your psychic powers to mark my location. Ignore whatever tricks this demon tries, just focus on me and move towards me."
How did he know about my superpowers?
The girl paused for a moment, then immediately replied, "Understood, I'll take extra care of you later."
"Protection? No need."
Boom!!
The blizzard turned scorching hot, and a red lotus flower, almost as tall as the city wall, suddenly bloomed. Even with the defensive magic overloaded, it still burned a hundred-meter-long Bone Land.
Thump, thump, thump.
The pale sonic boom ring expanded and then dissipated, accompanied by the swirling snow, and the man's answer reached my ears.
I'm in a hurry.
Chapter Six: With me here, we will win!
Shattered corpses, burning bones, and broken weapons spread all the way to the city walls.
The men that Aura had painstakingly gathered were piled up into a mountain of corpses, and Yuki, holding a crimson spear, stood atop the mountain of corpses.
Puff.