Chapter 378
Yuki coldly observed the red phantom, which, despite its murderous intent, became blurred, as if a bloodthirsty dog had its chains taut but was being dragged back by its master.
And the one holding onto the chains was me.
Yuki felt an unprecedented sense of pleasure. So what if you're an epic player? I'll make you fight to the death, and you have no choice but to fight. I'll make you get out of here, and you have no choice but to get out.
Why should I fight you to the death? Why should I exert all my strength to dance a tightrope with an epic-level player? Do I think this is an arena duel?
Overcoming the gap in skill, like a chess player controlling everything, inflicting despair and powerlessness on the enemy—this kind of person is usually called—
Top-tier cunning old man.
"If you knew I let you go on purpose, you'd probably be devastated." Yuki shrugged, flicked his thumb, and drew his sword against the setting moon and the impotent Kokushibo.
Clang--
"Besides, what does your hatred for Li Dan have to do with me, Yuki Sorajima!"
Chapter Nine: Exterminate the Evil Spirits
The end.
The bright moon was extinguished in the flames. This faction war took a huge unexpected turn, but it was as intense and short-lived as Satoru Gojo had imagined.
The Unlimited Void vanished, and the white-haired youth standing in the sky was somewhat bewildered. He was the initiator of this war, but not its controller.
Have I become one of the pawns?
Satoru Gojo stared at Yuki, who had drawn his sword and leaned forward, feeling both ironic and ashamed. In terms of pure strength, the latter wasn't even an epic-level being; he was only slightly stronger than Kokushibo and Dante.
But he was the player, entering the game midway and taking control of the entire game.
"Where did Yomi and his group find this monster? It stole all my thunder!"
The young man covered his face; in truth, he had already lost his gamble. Mundus had predicted his own prediction, but the situation had completely reversed. If the latter had been the one who devised the plan, the losses would probably have been reduced by more than half.
Somewhat frustrated and somewhat wary, yet forced to admit that in terms of strategy and tactics, Yuki could easily crush him.
"As expected of a player who can transcend the game's settings, I'm more accepting of him turning the tide through sheer skill."
What troubled Satoru Gojo was precisely this: Yuki turned the tide by observing, calculating, and predicting—a skill beyond mere strength. He even sensed a warning.
Can you make me lose just as easily as you can let me win?
The battlefield gradually quieted down. Apart from the pursuing team, all the players stood amidst the ruins, watching Satoru Gojo fall from the sky, the latter looking quite frustrated.
He had imagined it countless times, but all his high-sounding pronouncements were useless. In this war, he was just the sharpest knife, even leading everyone into a pit. Only now did he realize the whole picture of the war.
Damn it, they even included that in the calculation?
When Satoru Gojo saw that players from all factions only glanced at him, many with amused smiles, he felt a chill run down his spine. Even with his thick skin, he dared not act arrogantly anymore.
So, amidst the attention of everyone, he landed in front of Yuki, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"You... don't want to make a fortune quietly?"
"Not now, after all, I'm someone who cares about honor." Yuki smiled and shrugged.
I don't believe you for a second. This old fox is full of bad intentions and is definitely plotting something, at least to tie the Demon Extermination Squad to his boat.
Satoru Gojo gritted his teeth slightly, but what was most terrifying about Yuki was that people could guess what he was going to do, yet they still had to happily and willingly cooperate.
"From today onwards, the names of Head Hunters and Li Dan will likely be widely circulated in the Reincarnation Game. Tell me the truth, are there Judge tracking you?"
"Yes, don't worry, I'm just a mercenary. When they find you, just tell them the truth." Yuki shrugged, seemingly relaxed, but actually really hoped that Satoru Gojo would keep his promise.
"Well... that's true. You're not a wanted criminal, so why can't I cooperate?" Satoru Gojo of relief. He might as well tell the truth since the Judge had come to him. Anyway, he didn't know where Li Dan lived.
"Rest assured, the promise and the alliance are still valid. Right now, the Demon Extermination Squad is too weak and can't withstand any more setbacks. I certainly won't set a trap to lure you in."
"It's alright, I trust your character. Trying to scheme against me won't be that easy." Yuki took a few steps, then gently patted his head. "Anyway, I can come anytime I want. I'm very interested in what kind of conspiracy can lure and kill me."
Does he perhaps possess our privileges?!
Satoru Gojo swallowed hard, glancing instinctively at the mangled corpse on the ground, his mind a jumble of thoughts.
As per the rules, if a player with authority is killed by a player of their own faction, their authority will be inherited. If killed by a player of another faction, their authority will be shattered and drift back to the Outpost after a period of time to await recovery. Therefore, the fall of every 'king' signifies the beginning of infighting.
And then he can inherit privileges across factions, that's really...
Screw the setup!
Yuki didn't care about Satoru Gojo's ramblings. This was a war, and also a transaction. He had chosen to take the risk and place an order, so naturally he had to get a corresponding return.
I gained a considerable amount of authority from Sadako, Muzan Kibutsuji, Kokushibo, roughly five percent of the total. Each type of authority is incomplete, but it's enough to allow me to come and go freely.
I'm so tired of winning.
He clenched his fist quietly. This way, even if Satoru Gojo wanted to get off the ship, there would be no way for him to do so. The Judge would soon lock onto the 'Head Hunters' and 'Li Dan'. With so many witnesses, their attention would shift from the 'Thorny Rose' to the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons'.
If the Judge needs to investigate, or even directly intervene, then this Outpost is the best testing ground. As for whether it's a bit despicable?
No, if I hadn't made a move, all of them would be dead. Satoru Gojo would have become a stray dog, just like Sukuna.
This is the price of victory. Yuki is no saint; he wouldn't take risks without considering the rewards. Besides, Yuki has prepared many backup plans for them.
Why ensure the survival of the captains of each faction? There are eight factions here, representing eight powerful forces. Pulling out one will bring up another, and even the most powerful Judge has to be careful. Besides, he doesn't intend to use Satoru Gojo cannon fodder.
He could tell the truth, because he was just a mercenary he had recently met and who was participating in the faction war. If he insisted on investigating anything unusual, it would mean he had performed a little too well.
You're looking for Taiyi? The Demon Extermination Squad doesn't know anyone named Taiyi. You're looking for Li Dan? What does that have to do with Yuki Sorajima?
He glanced at Satoru Gojo, who was deep in thought despite his victory, at the Demon Extermination Squad members whispering amongst themselves, their faces filled with reverence as they grasped the full picture of the battle, and at Taihou and the others with shining eyes.
In a flash, Yuki appeared atop the Tenshukaku, facing the densely packed players against a backdrop of Eternal Night filled with swirling vortexes, and gently raised his sword.
"Destroy the evil spirits!"
They won, but for most players, the victory was inexplicable.
Their own Captain-Commander led everyone into a trap, and apart from doing everything he could to eliminate Mundus, it seems he did nothing else.
The one who truly turned the tide was Mr. Li. He was a man of formidable strength and flawless strategy, but there's one thing that still puzzles everyone:
How did he single-handedly crush the battlefield on the dome?
Satoru Gojo couldn't say, Misaki Shokuhou could only guess. Yuki's performance was too good, so good that even an epic-level powerhouse backing him was wary. It's not common for a mercenary to turn the tables. There's a Truth in the Reincarnation Game: it's best not to pry into the secrets of the strong.
In terms of strength, Yuki may not be the strongest, but in terms of battle record, no one dares to underestimate him.
The Demon Extermination Squad began cleaning up the battlefield, pursuing the remaining enemies, and incidentally extending invitations to those opportunistic groups. After defeating Mundus, Satoru Gojo gained nearly a third of the authority, and no force within this Outpost could threaten him anymore.
Satoru Gojo quickly adjusted his mindset. Firstly, he realized that without Yuki, he would have already lost, and wouldn't even have had the chance to betray him. Secondly, Yuki was right; the Demon Extermination Squad knew nothing. It wasn't like he had "I have a grudge against the Judge" written on his forehead.
As for turning against him, after witnessing Yuki's prowess, he didn't have the courage.
After the war came the division of spoils. Each faction had been busy and suffered heavy losses. The Demon Extermination Squad had to fulfill all its promises and also provide compensation.
"Ahem, these are the spoils after cleaning up the battlefield. You can choose any three level 5 items or materials, but they are not included in the promised reward."
Demon God Palace, which was filled with huge pits and almost turned into ruins, hundreds and thousands of props, materials, and even Bloodline Object and mutants were scattered all over the ground. This was the legendary winner-takes-all situation.
The dazzling array of weapons, armor, equipment, and gems dazzled Yuki, making it instantly clear why everyone loved faction wars.
This is the accumulation of countless years by tens of thousands of players. In fact, the players themselves are the source material. If it weren't for maintaining the image of a strong player, they would have pounced on it like rats in a rice granary.
There are too many. There are dozens of Arcane Grade -level items or materials. These things are rare and are usually only possessed or dropped by monster-level players.
'If the Demon Extermination Squad weren't crucial to the next phase of our plan and urgently needed to restore its strength, I would have taken it all. But right now, the Chaos Item that are truly useful to me require level 6, and these things are both rare and have usage requirements.'
Yuki put aside his greed. He still understood the principle of sustainable exploitation. The Demon Extermination Squad was a target he had set up around the Thorny Rose, and this target couldn't be easily broken.
When the topic of dividing the spoils came up, everyone was excited, but they held back and looked at Yuki, indicating that he should choose first.
Strength earns respect, Yuki deserves that respect as well.
"Uh, Mr. Li is not included. You can take as much as you want without any restrictions," Satoru Gojo quickly corrected.
Ignoring the tense looks in his eyes, Yuki strode forward, intending to first find various Bloodline Object related to souls, as planned. However, the results were disappointing; Bloodline Object were scarce in the Borderlands, and even rarer in certain categories.
"If I had to pick just any one, I might as well use the Asura Blood Pool directly. It's not hard to gather 32 enhancement points, but I can't guarantee that it will result in a qualitative change to the 'soul'. If it turns into a true demon, that would be fine, but it's never perfect."
"The most fitting element in the plan is Soul Infection; it's bound to bring about a qualitative change, but it requires the Bloodline Object of an epic being."
After learning from Shiki Ryougi, Yuki had already planned his upgrade path, so he simply went to the front and touched a white heart. This was Satoru Gojo's loot, a material dropped by the epic player Mundus, the most precious item.
[Demon King's Heart, crafted by an epic-level player, requires 24 specialization points and has a chance to evolve into Abyss Grade- level Chaos Item or item upgrade material.]
[Keywords: Control, Summoning]
With 24 specialization points, there's a chance to craft an Abyss Grade- grade (Level 7) Chaos Item.
Yuki gasped. Level 7 items were the highest level in the game at this stage; he had never even seen one, let alone touched it.
Then the upgrade materials for items are easy to explain. Players using items below epic level can only reach level 6 at most. Upgrading from level 6 to level 7 is not as simple as just using points.
Yuki glimpsed Hayasaka Ai's future; this thing is hard to find, it's priceless and unavailable. Each faction's level 7 item must be a treasured, hard-to-find item.
Under the envious gazes of a group of people, he held the remaining treasures in his hands and touched them. These were several level 6 items or materials, belonging to the core strength of each faction.
Touching them one by one, Yuki suddenly stopped when he touched a deep blue gemstone. It looked like a crystal-clear heart, and you could even see snowflakes drifting inside.
[Chaos Item: Heart of the Frost Goddess (Chaos Grade)]
[Create a massive ice and snow barrier to block perception, disrupt the five senses, and block all kinds of communication]
[Side effects: Indiscriminately inflicts frostbite on the user, which accumulates over time. Users with a constitution level below 8 will be completely frozen. Minimum usage requirement: Constitution level 7. Cannot be used by players with fire-type skills and must possess excellent energy manipulation skills.]
[Description: This is the divine kingdom of the Snow Woman. To obtain it, you must Godslaying and be forever cursed by him.]
Holy crap, those demons even killed a god?
The previous ice storm left a deep impression on Jiecheng; it was the culprit that plunged the battlefield into chaos. If it weren't for the large number of members in the Demon Extermination Squad and his own decisiveness, the blizzard would still be raging.
The Frostheart clearly originated from an extremely difficult dungeon, and it was extremely rare and expensive, plus I met the requirements to use it.
Yuki's physique is level 8, and Soul Fire isn't some kind of fire-based ability. It's an energy manipulation skill, and is level 5 Demon Possession enough? Soul energy is a type of energy, isn't it?
Nice one.
Yuki decisively took the gem, and saw Satoru Gojo grinning as if a piece of flesh had been scraped off. Fortunately, this item had a side effect on large-scale battles, so let him take it.
Yuki wasn't greedy; she only picked up level 5 items with special effects. These items had no usage requirements, so they were perfect gifts for her seniors.
He then selected a special item called [Psionic Identification Glasses], the very identification item he had been longing for, which could identify specific data such as Bloodline Object.
Then, Yuki picked up a ball of silver light, which was dropped by Kokushibo, and as the Ravager, it was rightfully his.
[Moon Monster Essence, a consumable material, costs 4 Specialization Points and inherits one Transcendental Grade Skill]
[Keywords: Spatial category]
This is somewhat like Demon Martial Arts, except that it's a reward given by the game. After a moment's hesitation, Yuki used his specialization points.
[Moonlit Ghost Step (Mastered): Obtained by player Kokushibo after evolving Moon Breathing to its ultimate form. Wherever the silver moon shines, the soul extends; evil spirits appear and disappear without a trace.]
I see. I knew Moon Breathing was just some special effects; it turns out it's an evolution of Transcendental Grade skill.
Yuki accepted it with satisfaction. He was already fast enough, but spatial skills were never a bad trade.
That's about it.
After selecting several Transcendental Grade items, Yuki with satisfaction. The faction war didn't offer any points rewards, but the gains were still considerable. And this war was very short; if only there were more opportunities like this, why bother with any quests?
He wasn't greedy; he didn't frantically use props to accumulate points. This was Shiki Ryougi's admonition, and he couldn't lie to himself no matter what.
A strong person may have many skills or items, but their core strength is definitely limited. He will use this one foot to kick open the door to an epic level.
After selecting his spoils, Yuki returned to Satoru Gojo's side and secretly handed him the Demon King's Heart, which filled Satoru Gojo with ecstasy.
He hadn't expected Yuki so restrained, and his confidence seemed to deepen even further. Deep cooperation with a powerful figure who prioritized the greater good was never a bad thing.
"Don't be too happy yet. I want that Demon King's Heart. In my name, find a way to exchange it for a Bloodline Object of an epic life form, and then send it to this coordinate," Yuki whispered beside him.
Satoru Gojo's expression froze instantly. The Demon King's Heart was not something that could be measured by points; such a thing was a treasured possession in every faction. But he quickly realized this.
"You want to use a bloodline skill to advance to epic level? Wait, an epic-level life form's Bloodline Object... you have a second bloodline skill?"
"Hmm, there's a special request." Yuki gave him a knowing look and whispered, "How about it, can you do it?"
Satoru Gojo wasn't too surprised. Li Dan was so strong, he must have some hidden tricks up his sleeve and knew the correct path to advance to Epic rank.
Can focusing on one point lead to a qualitative change?
"If you have connections, give me some time." He gritted his teeth and agreed. The Bloodline Object of an epic-level life form was more precious than the Demon King's Heart, and it would cost thousands of points. But since Li Dan was being so generous and didn't ask for a single point, he wouldn't hold a grudge.