Chapter 379

Most importantly, the stronger this person is, the safer the Demon Extermination Squad will be, as they still need him to eliminate Sukuna.

Yuki smiled with satisfaction. The war had come to a perfect end, and the most important objective had been achieved. He then watched as the other players swarmed in.

Taihou and Misaki Shokuhou, in particular, acted as if they were picking out clothes in a shopping mall. As for the deaths and injuries of their companions, they were saddened but quickly adjusted their emotions.

Death is the player's fate. Dying at the hands of dungeon monsters is no different from dying at the hands of other players. Life is like currency; the key is what you can gain from it.

Three Arcane Grade- level (Level 5) Transcendental Grade items, each faction receives 2000 to 5000 points in compensation based on the number of members and casualties, plus various low-level Transcendental Grade items obtained during the battle. To put it bluntly, the deaths of our comrades were well worth it.

This is a huge sum of money. According to Yuki's experience in the trading market, a common Chaos Item of the Arcane Grade (Level 5) is worth about 500 points. If it is a material, it will be even less, since you have to spend enhancement points or specialization points to forge it.

This also shows how lucky the senior students are. A faction sends out its best soldiers and suffers heavy casualties to get at most 5,000 points, while they can get the same reward in one instance.

Of course, this also means huge risks. Facing an enemy like the Witch God, it's easy to earn the money but not have the chance to spend it.

So that's how prices are in the Borderlands. With three epic-level players in the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, they're not exactly a weak faction. This is about all the items they have.

Yuki watched quietly. Take his senior, for example. Raising her from an ordinary person to a monster would cost tens of thousands of points. No wonder there are only a few dozen monster-level players in the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons'. Of course, these factions are born Transcendental Grade and don't need to start from being ordinary people to level up.

"It was a pleasure working with you. Remember to contact me again if you need anything similar next time." Terry Bogard chewed his gum, and even with only five players left in the Fighter faction, he could still manage a smile.

This is survival of the fittest; the surviving players will undergo another round of trials and tribulations, and will continue to grow stronger.

"No problem, please give my regards to 'The King of Fighters'." Satoru Gojo extended his right hand and shook it tightly, even though the huge loss was causing him excruciating pain.

"Alright, Mr. Li, we'll be heading out now. I'll tell the guys in our faction your name. If we run into you in the dungeon, please go easy on us." Terry Bogard took off his baseball cap and greeted them.

Yuki was arguing about the 'player pyramid structure' when he nodded slightly, watching them being sent away by the Insect Pillars.

If a fighter wants to keep their distance, there's no need to fawn over them and try to build a relationship. This is the norm for most players; when facing the unknown, the first thing to do is to suppress your curiosity.

Then the 'Ghost Hunter' also left. As staunch allies of the Demon Extermination Squad, they were going to participate in the reconstruction work and had to hurry back to report.

The 'Demi-Human World' then chose to leave as well. Skadi wanted to have a chat with Yuki to properly thank him, but Exusiai forcibly dragged her away, bowing repeatedly in gratitude as they walked.

She wasn't stupid; she couldn't understand why this person was stronger when she clearly had the authority to suppress them.

If you can't figure it out, don't think about it. Just stay away from it if you encounter it.

Am I really that scary?

This is different from those muscle-bound 'fighters'. Yuki pursed his lips. As a former doctor, he felt a strange sense of goodwill towards her. He really wanted to have a good chat with Titi.

Oh well, there will be plenty of opportunities to get to know each other in the future.

Just then, a fair arm reached out from behind and to the side. Yuki instinctively dodged, and then felt the touch of black stockings on his calf.

Taihou squeezed in next to me, very close, and I could smell a faint fragrance.

The battle had just ended, and Taihou changed her clothes. Yuki only glanced at them, but he knew it was the legendary disciplinary committee uniform.

"Mr. Li, please come visit 'Anthropomorphic Front' when you have time. A strongman like you is very popular with girls." The armored aircraft carrier's tone was slow and languid, with a captivating allure.

There can't be two suns in the sky; my senior sister protected me.

Yuki silently recited the eight-character mantra, his expression unchanged. "You guys are in trouble too?"

He didn't believe that Taihou would flirt with him for no reason; gamers are all realists.

"Hehe, in the Reincarnation Game, which faction doesn't have trouble? The only difference is who is strong and who is weak, and who hunts whom." Taihou covered her mouth and chuckled, glancing at Misaki Shokuhou and Mena Ryougi and the others.

"That's true. That's why many powerful players from different factions don't focus on dungeons; the risk of fighting each other is lower, and the rewards are greater."

This is Yuki's biggest realization: in faction wars, you can run away without being wiped out. Look at all these Transcendental Grade materials scattered around; the rewards are no less than those from dungeons.

The loot he selected alone is worth tens of thousands of points. If you want to get at least 20 specialization points in the dungeon, your participation rate should be at least 70%.

No wonder there's a setting where points and credits can only be redeemed once during a dungeon break. But there are ways to circumvent that; just find some trustworthy people to launder the money.

Why isn't faction-based warfare the mainstream?

"Because of the suppression of authority, and the fact that flies don't land on eggs without cracks, there are relatively few evenly matched camps like 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' with irreconcilable conflicts." Misaki Shokuhou finally found a chance to speak, and shoved Taihou aside with her buttocks.

"Of course, this is not absolute. If the suppression authority is not complete enough, or if the intruder is powerful enough, it is also possible to forcibly annihilate a faction."

As a psychic Espers, Misaki Shokuhou was incredibly perceptive and knew exactly what Yuki was interested in, so she told him a few more of her most treasured stories.

One faction lost control of the outpost and, due to having too many enemies, was forcibly invaded by a group of players, who looted the entire Outpost.

In another faction, because all the high-ranking members were wiped out in the dungeon, even though the players with suppression privileges were stationed at the Outpost, they were still completely wiped out.

"I see. Suppressing authority, having an inside agent, and having strong factions are all indispensable. In particular, it is necessary to have an epic-level player in charge, because the Reincarnation Game does not allow epic-level players to visit other factions."

Yuki listened and nodded. Satoru Gojo had 95% suppression authority, which could suppress players from other factions by 1-2 levels. If he were here, any number of people who dared to come and visit would die.

Insiders are easy to deal with. Take the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" for example. Each of the twelve evil demons and the twenty core captains has some authority, which is enough to invite those with ulterior motives.

Suppressing permissions is only a small part of the Pathfinder's permissions; the others include teleportation, surveillance, and building construction.

"Then why don't you concentrate authority on one person?" Yuki looked at Satoru Gojo, who, as a fellow pioneer, was the absolute ruler.

"The risk is too high. If I perish, my authority will be lost for a period of time, and I will have to return to the Outpost. That will be a bloodbath, and I dare not test humanity." Satoru Gojo shrugged. He had been in the Reincarnation Game for a long time and had seen many lessons.

"There was once a faction that had such an absolute god, who placed all players under a certain order and even designated a successor. But it was still useless. When the old god fell, the scepter would shatter into countless pieces, and any player would be eligible to inherit it. Everyone had different strengths and ambitions, and if they couldn't win, they would summon external enemies."

This is another epic novel Hiyori Japanese readers enjoy, since in the Reincarnation Game no one's bloodline is more noble, and every player has an equal chance of reaching the top.

Yuki sighed. The Pathfinder privileges were actually more for players of their own faction, and for their own benefit, who would willingly hand them over?

Besides, I have no way to divide permissions; I can only be a lone king.

Yuki gradually understood that to become the Lone King, one needed the right timing, location, and people. He truly overcame all obstacles and achieved this, but there was also the ultimate boss Reincarnation Game.

The dungeons will have to be done sooner or later; there's no upper limit to their difficulty. Once the Lone King falls, everything will return to square one.

"It seems you can't reclaim the remaining 30% of the permissions."

"Hmm, 'Bronze Tree,' 'Snow Woman,' and 'Noragami' won't listen to reason. Everyone has friends. If we really push them to the Borderlands, this war will be a long way off." Satoru Gojo shrugged again, clearly having already thought it through.

Yuki felt a strange familiarity when he heard the names of these teams, but he didn't pay much attention to these trivial details.

"I have another question. The specific details of each faction are top secret. How did this information get leaked? Even if you encounter them in a dungeon, they might not tell the truth."

Upon hearing this, Satoru Gojo, Saito Hiraga, Misaki Shokuhou, and the others exchanged strange glances, not understanding why Yuki acted like a newcomer.

"Have you heard of 'Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge'? For the right price, it can tell you everything, even which player with the appropriate privileges is dissatisfied with their faction."

It really was them.

Yuki slightly. He already knew the relationship between the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge and the Judge: one was a forceful purifier, the other was the eye itself. He didn't know if this power was granted by the game, or if it was the collective power of a group of powerful prophetic players, but—

"They are facilitating infighting and deliberately creating chaos."

"Of course, once you become a player, you can never stop. Otherwise, if I reached my level and didn't feel a sense of urgency, I wouldn't continue to climb higher." Satoru Gojo gave a tired and mocking smile, waving his hand in a state of utter despair.

Even if you defeat those evil spirits, it's merely a respite on a long journey. The Reincarnation Game will always have a mad dog chasing you, and if you stop, you will surely die.

An epic-level player shared their experience, and everyone listened attentively, but aside from a shared sense of sorrow, their expressions remained unchanged.

Reincarnation Game; if you don't advance, you retreat, and if you retreat, you die.

Ascend to Epic rank, gather all permissions, lower the dungeon frequency to the minimum, and then lock yourself away for a shameless and blissful life?

How could that be? This is a selection process. Epic-level players are just a group of more valuable materials. How can we stagnate?

Yuki already knew what the next stage was, and he also knew that 'security' simply didn't exist in the Reincarnation Game.

He turned to look at the silent Taihou. Ever since the conversation started, his red eyes had been filled with hatred—a hatred filled with despair and helplessness.

"So your troubles were created by the Reincarnation Game?" After going around in circles, Yuki brought the topic back.

"Yes, 'Commander,' she persuaded the Sirens, wiped out the military, became the Lone King, and a new chapter of Azure was about to begin, and then—" Her red eyes were filled with nostalgia and lost their luster.

"In just one instance, we lost our commander."

Chapter Ten: What's the point of playing then? (8K)

Early morning.

Yuki opened his eyes, stared blankly at the unfamiliar Japanese-style ceiling for several seconds before sitting up.

It's been several days since we returned from the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons'. Satoru Gojo will handle the rest himself, so there's no need for him to worry about it.

This faction war was short, lasting only one day. Yuki figured out a lot of the rules, broadened his horizons, learned about warfare, received rewards, made friends, and also made enemies.

Overall, it was quite fulfilling.

He patted his face gently. Yuki was used to this kind of busyness. Tactically, he had completed the preliminary preparations for advancing to Epic rank. His overall evaluation was very close to Epic. He could kick down the door as soon as he got the item.

Using 32 enhancement points and a Bloodline Object to upgrade 'Demon Possession' to LV6 guarantees an epic level, but this epic level is unpredictable. Yuki prefers 'Soul Corruption,' which can 100% transform his core ability.

Soul energy.

Strategically, the Demon Extermination Squad is now an ally and will be brought under the Judge's scrutiny.

Thorny Rose is too weak after all. Yuki must plug the loopholes created by Shinomiya Oko and use a nested lie within a lie.

The more clues there are, the more direct they are, and the less pressure Thorny Rose will feel. Li Dan is clearly the player who killed the two Judge in the 'Wizard's Tower,' which is infinitely more direct than the 'Taiyi' that Shinomiya Oko unintentionally revealed.

Satoru Gojo was naturally unwilling to take this risk, but firstly, without Yuki, he had no choice at all. Secondly, when he asked how to deal with trouble, Yuki's answer was very simple.

Just tell the truth.

Although it's unclear why the Judge didn't issue a public warrant for 'Taiyi', the Demon Extermination Squad genuinely doesn't recognize 'Taiyi', and even causal tracking is useless against them.

They only knew "Head Hunters" Li Dan, a very powerful player who cooperated in "Wizard's Tower". For the benefit of their faction, they invited him to participate in this war, and after paying him the corresponding reward, Li Dan left.

What's wrong with that? Is there even the slightest lie in this? Who says you can't have outside help in faction wars?

"Right, come find me, 'Head Hunters' Li Dan. What does that have to do with 'Thorny Rose' Yuki Sorajima?"

Secondly, there's the shared sentiment among all players. To put it simply, Yuki has had in-depth contact with high-ranking members of several factions, and most of them share the same attitude.

"Players have suffered from games for too long; only masochists would enjoy the feeling of being chased by a mad dog. Judging from the tragedy of 'Anthropomorphic Front,' just as Shiki Ryougi said, no player can escape the game, and no player can enjoy the game."

Everyone was forced to move forward; there was no room for idealists. For example, even though that commander had done enough, he still resorted to the game's ultimate weapon—

The instance has been terminated.

This was Yuki's greatest gain: he verified the despairing reality and discovered the true thoughts of the vast majority of players. The commander was more like a pioneer, cutting off his last shred of hope.

"Efforts within the rules of the game are futile. Countless players can only reach the level of commander, and even those who approach perfection are like Kyoka Suigetsu."

Yuki rubbed his face. He had thought about a similar path: unlock all permissions, use the 'Arbitration Council' to control all players, and finally shut himself away to live a lazy life.

But the commander tried it, and it didn't work. He didn't even have any trouble with Judge or anything like that; he was still left with only a group of heartbroken tactical dolls and ship girls.

Because fundamentally, this idea runs counter to the Reincarnation Game; if everyone shuts themselves off and becomes a couch potato, where will He find those to reincarnate from?

"I've been back for several days now, and I'm still thinking about it."

A clear, childlike voice drifted over, Mena Ryougi lay down beside her, her chin resting on her hands, her two slender, white legs swinging back and forth beneath her short skirt.

Yuki stared at her silently, then slowly covered his face.

He had originally planned to return to the Outpost to summarize his recent gains, but the girl clung to him like glue, and he couldn't refuse her hospitality, so he had no choice but to stay in this courtyard.

"Are you really not afraid of getting into trouble?"

"Talented man, aren't the golden retriever and the sassy aircraft carrier the same? Don't worry, even my Manas Consciousness can't see anything unusual about you, so the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge certainly won't be able to lock onto you either." The girl waved her hand nonchalantly, her azure eyes filled with confidence.

After the battle, she finally understood why her mother valued the other party so much. This 'Mr. Li' was not bound by the game's rules, and this secret alone was enough to bet everything.

Yes, just like the commander's story, there was no way out within the framework of the Reincarnation Game, so he had no choice but to break out of His design.

"Whatever, I've done my duty to remind you." Yuki was too lazy to say anything more. Actually, Mena Ryougi was quite useful; she was a very special Monster III player.

Hmph, you think you can get rid of me so easily?

Mona's smug smile froze instantly as Yuki stood up, pulled off the belt of his pajamas, and revealed his bronze muscles.

"What are you doing?!"

"Change your clothes. What, sneaking into my room in the middle of the night? Now you're shy?" Yuki sternly, watching the girl scramble to her feet and run towards the door in a panic. She looked down and saw her breasts bulging, paused for a moment, and then started muttering to herself as if Self-Hypnosis.

I'm not a lolicon, I'm not a lolicon, I'm not a lolicon...

A few minutes later, Yuki changed into a sharp black suit and walked barefoot on the wooden floor.

Diarmuid, who was doing his morning exercise in the courtyard, nodded in greeting. The black-haired loli following behind kept muttering to herself. Yuki suddenly realized that staying here was not bad at all; she could be a lazy bum and still do quite a lot of things.

I've made many new friends, and my network of relationships is expanding rapidly.

"Miss Ryougi Shiki isn't here?"