Chapter 392

"Your Excellency Funina, who... who is this person from headquarters?"

The remaining Night Watchers of the Rosen Branch were also gazing at the sky. Had it not been for the higher-ups relaying the mission, they would have already excitedly followed. The red-haired girl who was being questioned had a strange expression on her face.

It's him, it must be him.

Funina blinked, still reeling from the endless shame of being a 'spy,' since she was the one who told Yuki when reinforcements would arrive, and of course she knew that no important figures could possibly descend upon Rosen City tonight.

He fooled everyone. Because he hadn't killed Night Watchers, his identity couldn't be exposed through sin. And being so far away, he couldn't even discern the light. So how could he use the Soul Blunderbuss?

The night was too dark, Yuki hadn't been tainted by much evil. The only thing that could be discerned from a distance was his attack method. If Yuki pulled out a laser cannon, even if he transformed into Funina's appearance, he wouldn't fool anyone.

The fact that the Hunter's Blunderbuss's attack method is similar to that of the Night Watchers's Soul Blunderbuss is the solid evidence.

Why should he help? Does he want us to owe him a favor?

This is the problem that Funina can't figure out no matter how hard she tries. The chaos has nothing to do with the players. Even if 100,000 civilians die overnight, it won't change the high-ups' stance. The nobles he kills will only cause him trouble.

Funina couldn't understand it at all, just then she saw a bald, burly man rushing over. This was the deputy head of the Rosen Branch, another Level 4 Night Watchers, who had just had a big argument with her.

Already suffering heavy losses, Funina insisted that the oath to maintain order in the night should be upheld. However, the bald man argued that it was "a drop in the ocean" and forced half of his men to go protect the nobles who were retreating overnight.

This attempt to flatter backfired. The gentleman was clearly very dissatisfied with the Rosen Branch's actions, which was why he rushed over to plead for leniency.

"Lady Funina, who exactly is this person?"

While her subordinates were still asking questions, the red-haired girl glanced at the hundreds of colleagues riding into the city. The latter were clearly confused and simply obeyed orders.

"I don't know either." The girl, enjoying the deathly silence of the night, suddenly smiled.

"But he must be a kind and benevolent man."

The chaos ended within eight shots, and the night returned to its deathly silence. Clusters of lights remained suspended in the darkness, while those still moving were the Night Watchers had just entered the city.

Their original mission was to receive the nobles during their retreat and then clean up the city during the day, but now they were carrying out more explicit orders and inexplicably following an oath, leaving the high-ranking officers in charge even more bewildered.

We haven't heard of any important person coming, and why did this person ignore us and disappear into the Black Forest?

"How beautiful! This night is truly magnificent." Mona stood by the window, gazing out at the hundreds of thousands of lights forming a galaxy as many people went out into the streets, making her blue eyes sparkle.

She suddenly felt a sense of pride. She had killed hundreds of people but saved the lives of hundreds of thousands. She felt quite honored. What was even more terrifying was that the man was not as willful as she was.

Yuki can be capricious, but she knows how to use that capriciousness to create greater benefits in the future.

"I'm reminded of a Zen saying: 'Killing is for the sake of protecting life; cutting off karma is not the same as killing a person.' Brother, you are truly remarkable."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Stop flattering me all the time." Yuki opened the door, like a boy taking a night stroll. Blocking the light would draw him into the darkness, but at his speed, he was hard to detect.

"I merely used Funina's intelligence, calculated the arrival time of reinforcements to intimidate them, and Limit the characteristics of the Hunter's Blunderbuss. I also added elements like the reduced amount of sin, the enhanced light of the Soul Lamp after it was replenished, the darkness, the psychological warfare between the natives and the Night Watchers, and the power-based hierarchy."

Is this considered boasting? Adding over a dozen conditions to a simple, capricious matter—and you call that impressive?

Mona's lips twitched, wondering if his flattery had been too simplistic, so he simply poured a cup of hot tea and shoved it into Yuki's hand.

"Where is the player who was spying?"

"They got away. They're probably still wondering what happened when they saw me chasing after them with a group of Night Watchers." Yuki took a sip of tea, a smile on his face.

"Didn't he realize you were a player?"

"No, the experiment was a success. It seems I really can pull off this deception." Yuki swirled his teacup, a playful smile on his face. This was no mere whim.

He was already plotting something from the very beginning of the dungeon, when he dealt with the level 7 Night Watchers.

"It doesn't matter if he's suspicious. Power can be faked, but interests cannot be explained." Yuki snorted, his tone coldly rational. "If a player is secretly cooperating with the Night Watchers, their goal is definitely not something as 'trivial' as saving the city."

This is arrogance, and also cold logic. For both players and Night Watchers, eliminating a Night's Minions is more important than saving 100,000 lives. Why would they prioritize the trivial and expose themselves?

This is the most crucial disguise, even surpassing the Hunter's Blunderbuss. Now that Yuki is telling him face-to-face that he's a player, he'll probably be hesitant and looking for an explanation.

"You truly understand the bloody nature of humanity." Mona didn't know what to say. Precisely because she understood human nature, she could exploit it. So she simply jumped and pounced on Yuki onto the bed.

"I can't be bothered with this kind of trouble. Don't move, I want to hold you while I sleep."

Slender legs emerged from under her skirt and wrapped around Yuki's body, her small face close to his, her breath carrying a delicate fragrance.

Yuki wanted to check the panel to calculate how many players were left on the Third Night, but then he stared blankly at his fine eyelashes.

Mona petite, soft, and delicate, with a faint fragrance. An invisible spiritual force swept over her body, another unconscious, wide-ranging search.

They still haven't given up.

Yuki chuckled, closed his eyes, held the little girl, and fell into a deep sleep.

The night should be deathly silent.

Chapter Seven: Night Capital and the Enemy

Waaaaah...

With the noise of the propellers, the airship slowly moved eastward. This thing was very slow, but it could cross mountains and rivers, and it belonged to the most advanced means of transportation on the Dark Night Continent.

Those who could afford to ride in an airship were either extremely wealthy or of high status. The enormous cabin had floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, where well-dressed dignitaries would hold wine glasses and converse elegantly.

Yuki blended perfectly into the environment, dressed in a sharp suit, holding a glass of red wine, leaning against the window, a smile on his face, gazing at the towns and winding rivers below, and of course, the dense crowds of refugees.

The Kingdom Avenue has been sealed off by the army. This doesn't really count as taking lives lightly. The Dark Night Tide usually takes away half the population, but if they all crowd into the core of the kingdom, and a catastrophe like the one in Rosen City happens a few more times, probably half the population won't survive.

The king and high-ranking officials held meetings overnight to discuss solutions, and airship tickets were being sold at exorbitant prices, to the point that wealthy people had to sell all their possessions.

97 people.

This is the number of players remaining after five days. Nearly 40 players perished last night, but Yuki remained calm, a testament to the composure of his well-developed intelligence network.

The Night Watchers began his hunt, and he realized he had underestimated these natives. In terms of raw strength, they were no match for the player, but they possessed two unparalleled advantages.

First, precise tracking: the more Night Watchers you kill, the wider the tracking range becomes.

Secondly, the Night Watchers are not particularly afraid of the Dark Night Tide. One piece of intelligence mentioned this is from a certain hunting event where players were forced into the tidal range.

Third, the Dark Night Tide provides absolute cover; within the tidal range, no message can be transmitted, and similarly, outside the tidal range, it is impossible to probe the interior.

We underestimated them; if they make good use of the darkness, they might actually be able to turn the tables.

Therefore, Yuki became more cautious and wouldn't pick up the 'airdrop' notification even if he received one, as it wasn't time to meet up yet.

A mechanical carrier pigeon flew in and jumped into the cabin through a special pipe, which made the approaching nobles all stand in awe.

It turned out to be a secret agent.

The Night Watchers's status has recently risen dramatically, and their collaborators have also benefited. Yuki received the carrier pigeon and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, I don't have to waste my brains bragging to these people anymore.

What elegance? It was just a group of people secretly testing him. His identity couldn't withstand scrutiny. Now that the Night Watchers had his back, any test could be brushed off with 'secret'.

"Let me see what's happened now."

The Yuki airship had been on the move for a whole day and was now approaching the territory of the Breta Kingdom. There had been no leakage of any Transcendental Grade energy along the way, yet they were able to learn a great deal using the Night Watchers's intelligence network.

Players who are high-profile will become targets, while those who are low-profile can only find information from newspapers, and Yuki's intelligence network is already at the highest level.

"Abandon armor-based missile combat, embrace integrated information and firepower; hey, the battle between players is a battle of intelligence."

The mechanical carrier pigeon doesn't need such a mundane method as paper notes; it's more like a portable recorder. But once the scent comparison is complete, Funina's voice immediately rings in your mind.

First, the Dark Night Tide continues to expand, encompassing Rosen City. Nearly 30% of the continent is now submerged in the tide, and even daytime is becoming darker. The Night Watchers's higher-ups have determined that the 12-hour day-night boundary is blurring, and night is becoming longer than day.

The poison circle is shrinking, and as expected, there are no loopholes to exploit in the Reincarnation Game.

Yuki sighed. If it were just nighttime, players could stay within the poison circle during the day and move around at night.

Secondly, some Night Watchers are hunting in accordance with their oath, intercepting any fast-moving targets in addition to tracking down sin.

Yes, only the Night Watchers possess Transcendental Grade powers; they are either friends or enemies. My low profile was the right thing to do.

Third, the battle between the two sides has intensified. Nearly 50 locations where Transcendental Grade forces clashed have been discovered, and the two sides have engaged in more than ten battles. Five players have been hunted down, and ten players have been detected. Their characteristics are as follows.

Yuki looked closely and found only one companion on the list.

The Sahara Empire, a white-haired archer, decisively defeated a division, but suffered few casualties.

Emiya showed mercy; it seems he also realized the Night Watchers's characteristics—they can't be killed indiscriminately.

Fourth, intelligence regarding the Night Watchers's organizational structure and leadership... Hmm, I didn't expect that commander to be such a remarkable person. We can adjust our plans accordingly.

The recording ended, and the Rosen City Night didn't cause much of a stir. The only gain was that Funina's attitude became more positive, which was enough for Yuki.

The red-haired girl takes initiative and always saves brain cells from sifting through false information. Her status is neither high nor low, making her difficult to attract attention.

"Now I know the coverage area of Dark Night Tide. Hmm, it really is shrinking towards the center of the continent."

He looked out the window at the endless, verdant plain. As the most central and powerful nation on the continent, the Breta Kingdom held a transcendent position.

This place boasts the most bustling cities, the largest population, and also the highest concentration of players and Night Watchers.

With the stage smaller, the Night Watchers's troop density will increase significantly, making it impossible to easily eliminate a division as before.

Yuki the unspoken meaning and kicked the little girl in front of him.

"Hey, how long are you going to watch this?"

Mona looked as if she were glued to a viewing mirror, dressed in a gorgeous purple-black dress and black stockings. From any angle, she looked like a noblewoman who had run away from home to clear her mind.

"Isn't the Britta Plains beautiful? And if I don't do something, little kids will always come to play with me, and noble ladies will come to bother me." Mona rubbed her little bottom. Since boarding the airship, she didn't know how many blind dates and social events she had refused.

"There's no need to worry now." Yuki released the mechanical carrier pigeon, coldly refusing the invitations from the dignitaries. Because of the low level of technology, everyone wanted to know what was happening on the mainland.

"I'm sorry, this is confidential. The Night Watchers will notify the Kingdom of any relevant information, and you will receive it through internal channels very soon."

He became a broken record, and then discovered that there was another advantage to Funina: when she mentioned that she was their direct superior, the nobles would leave with regretful expressions.

"It seems Funina's reputation isn't very good." Mona breathed a sigh of relief; even with all the prosperity of this plain, she was getting tired of it.

"On the contrary, she has such a good reputation, but she's a bit inflexible." Yuki, indicating that the Night of Rosen was a chance for the two to mutually enhance their goodwill.

A person who is willing to offend colleagues to keep their promise and maintain order in the night cannot be considered a bad person.

"That's true. I can't help but laugh when I think about how you tricked her."

"That's called telling the Truth. We'll be in Night Capital in two hours. Go back to your room and pack your things. Oh, by the way, we've found Emiya."

"Hey, where is he!?"

"Don't be too happy about the south; I don't intend to reveal my whereabouts and lure him here."

Why?

Yuki paused slightly, turning half his face to the side. "Because I'm only responsible for your safety. Everything else is just a pawn."

These words were very impolite to Valhalla. Mona stood there stunned for a few seconds before she pounced on him with a heart full of joy.

"Brother, you really know how to please girls."

"Let me go, everyone's watching."

"No~"

The Breta Kingdom, the Night Capital.

This Rosen City, with a permanent population of nearly two million, and is known as the art center, financial center, and political center of the Dark Night Continent.

The wide, straight streets were crowded with steam-powered vehicles, and horse-drawn carriages were a rare sight. Parks and squares were scattered throughout the city, and artists could be seen everywhere playing the three-stringed instrument, making it seem as if the catastrophe had never happened.

From the sky, it looks like a giant disc, with five concentric rings spreading outwards. The only drawback is that most of the buildings are gray and white, which, while solemn and majestic, can cause visual fatigue after a while.

Night Capital, what a huge city.

Yuki stepped off the airship. This was the landing site closest to the city, and right in front of him was the straight First Avenue.

He felt as if he had arrived in an old European town, with five- or six-story apartment buildings lining both sides of the road, and large industrial areas just outside the Fifth Ring Road, with plumes of white smoke rising into the sky.

Looking further down the road, you can see even larger, more solemn buildings—the government offices and palaces of the Breta Kingdom. And in the very heart of the city, there stands a massive, greyish-white tower that towers above all other buildings in the city.

"Is that the Night Watchers headquarters?" Mona looked around curiously, seemingly quite fond of the elegant old town.

"Hmm, the Night Torch, can you feel that energy?" Yuki squinted, his intuition telling him he was being scanned. "If we kill a couple more Night Watchers, this will be a grand welcoming ceremony."

After nearly a week in the dungeon, Yuki had a pretty good idea of the price of being high-profile, but reckless players were always in the minority.

"Most players will stop immediately after discovering the Night Watchers's characteristics, and some might even copy my strategy guide."

"Also, cooperating with the Night Watchers?"