Chapter 394

"Okay, can I go now?"

"Of course not. The sixth night is approaching, and you need to help us find prey, such as Valhalla, which we just left."

"You dare touch them?"

"Hahaha, as long as I can kill them, I won't touch anyone, especially since they have the 'hero' name that I hate the most."

Deldore swallowed hard, glancing at the brainless player and then at the Slothful Bishop, who was squatting on the rock with an idiotic expression.

Well, I'm on the wrong ship now.

Chapter 8 is about players fighting against players.

<The Fran Kingdom, the Seral City has been destroyed!>

<Destruction! Hundreds of thousands perished!>

The French royal family angrily denounced the Night Watchers for their incompetence and ordered them to immediately drive the Night's Minions into the Tides!

In the coffee shop of Night Capital City, Yuki flipped through the newspaper in the morning. He had been in the Dark Night Continent for so long, and this was the first time he had seen so many headlines with exclamation marks.

Towns have been destroyed before, but those were in remote areas, and the impact was far less intense than this. This time, however, it happened in the heart of the continent, in a place far beyond the reach of the Dark Night Tide.

The weight of the words "Night's Minions" was immediately felt by everyone on the continent.

If you encounter the Dark Night Tide, perhaps half of the people might survive. But if you encounter the Night's Minions, hundreds of thousands can disappear in just a few minutes, which is far more terrifying. Moreover, tides can be predicted, but how can you predict the minions?

"This is terrible! The tides were driving everyone towards the center of the continent, and now, before the tides even arrive, an even more terrifying disaster is erupting in the center."

"Isn't this a good thing? Those dirty outsiders won't come anymore, and the general can breathe a sigh of relief without having to shoot refugees."

"What a load of rubbish! We're right in the middle of the continent. It's a real problem. If we run to the edge, we'll run into the tides. If we stay, we'll be tormented by their minions."

"There shouldn't be any problems at Night Capital, this is the Night Watchers's Watch headquarters."

"Those good-for-nothings are unreliable. Hurry home, pack your valuables, and let's hide in the countryside."

The café was very noisy, and the gentlemen had abandoned all pretense of decorum, arguing loudly. Yuki listened with a wry smile.

It's really a disaster. Outsiders are desperately fleeing to the center, while people in the center are fleeing to other places. The vast Dark Night Continent has no safe place, and the intelligence he has is even more detailed.

The Night Watchers suffered heavy losses.

The Fran Kingdom branch was almost completely wiped out. The newly formed Southern Legion was nearly destroyed before it could even be put to use, and it also took away a Level 1 Night Watchers who came after hearing the news.

According to inside information from Funina, the Night Watchers is also making adjustments, concentrating its forces in the center, but they are still arguing endlessly.

An organization that has existed for over a thousand years has too many factions. The local faction is unwilling to obey the order to retreat, wanting to defend their homeland or rather, protect their property, because if they run away, all the wealth they have accumulated will fall into the hands of those who are covered by the Dark Night Tide.

The fundamentalists were unwilling to retreat either; they preferred to uphold their oath and fight to the death, for the purpose of the Night Watchers was to maintain order in the night and they could not bear to see the areas covered by the Dark Night Tide plunged into true darkness.

"The Night Watchers is constantly arguing and has to deal with pressure from various kingdoms, while the players are more united."

Yuki gave a mocking smile. Why did the seemingly enormous organizations in the dungeon repeatedly reveal their weaknesses to the players? It wasn't a matter of combat strength or intelligence, but rather that they were caught up in the game, and the chain of interests was too complex, making it difficult for them to make rational choices.

But players are different; they flock to wherever there are benefits, and their interests are straightforward.

"That girl is a fundamentalist too, isn't she? Why did she obediently leave Rosen City?" Mona took off her shoes and brushed her white-stockinged toes against Yuki's trouser leg.

"Because I explained to her the difference between 'small righteousness' and 'great righteousness,' that it was the people of the Dark Night Continent who needed her to live, not me." Yuki quietly withdrew her leg, glared fiercely at the giggling loli, and then unfolded the map and drew a circle.

This is the current safe zone. Just like in PUBG, it doesn't simply shrink towards the center. Who knows where the next safe zone will appear? Fortunately, there's still some distance to go.

There are 10 million square kilometers and 90 players remaining.

Yuki glanced around; the chances of players bumping into each other were already quite high. Then, the Dark Night Continent was clearly divided into two regions.

The safe zone and the poison circle are both inaccessible. Within the poison circle, even radios are unusable. Coupled with the first warning, a true deathly silence descends, and no one can send a message.

"If I were on a mission alone, I would definitely go for the airdrop, hide inside the safe zone, and then come out to reap the benefits."

"But you brought me along, so picking up two powerful Soul Lamp won't be easy," Mona replied with a smile, taking a bite of her strawberry cake as she spoke.

Yuki her eyes at her. Those who could snatch airdrops were all experts, and many had killed too many Night Watchers and had to patch their own wounds. This was a major threat, and they had to find a way to deal with it.

He wouldn't allow any enemies outside of his intelligence, and he used crayons to color in the Night Watchers districts, which were designated based on Funina's intelligence.

Thousands of Night Watchers withdrew; those below level 6 were of little use and were stationed in various towns to search for the players, while those above level 6 formed mobile units and divided up their own defense zones.

Centered on Night Capital City, the defenses become stronger the further inward, spreading with the tides and then slowly contracting towards the center, ensuring the 'poison circle' shrinks to a 10-kilometer radius, at which point they still have a fighting chance.

A wise judgment: the Night Watchers are not afraid of the Dark Night Tide. As long as the players are trapped in the Dark Night Tide and the lights go out, even the Iron Man will be ground to dust.

Of course, this came at a great cost. The Night Watchers, who were supposed to be hunting players, ran even faster, leaving no one to cover the refugees. Naturally, they were severely criticized.

That commander was quite a character; he wasn't morally constrained at all.

Yuki smiled, placed a few silver coins on the table, finished his coffee, and straightened his suit collar.

"Let's go, we can't just stay a couch potato like this forever."

"Isn't it good to be a couch potato? Sit here, drink coffee, read the newspaper, and watch them fight to the death."

"No, if you don't want to go, go back to the hotel."

"I don't want to be alone!"

Mona jumped up and caught up with him in a few steps. The lively girl drew many kind smiles. In this apocalyptic world, the innocence of children became even more precious.

An old man sat by the window facing the street. He had a goatee, and his smile made his face wrinkle up. The Soul Lamp on his chest was very faint, and he would obviously not survive any tide.

Wearing a black suit, a top hat, and a sapphire-encrusted cane, he looked like an elegant old gentleman. He watched Mona leave with kind eyes until her figure disappeared before taking a sip of coffee.

"Klein, aren't you coming?" A blonde girl dressed as a maid walked up to him and asked in a cold tone.

"Chase? Even a glance at the minions of the night will trigger an alarm. Those spies were fooled like baboons before." The old man snorted irritably, a playful smile appearing on his face. "Only those Transcendental Grade are extraordinary can monitor Transcendental Grade beings. You did a good job, not revealing the slightest problem."

They are the Night Watchers's Watch's Inquisition, responsible for overseeing the organization and purging traitors who break their oaths. Of course, there are far too many Night's Night Watchers breaking their oaths now, so they are only responsible for eliminating those who have become outlaws and use the night for personal gain.

"Should we continue tracking them?"

"Do you believe that you'll be discovered as soon as you step out of this door? Anyone who dares to infiltrate Night Capital's ranks must have some serious skills?"

"Should we arrest them?"

"Arrest my ass! Do you want to turn this city into ruins? This Inquisition is full of idiots." The old man was no longer elegant; instead, he exuded the sinister ruthlessness typical of a secret agent, and he lowered his head in thought for a moment.

The clue came from the Rosen Branch. Christian Funina always released mechanical carrier pigeons, so naturally she would be targeted. The Night Watchers had been infiltrated many times during the previous cataclysms, so how could they not be on guard?

Generally speaking, this is the result of mind control, just like the great loss the Southern Legion just suffered. Headquarters began to adjust its deployment while investigating internal matters, but Funina obediently returned to headquarters to report on her duties. The seven-member review panel had observed her closely.

The lack of any indication of being controlled suggests either that the henchman's control skills are extraordinary, allowing him to evade the watchful eyes of seven Level One Night Watchers, or that Funina is willingly acting as an accomplice.

The former has a lower probability, while the latter...

"That silly girl, Funina, is so stubborn. She'd rather die than submit. Though she's obstinate, she's not stupid. She won't be so easily fooled."

"Your Excellency, the first law of the Inquisition is that one must not believe in any emotions," the maid said coldly.

"Have you all watched too many spy movies and think the Inquisition is full of cold-blooded executioners? Or have you forgotten the second rule: you must not punish any comrade based on mere speculation?" Klein very displeased. These young people were too influenced by spy movies and thought the Inquisition should be expressionless and arbitrarily decide the life and death of others.

"Tell me, why is their sin so light?"

"According to intelligence VII.2335, some of their henchmen are extremely cunning and have exceptionally keen observation skills. They will stop as soon as they realize that killing Night Watchers will cause trouble."

"What about 'Night of Rosen'? They have no reason to come out and help, do they?"

"According to intelligence report V.3771, during the cataclysm five hundred years ago, some henchmen feigned assistance to the Night Watchers, but in reality, they were plotting a fatal betrayal to seize the 'Lighthouse'."

The old man's expression froze, revealing a look of 'Kuchiki'. He was certain that the mysterious Night Watchers of 'Night of Rosen' was Yuki. Despite the various hidden dangers, logically speaking, he had to maintain a small degree of trust.

Yesterday, he would have safely eliminated the threat, at least getting those two henchmen out of Night Capital, but today is different.

This catastrophe was far worse than the last one. Nearly a thousand Night Watchers were wiped out in one battle. The first-class Night Watchers, Gallex, who went to reinforce them, also perished. And that demon in the tide was simply impossible to deal with; no matter how many went, they all died. Even Lord Bulgamo has disappeared without a trace.

The Seven-Person Council was effectively reduced to five members. Although reluctant to admit it, Klein knew that things had spiraled out of control.

"The Inquisition has no regard for reason or emotion in its laws, Night Watchers has only one core oath: to keep the world running, no matter who they cooperate with or what the cost may be."

Klein sighed, picked up the top hat from the table, and knew he had to find an opportunity to deal with his henchmen. So he had to believe that Funina was a stubborn, intelligent, and excellent Night Watchers.

"By the way, since you enjoy memorizing information so much, go report to the underground when you get back. There are mountains of information and historical records there; you'll have plenty to memorize."

Ring ring.

The doorbell rang, the Level 1 Night Watchers left, and the maid, her face filled with shame and indignation, her clenched fists trembling uncontrollably, was quickly comforted by her comrades.

But where no one could see, the maid breathed a sigh of relief.

Hey, finally I can hide in the archives.

There's something wrong with that coffee shop.

Yuki was walking down the street, talking casually.

"How could that be? I used my Manas Consciousness to see the 'future,' and I won't encounter any danger." Mona immediately became unhappy. She wasn't some lazy bum who could randomly peek into the future, and the most terrifying scenario would be stepping in dog poop.

"Don't blindly trust what you see of the future. There are many ways to close the causal loop. Of course, in this instance, the most likely scenario is that the Night Watchers aren't hostile towards us, which is why you can't see them."

"Then how did you know?" Mona pouted, still unconvinced. "Besides, those people's lights are no different from those of ordinary citizens!"

"Funina's intelligence report mentioned that the Night Watchers has a department called the Inquisition, and they can disguise themselves as ordinary people." Yuki explained patiently without turning around, "Also, that blonde waitress was excessively elegant and steady when she poured water; that kind of effect can only be achieved through rigorous training."

"What does this prove? Is it wrong for someone to be good at their job?"

"We just drank cheap coffee that cost two silver coins. We probably couldn't afford a waiter like that. Of course, there's a small chance we stumbled upon a bargain or that he's a relative of the manager, but when we observe things, we generally choose the more probable one."

Mona took a deep breath, really not knowing how to answer this suspicious guy. It would be more convincing to say that she had calluses on her palms!

"Whether there's a problem or not is irrelevant to what we're about to do. No, I'd rather be targeted by them."

Yuki walked along Second Street and stopped in front of a magnificent building. It was a large villa with gray and white walls and a garden in front of it that occupied thousands of square meters. In the expensive Night Capital of Yedu, this was simply extravagant to the point of being criminal.

Through the railings and outer walls, the beautiful garden was piled high with various supplies. A long line of steam locomotives was parked on the street outside the gate, and well-dressed servants, looking resentful, were huffing and puffing as they loaded things onto the locomotives.

Each of them had undergone years of etiquette training, yet they were forced into manual labor, unable to resist.

Princess Christian Funina insisted on donating the villa's supplies to the refugees, even taking the bottles of Bleta wine from the cellar, saying that alcohol could ward off the cold, but each bottle was enough for those refugees to struggle for half a lifetime.

"You saved a good person." Mona watched quietly and could see the red-haired girl busy in the garden. She wasn't wearing the Night Watchers uniform, but only a white shirt with her sleeves neatly rolled up.

Her dazzling red hair was styled in an updo, and the tent that should have been used for the hunting banquet was loaded onto a vehicle, along with various expensive hams. I've eaten this stuff Mona; a single slice is worth several gold coins.

"She is trying to save herself, just like right now," Yuki corrected. This Funina is stubborn and naive; she doesn't even consider that these hams could save more people if they were exchanged for grain. Of course, she doesn't have that kind of time, so she can only give up everything she has.

This sentiment is even more precious, it's just a bit too clumsy.

At this moment, Funina noticed the two people standing outside the door. Her expression tightened slightly, and she furtively looked around before feigning composure and waving for the servants to go back inside and rest for a while.

The vivid and comical performance Yuki immediately understand why he was being targeted.

"Hello, Mr. Raymond." Funina walked over with her head held high. The two were pen pals, and this was only their second meeting. She looked visibly nervous.

"Relax, what Night Watchers gets nervous seeing his spies? And don't thank me, I have my own reasons for this Night of Rosen."

Yuki's opening words immediately shut her up, leaving the girl speechless, opening and closing her mouth, unsure of what to say.

"No need for pleasantries. Have the Night Watchers commandants summoned you?"

"Yes, I will naturally be summoned by the seven-member council when I return to report for duty."

"Did you ask anything?"

"It's mainly about the Night of Rosen; they asked if I know that mysterious Night Watchers."

"How did you answer?"

"I said I don't know him." Funina glanced to the side, a bad habit of hers.

Alright, you've revealed everything.

Yuki found it somewhat amusing, but then thought that if Funina were a cunning and scheming woman, he probably wouldn't feel at ease either.

He leaned against the door, picked up the black tea brought by a servant, and casually said, "Didn't the Night Watchers assign you any tasks, letting you do whatever you wanted?"

"How... how did you know?" The girl's eyes widened immediately. The Rosen Branch was gone. As the deputy minister and a level 4 Night Watchers, she should have been assigned to the Mobile Corps.

As a result, the council did not make any arrangements, but promoted her to level 3 authority and then let her inspect the battlefield. As for why she was inspecting or where she was inspecting, they did not say anything at all.

Sure enough, the idiot was exposed, but the Seven-Person Council's attitude was somewhat ambiguous.

Yuki knew this was the highest authority of the Night Watchers, and putting himself in their shoes, he understood what they wanted to do.

By using Funina and the players behind her, fighting like henchmen against henchmen, even if Yuki harbors malicious intentions, he still won't be able to access the core secrets. The only sacrifice will be a level 4 Night Watchers. At that time, if Funina is declared a traitor, there will be no way to hold anyone accountable.