Chapter 404
The contraction of the iron wall saved the lives of tens of millions of people. This was the goodwill that Yuki released when he had no other choice. As for the conflicts that arose from this, he would only use ruthless means to resolve them.
The exiled royal family of the Fran Kingdom has been attacked by its henchmen!
The Iron Federation has been completely eradicated by the Night's Minions!
These are recent headlines: refugees from all over the mainland are gathering in the core area, which naturally harms the interests of royalty and capitalists. Commoners are used as tools to put pressure on the Night Watchers. If they were really competing with us for resources, who would care about their lives?
So they united to protest, using the army to block evacuations or to inflate food prices, refusing to share even a single resource.
These people were the first to flee when the cataclysm struck, seizing the most resources at the heart of the continent. The Night Watchers couldn't intervene, as that would create conflict between the Transcendental Grade and ordinary people. Therefore, Yuki's solution was quite simple:
Kill.
Sekiro was a master at this kind of thing. Under the sword, they had no choice but to go to Erickson for help, seeking refuge, let alone resist or protest. And the businessman commander naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass.
This is how Transcendental Grade power is used.
Yuki closed the newspaper and saw the streets teeming with refugees, their clothes tattered, who had fled from all over the continent. Meanwhile, the army, which should have kept these lowly people out of the city, was carrying out sack after sack of food under the watchful eyes of the Night Watchers.
A new order is being established. From what I've seen and heard on the road to Yuki, the refugees are actually living better lives than before. They have food and drink, and they've come to the Night Capital, a place no one has ever been to in generations. No one is taking advantage of their misfortune, and even the terrifying Night Capital is maintained by thousands of Night Watchers.
This isn't refugee treatment at all; it's probably safer than being treated like a local official.
"So, brother, you're such a good person." Mona smiled; she had seen it all, and this was what Yuki the biggest difference between him and other players.
To be on the safe side, the chosen savior in the game can remain indifferent until the tide completely covers the continent; the lives of a million people are not worth a 0.1% success rate.
The 'despicable' Yuki had no other choice, but she could still show mercy when she had the power to do so, wasting a lot of brain cells on 'useless' things.
"Don't just give out 'good guy' cards like that. I've never been a good guy either." Yuki patted the girl's head. Murderous and wild, what kind of good guy was he? But looking out the window, he was smiling.
This is the best we can do. Next, this plain will gather tens of millions of people. How can we retain them without delaying our work?
He was thinking from this angle when he heard a 'ding' sound and subconsciously looked at the panel.
[Future Diary, Unlocked]
His pupils contracted slightly, and he couldn't help but smile.
It's better to arrive at the right time than at the right moment; this thing has finally been unlocked.
It's been almost exactly a month since Shinomiya Oko used the Future Diary to plot against him, which shows that the things mentioned above cannot be written casually.
We have an extra card to play.
Yuki didn't rush to take out his diary because a mechanical bird flew over, drawing complicated glances from those around him.
They were furious, furious that the Night Watchers didn't take the initiative to stop the catastrophe, furious that they had gone to the trouble of bringing the commoners to Night Capital, and that they didn't know how valuable Night Capital resident's certificate was, and where one was born was a matter of Destiny.
Do those barbarians born in the Gobi Desert, the barren lands, and the icy plains deserve to come to Night Capital? Do they deserve to come to the prosperous Bleta?
Yuki ignored those gazes. If he wanted, he could crush the Night Capital in ten minutes and wipe out an entire family. The anger of ants is meaningless in the face of natural disaster.
He simply listened to the recording, stared at the diary, and then stood up abruptly.
"We have news. Head back to headquarters."
News came from the Inquisition that eight squads were heading towards the Dark Night Tide, and the Night Watchers who remained in the night also sent out a lot of intelligence.
The six unusually bright lights were distributed in the east, west, south, and north after the tides, which was normal. Players hiding in the tides would naturally move forward as the poison circle contracted. If something happened inside the circle while they were hiding on the edge of the continent tens of thousands of kilometers away, how could they possibly get there in time?
This is also abnormal. If it were Yuuki, who was just trying to survive and get through the Yuki, she would have already hidden away in some corner.
"The tides are also reshuffling; I always said it's impossible to exploit a bug just by grabbing an airdrop—that would be too easy."
Yuki tapped the table lightly. The clue was that the six lamps had different brightness levels, especially two that were extremely bright. Just as he had guessed, the powerful Soul Lamp could also be fused.
There were only five airdrops in total. Where did the extra lights come from? Of course, they were looted from players who grabbed the airdrops and tried to survive. So why loot?
The truth is getting closer. As the safe zone shrinks, the distance between players within the tidal wave is also decreasing, and they will likely collide head-on soon.
There may be some players who are simply opportunists, or there may be the suspected expeditionary forces, but their conflicts remain irreconcilable.
"Aren't you afraid of exposing our existence?" Mona hadn't thought that far ahead; the Inquisition's intelligence reported that Night Watchers on Reconnaissance had gone missing.
"Don't worry, it's perfectly reasonable for the Night Watchers to detect the tides, and besides, many of them are from the progressive faction."
Huh? You could have predicted that in advance?
Mona was completely convinced. Even if the other party caught her red-handed, it didn't matter; they wouldn't be able to get anything out of her anyway.
"What are we doing now? That Robertson has been urging us several times already."
"Wait, we can't touch the Lighthouse now. I'm afraid that once it's activated, those punitive expeditions will immediately show up." Yuki would never make a mistake in the heat of the moment, especially since he didn't yet have concrete evidence of the punitive expeditions' existence.
"I'm now certain they're fighting over the airdrop; this is just bait."
"You're trying to lure them out?"
"Yes, it's not just them who want to take it; the players in the safe zone also want to take it, or rather, they're taking this opportunity to unite. The Night Watchers now are not something one or two factions can handle." Yuki pulled at his hair, his plan unfolding step by step.
Those Night Watchers below level 6 went to maintain order, while Night Watchers above level 6 formed a mobile legion, clustered together with weapons of war at their backs.
"The Slothful Bishop is still alive. He'll try to unite with other players, and the airdrop notification is a rendezvous signal. Everyone wants a powerful Soul Lamp. What do you think will happen if the two sides meet?"
"Fight or negotiate. If there really is a punitive expedition, they will be very powerful. Maybe we can force them to cooperate." Mona shook his head, feeling that spending so much time with Yuki had made him smarter.
"Yes, but in a situation like this, even a tiny spark can ignite the situation. With so many factions, if someone tries to seize the light, will the others just stand by and watch?"
"So that's why you didn't let Mr. Flower Sword and Akiha join us!?" Mona's eyes widened suddenly. The last two companions had already been found by the Night Watchers, but they were still mingling in the 'wildering' player group. It turned out that this was all for this moment.
Wait a minute, no wonder he asked me about Qiuye's abilities.
"Yes, Akiha Tohno's Noble Phantasm is called 'All Things Plundered,' which can even steal someone's identity in a short time. She Waka are not from Valhalla, nor are they related to the Night Watchers. I need someone to stir up trouble. Have Funina prepare the airship, and we'll go immediately."
"Are you trying to take advantage of the situation?"
Yuki remained silent, gazing at the martial law-bound Night Capital City. No players could approach now; the Night Watchers had formed a fortress like a city wall.
This is yet another subtle detail that no one could have predicted. Yuki didn't know what was going to happen later, but it was important to avoid players peeking at him with an unquestionable reason.
"Mona, show me your player panel. It's time to make some pre-battle adjustments."
The stunned girl blushed instantly, clutching the hem of her clothes shyly. Yuki took a deep breath, wanting to scold her for blushing like a teapot.
He held back, and upon seeing the expanded player panel, nodded slightly.
This is an extremely powerful Monster III player. The reason for this power is that Mona has no useless ratings at all, and the entire panel is very concise, making him even stronger than he was at the end of the 'Global Insect Calamity'.
"How about that? Aren't you surprised?" Mona blinked, looking very proud. This was taught to her by her mother, which was much better than those players who leveled up by instinct.
"I can only say it can be useful, becoming an important weight on the scales." Yuki's words made the girl pout, put on her hat, and straighten her collar.
"Because I will ascend to epic status."
The instance has entered its twelfth day, and the situation has become very clear.
The safe zone continued to shrink, Dark Night Tide formed a dividing line, shrouding the area within darkness. Apart from Yuki, most players knew nothing about it.
However, within the safe zone, there are roughly three types of forces.
The Night Watchers, the players who cooperate with the Night Watchers, and the remaining players.
The first two can be seen as a force that is difficult to deal with as it keeps shrinking its defenses. Those war machines and Soul Blunderbuss are no joke when they hit you.
The remaining players can be roughly categorized into one group. There are more than a dozen factions here, each suffering heavy losses, and the situation is becoming increasingly difficult as the safe zone shrinks.
The deadly Dark Night Tide was chasing them from behind, while the Night Watchers's Watch stood in their way like an impenetrable wall. Now, they had only two paths to take.
First, fight the Night Watchers and go find the Lighthouse mentioned in the intelligence.
Second, grab the airdrop. With a powerful Soul Lamp, you can hide in the night. Anyway, the one who survives longer than their kind is the winner.
Oh, and there's a third option: join Valhalla and gain the Night Watchers's protection. But that's like handing your Destiny over to someone else, and there's also the restriction of 'only three factions remain'.
"Unite, crush the Night Watchers, destroy Valhalla, and find that Lighthouse. With that thing, we can survive the Dark Night Tide."
In the dense forest, the Slothful Bishop with the watermelon-shaped haircut made extremely exaggerated gestures. He had now made a name for himself, at least other players didn't have to worry about his stance.
Few responded. Most of the players who gathered had no conflict with the Night Watchers. If the Night Watchers hadn't been so concentrated, they would have already used their own methods to infiltrate Night Capital.
"That's not right, Your Excellency. Even if we get the Lighthouse, we have more than a dozen factions here. How are we going to complete Prompt Six?" A magnetic voice rang out, and the slovenly swordsman, scratching his thick chest hair, couldn't answer the question.
His Soul Lamp was very weak, a common problem among players here. To add more light, they had to kill people, otherwise it would go out with each passing night.
"Lord Flower Sword of the Land of Life and Death, I think this matter should be resolved at that time." The Sloth Bishop looked over. There were two players from the Land of Life and Death, each of whom was quite powerful, as determined by testing items.
"You mean we should wait until the tide covers the continent before we decide our fate?"
"Yes, let's eliminate the Night Watchers and Valhalla first. Then all that's left are the Slothful Players hiding in the Tide. At that point, it'll be up to each player to prove themselves. Once only three factions remain, we can return to the starting point."
"No, no, the Night Watchers and the Valhalla aren't so easy to deal with. I know Emiya from the Emiya of Valhalla; he's a Monster IV player, not far from Epic. And that Special-Rank Night Watchers can solo Ashura Rhinoceros Beetle; that's pretty outrageous, isn't it?"
This statement resonated with most players. Since there is no combat power value in the Reincarnation Game, a support-oriented Monster IV might not necessarily be able to defeat a combat-oriented Monster III. Therefore, a specific target is usually used as the standard for evaluating combat power.
"I'm certain that Emiya is no match for me. As for that so-called Special-Rank Night Watchers, he killed Asura using the Dark Night Tide. You're a veteran player, surely you know that?"
Combat is not a ring duel; skill counters and the combat environment play a huge role. Fighting the Night Watchers in the Dark Night Tide is suicidal, as the latter can use the darkness to devour players even without doing anything.
"Besides, I've tried his Soul Blunderbuss; its power is only so-so, and it can't penetrate my defenses."
Is it possible to hold back?
"How could we possibly hold back? Who would deliberately expose their secret weapon and make me reveal their details?" The Sloth Bishop was getting impatient. This man was far too cautious; how could he possibly show mercy to his enemies?
The players' attitude began to soften again. The Slothful Bishop had no reason to deceive himself, Night Watchers had even less reason to let this deeply sinful madman go.
"No, conservatively speaking, we'd have to lose more than half of them before we can finish them off." Flower Sword continued shaking his head, pointing to the burly man not far away.
"His Excellency T800 from the 'Machine Intelligence' said that epic-level players are hiding in the Dark Night Tide. Once we've dealt with the Night Watchers, can we defeat them?"
The Machine Intelligence in human skin nodded slightly and said in a flat tone, "I confirm that there is more than one epic player in the Dark Night Tide. Calculations show that only 29 players working together have a 70.31% chance of winning."
'Machine Intelligence' are mostly known for their honesty and have strong resistance to soul tides, so they certainly won't lie.
The Slothful Bishop scratched his head, truly unsure how to persuade the other party, and began to speak frankly, "Then what do you suggest? We're caught between the players of Valhalla and the Dark Night Tide, so of course we have to deal with the threats we can handle first. We can't reach those people in the Dark Night Tide either."
"Why can't we reach them? A powerful Soul Lamp will fall soon. We can just send someone in to make contact and that will solve the problem. I just think those people are really strange. They're too patient to be the ones fishing."
"Then who do you suggest we send?" The Sloth Bishop sneered, wishing he could strangle the swordsman. He had wasted so much breath, finally managing to get these players somewhat inclined to cooperate, only to have it all ruined by this bastard.
Nobody's a fool. There are over a dozen factions here. What if someone goes and never comes back? But a stalemate isn't a solution either. The deadly tide is getting closer and closer, and the space to maneuver is getting smaller and smaller.
If we wait another two days, who knows how many players will still be standing here.
The atmosphere became awkward. This group of jungle players were a disorganized bunch, with countless contracts among themselves. Although the Sloth Bishop was a veteran Monster IV player, he still lacked the power to suppress dissenting voices.
Just then, all the players looked up, and various energies from the technology, magic, and cultivation sides flickered.
Someone has arrived.
A dark shadow was approaching as swirling eddies appeared in the grey sky, spreading from the edge of the tide, accompanied by constant flashes of thunder.
He wasn't flying; it was more like he was flashing. He was originally a hundred kilometers away, but appeared overhead in the blink of an eye.
He was dressed in heavy golden armor, wearing a crown with long white hair and beard, and carrying a huge thunder spear. Then, a terrifying sense of oppression descended from the sky.
The Nameless King of the 'End World', an epic-level player.
The players on the ground tensed up instantly, putting on layers of defensive gear, but they weren't exactly panicked.
Dozens of players, at the very least Monster II level, might not be able to stop the opponent, but even those below Epic II level wouldn't be able to wipe them all out, regardless of any qualitative changes the opponent might undergo.
Is he here to steal the airdrop?
The Sloth Bishop also turned around in surprise. He knew of this gentleman's existence and that he was collecting powerful Soul Lamp. He had even made contact with him not long ago, and the gentleman had revealed all the details of the Battle of the Southern Plains on the condition that he would not be hunted down.
"Leave here. I have no intention of fighting you, nor of interfering with your choices."
A deep, monotone voice swept in with the thunder, filled with arrogance and domineering, but no one felt any ill will towards it, for it was the privilege of the strong.
"You want a powerful Soul Lamp?" As the strongest player, the Sloth Bishop should step forward.
"Yes, this item is useful to me." The Nameless King didn't bother to hide it, which made many players laugh in exasperation.
This is useless to everyone, not to mention that once you get the lamp, you can hide in the night and find a place to crouch, greatly increasing your chances of getting through the dungeon.
Players who dared to come here were already prepared for a fierce battle. The reason is simple: players who don't have enough numbers have a dimly lit room, and some may not even make it through the night.
"Even if you obtain the lamp, my comrades and I will hunt you down in the tides, so it's pointless."
Still domineering, yet the cold smile froze on the player's face; it was a blatant threat, leaving no room for rebuttal.