Chapter 410

"What a powerful item! It's a pity it comes with a legendary skill." Mona's eyes were shining, and he was almost drooling.

"You want it?" Yuki asked deliberately, having already put away the Heart of the Storm.

"No, I don't have Transcendental Grade skills like lightning or storms, so advancing to legendary status is even more impossible." Mona shook her head and then rolled her eyes.

Going from Master to Legend requires achieving certain milestones and possessing extremely high skill proficiency. Even with countless points, it's impossible to go directly from Beginner to Legend.

"I can give it a try." Yuki sheathed his sword and spear. The Bloodblade's strength was no longer sufficient, and it groaned with every collision. If it were to be broken, he would have to spend points to repair it.

"Do you have skills in this area?"

"No, but I can try." Yuki didn't explain, and casually asked, "How many points did you get this time?"

"Four enhancement points, not bad, considering I only played a support role," Mona said nonchalantly. Risk and reward go hand in hand, after all. "Actually, I'm at a loss. Several items are overloaded, and I have to spend points to repair them."

"Sorry, what kind of compensation do you want?" Yuki a little embarrassed this time, as he had already used up the 10 enhancement points he had just received.

Four of them were used to upgrade Moonlit Ghost Step to Master level, which is quite useful in the trial phase. The other four were used to repair the Duplication Cube, which is a side effect of the Cube. However, the Duplication Cube is very useful inside the Furnace.

"No need. If you can't get over it, just remember to be nicer to me in the future."

Am I not good enough to you?

Yuki snorted, but completely acknowledged Mena Ryougi's role. True friendship is revealed in times of trouble, and Mona played a significant role in this battle; she was indeed no ordinary Monster III.

Returning to the present, Yuki removed the torch from the Nameless King's body.

"He only has one powerful Soul Lamp, but the report says he has at least two. And do you see, this one is severely worn, proving that the powerful Soul Lamp cannot be combined."

Based on the 'airdrop' count, there are now seven lamps in total, and these things cannot be stored in the storage space.

"He has teammates, or rather allies; the lights are all gathered together, and this one is either from the first two airdrops, or..."

"Either they started with powerful Soul Lamp, or I finally know where the difference in numbers comes from." After Yuki Mona, the Nameless King never mentioned 'extermination' from beginning to end, but this could not fool Yuki's speculation.

The number of lights is incorrect. The hunting mission is fair; if someone starts with a set number of lights, wouldn't that be cheating? This can only mean that some players are not on the hunting mission.

This is the real reason why Yuki fought so hard, or rather, the desire to make the most of everything is ingrained in his very being.

To advance to the Epic level, he needs a strong opponent to practice against, so he can gather more information while practicing. As for the rewards, those are secondary.

His life was but one link in a chain; the next link was determined the moment it was confirmed that he was the Nameless King.

Dense purple threads wrapped around the king's corpse, turning it grayish-white, which frightened Mona so much that she quickly took several steps back.

This is some kind of pollution; it's trying to corrupt the body of an epic-level player.

"You want to turn him into a puppet?"

"One of my goals is that after the Soul Corruption is upgraded to LV2, this thread can dig out the remaining memories. I want to know what the task of the Slayer is, but the Nameless King, and it will take time." Yuki finally gained the ability to 'search souls'.

Of course, this ability belongs to searching for remnant souls. The closer and stronger the memories of the deceased are, the more complete they are. And at this moment, what could be stronger than the mission prompt?

The Nameless King was truly unlucky; even in death he couldn't find peace.

Mona, ever curious, asked again, "So what other purpose is there?"

This time, Yuki didn't explain. He closed his eyes, opened his palms, and savored the hundreds of hammer blows from the storm. It was an energy originating from Dark Souls. Energy is energy, and he didn't bother to name it.

In the Reincarnation Game, the energy of each instance and each world is different. In scientific terms, it is the difference in wavelength and frequency. For example, the word 'magic' can generate thousands of different distinctions.

The same fireball spell, with the same power and visual effects, is cast differently by mages in Dark Souls, magicians in Type-Moon, and sorcerers in Dungeons & Dragons. For the strong, they can even distinguish the differences between worlds within the same worldview of "Sword and Sorcery".

Disguise is not easy, and players cannot learn from each other, which is why Frieren's 'Apprentice Mage' is so precious.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to help?"

Mona was full of questions, but after a moment, her eyes slowly widened.

Golden lightning mixed with a gray storm appeared in Yuki's palm. At such close range, the sensation she felt was exactly the same as that of the Nameless King.

Epic Metamorphosis. Soul Mimicry.

Yuki opened his eyes. This wasn't learning, but rather the aftertaste of countless trials. Without needing the magic of the Dark Souls, Yuki used his soul energy to simulate the same effect.

Its essence remains unchanged, and it is even less capable of manipulating thunder and storms.

"But that's enough to fool people. Let's go help."

Yuki stepped out of the darkness, a thick gray fog looming over him, and the aftershocks of the battle echoed dozens of kilometers away.

The fierce battle continues, or rather, the sudden disappearance of the Nameless King has given the remaining players a renewed sense of opportunity.

The lamp is still lit. If it weren't for the fact that the people of Valhalla are so stubborn and inflexible, everyone would have already united. But that's precisely why they can't figure out what Valhalla is up to.

Where is the Nameless King? Why didn't Valhalla take the opportunity to escape? Why are the Night Watchers who came to reinforce the battlefield just watching from the periphery?

Filled with countless questions, the players did not leave, but remained on the edge of the battlefield, hoping to gather more information.

Then Yuki cleared up their doubts.

A beam of lightning Piercer the gray mist, exploding with a deafening roar in the distance. A mountaintop was reduced to dust, leaving the battlefield eerily silent.

Everyone looked toward the powerful Soul Lamp, where a terrifying energy was emerging in the gloomy sky. At the center of that golden sun was a dazzling light, perfectly echoing the powerful Soul Lamp on the ground.

The Nameless King never left, which explains why Valhalla is so persistent in keeping them occupied.

"Damn it, they're in cahoots!"

"Then why didn't you attack us at the beginning, wasting half an hour?"

"How should I know? Maybe the terms weren't agreed upon properly. Don't forget He said He wanted to solve the problem of darkness, and who is best at deciphering the secrets of darkness?!"

The truth came to light. As the Roar of the Soul Blunderbuss echoed near the golden sun, and as night fell and the poison circle began to shrink, all the players had only one thought.

Run, run now! This dungeon is unplayable. How can the strongest two sides form an alliance?

But where could they run? Their Soul Lamp were about to go out; they would be swallowed by the night before the tide came.

I guessed right.

The Slothful Bishop's entire brain trembled; the fear of certain death drove him to near madness. He looked at the players fleeing in disarray, decisively abandoning his two teammates and leaving Emiya to them.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die! I want to live, I want to live, I want to live...

His fingers were almost bitten off, but the more his brain trembled, the clearer he became, staring directly at the players fleeing in all directions.

There's still a chance, the only chance!

27 people.

This is the number of players remaining from the Central Battle. This battle was fierce and chaotic, turning hundreds of square kilometers of area into a no-man's land, and also indicating that the 'Nighttime Murder' instance has entered its final stage.

The chaotic dungeon had never been so clear, representing the lives of over 140 players.

"The survivors are kings; that's the hunting mission."

Yuki stood atop the tower, overlooking the vast Night Capital. The invisible pressure he exuded silenced everyone except for Mona.

Whether he's a red-clad heroic spirit or a magical girl, epic-level players have another title:

God.

The god before them was not only a powerful problem, but also a chess player who manipulated everything, making it difficult to discern the truth.

"How did they do that?"

Emiya is still completely baffled. As a captain and Monster IV Servant, he can only follow the plan like a cog in a machine.

Killing the Nameless King was within his expectations, but what followed was unimaginable; the gods were creating coincidences and pushing them to their Limit.

"We paid a heavy price in this battle, but we gained enough." Yuki turned his head slightly. Even gods cannot control life and death, and there is no such thing as one-sided crushing in the Reincarnation Game.

The Valhalla team also suffered heavy losses. Illya exhausted her 'cards', Homura Akemi used up all her stored spacetime power, and Akiha Tohno turned directly into a red egg.

"This price is nothing. I thought several people would perish." Emiya forced a smile and replied, waving the giant red egg in his hand. "This is a good thing for Akiha. She absorbed various energies and can be reborn after returning from the egg."

Oh, there's this setting too? The 'Noble Phantasms' in Valhalla are really useful.

Yuki nodded slightly and said, "Illya, Homura Akemi, you two don't need to participate in the rest of the battle."

The two girls were taken aback and quickly thanked him. Players are useful, even if they can't be used as cannon fodder. Yuki's kindness was very precious.

Who doesn't like Illya? As for Homura Akemi, she's useful too.

Yuki wasn't as kind as they thought. Apart from Sekiro, who was after money, the other two solo players didn't have entirely pure motives. Now that things had come to this point, everyone had opened up about it.

Homura Akemi and Shunsui Kyōraku were both searching for someone, and they each used their own methods to calculate that there was an opportunity in this instance, but they couldn't say what that opportunity was, let alone know anything about 'Taiyi'.

Since they had the opportunity, they accepted Valhalla's commission. Missing it wouldn't matter; making a profit was never a bad thing.

Homura Akemi is looking for a friend, and Yuki doesn't even need to guess who this friend is. According to her, this friend left her hometown a long time ago, Homura Akemi only remembered her after becoming a player. Then, of course, a dramatic scene of chasing after his wife unfolds.

It took her a long time to advance from the Transcendental Grade to Monster III, and she endured countless hardships to find the clues. The Nighttime Murder was just one of those countless attempts.

The timelines of the hometown and the Borderlands are not aligned. If the timeline of the Borderlands itself is not disordered, then that upheaval is not that far removed from the present.

"If I'm not mistaken, she should be a reincarnator. Do you know what a reincarnator is?"

The black-haired girl nodded slowly. She was a woman of few words, but after searching for so long, she did have this much information.

"Then she can't come back. I don't know when it started, but there have been no more reincarnators in the Borderlands. Do you know about that upheaval?"

"I know, but time, space, and cause and effect have all been erased. Even the oldest epic-level players don't know when it happened," Homura Akemi answered honestly. She had unwittingly fallen into a trap, and still wouldn't give up, she asked:

"Is she really not coming back?"

How would I know? This is clearly the Reincarnation Game interfering, erasing all traces. In this Transcendental Grade world, time itself has little meaning.

The upheaval may have occurred ten years ago, or it may have been a thousand years ago; there is simply no point of reference.

I can't answer that for you.

The black-haired girl lowered her head and remained silent, but her expression clearly showed she hadn't given up.

Yuki wouldn't mind having another partner in the pursuit of Truth, Homura Akemi also has a powerful force behind her, such as the legendary White Reaper.

He looked at the middle-aged man wearing a straw hat and with an unkempt appearance. This man was unassuming, but his strength was comparable to that of Emiya.

"This instance has neither Judge nor the person you're looking for."

"Oh, I thought he was hiding in the tides." Shunsui Kyōraku rubbed his thick chest hair and chuckled dryly. "That's strange, I thought that guy would send someone over."

They intended to come, but they couldn't.

Yuki has confirmed that he is looking for Sōsuke Aizen, information revealed by Ulquiorra. If he were to be brought into the Furnace, seeing the Arrancar's corpse would likely evoke strong feelings of nostalgia.

"Do you have a grudge against him?"

"To be precise, it's an irreconcilable feud." The man adjusted his straw hat, his expression serious.

The irreconcilable enmity seems to extend beyond the old grudges from 'Death'; could it be related to the selection of the Judge?

Yuki already knew how the Judge were selected; they came from various factions and needed to sever their ties with the past themselves. People like Sōsuke Aizen didn't care about emotions at all.

A causal relationship.

He lowered his eyes. The two of them had come to the right place. He was exploring 'Taiyi' and 'The Reincarnator', and they also had a grudge against Sōsuke Aizen.

But Yuki didn't explain, nor did he need to. He simply noted the two down in his notebook and began plotting how to use them.

"There is no Judge in this instance, so Mr. Flower Sword, do you still wish to continue?"

"Of course we'll continue. Revenge requires strength, and besides, making more friends is never a bad thing." The man grinned, saying to himself, "I just don't know if we'll have the fate to be friends."

Yuki was plotting how to use him, and Shunsui Kyōraku was also plotting how to use this mysterious, epic-level figure.

What do you want to get from this instance?

"I'm not far off in terms of strength and epic achievements." Shunsui Kyōraku didn't hide anything, shrugging his shoulders. "If I clear a few more dungeons and get a participation rate of over 50%, I can eventually finish this troublesome task. Even supporting characters have a chance to grow, right?"

There's this setting too?

Yuki was taken aback, glanced at Emiya, and the latter nodded slightly in agreement.

No wonder. Epic achievements require absolute dominance over a dungeon and the approval of the vast majority of beings within that dungeon. Perfect timing, favorable location, and harmonious relationships are all indispensable, making it far too difficult.

This is another example of quantitative change leading to qualitative change. As for how much "quantity" needs to be accumulated, judging from the weathered man, it certainly isn't low.

"Then let's work together. I'll give you the chance to realize your dream." Yuki didn't make any promises; he was far beyond trying to persuade others with words.

Actions speak louder than words. Why did I make so many powerful friends so soon after ascending to immortality? Because I am powerful, yet not cruel.

With a few words to stabilize the team, and back to the present, as more and more information came in, the outline of the dungeon became very clear.

Firstly, Yuki has a total of 8 players under his command, two of whom have already lost their fighting ability.