Chapter 412
"I hate this faction name. This is the second warning."
The woman's serpentine eyes held a dangerous smile, causing Kisame to nod blankly. This was the price of submission: a strange fleshy ball hung on his body, making it impossible for him to escape detection of any of his thoughts.
He was even grateful for the existence of the Dark Night Tide and Hint One; without these two constraints, the woman's spies would be everywhere on the continent.
"Dr. Mebius, are you sure the Nameless King has fallen?" Hawkeye asked in a low voice. As a sword saint, he was very good at controlling his thoughts.
"That guy may be a bit off his mind and doesn't want to follow my instructions, but he's not so stupid as to go and cooperate with a bunch of idiots." The woman scoffed, "There's no need to look for that Lighthouse; it'll just appear on its own. Or I can wait until all the players are dead and then go ask it myself. Why bother?"
"So, does that mean the other side also has an epic-level player?" Hawkeye felt his breathing quicken. It's very difficult for a monster-level player to leave behind an epic-level player; it requires perfect timing, location, and support. These two old schemers didn't even show up. Who knew the Nameless King would appear on the battlefield?
As for that so-called "Special Night Watchers," either he was an imposter, or he was bait to lure the King into a trap. The real mastermind either lurked above or used him as a coordinate to teleport there.
After all, the Night Watchers don't use Spatial Severance devices.
"To be precise, he's a very clever epic-level player, with great patience; he actually managed to fool me." Mebius narrowed his snake-like eyes, full of interest.
Every instance of participation leaves a trace, which is why she chose to remain within the tides, and her few appearances were all done by the Nameless King.
Then the epic-level player on the other side never entered the Tide and kept advancing through the dungeon within the safe zone, without even a single clue.
He appeared once, and that's when he took the Nameless King away.
Cooperate?
The idea lasted only a moment before being dismissed. Cooperating with a player of the same level was too dangerous, especially since the other party had received a 'hunting mission'. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best to avoid this path.
"A cheap trick of using someone else to do their dirty work, trying to force me to show myself. But those dozen or so players are quite troublesome; they definitely hate us now."
"Should we clear up the misunderstanding?" Kisame asked, which was a bit difficult, since they couldn't summon the Nameless King to explain.
Mebius didn't speak, but gently pursed his lips.
After one day and two nights, the next powerful Soul Lamp will fall. Considering that the tide is about to return to zero, those fools will fight tooth and nail to snatch it, and she also needs this lamp to illuminate the Eternal Night.
Are you going to use this opportunity to fish again? I don't want to fight with these idiots.
The sudden encounter might not even allow for any negotiation before the 'Nameless King' starts a war. After all, the remaining players are composed of many factions, and the previous battle resulted in heavy losses. They are now on edge and prepared for a fight to the death.
Their survival is the most precarious; ahead lies an impenetrable wall of Night Watchers, behind them the unknown terrors of the tides. Their space for maneuver is constantly shrinking, forcing them to make a choice.
Should they take a step forward and Night Watchers to the death? Or should they go all out to seize the powerful Soul Lamp?
Mebius didn't even need to think about it; any normal creature would choose the latter, because annihilating the Night Watchers wouldn't help; the tide would still bring death. Only that powerful Soul Lamp could allow them to survive.
"Based on the current intelligence, even if the Night Watchers deliberately lets things slide, nearly half of the players won't survive a day or two. Should I give them a way out? No, that person should be able to calculate that I'm at least two lamps short."
Mebius was caught in a dilemma. The tide would cover the entire continent in three days, and according to hint 4, there would be no more airdrops at that time.
There are at most two more airdrops. If you can't get your hands on them all, you either have to break the contract and kill the two people behind it, or face that epic player who happens to have two torches, or try to find a way from the player's Soul Lamp.
"I can't just rob it, and I certainly can't fight with those idiots."
The Nameless King's fall was inexplicable, and that Special Night Watchers was also highly suspicious. Mebius was afraid of being ambushed if he stepped out of the Tide, because this place was absolutely safe; even epic-level players needed to carry a powerful Soul Lamp to move freely.
She's not blind; she'll see when the other person comes in. After all this preparation, she'll definitely treat that person well. But things will be different once they leave.
Judging from the current situation, that epic-level player has extremely high hidden skills and might be able to get close to us.
Luckily, I had prepared a contingency plan in advance.
Mebius smiled confidently, his snake-like eyes glancing behind him. "I'll give you one day to find those fools and tell them they don't need to do anything, don't need to believe anything, just watch the show from the sidelines."
Kisame and Hawkeye stared at each other, both unwilling.
Regardless of whether those players with deep-seated hatred would believe it, the Night Watchers are definitely searching for their trail, and stepping out of the Tide will surely attract their attention.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of providing the evidence. The next powerful Soul Lamp is for them. In return, they need to attack Valhalla with me."
A reverse assassination attempt? Using a powerful Soul Lamp as a bargaining chip?
Kisame's eyes changed; his counterattack was extremely brilliant.
The other side merely simulated the Nameless King's abilities, yet they used the powerful Soul Lamp as a tangible benefit. If Valhalla tries to seize it when the next airdrop lands, the truth will naturally come to light, and they might even be ambushed instead.
Even if they don't rob it, the truth will still come out, because the enemy won't offer a way out, and the players' anger should be directed at Valhalla.
This is good for both of them. Mebius's choice clearly sets his sights on Valhalla, and he no longer has to worry about breaking the contract.
What if they take the benefits but don't do anything?
"If you don't want to do it, then don't. You can just watch from the sidelines." Mebius didn't care about the strength of that rabble, as long as they didn't interfere with him.
Smack
With a snap of his fingers, a green energy source emanated from his body, covering his white coat with a layer of black sludge. This was a powerful force, so powerful that it made Kisame and Hawkeye's scalps tingle.
Epic Metamorphosis. The Immortal Snake.
The lights scattered throughout the silent night began to converge, gradually forming a galaxy of thousands, swaying like noodles.
This is her masterpiece of the past ten days or so. By studying the biological characteristics of this instance, she has enhanced its combat power by dozens of times. It is a biological weapon that has just begun mass production.
More importantly, they have extremely high resistance to the Dark Night Tide, even higher than the Night Watchers, which is their trump card when Eternal Night falls.
"This day and two nights is enough for me to prepare. Don't forget, the vast majority of the powerful Soul Lamp are with me. When the Eternal Night falls, let's see who can outlast whom."
Her previous accumulation is her greatest source of confidence. If the tide goes to zero, there will be no more airdrops. To survive, she will have to activate the Lighthouse, and her biological weapons will become more and more numerous.
Like moths to a flame, they all rushed towards the Lighthouse, defeated the Night Watchers, and figured out the details of that special Night Watchers. Then they would have plenty of time to study the Lighthouse and decide what to do next.
She refused to believe that these people would wait until the torch and the Soul Lamp went out together. What were they after? Just to ruin their own mission? Only children would do something so self-destructive.
Hehe, let the Sloth Bishop and his allies fight Valhalla first, and I'll follow behind and pick up the scraps. It doesn't matter if those three torches are extinguished.
In the most optimistic estimate, nine lamps are needed to reach the bottom. I currently have six, only three powerful Soul Lamp are needed. If I give up one airdrop, I'll still have one left, right?
The remaining error can be made up by obtaining lights from players, and I can even use these few days to further enhance my resistance to darkness.
With his snake-like eyes narrowed, Mebius never imagined the script would go wrong, because—
"The survival instinct of living organisms will lead them to make the right choices."
Chapter Twenty: Controlling Life and Death
In the Night Capital, Yuki stood atop a tower, overlooking everything.
A black wall had appeared at the edge of the horizon, and even standing in the center of the safe zone, the Dark Night Tide had shrunk to within sight.
Chaos reigned before them. The Central Plains had never been so crowded. Millions of people were crammed together, and cries and curses filled the air. Everyone wanted to get close to the Black Tower for protection, but Yuki was driving them toward the tide.
Fortunately, the propaganda campaign began, Night Watchers made it clear that the Night Capital would be a battlefield, and no matter how unwilling they were, they would have to leave and squeeze in with those country barbarians.
It was so chaotic that all the Night Watchers had to be mobilized to maintain order. It proved that Erickson was indeed a shrewd and ambitious man, taking this opportunity to treat the high-ranking nobles and commoners equally, thus weakening their authority.
What divine right of kings, noble blood, impending doom, not crammed into shacks like us? The only difference is the Night Watchers, those brave Night Watchers.
Photos of Yuki and his companions in black uniforms appeared on the front page, with the headlines "Warriors Declaring War on the Night" and "The Night Watchers Will Do Everything in Their Power to Quell the Catastrophe."
The natives didn't recognize the players or know what they were up to, but the level 1 Night Watchers like Motesen standing nearby were quite persuasive.
Titles like "Secret Weapon of the Night Watchers" and "Savior Hidden in the Shadows" quickly spread, and countless people were paying attention to these heroes because it concerned their own lives. They wished that these heroes would challenge the night, end the catastrophe, and stop the terrifying tides right now.
There's no hiding place tonight. Even the most optimistic estimate is that two million people will be swallowed by the darkness. When the tide recedes, it will cause terrifying chaos.
"It feels more remarkable than the Global Insect Calamity."
Yuki felt he had attracted countless gazes and was the object of prayers from countless beings, and he understood why that achievement was so difficult.
What is an epic? It's about bearing expectations, which contradicts the player's characteristic of moving through natural disasters. But let's think about another way to play.
If all living beings were turned into puppets and their desires manipulated, could the same effect be achieved?
"Is this what you accomplished during the Global Insect Calamity?" Mona asked casually, unaware of the darkness in Yuki's mind.
"Yes, it was a tough and long war." Yuki nodded, not wanting to discuss the past, and pointed to the chaotic scene before him. "Where do you think the Sloth Bishop and the others are hiding?"
"They're hiding in some corner, trembling with fear. It shouldn't be hard to find them, right?"
The Night Watchers was more concentrated than ever before, and their detection accuracy was extremely high, but Yuki didn't send anyone to dig them out, as if he had forgotten about them.
"It's not difficult, but it's unnecessary. Those dozen or so players are a huge force, and fighting them would cause massive casualties. There's no need to waste energy on them." Yuki shook his head. With the current population density, any skill could kill tens of thousands of people.
"You're quite merciful, aren't you?" Mona squinted and tossed a document at him. "Latest intelligence: Two players appeared in the Tide and wiped out a Night Watchers. Here are the details."
Yuki took a look, Night Watchers confirmed it was a torch. Both players were extremely powerful.
"One of the two within the Dark Night Tide; a torch indicates they are a supporting force, but the other one has yet to appear."
"They came to the Sloth Bishop to clear up the misunderstanding? They don't know you have a soul simulation, would they really believe that?"
"I don't believe it, but tomorrow will be the next torch-lighting day. If I'm not mistaken, they'll be spared and given the opportunity to negotiate." Yuki that the other side was also a cunning old fox. Should he try to steal the airdrop or not? After all, the other side had many lights and could afford to stall for time.
"So that's why you activated the Lighthouse today?" Mona slapped his forehead, revealing an expression of 'I'm so stupid'. The Sloth Bishop didn't need to go out of his way to find it; they would definitely fight tooth and nail to snatch it tomorrow. That epic-level player was just hiding in the tide, watching coldly, and might even take a few away.
"But what if the Slothful Bishop and the others don't come after the Lighthouse is activated? After all, the Eternal Night is still a few days away."
"No, they will definitely come."
"Why?"
"Because their survival instinct will lead them to make risky choices."
Mona Na was taken aback for a moment, then understood. Looking at the panel, two more players had been eliminated. Last night had been too difficult; even powerful monster-level players had been swallowed up by the night without doing anything.
They will surely escape the darkness many times, only to have their companions, too afraid to offer help, watch helplessly as they are swallowed up again, until they are never seen again.
This is torture. More lights will be extinguished tonight. Don't forget there are nearly ten factions there, and every player has different ideas. Many would rather self-destruct than endure this torture.
They strained to wait for the next torch, but if a way out appeared before then, would they have to endure another night of torment?
No, players would rather be blasted to pieces by the Night Watchers's Watch muskets, at least they can take thousands of enemies with them before they die, not to mention there are no impenetrable walls here.
"They are so pitiful, they don't even have the right to choose."
Yuki smiled. The reason he let the Sloth Bishop go was because this person couldn't suppress the players' survival instinct.
They're just supporting characters; the key person is the one.
The intelligence report also mentioned that the Night Watchers were also unable to enter the Dark Night Tide; anyone who did manage to do so suffered heavy losses.
They've already started covering the battlefield, but their methods are quite unique.
The Nameless King's soul contained no information about his companions, which was clearly intentionally erased, but judging from the Night Watchers's intelligence, it seems to be the work of a summoner.
Countless monsters, but each monster possesses Soul Lamp; this one is also secretly preparing.
The presence of Soul Lamp proves that this is a transformation of the natives, clearly a plan carried out in parallel with the collection of powerful Soul Lamp.
With sheer numbers, the arrival of Eternal Night would directly overwhelm the Night Watchers's defenses, allowing them to hide behind and reap the benefits?
"That's a good tactic, but she doesn't know the specifics of the Lighthouse, and I won't give her the chance to contact the remaining players."
Yuki walked ahead again, opened his notebook, and began to scribble on it with his gold pen.
Olden Golden Pen, Future Diary —let me see what these two things are actually for.
Aside from the Black Blade, these are the only two items that can be directly related to 'Taiyi', but every word of it made Yuki's eyes twitch.
[Chaos Item: Future Diary]
[The past records future events, and the future describes the past.]
The more specific the content, the more realistic and logical it is; the further back in time it is, the more directly it relates to the user, and the more likely it is to be realized. It is also influenced by factors such as the writer's ability and the writing tools used.
[Side effect: Specialization points are allocated based on the length of the content. If the desired effect is not achieved, the diary will be locked. The lock time is determined by the error value.]
[Description: The future is the past, and the past is the future; only the strong have the right to control time.]
Judging from the description, this is an extremely terrifying item, and the side effects are also terrifying. If you write something wrong, you will be locked out. If you write too much, your specialization points will be burning. Therefore, Yuki's literary soul fully activated, he dared not describe it in too much detail.
Mona watched from the side, her mouth growing ever wider. She had actually seen the flaws in Yuki's plan, and some parts were even wishful thinking.
For example, if a jungler and an epic player meet, what would cause them to fight? Or, can the two newly appeared Monster IV players influence the outcome of the battle?
What is this thing? Causality? Future distortion?
And who is 'Taiyi'? Could it be that epic player hiding in the tide? Why add the prerequisite of 'a fleeting moment of life and death'?
She had seen similar props before, but none of them were in this form; it looked like, like a script being written.
"Are you struggling?" Mona, noticing that Yuki was covered in sweat.
"Yeah, my heart is bleeding. Only big shots deserve to spend money." Yuki sighed. Just one hundred words cost 4 specialization points. Even the price of a single word seemed too low.
Just think about all those pages of content that were crossed out—that's terrifying content. And Shinomiya Oko had so many underlings helping him, yet he barely used it more than a few times.