Chapter 418

Yuki was not prepared for a war of attrition. A ripple spread out, melting away the incoming black needles. Just like the golden lightning of the Nameless King, unless concentrated to a certain degree, it could not resist his transformation.

The giant scythe had arrived, and Yuki had no intention of absorbing this energy to replenish his consumption. Dense blue patterns appeared on the outside of his insect armor.

Concept Enhancement. Steelflesh.

The dense energy instantly solidified, and with a few clangs, the indestructible mass crashed into it, bursting into dazzling sparks. By the time Piercer, it was already half a step too late.

Yuki, letting the giant scythe whistle past. Turning around, he saw the King of the Night had severed the red threads, opened the gun barrel, and stuffed in the souls of two Monster III players.

In normal mode, the shotgun takes 10 seconds to reload, which is too slow at the current level, so Yuki decisively chose to spend money on in-game purchases.

Bang! Bang!

The soul material, worth over a dozen enhancement points, was launched directly. The power was astonishing, causing the monster's pitch-black body to explode, and the 'flesh and blood' formed into pitch-black swords, spears, and halberds.

The energy was concentrated and could not be converted; this learning ability was quite terrifying. Yet, a deliberate attack only Piercer the silver afterimage.

"I knew you'd pull this trick."

Yuki teleported behind him, and in that fraction of a second King of the Night was able to turn around, only to see a scattered patch of golden arcs of electricity.

Epic Metamorphosis. Soul Mimicry.

The man held the Storm Dragon Spear, a level 6 item that did indeed have conditions for use, but Yuki could simulate it with a qualitative change.

The Dragon Spear was activated, and all the electric arcs instantly converged to form the Roar lightning blade a hundred meters long, slicing through the Eternal Night.

Swish--

His mangled body was split in two, lightning evaporating the splattered flesh and blood. Yuki, no longer able to defend himself, ignored the piercing attacks from the several-meter-long black weapons and raised his Dragon Spear.

Storm Dragon Transformation!

The Dragon Spear, once released, transformed into a colossal dragon, shattering the dense array of weapons of the night and magnifying in the vision of the King of the Night.

The pace was too fast, and the surroundings were illuminated by the torches. He couldn't replenish himself with the power of the night, and every time he tried to retreat, the enemy would stick to him tightly.

Learning also has its limits. When the golden thunder dragon, tens of meters long, roared in, He had already made the most reasonable response.

The body, cleaved in two, twisted violently. The left side transformed into a smaller King of the Night, while the right side became a two-handed longsword, which it raised to grasp before slashing down.

Night Slash.

There was no sound, no light, and not even much energy fluctuation.

Yuki's pupils twitched a few times as he saw black sword marks appear on the Storm Dragon's body. The Dragon Spear emitted mournful cries, and he felt a chill on his chest as the black insect armor was cleaved open by an even denser darkness.

This knife looks familiar.

He saw the two-handed longsword in the King of the Night's hand, ignoring the pain and not bothering to examine his wound.

Void Conversion.

Ripples spread once more. Yuki never intended to use the Storm Dragon Spear to kill the enemy. The dragon's purpose was merely to shatter the weapon formed from the mangled body and then enter the realm of transformation.

Surrounded by soul energy particles, the King of the Night twisted his wrist, unleashing a second slash, but the Soul Blunderbuss even faster.

Whoosh—Bang!

The high concentration of particles was ignited. The King of the Night was at the center of the blazing storm, enduring the scorching heat of the energy flames. His 'flesh' peeled off layer by layer like melting wax, which was like adding fuel to the fire, making the blazing storm even Incandescence.

Leave this place, return to the night, and replenish your energy.

In a split second, he made the best decision, slashed through the flames with a backhand stroke, and escaped swiftly through the gap. However, he stopped as soon as he stepped out of the flame storm's coverage.

Yuki and the others stood not far away, the Storm Dragon Spear in his hand forming a golden blade, Black Hole muzzle of the Hunter's Blunderbuss was pointed at him.

"Where are you going, King of the Night?"

The flames subsided, and within the range illuminated by the purple Lighthouse, not a single trace of black matter could be seen.

Yuki, leaning on his sword and spear, gasped for breath. He had blasted the King of the Night into nothingness before finally stopping when the game's murmured voice rang out.

[Player Yuki, you have defeated the King of the Night, participation rate 67%, one-hour countdown begins.]

We won.

This is a predictable outcome; everyone was taken advantage of. If this isn't enough to win, Yuki could just find a rock and smash his head against it.

The King of the Night was very strong, but he had paid the price with the lives of the Sloth Bishop, Mebius, and others. He should have become weak, but when it came to actually fighting, Yuki found that he was very compatible with Him.

"A simple energy life form, if it cannot illuminate the night, even Epic II level players will be worn down to death, because it can replenish its energy indefinitely."

Conversely, Yuki can consume souls to illuminate the night and cut off the opponent's supply lines. In a war of attrition, how many can rival him?

Unlike the Witch God and the Nameless King, this one has no physical form, and his millions of clones can be converted. If they are all gathered together, he cannot escape. In addition, with the powerful level six weapon, the Storm Dragon Spear, his fate was already sealed.

Yes, He left many wounds on Yuki, especially the black longsword that was transformed from half of his body, which was indestructible.

"But I can earn it back from you, using your power to heal my wounds." Yuki suddenly realized he was being a swindler, stretched his shoulders, and then felt something was off.

Why didn't it escape the subspace? Why did it suddenly stop?

Based on his experience defeating the Witch God, he would be able to return in an hour, at which point it would be time for the settlement and rewards. However, Yuki had not forgotten that he was not there to do a mission at all.

What about the inheritance? That Black Blade looks a lot like the one I have; doesn't that point to Taiyi?

He looked around blankly, staring at the thick Yoruichi stroked his chin, gradually realizing what was happening.

"No way, there's a puzzle-solving element in addition to the Reincarnation Game?"

There was only an hour left. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't see the Lone Star left behind, Yuki would have thought he had returned. He was originally planning how to fool Emiya others.

This place is also Eternal Night, could it be...?

Without time to think, Yuki ran straight ahead, like holding a torch in a thick fog, everything around him was so eerie.

But Yuki had no time to think about the terrifying atmosphere; he ran slower and slower, and something was definitely wrong with him.

These distances are far beyond the range of nine lights, so either everyone has miscalculated, or a crucial condition is missing.

Without even thinking, Yuki pulled out the nameless Black Blade and carefully observed his surroundings.

Nothing happened. It seemed he was wrong, and it seemed the so-called inheritance had nothing to do with Taiyi. After all, it was all speculation, and Shiki Ryougi had never mentioned the name 'Taiyi'.

Yuki didn't move, or rather, he was trapped in this space with no way out and no need to find a way out.

When the time comes, things will naturally return to normal. There's no need to worry about it. Just stand there quietly, too lazy to even look at the countdown on the panel.

As time passed, Yuki's eyes twitched slightly, his expression as still as a statue. He suddenly tightened his grip on the Black Blade, making a cracking sound.

"You're quite patient."

A familiar voice came from behind. Without hesitation, Yuki turned around abruptly, his pupils contracting to reveal a person.

He had black hair and red eyes, and a handsome face. A faint purple glow emanated from his body, illuminating the endless night. What was different was that he sat on a stone made of black mist, with a bored expression.

This person looked very familiar to Yuki, and the reason was quite simple.

Isn't this me?

Countless thoughts surged forth in an instant, only to be erased one by one. The man's red eyes became increasingly intriguing; Yuki was all too familiar with this expression.

Isn't that my micro-expression?

"You're probably thinking, 'I really am' Taiyi's reincarnated,' but your clever mind quickly dismisses that idea, because only a fool would try to copy someone else exactly."

With the exact same tone, Yuki loved to guess and tease others beforehand, his eyes twitching continuously.

Are you mimicking my personality?

"Yeah, this is more interesting. You probably wouldn't be used to it if it were a stranger. As for that monster outside, I don't have the habit of pretending to be a defeated opponent."

It felt strange, like I was talking to myself, but Yuki wasn't shocked at all; he had already started frantically making portraits of himself.

"Are you Taiyi?"

"Hmm, weren't you looking for me? This is really boring, I'm not even a little bit excited." The man propped his head up, looking very much like Yuki's languid demeanor when he returned.

Because the shock far outweighed the excitement, and the questions far outweighed the curiosity.

Yuki tensed his muscles and asked directly, "Then why not transform into Mai Sakurajima's appearance?"

"Mai Sakurajima? Who's that?"

Yuki was stunned, a mixture of surprise and doubt. He knew how good his acting was.

"Don't overthink it. I don't need to act. This is out of respect for your presence. Of course, you'll doubt whatever I say, but that's fine. Go back and think about it later." The man raised his left hand and pointed to his watch.

"But you've come all this way seeking concrete information, not pointless probing, haven't you?"

Getting straight to the point and prioritizing efficiency is typical of Yuki's style; he licked his lips.

"Fine, I'll get straight to the point. Aren't you afraid of attracting the attention of the Slayer with all these tricks? This time, someone is after the legacy at the End of Eternal Night."

"The End of Eternal Night? The Reincarnation Game added that setting without permission." The man chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "Of course there's a legacy there. There are tons of Chaos Item there, all my spoils from the past, enough to satisfy whoever gets the clues."

Damn, that old sly fox... wait, why does it sound like he's cursing himself?

The foreshadowing had already been laid. Whoever Taiyi wanted to see, he would naturally appear on his own initiative. You couldn't force him to show up, or rather, that 'inheritance' was valuable enough that no one would question it.

Yuki's expression became even stranger, and he stopped dwelling on that point.

"Making it so difficult, aren't you afraid of killing me?"

"Don't worry, if this seed is destroyed, the next one will naturally sprout. It's your skill to have made it this far."

A single sentence contained a wealth of information; Yuki widened, his biological CPU practically smoking.

"You mean, I'm not your reincarnation?"

"Rebirth? Hmm, that's a very plausible consideration for someone with a suspicious personality. If you were truly reborn, the Reincarnation Game's dogs would have found you long ago. This strong causal relationship is impossible for anyone to ignore."

That makes perfect sense. If 'Taiyi' is the result, then Yuki couldn't possibly have escaped the pursuit.

"Then what am I, really?"

"Hmm... an heir, the heir to the will." The man pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a smile, "I know you won't believe me. Now, write down every word and go back to unleash your inner storm of thought."

"You are you, and I am me. I once forged ahead without hesitation, but I could never reach the end. Perhaps it's better to take a step back and see a wider world."

The man seemed to know Yuki very well, knowing that the latter always relied on evidence. This statement still contained a wealth of information, but Yuki didn't have time to analyze it carefully. The most important thing now was to ask as many questions as possible.

"So you've been manipulating me behind the scenes?"

"No, I will only give you a choice at a crucial moment; whichever path you choose is up to you."

It's still reasonable and well-founded. The strange phenomenon of the Bloodthirsty Red Moon was accompanied by choices, which also explains why Yuki was certain that he hadn't been possessed.

It's so sincere that it makes it impossible to ask questions like "What are you plotting?" or "When are you planning to possess me?" because such questions are meaningless.

"You want to quit the Reincarnation Game?"

"Yes, but I failed. I was completely erased by the Reincarnation Game, and even my name became a taboo. It's only because of me that you have been given a chance."

Yuki didn't believe a single word, just as he never believed there was a Holy Mother in the Reincarnation Game.

"So you were the one who killed the Reincarnator."

"I didn't kill them, I just severed the link between that stage and the Borderlands, making the Borderlands only inhabited by epic-level players. Incidentally, I also crippled the Reincarnation Game, preventing it from directly interfering or issuing reincarnation quests."

Damn, isn't that even more awesome?

Yuki pursed his lips, unintentionally caught off guard, but this had been verified by Shiki Ryougi, so it was believable.

"Then what should I do?"

"Have no idea."

"Ah?"

"To be precise, I don't know. I've already laid the foundation. You'll find this path yourself, yes, find it without any hesitation."

"And then I'll help you collect remnant souls to possess and resurrect?" Yuki sneered.

This seemingly reasonable yet sinister speculation elicited a silent smile from the man, who gently spread his hands. "Whether it is or isn't, it's meaningless; you'll go looking for it anyway."

Yuki, it was difficult to gain the upper hand. He began to think about what other questions he needed to ask, but was interrupted softly again.

"Stop thinking about it. Oh, right, there's something I forgot to mention. Defeat me, and you'll find your way forward. Don't look at me like that. I've already answered all the important questions I could. The Reincarnation Game was severely damaged, and so will I be annihilated. You can treat me as a wisp of a soulless remnant."

Yuki had already seen it with his Devil's Vision; the man was indeed soulless, he was 'nothingness,' purer than air.

This understanding made him open his mouth again. Yes, from the beginning, Yuki never thought of lashing out, complaining, or kneeling down to beg for mercy. Carrying an old man with him was something he never even dared to imagine.

If you really wanted a top-tier cultivation technique that you could just click to receive, or something like being infused with ten thousand years of internal energy, Yuki would turn around and run away.