Chapter 429
"Stay, I want to eat curry. While you're at it, check on how Mona is getting along with them. It's been several days, they should be fine by now. Don't rush to refuse, I've spent several hundred points these past few days, you should at least help with this little favor."
I knew you had ulterior motives!
The round-faced girl's breath hitched, her fair face flushing slightly. This guy really wouldn't let anyone get away with anything for free.
Recalling how comfortable the past few days had been, she glared at the other person and quickly disappeared.
Hmph, haven't you heard the saying "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding"?
Yuki yawned, considering it a pointless calculation during his journey. He raised his hand and saw the Aether Particles in the air become active, turning the distant sky a fiery red.
Frieren has made progress. Like her seniors, in order to catch up with her, they all ignored the "weakest link" effect and specialized in a certain skill. That's why, with the same score, she is ridiculously strong in a certain field.
Call--
Huge fireballs Falling Sky like a series of dazzling meteors. They landed on the ground, creating towering waves of flame that made the earth tremble incessantly.
Doomsday Meteor?
Yuki gazed at the tremors dozens of kilometers away, silently counted a few seconds, and clenched his fists.
"Hurry up and finish this so we can go home for dinner."
Thump.
Without any fancy skills, it was like an ancient behemoth striking the earth, turning Yuki into a blur.
The air Incandescence, the flames still raged, and a dozen or so players were scattered in the waves of fire, their various defensive items flashing with multicolored light.
The forbidden spell was used as a sign of respect, and Frieren immediately ran away after the attack. The players were there to make money, not to risk their lives, so their first reaction was naturally to defend, and then they could hunt slowly.
Before they could give chase, they saw a blur flash across the wasteland, grabbing a boulder and throwing it at them.
"Level 8 physique, that's a warrior."
"Search the surrounding area; that magician must be hiding nearby."
The standard Aether Particles tactics were employed: warriors engaged in close combat while mages bombarded from a distance. Many people disappeared from Yuki's sight as he activated his invisibility skill to search for Frieren. Then, magic circles of various shapes and colors unfolded in front of Yuki.
The air was as hard as a city wall, making a cracking sound when it hit it. The earth turned into a black swamp, and countless black arms swayed back and forth, casting shadows over it. A huge meteorite was falling.
The special effects are top-notch. Anyway, the wasteland doesn't mind having a few more meteorite craters. Those who dare to come here are all monster-level players, and the team's cooperation has been honed through countless trials.
No wonder nobody wants to be the boss.
Yuki smashed through the invisible wall, tore off the black tentacles, and shattered the meteorite with a blast, the Heat magma inside pouring down on him.
Composite magic—I don't know which player's specialty this is, but even without Epic Metamorphosis or the Hunter's Blunderbuss, Yuki still maintains the strength of Monster IV or higher.
Moonlit Ghost Step.
As the silver moonlight spread, Yuki disappeared from the barrage of fire. The player squads reacted swiftly, some raising shields to form a fortress, others sealing off space, and some even summoning a giant tree to envelop themselves.
Meanwhile, the assassins who had failed to find Frieren returned, and the knights were ready to strike.
Yuki appeared in the air, a dense barrage of arcane missiles rained down, unleashing a series of uniquely styled magic circles across the wilderness.
Fighting bosses is a basic skill, Yuki was indeed stronger than expected, it meant even greater rewards.
"We'll take this space, at least two thousand points."
A player dressed as a priest was shouting excitedly, Yuki turned his head to look, causing him to instinctively shut his mouth.
"I'm only worth two thousand points?"
Epic Metamorphosis. Soul Mimicry.
An even larger, almost undetectable energy source unfolded, transforming the Yuki in the sky into a golden sun. The lightning bolts, like countless rays, annihilated the incoming attacks and revealed the lurking assassins.
There was no chance to gasp, no time to think; lightning gathered on the sword and spear, transforming into a hundred-meter-long giant blade, which was then gently swung.
Swish--
All defenses crumbled like paper, and several assassins vanished into thin air. Yuki didn't even look at the horrified gazes on the ground, but slowly raised his head.
In the gray sky, a crimson eyeball suddenly appeared. It was enormous, with pupils like snakes. No one knew when it appeared, as if it had been watching this wilderness since ancient times.
The ability to monitor an entire Outpost is unimaginable.
Yuki felt the gaze focusing on him and immediately deduced that it was some kind of keyword search, such as 'Epic Metamorphosis' or 'golden lightning'. No matter who it was or where they were in the Aether Particles, as long as the keyword was triggered, the gaze would instantly focus on them.
The air became viscous, and the surrounding area, spanning hundreds of kilometers, took on a crystalline quality. Compared to this blockade, the ground players were nothing more than ants. Yuki activated the Moonlit Ghost Step, but could only move a few meters.
"Such a quick reaction."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, let go of the remaining players, and turned to run. In just a few seconds, faint gates appeared in the air, some far away and some near, but physically blocking every escape route.
A vast network, spanning thousands of kilometers, was set up in just ten seconds.
Yuki sped eastward, like a squid, spreading the thick black fog that filled nearly a hundred square kilometers of space. He looked up at the giant eye staring intently at him, as if scrutinizing prey.
The Eternal Night Domain unfolds.
Conceptual Craft Essence. Activated.
The Night Furnace is activated.
"We finally caught Him."
Powerful undead and terrifying Magical Beasts stepped out of the gates of hell. Under the influence of the spatial crystal, only this level 7 item was unrestricted. In just a few seconds, it transported the pursuit team, which was fully prepared thousands of kilometers away, over.
This was a joint operation that involved multiple level 7 items, Epic Metamorphosis, and even the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge. In the entire history of the Reincarnation Game, very few games have ever received such treatment.
The King of the Undead, Deathwing, and his core followers arrived, surrounding the wilderness like an impregnable fortress.
The plan had been prepared long ago. Demiurge immediately led his men to interrogate the bewildered players, using over a dozen detection skills to scan the night.
"This darkness is a special skill, undetectable; it must originate from some Lost Ones."
"A female player was also traveling with the Hidden Sage; if they're still at the Outpost, they shouldn't have gone far."
"The blockade has been established; not a single energy particle can escape."
"The prophecy has begun; He is within that realm."
Professional and efficient, all kinds of information were gathered within minutes, allowing the bigwigs who arrived in a hurry to grasp the situation immediately.
During this time, they tried countless methods to find Yuki, but unexpectedly, the clumsy method still came in handy. As long as the keyword was triggered, they would be captured, and the Aether Particles had no shortage of killing each other.
With a few monster-level players as opponents, even Hidden Sage would have to get serious, and every move would leave a trace.
"So, he can't escape?"
A blond, handsome man with a sinister expression walked out of the Gates of Hell. Seeing the night sky in the distance, his narrow eyes narrowed, and the sinister aura he exuded caused many players to quietly retreat.
Space is as hard as diamonds; even an Epic Metamorphosis cannot escape it. Diviners and prophets are watching closely, and invisible threads of Destiny entangle everything.
"I can't imagine how he escaped." The skeleton in the magnificent robe turned his head and nodded slightly. "Lord Dio Brando, please give your instructions."
"Huh? Instructions? Surround Him, find Him inch by inch, and hand Him over to me. I guarantee he'll tell me everything." Dio Brando smiled with pleasure, as if he had breathed a sigh of relief.
After spending a huge amount of resources, we finally found a clue. Although we haven't confirmed the relationship between the Hidden Sage and Taiyi yet, it looks like we're doing something wrong.
If it's really okay, then why not just stand up and clarify?
First, identify the faction, then use the power of that faction to target the objective. His method is simple and brutal, yet very effective.
"Fear, I smell fear. So many people, and you're all afraid?" Dio Brando, seeing no one around him move, shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "Weak, weak, so this is what they call the Aether Particles? Ha, the powerful faction?"
Their tone was infuriating, but no one dared to argue back.
Seeing the King of the Undead looking at him, Neltharion cursed under his breath for this sly skeleton, and said aloud:
"I think we should play it safe and search slowly. Anyway, He can't escape, and it would be troublesome for an epic-level player to be at his wit's end."
Yeah, it's the smell of fear of death, which is understandable.
Dio Brando's nose twitched slightly, and he immediately sensed the psychological state of these people.
This is the legendary Taiyi; it's perfectly normal for him to have a hidden trump card that can instantly take down an Epic II player. Who would want to be the sacrifice?
From their perspective, they would love for the Hidden Sage to never be found, and ideally, to be protected by an opposing force, so that the Judge could intervene and help.
But the Judge aren't stupid; they won't easily step in. At the very least, they need to solidify the relationship between Taiyi and the Hidden Sage first.
'Although they've been very diligent along the way, these people are unreliable; they might be playing tricks and deliberately letting the target escape.'
Dio Brando had already deployed dozens of Judge around the perimeter to guard against any underhanded tactics. After a moment's thought, he decided he couldn't waste his time with these fools.
Even if this is Taiyi, it's merely a fragment. Untangling this mess will require a great deal of time. Furthermore—
I am very interested in this legendary 'Taiyi'.
"Okay, how about this: you guys seal off the outer perimeter, I'll go in and take a look first. If a battle breaks out, then you can come and help. Is that alright?"
"I will follow your instructions."
Neltharion was filled with awe. Why didn't it go in? It was because the name 'Taiyi' was too great. If it were wiped out in one fell swoop, wouldn't that be a huge loss? King of the Undead shook his head slightly, only then noticing that Dio Brando's condition was not right.
A clone? Tsk, I thought they were really brave and fearless.
Of course it's a stand-in. Dio Brando isn't stupid. He's worked so hard to get to this point, why would he risk his life?
All Things Slain, all laws are severed, and where the blade points, only one remains.
This is no joke. Who knows what state Taiyi in or what trump cards he has up his sleeve? The Judge hesitates precisely because he knows more than the ordinary players.
Above epics lies legend, and at the pinnacle of legend is reincarnation, the Limit of reincarnation is Taiyi).
Damn it, I'm the one who laid the trap, so why am I getting nervous instead?
Despite saying he was in a hurry, Dio Brando walked very slowly, endless legends surfacing in his mind as he constantly checked whether this 'reality double' had severed ties with the original.
Legend has it that Taiyi can annihilate ten thousand bodies by killing one person. He can wipe out a legendary player with countless clones across hundreds of dungeons, and even the 'Spring Autumn Cicada' that communicates with the river of time is useless against him.
But this step into the unknown must be taken. If he hesitates, ten years later, all the Judge will be wiped out by the game. He was even a little depressed. This Reincarnation Game is only concerned with harming its own people, isn't it?
Taking a deep breath and clearing his mind of all distractions, he stepped into the Eternal Night under the watchful eyes of nearly a hundred players.
Let me witness whether you are truly 'Taiyi', and if so, what abilities do you possess?
As I expected, it was one person who came.
The Eternal Night Domain is an extension of the body, and Yuki saw it the moment the blond man stepped into the darkness.
Dio Brando, one of the Grand Inquisitors, was sent to this first contact, which was quite reasonable.
Yuki wasn't too surprised. The abilities of this most villainous character, who had contributed many memorable scenes, were unknown, but as a transmigrator, he could make a rough guess.
The substitute, nurtured through Reincarnation Game, is a super-mutated substitute. Its abilities are unknown, but it must be very difficult to kill.
This makes sense, since 'Taiyi' is an unknown entity, and Deathwing would never take the risk; the Judge himself must be involved.
The Judge's caution is entirely reasonable. Yuki had faced Taiyi directly, and if it weren't for the Future Diary, he would have been cut down with a single blow. Who wouldn't be afraid of that unparalleled sharpness? Who wouldn't be terrified?
"But I'm just borrowing the tiger's power; I don't have the ability to break through all laws with a single strike."
Yuki knew very well that he was a cunning old fox and had no airs of a master. Observing the legendary villain, he saw his unusually arrogant gait and knew that the other party was also thinking frantically, probably about to explode with excitement.
Taiyi's aura is too high; avoiding him would naturally arouse suspicion. Strong people all care about their reputation; how could they sit idly by and watch their enemies run rampant in their domain? If they showed weakness, the players outside would swarm in like mad dogs.
Yuki could forcibly break away at any time, but if he only played these people once, it wouldn't be worth the time he spent.
"The Eternal Night Domain is still spreading, and at least five Grand Inquisitors are watching this wilderness. The Future Diary will not be effective."
"That eyeball wasn't focused enough; it was still scanning the entire Eternal Night."
My heart raced slightly. Even Taiyi from the Nighttime Murder would be defeated in such a massive scene. Fortunately, I had a plan, so the element of gambling was minimal.
Yuki drew his Black Blade, made no attempt to conceal it, and instantly teleported away into the Eternal Night.
Clatter.
Dio Brando stopped, his muscles tensing, and bent backward, turning around in an exaggerated motion.
"I thought you weren't coming."
His body radiated a golden light that illuminated the Eternal Night, and his gaze swept over the other person in a nanosecond.
He wore a long black robe, his face was disguised—a sophisticated disguise that even the 'Eye of Truth' couldn't see through. In his right hand, he gripped a knife encased in black crystals, which exuded an ominous aura in his vision.
Dio Brando's expression instantly became fascinating, a mixture of ecstatic joy at seeing the sun break through the clouds and a deep-seated dread.
This is Taiyi; we've finally found Him, but it's not good news for me.