Chapter 432
"Mona, what are you doing?" the senior asked in a low voice. After five days, she still hadn't figured out what this loli was up to. Based on her gut feeling, she believed that Mona was harmless to the team.
Clever, cute, and well-mannered, no one would equate this lively girl with a powerful player unless they saw her stats.
And she's really useful; she can not only liven up the team atmosphere, but also provide a lot of information. For example, she clearly explained the hidden settings like epic achievement fragments.
"It seems my brother has returned."
"Pighead's back?" Mai Sakurajima's eyes lit up, and her heart, which had been racing because of Frieren's story, finally slowed down. "It's good that he's back. Honestly, he always has to pull off Limit maneuvers, facing the Judge head-on. How did he even come up with that idea?"
"Mona told me not to worry, didn't she? Even if my brother gambles, he won't place a bet unless he has a 60% chance of winning."
"I know, but I still have to worry."
Seeing everyone breathe a sigh of relief, Mona smiled too; she had been quietly observing them for the past few days.
The team is small, and the relationships are quite complex, but the core is only Yuki. There's a saying...
Without him, this family would fall apart.
She quite enjoyed the feeling of having a common goal. Even in Valhalla, there were players with their own agendas, and the more people there were, the harder it was to control them. Teams like this, without much political intrigue, were truly rare.
"By the way, how are your preparations for the secret operation going?"
"Huh? How did you know?" Hayasaka Ai looked at her warily. After being tricked last time, she knew that Mena Ryougi was no ordinary person.
"Don't be so defensive, Hayasaka. I know my brother just as well as you do. How about I join you?"
Mona rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head slightly. Hayasaka Ai blinked and looked at the calendar not far away, where a red circle was drawn.
Perhaps I've already forgotten, but someone's birthday is coming soon.
Chapter Nine: Yuki Will Never Change, Becoming Taiyi
Life's back to normal. Did I plan all this just for this?
Time seemed to slow down; compared to facing the Judge and battling epic-level players, the past two days felt rather uneventful.
I wake up naturally every day, eat the breakfast prepared by my senior, drink a couple of Hayasaka Ai, sit at the table, smell the fragrance of the garden outside the window, and think about my plans for the future.
When they have nothing to do, Yuki will read books with Hiyori, play games with Frieren, or simply curl up on the sofa and watch Mona and the others play cards, their faces covered with notes.
Occasionally, he would go out to see friends, get slightly drunk, and then return home to receive criticism from his senior.
There are no Transcendental Grade powers, no life-or-death struggles; this is Yuki's private territory, even if bloodshed and carnage are right outside the door.
"The best part is that everyone is protecting this hard-won daily life."
Yuki held the teacup, took a small sip of the hot tea, and let the delicate aroma spread in his mouth. He closed his eyes and completely relaxed.
"Brother, you look like an old man, like the kind who says, 'Honey, bring me the newspaper.'" Mona was playing checkers with Hiyori nearby. The two girls were sitting on their ducks, and their black and white over-the-knee socks created a beautiful sight.
"No respect for elders, who's the old man here?" Yuki tugged at her twin ponytails, shrinking into the sofa. "This is all I care about, you could say I'm staying true to my roots."
He looked around. His senior was cutting fruit and humming a song. Hayasaka and Hayasaka servant were whispering and plotting, occasionally peeking in his direction. Frieren sat upright, holding the controller, his eyes glued to the screen.
In a sense, the goal he set when he first arrived has already been achieved, no, to be precise, it has been exceeded, at least in his world there are no Mona and Frieren.
Outside the door stood formidable enemies, and the balance of power remained unchanged, but Yuki was confident he could lead everyone back.
"The team is quite strong. They were able to help out in both dungeons." Yuki muttered to himself. He had looked at everyone's stats. The combination of two S-rank mission ratings and high participation rate showed that the senior students and others had made great strides forward in a short period of time.
Hayasaka Ai, the strongest, is close to the threshold of Monster IV; Kaguya and Frieren have accumulated strength and have already reached the level of Monster II.
Senior Sister and Hiyori are slightly weaker, but they are support-type players, so the rating doesn't accurately reflect their strength.
And then there's Mena Ryougi; she's the player closest to achieving the Epic rank.
"Hmph, spacing out again. Didn't we agree to take a few days off?"
A small face suddenly appeared in front of me, covered in slips of paper because it had lost several times, making it look exceptionally comical.
"Just thought of it." Yuki tilted his head slightly, not wanting to be stared at by Frieren with a look of disdain. "They are already very experienced players. I wouldn't say they can clear the game solo faster than they can with me, but the risks are definitely lower."
"Hmm, they're considered a strong team even in Valhalla. What's up with this Thorny Rose team? They level up so fast, and they don't seem to get affected by the continuous quests." Mona was also puzzled, then waved her hand:
"I can't be bothered with all this trouble. Brother, play chess with me. I can never beat Hiyori."
She's practically mastered passive Future Sight; you'd be lucky to win without using Transcendental Grade abilities.
Yuki chuckled inwardly. He would never play with Mona. Winning would bring no sense of accomplishment, and losing would mean being ridiculed for days, making people clench their fists and wish they could spank her until her buttocks were swollen.
"Alright, I'll play with you later." Just then, the senior student walked over with a plate and saw Mona turn her head, staring at her with some surprise. "What's wrong? Don't you want to play chess with me?"
"Is this what you call the composure of the empress?"
Mai Sakurajima paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Of course."
Hehe, if you're so confident, why don't you speak louder so the maid can hear you?
Mona winked and stuffed a slice of watermelon into her mouth. "By the way, shouldn't you guys be on your mission by now? When are you heading to the dungeon?"
Why do I have this feeling that they're trying to get rid of us?
Mai Sakurajima gave the girl a deep look, then turned to look at Yuki.
"I was just about to discuss this with you. How should we handle the next mission? If we don't adjust the permissions, we should receive the mission notification within two days."
"I've already made plans. Next time, the whole team will work together to pull off a big heist."
Together?
Everyone in the room looked over, their eyes filled with surprise.
"Can it really work?" Mai Sakurajima couldn't hide her surprise. She wasn't afraid of the risks, only of getting Keishi into trouble.
"It should be fine. The Judge have recently devoted a lot of energy to the Aether Particles, and their resources are not unlimited. They will definitely have to relax on some secondary directions, and you have experienced two verifications, which falls into this category. In addition, Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge was outmaneuvered by me once and suffered heavy losses."
Yuki doesn't act on emotion; everything he does is based on the most rational deductions and arrangements.
He had recently obtained a lot of information from Valhalla's intelligence network. The Judge had figured out Frieren's identity, which indirectly confirmed that 'Taiyi' was lurking in the Aether Particles. So they decisively escalated the search and launched a physical search that went to great lengths.
All players in the entire Aether Particles were monitored, as were other players who came to watch after receiving the news. The entire Outpost allowed entry but not exit, and the news spread like wildfire across the Borderlands.
That was already a bit much, but what happened next was even worse.
If such a large amount of resources still couldn't find the target, then there's only one reason—
Taiyi received protection from local players, since many areas were off-limits for searching.
The Monster Front and the Great Tomb began to fuel the flames; why would they cooperate with the Judge if not to borrow their power?
"The Aether Particles is a powder keg that will ignite sooner or later. The local players aren't exactly pushovers either; everyone has a few allies."
"Yeah, the more chaotic things get, the less time we have to spare. The Judge aren't stupid; they won't easily get involved in faction wars." Yuki shrugged, opening his mouth to swallow the grape his senior fed him. "This isn't my business, but the last harvest yielded an extra bonus."
Yuki described how he swallowed the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge, and the result was that he could sense the 'Judgment Mission'.
Tracking down Taiyi wasn't the only job of the Judge; the trial tasks still had to be done, and the highest level required the Grand Judge to personally intervene. Yuki then had an idea.
Why not deal with the Grand Inquisitor in the dungeon? There are only twelve strong individuals of that caliber, and killing one means one less to go. Dungeons are the safest and fairest place to deal with them.
"Could it be a trap?" Hayasaka Ai walked over and leaned against the coffee table.
"I can't rule out that possibility, but they're in the open while I'm in the shadows. If they're really fishing, I'll just play the normal player and carry out the mission. Increasing strength is difficult, but concealing one's strength is very easy. When it comes to fishing, do you think I'm afraid of them?"
Yuki was confident. The trial mission was just one of the dungeons, and where there is a trial, there is a target. Anyone who could get the Grand Inquisitor to take action must be no ordinary person.
This is the true meaning of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"I'm suddenly starting to look forward to it. It's been a bit lonely not seeing your sneaky tricks in two dungeons."
Senior, are you praising me or scolding me?
Yuki didn't know how to respond for a moment, and then his hand was grasped.
Hayasaka Ai pulled him up, pushed him against his back and towards the room, leaving Yuki momentarily bewildered.
Huh? This blond loser suddenly became brave?
He was a little confused about the situation, knowing that the war was still going on, Hayasaka Ai was one move behind but incredibly resilient, leaving him no chance to savor the taste of his senior.
"Wait, if you want to get things done, you'd better have Mona distract the senior, otherwise she'll definitely come and catch you."
"Pah, who needs to do anything? What is it?" The maid blushed and spat lightly, then gently pushed Yuki into the bedroom. "Wait ten minutes until we go to the garden; I have a gift for you."
A gift? What's going on?
Yuki could ask anything, the door slammed shut. He stared at the closed door for a long while before sitting back down on the bed.
Whatever the reason, just keep looking forward to it.
Ten minutes later, he opened the door. The house was quiet. Then he remembered that Hayasaka Ai had mentioned the garden. He left through the back door, walked through the ever-blooming sea of flowers, Yuki stopped, blinking his eyes in a daze.
He had never been so bewildered, even when facing Dio Brando, because the scene before him seemed out of place in the Reincarnation Game.
Sunshine, beach, sea, beautiful women in swimsuits.
The azure sea, the warm sea breeze, and the 'whooshing' sound of the tide— Yuki ran his index finger through the air and realized it was an extremely sophisticated illusion. If he didn't know there couldn't possibly be a sea here, he wouldn't be able to distinguish between reality and illusion.
Some things are real, or rather, they were redeemed. They only appear so realistic when mixed with the environment. The feedback from all five senses makes it feel like I'm back on the beach in Izu on Earth.
Yuki turned his head and saw several parasols stuck in the sand, with a few people sitting under them.
Mai Sakurajima, Hayasaka Ai, Kaguya Shinomiya, Shiina Hiyori, Frieren, and Mona were all there, wearing various styles of swimsuits. Their breasts rose and fell, and their fair skin made Yuki squint slightly under the sunlight.
Senior's size is Hayasaka, do you really need padding on your swimsuit? Hiyori is surprisingly well-endowed; Kaguya and Mona's swimsuits look like children's outfits; as for Frieren--
Wow, what a huge gift!
Several people were watching him, some calm, some feigning composure, some ashamed, and some watching the show with amusement. The two sides faced off for a few seconds before Yuki finally couldn't help but speak.
"Is this your gift?"
"Yes, this illusion is an item obtained from the Void Temple. Of course, a large part of it is real. It took me quite a bit of time." Hayasaka Ai's blonde hair was tied up, and she was wearing a black and white striped swimsuit. She walked gracefully with her hands behind her back.
"Didn't you want me to wear a swimsuit? Might as well drag them along."
Ah? Oh, it was around that time.
Yuki suddenly remembered this promise. He remembered that when his seniors received the dungeon called "Battle on the Raging Seas," he had casually mentioned it. He never expected that it would be brought up again after so long.
"You've always remembered that?"
"Yes."
"But why? Why are you suddenly giving me this benefit?"
"Because it's your birthday today. I saw it on your student ID when I first went to Izu." Mai Sakurajima also walked over, her light purple swimsuit quite daring. Judging by her appearance, she was an order of magnitude better than Hayasaka Ai, roughly at the BC level.
Birthday? My birthday?
Yuki had completely forgotten about it. She had only been a player for less than a year, but because the pace of the game was so fast, it felt like many years had passed.
For a moment, he felt a little emotional, a little moved, and a little weird.
Who gives a swimsuit party as a birthday present? No, it's because my senior and Hayasaka Ai know me too well.
In the Reincarnation Game, no gift is worth more than a few points. They know what Yuki wants and what she cherishes.
"Thank you." Yuki gave a gentle smile devoid of any ulterior motives, and twitched his nose. "This is a good opportunity for everyone to relax, and I can also feast my eyes."
I knew you were a pig-headed idiot with impure thoughts.
Mai Sakurajima glared at the other person, but actually regretted it a little while changing her clothes.
Leaving aside Mona and Kaguya, Frieren Hiyori had even better figures than her, especially Frieren. It wasn't very noticeable when Philon was wearing a long robe, but when she took it off with a blushing face, even she was surprised.
Is this the legendary great magician? Thank goodness I chose a school swimsuit.
"Are you happy?" she asked with a smile, her eyes narrowed.
"Ahem, I guess I'm just generally happy." Yuki's eyes scanned around like radar, and the data he read was similar to what he usually observed.
Young, A, B, C, D, could this be F?
Splash!
A handful of seawater hit him, Yuki covered his face. Seawater dripped from his hair, tasted salty, and soaked his black trench coat.
Yuki silently turned his head to look at Kaguya Shinomiya, who had suddenly attacked him.
"What are you two doing? I haven't changed my clothes yet."
"I don't know, but the look you gave me just now really annoyed me." Kaguya gritted her teeth. Why did that admiring look turn into disdain when it came to her? I'm still better than Mona, aren't I?