Chapter 436

In addition, the team's dungeon rewards in the 'Void Temple' also belong to Hiyori: one item called 'Avalon Illusion Generator' and another called 'Message Capsule'.

[Special Item: Avalon Illusion Generator]

[Create a vast illusion; the smaller the area, the more realistic it appears]

[Side effects: None]

[Description: This is a simple trick, and its effectiveness depends on the player.]

A special item, like a fax machine, that cannot be upgraded. To be honest, it's pretty useless; it's merely a visual mirage and doesn't possess any Transcendental Grade ability to shield perception or hide oneself.

"But it's useful, or rather, it's very useful when combined with this thing."

Yuki took out the Heart of the Frost Goddess, a powerful level 6 item, but he didn't use it because it could be traced back to its origins and was almost bound to the Hidden Sage, and the blizzard was too obvious.

If I add a layer of nesting dolls on top of the visual effects, and use both props simultaneously, wouldn't I be able to unleash my full potential without any worries?

He suddenly had an idea. As for the 'Message Capsule,' it was like a toy that could hide messages inside, avoiding most detections, somewhat like a tool for spy rendezvous.

"Kaguya Shinomiya has been fattened up like a pig lately."

This young lady's improvement is the greatest, even surpassing Hayasaka Ai in some calculations. She is now approaching the level of Monster III. The reason is simple: Kaguya Shinomiya's characteristics are the simplest and most straightforward, and also the easiest to arrange and combine.

With her exceptional length and True Shot, Sure Hit, she can reliably deal damage from an extremely long distance. In Void Temple and Death Canyon, she serves as the ADC (Attack Damage Carry), and players like Hiyori and Mai Sakurajima spare no expense in investing points in her.

First, there's the LV5 feature, which adds a 'Quick Archer' ability. In exchange for a 10-fold increase in cooldown time, you gain unlimited arrows for 30 seconds, somewhat like the magazine cannon in a certain game.

Kaguya's biggest problem was that although she could shoot farther, she only had 20 arrows in total, and after shooting them all, she had to wait 30 minutes for them to cool down. No matter how much she increased the power of each shot, she could not compare with Hayasaka Ai, so she could not take the route of killing with one hit.

With the Quick Archer, it's a completely different story. It's like switching from a shotgun to a semi-automatic sniper rifle. Combined with the Spatial Rift Spear and the Color-Changing Cloak, it enhances survivability and stealth.

"Another Transcendental Grade skill has been added: Elf Archer. No need to ask, this was farmed in Death Canyon again. No wonder it took so long to complete a dungeon."

Yuki figured it out. In the first dungeon, because of her strength, Hiyori didn't dwell on the side quests and mainly focused on getting points. But in the second dungeon, when the team's overall strength improved, Hiyori started to make specific plans.

In terms of prudence and efficiency, Hiyori has actually taken the lead over me on the path of skills planning.

He realized he had underestimated this quiet girl. His rapid rise to power was due to his ferocity; he could easily clear dungeons and wipe out hordes of players. The latter, on the other hand, was more like a meticulous problem solver, addressing whatever was needed.

Yuki didn't show favoritism either way, handing over the 'Eight-Armed Demon' Bloodline Object to Kaguya. He understood that for an ADC to achieve high DPM, they needed to increase their attack speed.

Finally, there's Frieren. She put in a lot of effort in Death Canyon but didn't gain much. Instead, she was the main beneficiary of the Void Temple.

This instance takes place inside a massive space station, where humans fight against void creatures emerging from space. The team decisively joins the humans in a frenzied battle against those dark, elusive monsters.

This is a special kind of energy creature, which can be seen as an alien space magician. The special ability of Frieren, that Apprentice Mage, has already taken effect.

She learned a lot of spatial magic, gained a skill called 'Rapid Casting', and more importantly, acquired bloodline skills.

[Void Devourer (LV1): Adds spatial properties to energy-based attacks.]

"This bloodline skill is exclusive to mages; it can unlock an entire skill tree."

This bloodline skill is extremely rare, at least more so than 'Psychic Warrior', and it only appears in specific dungeons.

"Everyone's upgrades aren't fast, but they're all very useful. That's much better than just artificially inflating the ratings." Yuki smiled with satisfaction, drawing everyone's attention in the living room.

He was somewhat proud, somewhat humble, and somewhat strange-looking.

That's not considered fast. Well, considering there are two dungeons, it's normal to level up by 1-2 levels. The difference between Monster IV wasn't that big to begin with.

Mona separated the time at the Borderlands from the instance, and she had also looked at the panel. Well, to put it simply, the elite squad of Valhalla could also achieve this level of reward, but these people's leveling up was rather strange.

Generally speaking, professional Monster III players will have 3-4 level 5 items and several master-level skills. However, based on the "weakest link" principle, they will develop all aspects of attack, defense, and mobility, and will also reserve some for defensive spells, detection, and other auxiliary abilities, trying to make themselves invincible.

But even though they're both Monster III, these characters are quite strange. Take Kaguya Shinomiya for example; she has absolutely no melee abilities, nor does she possess any skills to defend against curses or erase Destiny. She's just a glass cannon.

If she's acting alone, a melee-focused player of Monster I rank will get close and she'll die a horrible death. But if you let her attack freely, even epic-level players will get riddled with bullets.

Apart from Hayasaka Ai, who is slightly better, the others have a huge gap between their potential and their skill level.

"Yes, it's all to cooperate with my elder brother." Mona already had the answer and had made slight adjustments to her upgrade path.

"What are you muttering to yourself over there?" Yuki turned his head and saw Mona sitting like a duck at the table.

"I say, elder brother, your insight is brilliant."

For no reason at all, what kind of crazy idea are they plotting now?

Yuki was wary. Ever since that fireworks display, Kaguya Shinomiya had been deliberately avoiding him. He wasn't stupid; this brat must have said something.

"Brother, when are we going into the dungeon? I'm so looking forward to fighting alongside everyone!"

Before Yuki could ask a question, Mona changed the subject. Seeing that everyone was concerned, he had no choice but to shut up.

"We'll have to wait, but I estimate it won't be long. The Judge's job isn't just to find Taiyi."

Yuki could vaguely sense the movements of the Judge, but Judge below the Epic level were not worthy of his intervention.

"Since it's a trial mission, there must be a target. I happen to have a wanted list that my mother sent me." Mona raised her hand and laboriously pulled out a large stack of documents.

Why didn't you say something so important sooner!?

"I just saw my brother living like a couch potato, how could I bear to disturb him?"

Who is the salted fish?

Yuki glared at her, bent down and took the documents. This was the advantage of having a powerful intelligence network; there was no need for him to show his face.

This is not just a hunt, but because once you're on the wanted list, you can't be erased; the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Wow, I actually know someone there.

Yuki continued reading, his expression became meaningful, and his gaze became intrigued. Many things here were written under pseudonyms, and the transmigrator's cheat code came in handy.

' Savior's Fire of Fury, hmm, I've encountered this faction before with Mebius. Fury? Fire? Could it be Kalpas?

"Samurai Kingdom" Odd Jobs? Could this be Sakata Gintoki's group?

Aegir 'Anthropomorphic Front'? That does align with Taihou's attitude.

'Machine Intelligence' Strategic Angel? I've seen this faction in Aether Particles, I think it's the T800.

The 'Monster's Follower' Dragon of Vengeance? Sounds like he has a lot of bitterness and hatred to harbor.

The Unlicensed Rider of 'Hero Kingdom'? An ordinary person approaching epic status, how inspiring!

The 'Controller', the Frost Queen? Who is that?

The more Yuki, the more he felt this was a treasure trove; weren't these potential allies?

Countless players, countless years, and hundreds of wanted criminals of Monster IV or higher— Yuki looked through them, picking out the key ones as he went.

Fire of Fury, Aegir, and Odd Jobs were all on the list. The first two had been in contact with each other before, especially the 'Savior'. Didn't Shiki Ryougi say they also belonged to the Return Faction?

"This list might not be reliable. Who knows which ones the Judge are deliberately spreading rumors to lure people in?" Mona reminded him from the side, noticing that some people had been circled in red.

"These few should be trustworthy, especially the Savior. Let Miss Ryougi Shiki get to know him better."

"Ugh, I have to run errands again." Mona immediately fell.

"Stop complaining, go quickly, they'll all need it."

Yuki was very serious when discussing serious matters, and Mona, sensing the atmosphere, dejectedly took the documents and left.

"Samurai Kingdom? We worked together in Death Canyon." Hayasaka Ai had just put down her coffee and glanced at the list.

"Who?"

"Mr. Gui."

"Which Mr. Katsura?" Yuki turned his head. There were many Mr. Katsuras in the Samurai Kingdom, because this camp included Gintama and Rurouni Kenshin, two completely different worlds.

"Uh, a very strange person." Hayasaka Ai carefully chose her words, then patted her forehead. "... just a bit slow."

"Yeah, he's an idiot, an interesting idiot," Hiyori added from the side.

Oh, it's him.

Yuki's lips curled up. This anti-foreign patriot was quite interesting. He listened to the descriptions of the others and learned that he had met Mr. Katsura in a cave in Death Canyon. He was accompanied by a strange white creature whose combat strength fluctuated, but it had one very powerful characteristic.

"I don't know why, but the enemy always lets him go, locks him up, and then no matter how tight the defenses are, he always manages to escape." Hiyori didn't know how to describe it; she found that some players in the Reincarnation Game didn't make sense.

What logic do characters in a nonsensical comedy anime need? Just when you think they're profound and serious, they suddenly take a turn for the worse.

Does he have teammates?

"Yes, there was a gorilla, pretty creepy."

Could this be Kondo Isao...?

Yuki covered his forehead. He had dealt with the Samurai Kingdom quite a bit, such as Kamui in the Global Insect Calamity and Shishio in the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, but they were all enemies.

"How strong are they?"

"Hard to say, at his peak he was at Monster IV level."

I see, then that makes him a very strong player.

Yuki he reaches Monster III or higher, he'll pose a threat. Considering the previous Odd Jobs...

Did you leave your contact information?

"Have."

"Try to push things forward with him when you have time; this guy definitely has some connection to the 'Yorozuya' (Odd Jobs)."

If anyone else said this, it would be completely unbelievable, since even within their own camp, interpersonal relationships are unclear. But Yuki is different; no one would question him.

"You want to find friends?" Hiyori put down her book and immediately understood what Yuki meant.

"Yes, even if we find the answer, a battle is inevitable. I've tried it with the Aether Particles; those Judge are ridiculously strong, and their limits are blocked, which isn't good for me."

The strongest player at present is Epic IV. Yuki is confident that he can reach that level, but he cannot surpass the Limit and crush the quantity with quality.

Two fists can't beat four hands, and he never expected that the people around him could grow up at their own pace. Even if they cleared every dungeon, it would take more than ten people to reach that level. Besides, this is a game of chess, not a one-sided attack. Others will also make moves.

"Prepare early. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Hiyori, who are the friends you think we can use?"

The question was too easy; the girl reached out her breasts.

"The first type is represented by Miss Ryougi Shiki, who shares our goals; the second type is these wanted criminals, who are inherently hostile to the Judge; the third type is the players represented by 'Land of Life and Death,' who have personal grudges against the Judge."

With a clear voice, the path ahead became clear, and the people in the living room pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Yuki's greatest strength is that he never thinks too highly of himself. He believes that as the protagonist, he should be invincible. He will use his cheat codes without any shame and has no resistance to underhanded tactics.

Why should I fight you one-on-one? You're just using ready-made cannon fodder. Do you think I'm stupid?

"Improving my strength is fundamental. Beyond that, I need to find enough friends, even if it's just to hold off one more Judge." Yuki rested his fingers on his chin, looking like a ruthless schemer.

"We have to take things one step at a time. The next instance is about to begin, so we can use this time to make contact. If they prove useful, we can invite them aboard."

"Alright, Kaguya-chan go to the Borderlands to see if we can find Mr. Katsura." Hiyori immediately accepted the order.

That's how the decision was made. Yuki always managed to simplify complex problems and tell everyone what to do next.

"I'll go to the Anthropomorphic Front. Those ship girls should get along well, maybe I can get in touch with them." Yuki spoke, many people perked up their ears. The upperclassmen and the others also learned something new, realizing that the Anthropomorphic Front was no ordinary faction.

They are among the factions with the highest proportion of women, and are quite famous among players.

Are you alone?

"Uh, Hayasaka, come with me. We can test out how effective the Fool's Mask is."

"Yes." The maid stood up instantly, her face seemingly expressionless, but her hands were already clenched into fists.

Yuki waited a moment and found that no one objected. She didn't mention her senior, as she and Hayasaka shared the same interests on this matter. However, Kaguya seemed a little strange; she hesitated to speak.

They didn't cause any trouble? When did they change their ways?

He wasn't foolish enough to ask; he tilted his head back, finished his coffee, and glanced at his watch.

"Go and get ready, we're leaving now."

Hmph? Hmph? Hmph.

Hayasaka Ai hummed a song, her steps light and quick, with a sense of exhilaration like someone who had won a big gamble.

Why did she go to such great lengths to upgrade her trait to LV5? Besides the need to maintain progress and teamwork, it was also to find an opportunity to exploit.

Yuki is being targeted. In other words, keeping your identity secret is a prerequisite for working with him, especially outside of dungeons, in places like the Borderlands. In those places, the senior's Adolescence Syndrome won't work.

I guessed right; the Fool's Mask's effect allows me to stay close to him.

There are many players in the Borderlands, and the situation is even more tense because of the Aether Particles. Countless detection items are scanning back and forth, but scanning Hayasaka Ai will yield random conclusions.