Chapter 448

Trial work also requires thinking, and fortunately, just to be on the safe side, I brought a lot of good people with me this time.

Excluding those who have fallen, the ten remaining Judge are all at least Monster III level, and with him, an Epic III player, they are more than capable of dominating most dungeons. However, he has long since given up on the idea of being 'invincible'.

Keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary complications; this is the principle of the trial. As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. He's not here to fight a bloody battle with the Angels.

Thinking of this, Dio Brando glanced at his two deputies, one of whom was the battle-hardened mercenary Nine Dragons, and the other was dressed in a long dress and top hat, with a full and tall figure, and a pale face with red lipstick that gave her an eerie beauty.

"Nine Dragons, Achina, do you have any ideas?"

"The benefits are too meager; we don't need to go to war with those birdmen. Although I'm also puzzled, the players assigned to the birdman faction should be quite weak, yet they're unwilling to cooperate with us." The eight-foot-tall noblewoman took a puff of her pipe, exhaling a wisp of white smoke.

"This instance is too dangerous, and we have things to do after returning; we've already wasted half a month."

Achina's idea hit the nail on the head. The Judge was also in a hurry; he needed to quickly resolve the target and return to his business with 'Taiyi'.

"I think so too. We're expanding too much now, we need to conserve our energy." Nine Dragons lit a cigarette and smoked it listlessly.

"Nonsense, that's why I'm asking you how to solve this?" Dio Brando was very dissatisfied; those who could make a name for themselves among the Judge were no pushovers.

"Two paths: either avoid the heart of the war and find another way, or forcefully kill the target." Hachishaku-sama stretched out her enormous finger and shook her head, saying, "We already know the target is the Machine Race, and with our strength, we can barely break in."

"No, this will cause a chain reaction. Don't forget we are outside the copy. In other words, these natives are all potential enemies, just like those birdmen are tracking us now."

Silence followed for a long time. This was the most troublesome part. A forced kill could only be done once. A purely player-led Judge would become the target of the entire instance. Even if they had three heads and six arms, they couldn't withstand an attack by the entire race.

One of the tips for regular players is that reaching a certain level of reputation allows players to sign covenants in place of races, indicating that players can enable races to form alliances and cooperate.

"We still have to take the first route."

"But we're short on time, should we take our time investigating?"

"Let's proceed simultaneously. Don't forget there's another force on the edge of this world." Dio Brando grinned. This was information he'd gleaned from the prisoners. "Humans crushed the Orcs. This lowest-ranking race certainly didn't have that kind of power. That means the epic-level player behind them is very strong, and after more than ten days, this is the first player to emerge."

The more powerful a race is matched with weaker players, which has a drawback: players of top races like angels, Magical Beasts, Dwarves, and elves find it difficult to make a name for themselves, and may even be treated as mascots. It's impossible for the Judge to go door-to-door asking them questions.

"If it's a battle between humans and Machine Race, then it fits the dungeon's background, belonging to that so-called 'Great Game,' and we're just assistants," Nine Dragons quietly added from the side. Apart from the different prompts, the background story of the Judge is the same as that of ordinary players.

The Great Game between races is sacred, inescapable, and brooks no interference from a third party, unless that third party is an accomplice of the race participating in the game.

They needed to find a race to assist them, but the instructions didn't allow the Judge to have direct contact with the natives, so they had to go around in circles and find a powerful and obedient player.

"You want to cooperate with him? That makes sense. This guy clearly wants the Divine Torch and is deliberately developing on the fringes." Hachishaku-sama took a drag of her cigarette. She herself had evolved from a normal player, and Repulsion from their motives, there was a basis for cooperation with this kind of player.

You want to clear dungeons? I'd like to help each other out, and besides, humans are extremely weak, so having hostages would be helpful.

"Hmm, these obedient little devils focused on their tasks are the easiest to handle. If they don't know what's good for them, I don't mind teaching them a lesson." Dio Brando laughed wildly and evilly. He couldn't control the Undead and Dwarves, but humans were a different story.

If you don't help, I'll kick you out of the instance. Even if you escape being wiped out, the power you've painstakingly built up will be destroyed.

Even if we take a step back and hide at the edge of the world to escape the trouble, this godforsaken place is simply unbearable.

"Alright, then let's go find humans." Hachishaku-sama raised her right hand, and her lotus-root-like forearm suddenly swelled up, bursting open with pus and transforming into the head of a monster.

The monster had a lion's head, and when it opened its mouth, it spat out a trembling human figure from its throat.

"Judging from the current situation, that person genuinely wants to conquer the instance. By using their representative to issue a gathering order to all humanity, finding them shouldn't be difficult."

The best partners are those with whom you don't even have the right to refuse.

Dio Brando nodded in satisfaction, but out of caution, he didn't rush to make contact.

"Set off immediately. Once you find the human, observe him carefully. I need to know this player—"

"Is it about fully dedicating yourself to clearing the dungeon?"

There's a real chance the Judge will come looking for me to work with.

Yuki stood in the Battleship Graveyard. A hundred years ago, the Angels, Dwarves, Machine Race, and Elves fought a chaotic battle here, leaving twisted wreckage scattered across the wasteland.

This is a treasure for humans, but they were not qualified to come and scavenge it in the past.

It turns out that the Undead originated from death, and the more people die, the more powerful the undead are born.

Yuki lowered his head, looking at the pieces of flesh that were faintly visible on the ground. These dozens of death ghosts possessed monstrous strength, enough to give the Orcs a hard time in the past.

After receiving news from Hiyori, he didn't rush back, nor did he need to. From the moment he arrived in the instance, none of his actions had anything to do with the Judge; he was truly Isshin conquering the instance.

Therefore, he had to take the risk and continue exploring; this was not only an attitude, but also a reason to provide various advanced intelligence.

"The Judge has likely found the target, but is hesitant to act due to the difficulty of the instance. They will most likely seek help from players, similar to what happened in Wizard's Tower."

"But the stronger the race, the weaker the player becomes, and the harder they are to contact. These bastards don't have many choices, so they can only start looking at the weaker races. The easiest ones to find are the humans who issued the gathering order."

"If they are cautious enough, they will observe humans in secret, and then what will they see?"

Yuki's lips curled into a slight smile. All they could see was a thriving farming atmosphere. 'Civilian Superman' Rod was painstakingly cultivating humanity, ensuring that even the weakest race had the right to participate in the Great Game, both psychologically and materially.

Rather than this investment being wishful thinking, they should be able to discover the talent of 'I Guess', and as experienced players, they should be able to determine whether humans are worth investing in.

An ordinary player would only be alarmed and rush back to urge their own race to nip the danger in the bud, but for the Judge, this is a good thing.

Teaming up with an epic-level player focused on clearing dungeons is the best approach. Human potential needs time to be unleashed, and having a group of super-strong individuals can greatly improve efficiency. Even if Yuki is uncooperative, it doesn't matter; humans are hostages. If you don't help, don't blame us for going on a killing spree.

"But for me, it's the best outcome."

Yuki's smile was sinister; this was another purpose for him wasting time on humans. He couldn't wait for the Judge to come and observe them as meticulously as possible.

As for how to deal with it? There's no need to deal with it. The more you focus on the dungeon, the safer you are. He even stayed in the Battleship Graveyard and didn't leave. He spent several days farming Ghost Races and actually got 2 enhancement points.

"Lord Rod, someone is watching us."

Lucy's voice came from the black metal box, but it was difficult to hear clearly due to strong interference.

"Which race?" Yuki turned around, holding a dead creature that had emerged from the void in his palm, watching the expression on his face change dozens of times in a single second.

"Unlike other races, they seem more like your own kind. They kidnapped several members of the search team." The girl's voice was tinged with fear. The entire exploration team had disappeared without even being able to send out a distress signal.

Smack

Yuki popped the undead like balloons, a hint of interest on his face. The natives of this world were vastly different from the players, so there was absolutely no way he would mistake one for the other.

There are only two possibilities: either they are accomplices of other races, or they are Judge.

After a moment's thought, he leaned more towards the latter. Race was the player's protective shield, and they would not risk their lives unless absolutely necessary. Even Frieren accompanied the Annihilation Seeker.

So they really came?

"Recall the search team and establish a high state of alert, with the fortress at the core."

"You... you're not coming back?"

"My exploration of the Undead is at a crucial stage right now, and I can't spare the time." Yuki wasn't lying. He gave a brief description of the Battleship Graveyard, "There are almost countless materials here. Once the mechanics get them, humanity can take another giant leap forward. And only I can clear out the undead right under the enemy's nose."

"Don't worry, you've become stronger. As long as you remain vigilant, even that Insect Race wouldn't dare to confront you head-on. Suspend the gathering order and send out sentries. If a large enemy force is detected moving in the outer ring direction, I will return immediately."

Yuki is not a babysitter; we need to work together to obtain the Divine Torch, and his words are not to be questioned.

"Alright, I will convey your message to Lord Slott."

The order to cut off communication was logically sound. According to the Reincarnation Game distribution, the Insect Race epic-level player would only be weaker than him, so the arrangement was considered safe.

"After all, I shouldn't know about the existence of the Judge." Yuki fiddled with the metal box, certain that it was being monitored.

The technology involved is not advanced; a normal player would give up easily, and nothing would happen. But if it were the Judge, even a sneaky player would probably believe it.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he looked at the desolate graveyard. The signs of battle were so obvious that it was no problem for the other side to come and investigate.

Since the probability of the Judge leaving is increasing, it's time for me to make a move too.

He didn't want to run into the Judge so early, and coming to this graveyard wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.

The coordinates were provided by Hiyori. What I just said to Lucy was only one of the objectives; more importantly, it was a piece of intelligence.

"The fact that the Angels and the Judge clashed twice, both times within the same trajectory of the Machine Race's aerial fleet, is no coincidence."

The Judge have their own tasks, and they certainly haven't been slacking off for these twenty days. They will be searching for the target's location, while the target will be trying every means to hide themselves.

Yuki, he took a roundabout approach and obtained information from the Angels.

"Theoretically, the target should be an epic-level player, who shouldn't be assigned to the Machine Race, but this is the only clue, and I must seize it."

Swish--

The armor plates were sliced open like tofu, and he stepped inside the giant, squid-like warship.

Twisted steel tunnels, broken cables everywhere, black ash spilling in from holes and piling up on the ground in a thick layer.

Yuki walked through the snow, occasionally glancing around. He would sometimes see a few broken Machine Race remains. They had human appearances, but were silicon-based life forms, much like most players in the 'Machine Intelligence' faction.

Gravity protection fields, electromagnetic thermal cannons, and phantom wings are all common equipment they use. The entire race is interconnected by the 'Netway Will', and each individual also has its own consciousness, so they cannot be regarded as simple robots.

Is it possible for this to happen?

Footsteps echoed in the corridor, and a sliver of light pierced through a hole, revealing dust floating in the shimmering light. This was another piece of information mentioned in the Message Capsule, and also the most important reason Yuki had come here.

The secret data came from the Angels, a secret that humans could never access. After careful deduction, Hiyori shared this secret, or rather, the clue, with Yuki, quietly pointing him in the right direction.

In the Crimson Moon World, all things possess a spirit. Where countless Machine Race perish, due to the hive-like will inherent in this race, when the undead gather, something intriguing is born—

Clatter.

Yuki stopped before a massive iron gate, the power plant of the warship. Through the steel, the Devil's Vision could see a blurry shadow.

"Machine Soul."

The Storm Dragon Spear, crackling with golden lightning, pierced through the alloy door, which was more than half a meter thick. Intricate pipes lay before them, twisted and knotted in the center, resembling an embryo.

A phantom floated there; it was an irregular sphere of light that, with the Space Blink, actually formed a human figure.

She was naked, with a delicate figure, amber eyes, long milky white hair, and pure white wings on her back. At first glance, she looked a bit like a younger version of Kanade Tachibana, with the same expressionless face and the same rationality.

"You hid very well, thinking I'd leave after I'd almost wiped out the Undead, huh?"

Yuki planted the Storm Dragon Spear beside him and calmly observed his opponent.

"The logic is sound, but since you've called it 'Machine Soul,' I assume you know this secret information." The girl's voice was emotionless, devoid of fear, and her eyes seemed to gleam with data.

"Logical error. I eavesdropped on your conversations with humans. Humans could not possibly access such secrets. Therefore, I deduce that you obtained this information from a higher race or within the Machine Race."

His perfect calculation ability almost led him to the answer. Yuki likes smart people because it saves him a lot of time.

"More or less. Of course, all I know is that you are extremely valuable and have a backup function for the Machine Race. Relax, I have no hostility towards you."

"Unknown, what does 'relaxation' mean?" The girl tilted her head, as if she didn't understand Yuki's words. "I speculate that you want to use me as a bridge to establish contact with the Machine Race, laying the groundwork for a massive plan."

Smart people have it so easy.

Yuki smiled and extended his right hand, "Is that acceptable?"

"Rejected. As an accomplice of humanity, your computational abilities suggest a 71.235% chance of being harmful to the Machine Race as a whole, and an 18.332% chance of only wanting to exploit the Machine Race. The primary reason for rejection: knowing I am a backup, and being connected to the Pipeline Will, this invitation appears extremely foolish and presumptuous."

Yuki's smile froze. This robot could be quite sharp-tongued. He realized what was going on after the conversation.

The Machine Race is a strange race. Their representatives have the greatest authority, but their fall also causes the greatest damage. Therefore, the Machine Soul is essentially a backup for the king. Once the representative falls and the race is severely damaged, she has the ability to gather the remnants, reconstruct the Netway Will, and restore the entire race.

No wonder they're in this Battleship Graveyard; it has the resources needed to rebuild their race. No wonder Hiyori said that the Machine Race has been wiped out several times in history, only to be resurrected at full strength after a while.

What a peculiar life form!

Yuki intrigued, Yuuki asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I suspect the foolish intruder is incredibly clever, able to deduce secrets from my answers. I don't want to be that foolish."

So am I stupid or smart?

Yuki laughed in exasperation, grabbed the gun handle beside him, and slung it over his shoulder.

"So you want to fight me?"

"It is speculated that the foolish intruders are no less powerful than the 9th-ringed Angels, and their chances of victory are 17.517%, but we can learn from historical footage--"

A dense array of things, like a magic circle, unfolded behind her. The intense energy even melted the alloy, and the delicate girl was suddenly filled with an aura of destruction.

"Only through fighting can we secure survival; only through courage can we create the Miracle."

Before the words were even finished, a dense barrage of beams of light descended, instantly riddling the thick floor with holes. These beams, as light as ribbons, traced arcs in the air before flying upwards again.

Their combat power is very strong; this is almost epic level.

Yuki hung upside down from the ceiling, his eyes reflecting a dazzling light. Moreover, terrifying ghosts pierced through the steel plates and appeared out of thin air around his body.

She can command the Undead? So she'd been observing my strength all along?

Hiyori's intelligence report didn't mention that Machine Soul could control different races, but that doesn't matter.

Saving your strength is an old fox's signature move.