Chapter 456

"Let's ambush them halfway, without dragging these humans into this."

"Oh, you've become gentle, Achina." Nine Dragons said sarcastically, then suddenly ducked to avoid the sharp spikes that were coming at him like venomous snakes.

"If we drag them into this, what if it attracts an attack from other races? Are we going to be babysitters forever? Let's settle things quickly, eliminate the target, and I want to go back and rest for a few days."

Hachishaku-sama slowly withdrew her claws. Her concerns were certainly valid. If humanity suddenly gained the support of an entire team of Judge, wouldn't it be besieged by other races?

They're here to find partners, not to help humanity win the game. Besides, time is running out, and we can't afford to cause any more trouble.

They can help, then unite with humans and Rod to resolve the objective as soon as possible. The subsequent development of this instance is none of their business; it's that simple.

"Let's go, defeat this crawler, and eliminate the target within three days."

As the 'Death Fire Salamander' Alavis approached following the scent, before finding any humans, it was suddenly intercepted by the Judge.

A silver mech appeared in the air, its raised shield of will slapping the river of lava back. Then, the beautiful Hachishaku-sama took the stage, her left arm expanding hundreds of times, forming a fleshy monster even larger than a fire lizard.

The array, barrier, and spatial blockade unfolded in sequence, and the brilliance of the miniature nuclear bombs shone like sparkling pearls.

Major.

This was Yuki's assessment; his observation from the shadows served another purpose.

Unlike the duo of Ulquiorra and Deidara, this group consists of 10 Judge, a true hunting team. They are battle-hardened, work in perfect harmony, and remain completely silent throughout, like silent fighting machines.

No wonder so few players can escape judgment; with such a force, even if Ikaros uses the dungeon's forces as cover, he will most likely perish.

"The two leading ones are roughly at the level of the initial epic realm."

Yuki has a sharp eye; he could see through Nine Dragons and Hachishaku-sama at a glance. These ten Judge alone have an 80% chance of killing him.

A complete trial squad, with offense, defense, scouts, support, and detection all included, no wonder they dared to take on this responsibility.

Are there time limits for trials?

This is the second takeaway: if the Judge had unlimited time, they wouldn't need to step forward, which is perfectly reasonable and can also be used to their advantage.

When the deadline for elimination approaches, even the smartest person will reveal their weaknesses.

"We don't want to drag humanity into this. Well, this is about maintaining the fundamental rules of the Great Game: fighting the Machine Race in the name of humanity. Their only target is Ikaros."

Yuki guessed the other party's intentions, which was a safe move. He clearly had ample experience in strategizing and knew that even with great power, one could not run rampant in a dungeon.

That shows a lot of sincerity.

He leaned against the rock wall, lit a cigarette, and quietly admired the special effects in the distance, not in a hurry to make a move.

According to Mona's intelligence, the choice of the Magical Beasts 'Death Fire Salamander' Alavis was excellent. It doesn't understand the concept of backing down in the face of difficulties, nor does it care about traps.

It the Roar, spewing lava that turned the earth into a sea of lava. Its powerful body charged and smashed, shattering mountains and cracking the ground. Several equally mindless minions joined the battle, and slowly the tide of battle turned.

The crimson scales were riddled with holes by the high-energy beam, and a short wing was bitten off by the black monster. It still did not retreat, but instead exploded on the spot, burning the two Judge and several henchmen to ashes.

"Oh dear, the second phase has started."

Yuki saw a giant, fiery red egg floating in the air. Realizing something was wrong, the Judge tried to rearrange the formation, but the giant egg, made entirely of magma, cracked open, and a slightly smaller, but ruby-like, crystallized lizard emerged from it.

Having been chased all the way, Yuki already knew what Alavis was all about. He was just a brute, a brute who could throw bricks with great strength, who didn't know how to assess the situation and didn't bother to think.

"There's simply no option of 'fighting back' when dealing with this kind of hothead."

Yuki is adept at scheming against all sorts of cunning and cunning people, and he finds these kinds of enemies very troublesome. Now it seems that everyone has a headache dealing with stubborn idiots.

Knowing when to quit while you're ahead? A tacit understanding? Not a chance. This is a target I carefully selected; how could I let you give up so easily?

A magnificent scene was reflected in Yuki's eyes. Alavis no longer the Roar, no longer Annihilation in flames. It crystallized the sky within tens of kilometers, cutting off its own retreat and leaving the Judge with no other choice.

Yes, this is a classic case of being ungrateful. When an Epic Tier II monster comes at you with a death wish, ready to fight to the death, even a stronger one would have a headache.

"This monster's out of its mind!" Nine Dragons, maneuvering his mech, tore through the surrounding space. Didn't this bastard realize that the Judge was only trying to make it back down?

"Looks like we've stirred up a hornet's nest. This Magical Beasts's brain isn't working properly." Hachishaku-sama's face was also very ugly. The two were complete strangers with no animosity towards each other.

Alavis, on the other hand, unleashed his full power, ignoring the damage to both sides. Anyone who didn't know the situation would think there was some deep-seated hatred between them.

If I had known this monster was completely irrational, I shouldn't have fought this battle.

"Stop complaining, or you might get taken away by this monster." Hachishaku-sama couldn't care less about her frustration; this was completely unexpected, but fortunately, they had plenty of leeway.

The crystal giant lizard charged forward without stopping. The mech raised a mental force field, and then a humanoid phantom appeared in front of it. The raised fist ignored the laws of physics and actually passed through the seemingly extremely hard crystal armor, blasting the lizard away with a single punch.

"I'm so weak, so weak, so weak! I have to handle even the smallest things myself. Why am I surrounded by a bunch of idiots when I'm supposed to be the Judge?!"

A blond man suddenly appeared, his posture arrogant and eerie, his narrow, eyeshadow-covered eyes exuding domineering power and looking down on everything.

He watched as Alavis regained his balance in mid-air, spitting out hexagonal crystals, and then swung his hand back.

"Wood is big, wood is big."

Boom--

The crystal was directly detonated by some kind of substitute, and the exploding lava formed a waterfall in the air. The next instant, the waterfall was pierced by the crystal dragon, but it froze in mid-air before it reached Dio Brando.

"World!"

With a sharp the Roar, time froze. The enormous crystal dragon, the Roar waterfall—the world seemed to have been paused, and several stand-ins appeared simultaneously beside Alavis.

One second passed.

Dio Brando stood with his arms crossed, watching as the space was ripped open by brute force, and his Stand had pierced through the indestructible crystal armor, some disappearing into the target's body, others wreaking havoc.

Two seconds passed.

Alavis regained his mobility and, ignoring his wounds, charged forward like a raging bull.

Dio Brando didn't dodge, staring straight at the approaching Magical Beasts, then suddenly grinned and let out a wild laugh.

"Three seconds have passed, and you're dead!"

Thump--

The colossal beast, tens of meters long, crashed directly into him, but upon closer inspection, Dio Brando's front was also covered in crystals. With a muffled thud, the Magical Beasts was thrown back, its body riddled with cracks.

"Your ability is my ability, all your attacks are returned, hahahaha, the feeling of fusion is so enjoyable, incredibly enjoyable!"

With a maniacal laugh, Dio Brando pounced, unleashing a variety of bizarre Stands, from physical attacks to possession to mental manipulation—nothing was spared.

Is this considered a reunion of old friends?

Yuki watched quietly, his third objective being to force out the Grand Inquisitor leading the team, and to utilize Alavis's observational abilities.

The newcomer was Dio Brando, an extremely evil man. I had just seen him in the Aether Particles not long ago and knew that his Epic Metamorphosis was 'King of Stands', but at the time, I hadn't observed him closely because of my main objective.

Now, observing from the sidelines, Yuki's first reaction was one of chaos. There were too many Stands, with varying strengths, indicating that they had been continuously enhanced. The strongest among them was 'The World.' In an epic battle, even milliseconds seemed long, and freezing three seconds was enough to reverse the outcome.

Chaos! These Stands have so many abilities that some are impossible to defend against. Besides this thing, there's another basic ability similar to 'devour,' which briefly gave him Alavis's crystallization.

A very powerful player, based on these two abilities, and with several high-level items, that headband should enhance the abilities of summoned creatures. As for Dio Brando himself, he's pretty much as I remember.

Frenzied and cunning.

A barrage of attacks overwhelmed Alavis. This Magical Beasts was a madman; it deliberately shattered its crystal armor, like a barrage of bullets, the crystals exploding in mid-air, spraying lava of thousands of degrees everywhere.

The frenzied Dio Brando vanished, using a prop to hide in a spatial rift, taking all the Judge with him in the process.

The giant lizard was caught off guard and stood frozen in mid-air. It hadn't expected this reptile to be so cunning. Just moments ago, it had been wildly and recklessly attacking it, but in the blink of an eye, it had hidden away, leaving its pent-up rage with nowhere to go.

Without scales or crystals, it should be at its most vulnerable right now. But Dio Brando, like a shrewd hunter, knows the principle of striking while the iron is hot and then losing its edge, and he avoids any delays.

Roar--

A desolate and furious the Roar echoed through the air. Alavis had never feared death, but this feeling of punching cotton was incredibly unpleasant. His four snake eyes scanned the surroundings, smelling the humans in the distance, and behind him...

Swish.

Without a second's hesitation, it charged straight towards the mountain range, determined to drag others down with it, its madness forcing a certain bystander to step forward.

It's him! It's definitely him!

Alavis sprinted at speeds exceeding ten times the speed of sound. He couldn't understand why the enemies seemed to multiply and grow stronger with each battle, but the instigator of this chaos had to die!!!

"Damn it, that idiot's been hiding behind us the whole time, he's not far enough!"

Dio Brando's head popped out from the spatial rift and immediately saw Yuuki fleeing in a sorry Yuki. The giant lizard was furious and appeared extremely crazed.

He had planned to wait for Alavis' momentum to subside before making his move, which would be much more effective. However, he did not expect that Yuki would solidify his hatred.

"How do we do it?"

"Nonsense, of course we'll help! If he dies, wouldn't all our efforts have been for nothing?!"

Dio Brando didn't have time to think it through and immediately gave chase. The reasoning was simple: they were there to find allies, not to hunt Magical Beasts. If Yuki had fallen, what had they been doing all this time?

Are you traveling?

Of course, Dio Brando didn't give chase at full speed. His cunning was ingrained in his bones. He wanted to see if this 'commoner hero' was real or not. The True Knowledge Encyclopedia had recorded that this player was a constitution-based character.

Trying to find out more about me?

Yuki wasn't surprised. Like Goshawk hunting its prey, a terrifying sense of oppression came from above. He also knew what abilities the 'commoner hero' Rod possessed.

Power, the purest fist, this kind of intuitive strength of epic players, without any fancy qualitative changes, has the advantage of not having the trouble of Yuki stepping into epic.

Previously, level 8 Constitution wasn't enough to play a basic Constitution-based player, but after obtaining the 'Orc King' passive skill, it's barely sufficient.

Demon Martial Arts: Shattered Gale!

He turned around, concentrated all his strength into one point, and punched the diving Magical Beasts head-on, feeling as if he had hit a steel plate.

Thump--

The sound exploded, and as blood splattered, his entire right arm shattered inch by inch, and his legs sank into the ground, grinding a trench more than ten meters long.

The Regenerative Tail.

Yuki's physique wasn't bad either; super-fast repair was a common skill among players like him. His shattered right arm quickly repaired itself. Yuki leaped high, dodging the lava rushing past his feet, and slammed his hammer down hard on the giant lizard's head.

Boom!

The crystal armor had already disintegrated on its own. This blow slammed the giant into the ground. Yuki, like a berserker, with bloodshot eyes and tattered clothes, fought Alavis hand-to-hand with his powerful muscles.

Without Soul King, and without being able to use any signature items, relying solely on physique and Demon Martial Arts, Yuki is naturally no match for this behemoth. But don't forget, there's a bunch of Judge chasing after him.

Dio Brando was fairly certain of Yuki's strength, so he naturally wouldn't just stand by and watch him get killed. His Stands immediately surrounded him, along with the mutated giant beast from the Hachishaku-sama and the Incandescence lasers from the mecha.

Yuki retreated decisively. Alavis was at his limit, his body riddled with holes. He took the opportunity to 'heal' by swallowing Quiet Dew, as if he had drunk some kind of elixir, and then stared intently at the impotent and furious behemoth.

Epic Metamorphosis. Soul Mimicry.

He quietly initiated a qualitative change, his entire body covered in azure arcs of lightning, his aura somewhat terrifying, as if he had unlocked some profound secret technique.

In the midst of the bloody battle, no one could observe closely. When Alavis's spine was broken by Dio Brando's punch, and his body bulged upwards, Yuki, who had been observing for a long time, finally moved.

"Damn it! Electromagnetic Force: 990,000 Horsepower!"

Stomping on the ground, Yuki, seemingly insane, roared an incomprehensible killing blow. A flash of lightning disappeared, and he pointed his fingers like a blade, slashing down at the giant lizard's neck.

"Sea Tiger Explosive Fist!!"

Undeterred and ignoring the sharp teeth and claws, the lightning arc wasn't a special effect; it was a simulation of 'Aether Particles' by a certain mage, brimming with powerful energy.

Pfft--Swish--

Dio Brando took a half step back, raised an eyebrow, and saw blood splattering like a fountain before his eyes. The berserker-like man was almost bitten in two, but with a dazzling arc of lightning, he used his hands to tear the monster's head in half as well.

"Ha, this guy's fierce." Dio Brando rarely praised someone, and this indomitable spirit was hard to fake, but it suited the blockheads of the 'Hero Kingdom'.

"But he snatched the reward. Is this guy just waiting to pick up kills?" The ground trembled slightly, and a mecha several meters tall landed beside him. Nine Dragons was analyzing the situation using its onboard computer.

"Confirmed. This person's physique is above level 8. There's a kind of lightning-based energy stimulating their body. What's with the Electromagnetic Force: 990,000 Horsepower? It sounds pretty powerful. In addition, they also possess skills like super-speed repair and Battle Continuation. They barely qualify as epic-level."

The Electromagnetic Force: 990,000 Horsepower and the Sea Tiger Explosive Fist are probably some kind of ultimate technique. The chuunibyou behavior of shouting "ultimate move" is also similar to what they remember.

"He didn't use his full strength, so let it go." Dio Brando narrowed his eyes, not caring about those specializations. In his eyes, Yuki was covered in blood and almost bitten in two.

Those iron fists, still crackling with lightning, were tilted back, savoring the thrill of battle.

"Thank you all for your great help, otherwise I would have surely died." Yuki clasped his hands together, quite generously, with a look of ecstatic joy on his face.

The sheer joy of surviving a catastrophe and turning the tide was vividly portrayed. He wasn't particularly tall, but his well-proportioned muscles and the massive, constantly healing wounds made the Hachishaku-sama gently lick her lips.

This man is fierce.

"I have shown my sincerity, and you should know our identities and desires. So, what's the explanation?" Dio Brando stood arrogantly with his arms crossed. Since he had already taken matters into his own hands, he might as well negotiate personally.

"I hate Judge, but I accept this situation," Yuki answered decisively, his muscles trembling as he raised his head. "Let me recover to my full strength. Tell me who you want to kill."

Decisive and efficient. Dislike is dislike, cooperation is cooperation. Judging from the intelligence in the hands of humans, this person has some cleverness, but no matter how he changes, certain factional traits cannot be changed.