Chapter 464

"It's possible that lower-ranked races are unaware of this secret, or it could be a matter of redundancy; humans in the past didn't have much of a presence," Hiyori had already explained. Their purpose was to provide crucial support at critical moments.

"Mr. Yuki, what outcome do you desire?"

This is the advantage of working in a group. While ordinary players would be scrambling and unsure of what to do, these women are already holding a meeting to discuss their next steps.

"I don't care."

"Um?"

"I said it doesn't matter, the outcome of this gamble is completely unimportant." Yuki looked at the surprised faces of the group, a hint of smugness in his eyes. Everyone thought he was offering the stage to facilitate an alliance or to find the ultimate secret, but they were all wrong.

"If these races fight to the death, I will lead humanity to peacefully cultivate the land. You will all flee immediately. In any case, we won't lose more than 90% of our population in a war, and we won't be wiped out. Instead, our races will be severely damaged, and your voice will be greatly enhanced."

Yuki wasn't worried about Frieren's safety; the Annihilation Seeker were cunning and would definitely run away first.

"If they don't start the final battle, then my guess is correct. Use this victory to gain reputation, and you'll find that secret sooner or later."

Hiss.

Hiyori and the others gasped, realizing the difference in their levels when it came to the old schemer's fate; Yuki's plan was to ensure a minimum win.

No matter what choice I make, I might lose, but I will always win.

"What I can't tolerate is this tacit understanding. I don't have time to play house with them. Now, you guys do something." Yuki succinctly stated the plan he had already devised.

"Go find Ikaros and push for an alliance between the Angels and the Machine Race, including Frieren. Since we're all on the same stage, give these races a chance to talk."

The group was taken aback for a moment, then came to their senses.

[Tip 2: Players will join different races based on their faction strength. Attacking cooperative races is prohibited, and players cannot communicate with each other. Violators will be punished.]

Previously, they had no way to contact Ikaros, but now that the Angels and Machine Race are fighting together, the bridge has been built. In addition, by using the lives of the Judge to gain reputation in this battle, the players' voices have increased significantly. They have crossed the threshold and become true accomplices.

Hint 3 can also be activated; he even considered this detail?

Mai Sakurajima blinked, realizing for the first time that the saying "details determine success or failure" wasn't just empty platitudes.

"The Machine Race and the Angels should be fine; they've developed mutual trust during the battle. The Elves suffered heavy losses while blocking the mechs, which can be considered a pledge of allegiance. But what about the Dwarves? Their defining characteristic is 'stubbornness,' and they've been constantly plotting."

They had been staying in the core operations room of Sky City and were very familiar with the entire battlefield. The Elves and Dwarves were not involved in the plan, especially the latter, who lingered on the edge of the battlefield, looking like they wanted to take advantage of the situation.

"Easy." Yuki snapped his fingers and abruptly left the Reading Space.

"Use them as a sacrifice for the flag."

Yuki is an ally of humanity, but to be honest, he doesn't have much of a role in this battle. He drafted the plan, but it came from Hiyori's mouth.

Because of their unconventional approach, the senior students and others significantly increased their reputation with the Angels, thus gaining their trust. Now that the battle has indeed ended in victory, their reputation has surged even further.

Similarly, the credit for the Machine Race will also be attributed to Ikaros.

All the races need to know is that the most powerful enemy is dealt with by the human helper. He may not be the Controller, but he is definitely the main participant. So even though the giant robots were all smashed into piles of scrap metal, no one came to bother the humans.

"I've already said, I won't lead you all to your mindless deaths."

Yuki sat on the Steel Throne, looking at Slott and the others who were wrapped in bandages. Grayish-red light shone through the hole, illuminating the twisted steel.

This fortress, originally built by the Orcs, has been completely reduced to scrap metal and rendered immobile. No one dares to escape, because if they look up, they can see the massive warships in the sky.

The bald man licked his dry lips; to be honest, he was still completely dazed.

After a fierce battle, the Machine Race, which had clearly not used its full strength, suddenly retreated, and then all of Mr. Rod' powerful kin perished.

This battle was prepared for them, and Lord Rod chose to betray them?

This was the only place he could think of. As for why he did it, he dared not ask, nor did he need to ask.

As Yuki said, even those living in the inner circle of the world, facing terrifying superior races, aren't they all still alive?

"Speaking of which, isn't it a bit exciting?" Yuki stroked his chin, and his second sentence left everyone speechless.

This is a bit too much, isn't it? The main forces of several races have gathered here, and the oppressive feeling is terrifying. You have to understand that not long ago, any warship here could force humans to flee thousands of kilometers away.

"Rod Rhodes, what... what are we going to do now? Are we just going to stand by and watch?"

"What, you want to participate?"

"No, no, no, what I mean is, how about we move back a little bit?" Slott waved his hands repeatedly. Humans weren't qualified to participate yet; let the big shots make the decision themselves.

"Just wait patiently. Anyone who makes a rash move now will be the target of everyone's criticism." Yuki shook his head. He wasn't omnipotent. The power he displayed could only make enemies wary, but it couldn't make the various tribes submit.

Having reached this stage of the strategy, we now need the help of the senior students and Ikaros. Both of these groups have raised their reputation to 'Respected' or higher, so their advice at crucial moments will carry weight.

This is a crucial moment; if we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult for the leaders of various ethnic groups to meet again.

Yuki followed the hole to observe the dark figure in the air. Having been there for almost a month, he already knew what kind of war this was.

The high-ranking members of powerful races do not easily show themselves; it is the patrol teams below that are constantly engaged in battle, let alone the Nine-Ring Skywing Chief and the Netway Will directly confronting such matters.

"You are all intelligent beings, you should also know that this is a rare opportunity."

Yuki muttered to himself that he couldn't be of any help at this stage. Because of Om, things were a little better on the Machine Race side, but the Angels would never care about his feelings.

So he could only wait, since he would make money no matter how it ended, and even started discussing with Slott how to collect scraps.

Humans couldn't keep up with his thinking at all. There were indeed wrecks everywhere, but was this the time to be discussing scavenging? Didn't they see how tense the standoff was, and that even more races were coming after hearing the news?

Once war breaks out, they won't even have a chance to escape.

Tapping his fingers lightly, Yuuki leaned back in his chair, feigning Yuki, his mind blank. He couldn't intervene, and he didn't know how the talks between the two races were going, so why bother thinking about it? He'd just wait patiently.

After an unknown amount of time, his crimson eyes suddenly opened, and while everyone was filled with unease, he received the news immediately.

"The Angels and the Machine Race have decided to form an alliance."

Chapter 18, Eleventh Participant

It's done.

This is just one of countless possible outcomes, suggesting that the Great Game does indeed have some hidden secret.

Of course, countless races formed alliances during this war that lasted for countless years, but as Om said, most of them were just the prelude to betrayal.

Yuki felt that this time it was genuine, for reasons unknown, but Hiyori's probing answers could corroborate it.

"This alliance cannot exceed five races?"

For a skilled player, the clues can be connected in an instant.

It has been confirmed that the condition for the appearance of the Divine Torch is that five races must still exist.

Yuki made this conjecture a long time ago; following the logical lines, it's easy to arrive at another conjecture:

The appearance of the Divine Torch is not a good thing, so the superior races rarely wage wars of annihilation, not because they cannot, but because they dare not.

This logic is precisely the basis of the gamble; it is based on this assumption that Yuki's plan included the solo kill of Dio Brando.

He must ensure that humanity remains within these five races; in other words, he needs to prove his worth. There are at least ten ways to kill Dio Brando, making it easy for archangels with nine rings, the Netway Will, or even leading the Elves to consume Spear of Adun. It will also be easier to steal kills then.

But Yuki insisted on choosing the riskiest and most difficult option, and that was the real reason.

Of course, Yuuki's value Yuki is not enough, but at this point, some other foreshadowing begins to emerge.

The combination of factors, including the infiltration by senior students and the friendship with the Machine Soul Om, can push the success rate to over 90%.

"I never expected that my first visit to the Angels would be as a VIP."

Yuki stepped out of the gate made entirely of white light, and the scene before him made him feel physically uncomfortable for a moment.

A magnificent garden, exquisite architecture, and angels flying through the air, mostly female, with holy and beautiful appearances, circling around a large, metal tree-like object like birds.

This empty courtyard was probably the size of several football fields, with a canopy made entirely of glass, through which one could see the grayish-red sky. In that instant, he finally understood why angels were so proud.

The land has been utterly destroyed, even the seas have dried up. Other races live on the ground, a filthy place, like reptiles. Only the angels soar through the sky, as if that is pure.

Beautiful heads surrounded him, scrutinizing him with curious yet arrogant eyes. Yuki even saw a blonde girl holding potato chips, eating them while admiring him.

I feel like a monkey being watched in a zoo.

He was somewhat annoyed by that look, but there was nothing he could do. Humans were too weak; if he hadn't planned for so long, he wouldn't even have had the chance to join the alliance.

"Am I just going to be surrounded and stared at by these birdmen?"

"Ahem, the Angels' curiosity is innate, and that's how I infiltrated their ranks."

Inside the Reading Space, Hiyori, looking apologetic, unabashedly gave the answer after confirming that this trait wouldn't be noticed.

She briefly recounted the process, which had a strong flavor of a debate among scholars. The senior students and their group used their status as 'friends' to the Limit, reasoning with each other and appealing to their emotions, and finally got the Angel Council to pass the proposal.

This process must be arduous; even if it were Yuki, it would require a great deal of effort.

"Well done, I've saved myself some brain cells. I'm really no match for you when it comes to eloquence."

"That's not true. Any negotiation requires shared interests. In fact, the Angels has had this idea for a long time, but they were too proud to admit it." Hiyori felt very comfortable with this flattery; she loved receiving praise from Yuki.

That's right, that's the truth. The Great Game has hit a roadblock, just as Yuki thought. The reason is currently unknown, but it's almost impossible for one race to push it forward.

However, forming an alliance carries risks. No race's representative would readily step forward. For the Angels race, after fighting for so many years, every race is seen as dirty, boring, and tedious. It's impossible for them to voluntarily seek help, and other races wouldn't trust the powerful Angels either.

So Yuki found a common enemy and gave them an opportunity.

"But nothing in this world is certain. Even if everything is ready, you still need the right people to carry it out."

"Hmm, we still need some luck." Hiyori added a few more points. It turned out that the Judge, like a cornered beast, fought desperately and took away several eighth-ring angels.

They didn't have much contact with the senior students' team, so they would probably object, but the dead can't object. The remaining members, such as Giles and Nier, were all their good friends.

Was it really just luck?

Yuki looked at the smiling girl and smelled a familiar scent. This seemingly innocent girl was actually quite cunning; there was definitely some conspiracy involved.

Never mind, Shiina Hiyori will always be pure. Even if she turns evil, it's not because I taught her to.

Yuki didn't dwell on the question; ruthlessness was his trademark. He found a bench, sat down, and waited quietly.

At this point, he received news that the Dwarves had retreated, refusing to negotiate and unwilling to start a war.

That's normal. The Dwarves were just spectators in this battle, and the other races wouldn't believe them either. Besides, 'The Annihilation Seeker' Abdulas was just there to join in the fun and couldn't represent the entire Monster Race.

"That's enough. All I want is the truth and a ticket."

Yuki remarkably calm. Some top secrets don't need to be investigated at all; when the opportunity arises, they will naturally be delivered to you.

"You're really afraid of dying, aren't you? You actually sent a dummy."

A soft voice sounded, Yuki turned around to see an angelic girl lying behind the bench.

She has eight rings on her head and long, wavy, golden hair that looks soft and fluffy, somewhat resembling Hiyori.

Nier, the 8th Ring Angel.

"It's always good to be careful. The Machine Race should also be sent by the Machine Soul. Such a status is noble, but we can afford to lose it." Yuki interlaced his fingers, looking completely fearless.

"Hey, you're pretty good at guessing. But I don't like insidious people like you. Nier betrayed your own kind without hesitation." The angel pouted, looking cute, but her jewel-like eyes were full of coldness.

"They're more useful dead than alive, that's all." Yuki, not wanting to waste words, stood up and stretched his neck. "If I killed Mai Sakurajima and the others, what would you do?"

"Nier will kill you, because they are 'Friends of Angels' and participants in the Great Game," the girl replied with a grin.

Yes, Friend of Angels.

The reason why players are called "helpers" and why they cannot harm the assigned race is actually to set the stage for this moment.

[Tip 3: Defeating enemy races and players, or advancing your race's progress, will earn you rewards and increase your race's influence based on your contributions. If you sign a pact on behalf of your race, it cannot be broken.]

If a contract is signed on behalf of a race, it cannot be torn up.

This is precisely the role of the player; alliances between races are fragile, but they know the abilities of their allies, and can be enemies or friends.

To complete Hint 3, you must first complete Hint 2. Without sufficient reputation, who would dare let you represent the race?

Admittedly, this isn't absolutely foolproof, but the rules of Great Game are certainly more convincing than any oath to heaven.

"Inter-racial interaction serves as the bond connecting players, and the contracts players forge using the rules also act as a bridge for racial Alliance."

Yuki finally understood the role players played in this instance. The difficulty lay in how a weaker faction could farm reputation with a stronger race. Hiyori, and the Judge merely accelerated the process.

He ignored the cute yet aloof eight-ringed angel, turned his head, and saw Ikaros step out of the portal; clearly, she had enough prestige among the Machine Race.

The pink-haired girl looked at Yuki, paused for a moment, then placed her hands on her lower abdomen and bowed slightly—the greatest way she could think of to express her gratitude.

Yuki nodded slightly, accepting the gratitude. He also thanked the Judge in his heart; without them, he wouldn't have been able to so easily gain Ikaros's trust.

After Ikaros came Frieren, a round-faced girl who seemed not to recognize Yuki, preoccupied with looking around. Her conversation with Abdulas could be vaguely heard.