Chapter 487

A wise person, perhaps this is what 'Taiyi' was hoping for.

Yuki could have modified the quest frequency, but he didn't do it because it's hard to form a habit, and all players of Thorny Rose have this habit since the beginner quests.

Honestly, you can't do much during a week's rest. Just like Mona complained, a dungeon is so tiring. Every time she returns, she has to sleep for three days first, then stay in her room for three days, and then go out to play with friends. If there's a faction war, she'll even get involved.

This place is full of players who are either brutes or horses; they don't have time to wander around. Even when they go to the Borderlands, they come and go in a hurry, trading items and then rushing back to familiarize themselves with the area.

Not only did it save a lot of points, it also made it difficult to expand one's social circle. For example, Yuki went to hang out with the Diving Club members, before she could even process what was happening, the next mission had already begun.

The problem is I'm busier than anyone else, while you guys at least have time to chat and joke around.

Yuki's gaze turned somewhat helpless. This busyness had also infected her seniors and the others, who were all sent out. They rarely came to this commercial street full of everyday life.

"It's better to keep things simple. Almost everyone in our faction doesn't have a good impression of the Reincarnation Game." Yuki pointed to the bustling crowd outside the window, which at first glance looked no different from what they had seen on Earth.

"The ambitious ones have physically disappeared, and since we come from the same Earth, it's relatively easy to make friends, and we can even see scenes from our homeland." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had already realized that the Outpost was deliberately designed to prevent players from immersing themselves in the game, but he didn't ask why, and leaned forward slightly.

"So, when can we go back and completely escape this misery? And what do you need me to do to help you?"

He simply blurted out all the questions at once, having finally come to find Yuki Sorajima because he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Not used to bargain hunting?"

"Yes, I'll pursue my own wishes. I don't want to wait for a savior to come and save me."

They're full of energy!

Yuki tapped his fingers on the table. There were some things he was too lazy to say, but since the players of Thorny Rose had come to him, issuing some orders wouldn't hurt.

"Find ways to improve our strength. The Arbitration Council's reputation has also risen. You and One Leaf Foretells Autumn should find a way to integrate the small teams and mobilize resources in the most scientific way. For example, in high-yield dungeons, fill them with more potential talents. You can decide the candidates yourself."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nodded. He had been working on this before. The players' strengths varied greatly, and their skills and characteristics were incredibly diverse. By gathering elites and having him and One Leaf Foretells Autumn lead the team, they would definitely reap greater rewards.

"Anything else?"

"That's all. Focus on clearing the dungeons, improving your strength, and then patiently wait for your opportunity. You'll come in handy." Yuki put down his coffee cup. He wouldn't reveal a single detail of the true core plan, even if Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and the others could be of help.

The boy was somewhat disappointed. He truly longed to improve, become a core member of the organization, and secure a place in this epic escape. He was also a little nervous. Yuki didn't say anything, but he did inform him of the result.

"Are we really going to fight?"

Yuki chuckled and shook his head, then stood up and put on his coat from the chair.

"Nonsense, all redemption is created through iron and blood. Do you know why I wanted you and One Leaf Foretells Autumn to become unified players?" He leaned forward, answering his own question:

"I guarantee that when the final moment arrives, the 1,728 players in this Outpost will have the right to fight to the death, with blood and corpses."

"To pave a road to freedom."

Chapter 3 Yuki Sorajima, Join the Hunt

Yuki is a complete hands-off manager, but he never sees himself as a savior with the mission of saving everyone.

Just like the song says, there is no savior in this world; if there is, it is each person themselves.

To put it bluntly, Thorny Rose and Roses have no irreplaceable value to Yuki. The minimum requirement is that they don't leak secrets or hold him back. If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and the others want to be lazy and wait for someone else to rescue them, he wouldn't mind selling out this camp.

Having escaped the Reincarnation Game, nowhere is unacceptable. If it weren't for my seniors, I could have stayed in the Crimson Moon World and completely secluded myself in my own little world.

"This aligns with the Way of the Gou, but it violates my oath, so I must continue to strive."

Yuki stepped out of the spatial gate, stretched, and put down his coffee before rushing to the Borderlands. Looking around, he noticed some differences.

The Judge's surveillance had loosened, proving the conjecture correct. The Judge, like the police, had limited resources, and every now and then a key target would appear, leaving them overwhelmed.

What's even more interesting is the player's reaction: Yuki information broker and discovered an interesting phenomenon:

More and more players are adopting a non-cooperative attitude; like a pressure cooker, past grievances are erupting, and the number of kills on the Judge is skyrocketing.

The Judge are powerful, but killing them also brings many benefits; the Reincarnation Game is never short of desperate criminals.

"The news of Dio Brando's fall has leaked, proving that the Grand Inquisitors are not invincible. 'Taiyi's' presence is constantly increasing, transforming from a simple wanted criminal into a confrontation between two organizations."

Ordinary players don't need to know what 'Taiyi' is; they only need to understand that someone can rival the Judge, and that the latter's resources are stretched to the Limit. They are so focused on 'Taiyi' that they simply can't manage him.

Then why not kill the arrogant Judge? Issue warrants? Can you handle all the judges? What if you run into 'Taiyi'? You'd be dead meat!

Wow, in this world of Reincarnation Game, where there's no shortage of cunning schemes, there's no shortage of clever tricks. This intelligence already contains more than a hundred 'Taiyi's', right?

Yuki almost couldn't hold back. The outlaws were also his friends. As long as there was any trace of 'Taiyi', the Judge wouldn't dare send out ordinary squads. And there were still eleven Grand Inquisitors left. Even if each one was cut into several pieces, it wouldn't be enough.

"The question is, how did such crucial information leak?" Yuki wasn't just overjoyed. Logically, Dio Brando's death should be top secret, Dio Brando even a fool would know that the authority must be protected.

Taiyi act as a stray dog, unable to stand up to the Judge; even if he could, he cannot reveal it.

Is it Kong or Ikaros? They shouldn't be able to do that, right? Ordinary players have no idea who Dio Brando is. Could it be that the Judge themselves leaked the information?

Yuki didn't quite understand, nor was he in a hurry to guess. He walked alone through the chaotic streets, and also attended a few auctions at the trading market.

Without buying anything, I spent a few dozen points and disappeared into the vast crowd. After confirming that I would no longer be targeted, I went to Z District.

This area is the complete opposite of the entertainment area where he had his date with Hayasaka. It's filled with all sorts of simulated battlefields and training rooms, including simulated reality, cultivation illusions, and memory recreation.

Players have an average rest period of four months. They can't spend all that time playing games, can they? They can participate in simulation battles to familiarize themselves with the Chaos Item they just acquired, or temper their bodies in the training room with a thousand times gravity, or simply use a little trick to take poison to increase their resistance.

No wonder players generally don't have enough points; training is a huge expense. Even a one percent increase in poison resistance can be a lifesaver in a certain dungeon.

The area is filled with groups of players, and most of the facilities here are safe enough. If a player's life is threatened, the game rules will forcibly stop the game. Of course, if you want to experience a real life-or-death moment, there is a place, but you'll have to pay extra.

"Circular Arena: Players engage in one-on-one duels until their last breath remains; Memory Recall: Recreate the most terrifying boss from your memories, even if it's a fake one, killing it is considered overcoming your inner demons; Doomsday Lava: Is this how Game Players soak in hot springs?"

Yuki held a flyer, and every time he came to the Borderlands, he was amazed. He knew that if his proficiency in ordinary skills was high enough, there was a chance to advance to Transcendental Grade skills, and he could also increase his experience in dealing with various fighting styles.

What he was most satisfied with was the mercenary atmosphere of the Borderlands. There was no pretense of mystery; each faction would clearly write out their promotional materials in order to secure the points in the players' hands.

What about super-high gravity and lava packages? What about discounts for virtual reality sessions exceeding two hours? What about succubus psychological counseling after battlefield simulations? Over the years, every business they've run has been epic in its own right.

Yuki wasn't interested, and the reason was simple: most of the facilities had signs saying "Epic-level players are not welcome," clearly indicating that these items weren't strong enough to withstand the full onslaught of epic-level players.

He stopped in front of a steel factory-like building. This was the territory of the Machine Intelligence. The metallic shell was monotonous and smooth, with countless pipes visible inside. Inside were culture chambers that looked like test tubes, and a thick pipe at the top connected to the headgear.

Virtual reality technology is a specialty of the Machine Intelligence camp. As long as there is enough data, they can simulate any battlefield, whether you want to fight a hyperactive boss one-on-one or train your group fighting skills to be invincible on the battlefield.

This won't provide any visual enhancements, but the combat experience is invaluable. Every attack and every strategic use of stamina is crucial. When players actually receive a mission to sweep through enemy lines, they can replicate that experience.

Absolute privacy guaranteed; data is erased on the spot.

This was the guarantee of 'Machine Intelligence' credibility. Like several other players who Battle Maniac, Yuki paid 300 points and was then sent into the incubation chamber by a robot.

A special green liquid surged up, feeling somewhat cool. This thing is also a type of virtual reality that uses electric shocks to simulate pain, with the intensity level selected by the player. When the headset covers the area, the scene in front of you changes instantly.

He stood on a desolate wasteland, the Inner Ring Battlefield of the Race Game, with wreckage and corpses stretching into the distance.

The sound of wind, the pollution of energy particles, and even the stench of corpses entered my nostrils. I pinched the side of my thigh and felt normal pain.

"Even though I know it's fake, just like with previous murder mystery games, it's hard to distinguish between virtual and reality."

Yuki sighed, "Wouldn't a realistic game like this sell like hotcakes on Earth? Sword Art Online wouldn't even be worthy of carrying its shoes."

By reading the memory data, the gravity is no different from the previous instance, and the enemy's tactics and strength are all the same. If you have enough points, it's equivalent to doing the instance again.

Fortunately, Yuki wasn't there to relive the quest, nor did he dare to use his full strength. Epic Metamorphosis would cause his CPU to explode, because the Limit it could simulate was the power of Monster IV.

"They hid very well, going directly to data, which further separates them from reality. No wonder the Judge couldn't find them."

Yuki found a piece of wreckage to sit on, turned his head, and saw countless data turbulence floating in the air. The pink-haired Ikaros walked out.

As a wanted criminal, she naturally had special concealment skills. The girl maintained her expressionless demeanor, spreading her wings and flying in the air, tilting her head with a questioning look on her face.

"No need to overthink it, I'm just trying my luck." Yuki uninvited, gazing at the surrounding wasteland. "But your 'Machine Intelligence' reputation isn't very good. You promised to erase the data, but you've been secretly collecting it."

The reason he never encouraged his seniors and others to come for special training was because all these facilities had hidden doors. When the memories of the Inner Ring Battlefield were read, Ikaros, who had the same experience, appeared directly, but Yuki didn't come to interrogate him.

"You're a wanted criminal, on the cleanup list of the Reincarnation Game, and even the Judge can't remove you, so you won't betray me. Come down here, let's talk."

Ikaros was still flying in the air. Yuki spoke casually, but she was actually more afraid of being betrayed by Yuki.

The Machine Intelligence has already investigated and confirmed that this person is definitely not 'Civilian Superman' Rod, but as he said, anyone can report to the Judge, except her.

So she didn't even dare to avoid seeing them, but now she realizes she's been tricked into coming out.

The angel reluctantly fell to the ground. Her logical reasoning prevented her from blaming Yuki. Even though this man was mysterious and dangerous, she knew she would have perished in the dungeon without him.

"You want 'Machine Intelligence' to cooperate?"

"To be precise, it's mutual help. Your 'Skynet' should be able to analyze my identity, so we're on the same page when it comes to dealing with the Judge." Yuki old method, never involving personal feelings or seeking gratitude; only shared interests were the strongest bond.

"Because so few players survived, the Judge couldn't understand the situation in the 'Race Game,' but they had to investigate."

Ikaros nodded. It was certain that a high inquisitor had fallen, and he had now come to his senses.

The reason why so few players survived the 'Race Game' was preordained.

"I can let it go, but why did you let Mr. Kong live as well?"

"He's a lone wolf, not so easy to catch, and besides, he won't betray me." Yuki was quite confident; the aftereffects of the severe blow to the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge were more than just following the clues.

The Judge could no longer determine which factions were involved in the instance; the only certainty was Ikaros, meaning her current survival was precarious.

The pink-haired girl had a strange look in her eyes. She just couldn't bring herself to say, "It's all your fault." It was the same old story: without Yuki, she would have died long ago.

"You want to drag 'Machine Intelligence' into this? You've been planning this since you were clearing the dungeon?"

Yuki smiled without saying a word. Of course, cooperation was a form of assessment, and he didn't mind rescuing first and then killing.

"The Machine Intelligence chose to protect you shows that they don't mind fighting against the Reincarnation Game. Since they've chosen to fight, the more friends they have, the better, am I right?"

Space distorted, and another long stream of data containing 010101 symbols emerged. This time, two people walked out from it.

One had long platinum blonde hair, a round face, and an exceptionally cute appearance, though she also looked a bit dazed. The other was dashing, with short hair, and wore a white bodysuit.

Ghost in the Shell, Motoko Kusanagi.

Human Heart, Computer, Angel Heart, Chi.

These two are considered ancient anime characters, but they are quite well-known, Yuki is no stranger to them.

Epic-level players, or rather, all the Survivors in this squad are epic-level players. Together with Skynet, they form the core strength of the Machine Intelligence. Clearly, these players are all in cahoots. It would be strange if the Judge could find Ikaros.

"I don't like being threatened, but you're right, Mr. Rod." Motoko Kusanagi nodded slightly. If it weren't for the recent trouble caused by 'Taiyi', the Judge might have really judged their entire faction.

This is blatant treason; even Valhalla has to back down.

Yuki certainly knew this information, otherwise he wouldn't have come in person. His goal was simple: Valhalla was already attracting enough attention, and the network of connections needed to be established through another node.

"Enough of the small talk. Just because the Judge currently unable to act doesn't mean they'll ignore you forever. Why not take this opportunity to strike first and ensure they never have the ability to judge you again?"

The three exchanged glances. Wasn't that obvious? The key was that they were all Epic Rank I, which was difficult for even a Grand Inquisitor to defeat. This time, they couldn't keep a low profile anymore.

"You mean, you want us to get involved in the war?"

"No, it's about starting from you and finding allies who share the same ideas. I think there are connections between wanted criminals too." Yuki sat there with an air of authority, having already come up with this idea along the way.

The Valhalla represents returning players, while the Machine Intelligence belong to the 'wanted criminals' category. The two groups do not overlap, but they share a common enemy.

Did this gentleman guess?

Chi tilted her head slightly. Of course, the Machine Intelligence had dealings with the wanted criminals, but that was top secret. If the Judge found out, things would get out of hand.

"It's not just a guess. My people have made contact with the 'Odd Jobs' and can dig out some clues from them." Yuki saw what the girl was thinking. This path was being handled by Hiyori and Kaguya. They were starting with the 'wig' to contact the 'Odd Jobs', and they had already been working on it in the last instance.

While Yuki was busy, the others weren't idle either; they had already made their own progress while the Judge was preoccupied.

This... is acceptable.

Motoko Kusanagi felt a little better, realizing that this person dared to come in person because he was confident. The Odd Jobs could take his time to consider it, but they couldn't, as they had recently received intelligence.

The Judge are preparing to shift from a comprehensive strategy to a focused one, and the first blow may fall on their heads, since the only player faction that can be determined in the 'Race Game' is the Machine Intelligence.

"You're going to help us fight against the Judge?"

"No, I can't beat them, and besides, now is not the time to break off relations."

"Then why should we help you if you just talk the talk?" Motoko Kusanagi looked disappointed. She had come in person because Yuki could solve the problem.

"Because I can deflect your threats and divert the Judge's attention elsewhere." Yuki didn't waste any words, patting his behind and standing up. "Miss Ikaros wasn't the only player whose identity was exposed. Dio Brando must have sent back a mission briefing before he died, if the Judge isn't an idiot—"

"They will discover that 'Civilian Superman' Rod is the real culprit."

Even with the help of plot forces, Ikaros couldn't possibly kill an entire team of Judge. There must be a conspiracy and a trap involved, making the 'Civilian Superman' who was forced to assist the most suspicious.

"But you're not Rod. This person hasn't appeared in a long time." Ikaros shook his head. They had also investigated this matter. Although that person's identity had not come forward to prove his innocence, it was clear to everyone that this player who had just entered the epic level could not have done it.

"Rod's identity is not important; what matters is whether the culprit the Judge are looking for is in the Hero Kingdom." Yuki didn't say much; to win over another type of player, one had to pledge allegiance.

By helping the 'Machine Intelligence' overcome their difficulties, we can leverage their network of relationships to gather 'friends,' not only for the final battle but also because a long hunt is about to begin.