Chapter 490
"Why?"
"Because I don't have time." Yuki turned half his face to the side, his expression helpless and saddened beneath the Fool's Mask. "Garou is strong. I want to have the power of revenge, but that means a price to pay. To tell you the truth, 'Rod' doesn't have much time left. The next 'Rod' may not be a hero anymore. What He wants to do is far greater than revenge. I can't guarantee He will waste time fulfilling my wish."
Atomic Samurai was confused by what he heard, but he quickly came to his senses.
The Civilian Superman indeed had a miraculous encounter, greatly increasing his strength in some way.
That's for sure. The Hero Association has discussed it internally and unanimously agreed that it's impossible for him to be involved in the fall of a Grand Inquisitor. After all, he was only Monster IV when he disappeared, and he wasn't known for his intelligence. Why would he cause the fall of an Epic III player?
Now we finally have the answer: for some reason, 'Civilian Superman' Rod's strength has increased dramatically, but this extraordinary encounter comes at a price.
This story transforms a cheerful and optimistic ordinary player into a powerful and melancholic individual, even pushing the boundaries of epic power, and drawing them into the fall of the Grand Inquisitor...
His pupils contracted as he thought of a name that had been making headlines recently. When he looked up again, Yuki had already disappeared from his sight.
If I'm not mistaken, things are in trouble.
Atomic Samurai didn't have time to chase after them; he looked at the players accompanying him.
"Not a single word he just said can be revealed!"
The group of heroes, of varying strengths, exchanged glances. Due to their limited knowledge, most of them didn't understand what Yuki was saying. A fortuitous encounter? Wasn't the Reincarnation Game about gradually increasing points?
But seeing Atomic Samurai's solemn expression, they all nodded in agreement.
"Yes."
Chapter Five: The Reincarnation Game, Without Heroes
A strategy should be judged by its effectiveness, not by its technical skill; often, simple and direct methods are the most effective.
Yuki stood atop the high-rise, the golden pen pausing as he wrote in his Future Diary. This script had been in preparation since the very beginning of the 'Race Game,' when they were choosing their disguises.
Valhalla provided a list of hundreds of pseudonyms, and there's a reason why Yuki chose 'Civilian Superman'. An unnamed hero whose companions have all died, a wandering knight-errant, even if a familiar face pops up, can be dismissed as 'corrupted'.
The logical loopholes were filled in because of the exposure caused by revenge and the drastic actions taken because of the consequences. This time, they were also lucky, as they encountered their enemy right at the beginning.
The information didn't specify who Rod's enemy was. Yuki was indiscriminate in his killing, but someone who knew the secret answered for him, and he quickly found his target.
Garou? He's probably the god-level monster from 'One-Punch Man'.
The memories of time travelers are generally unreliable, but Yuki had the records. After a quick glance, he formed an impression.
A Tier II Epic player specializing in physical combat is roughly on par with Sukuna. A true Rod, even if he fought desperately for a hundred years, couldn't possibly defeat him, let alone find him. But for me—
Smack
He closed the document, gray threads coiling around his palm, as if dozens of souls were wailing, desperately fighting against the pollution.
This had no effect. Yuki expressionless, crushing and absorbing portions of the souls like a king. Having set a clear objective, he left behind another group, all of whom were members of the Garou organization.
Players below Monster II are utterly unable to resist the Soul King's interrogation; their memories are squeezed like a sponge, and certain images surface before their eyes.
That was the outpost, and the gate leading somewhere.
"It was indeed underground."
Yuki arrived in City A, he sensed an undercurrent beneath his feet. The Hero Association was also searching for its nemesis, but since both sides were evenly matched, no one dared to venture deep into the enemy's lair.
"So, with the Judge on one side and your arch-enemy on the other, will you call the bet?"
The last few clumps of souls were crushed, transformed into pure energy and absorbed. Yuki took a deep breath, knowing that the small fry he had killed in the past two days were not enough to attract attention.
"Then let's kill the big fish."
It suddenly disappeared from the rooftop, and reappeared on the edge of the city.
The streetlights were dim, and there were few people around. Neon lights flickered on the dilapidated signs, and a burly man with a hostile expression lurked in the dark alleyway, spying on the area.
The villains hide among the common people, not committing evil deeds, which the heroes cannot control and do not want to cause misunderstandings.
No matter how sacred their aura, whether heroes or villains, they are just players. Most people care more about their own safety and gains. If it weren't for the guidance of faction talents, the players here wouldn't have a clear stance.
Selfishness and cunning are the prevailing attitudes among players, and the anomalies in the Hero Kingdom are within a controllable range.
The city's outskirts are a melting pot of all sorts of people, from villains hiding their identities to heroes enduring hardship and yearning to uncover a shocking conspiracy. But regardless of their identities or whether they are local forces in City A, they are all stunned.
Rod, this recently famous figure, came straight here without any disguise. This kind of behavior is becoming increasingly rare even in the Hero Kingdom, which is known for its chuunibyou (delusions of grandeur), passion, and stubbornness. Most players use their brains and make plans, rather than just barging in so openly.
'I retract my previous statement; the players here are indeed different from those in other factions.'
Yuki saw many players who were willing to expose themselves and frantically warn him, something that would never happen in other factions. Why should he care if someone is courting death? Why would he want to get burned?
But this place is different. The drunkard by the roadside has a serious expression, shakes his head slightly, and shows signs of mental fluctuation. His anxious voice echoes in my ears.
"This is the exit of an evil lair. Don't do anything rash; they'll get serious."
"Upholding Justice requires proper methods. Go back; don't throw your life away in vain."
Yuki ignored him. He knew it was well-intentioned; all he had to do was keep an eye on the exit of the lair. If he were confident he could uproot it completely, would he have waited until today?
However, Yuki doesn't have time to delve into the Hero Kingdom and get bogged down in dealing with various factions; he'll only choose the most efficient approach.
Disrupting the balance, stirring up trouble.
Boom--
With a single punch, the wall shattered into dust, revealing dozens of panicked people inside the tavern. These were all ordinary players, forcibly maintaining their composure.
Heroes don't kill innocent people indiscriminately; they haven't done anything wrong, so they're not afraid of Yuki.
"I'm looking for 'Deep Sea King,' isn't it the gatekeeper?" The hooded man stepped onto the ruins and looked around.
"What Deep Sea King? I'm warning you, if you mess around again, I'll ring the alarm and have the Hero Association arrest you." The bartender-looking man wasn't afraid. Heroic law enforcement is all about legitimacy, which is why he rushed to the rescue after the disaster.
Their focus is on rescue, not on proactive action.
"Your disguise is too poor. Take off your mask, and I guarantee you're on the wanted list."
Yuki strode over, his imposing presence causing the bartender to retreat repeatedly.
"I haven't committed a crime, why should I listen to you?"
"Because I came drawn by the scent of evil."
Before he could finish speaking, Yuki vanished from his retina. The sheer speed of his physical body achieved a teleportation effect, and his hand abruptly retracted before touching the bartender's face.
Brush--
A burst of silver light appeared, and the other wall was sliced open by some kind of high-speed liquid. This silver light spread for several kilometers, causing the viaduct-like building to collapse with a crash.
Yuki his head to look into the depths of the bar, where a burly man was sitting at a round table, taking a sip of whiskey on the rocks and slamming the glass down on the table.
"You don't actually think that by luring me out, the Hero Association will jump in to help, do you? Your existence is a nuisance to them too. Those hot-blooded idiots are always a minority." The man cracked his neck, looking like he didn't know how to comment.
"Before being called 'heroes,' they are first and foremost players, and they wouldn't dare risk their lives to pursue Justice."
"So what?"
The man blinked, his eyes looking at a hopeless idiot.
"I hate those hypocrites, but I hate people like you who are mentally unstable even more. Do you really think that advancing to Epic rank makes you invincible and allows you to pursue your ideals without restraint?"
"It has nothing to do with ideals, I just want to kill Garou." Yuki spread his hands, his forearm covered with Immortal Crystal, and strode forward like a demon ignited by hatred.
The man's expression changed; he finally showed some agreement.
"That's more like it! This wretched place Hero Kingdom has never been about Justice or evil. What drives us forward is—"
"It's just Resolve!"
In an instant, the bar vanished, the Roar waterfall formed a wall of water, and the man drinking at the table transformed into a powerful fish-man wearing a somewhat comical crown, his purple lips parted to reveal sharp teeth, and his several-meter-tall body exuded a strong sense of oppression.
Just one step away from the epic, the drinkers transformed into bizarre and evil creatures, numbering in the dozens at a glance.
The Spatial Severance prop, has it been waiting for me all this time?
Yuki slowed his pace, looking around. He could sense an even more powerful enemy lurking behind the water curtain, with countless detection items scanning repeatedly.
Evidence is already a major headache for Judge; they won't take action without some evidence, and if a blunder occurs, they'll waste even more energy.
"Don't worry, I'll give you solid evidence soon enough."
Yuki, instead of feeling relieved, quickened his pace and finally became a blur.
Bang!
Without using any props, his level 9 physique alone allowed him to surpass the speed of sound, punching through the Deep Sea King's chest. He then watched as the fish-man disintegrated into bubbles, which then transformed into whirlpools that flowed rapidly.
Tearing Whirlpool.
The Immortal Crystal was being stirred and crackled. If it were a flesh and blood body, its arm would have been crippled. Yuki turned around and saw the multicolored light shooting in neatly, shattering the vortex. He clapped his hands lightly.
The Immortal Shield.
A crystalline shield several meters square appeared, and the beams of light that struck it were deflected, leaving dense marks on the shield's surface.
"Let him out!"
Yuki hurled his tower shield, which smashed several people into mincemeat like a wall. He then took a step forward and charged forward, his fists flying like arrows as he killed several more people before his charging body abruptly stopped.
Black tentacles bound her legs like a rice dumpling, and the water-like earth froze into ice, which spread upwards from her calves.
This is why Yuki doesn't use Constitution to advance to Epic rank. Leveling up always comes at a cost. Constitution-based players are too simple and mindless, and too easy to counter.
Thump!
The Deep Sea King suddenly appeared in the reflection of the ice, its massive fists creating swirling eddies. Yuki leaned back quickly, feeling the high-speed water flow cut through his hair like blades. He saw it clasp its hands together like hammers and smash them down on his head.
Click.
The ice and tentacles were torn apart, and a shockwave followed. Yuki lightly patted with one hand, twisted his body, and condensed a crystalline spear to thrust forward. With a 'clang', it was bitten by a mouthful of sharp teeth.
Without pausing, Yuki punched the butt of the gun, which pierced straight through the back of Deep Sea King's head, but the enormous creature in front of him immediately vanished into nothingness.
'With this Furnace -like artifact, one possesses almost epic-level combat power.'
The spear transformed into a crystal shield, which, when held in hand, continued to deflect attacks from surrounding players. This is what is meant by having the advantage of terrain and numbers; players at the monster level and above always possess a few unique skills.
"Your abilities Taiyi from what's recorded. Why aren't you using your Rocket Legs?"
The sounds came from all directions, completely ignoring the fact that his subordinates were being killed one by one.
Nonsense, how would I know what abilities Rod has?
Yuki remained silent. Fortunately, this character was the inheritor, so the skill mutation was only natural. At that moment, the surrounding water curtain began to churn. Yuki stopped and squinted.
A very high-end Chaos Item, similar to a 'Universe in the Sleeve' specifically designed for the battlefield?
Ignoring the presence of friendly forces, a 100-meter-high tsunami crashed down from all directions, resembling a spatial collapse, leaving nowhere to hide. A lithe figure darted through the water.
The Deep Sea King, after all, must have the sea to be worthy of being called a king. This combat power is close to epic. With a dozen or so monster-level players along with him, he is more than capable of dealing with epic I-rank enemies.
Deep Sea Strangulation.
As the tsunami approached, the super-fast movement and phantom clones created a formidable presence. Hundreds of Deep Sea King, each with a different form, Yuki.
They might sprint, leap, or crouch and stealthily move.
Water is its tentacles, capable of launching attacks from anywhere. With its level 8 physique and cutting vortex, breaking through defenses is no problem. It doesn't believe that the crystal can defend without any blind spots.
"Is this how epic-level players are wiped out?"
Yuki stood in the center of the space, on the only remaining dry land—no, even his feet were being pulled—as a player resembling a great white shark had submerged into the water and was biting his calf, dragging him into the Abyss Grade.
Good tactic. The Yuki was given to kill before were all peripheral members. These players with fish-like features are the elite Deep Sea King team. They're so professional. Yuki will have a hard time escaping without showing some real skill.
"A bunch of chickens and dogs, what right do they have to witness my core skills?"
Without Eternal Night, he wouldn't have pulled out his Hunter's Blunderbuss to switch builds, nor would he have triggered Epic Metamorphosis. He pulled out the hourglass, as if a god were issuing a decree.
[Torch of the Gods, Unlocked]
[Spatial movement. Forbidden.]
The spiral-shaped band of light spread outwards from the hourglass as its origin. Since Yuki did not possess the strength of a reincarnator, it was impossible for him to cover an entire planet. He could only encompass a radius of a thousand meters around the planet. Upon a glance, Yuuki's expression of ecstasy was no longer a matter of pretense.
Like an eraser wiping away a painting, the giant wave vanished, and hundreds of illusions crumbled along with it. The Deep Sea King, his face contorted with rage, was immediately stunned, completely unable to comprehend the phenomenon before him.
Rule-based items are rare in the game, but not entirely unique; they are generally only used to deal with a pre-defined rule.
'Am I really that unlucky? I just happened to run into a forbidden spatial item? Wait a minute, even something like that couldn't possibly erase the Deep Sea Domain completely.'
The Deep Sea King was puzzled. Even if rule-based items were to take effect, the difference in strength between the two parties would still need to be taken into account. Either the item's level was very high, or the user's strength was formidable.
What a coincidence! Not only is the Divine Torch a higher level, but the difference between us is more than just Epic I and Monster IV.