Chapter 491
Yuki turned his head and saw a bewildered great white shark biting his right leg. Deep Sea was nowhere to be seen; it was swaying on the ground like a salted fish.
Puff.
With a single shot, he ended the opponent's doubts, took a step forward, and rushed towards the Deep Sea King whose true form had been exposed. The latter's ultimate move had already missed before it could be unleashed. Instinctively, he removed the crown from his head, intending to dispel the spatial domain.
[Rules, Death Game]
Yuki established the second rule, and the space that was beginning to crumble suddenly froze, causing the Deep Sea King to widen his eyes.
"An all-around suppression-type rule item?"
An unheard-of item, but unfortunately Yuki never explains it; the only answer is its sharp spear.
Swish--
With his forearms crossed, he gripped the spear, and with a sudden flick, sent it flying.
"Don't forget, I'm the one who plays with a constitution-based build."
The spear, swirling around his neck, flew out like lightning, piercing through a player who had come to his aid. Deep Sea King spun in the air, and seeing the man pounce like a tiger, he straightened his right leg and slammed it down.
The legs could Shatterwave, the spread toes were like six blades. Yuki dodged to the side, his forearm wrapped in Immortal Crystal, and hugged the legs amidst a screeching sound.
Thump!
Using his waist, Yuki slapped it into a "T" shape, then stepped on its arched back, pressing it back to the ground like a jack.
Bound by the rules, Deep Sea King could not dive to the surface. Turning his head, he saw a man with an expressionless face pointing to his sword, leaning forward.
Puff.
He stabbed the fish in the back of the neck with a hand chop, gripped the spine, crushed the screams, and pulled the huge fish head off. With a flick of his finger, he grasped the crown in his palm.
"I've already told you, you're no match for me."
Yuki held the head in one hand. The Deep Sea King was already at the strongest level among monster players, but that was all; in terms of threat, he wasn't even as good as Hayasaka Ai.
Thump.
He tossed the enormous, expressionless head aside and looked at the remaining players, who were equally stunned. They couldn't help but be stunned; the Deep Sea King had fallen, yet this Deep Sea Domain hadn't disappeared?
Yuki never explained, his knuckles clicking as he walked towards her.
"As for you, how do you want to die?"
The rules of the Divine Torch apply to both sides; no one can leave until the last person dies. When the last player is torn apart, the bar with its broken walls reappears in view.
The surrounding gazes, filled with either fear or admiration, seemed to say, 'That's the Deep Sea King, the strongest player below the Epic level, yet he didn't even have a chance to escape,' but Yuki remained completely unconcerned.
This encounter was merely an experiment. Yuki to the Hero Kingdom: to test the Divine Torch in the right place and under the right identity. The result was mixed.
Setting rules is always the supreme power, but the rules of the Divine Torch are two-way; they cannot be actively dispelled before they are established. Of course, the aftershocks of battle can still shatter the rules.
This is a double-edged sword. If you set it as a death game with only one survivor, and the enemy happens to be good at hiding, you'll be tripped up. If you set it as close-quarters combat, and the opponent is also an expert in that area, wouldn't you be shooting yourself in the foot?
"It's not a mindless, powerful tool; it values the user's ability to control the situation and gather intelligence. Coincidentally, these two are exactly my strengths."
Slap slap
The crisp applause made Yuki look up and see that the Deep Sea King's booth had been taken by someone else.
With white hair and a black bodysuit that accentuated his strong muscles, the oppressive aura emanating from his arrogant gaze was nowhere near as strong as that of the Deep Sea King.
Garou?
The Deep Sea Domain is not as formidable as the Night Furnace; the battle inside can be observed from the outside. Without a doubt, the one spying is this person. Yuki looked in the direction of the sound, but there was not much hatred in his eyes. This kind of performance was too low-level. He felt more of a sense of relief, a resolute Resolve.
"Not bad, I didn't expect you to eat the bait so easily." Garou tilted his head, took a sip of the Deep Sea King's remaining whiskey, and said, "You're different from the person I remember. I'm curious, what kind of adventure turned you into this."
"Humans cannot avenge me, so I choose not to be human." Yuki decisively stole Dio Brando's line; his performance just now had already given enough clues.
Memories may be confused, skills may be optimized, but identity cannot be concealed. Garou personally checked and confirmed that this was a player from 'Hero Kingdom'. If even he could be fooled, it would be unbelievable.
So here's the question: besides 'Civilian Superman' Rod, there's no other player who would risk his life to seek revenge against him.
"Is this an item you got from the last dungeon?" Garou pointed at the Divine Torch with great interest, not hiding his greed. This could be a level 7 item of the Rule type, with immeasurable value.
"Yes."
"And you think you can kill me with that?"
"Not just because of it."
Garou laughed. He had already received reports from his scouts that the Hero Association was paying attention, but there had been no troop movements. This proved that it was an individual act, not Righteous Execution to lure him out.
A bunch of hypocrites, what Justice? They just want to use me to get rid of this hot potato, because the scout also reported something interesting that could explain why things are different from what I remember.
To abandon one's humanity, even one's own body, just to gain the power of revenge—hmm, a familiar and melodramatic script.
"Was it worth it? Paying such a high price just to get to me?"
"Besides that, I can't find a reason to live. Destiny gave me an opportunity, and there's no reason not to seize it." Yuki seemed to say nothing, but in fact, he explained everything. There's no need for a vengeful person to hide anything.
Really.
Garou took a deep breath. When it came to that person, he felt no fear, but rather a strong desire to try his luck with the legend. His gaze towards Yuki also held a hint of admiration.
This is a suicide squad member; he has no detailed plans, doesn't care about the future, and certainly doesn't care about the Judge.
"It seems you've grasped the true meaning of 'Resolve.' Players in our faction don't care about good or evil; the key is whether they can carry out their determination to the end. Your Resolve for revenge is very pure."
Yuki. Garou's words echoed those of Deep Sea King, seemingly touching upon a deeper secret of the Hero Kingdom. But what did that have to do with me? I wasn't a player here.
He only cared whether this person had contact with the Judge and whether they could pass on the message.
"A one-on-one duel?"
"Well, I don't mind giving someone with guts a chance. That merman doesn't count. He needs to prove himself before he can fight me. I don't want to waste my time on nobody."
Click click click.
With a cracking sound from his joints, Garou stood up, exuding a slightly savage and ferocious aura. This was an even more powerful physical-focused player, a top-tier martial artist.
Do you want to rest? I'll give you some time.
The infamous Garou is actually quite fair, possessing a certain pride of a martial artist.
Yuki silently shook his head. He was already thinking about how to use this martial artist, and what skills he should use to make the Judge completely convinced.
Two matches in a row, quite confident indeed. Can the legacy of that 'Taiyi' really make someone this strong?
The Garou didn't understand, but he was very interested in trying it himself.
"You chose this yourself."
As the sharp words were spoken, time seemed to slow down. A pale aura surged from behind the Garou, forming a lifelike giant wolf above its head, its mouth wide open, revealing its ghastly white fangs.
Epic Metamorphosis. Bloodthirsty Garou.
"Get out, you bystanders!!"
With a roar, the sound waves materialized, sending the onlookers flying backward. The floor shattered in front of them, Yuki, leaning forward, felt his body being pushed slightly backward.
Pure and powerful, no wonder he's an Epic Tier II player.
His heart was racing slightly, but having faced the God of War before, Yuki was not affected by the mental suppression in the Roar; instead, he felt a sense of curious excitement.
Witness countless abilities, crush countless players.
The Immortal Shield.
There was no sound, and even the shadow of the Garou remained in place, when Yuki felt a weight on his forearm, as if he had been hit by a giant beast.
Boom!
The Outpost's structural strength far exceeded reality, yet it still crumbled into dust like a piece of paper, with shockwaves sweeping from one end of the street to the other.
The giant wolf the Roar, as if an outer garment was wrapped around Garou body, with only two afterimages faintly visible intertwined in the center.
The Garou's straight punch slammed into the shield made of Immortal Crystal, causing fine cracks to radiate outwards. The person before him was like a demon, and his mere aura could paralyze most players.
Torrent.
The second punch landed, and before the Immortal Crystal could shatter, a strange aura had already gathered behind the shield. Yuki's eyes darted down, and he abandoned the shield and jumped back.
Thump!!
Like striking a bull from a distance, the air exploded behind the shield, leveling a small block on the left.
"Look at those hypocritical heroes! I've killed hundreds, why isn't anyone upholding Justice?"
He laughed loudly, and in a flash appeared above Yuki's head, raising his right leg over his head at an exaggerated angle.
"Because there is no Justice, everyone is pursuing their own interests; it's just that I don't like to put on a glamorous facade!"
Earth-Shattering Kill!
With tremendous force, the giant axe slammed into the earth, creating a canyon on the edge of the city. The Garou locked onto its target and unleashed over a hundred punches in an instant.
Storm Kill!
All that could be seen was the force of fists; the overflowing energy could easily shatter mountains and rivers with a mere flick, burying everything like a raging storm.
There were no fancy moves; every attack was meant to crush the enemy. Yuki dodged back and forth, snapping his fingers lightly.
[The Torch of the Gods]
[Range attacks are prohibited]
The same rules applied as in the Divine Realm, but due to the different enemy, the area covered by this beam of light was smaller, and the force was greater. The dense barrage of fist winds instantly dissipated, which startled the Garou.
What the hell is that?
Ignoring the bewildered Garou, Yuki instead gazed at the deep-space vortex.
A strange sensation returned, as if the vortexes were responding to the 'call' of the Divine Torch. This sensation was very faint, and nothing unusual could be seen in the field of vision.
Is this resonance? Is this activation?
The stronger the enemy, the stronger the Divine Torch's output. Once a certain threshold is crossed, it will enter an activated state, meaning it can resonate. Does this indicate that there are reincarnation items above the vortex?
According to the note, he could even summon this thing, but the price would be the Reincarnation Game directly paying attention to it.
You have something good.
The Garou landed heavily a hundred meters away, cracking the ground beneath its feet. It was unaware that Yuki was using it for an experiment, and it made no attempt to hide the greed in its eyes.
This item is very valuable; what kind of dungeon drops it?
It's hard to imagine, yet I know very well that if I got my hands on this thing, I wouldn't be invincible among my peers, but my strength would at least take a big leap forward.
Garou wasn't much dumber than Yuki. Seeing that his opponent was holding a gun with both hands, he guessed that this rule was two-way, and a grin spread across his face.
"In hand-to-hand combat, you are no match for me!"
Epic Metamorphosis. The Garou's Body.
The wolf's cloak is no longer enormous; once solidified, its destructive power becomes even more concentrated.
The seasoned warriors charged forward. This time, there were no the Roar fists or large-scale energy attacks; only a clash of skill and physique.
The flying kick was aimed straight at his face, but was blocked by his arms and turned into a knee strike. The shockwave made Yuki lean back, and then a cross of hands came flying towards him.
Fast, accurate, and ruthless.
Absolute hand-to-hand combat skills, unprecedented close-quarters entanglement.
Two afterimages fought from the ground to the sky, accompanied by crackling sounds in the air. No moves could be seen, only the majestic viaduct collapsing in large sections.
The Garou was almost insane; every part of his body was a killing weapon, displaying all the skills he had before and after entering the Reincarnation Game.
Flowing Water Fist.
Savage Battle Intent.
God-Slaying Fist.
The Reincarnation Game is like paradise for martial artists; any instance can lead to enlightenment. Yuki kept retreating and defending, seemingly unconcerned about the battle itself.
The tyrannical Garou was the perfect test subject. Under his frenzied attacks, the spiral-shaped light band shattered, Yuki used him to familiarize himself with the Divine Torch, far surpassing any simulator.
'Just like when I fought Marcus, high-output attacks break the rules.'
Yuki raised his spear, and the incoming fist bypassed it like flowing water, aiming straight for his chest. Just as he arched his back, the fist suddenly rose up, hitting his chin at the same time as the heart-piercing kick struck the Garou in the chest.
Thud---