Chapter 494
Everything was like the moon in a mirror or a flower in water, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, making it difficult to be certain. The mind map contained countless lines, representing evidence and conjecture. Aizen sat upright, his gaze following the lines, until, after an unknown period of time, it landed on the origin of everything.
This is the beginning of the story, the Thorny Rose.
Chapter Seven: The Road Home
"You mean the Judge seems to be actively cooperating with you?"
Thorny Rose, Hiyori and Yuki walked side by side down the street. While their seniors and others were busy with their own tasks, they had some time alone together.
But when an old schemer and a young schemer get together, they only create intense sparks of thought. Ever since the Demon Hospital series, Shiina Hiyori's character has been distorted, and she has been most deeply influenced by Yuki.
Mona is more like a younger sister, while Hiyori is more like an apprentice.
"That shouldn't be the case. The Judge's choices were all correct. If you didn't have abilities that transcend the game's rules, you would have been captured long ago."
Hiyori didn't quite understand. She had already reviewed the situation countless times. The Judge had done his best and made rational choices. This time, he didn't repeat the mistakes of the Aether Particles and was clearly more patient.
"It's just a feeling. No conspiracy is perfect. They didn't go all out to exploit some loopholes," Yuki said casually. He had been on high alert ever since he heard the name 'Sōsuke Aizen'.
"Are you saying they let Thorny Rose go too easily? But this is the result of the Matryoshka Doll Plan." Hiyori looked around; the surveillance of Thorny Rose had been relaxed considerably, but this was an inevitable consequence of resource allocation.
"And then there's Valhalla. I always felt they weren't reckless enough when they should have been, and overly arbitrary when they should have been cautious. If I had uprooted Valhalla from the start, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly for me."
Hiyori blinked and smiled faintly, "I think it's alright. After all, the Valhalla is a powerful faction. They can't act easily without solid evidence. After you revealed your 'true form,' didn't the Judge place their bets without hesitation?"
Yuki's lips moved, and logically, there was nothing wrong with it. It seemed that his old habit of being suspicious had resurfaced; whenever things went too smoothly, he became uneasy.
Forget it, let's stick to the old saying: you do your thing, I'll do mine.
The two-day, one-night trip to the Hero Kingdom was short, and leaving behind a bunch of questions was secondary. The key was that he had activated the Divine Torch, so he simply found a snack stall, watched the players coming and going on the street, and started discussing it with Hiyori.
The girl is gentle, and as Yuki's 'student,' she is the only one whose thoughts can spark with his.
"It's strange that we're discussing the future of the Reincarnation Game in a place like this. Any outcome will affect countless players." Shiina Hiyori stretched, lightly biting her straw as she sipped a purple drink she'd gotten from some unknown dungeon.
The liquid is sweet and fragrant, somewhat like a combination of orange juice and milk tea.
"You want me to build a magnificent palace, and then we can sit on the floor in front of a chessboard?" Yuki, holding his coffee, feeling that it wasn't as good as the Hayasaka Ai had made.
The girl stuck out her tongue and shook her head back and forth. "No way, that would seem too deliberate. This feeling is better, hmm, it feels more natural."
It's not unusual for two cunning old foxes to scheme against people. Fine, if you like it, that's fine too.
Yuki a durian cake Hiyori scrape off a piece with a spoon and put it in her mouth. The sweetness made her squint her eyes, but she said something horrifying:
"Actually, you can continue fighting the Garou and test where the Divine Torch's critical point is."
"This is too dangerous. The description of the Divine Torch mentioned that it would receive support from the Reincarnation Game, but that's poison to me. I don't know how long this gaze will last." Yuki shook his head. How could he risk his life in the Hero Kingdom? If something went wrong, he wouldn't even have any help.
"That's true, but your experiment was a great success, resolving a question that has troubled me for a long time."
Before Yuki ask, Hiyori handed over an exquisite notebook. Upon opening it, she found it filled with densely packed notes.
Yuki looked up abruptly and saw the girl happily eating cake. He was quite surprised. "When did you start researching this kind of thing?"
"Heh heh, Mr. Yuki, do you really think I read useless novels every time I come back?" Hiyori pouted, looking like she was being looked down upon.
Oh? Isn't that right?
With a wry smile, Yuki. These were Shiina Hiyori's thoughts on the Reincarnation Game's setting, not just random musings, but also incorporating information from the Valhalla and some legends from the Borderlands.
In short, it's about the relationship between Outpost, dungeons, homelands, Borderlands, and the Reincarnation Game. Why is there a 'closed world' setting? Is it really for new players during the initial exploration period? And why, once Borderlands is connected, can't players retreat to the closed world even if they suffer heavy losses?
Completely closed off, i. e., the Earth era, each return takes place in one's own home.
In the semi-closed, or normal Outpost era, all players were gathered together, except for Thorny Rose, who were far from their homeland.
The open period, which is the current state of most factions, is connected to the Borderlands.
Another stage is the mature stage, which takes place before the Great Cataclysm. Players further concentrate in the Borderlands, and then select the Reincarnators, who are the elite, to go to the higher, unknown worlds.
"The four stages progress step by step. The Reincarnation Game won't be so kind as to give players time to develop. From reincarnators to the lowest-level newbies, they are all consumables." Yuki to himself. He had already noticed something was wrong, Hiyori's observations along the way made the anomaly even more obvious.
"Hmm, so can we speculate that the Reincarnation Game uses some kind of medium to link with various factions and instances, and that this link becomes stronger over time?"
Her slender fingers traced across the table. Looking into Yuki's tightly closed eyes, the girl smiled faintly, "Mr. Yuki, do you still remember the boast you once made?"
Yuki certainly hadn't forgotten; the theory of the Imaginary Tree and the Quantum Sea, it sounded impressive but was actually quite obscure, and it thoroughly humiliated the Judge.
"Do you think Taiyi is using me to explain the Reincarnation Game?"
"That's not impossible, but of course I don't know what your relationship with Taiyi is either."
Yuki shook his head; he couldn't understand it either. This thing involved spatial and temporal chaos and confusion of cause and effect. He subconsciously picked up his coffee, and the bitter taste flowed into his mouth.
He began to seriously consider the boasts he had made in the past, which of course had nothing to do with Honkai Impact 3rd, but he just couldn't find a more appropriate analogy for the time being.
"The Reincarnation Game is the trunk of a tree, the Borderlands are like the branches, and the Outpost and instances are like the leaves, all linked together layer by layer. So what is our homeland?"
"I think it's like the ocean, the ocean outside the tree." Hiyori spilled some juice on the table, her fingers tracing a path. "Leaves must grow from trees, and growth needs nutrients. A world without players, without story characters, is meaningless, and perhaps they wouldn't even appear on a tree."
Wow, that's really true.
There are countless unsolved mysteries in the Reincarnation Game, but there is one Yuki is certain of.
There has never been Outpost without players, nor a dungeon without life. Even in the simplest hunting mission, the Reincarnation Game will never throw out a desolate planet for players to simply kill each other.
Having spent several months in the Borderlands, Yuki had firsthand experience, but Hiyori possessed the data.
She took out a thick notebook, which contained copies of information collected each time she went to the Borderlands. These things weren't expensive, but very few people bothered to collect them.
Player memoirs, hundreds of dungeon stories—she read them Hiyori a captivating novel, always marveling at the wondrous settings or creatures within. But she didn't just read them for nothing.
"I'm sure each instance is a living world; I even think some instances could transform into new Outpost."
Yuki disliked overthinking but respected data the most. He nodded, confirming the setting, and then held his breath.
This pattern doesn't apply to the Thorny Rose, because when they ascended, the Outpost was completely deserted, lifeless. As for the dungeons—
His pupils contracted slightly, and he blurted out, "Random instance!"
He had almost forgotten this setting; it was during the Earth phase, where player battles would inevitably trigger random dungeons, and he had visited several without any success.
"Yes, I asked Mona and Frieren, and in their world, player battles don't trigger random dungeons."
Oh, I can't believe I missed such a subtle difference.
Revisiting the past has a unique flavor. Amidst the surrounding noise, Yuki stared intently at the juice on the table, gradually coming back to his senses.
Each leaf absorbs 'nutrients' from a certain type of world according to a certain pattern, such as 'War Orphans', 'Hero Kingdom', and 'Valhalla' according to worldview, 'Aether Particles' according to power system, and 'Hunters' and 'Battle Maniac' according to world tone.
Yuki had considered whether, if they could truly escape the Reincarnation Game, they would return to their own homes or go to another world. This was a dilemma that players like Shiki Ryougi faced the most.
"Those vortexes are passages to various worlds; they are one-way, constantly drawing nourishment from each world." Yuki raised his head, making this almost certain.
"I think so too. If it's a two-way street, maybe we can go back, but we had no idea before, until after the 'Race Game'." Mona leaned forward and whispered:
"One detail: when we returned, the countdown hadn't even started. Those black lines you mentioned should be the connection points. Once they were severed, we returned immediately."
This is a detail that Yuki is aware of, and I suspect Sora and Ikaros also know it; they just keep it to themselves.
Yuki took the Divine Torch and severed the connection with 'Total Annihilation,' and that instance disappeared from the Reincarnation Game.
"It's different. The Crimson Moon World isn't truly connected; the various races within can't leave, and they're not players."
"Could it be that this link was very fragile, which is why you severed it?"
Yuki paused for a moment, then nodded slightly. This conjecture was reasonable; logically speaking, it was impossible to do. At least the Reincarnation Game wouldn't just stand by and watch you waste a dungeon.
We've come full circle back to Taiyi. It's the same old story: the prerequisite for everything is that the Reincarnation Game turns people into idiots.
"Resonance. I felt resonance when I unlocked the Divine Torch in the Hero Kingdom. Based on the description and your conjecture, could it be that the Outpost is also linked to the main game through a reincarnation item?"
Yuki to himself, without Hiyori nodding, he also realized that this possibility was becoming increasingly likely; every world needs to be carefully designed.
Unlocking layer by layer, the resonance between reincarnation items, the selection of reincarnators, and the most subtle yet crucial element—
Why do players keep returning to the Outpost?
A binding mechanism, a spatial coordinate system. Take Frieren and Mona for example; their coordinates are already bound to the Thorny Rose. So what is it that binds them together?
Given that the Reincarnation Game is mentally challenged and has lost the ability to actively intervene, it's impossible that He personally sends the player back. It's more like activating some kind of program, where conditions are met, and the player is automatically sent back to the coordinates.
"I think I understand now. If we sever this coordinate system, to put it more poetically, it's like a leaf leaving the tree and falling back into the ocean. To put it more scientifically, if the coordinate system is lost, the Reincarnation Game will no longer have the possibility of teleporting back and forth?"
On this bustling street, Yuki seemed to have found the answer, and his spirits lifted.
Whether it's right or wrong, we've finally found a starting point, so let's delve deeper into the resonance of the Reincarnation Game.
"I can't wait to try and see if I can resonate with that reincarnation item and then sever it."
"Don't rush, Mr. Yuki. Don't you think that the Thorny Rose's prohibition against the use of force and tools is more like a form of protection?"
As the girl spoke gently, Yuki blinked, realizing that she really did look somewhat like her.
He has stopped unlocking the game. Total Annihilation he gets the guess, Yuki try it directly. It would be fine if it attracts the attention of the Reincarnation Game, but it would be more interesting if it couldn't be cut off. This involves the difference between the 'Race Game' and the Outpost.
No matter how unique the Thorny Rose are, their connection to the Reincarnation Game is definitely closer than that of the dungeons.
"I even think He deliberately spared those reincarnators to lure me to the legacy; otherwise, the Divine Race would have obtained the Divine Torch long ago, and there wouldn't be a second phase of the story."
Hiyori biting the straw and blinking incessantly—this sounds rather unbelievable, far beyond the realm of Future Sight reflection, it seems quite plausible.
"Taiyi- sensei, you're really amazing."
"To kill someone across time and space, how could it not be powerful?" Yuki smiled bitterly. The Reincarnator's Rebirth Plan was inconceivable, and a strike that came across time and space was even more unimaginable.
"Let's make this a priority for research. I'll try to test it in the next dungeon, and then find a faction to test it on. We can't stop other things either. Finding how to do it isn't enough; we have to actually do it."
The girl nodded solemnly. Doing and achieving were two different things, and she deeply believed in a statement Yuki had made before:
Any freedom requires the paving of iron and blood.
This daily routine is quite comfortable.
They drank coffee, ate cake, and more importantly, the two old schemers got together to discuss things, and the sparks of thought they generated were naturally dazzling.
Speculation needs to be verified through practice. Yuki was running around to make sure he had enough time. Besides, he never operated in isolation. Good news kept coming one after another.
Frieren and Kaguya are back. They've made contact with the 'Odd Jobs,' a small, wanted group that's hoping the Judge will suffer. They'll find a time to contact Yuki.
Mona is back, Shiki Ryougi are progressing well with Ryougi Shiki; more and more friends are expressing their stance.
As a bonus, the Machine Intelligence are proceeding as planned, extricating themselves from the vortex while agreeing to act as intermediaries to contact the Fire of Fury.
Since a war was inevitable, Yuki naturally wanted to find more allies; he never even considered the foolish idea of fighting the Judge one-on-one.
"Two more days until the next dungeon opens. Should I go to the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons or wander around the Aether Particles?"
A group of people sat around a round table. Mona spat out orange peels, which drew a look of disgust from Yuki. This serious battle was turned into a trip by her.
This time, he won't hunt down the Judge, and Yuki doesn't care about killing a few high-ranking Inquisitors. He wants this sword to hang over their heads, causing widespread fear.
"We're not going anywhere. Stirring things up will only lead to a shakeout; we'll just have to wait and see."
"Brother, aren't you afraid of being resented?"
"It was the Judge who suppressed them, and even directly interfered. Why should they hold a grudge against me? Whether it's Rod or Raymond, do they deserve to bear all the pressure?" Yuki smiled coldly. As a master of using 'power', he had long since figured out people's hearts.
Every confrontation breeds hatred, and unless the Judge also turns a blind eye, they will inevitably become enemies. The question is, does the Judge dare to turn a blind eye?
"Alright, these targets are just to distract the Judge. Now that Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge has been injured, the entire Borderlands is full of 'Taiyi,' and there are several key factions that need their attention. So there's much less focus on me personally."
Yuki waved his hand. He had a good habit of always being humble. He opened his mouth, swallowed the orange Mai Sakurajima offered, then turned to the other side and swallowed the grape Hayasaka Ai gave him. Only after treating both sides evenly did he chew with satisfaction.
"Strength! Take this time to quickly improve your strength. You must reach Epic level to participate in the next part. There's no time to waste. The Judge also have experts on their side; they'll definitely have a solution."
Around the fire, with a table full of orange peels, melon seeds, and peanuts, these words were hardly convincing, but everyone's expressions turned serious.
By simplifying complexity, Yuki has now clarified the path forward, which boils down to three core principles:
First, based on previous conjectures, we will conduct in-depth research to determine a way to escape the cycle of Reincarnation Game.
Second, improve your skills and become qualified to realize your dreams.
Third, find friends to gain the ability to fight the Judge.
"Only you can do the first thing, and we can't help much with the third thing, so it seems we can only focus on the second thing," Mai Sakurajima said calmly, which made everyone nod in agreement.
They are the core members of the team, Yuki can only entrust them with truly top-secret matters; their monster-level strength is no longer sufficient.
Fortunately, Yuki laid a solid foundation for them. Hayasaka Ai is not far behind, Mai Sakurajima has entered the Monster IV realm, and the rest are also Monster III.
Just like the idea of "everyone working hard to get into University of Tokyo," a sense of determination spread through them. Yuki turned around, saw those determined purple eyes, and gripped Mai Sakurajima's hand tightly.