Chapter 496

As his knowledge increased, his ability to make up stories on the spot also increased dramatically. Besides, nothing is more difficult to understand than a single strike that transcends time and causality.

Mebius should be fine. She pursues immortality, and no one is more immortal than the 'Taiyi'. Hold on to this point, occasionally throw out some profound theories, and she won't escape my grasp.

Repulsion from the goal, grasping the idea that 'greed blinds reason' can surpass intelligence, because Mebius was truly interested in Taiyi.

"Could I have a vial of blood for research? Name your price, I won't treat you unfairly."

"What other secrets can I tell you? Really, just a tiny bit will do."

Mebius rambled on and on, but Yuki completely ignored him, saying only, 'The gains and losses are equal. You need something of equal value in exchange. I don't trust your potions. Your body? Turn left to the Mechanical Believers; someone prettier than you only costs 500 points.'

Lacking any gentlemanly manners, an ordinary woman would have been angry upon hearing such words, but Mebius seemed to take it all in stride.

"Since we're cooperating, you'll definitely need my help. But then again, what makes you think I wouldn't be ruthless enough to achieve my goals?"

"Cooperate with the Judge to directly obtain a piece of material? Leaving aside whether you can actually do it, you may seem ruthless, but you wouldn't betray your comrades."

"You know me very well?" The woman raised her long eyebrows. She was a bad woman, deliberately hiding herself. There wasn't much information about her even in the True Knowledge Encyclopedia. Even the Hidden Sage hadn't had any private contact with her, had he?

"Not just you, but also Miss Elysia. Yingjie's story is both moving and tragic. I'm more curious about what will happen to Earth and post-civilization when you become players." Yuki saw the snake's pupils shrink, and saw an incredulous look on its face.

He rarely revealed his knowledge as a time traveler, but he needed to put a lot of pressure on this dangerous and beautiful snake, making her fall into internal strife so that she would obediently follow his orders.

In the blink of an eye, his eyes turned pitch black, filled with countless points of light, like stars—this was the incomplete Truth's Eye.

It ignores all disguises, illusions, and mental shielding skills; besides that, it has another function—

Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge? Does he Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge?!

Mebius felt a chill run down his spine and deleted many of the plans he had just made. Weren't these things only for Judge?

"To destroy all things, you must first understand all things. Put away your petty thoughts. Where exactly is the Savior's office?" Yuki warned, his eyes conveying a depth of meaning beyond words.

"Come with me."

Mebius behaved himself this time. The Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge could not only see the future, Destiny, and cause and effect, but also monitor all things. Playing tricks and schemes in front of Him was tantamount to humiliating oneself.

They arrived at a round, tower-shaped building, its exterior dark and covered in chains. This was the benefit of stirring up trouble: the Judge knew this faction was suspicious, but couldn't spare the time to monitor them.

Yuki glanced at the notice board by the door and almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

What's this Death Simulator? And this is in the entertainment area?

"There are always people who enjoy experiencing imprisonment or the feeling of impending doom, and the 'Savior' happens to be an expert in this area," Mebius explained quietly from the side.

Oh, a masochistic simulator, huh?

Yuki understood immediately. Among the thousands of factions and countless players, there were always some people with unique tastes. This round tower was more advanced than the murder mystery games Yuki had played before.

It can truly make you feel excruciating pain, experience the despair of a planet exploding, and there's one more benefit to it.

"The apocalyptic scenario has countless monsters, which is just the right amount to trap that guy and prevent him from escaping to his death."

"Fire of Fury?"

Mebius nodded slightly, seemingly very concerned for his companion, and then led the way.

Walking through the unsettlingly dark corridor, with cells on either side having bars as thick as a forearm, and hearing mournful the Roar coming from inside as the chains rattled, Yuki's expression became quite interesting as he thought about how these players had voluntarily entered to suffer.

A masochistic simulator; normal players wouldn't go to such a horrible place.

"What should I call you?"

"My name is Crouch, just call me by my real name."

Mebius hummed in agreement, seemingly having heard of the player before, and casually asked, "Really 'The Hermit'? I remember he hasn't appeared in a long time."

"Half true, half false"

What does "half true, half false" mean? Could it be a sophisticated method of possession that retains some of the original person's memories?

Mebius speculated as he walked to the bottom of the round tower, where there was no way out, but just like the gathering point of the 'Ghost Hunter' back then, there was another mystery.

The two stepped directly over the wall, and space upon space appeared, the dark corridor vanishing instantly, as if they had stepped into a constellation of stars.

The stars were like a curtain, with Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus hanging overhead. It was as if he were strolling among the stars. Yuki stretched out his hand and swept it across the void, creating ripples of data streams. He unknowingly entered the virtual world.

"Your thing is far more advanced than the virtual reality of Machine Intelligence."

"Hmph, how can this piece of junk, which can't even simulate epic-level power, compare to mine?" Mebius snorted, his expression arrogant, but he was still quite pleased to receive Taiyi's praise. "This can be considered a byproduct of my pursuit of immortality. Unfortunately, no matter how exquisite it is, it can't escape the rules of the Reincarnation Game. I still have to do the tasks."

She had no fondness for the mission; it was merely a path to immortality.

Wow, this player is definitely a research-oriented player.

Yuki beyond praise; he couldn't discern the operating rules of this world at all. It Taiyi virtual reality, at least it didn't have that artificial feel.

Mebius is pretty good. If I hadn't gotten the first move in Nighttime Murder, she would have definitely won.

The two never met directly, and Mebius was practically invisible, yet he secretly created a bunch of monsters that weren't afraid of the night.

He stopped in his tracks. The Blue Star was ahead of him; it was Earth, but not the Earth that Yuki had imagined.

Fireballs rose from the surface, scorching the atmosphere and turning the earth black. Countless monsters were burned to nothingness, and a shadowy figure vented its rage, altering the terrain.

Epic Tier II: Players at this level certainly can't one-shot a star, but given enough time to wreak havoc, Earth really can't withstand it.

"That idiot Kalpas, is he really going to ruin my 'Simulated Universe' before he's satisfied!?" Mebius cursed from the side, his sharp voice making Yuki rub his ears before finally putting down his Conceptual Craft Essence.

The Fire of Fury is indeed Kalpas; if this is a trap, even Kalpas will perish.

"Simulated Universe?"

"Ah, I got this item from a Lost Ones. I can give it to you if you want it, but you have to give me a clone." With a quick dart of his snake-like eyes, Mebius was no longer angry.

Yuki shut his mouth. Where was he supposed to be? Maybe he should just cut off a hand and give it to her?

"Really not going to consider it? The 'Simulated Universe' is the top-tier tool in the entire Borderlands. It can be used for training and also for hiding." Mebius moved closer, sensing Yuki's interest, and coiled around him like a snake.

Yuki stepped aside slightly, skipping the topic. "I have something important to do in the next dungeon, and I need help, not lunatics."

"Who the hell are you calling a lunatic?!"

With a low, demonic growl, a figure wearing a silver mask, surrounded by billowing white smoke, appeared beside them, its eyes filled with chaos and arrogance.

Kalpas, but Taiyi as the Kalpas I remember.

Yuki looked at him, unable to pinpoint exactly what was wrong. He seemed to be a combination of anger, madness, and fighting spirit, yet his gaze was pure, more resolute and clear-headed than anyone else's.

Extreme madness can lead to clarity. No, Kalpas can only be described as irritable, not mad.

"Don't provoke him. He's been like this ever since he was injured by the Lord of Frenzied Flame from the 'End World.' Oh, he wasn't much better before. It took me a lot of effort to maintain his balance."

Listening to Mebius's explanation, Yuki understood. There were other problems beyond the original worldview. Could this Lord of Frenzied Flame be the one from the Elden Ring?

Kalpas was afflicted by the Frenzied Flame, but the Savior used other methods to pull him back, which is why a contradictory collection of opposites was formed.

Having seen many familiar faces, Yuki was uninterested in the adventures these heroes would have after becoming players. He frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the chosen candidates.

There's a high probability of problems in the next instance; uncontrollable pieces are worse than none at all.

"Don't worry, Kalpas has a good reputation; other players won't suspect he has teammates." Mebius snorted. The contact was a mutual decision; he wouldn't take the blame for this.

"Didn't you say that secrecy is the key? And I can hide my identity and affiliation, which perfectly matches your requirements."

Looking at Kalpas, who was eager to challenge 'Taiyi', Yuki couldn't understand what was so perfect about this.

"Why didn't Miss Elysia come in person?" Yuki was still somewhat unwilling. The trip to the Hero Kingdom was all for this moment, and Elysia was a player of Epic Rank III or higher, a truly powerful helper.

There's also a touch of curiosity; people want to see what kind of transformation a girl known for 'love' will undergo in Reincarnation Game.

"Forget it, with her around, no action can be considered 'secrecy' anymore. That fat bastard is lazy, gluttonous, bossy, and has a passive ability to trick people." Mebius muttered until Kalpas raised her hand to cover her mouth.

"But Elysia is the savior, even those besides Yingjie who chant 'Love Gate'."

It sounds similar to what I remember, but it's definitely not simple. Just how exaggerated is Elysia's likable character design?

Yuki became even more curious. Each faction was a collection of multiple worlds. Yingjie might listen to Elysia, but players from other worlds might not. Moreover, the 'Savior' faction sounded like they were full of bitter hatred and could easily turn to the dark side.

"Yes, yes, the legendary savior turned out to be a fat woman lying on the sofa eating potato chips."

"Elysia never hides her flaws, but everyone trusts her, and besides, she's not fat."

"Kalpas, why are you suddenly so sweet-talking? Could it be that you've fallen for her?"

"No one hates Elysia, and you too, do you want to die a few times?"

Yuki hadn't expected to witness an internal conflict. Looking around, he noticed that Kalpas was more talkative than he remembered. It wasn't surprising, though; these people had been Borderlands for countless years, experiencing countless dungeons. It would be strange if they remained unchanged.

"Alright, are you two the only 'Savior' in this dungeon?" Yuki interrupted the infighting, because Kalpas was genuinely itching to fight.

The two turned to look at each other, and Mebius gave a mocking smile, "You want to use people as cannon fodder, how many more do you want?"

He was seen through, but Yuki showed no shame. It was obvious that if he wanted to get the way to escape the cycle of Reincarnation Game from 'Taiyi,' he had to fight desperately. Yuki was no revolutionary mentor who would spread secrets for free.

"I'll be conducting an important experiment in the next instance, one that will determine the success of this path. Don't cause any trouble."

"Huh, you don't know either?" Mebius frowned. The reason why the pink fat woman dared to go all in was because that instance was outside the Reincarnation Game, which was more effective than Yuki's persuasive skills for ten thousand years.

"You're a scientist, you should know the relationship between 'possible' and 'certain.' I'm going to do the Race Game again."

"And then it will bring great danger?" Kalpas asked succinctly.

Yuki shrugged. "Isn't that obvious? Besides, he predicted that there was no need to provoke this danger. We've reached a critical point, and the Reincarnation Game's defense mechanism will definitely be triggered."

"Just say it, are you in or not?"

Mebius and Kalpas exchanged a glance, as if they saw in each other the annihilated world, the frozen apocalypse. This was their mission, a mission that had been maintained by Elysia for countless years.

Becoming players and pursuing battle and immortality in a wider world is their wish, but for some reason, they must first fulfill Elysia's wish.

Go home, finish what you haven't done, and save your own world.

Ideally, that enemy should be buried in the Reincarnation Game.

"Dry."

Chapter Nine Objective: Kill those who stand in my way!

"Mr. Yuki an agreement with the 'Savior'; they will form an alliance for the next mission."

Hiyori waved the letter in her hand and saw a relieved expression on Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima's faces.

Nobody's a fool; everyone knows that Yuki casual talk about how efficient three-line operations are is actually tinged with worry.

Both Mai Sakurajima and Hayasaka experienced the Bloodthirsty Red Moon" and "Calamity of Blood " instances, which were extremely dangerous and had a sense of being difficult at first but then easy later.

As for the Demon Hospital and the Global Insect Calamity, although they seem dangerous, they are actually under Yuki's control. They are not really for gaining points, but the chances of dying are relatively small.

"But I don't want this kind of concern." Hayasaka Ai said expressionlessly, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. "We've worked together to get through the last two times, so why can't we be included this time?"

"We almost died both times," Mai Sakurajima reminded him.

"He's not dead, is he? Sigh, the difference in strength is still too great. Back then, we were at least on the same level as him, but now without epic-level characters, we can only hold him back." Hayasaka Ai at Ryougi Mena Ryougi, who was packing her luggage, looking like she was about to embark on a long journey.

"I must achieve that level as quickly as possible and catch up with him. Even if I'm only at Epic Tier I, it will still be of some help..."

Before she could finish speaking, she felt a warm touch on the back of her hand. Kaguya, who was sitting on the ground, gently shook her head, indicating that this kind of mentality was not acceptable.

An impatient mindset can easily lead to disaster. It's like Versailles; Hayasaka Ai only completed a few dungeons, yet she's already Monster IV. Ninety-nine percent of players would be horrified to hear that.

"Don't worry, I'll stay calm inside the dungeon and won't mess things up." Hayasaka Ai gave a reassuring smile. She was anxious, but she knew that dead people couldn't level up, and acting alone was essential.

The team must have the ability to make its own decisions without Yuki's presence, rather than following him around to get rewards.

Mai Sakurajima glanced at her, took a sip of her black tea, and said, "No wonder you haven't been bothering that pighead lately, you've gotten impatient."

"Your senior didn't pester him either," Hayasaka Ai retorted, then pulled out a notebook and flipped through it as if she remembered something. "Wait a minute, on the night Yuki went to the Hero Kingdom, from 7:15 to 9:28, you went to the beach with him."

"Hayasaka -san, you've installed a camera again!?" Mai Sakurajima's hand trembled, spilling tea.

"No, I was just curious if you went into the grove. That's the place I created."

"Of course not!" Mai Sakurajima slammed her teacup down on the table, took a few deep breaths to restore her rosy complexion to its original paleness, and said, "Seriously, the wish has reached its final stage. We can't interfere with it. The enemy is powerful and not an NPC; they will definitely take action."

Everyone's expression turned serious. Who wouldn't want to stroll on the beach and watch the sunset? But everyone knew the price of that momentary pleasure.

The clearer the path ahead, the more things there are to do, just like this return, where everyone is connecting with each other everywhere.

"The Judge are temporarily confused, but they will definitely find the clues. We have no chance of winning in a direct confrontation." Kaguya Shinomiya pursed her lips, feeling immense pressure at the mention of the 'Judge'.

Eleven Epic IV-rank Grand Inquisitors, an unknown number, and Judge of Monster III or higher—this power is terrifying. The good news is that they have reached their peak and will not grow stronger; the bad news is that catching up with them is almost impossible.

"So that pig-headed guy was stirring up trouble everywhere, trying to loosen that clenched fist."

"But even a single finger could crush us. We must build up our strength before they can react." Hayasaka Ai held her breath. When Yuki, they seemed to be enjoying their daily lives, but they had an accurate understanding of the situation.