Chapter 548
[After the solidified boundaries, this is the first time outside of the Great Game that a world has fallen.]
The person who perpetrated this tragedy was named 'Taiyi'.
In a world filled with gray fog, the ten Grand Inquisitors, like ten stars, listened quietly to the narration of the 'Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge.' Not long ago, this special life form, which was like a supercomputer, suddenly murmured.
All the Judge assembled instantly, and the track leading directly to the target was about to be built. Just as everyone was about to carry out the highest-level trial mission, the track disappeared.
Then, they heard a voice originating from the very essence of the Reincarnation Game.
It's like a person in a vegetative state who has lost consciousness and is being electrocuted, making an instinctive reaction. But because they have been asleep for too long, are too badly injured, and have too large a body, every reaction is slow, giving the feeling that a day in heaven is equivalent to ten years on earth.
But this murmur was the only time, aside from assigning tasks, that the whispered message was spoken voluntarily. The sheer volume of information left each of the Grand Judges speechless, finally understanding why the Reincarnation Game was pushing them to the brink of death.
Taiyi truly can free a world from the Reincarnation Game.
This is absolutely devastating for the Reincarnation Game. According to the Grand Inquisitors, every planet, every instance, and every world was either created by the Reincarnation Game with great effort or was territory seized from the Great Game.
Not only did Taiyi betray Him, but He also turned Him into a mentally challenged person and even tried to cut flesh from Him during the Reincarnation Game. Who could tolerate this?
"Wait, the Race Game instance has also lost contact. Why didn't you react?"
[Because the Crimson Moon World was created by reincarnators in a desolate land, it is not the original world.]
Wow, reincarnators can create worlds? Is that terrifying?
The Grand Inquisitors fell silent, a strong sense of ambition spreading through them. They too wanted to be such supreme beings, but because Taiyi's progress was all stalled, Yuki's offer had no effect.
Does this mean that dungeons are divided into several types? Race Game are a way to make use of resources, while this Hero Continent belongs to a native world?
Aizen propped his head up, silently thanking Yuki for helping him understand so many things again.
'No wonder the passage was blocked after the Great Cataclysm, yet the Reincarnation Game didn't lose territory; it turns out the borders were sealed off.'
He knew that there was an even higher-level war above it called the 'Great Game,' where the Lost Ones were the territory of other Game Players who had fallen into the Reincarnation Game and would be targeted and eliminated.
'Does this mean the area I'm in is an independent kingdom, with untouchable independent kingdoms like the Pantheon, the Star God Galaxy, and the Chaos Game?'
Aizen couldn't see the magnificent view above, nor did he know what those reincarnators looked like, let alone who was organizing the Great Game. But this was a good thing; he couldn't tolerate becoming an ant any further.
This Reincarnation Game seems to have become more intelligent; before, it would only mechanically issue tasks and never answer questions.
Furthermore, when will my 'Water Moon Clones' find suitable contacts?
He narrowed his eyes, countless thoughts flashing through his mind, but he remained a quiet listener, letting the other Grand Judges ask questions.
"But we let 'Taiyi' escape again. Once the instance loses contact, there's no chance to even look for clues."
"Yes, He is growing stronger and stronger, and it won't be long before He launches a counterattack."
"What exactly is Taiyi? Is it a person, an organization, or a collection of fragments?"
"Can we just issue a kill order? Any faction associated with Taiyi will be wiped out. We're targets everywhere now, we're all confused."
The high judges bombarded the court with questions, as if a Giant were unsure of which target to strike, and of course, there was no shortage of outbursts of fury.
"Abandon your damned thinking, annihilate everything related to Him, cut off limbs, hollow out the body, leaving only the soul, then crush the soul—wouldn't that be victory?!"
The most violent and deepest voice roared, and the red star represented the 'World-Destroying Sword Demon,' who, like the 'Undying Sin Lizard,' was ostracized by the other Grand Inquisitors.
Because they don't use their brains, things get out of control, and usually these people have to be sent away.
Whether in doubt, questioning, or rage, the Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge floated in mid-air, and after a while, opened their countless eyes.
The great Reincarnation Game has fallen asleep once more.
Grass!
All the big shots present covered their heads. There was nothing more terrifying in the world than a god-level enemy and a mentally challenged teammate. Some even regretted not cooperating with Taiyi instead of rebelling against him.
[However, the defense mechanism is being optimized, and the reaction speed will increase tenfold next time.]
The words of Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge made the Grand Judge feel a little better. This time, the reaction speed was too slow. By the time they intervened directly, the other party had already run away, but it wouldn't have made any real difference.
You can optimize, but 'Taiyi' can't? Just be quicker next time.
[His whereabouts are being calculated; the next time his movements are tracked, the instance's mutation will be amplified.]
"Why can't we just eliminate it directly? Why go through all this trouble?"
[No, unless he violated the instance's warning.]
Ah, this...
The Grand Judges quickly came to their senses. Why was the Reincarnation Game considered idiotic? It had nothing to do with intelligence; He had no concept of intelligence.
'Confirmed. The Reincarnation Game no longer has the ability to actively eliminate enemies; it's more like a program-based targeting system. Taiyi attracts attention because certain actions trigger this program.'
Aizen seemed lost in thought, and began to speculate: if it were a piece of code, would it be possible to master it?
"You've Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge, haven't you? You've caught 'Taiyi' by the tail!" He raised his voice, silencing the murmurs.
We're all in this together; the important thing is to solve the problem, not to listen to the Reincarnation Game boasting about the greatness of Taiyi.
[Yes, 'Taiyi' has passed the crucial point and knows how each world is linked to the main body of the Reincarnation Game.]
The word "chuang" is used very wonderfully, and now "Tai Yi" has also taken great risks in that world.
"By what?"
[Reincarnation Item]
"Wait a minute, aren't reincarnation items supposed to be trials for becoming a reincarnator? What does that have to do with the linked world?" Uchiha Madara asked from not far away. This information was classified, but veteran players already knew it.
This is the fourth trial, the trial that transforms a player into something else.
[There is no conflict. Reincarnation items are rewards for the trials of reincarnators; their supreme power must be forged with blood.]
What a huge bet!
The Grand Inquisitors were shocked. It meant that the trial required the price of an entire world. Not to mention the combat power of the instance, it was unimaginable to be an enemy of an entire world.
Wait a minute, since the reincarnation item is a link point, it's essentially part of the Reincarnation Game. By passing this trial, the reincarnator and the game become one and the same, completely different from us players.
"Legend has it that the Samsara Path possesses supreme power, even capable of calling upon the Reincarnation Game for direct support; it is the credential for participating in the Great Game." Aizen suppressed his excitement and asked intently, "Then Taiyi must possess at least two of them. How could we possibly be a match for him?"
[He is no longer a reincarnator; forcibly activating him will not unleash his full power, and the reincarnation items will resonate with each other.]
This relieved the high court judges, and soon someone realized what was happening.
"Did the resonance between the reincarnation items trigger the defense mechanism?"
[Yes, he closed off the path forward, but at this stage, there could be no resonance; if there were, it would be with him.]
"But Taiyi is cunning and must have guessed this defense mechanism. By the time we react, he will have already made his escape."
Everyone was disappointed; wasn't this still just passive defense?
No, the reaction speed of the defense mechanism will continue to improve.
"When will we have to wait until 'Taiyi' comes with a bunch of reincarnation items to attack us?"
[No, think about it the other way around. At this stage, only 'Taiyi' possesses the Reincarnation Item. No matter how he hides it, we can use the Reincarnation Item to resonate in reverse. Some special Reincarnation Items have a very short resonance cooldown period.]
Countless dungeons unfold every second, but the number of players at the top is extremely small. Since the number of dungeons unfolding at the same time is limited, the probability of encountering one is higher.
Hey, that's actually a good line of thinking.
Everyone present was a seasoned veteran, and this reverse search method sounded very reliable.
Even if 'Taiyi' is incredibly powerful, he couldn't possibly use his Epic Tier III or higher strength to swarm the fish pond. Although there are countless Game Players, only a limited number can reach this level. Most of them have already obtained the necessary permissions, and they might not even undertake a mission once every Borderlands years.
Players at this level are all top-tier players with thousands of underlings to take care of; they have no time to do quests.
The reason why it wasn't used before is quite simple.
This was a message personally delivered by the Reincarnation Game in a moment of desperation, but it came at a huge cost.
Even the Grand Inquisitor is not qualified to obtain these secrets. The Reincarnation Item itself is a very powerful item, and these people are pursuing power.
"So the question is, how do we obtain the reincarnation items?" Aizen held his breath. When the gaze representing supreme authority locked onto him, he knew his opportunity had arrived.
[I am but a tool for reincarnation.]
The Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge answered in this way.
This is it; it puts the key item in my hands.
Aizen remained calm, ignoring the various complex gazes, and thoughtfully considered the situation.
"Judging from the current situation, 'Taiyi' has no ability to escape from the instance. If we can find Him, everything can be over."
"That's the ideal situation, but judging from the 'Aether Particles' situation, it seems he can move freely within the Borderlands?" someone immediately asked. Without this ability, Yuki would have been caught long ago.
"But we already have a way to block one road, and as for the Borderlands— " Aizen had a backup plan, his tone gentle:
"If we can face Him directly next time and initiate Faction Judgment, he won't get away so easily."
"It's definitely different from last time."
At the same time, Yuki suddenly appeared in the Starry Sky Room and stood there for a full five minutes.
There was no mission summary, no mission evaluation, and not even any achievement information. It was as if the mission was never completed and then abruptly ended, forcing the player to return.
No, to be precise, it's a network outage or disconnection?
Yuki stroked his chin, gradually realizing what was going on. The 'Race Game' instance was special; 'No One Survives' was the normal world. He had severed his connection with the main body of the Reincarnation Game, so of course there would be no subsequent settlement.
"Phew, thankfully my analysis was correct."
Yuki didn't regret the points he had accumulated from the mission summary. Even at the EXA level, it was only twelve specialization points, which wasn't a problem at this stage. He was more worried about something else.
Cutting off contact might cause him to drift away like a leaf on the Hero Continent. He'd be free then, but what would happen to his seniors?
"In other words, the player's coordinates are fixed at the Outpost, so the simple plan can be scrapped."
If the coordinates are unpredictable, he can pull his senior classmates and others into a dungeon, cut off their contact, and gain freedom in return.
Desertion in the face of battle is undignified, but it can be shameless.
"Good thing, this clarifies the path forward. We still need to sever the connection between the Outpost and the Reincarnation Game, but what about Frieren and Mona?"
With this as a key topic, Yuki his shoulders, feeling that the fog obscuring his vision was almost completely clearing up. Of course, this fog only applied to escaping the Reincarnation Game.
He yearned for freedom from beginning to end. As for the reincarnators, what did the secrets of the Great Game have to do with me? That was the core secret of the Reincarnation Game, but my quest couldn't reach that depth, so why bother myself?
Now that we know what to do, the next step is to figure out how to do it.
Yuki paced among the stars, this time slower than usual, attracting the attention of the Reincarnation Game. Unlike the 'Race Game,' it didn't leave a trace. Fortunately, the entire instance had detached from the Reincarnation Game's main body, so there was no opportunity to investigate.
But he wasn't arrogant. He felt that the Reincarnation Game couldn't do anything to him, and that he could keep farming reincarnation items in the future.
His two experiences taught him that reincarnation items are either the most core and supreme items in a dungeon, or, like in the Outpost, they have no presence at all and cannot be easily accumulated.
It's like 'No One Survives'. Yuki enters the instance, he can pull out the Divine Torch. Don't even mention that it takes time for the Chaos Furnace Flame to fly from the Gate of the Divine Realm to your doorstep. The next moment, Sorion will probably bring the gods and turn you into dust.
"Don't be greedy. Besides, I've lingered too long this time. The Reincarnation Game should already know what method I used to liberate the world."
He glanced at the atomic clock, which recorded the time from activating the Divine Torch to fleeing, but after thinking about it, Yuki decided not to use it as a reference point.
The Reincarnation Game will definitely be adjusted, and the reaction speed will only get faster and faster. Considering the previous idea of the 'world core', the risk of repeating the same trick is extremely high. If that 'Sorion' is difficult to deal with, it will be troublesome.
Activating the reincarnation item sets you on a path of no return; there's no way to stop halfway.
"I'll make ten guesses about the Reincarnation Game for now. My liberation of the world poses a fatal threat to Him, so He will definitely try to find a way to search in reverse, and the resonance characteristic of reincarnation items is a breakthrough point."
Yuki's gaze shifted slightly as he connected the idea of perspective-taking with the resonance of items. If he could lure the Chaos Furnace Flame out of the Divine Realm, then others could also lure him with reincarnation items, and no amount of clever disguise could conceal it.
Only Taiyi possesses the reincarnation artifact, so it is Taiyi who triggers the resonance.
"We must assume that the Judge possesses the reincarnation artifact. Based on this, I can no longer accept missions, otherwise I'll have nowhere to run."
There's no way to escape from inside the instance, and Yuki didn't dare gamble on whether the resonance range was large or small. After thinking about it, he decided it didn't really matter.
No One Survives this trip; they've eaten their fill, and after advancing to Epic IV rank, there's no need for them to perform any more missions. This is why top players rarely appear in dungeons.
As the finish line approaches, the big shots are more concerned about safety.
"This gain is enough for me to digest for a while. The situation is tense, and there's no need to risk my life for that little bit of power. The more important task is to test how the Outpost can escape the game."
This is the most crucial part, the final experiment. The feeling of the Hero Kingdom must be proven by data. If the reincarnation item is activated but the link point doesn't appear, and the Reincarnation Game follows, then that would be foolish.
Outpost are different from dungeons. You have to try different conditions to find the link and how much time it takes, and you can't try it in the Thorny Rose.
"Which guinea pig should we choose? There must be few of them, they shouldn't be hostile towards me, and ideally, they shouldn't be being targeted by the Judge, because I also need to test the Reincarnation Game's counterattack mechanism."
Yuki scratched his head. This was the most difficult part. Someone like 'Hero Kingdom' had probably just pulled out the Chaos Furnace Flame when the Grand Inquisitor was already standing in front of him.