Chapter 562

The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Facing the suspicious Uchiha Madara, Aizen shook his head indifferently.

"How could that be? I don't have the habit of going easy on the enemy, and I can't be sure if He has really left. Besides, once the ascension channel reopens, whoever gets His legacy will be one step ahead. As for personal feelings, they are not worth mentioning."

The Judge was annoyed, but that didn't matter; most people were eyeing the mission rewards and had no reason to back down.

Uchiha Madara didn't believe the other side would hold back either, and rested his head in his hand. "Isn't there a more efficient way? Running around empty-handed every day like this will inevitably lead to complacency, and complacency means death."

This is the most troublesome problem for everyone. That is 'Taiyi'! If you're not careful, you'll die. And the method of Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge sounds wonderful, but it's too passive to implement.

High-level dungeons mean strong story factions and powerful players. These people won't obediently follow orders; some might even rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

The Judge will drop items when he is killed. High-level players are all cunning and scheming. Even if they don't dare to do it themselves, they will set traps to make the story factions take action. This is in line with the setting, so there's nothing to say about it.

"The Reincarnation Game didn't expect 'Taiyi' to be so cunning. If He doesn't enter the instance, we can only wait helplessly." Uchiha Madara sighed and complained, "I'm restricted in the instance, having to be wary of my own kind, yet I dare not retaliate."

"I understand, I understand. Lord Boros just killed a group of players. He's not as patient as you are." Aizen was equally troubled and hesitated, "If all else fails, we'll have to take the initiative, but Taiyi is too cunning. I can't be sure if he'll take the bait."

"Which piece should we use?"

"Yes, we need to wait until everyone returns to discuss this together."

Uchiha Madara remained silent. He also felt the chances were slim, but he was going crazy from being passive like this. The ones protecting 'Taiyi' were countless players who had no connection to him whatsoever.

"Give it a try. The stupid method of the Reincarnation Game is too much trouble." Madara agreed, then asked, "By the way, how's your investigation going?"

It seemed like a casual question, but if it were to resonate with the audience, the Judge would have already exploded. Aizen, however, remained as gentle as ever, though the giant tree palace was no longer before him.

He saw a wasteland littered with corpses, a huge alien creature howling as it fell, several girls cheering and jumping for joy, Aizen lowered the blood-stained longsword in his hand, revealing the same gentle smile.

"There's been a little progress."

Chapter Ten: Reunion Through the Seam

The boss is finally dead!

Hayasaka Ai gasped for breath, and the Death Knell, crackling with lightning, nearly fell to the ground.

The wasteland was littered with corpses, each with a black, steel-hard skin and an indescribably bizarre appearance; they were all offspring of this alien Boss.

The 'Aberration Calamity' instance is like a nightmare, with countless larvae spreading across the world like bacteria. Even if you drink a spoonful of water, they will grow in your abdomen and eventually burst out.

"It's finally over. I don't want to stay in this awful place for another second."

A girl wearing a rabbit hair accessory suddenly appeared beside them, looking at the mountain-sized alien body with disdain.

"The senior probably ate something she shouldn't have, thus ruining her 'beautiful girl can't poop' image."

"Go away, don't talk nonsense." Mai Sakurajima kicked out, but Hayasaka Ai nimbly dodged it. She didn't have the strength to chase after her and stared blankly at the mountain of corpses.

The Aberration Calamity was more difficult than the previous two missions combined. The insect eggs were impossible to defend against, and even the most Arcane Grade antidote was useless. Once the embryos were formed, there was no saving them. It was only thanks to Hiyori and using Reality Reading to capture the details that things were so difficult.

She unknowingly fell victim to the virus, but fortunately, Hiyori noticed the initial symptom of "slight trembling in her fingers," and then... then she had a large, poopy bowel movement.

These larvae have the potential to destroy the entire world, forming an alien army hundreds of times larger than the 'Cosmic Insect Disaster,' and their method of breaking the deadlock is simple and brutal.

Hiyori deduced the location of the alien's true form. Hayasaka Ai rallied the players with her epic-level reputation, and then Mona and Frieren played along, uniting all the remaining players to descend from outer space orbit and head straight for the lair to behead it.

Thirty-seven players, and only a few remain after all the deaths?

She turned her head and looked around, only to see more than ten players scattered throughout the battlefield. The 'Space Marines' who had parachuted in with them were also mostly dead or wounded, and they were embracing and cheering.

"This is terrible! If we had dragged this out for another half hour, we would all have been wiped out." Hiyori quietly walked over and glanced at the girl on the desolate mountain, whose expression was tense due to the cheers of the crowd. "Kaguya did a good job; that arrow went straight for the vital point."

"It was because you discovered the Xenomorph's mental connection that we didn't get bogged down in fighting the larvae and focused our firepower on the Boss."

"I was just guessing. If the Boss falls and the juvenile inherits, we'll still die. This hint was misleading and almost ruined everything." Hiyori was still shaken. The hint said that the Alien King would choose a successor, but it didn't say that it had to be alive to choose.

After reading millions of words of research data on Space Marines, her head was spinning, but she was very proud because this instance was even more difficult than the Cosmic Insect Disaster, and she had found a way out without Yuki.

Mai Sakurajima patted the girl's head and whispered, "Wait for our return. Don't contact Mona and the Mona yet; there are too many people around here."

"Hmm, Miss Mona is very clever and won't give herself away." Hiyori nodded slightly, looking into the distance where the little girl was cheering with a group of players from the 'Controller' faction, as if they were the real teammates.

The two sides sometimes fought and sometimes cooperated within the instance, and could never be considered friends. But only they knew that what appeared to be several factions were actually one small team, and certain troublemakers had already been eliminated by working together.

She stretched and concluded with satisfaction, "Now that Miss Kaguya has achieved an accomplishment, she can concentrate her resources on advancing to Epic level."

"This is all thanks to Hiyori. I thank you on behalf of Miss." Hayasaka Ai breathed a sigh of relief. They had followed the same routine for these three consecutive instances.

Whoever can advance to Epic rank, the entire team's resources are used to feed them, and then the snowball effect continues.

"No, it's all thanks to everyone's hard work and sharing." Hiyori smiled lightly, then turned her head away warily.

A handsome young man in blood-stained clothes walked slowly, leaning on a knife, seemingly exhausted, with a gentle smile on his face.

" With Thorny Rose as the main force, it's only natural that they achieved an epic level."

Completely convinced—that's the highest praise a fellow player can receive. Hiyori also mentally reviewed the other player's information.

Aozaki Shun, a player known as 'Monster's Follower', is of average strength in this dungeon, being a Rank Monster III. All five of his companions perished. He joined the raid after Hayasaka issued a joint call.

He is a low-key and gentle person, and has gotten along well with everyone over the past ten days, just like those boys in the class who have good grades, gentle personalities, but are not very noticeable.

Hiyori quietly retreated behind Mai Sakurajima, while the senior smiled gracefully, "Mr. Aozaki, you flatter me. Without everyone's Isshin, the victory would not have been possible."

The team has a division of labor: Hayasaka Ai plays the role of the ice queen, Shiina Hiyori plays the role of the socially awkward one, and Mai Sakurajima- senpai usually handles the interactions with other players.

"This is the truth. Players from every faction suffered heavy losses, except for 'Thorny Rose,' which survived. Miss Hayasaka, please don't look at me like that; it's just a simple compliment." Aozaki Shun waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he meant no harm, and mustered his courage to say:

"I want to establish a long-term partnership with everyone, and I'll increase the stakes as I please."

"I'm sorry, we have no intention of cooperating with other factions." Mai Sakurajima smiled professionally; as an idol, she knew all too well how to politely refuse others.

"That's... such a pity. I think everyone in the Thorny Rose group has great potential and will eventually take center stage in the Borderlands."

"We just want to live in this Borderlands; we have no ambitions."

"Haha, I figured it out."

It was purely awkward small talk. Because of Yuki, Mai Sakurajima was extremely wary of all players, even her allies who were fighting alongside her.

Aozaki Shun didn't insist, only saying some polite words like looking forward to 'the next collaboration', before turning and leaving, leaving the girls looking at each other in confusion, wondering what he was up to.

His figure gradually faded, but then he suddenly turned his head.

"There's something I forgot to mention. Actually, we've met before—no, to be precise, my friend met you." The young man turned around, revealing a mysterious smile, "Your leveling speed is truly astonishing, and what's even more amazing is that you all survived. That's the Miracle."

As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared, while Mai Sakurajima's muscles tensed for a moment before she turned around abruptly.

"When Monster's Follower ever accompanied us?"

This...

Nobody could answer that; there were too many overlapping tasks, and who knows when they'd encountered players from that faction.

"Perhaps it's the Golden City? There are a few players who haven't revealed their identities from beginning to end." Hiyori thought for a while, but she wasn't quite sure. Of course, the answer wasn't important.

"It's a bit of a problem. Our leveling speed is indeed a bit too fast, so it's inevitable that we'll be noticed. All told, it's only been five Moon -Borderlands, and I've gone straight from the Transcendental Grade to the Epic level." Hayasaka Ai thought this was a distinctive feature, but didn't really pay it much attention.

"We didn't cheat. Every bit of our strength was hard-earned. Frieren used the Fool's Mask to hide his identity, so he shouldn't have noticed anything, right?"

They not only have to level up quickly, but they also have to be extremely careful. For example, Frieren used the Fool's Mask and played the role of an autistic person for a long time, never interacting with anyone.

Even if the Judge himself came, there would be nothing to question. We level up quickly because of the high frequency of dungeons; we don't want to do this kind of tedious work.

"That's strange. Even if he's interested in our potential, shouldn't it be him who makes the contact? Wait, who's the leader of the Monster's Follower again?"

"Code name 'Dragon Maid,' I've heard she's very strong. Perhaps Aozaki Shun is her direct subordinate?" Hiyori wasn't quite sure. Each faction has countless player groups, and investigating the ecosystem of each faction was one of her interests.

The strange person seemed to be confirming something, while the players on the wasteland had already returned to their respective places, with players like Frieren and Mona having already finished their training.

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

Kaguya Shinomiya landed from the height, barely able to contain her smile. Being a hero is so exhilarating! It's a pity her one-hour return time is limited, otherwise she could give a proper speech.

"Yes, I need to go back and take a good shower; I stink." Hayasaka Ai stretched and casually asked, "Miss, did Aozaki Shun talk to you about anything? He seemed a bit strange."

It's really strange. Cooperation between players is something they can't avoid. After completing the task and receiving the rewards, they all leave one by one. The next time they meet, they might be enemies, so there's no need to flatter them.

Kaguya stared at her maid, tilting her head and blinking repeatedly.

"Miss?"

"Wait, who is this Aozaki Shun you're talking about? Is there such a player in the dungeon?"

The wilderness fell into dead silence. The four looked at each other, somewhat bewildered and somewhat eerily. After a few seconds, they all held their breath.

Ah, that's about right.

Yuki finally completed the massive project, gazing at the dense array of props before him, and gently patted his lower back.

During his journey with the Aether Particles, he collected a total of 28 level 5 items, 5 level 6 items, and some miscellaneous Bloodline Object, Alienated Grade items, and so on. If he were indiscriminate in his pursuit of these items, he could add a zero to the end of this number.

"Forget it, there's no need to add to Shiki's workload. It's already quite troublesome to clean up and get rid of each prop, and I don't have time to slowly select them."

Chaos Item aren't necessarily better the higher their level; it depends on their compatibility with overall skills and their upgrade potential. He wasn't overly greedy.

"Hmm, these can be given as gifts to the upperclassmen. Defensive items with fewer side effects are always a good investment." Yuki picked up a piece of armor woven with gold thread. It was as light as a cicada's wing, yet strong enough to withstand a direct hit from a large-caliber electromagnetic cannon.

"Let's sell these for points; they should be worth at least ten or twenty thousand points."

"Hey, this 'N3 Fusion Bomb' is interesting. I can use it myself, no, to be precise, for my stand-in."

Murder and arson are quick ways to make money. With connections in the 'Valhalla,' it's easy to launder money in a short time. With countless players, the money changes hands many times and becomes impossible to trace. There's even a dedicated black market in the Borderlands.

They would 'give' these items to newcomers, then let them die in the dungeon and then retrieve them. After doing this a few times, even the strongest causal connection would break.

"It's a pity I don't have a suitable Bloodline Object. I was planning to enhance my Demon Possession or Soul Corruption."

Yuki shook his head, showing no sign of discouragement. He was determined to have quality over quantity; he could simply steal or buy, having already made a comprehensive plan and would not settle for less.

Huh, they're back?

Yuki heard the commotion outside and had just turned around when the door was kicked open with a bang. Mona, her face full of surprise, stood in the doorway, her eyes wide.

The two stared at each other, and though it was only a few Borderlands, it felt like an eternity before their senses kicked in and an alarm sounded.

"Brother! You're finally back!!"

With Mona startled cry, Mona lunged forward in a flash. The transition from stillness to speed took only a moment, Yuki instinctively dodged.

Ouch.

Mena Ryougi missed her target and rolled several times on the floor. Yuki wanted to laugh, but seeing the props flying everywhere, veins bulged on his forehead.

"I went through so much trouble to tidy this up, and you...!"

"Why did my older brother have to hide? Mona want a loving hug!"

"Pah! I don't want to get hit by your armor-piercing bullet. Can't you be a little more ladylike?"

"The faster the Incandescence, come here, let Mona give you a good hug."

Frieren walked gracefully to the door, her round face stiffening for a moment before breaking into a gentle smile. She saw Yuki taking a lunge, his hands supporting the little girl's head, the latter's legs blurring as he ran, yet he couldn't move an inch.

"We're back, Mr. Yuki."

Yuki turned his head to greet them, he caught a glimpse of Mona's eyes light up.

Great opportunity!

She suddenly released her strength and then lunged forward, slamming Yuki directly into the wall with a 'bang'. Then she caught his waist, pressed her face against her chest, and gasped for breath.

The little black head bobbed back and forth in front of his chest. Yuki sat in the corner, giving up the struggle, and looked at Frieren with a sense of utter despair.

"Mona had a tough time this time; most of the time, we had to rely on her for output." Frieren's smile became more pronounced, and the look of disdain he had for her was gone.

The two of them had been teaming up for a long time, and their relationship had grown much stronger after completing three dungeons.

"Yeah, yeah, it's really tough for me. I have to be the main character and play the bad guy at the same time. Sometimes I even have to wear Fool's Mask to pretend to be a master." The girl lying on Yuki's chest raised her head, wrinkled her nose, and looked at him as if to say, "Praise me, praise me!"

"You were the only epic-level player before we set off, so of course you've had a tough time." Yuki ruffled Mona's hair, enjoying the silky feel of her black hair, and then noticed the puddle of drool on his chest.

You didn't have this bad habit before.

"I need to relieve stress too. I can't help it, I only have Frieren around, and the touch is amazing. Why don't you try it too, brother?"

Yuki turned his head. Without even looking, he knew that Frieren was the greatest among them. Then he saw the round-faced girl with flushed cheeks, but her eyes looked like she was looking at a large piece of movable trash.

It's back; that look in my eyes has finally returned.

Yuki, on the other hand, felt comfortable and craned his neck to look out the door. "Where are the seniors? Aren't they in the same instance as you?"

The team split up and regrouped, and this mission of 'Aberration Calamity' was completed together. Mona finally climbed up from Yuki's chest.