Chapter 584
Volume 1: The Path of Awakening from Dreams
Chapter 1 Taiyi's Legacy
I did it, and I went all the way.
Yuki had many ideas and chose different scenarios based on the enemy's response.
As the story unfolds, the lines between reality and illusion blur, and the choice between abandoning the project decisively leads to different outcomes. However, with Aizen's 'cooperation,' the plot intensifies dramatically.
It's neither good nor bad, because every script has a sequel, and everything is under control.
"This time I can go all out and see it through to the end; even hesitation is suicidal."
Yuki stood in the living room. Hayasaka Ai and Kaguya Shinomiya, the master and servant, had already returned. They breathed a sigh of relief and were staring blankly at him.
The briefest summary has already been done, and like with Aizen, it focuses on the strategic significance.
"So, we chose the fastest scenario?" Hayasaka Ai tilted her head, seemingly understanding the situation. "The advantage is that we don't have to lose reincarnation items, and we don't have to continue optimizing the Reincarnation Game?"
"Well, the downside is the rush. In other scenarios, I planned for everyone to reach Epic IV rank so they could challenge it fair and square. Unfortunately, the enemy is too smart and has already found my weakness." Yuki shrugged. It was a two-way street, I suppose.
Kaguya pursed her lips, somewhat puzzled by the relaxed-looking man. He knew it was rushed, didn't he? "I wanted to do a couple more dungeons to improve my strength."
"Don't overthink it. One strike will cut off all room for maneuver. Even if the Reincarnation Game reacts slowly, it will quickly launch a war."
"Can we buy some more time? We're not ready yet."
"The Thorny Rose might be able to hide, but Valhalla can't. I'll be even more likely to lose as a lone commander." Yuki had already anticipated this situation and was mentally prepared. "Nobody's prepared; that's what makes it fair."
This is an advantage; on someone else's turf, who dares to compete with the Reincarnation Game in terms of preparedness?
Looking at the two anxious people, Yuki felt just as uncertain, but this was already the plan with the highest probability of success.
"Regret is time; let's get started. There's still a lot of preparation to be done."
After saying that, he turned and headed towards the starry sky. Hayasaka Ai's lips moved, but no sound came out.
Having known this man for so long, she understood him too well. Once she made up her mind, only two paths remained:
It's either death or victory.
"Miss Kaguya, there's no time to rest, let's hurry up."
"But aside from familiarizing ourselves with the skills, there's nothing we can do to help." Kaguya seemed a little lost; being an enemy of the 'Reincarnation Game' sounded terrifying.
Hayasaka Ai didn't know what to do either, her laughter sending chills down Kaguya's spine.
"Don't worry, he'll squeeze every last drop of value out of you."
Regret takes time, hesitation takes time, and even crying takes time.
Once you've made a decision, don't change it. Just focus on doing it well. Even if you fail, wouldn't it be a less painful defeat?
Yuki is sometimes remarkably simple-minded, never preoccupied with gains or losses. He may have countless guesses, but once he decides to embark on a particular path, he will continue down that path.
The mission summary would have to wait for Mebius's data, and then he would call Hiyori to analyze it together and deduce the battle plan from the data. Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to just wait idly; he would take this time to finish the rest of his tasks.
The first thing I gained was...
As the victor in the battle, Yuki not only gained intelligence, but also tangible benefits.
"A large number of Chaos Item were packed up and taken away by Kalpas and the others. Ha, you guys underestimated one thing. I also considered the petty gains from the changes in the Borderlands."
Yuki arrived at this shattered starry sky, a satisfied smile on his face. The Grand Inquisitors were all incredibly intelligent; they must have already considered the consequences of the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' battle.
The strategy of making an example of someone to deter others has certainly failed. The various factions in the Borderlands are in greater chaos than before. Furthermore, the fall of Lord Cinder and others has made it difficult for them to find allies.
"But you didn't expect that I had a trick up my sleeve. Normally, it's hard to get rid of so many Chaos Item, at least I don't have time to slowly clean up my name. But now it's different. Whenever there is turmoil, humanity's innate sense of crisis always comes into play."
The Reincarnation Game is in preparation, Yuki is in preparation, and every ordinary player is in preparation. Since there is no concept of food in the Borderlands, all that's left is to hoard guns.
It's okay to think about it; this is an open conspiracy, an unstoppable one.
These items will be exchanged for points, which will then be converted into specialization or enhancement points to benefit Yuki. He will not take more than his share, strictly adhering to the rule that 'only killing and plundering are beyond question.'
Yuki didn't know what the effect of this rule was, and there were many players in the Borderlands who had become rich through points, but after seeing the 'Fireflies' of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, he began to understand.
"Let Valhalla be exposed, so the Savior won't be under too much pressure. I also need to step up my efforts."
With a single piece left, Yuki began to take out the spoils he had personally hunted. This time, he had far fewer hauls Aether Particles, but their quality was exceptionally high.
'Blasphemous King' Arkad, 'Superior Cursed Spirit' Sukuna, ' Isshin Ashina, King of Kindling.
The weakest among them all possess Epic Tier II strength, and powerful figures like the King of Kindling are practically untouchable. They rarely do quests, so you can't exactly rush into the 'End World' to die, can you?
"Thanks, you've given me an opportunity." Yuki accepted it with a smile, probably guessing that the Judge were mistaken, thinking that his rapid leveling up was due to regaining his original power, so there was no need to be overly cautious.
But in reality, that Taiyi didn't give me any real power; it was all earned by me through sheer hard work and skill.
Whenever Yuki thinks of this, he gets angry. The value of 'Taiyi's' existence lies in solving the Reincarnation Game and preventing the game from directly destroying him. Apart from that, the only benefit he has is 'nothingness'.
"Sigh, it's more reassuring to rely on my own abilities."
Looking at the four soul materials before him, Yuki already had a plan without much thought.
Specialization points should be saved to improve physical attributes, and I'll have to wait to sell the stolen goods in the Valhalla. Fortunately, some skills only require Soul Materials, which are even harder to obtain.
"First of all, there's the Stand User. This is a strategic skill, and when combined with Hayasaka's Fool's Mask, it's indistinguishable from anything except for experts in the soul realm like the Lord of Cinder."
Without Overclock Mode, even writing the most elaborate Future Diary wouldn't complete the script, so I incorporated the soul materials of Arkad and Sukuna.
[Stand User (LV.4)]
[Simultaneously control two clones, controlling the entire plane; Overclock Mode: Limit control time of 2 hours, slightly reduced control precision, gaining transdimensional control]
[Damage refund reduced to 30%, one skill remembered]
Wow, even better than I expected.
The number of clones has not increased, but the time and precision of cross-dimensional manipulation have been enhanced. In addition, damage return has been reduced and memory space has been removed.
The former is strategic, Yuki rarely attacks simultaneously with his Stand is not only to weaken his own skill pool, but also because if his Stand dies, the damage will be completely returned to him, requiring a recovery time. As for memory spaces, as described, they can only be used for skills.
Transcendental Grade skills, bloodline skills, and special skills are all acceptable.
With just this Stand User, one can reach the pinnacle. If I'm not mistaken, subsequent upgrades will focus on damage reduction and memorizing skills. If a monster with 100% damage reduction and memorizing dozens of skills is created, a "Stand user" branch will be opened among "summoning" players.
"Unfortunately, this skill has already reached its limit. The required materials have doubled. Where am I going to find so many epic-level fat pigs to kill?"
It's not that we can't kill them, it's that we don't have the opportunity.
Furthermore, Stand User have a drawback: while any item or skill can be returned, Reincarnation items cannot. If you use them to lure enemies, you must be prepared to suffer losses.
"The fundamental difference is too great; there's no room for trickery."
Yuki shook his head regretfully. He would have used the remaining two more precious materials to upgrade the item to LV5, but Yuki already had a specific purpose for using them.
By investing Isshin Ashina's soul materials, you can unlock the Six Gods' Authority, the God of Civilization.
[Fictitious Historiography: Mastering all recorded materials, wielding power to confuse the enemy's memory, and weakening the owner's sense of existence from the root]
It's a very strange authority, theoretically somewhat similar to Mai Sakurajima's characteristics. Just like in "And Then No One Survives," the records about the "Chaos Furnace Flame" were completely erased, with only a few words preserved through oral accounts.
That's hundreds of millions of people, hundreds of thousands of epic-level powerhouses, an item that serves as the core of the world, so numerous that even punctuation marks can hardly record it.
"It can be used as a high-level illusion in battle, but strategically it can be combined with the Future Diary. Heh, Reincarnation Game, are you messing with me?"
Yuki laughed. Every time the Reincarnation Game reached a certain point, it would cause trouble, and each time he survived, he would become stronger, just like this 'No One Survives' directly opened up a skill tree.
The Six Gods' Authority, the Night Furnace, and the Reincarnation Item are the core of the core; Moonlit Ghost Step and Bloodline Skills are secondary; and the Hunter's Blunderbuss and various other skills are last.
The skill tree is branching out, not many in number, but each has its own direction of development, together making a well-rounded warrior.
The player who hesitated to use [Kindling Crown] stemmed from a player of Epic IV rank. Without a group battle, the fight would have taken an indefinite amount of time. More importantly, its keyword...
[Soul], [Burning].
The compatibility of these keywords is perfect for me. If I had enough specialization points, I would have used them to craft Abyss Grade -level items long ago.
"Let's wait for news about Shiki Ryougi. Level 10 physique is a must, and I only have 2 specialization points right now. Fortunately, I'm not lacking in high-level items."
He pulled out the oddly shaped bronze sculpture; that was the real highlight.
[Reincarnation Item: Demon God Statue]
True to its name, this is a sculpture with four heads and eight arms, completely asymmetrical, enough to drive obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferers crazy. Its fingertips burn with blue phosphorescence, while the faces of its four heads are human faces.
If you concentrate, you can see a thousand expressions changing on this face—laughing, crying, infatuated, compassionate, or ferocious—and you can even see a touch of Zen.
"Whether it's the Divine Torch or the Chaos Furnace Flame, they both represent the core value of a plane. It seems the same applies to the Outpost?" Yuki rubbed his chin, discerning a pattern.
This is not difficult, because Outpost or camps naturally follow certain patterns.
For example, Mechanical Believers, whether they are realist like Gundam or superpowered like EVA, are always related to machinery; another example is the Hero Kingdom, which can never get rid of the values of heroes and villains, such as the Hunters, the End World, Aether Particles, which are even more straightforward and pure.
What's so special about those Thorny Rose? Just for a day of leisurely living?
Yuki was momentarily lost in thought, but didn't waste any more time indulging in fantasy. To be honest, he had just randomly chosen the name of this faction; it just sounded impressive but incomprehensible.
The key question is, what is the purpose of this thing?
[Reincarnation Item: Demon God Statue]
[A single thought can transform a person into a human, or a demon into a monster; contemplating this image can reveal countless outcomes.]
[Unlocked Status: Creates countless mental illusions, amplifies desires, distorts will, and is related to biological mental resistance and willpower. It is difficult to detect and its influence extends to one plane.]
[Activated State: As the liberation time and the number of people affected increase, the phantom will transform into a physical entity, launching attacks from the soul and spirit levels. Note that there is no distinction between friend and foe in either state.]
[Note: Reincarnation items will resonate with each other, attracting reincarnation items in this plane (Note: must be unowned). Each reincarnation team can have no more than one reincarnation item.]
Oh, it's an illusion-type reincarnation item.
Although the description was somewhat fantastical, Yuki understood it at a glance: wasn't this just a mental nuclear bomb?
The realm of spirit or illusion is still Blank area for Yuki, but he has experienced it in the dungeon. Like the Void Authority of the Witch God, it is a conceptual battle. This thing has no swords and shadows, and people die in a daze.
A single sword strike can cleave a mountain, a beam of light cannon can destroy a city—it's really not much different from someone standing there, lost in thought, and then dying.
"That does fit the characteristics of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons; there are humans, demons, and ghosts there, but regardless of bloodline, they all make their choices according to their own will."
Some ghosts are transformed from humans, while some demons turn around and fight alongside humans. This is what is meant by "one thought can make you a human, and one thought can make you a demon."
"Amplify desires, distort will—let's see where it's used. Judging from the description, this thing has a very wide reach."
If you throw this thing into a dungeon, no one knows what the outcome Yuki. Perhaps the hero will become a demon, the demon will become a guardian, or perhaps it will simply remain true to itself with unwavering will.
Something is better than nothing; can't I even choose?
That's all for now. Yuki felt as if he was about to touch an invisible barrier above his head. This was the so-called epic Limit.
The path to advancement is blocked by 'Taiyi', so it's no wonder that every epic-level player is meticulous in their calculations, trying to select the most powerful or best-suited skills and items. The Reincarnation Game doesn't have a 'split point' setting, so if you accumulate too many rating points, you can't level up once you reach the peak, and you can only drool over even more powerful skills.
Items of level 6 and above cannot be transferred, this is to prevent you from resetting your skill points.
"Fortunately, all my skills are useful, even the worst alchemy can come in handy. I can raise my physique to level 10, and with just one more Abyss Grade -level item, I can reach the top." Yuki himself. This was another reason why he sped up his pace. When he could no longer improve, he could only help his senior farm fish ponds.
"However, 'Taiyi' still left me a cheat code."
He raised his Black Blade. 'Total Annihilation' had never appeared on the player panel, nor should it have. When the Limit is reached, this is the key to taking the next step forward.
Smack
With a single punch, long after the last time, the black rock layer encasing the sword blade shattered.
The Total Annihilation may not have any power, but it represents the authority of the 'Thorny Rose'. Yuki has never dared to unlock it because he is afraid of being tracked by the game. After all, this thing is something that 'Taiyi' sealed himself, otherwise how could it appear on its own?
"But now, I need your strength."
"That pig's head hasn't come out yet?"
Mai Sakurajima has returned, but she hasn't seen Yuki. She's standing in front of the cupboard, gently slicing carrots.
"Hmm, Yuki went in two days ago and hasn't come out since. Something important must have happened." Hayasaka Ai walked over. None of them could get into the management office, so they didn't bother to worry.
Having agreed that time was of the essence, that man would never contradict himself.
"Seriously, what time is it? You still have the mind to chop vegetables?" She stood on tiptoe, popping half her head out from behind Mai Sakurajima, and saw the cleaver pause slightly.
"I want to preserve this everyday life until the very last moment, is that not allowed?"