Chapter 88
"And that Thomas, he's not as strong as I thought."
"Yes, he couldn't have held back under those circumstances, so everyone underestimated his strength. Even if he turned around and attacked, he shouldn't pose much of a threat."
"In other words, we're guaranteed to win." The old man grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "Don't forget your promise."
"I am one with you now, I no longer care about promises." The boy gently shook his head, letting out a sharp, baby-like laugh. "I don't know why, but my hints are different from theirs."
[Tip 6: You can only leave alone and take one item from the instance with you.]
Upon receiving this notification, he was almost in despair, not knowing what had gone wrong or why it was his fault.
I have no strength, no experience, just a poor soul with less than three months left to live, watching my parents weep every day.
But gradually, he saw supernatural demons, and the radiant light bursting forth from veteran players; the end of despair was hope.
"I suddenly realized that I could survive through the Reincarnation Game, escape from the hospital bed, and become a complete person."
"So that's why you resort to any means necessary?"
"I had no choice, I just wanted to live. Fortunately, you noticed my special characteristic."
Dean Fukawa chose to remain silent. The boy's characteristic was simple: empathy. He shared his feelings and thoughts, including pain and game prompts.
Therefore, he chose the other party without hesitation and bet everything:
Did the boy take any of his own belongings with him?
This impulse stemmed from the first player whose head was taken away; like the Truman Show being shattered, the Dean desperately wanted to see the outside world.
"The results will be out soon. Can you take me with you? And can I extend your life?"
Zhang Qing nodded. He also needed this Transcendental Grade body to be free from the torment of illness. As for the consequences of taking the monster out of the instance, what did that have to do with him, who was about to die?
Even if you survive by sheer luck, will you die in a hospital bed, or in the next level of the game?
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to the ending..."
Da da da.
Heavy footsteps came from outside the building. Zhang Qing and Fukawa looked up at the same time, somewhat surprised.
Only five minutes and the player infighting has already ended? Why haven't we heard any sounds of fighting?
The question was quickly answered: under the moonlight, a man with black hair and red eyes was moving forward, followed by three players.
At the beginning of imagining the victory screen, the player--
They left and then returned.
Chapter 40 I'll Take Your Life! (4K)
It was too fast, so fast it felt like it was being manipulated by some kind of mind control technique without any prior consultation.
Don't they ever argue? Don't they ever suspect each other? Aren't they afraid of being betrayed by their teammates?
Having just escaped, they immediately returned, their efficiency was unbelievable, so when Yuki appeared, Zhang Qing and the dean were both slightly taken aback.
But they quickly calmed down; no matter how much the other tried to dispel their suspicions, it was already too late.
Whether it's trust or intelligence, ultimately it still comes down to ability, and this high efficiency actually exposes a problem:
That constraint won't last long, otherwise the players would at least be able to catch their breath.
"Dean, there's a problem."
"No rush, they've exhausted their tricks, and their weakness is no longer concealed."
Its head slowly retracted into the giant snake's body. There was nothing more to say now; the dungeon had reached its end, and all that remained was to leave one side behind forever.
They're not even willing to procrastinate; are they really that confident?
Yuki nodded slightly, recognizing the other party's fighting spirit. Now that none of them were bound by contracts, they were clearly prepared to fight to the death.
Twenty-five minutes.
He glanced at his watch. This was the Limit the Comfort Pills could achieve. Once the chains were broken, even at full strength, there was no chance of victory. As long as Director Fukawa wasn't stupid, he could completely wear them down with endless energy.
With no time to devise a new battle plan, Yuki swallowed the last bite of his biscuit. The Tyrant had already placed his bet, pinning his last chance of survival on himself.
Call--
This kind of pressure is truly exhilarating.
Yuki took a deep breath and focused on his player panel. The two enhancement points he had been holding onto finally came in handy, forming a core that had returned to its original state.
[Demon Possession (Mastered)]
[Description: A demon will descend upon your body, intensifying negative status effects and accelerating physical mutations.]
[The Demon Eye: Seeing the Supernatural World Beyond the Naked Eye]
[Demon Heart: A dangerous and evil aggregate of souls that feeds on and uses souls for energy. Current status: Weak]
He didn't have time to analyze the bloodline skill, but he roughly understood that he had gained an extra mutation slot and obtained this thing called Demon Heart at the cost of that arm and two enhancement points.
Yuki didn't know alchemy, nor did she have time to practice it carefully, so she followed the instincts instilled in her by the game—
Soul energy output.
A thicker gray fog enveloped his body, interspersed with a red light reminiscent of alchemy, like blood staining the fog.
Yuki his sword with both hands and charged toward the gate.
"Let's start the war."
What is this thing?
The giant snake stood guard at the entrance, showing no intention of rushing out. After all, the longer it dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for it, but it was very curious about Yuki's condition.
He seemed a tiny bit faster than before. If he had that ability, why didn't he use it earlier?
Let's test the waters first.
It opened its enormous mouth and spewed out a twisted chunk of flesh, connected to which a thick blood vessel controlled it as it charged forward.
As they walked towards each other, they were about to collide in the blink of an eye. The flesh instantly mutated, and pale bones grew out of the body, looking like a meteor hammer.
Neither the Tyrant nor Hayasaka Ai fired a shot to cover them, nor did Yuki dodge; instead, the swirling gray mist surged with red light, making it even thicker.
Bang!!
The two objects collided head-on, and the stone steps instantly caved in.
'Huh, his defense has gotten a bit stronger?'
Dean Fukawa observed carefully and realized that the gray mist was originally a kind of outward energy, only now the energy was more abundant. However, he also noticed that the mist had thinned out a bit, and immediately made a judgment.
'Consumable skills are not inexhaustible.'
Yuki's body was thrown backward by the impact, and the penetrating inertia made him feel very uncomfortable, but through actual combat, he roughly understood the function of this 'Demon Heart'.
Essentially a mutated version of the Philosopher's Stone, it is the energy source for alchemy, but it does not know alchemy itself. Due to its bloodline ability, it has become an energy core.
'A pure form of energy, like the internal energy in martial arts novels? Or the mana bar in games?'
He wasn't sure if the analogy was accurate, but he clearly felt the energy drain from the collision, which was fundamentally different from Reinforcement Magecraft.
Yuki doesn't possess 'magic power'; her Reinforcement Magecraft is merely a skill bestowed upon her by the game, like the answers to an exam paper, which the player fills out according to the provided answers.
The duration of effect, cooldown time, and enhancement content are all fixed, but this thing is different.
'There's no model in my mind; it's just a source of energy. How I use it is entirely up to me.'
Yuki didn't have time to study how to use the energy, relying solely on instinct.
Energy contraction.
As if deliberately removing a shield, the fleshy, bony protuberances suddenly lost their resistance, about to be pierced with hundreds of holes, but the man raised his knife, the blade crackling with blood-red arcs of electricity.
Cut!
A crimson arc flashed, the Nameless Longsword, imbued with soul energy, sliced the flesh in two as easily as cutting tofu, and with blood-red eyes, it precisely severed the demon's core.
Huh?
As the blade swept past, Yuki slightly, feeling a slight replenishment of the energy he had just consumed as he severed the demon's core.
The Demon Core feeds on souls?
The man narrowed his eyes, looking at the giant snake that had suddenly stopped moving.
I see.
"Is he devouring the soul of a demon?"
At the same moment, Dean Fukawa also sensed something was wrong. Although it was only a subtle difference, upon closer inspection, he could feel that the soul of the flesh had disappeared.
The player has killed countless demons along the way, and it has long been accustomed to the feeling of demon souls being annihilated. Similar to Yuki's Bloodline skill, these souls are actually its energy source.
Therefore, it clearly distinguishes between killing and devouring.
Devouring souls? Why didn't you use that just now?
In an instant, instinct reacted on his body, the entire glass door shattered, and the giant snake surged out of the hall, its enormous shadow covering Yuki.
It finally panicked.
Yuki had already guessed this. Although both were attacks, there was a fundamental difference. This giant serpent was formed from individual demons, so attacking it was fine, but "absorbing yin to replenish yang" would tip the scales of victory.
If it stands still, wouldn't it become weaker and itself stronger?
"Therefore, I must die immediately."
A stench assaulted his senses, Yuki leaped back instantly. A loud bang resounded as a large hole was blasted into the middle of the Parking Lot. His pupils contracted as he saw a giant hand suddenly emerge from the giant snake and sweep across the area.
Bang bang bang--
The car flew into the sky like a toy, spinning into parts. The ferocious attack proved that it was serious. It was no longer a matter of stalling for time, but of eliminating this player immediately.
Its body, tens of meters long, shot out of the hospital as if it had no head or tail. Its body coiled like a large intestine, and its tail opened a sandworm-like mouth, locking onto Yuki in mid-air.
Call out!
A thick cloud of black mist billowed out, swept across the garden, instantly withering the branches and leaves, and then surged towards Yuki.
As the Tyrant said, it didn't use its full strength at all in the hospital, and even seemed to deliberately give way, just to make the players kill each other so that it could win at the lowest cost.
"It's unnecessary now, right? But it's too late."
Yuki in mid-air, had no chance to dodge. He gripped the sword with both hands, raised it above his head, and then brought the twice-forged, Nameless Longsword down fiercely!
The second forging can even sever energy!
Swish--
The black mist was cut in half, and the remaining energy impacted the gray-red mist. The two energies collided, slamming his body to the ground.
Relying entirely on instinct is too inefficient.
As the torrent of fog spread out, Yuki could see nothing with his naked eye, but his faintly glowing red eyes could penetrate the fog and see a colossal creature rapidly approaching.
Boom!!
As the mist continued to spread, a giant, sandworm-like mouth snapped shut in the center of the garden, sucking up large amounts of soil and dead trees like a water pump.
His eyes are troublesome; he can see my every move.
The giant snake flung mud into the air, raising its disgusting maw as if to devour the moon.
"Then I'll tear you to pieces!"
Four pale, slender arms grew out, transforming it from a snake-like creature into something else entirely. With a slap of its tail on the ground, its entire body leaped high into the air.
Is ADHD on its way?
Yuki retreated dozens of meters away and saw the monster falling from the 'moon'. With his speed, it was impossible for him to dodge the attack.
"Tyrant, Impact Bullets!"
"The last two shots."
With a weak response, a gunshot rang out, and a gust of wind sent Yuki flying. Turning his head, he saw the monster crash down in the center of the garden.
Thump thump thump...
It slammed, tore, rolled, and churned up dirt, snapping a tree that two people could barely encircle in half in an instant. The size difference was too great; he had no chance against it with the knife in his hand.