I am a reincarnation player.

"Okay, but there's nothing much to talk about. You're just being targeted, presumably by one of the Grand Inquisitors."

What? We met with the Grand Inquisitor?

Everyone was confused and felt like they had been to the gates of hell. Sakurajima Mai didn't even have the interest to preach and just walked over.

"When? Nothing's going to happen, is it?"

"For the Alien Disaster dungeon, seal all content related to it. Don't pay attention to the mission summary later, just jump to the harvest." Yuki was more cautious, but still said comfortingly:

"It doesn't matter. It's only a matter of time. The snowball has already started rolling. If you upgrade too quickly, you'll definitely be noticed. Besides, Briar Rose already has an account with the Inquisitor."

Right now, the strongest player in the entire outpost is only at Monster III, and the senior and the others clearly don’t look like faction leaders, and their improvement speed is even more abnormal.

But when? Who is this friend that Aozaki Shun is talking about?

Yuki was a little surprised. He thought that this must be because he had met his senior sister and others before, and the comparison was only made when they met for the second time. As soon as he thought about it in this direction, he slapped himself in the face.

Snapped.

He hit the opponent with all his strength, causing his skull to cave in, shocking everyone. Yuki, awakened by the pain, raised his hand to stop everyone.

"I'm fine. Damn it, I almost got caught. That old bastard actually set up triple nesting dolls!"

Yuki activated the Tail of Regeneration and realized that this was a layer of bait. If he followed his previous train of thought, he would be able to identify this person himself. Even if the connection was cut off, the seniors would be exposed.

I can’t think too deeply about it, but the more I try to control myself, the more uncomfortable it becomes. This technique is hard to defend against.

"Hayasaka."

"Hmm?" The maid had already taken out the Death Knell, ready to shoot any enemy that suddenly appeared.

"Let's stop here and go cook with senior." Yuki controlled his curiosity. The best way was to skip this matter directly.

It was a physical leap of thought, but everyone present followed Yuki's lead, no hesitation or curiosity, and nodded.

"it is good."

......

I was forced to return to my daily life, and the strange thing just now seemed to have never happened. I cooked as I should, took a bath as I should, and read as I should.

The natural fool is the enemy of the old trickster. As the saying goes, as long as I am a scumbag enough, you can't trick me.

Before long, the table was filled with familiar dishes. The home-cooked meals made by the senior sister were certainly not as luxurious as the dinner in the City of God, but they tasted particularly comfortable and had a taste of "home".

Yuki picked up a piece of crispy sweet and sour pork and put it in his mouth to chew. The sweet and sour taste made him squint his eyes. After discovering that he particularly liked "Chinese cuisine", the senior student specially strengthened his skills in this area.

He leaned back slightly, and all eyes were immediately drawn to him.

"Let's eat and talk at the same time, just treat it as a casual chat."

Everyone laughed, familiar with Yuki's style. He always managed to treat major events that affected countless players as casual topics like "Have you eaten today?"

Yuki propped his head up with one hand, poking the dead eyes of the steamed sea bass with chopsticks, and said casually, "It took so long to catch the tail. To be honest, it was beyond my expectation."

"The judge wants to use us to trace the case back to you?" Hiyori answered without thinking while sipping her soup. Manas next to her stood up and raised his right hand like a primary school student eager to answer a question.

"Ask a question! Brother, are you going to silence us?"

"Don't joke around." Yuki glared at her. Just as he raised his hand, she immediately ducked under the table. He had no choice but to put his hand down in frustration.

"It was inevitable. I've put a lot of thought into it. Others aren't fools. 'Where you go, you leave a trace.' It's not like I've disappeared from the Samsara game. No matter how powerful the cheat is, there's a limit to its effectiveness. Luckily, I've anticipated this situation."

He recounted everything that had happened over the past half month, including the trip to Valhalla and the hunt for ether particles, and then observed everyone's reactions with interest.

The senior and Hiyori were thinking carefully, Mana was complaining, "Why didn't you mention me when you met mother?", Hayasaka and Kaguya were daydreaming, no one knew what they were thinking, and Philen was concentrating on eating pineapple rice, his face becoming even rounder.

"Great! Mr. Yuki's 'hack' is safer in the border area. If something happens, we can escape immediately. Besides, the border area is in chaos right now, so it's a great hunting ground!" Hiyori was a little excited, and the anxiety in her heart disappeared.

It would be very dangerous to enter the dungeon now, but the reincarnation game is like rowing against the current. If you don’t become stronger, you can only wait for others to kill you. Fortunately, here is another upgrade route.

"Don't be too happy, this route is only for me, you guys can't."

"Not necessarily. Hunting for ether particles yields a lot. Don't you want to support us?"

Keeping someone as a sugar daddy? Why does that sound weird?

Yuki was stunned for a moment, and felt that what he said was true. Players were just like wild monsters and would drop things. This small group had few people, and improving their strength did not necessarily rely entirely on dungeons.

"But this isn't something to be proud of. What do you think of the information on the 'Faction Trial'?"

"This must be the Judge's trump card. As for whether it can be used against your cheat, I can't say." Hiyori became serious. The greatest skill she learned from Yuuki was not to underestimate anyone, and not to have unrealistic ideas.

"If there's a chance, I suggest giving it a try. This includes whether this trump card will work on the Judge himself. This is related to the outcome of the decisive battle."

Yuki nodded slightly. He had to try it. If it didn't work on him, he would be invincible. If it didn't work on the Judge, then the Judge would also be invincible.

"I'll find an opportunity to force them to initiate the 'Faction Trial'." Yuuki took note and asked, "What about your epic achievements? Only Mana, Hayasaka, and Kaguya have broken through the limit."

"There are more than just a few of us players in Thorn Rose. I also have friends like Kotori-chan."

Disband the team?

This is an idea, a very dangerous one. Not to mention that all the team members are extremely strengthened in one direction, it will be ten times more dangerous without the tacit cooperation of teammates. How can we ensure that the judge will not follow in?

If you don't put all your eggs in one basket, even if you get caught, it will only be one person, right?

Yuuki understood Hiyori's thoughts. This girl had already planned this when she obtained the "Golden Book". Using this prop can erase all traces.

"Don't worry, we have made preparations for these three copies. And there is an advantage to doing this, it can help you recruit more Thorn Rose players." Sakurajima Mai said softly, as if it was just a trivial matter.

"I don't mind that. When the decisive battle comes, they will have to do it even if they don't want to."

"It's always good to increase the tacit understanding. You, the hands-off boss, don't take care of the camp at all. Besides, the more trouble you make in the border area, the less energy the judge will have to pay attention to us." Mai looked confident, but in a flash, his fingers clenched and his voice became trembling.

"Actually, these are all small matters, but do you really want to start the decisive battle early?"

Everyone's eyes were focused on him, including those of Philen and Hayasaka, the master and servant, who were eating silently. Their looks were very complicated, with tension, expectation, and fantasy.

"Catching the Judge, no, the Samsara Game, off guard is the only chance of victory." Yuki answered firmly. He had thought about this question a thousand times before. He held up three fingers.

"The battle is all about timing, location, and people. In terms of location, we are absolutely at a disadvantage. The Samsara game is the master of the borderland. Players are simply not qualified to compete with it in terms of size and stamina."

"As for the harmony among players, it's hard to say. Those who hate the game and those who love it are both in the minority. Most players just go with the flow, siding with whoever offers the most benefits and the least risk. I have to assume the worst-case scenario, which is that the underlying defense mechanism of the Samsara game still exists. If we target Taiyi, we can issue cross-faction subjugation missions."

The explanation was without any personal feelings. This was the most rational battle, and Yuki only considered how to win.

"You mean turning the decisive battle into a skirmish?" Hayasaka Ai followed the train of thought and believed in Yuki's judgment.

"Yes, a fair and open decisive battle is not my style. In an encounter, we only need to consider the Judge and a part of the vassal army. We must never mobilize the reincarnation game." Yuki simply stood up and paced back and forth as his eyes followed.

"Miss Liangyi and I have already discussed this. There are only two approaches. First, disperse the Inquisitors' forces. Those ten Epic Tier IV Grand Inquisitors must not be deployed all at once. Second, find suitable allies to narrow the gap between the two sides. Third, understand the specific content of the 'Faction Judgment'. This is the prerequisite. Do you understand the biggest benefit of this plan?"

"Turning the unknown power of the reincarnation game into a known math problem can be quantified no matter how difficult it is." Hiyori answered immediately.

"Smart, I reduced the scale of the enemy I need to face, otherwise the plan would never be carried out." Yuki was very excited. This is what is called knowing yourself and your enemy.

No one knows how many camps and players there are in the border area. How can you make a plan when facing such an infinitely large goal? Even if you want to escape from the prison, you have to know where the wall is.

But you are taking a gamble. You might send us away but stay in the reincarnation game.

Sakurajima Mai frowned slightly, but said nothing. Once upon a time, she wanted to return to her hometown no matter what the cost, but now she wanted to say:

Without you, I would rather stay in the reincarnation game.

The dawn has appeared, and the once unattainable dream is not far away. With an end in sight, this man will weave a path to freedom, but the living room is silent, without the expected cheers.

We have been erased, what will it be like when we return?

I don't really want to go back to my hometown. Can I follow him to that 'Earth'?

Send us away first, what if he doesn’t come with us?

Yuki turned his head and saw faces with complicated expressions, and smiled awkwardly.

This makes me feel even more timid as I am closer to home.

He had thought about these questions, and even his desire for power made him think more. How many people had I killed, how many cities had I destroyed, and could I really integrate into the Earth without any supernatural powers?

But when the senior schoolmate and others returned and brought life back to the room, he became more resolute in his thoughts and even felt a deep exhaustion in his soul.

Taiyi had had enough. He had climbed to the top of the mountain countless times, but when he looked up, the sky was still out of reach. So he put down his knife and wanted to leave the mountain.

"Power is addictive." Yuki clenched his fists, as time and years overlapped on his body. "But I hate being a knife in someone else's hands. I hate having my fate controlled by others. Do you know what it means to be the strongest?"

The sudden question made everyone look up, and they saw the man clenching his fists, which were sharper than when he used the 'Blessing of Khorne'.

"It's not about the power to explode stars and shatter the sky, it's not about the piles of corpses under our feet, and it's not about the power to decide the life and death of thousands of people, but—"

"I control my destiny with my own will. No one can stop me from doing what I want to do!"

Chapter 12: Thoughts and Enlightenment

The strong are bound to be willful, and the strong should be willful.

It’s not about what you think should be done, but what I think should be done, and I can definitely do it.

If you want to kill thousands of people and reach the top, then kill anyone who stands in your way.

If you want to pursue freedom and lay down your butcher knife, then kill anyone who stands in your way.

Everything is so simple. My will is as firm as steel. Once I make a decision, I will not change it. Once I set out on my journey home, I will not linger.

"The thoughts are clear."

Yuki sat at the rearranged table, listening to the chirping of cicadas and the waves outside the window, and suddenly relaxed. All the questions that had been bothering him for a long time were answered.

Returning to his original intention, the feeling of stepping into the bloodthirsty red moon came back like a tide, or rather, from the moment he saw the "Future Diary", he had been thinking about how to escape.

Intellectually speaking, it is impossible to reach the peak because there is no peak here. This is the conclusion drawn by Taiyi.

Following the old path, he would not be able to reach Taiyi's strength even if he spent 100 years. It would only be a repeat of the same mistakes. Even with all kinds of protection, the senior sisters would not be able to reach that step. It would be more likely that they would fall into the abyss together.

Besides, this road is completely blocked. A group of mad dogs are chasing him. Should he kill himself with a knife, or surrender to the judge, and then find the mentally retarded reincarnation game and say:

Now, can we reconcile?

"As for the emotional side of things, who the hell would like a place like this where you could die at any moment? A masochist, huh?"

"Who are you calling a masochist?"

The door was gently pushed open, Yuki turned his head and saw his senior standing at the door.

She changed into the same outfit as when they first met. Yes, it was the bunny girl outfit, except that the bunny hairpin on her head had changed to the one she bought at the border a long time ago.

A soothing summer breeze blew, caressing the waterfall-like black hair. The girl smoothed her hair in front of her forehead. Her face was very calm, no different from usual.

"I'm a masochist, please whip me hard with your black stockings, senior sister." Yuki paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Hmph, you're always talking nonsense. But I miss you so much, so I'll let you go today." Sakurajima Mai walked into the room, sat down on the table, and crossed her long legs. Seeing the densely packed notes, she was too lazy to read them. She just leaned on the table and raised her head with a hazy look in her eyes.

"I miss you so much. I met you in this embarrassing state at the beginning, and then a lot of stories unfolded."

In one dungeon after another, in one battle after another, Mai didn't know how many people he had killed. Logically, his mind should have been distorted a long time ago, but looking back, everything seemed so far away, as if it were just yesterday.

"Yeah, I was shocked at first too. How could the legendary Sakurajima Mai be so indecent? Ouch, be gentle."

"Who are you calling indecent? I've explained it so many times. I just saw a set of clothes like this in the closet, so I put them on out of curiosity. When I was about to go out and look in the mirror, I ended up in that damn place!" Mai blushed and kneaded Yuki's face as if it were dough, but then stopped kneading.

"Strange, I still don't know how this bunny girl outfit appeared. It's like it was erased."

The more she thought about it, the more strange it seemed. As she got closer to the epic, she was no longer a mortal. She could even recall the feeling of being in her mother's womb, but she had no memory of the bunny girl outfit.

It's a little strange, but it doesn't matter anymore.

Yuuki is not a fool. When the beautiful woman came to her room and played a mystery game with her, she suddenly raised her hand and brushed against her delicate black silk stockings.

"What are you doing!" Mai trembled all over and reached out to hit, but her hand was grabbed instead.

"Senior sister, dressed like this, are you here to play a mystery game with me or reminisce about the good old days?"

"Hehe, can't we just remember the past and think of the present?"

"No." Yuki picked her up decisively. After a long separation, it's like a new marriage. The girl in his arms pushed back and forth, holding his hand down.

"No, no, no, Hayasaka is definitely not asleep. Aren't you afraid of being caught by her later?"

Well, that's a problem, but I can deploy the Nightforge domain.

"No need, I'm already here."

The door was pushed open for the second time, and Hayasaka Ai was standing at the door. Yuki was suddenly overwhelmed, but after taking a look, he was filled with surprise.

The maid was wearing the Shuchiin school uniform and bubble socks. Yes, it was the same outfit that she had first seen in the castle hall. Even her nails were painted the same color.

"Hehe, isn't it a surprise? I have the same memory." She acted aggressively, and when she saw Yuuki looking back, she pouted again: "There's no one here. Why are you so greedy? And don't think about Mana. I've tied up that little girl and handed her to Miss Kaguya for strict supervision."