"Grab the knife on my hip!"
Yang Lin heard this, swiftly drew the dagger from Dragon Position's hip, and directly sliced open the back of his clothing. But his back was concealed by a layer of intricate metal structures.
Dragon Position commanded his Lightbrain to unseal his back. A section opened along his spine, revealing raw flesh and blood.
Yang Lin, without hesitation, used the knife to pierce the flesh, cutting the skin to reach straight for the spinal column!
"Aaaah!"
Dragon Position grit his teeth. "Hurry!"
Yang Lin continued to cut the flesh, and a stone bearing a dragon pattern suddenly appeared before his eyes!
He pulled the stone free. "What exactly is this thing?"
"You hold... it belongs to you."
Dragon Position took a deep breath, then began to tremble as he walked toward the Rubik's Cube.
"I don't know what secrets you hold, but you are certainly not an ordinary individual. If you are fortunate enough to join our ranks... you can use that stone to take my place."
"Who are you?"
"Kitsune."
"For the sake of containment, for the sake of humanity, everything can be sacrificed, without hesitation."
Before Dragon Position could reach the Rubik's Cube, two tentacles shot out from within the Rubik's Cube, pulling him violently into its mouth!
"Kitsune... long live!"
The moment Dragon Position was consumed, he detonated the energy cell behind him, triggering a massive explosion within the Rubik's Cube's maw!
Boom!
The Rubik's Cube's main body was instantly torn apart. Large chunks of shattered tissue were flung in all directions, and a tiny Rubik's Cube was blasted out from the debris!
That miniature Rubik's Cube spun momentarily, then the shattered flesh on the ground aggressively surged toward it again!
It intended to regenerate!
...What should I do?
Yang Lin looked at the Dragon Stone in his hand. As he gripped the Dragon Stone, it began to grow intensely hot, as if some energy was coiled within, waiting to be unleashed.
Yang Lin instinctively grasped the situation. He held the Dragon Stone, aimed it at the regenerating Rubik's Cube, and attempted to release this scorching energy!
Thud!!
A pillar of intense fire erupted from the Dragon Stone. This attack carried immense recoil, directly impacting the Rubik's Cube!
The regenerating Rubik's Cube was severely struck and blasted far away. The flesh threads hanging above it were instantly incinerated to nothing!
After a long while, the Rubik's Cube remained motionless.
Yang Lin walked forward. It truly resembled an ordinary Rubik's Cube lying on its side.
He kicked the Rubik's Cube with his foot. The Rubik's Cube flipped over, still inert.
So, what exactly was this object?
Was it truly just a Rubik's Cube?
Yang Lin confusingly picked up the Rubik's Cube. Unexpectedly, the Rubik's Cube moved slightly by itself. Yang Lin hastily exerted force with his palm, and surprisingly, crushed the Rubik's Cube with ease.
The Rubik's Cube crumbled into countless fragments, scattering on the ground, but for some unknown reason, these fragments floated independently and gathered in a single spot.
Incomprehensible.
This was clearly a supernatural phenomenon.
"Not running yet? Waiting for Kitsune to catch you?"
A familiar voice came from behind. Yang Lin turned around, only to see Jihen, carrying a shovel, standing behind him.
He walked to Yang Lin's front, picking up the reassembled Rubik's Cube from the ground.
"You made such a massive commotion; I assumed it was something significant."
Jihen extended his hand, spun the Rubik's Cube casually, fiddled with it briefly, and then tucked it into his pocket.
"Why aren't you speaking, comrade brocade guard? Dizzy?"
Crack.
Yang Lin took out a pistol from his chest, pointing the muzzle directly at Jihen's head. "Tell me, who exactly are you?"
Was this gun a Kitsune-manufactured type?
Jihen was momentarily stunned. "Hey, hey, hey, I came here to assist you!"
"What's with the gun pointed at my head?"
"I'll ask one last time: who exactly are you?" Yang Lin pressed.
Jihen was silent for a moment, then rolled up his sleeve, revealing a string of black numbers on his arm.
Number 069: Resurrected Soul.
"I am Night Watcher."
"A member of a superpower organization. If you wish to know more, follow me. Otherwise, if Kitsune's people arrive, you and I won't get a second chance."
Yang Lin heard this and directly pulled the trigger.
Crack!
Jihen subconsciously closed his eyes, but no bullet discharged.
Hm?
Jihen opened his eyes, only to see Yang Lin casually twirling the pistol.
There were no rounds in the gun at all.
"Fooled you, surprised?"
"..."
"Hahaha, thanks."
Yang Lin hooked the gun back onto his hip. His fingerprints were already on the weapon.
"Let's move. We'll discuss your 'Night Watcher' status and the meaning of your 'Number' on the way."
...
At night, within an underground bar in Beiling City.
Jihen led Yang Lin into a private room. "First things first, if you've experienced a containment breach, then you've already been marked by Kitsune."
"Kitsune will either erase your memory or integrate you. But most who are integrated eventually end up as D-class personnel."
"And D-class personnel are considered expendable assets. Typically, D-class candidates are screened and selected from death row inmates across various nations."
"Now that artifact is in your possession, and you've survived this incident as the sole survivor, they will find you sooner or later."
"You can freely imagine what your fate will be once they locate you. In short, you and I are now two grasshoppers on the same blade of grass."
"Because Kitsune's ultimate target is this."
Jihen stated, taking out the Rubik's Cube. And the other item he referred to was the Dragon Stone in Yang Lin's hand.
"This is an Object, Kitsune's target. This item is now in our possession, and they've lost several investigators, so they definitely won't relent."
"Trying to remain uninvolved is no longer an option. The only viable path is to cooperate with me."
Yang Lin paused in thought. He was unsure whether Jihen's claims were accurate, but one fact was immediately clear.
Yang Lin escaping the scene with the Dragon Position's item would inevitably lead to complicated and bothersome consequences.
Yang Lin had anticipated this possibility beforehand, yet he still accepted Jihen's invitation. There were certain truths he absolutely needed to clarify.
Engaging with this volatile world would undoubtedly be rife with peril.
Reinhard had already warned him of this fact, and Yang Lin had long been prepared for the risks.
"I only need answers to what I wish to know. I possess no concern for anything else."
"Then what does this sequence of Numbers on your hand signify?"
Jihen rolled up his sleeve. "You can simply comprehend it as a superpower user's Number."
"I don't follow. If you possess abilities that surpass the ordinary, why were you willingly incarcerated for three years?" Yang Lin inquired.
Jihen adjusted his posture into a comfortable position, leaning back. "Isn't it self-evident? I was evading Kitsune."
"If I casually expose my capabilities, Kitsune will attach themselves to me and never let go. Compared to standard penitentiaries, Kitsune's correctional facilities are essentially life sentences."
"At least when I lacked the strength to confront them head-on, I had no desire to reveal my abilities to anyone."
"Then what about now? You are openly admitting to me that you are a superpower user. Aren't you afraid Kitsune will apprehend you?" Yang Lin countered.
Jihen let out a cold laugh. "Before was before; now is now."
"Presently, superpower users globally have unified and are preparing an expedition against Kitsune. In other words, Kitsune is on the verge of collapse."
Kitsune is about to collapse?
"Then allow me to make an educated guess: tomb raiding and your abilities are interconnected?"
"You can interpret it that way. And I will then require cooperation from those individuals, preparing to execute rather significant maneuvers. Theoretically, I no longer need to intentionally mask my abilities," Jihen stated.
"However, for this major undertaking of mine, I require someone to collaborate with me."
"Rest assured, this endeavor will definitely not involve anything illegal or chaotic. Furthermore, my sole focus is Kitsune. As long as this operation succeeds, I will disclose everything you wish to know."
"Shall I consider it?"
...
A few days later.
As Objects began appearing frequently in various locations, Kitsune started deploying its forces across different parts of the globe.
Meanwhile, the Monster Alliance dispatched a specialized small team to covertly infiltrate the Kitsune headquarters.
This mission involved roughly a dozen monsters. They stealthily breached Kitsune, then violently forced open doors and charged into the containment sector!
Leading this operation was Queen Bee's avatar.
"That was surprisingly facile."
Queen Bee's golden long hair flowed, and she wore a pair of high heels.
Plucking the heel of her stiletto from a corpse's head, Queen Bee continued deeper, leaving a bloody footprint with every step.
A Gargoyle flapped its wings, following closely behind her. "If you ask me, Byakuya's inflated arrogance only deserves one person's attention. If he truly dares to appear before me, I could twist his head off in a single blink!"
Number 032: Gargoyle.
He possessed a unique characteristic: when being observed, he entered an indestructible petrified state. When unobserved, he could move with complete freedom.
Some of his methods originated from a previous Kitsune Object, an Object called Man In the Painting.
Therefore, he possessed an ability: if someone saw him but then looked away, he could instantly teleport behind the opponent and twist off their head!
The beheading massacre four years prior was his signature achievement.
Queen Bee heard this and turned her head. The Gargoyle instantly petrified and dropped from the sky.
A long-eared man nearby hastily stepped forward. "My associate here is rather reserved. If you look directly at him, he won't even dare to speak, so it's best not to focus on him."
Queen Bee turned her head away, momentarily speechless. What kind of bizarre abilities were these?
"But I do concur with his sentiment. With so many monsters, Byakuya could be overwhelmed by a single collective effort from us."
It was merely a pity that they were constrained by the world's established limitations. In this Manifest World, the pinnacle of physical combat prowess could only reach the 3rd Step.
Otherwise, why would such infiltration be so challenging?
The group infiltrated the containment zone. Not far in, they encountered a single man.
The man sat on a plastic chair, clad in a loose black robe, with long hair, half pitch-black, half streaked with gray.
Gargoyle fixed his crimson eyes on the figure. "Who is that?"
Queen Bee saw this and halted. "Speak of the devil, and he materializes."
"Is that Byakuya?"
Hearing that name, Gargoyle instantly charged forward without a word!
Byakuya opened his eyes. Gargoyle's claws instantly neared him, but a pitch-black hand suddenly seized his claw!
Gargoyle was stunned. He saw two phantoms, one black and one white, manifest beside Byakuya's body at some unknown juncture.
Gargoyle tried to move, but no matter how he strained, he could not break free from the phantoms' grasp!
And Byakuya hadn't spared him a single glance from start to finish.
It was at this precise moment that black vapor erupted from the phantom. Gargoyle's arm suddenly disintegrated!
What was this?
"Quick, look at me!"
Gargoyle finished speaking, and the monsters behind him instantly fixed their gaze on him. Gargoyle instantly petrified!
Byakuya witnessed this and slowly looked up. His gaze fell upon Gargoyle, then he reached out and casually pushed Gargoyle aside.
The crowd looked away. Gargoyle, now unfrozen, directly attacked Byakuya from behind!
At this critical moment, the white phantom moved. A blade materialized in the phantom's hand, shattering Gargoyle's body with a single strike!
Thud!
Gargoyle's body disintegrated, and his head rolled onto the ground.
Huh?
Gargoyle was stunned, and the monsters on the other side were equally stunned.
Although Gargoyle's defense wasn't robust when not petrified, he was still considered top-tier among 3rd Step beings.
Yet Gargoyle was shattered by a single blow?
Gargoyle saw this and hastily tried to roll his head away, but the white phantom suddenly turned and swung a golden spear!
Clang!
The power of this golden spear was terrifying. It directly pierced through Gargoyle's head and impaled it firmly to the ground!
Queen Bee witnessed this and her body rippled. Her pupils split into thousands of facets, and the corners of her mouth stretched back to her ears. She took a step, charging directly towards Byakuya!
"I'll play with you!"
Byakuya saw this, and his hands transformed into claws. Two masses of flame-like gas, one black and one white, simultaneously appeared in his left and right hands.
Facing Queen Bee's fierce claw attack, he slowly extended his hand. The swirling black mist effortlessly received Queen Bee's assault.
And for some unknown reason, Queen Bee's five fingers were suddenly severed!
Terrifying black energy spread like wildfire. Queen Bee hastily widened the distance!
"Is this the Yin and Yang Qi?"
Queen Bee's right hand, which had lost five fingers, twitched and contorted. Immediately after, a colossal, spear-like stinger emerged from her palm!
"What are you waiting for?"
Hearing Queen Bee's words, the monsters behind her unleashed their signature abilities, then charged at Byakuya together!
Facing this barrage of attacks, Byakuya suddenly extended both his hands. The two phantoms beside him instantly transformed into two long blades!
One blade was pure white, the other pitch-black. White and black gases continuously emanated from within.
One person, carrying a massive machete, charged forward. Countless human skulls hung from his waist. At this moment, all these skulls shattered!
"To Death, offer sacrifice!"
With that declaration, the colossal Death Phantom, carrying a scythe, directly clashed with the man's machete!
"Your head, too, shall become my offering to Death!"
Byakuya grinned. The black blade in his hand flashed, directly cutting through Death, shattering the man's machete, and with a single subsequent slash, severing the man's legs!
Puff, puff!
"What..."
Queen Bee charged forward again. Byakuya spun around and directly kicked Queen Bee in the chest!
Immediately after, his dual blades struck simultaneously. After only a few exchanges with Queen Bee, who wielded a stinger, he severed both of Queen Bee's arms!
One person activated his ability, indirectly shifting his movement to directly snatch the black blade from Byakuya's hand. "Got it!"
As soon as the person spoke, black gas unexpectedly surged from Byakuya's palm, striking the person's chest with a single, decisive blow!
Thud!
Black yin energy spewed forth. The person's chest was directly blasted open; even their heart was erased by the black gas!
Byakuya effortlessly neutralized these individuals' attacks. He seemed to know their abilities like the back of his hand.
Until the last person, Byakuya grabbed his head. The black blade in his hand solidified, directly piercing through the person's forehead!
Puff, puff!
The crowd was battered and broken, falling to the ground, but almost all clung to a single breath.
Byakuya didn't kill them, deliberately leaving them with a breath.
"You dared to come looking for me because you possessed the Mother-Child Coffin. You understand that even if your physical body dies without a trace, you will slowly reunite within the Mother-Child Coffin."
"Am I correct?"
...
Ding-a-ling-ling.
The wind chimes swayed gently. Reinhard, situated in a pavilion amidst a bamboo forest, slowly opened his eyes.
"They failed over there."
Night King, sitting on the other side of the pavilion, turned his head. "How do you know?"
"A mountain man has his own ingenious schemes," Reinhard stated, picking up the teapot to pour himself a cup of tea.
Night King spun his teacup on his fingertips. "Failure doesn't concern us much. This assault was originally meant only to test Byakuya's disposition."
"And to delve a bit into his abilities. After all, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll emerge victorious in a hundred battles."
"The Mother-Child Coffin provided by 009 was our primary means to gauge his strength this time. But if Byakuya recognized this mechanism and deliberately spared their lives, then things become complicated."
The regeneration mechanism of the Mother-Child Coffin dictated that if the body lying within died, it would be reborn inside the Mother-Child Coffin.
However, the Mother-Child Coffin's regeneration speed was notably slow, and its current state was somewhat compromised.
If the body contained within the coffin suffered damage at this point, it would equate to breaking their immortality—they would truly perish.
This was precisely why Byakuya had initially attacked with lemon juice, and why Arthur and Zhang Yuanqing were rushed onto the operating table by Computer.
If left unattended, the lemon juice attack could penetrate directly into the Mother-Child Coffin, thus requiring external intervention to save the two.
"However, in the worst-case scenario, they might still retain the ability to take their own lives."
"Not necessarily."
Reinhard sniffed the tea at the tip of his nose, then casually poured it onto the ground. "Byakuya's abilities are incredibly strange and constantly evolving. Even if they were beaten to the point of complete powerlessness, I wouldn't be surprised by any outcome."
Night King's brow furrowed. "Why do I always sense an underlying implication in your words?"
Reinhard looked at Night King. "That is merely an illusion of yours."
Night King crossed his arms over his chest, adopting a thoughtful expression. "Indeed, others might not grasp it, but the Queen can certainly manage a return."
As the two finished speaking, a figure suddenly entered the pavilion from beyond the bamboo forest.
The newcomer wore a pair of high heels and an evening gown. It was one of 004 Queen Bee's avatars.
Night King turned his head. "What was the outcome?"
"A crushing defeat."
Queen Bee stated, "Byakuya saw through your entire strategy. It will be highly difficult for them to return using the Mother-Child Coffin."
Unlike other monsters, 004 Queen Bee did not utilize 009's Mother-Child Coffin, primarily because she had no need for such a mechanism.
She simply deployed one of her numerous avatars.
For her, that avatar was expendable and could be recalled instantly.
Thus, she served as the core of this reconnaissance mission. Others might fail to return, but Queen Bee certainly could—though that description might be slightly inaccurate, as she essentially never left her base.
"Provide me with an assessment then, regarding Byakuya, the White King's capabilities."
Queen Bee sat down. "From what I observed, Byakuya's primary ability lies in those two distinct energies, one black and one white. To put it simply, it is uncomplicated. To put it complexly, it is profoundly intricate."
"The simple rationale is that I have already investigated the fundamental nature of those two energies. The black energy is predominantly offensive, possessing the capacity to dissolve all manner of substance. The white energy is chiefly defensive, yet the white energy can transform into myriad forms, and its offensive capacity is equally pronounced."
"It was quite clear that he utilized the white energy to manifest a sword and shattered Gargoyle."
"But I claim his ability is highly complex because the black and white energies typically manifest as avatars positioned behind him."
"Those two avatars are immensely powerful, but they are not restricted to merely an avatar state. They can also directly transform into weaponry."
"However, during this reconnaissance, he did not employ much of the white energy; he relied primarily on the black energy."
"And the offensive power of that black energy—never mind a 3rd Step entity—if one lacks an immortal characteristic or an absolute characteristic, even 4th Step beings would sustain instant injury upon contact."
Night King heard this and directed his gaze toward Queen Bee. "Did you observe that Byakuya wore two pendants on his chest throughout the entire encounter?"
"Are you referring to the two halves of the Tiger Stone?" Queen Bee inquired.
Night King nodded. "In the very beginning, I recall Kitsune had nine entities possessing similar avatar abilities to him. Internally, they referred to these as Deca."
"Subsequently, only Byakuya remained among the Deca."
"The most plausible explanation is that Byakuya absorbed the powers of the other nine into himself."
"But the powers of those nine were not perfectly compatible. Therefore, Byakuya utilized the power of the Tiger Stone to harmonize and fuse the energies of all ten within his being."
"Are you suggesting...?"
"As long as we acquire the Tiger Stone, Byakuya's Yin and Yang energies might dissipate without a confrontation," Night King concluded.
Queen Bee contemplated for a moment. "Your hypothesis might be sound, but executing it in practice will not be straightforward."
"If my memory serves, your ability is to nullify all other abilities, is that correct?"
Night King affirmed, "That is correct, but you must understand, my ability is not an absolute characteristic, and it possesses specific activation requirements."
"I must physically touch Byakuya to neutralize his abilities, so minimizing risk is paramount."
Reinhard heard this and stood up. He picked up the Demon Blade from the table. "If those few individuals would listen to your command, the issue would become significantly simpler."
"Is that not the case?"
Byakuya heard this and sighed, shaking his head. "There is no alternative. This is Night Watcher. We are inherently weaker, so we must group together for mutual security."
"They are powerful, thus they are able to establish themselves as kings."
"After all, in this world, the meek herd together, while predators invariably walk alone."
The individuals Reinhard mentioned were those who survived the Death Game, those ranking beyond monster 30.
Those few possessed astonishingly potent abilities, and precisely because of this inherent strength, they disregarded Night King's invitation.
Because they were powerful enough on their own, they naturally felt no need to consolidate with Night King and his faction for protection.
Those who joined Night Watcher did so because their individual capabilities were insufficient.
It is a very simple and easily grasped principle: if one can establish themselves as a sovereign, who would willingly submit to another?
This accounts for the origin of those scattered, unorganized monsters.
Reinhard departed. Looking at his retreating figure, Night King felt even more strongly that Reinhard was a peculiar individual.
Of course, this wasn't due to him concealing his true self, but rather that his actions consistently gave people a strange impression.
He seemed to possess comprehensive knowledge, as if he understood everything with perfect clarity, yet he steadfastly refused to articulate things directly.
He seldom spoke, and when he did, it was only in highly ambiguous hints about specific matters.
This enigmatic quality was similar to Byakuya's: the deeper one delved into understanding him, the more elusive he became.
Reinhard walked through the bamboo forest, traversing the pebble path. Dewdrops slid down the bamboo leaves, dripping onto his mask.
"Today is October 4th."
Reinhard muttered to himself. Just then, his vision suddenly darkened.
Hm?
Reinhard turned his head. A spark of light appeared in the encroaching darkness.
Beneath the flickering light, a chessboard materialized.
A blurry white silhouette sat before the board, holding a chess piece.
"First time meeting, Seth."
Looking at that chessboard, Reinhard suddenly understood what it was.
A Kitsune Object.
α-006: Mist Game.
Its effect was that as long as someone held a white stone (Go) and focused their thoughts on a specific person, that individual, regardless of their location, would be drawn into the Mist Game.