Multiverse Skill System

Page 291

"There's a mission, that's great, but what's with this 'unknown reward'?"

Chapter 736, A Microcosm Conflicting with Its Own System

The mission reward was unknown, which was the first time Yi Shuihan had encountered this before. It wasn't that mission rewards had been announced without specific details before, but those were different from this time. Even if the rewards weren't specifically mentioned before, it was always possible to deduce that the rewards were definitely good.

The unknown reward for this mission is a completely different concept from before. In the best-case scenario, the reward will be something good, but in the worst-case scenario, you might get some random thing, such as a junk reward that doesn't match the difficulty of the mission. In short, the word "unknown" doesn't give Yi Shuihan a particularly comfortable feeling.

"Holy Spirit, aren't you going to come out and explain?"

"Host, don't worry, the system will not harm you. The reason it is unknown is simply because the reward this time will change at any time, and the system cannot predict it."

"The rewards can change at any time, and the system can't predict them?"

Yi Shuihan frowned, somewhat surprised. After pondering for a moment, he decided to complete the task, trusting that the system wouldn't harm him.

"Building our own fighters? That's not bad, but Contract Fighters doesn't sound very impressive. Forget about the name for now, we'll think of a better one later. The most important thing right now is how to recruit people."

The system said in one sentence that the host had to run his legs off to build his own fighters. It sounds simple, but it is actually a very difficult thing.

First of all, according to the system's description, in this world, to become a fighter, you need to be equipped with a set of armor like a Saint Cloth. Secondly, everyone still uses the power of the Cosmo. Yi Shuihan doesn't understand what the Cosmo is.

"The Saint Cloth is easy to solve. Although my weapon-forging skills aren't god-level, they're more than enough to dominate this world. As for the Cosmo, it seems I'll have to spend some time talking to Dohko. As for the final selection..."

Fortunately, the system allocated three years, which is neither too long nor too short. If it had been allocated to less than a year, Yi Shuihan really wouldn't have been confident in completing the mission.

To be honest, it wouldn't be particularly difficult for Yi Shuihan to train a fighter comparable to a Saint Seiya, even at the Gold level. At worst, he could just find some talented people after he recovered and directly empower them to become Dao-mergers. Although doing so would basically eliminate any hope of that person advancing further.

The problem is that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. How can someone grow to the seventh or even eighth sense in the microcosm system within just 3 years—well, excluding the time spent finding the person, let's say 2 years? Yi Shuihan really doesn't have that kind of confidence.

Ultimately, he himself isn't even familiar with the microcosm system!

Even Shaka, a reincarnation of Buddha, wouldn't dare claim to have achieved the Seventh Sense in just two years, let alone anyone else.

"By the way, what kind of divine position does my God of Contracts correspond to in this world? Is it at the level of the 12 main gods?"

As Yi Shuihan pondered, his thoughts began to jump around.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Yi Shuihan has remained in Lushan and has not gone anywhere else, nor has he carried out any missions.

Of course, Yi Shuihan did something, but he completely obtained the cultivation method of the Small Universe from Tong Hu. However, this was limited to the Eighth Sense. The Ninth Sense was a realm that even Tong Hu had not yet explored, so he naturally couldn't tell Yi Shuihan about it.

Yi Shuihan himself also tried to cultivate the Small Universe, but he gave up in less than a day. It wasn't that he couldn't cultivate it, but that he discovered a problem: the cultivation system of this Small Universe was completely contrary to his own cultivation system.

The cultivation of Cosmo involves viewing oneself as a universe, and then fighting is about unleashing one's own universe. While Cosmo may seem powerful, it depletes one's potential. The more battles one engages in, the more damage one will sustain, eventually leading to the exhaustion of one's potential and death. This is why Saint Seiya warriors cannot live long lives, and why their fighting power declines with age.

The gods in this world are either those who were established after the creation of the world, or those who are descendants of gods. They all have deep foundations and are inherently powerful. It is extremely difficult for an ordinary person to cultivate to the ninth sense and reach the level of a god, because their potential simply cannot support it. This is why we have never heard of any warrior cultivating to become a god over the years; at most, they can only approach godhood.

"This world favors the gods so much that the cultivation system itself makes it difficult for humans to resist. Unless the gods harm each other, it is harder than climbing to heaven for humans to kill a god. This outcome is determined by their innate foundation."

We observed a moment of silence for humanity in this world!

Realizing the drawbacks of the microcosm, Yi Shuihan naturally stopped focusing on it. Cultivating the microcosm was digging his own grave, and the further he cultivated, the more bound he became to this world, making it extremely difficult to transcend it.

The first eight senses are fine, but starting from the ninth sense, it's not about development itself, but about merging with the entire universe of this world and drawing on the power of heaven and earth. The further you go, the more you need to integrate into this world. While becoming stronger, you also lose the possibility of further advancement. It has to be said that the world's will has played a very good game.

"Could it be that these gods are so idle because they can't transcend, spending their days playing some kind of warrior war game?"

The moment this thought arose, Yi Shuihan was 80% certain.

Not cultivating one's own universe doesn't mean Yi Shuihan can't study it. Over the past six months, by observing the progress of the prospective Gold Saints, Yi Shuihan has gained exceptional experience in cultivating his own universe. He is well-versed in all situations and has no problem teaching others how to cultivate their own universe. In fact, in terms of experience, Yi Shuihan is already at the peak of the Eighth Sense, but he simply doesn't possess that power.

"As my warriors, you are definitely much happier than the warriors of other gods. I allow you to live forever. Even if cultivating your cosmos depletes your potential, I can help you replenish it. So, my little darlings in some corner of this world, you are blessed."

Chapter 737, Sudden Arrival, Karakura Town

If this world were a legitimate Saint Seiya world, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the trainees in Mount Lu would continue their training for another year or two, and Yi Shuihan would only leave once he had fully recovered.

"You said a city suddenly appeared on this land, and many monsters appeared in it. Dohko wants you to eliminate them?"

On this day, Aiolia brought Yi Shuihan some unexpected news.

At first, Yi Shuihan didn't care much. After all, in a world where gods exist, this wasn't a big deal. He thought the so-called monsters were just weird things created by the gods.

However, when Aiolia uttered a name, Yi Shuihan was completely stunned.

"The city that suddenly appeared is called Karakura Town. According to the information, those monsters are things that ordinary people can't see at all, and it seems that there is another force fighting against the monsters. That force calls itself the Grim Reaper, and they call those monsters Hollows."

If it were just the name Karakura Town, it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, names are bound to be repeated, like people's names. In a large country, there might even be a situation where a name is used by thousands or tens of thousands of people.

However, when Karakura Town, the Grim Reaper, and Hollows appeared, it was hard for Yi Shuihan not to associate them with a certain anime he had once watched.

"I have to go check it out."

Yi Shuihan made a decision on the spot, even though his strength had not yet returned to its peak.

Therefore, Yi Shuihan, along with the 12 reserve Gold Saints including Galon, left Mount Lu. As for Tong Hu, he still had to stay here, as there was still a seal on Mount Lu that prevented him from leaving.

"Do you think you can handle the monsters in Karakura Town?"

When Yi Shuihan asked this question, Aiolia and the others answered with great confidence.

"These mere monsters are no match for our future Gold Saints. We don't even need our Saint Cloths to easily defeat them."

"Master Tong Hu said that whoever contributes the most this time can go to the Sanctuary and communicate with the Cloth. Maybe I will become a formal Gold Saint soon."

"There's no need for so many of us. I, Shura, can handle this all by myself. I will protect the land that belongs to the goddess Athena."

Seeing how confident they were, Yi Shuihan didn't try to discourage them. It was quite interesting to just watch them suffer, wasn't it?

To be honest, Yi Shuihan didn't think highly of them. Their strength was good, with the strongest being at the late stage of the Sixth Sense, the weakest at the early stage, and most at the middle stage. Such a team was comparable to an army of hundreds of thousands.

However, firstly, without their Cloths, the Saints cannot unleash their explosive power, inevitably becoming more restrained in battle. Secondly, considering the characteristics of Shinigami and Hollows, they might be countered; can their Sixth Sense truly see through Shinigami and Hollows who are merely souls? Thirdly, the strength of those Shinigami and Hollows is truly impressive; the strongest of them might even be able to defeat Gold Saints with the Seventh Sense. The Zanpakuto of Shinigami Captain-Commander Yamamoto is capable of destroying an entire world; such combat power is hard to fathom—it's unclear whether it's the Seventh or Eighth Sense.

If the Gold Saints who come are fully grown, and they are equipped with their Cloths, they might be able to suppress the Grim Reaper and Hollows. Three Gold Saints could even inspire awe in Athena herself, a feat that even the gods fear.

Of course, all of this was just Yi Shuihan's idea, and it also required that the city he was going to visit was really the one he remembered, and that the Grim Reaper and the top combatants from the Void also arrived.

Karakura Town descended upon a neon-lit city, overlapping with a sizable city. After its descent, the original city vanished completely, leaving no ruins behind, and was entirely covered up. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people died, which is why this event alarmed the Sanctuary.

Initially, the Sanctuary also sent some people, including some who had participated in the Saint Seiya competition but did not receive a Saint Cloth, and a few official Saints who possessed Bronze Cloths, but they failed to complete the mission.

The Pope originally wanted the Silver Saints to participate, but when Dohko found out, he saw it as an opportunity to train the Gold Saints, which led to Aiolia and his group's participation.

Aiolia and the others were extremely indignant about the deaths of so many people. In their view, this was a complete provocation against Athena, the goddess who ruled the earth, and against them, the Saints.

Unlike Aiolia, Yi Shuihan didn't feel much, especially after learning that the dead were all Japanese; in fact, he was somewhat pleased.

If so many people from China were to die, even knowing that this wasn't his homeland but just a similar country, Yi Shuihan would probably go to Karakura Town as quickly as possible to let the Hollows and Shinigami know that there are places they can't run rampant in, instead of leisurely traveling to Karakura Town with Aiolia and the others using ordinary transportation.

It took them nearly two days to travel from Mount Lu to Karakura Town. By the time they arrived, some areas around Karakura Town had also been affected by the Hollows, resulting in the deaths of over 2 more people.

"Is this Karakura Town? It feels like a ghost town."

Karakura Town was deserted at this time. They were able to get here thanks to the guides left behind by the Sanctuary outside Karakura Town.

"This place is indeed a ghost town. Those who could run have already run, and those who couldn't run are dead."

The speaker was Lyca, who had led Yi Shuihan to the right place. He was once a contender for the Bronze Cloth, but he failed in the end and stayed in the Sanctuary as a reserve Bronze. He had a preliminary understanding of the Sixth Sense, but his talent was not high, so he remained at the early stage of the Sixth Sense. Unless something unexpected happened, he would not make any further breakthroughs in his life. He was one of the personnel sent here by the Sanctuary to carry out the suppression mission last time.

"Isn't this better? We can fight without restraint. I can't wait to show those monsters what a true Saint Seiya is all about."

"Cancer Deathmask said excitedly. As a constellation that deals with the underworld all year round, even though Deathmask has not yet become a Gold Saint, he still feels like a fish in water when faced with such a terrifying scene for ordinary people."

Chapter 738, Let's meet the so-called Grim Reaper

Is someone over there?

"Shaka! What are you talking about? There's clearly nothing there."

"Yeah, Shaka, are you hallucinating?!"

Shaka kept his eyes closed, and perhaps that's why he wasn't deceived by his own vision. Therefore, the invisibility of Hollows and Shinigami was of little use to him.

"My lords, be careful. It's an illusion; ordinary people can't see them."

Upon hearing Shaka's warning, Lyca roared. As someone who had fought against Hollows before, he had initially suffered considerable losses in front of the invisible Hollows.

Among Yi Shuihan's group, none of them could see the Void right in front of them, except for Yi Shuihan himself.

Even the perception of the microcosm cannot sense the void, since the void does not have a so-called microcosm. They can only fight based on the sounds caused by the void or the sense of crisis when the void attacks them.

"Is an ordinary small fish worthless?"

Yi Shuihan's unique gaze fell upon a 3-meter-tall creature with an ugly mask and the body of a wild beast, its eyes gleaming with greed as it looked at Yi Shuihan and the others.

For Hollow, each of Aiolia and the others was a delicious feast; the aroma, full of spiritual energy, was almost driving him to madness.

The reason why Hollows eat people is entirely for their souls, that is, their spiritual power. Aiolia and the others are not ordinary people; they are all destined to become Gold Saints. Their souls are different from ordinary people and are full of spiritual power. In other words, such people are the best prey in the eyes of Hollows.

"Food, smells good... I want to eat it."

The voice rose from the void, intermittent and filled with malice.

This time, Aiolia and the others finally changed their expressions and believed Shaka and Lyca's words. Even though they were very strong, in terms of strength, if they could see this Hollow, each of them could easily defeat it. However, when faced with this invisible unknown, they still subconsciously felt a little panicked.

"Roar"

The roars of wild beasts accompanied the tremors of the earth, and Aiolia could sense the rapid approach of an unknown entity.

"Lightning Fist"

"Accumulated corpse energy"

Scarlet Needle

"Holy Sword"

"..."

This Void's fate was tragic. It thought it could have a feast and even evolve into a higher level of existence, but it chose the wrong opponent. Before it even reached the delicious food in its eyes, the food launched various attacks, directly shattering it into pieces.

The fact that so many people who will soon become Gold Saints joined forces to fight it makes this Hollow quite valuable; it's the kind of treatment a god would receive.

"Solve it?"

"should be!"

"call……"

Seeing Aiolia and the others being so cautious, Yi Shuihan's lips curled into a strange smile. He wondered what they would think if they knew that the being they considered a formidable enemy and were going to attack at the same time was actually just a pitifully weak fellow.

"But there are also people who can keep their composure!"

Yi Shuihan's gaze swept over Shaka, Galon, Aiolos, and Mu, and he nodded to himself.

"Are these the ones destined to become Gold Saints? Each and every one of them is terrifying."

Although Aiolia and the others looked somewhat pathetic, their strength was already quite astonishing in Lyca's eyes. None of them were weaker than him, and he felt that he couldn't withstand any of their attacks. Even the Bronze Saints with their Cloths were inferior to these guys in his eyes; they were definitely monsters.

"Lyca, are these monsters called 'Void' invisible?"

Galon's expression was slightly serious.

"That's right, we can't see any of the illusions."

"Then we'll have to fight a group of unseen enemies, which is too passive."

"By the way, wasn't it said that another group was fighting against the Void? Can't you see them either?"

Aiolos raised a question; his senses were still very sharp, and he immediately asked about the core issue.

"Are you talking about Death, sir? We can see them, but according to them, they make it possible for us to see them through something called 'spirit,' and they themselves are actually invisible."

"Take us to the Grim Reaper's territory; perhaps they can help us figure something out. Otherwise, we'll just have to close our eyes and fight the monsters."

“Aeolus, you’re not the leader, it’s my brother. Besides, what makes you think that Death is definitely not an enemy?”

Galon jumped out and retorted.

The leader that Dohko assigned this time was indeed Kanon, but he also instructed that if Kanon and Shaka, as deputy leaders, disagreed, the minority should obey the majority.

"Shaka, what do you think?"

Aiolos looked at Shaka, wanting his support.

Shaka, however, turned his head towards Yi Shuihan. Only then did they remember that the great god Yi Shuihan was still there. They cursed Shaka inwardly for flattering them, but they were also waiting for Yi Shuihan's decision. If it was Yi Shuihan's decision, none of them would have any objections.

At this moment, Lyca also looked at Yi Shuihan in surprise. He had initially thought that Yi Shuihan was of similar status to him, sent by Lushan to guide the way, similar to a follower of a prospective Saint Seiya. Now it seemed that this was not the case.

"Then let's go see the so-called Grim Reaper."

Seeing that Yi Shuihan agreed with Aiolos's opinion, Aiolia looked at Galon triumphantly, while Galon seemed somewhat sullen.

"Lead the way!"

"Alright, gentlemen, please follow me."

Led by Lyca, they traversed ten city blocks without incident, easily defeating any Hollows they encountered. They didn't face any powerful Hollows, and even those they couldn't see were easily dealt with, which greatly boosted Aiolia and the others' confidence.