Volume Two, The Devil's Game: Chapter 54 - Casting the Net for the Harvest

"Damn it." The Guardian hid in a secluded corner, watching through the eyes of Tan Weiwei and the others, and finally understood what had happened.

First, the moment Lu Yi broke through the encirclement, he had used Shen Yixue to pull Tan Weiwei and the other two into a shared illusion, forcing them all to attack empty air. Lu Yi had used that opportunity to escape unscathed.

Then, Shen Yixue manipulated the illusion so that the Guardian, seeing through their eyes, perceived that Lu Yi had been struck down. Believing his attack had succeeded, the Guardian had lowered his guard. Seizing this gap, Yuchan used sword energy to strike from mid-to-long range, rendering the trio incapacitated.

This result wasn't necessarily due to the brilliance of Shen Yixue’s illusion, but rather because Tan Weiwei and her companions were already in poor condition. Since part of the Guardian’s core had entered their bodies, his sole focus was killing Lu Yi, leaving him completely unprepared for such illusory tactics.

"Damn it! Hasn't Lu Yi been working alone all this time? How did that prey with no sense of direction find her way here? And that silly girl—how did she get involved with Lu Yi? And what’s with that sword energy of hers, which clearly isn't low-level? The previous Guardian captured her with ease; how did she suddenly gain such skill?" The Guardian punched a tree in a fit of rage.

"Of course, I called them here. And have you considered what you should do if I come looking for you?" Lu Yi appeared beside the Guardian with a smile on his face.

"Lu Yi!" The Guardian’s eyes narrowed instantly, and his body twisted, clearly intending to flee. However, after glancing at Lu Yi’s wounds, he adopted a look of indifference. "What can you do in your current state? How much energy do you even have left?"

"Oh? You think you can beat me now?" Lu Yi looked at the Guardian with interest.

The Guardian puffed out his chest, clasped his hands behind his back, and said nonchalantly, "Naturally. If nothing else, I know my own techniques quite well. The trick you used to escape earlier—that came from my skills and experience, didn't it? Hiding elements in the ground and then pulling them out requires a vast amount of mental energy to both conceal and deploy. And the reason you were unscathed by my water-based attacks earlier was simply because you had stolen my water-control techniques and experience, using your mental energy to alter the attacks that were unfavorable to you. Now that you’ve used that move, do you still have enough mental energy to contest control of the water with me? Furthermore, you’ve suffered so many wounds and used several throwing knives; you barely have enough physical strength to stand before me. To me, you’re just someone who stumbled upon me after hiding and fleeing, trying to bluff me into running away so you can safely pass your period of weakness. Otherwise, if you were truly full of energy and had the advantage, you would have charged at me long ago instead of standing here talking."

Lu Yi paused, and seeing his expression, the Guardian grew even more smug.

"You... you really know how to add drama to your own performance," Lu Yi shook his head with a sigh. "I went to such great lengths to hide my edge, finally convincing you that you could take me down, just so I could lure you to this relatively close spot. I endured so many attacks waiting for my teammates to arrive, and now that I’m standing in front of you, you actually think I’m bluffing."

The Guardian’s body trembled. "You were pretending?" He then looked up and laughed. "Ha! What a joke." He looked at Lu Yi with contempt. "Lu Yi, stop putting on a brave face." With that, the Guardian’s eyes widened, and he roared, "Die!"

The Guardian pulled an axe made of water from behind his back and threw it at Lu Yi. "Sea-Splitting, Wave-Breaking!"

"That’s more like it. If you’re feeling insecure, just attack." Lu Yi smiled as the hexagram in his left eye flared, now glowing a deep blue.

Lu Yi flicked his hand, and the axe, which had been flying toward him, instantly veered off into the woods behind him. A thunderous roar followed. From above, one could see a large swath of forest leveled, with trees and grass wiped away, leaving only a muddy patch of earth.

Seeing Lu Yi deflect the attack so casually, the Guardian didn't dare stay. His body twisted, clearly preparing to flee again.

"Want to run? Stay here!" The hexagram in Lu Yi’s eye flashed again. The water, which was about to turn into a waterspout, suddenly became chaotic. The moment the hexagram glowed, Lu Yi pulled a tightly woven net from his team inventory and cast it over the Guardian.

When Lu Yi retrieved the net, all the shattered cores were caught inside. They pulsed and jumped within the mesh, and the Guardian’s voice emerged from them. "You bastard! How did you have something like this prepared?"

Lu Yi tied a knot in the net and replied, "How did I have it? No, no, no, Mr. Guardian, you’re asking the wrong question. I’ve had this net since the last time you ran away."

Hearing the footsteps of Yuchan and Shen Yixue behind him, Lu Yi immediately divided the cores and the net into three portions. He kept the largest, tossed the slightly larger one to Yuchan, and gave the smaller one to Shen Yixue, saying, "Hurry and absorb the energy. Whoever finishes first, come over and help me share the load."

"Feng: So that’s how it is."
"Sweetie Yiyi: What do you mean by that?"
"Feng: Remember, the streamer once said that although he could continue to kill the Guardian, it would be meaningless. Now that he has chosen to kill the Guardian at this specific moment, have you noticed the difference?"
"Black Phosphorus Sauce: Oh, I get it, it's because the streamer's partners have arrived."
"Yandere Fairy: The streamer could have used the net and his water-control skills to trap the Guardian before. But even if he absorbed the Guardian's energy, it would only force the Guardian into a resurrection phase. Because there wasn't enough time, and the Guardian would die shortly after losing a certain amount of energy, it’s clear that by working with his partners, he intends to force the Guardian out of the game permanently."
"Sweetie Yueyue: Huh? He wants the Guardian’s resurrection time to exceed the remaining duration of the game? But isn't it the same regardless of how many people absorb the energy? Once a certain threshold is reached, the Guardian will enter the resurrection phase quickly. How can that possibly extend his resurrection time?"
"Feng: It’s simple. Just as you see now, the streamer didn't immediately absorb the energy himself. A simple deduction tells us that the two portions he tossed away are not enough to trigger the Guardian's resurrection phase. The streamer is observing who absorbs energy the fastest so he can work with that person to drain as much energy as possible within the limited time."
"Black Phosphorus Sauce: Wait, how does the streamer know how much to extract without killing the Guardian?"
"Feng: Don't you remember when the streamer killed the Guardian for the third time? He specifically showed us the core, and that time, the Guardian’s resurrection period was also very short."
"Black Phosphorus Sauce: Oh! So from that kill until he released the Guardian, he had been meticulously calculating everything. After enduring so many attacks, he’s finally ready to settle the score."
"Heartwarming Guy: All that suffering was worth it. Once this net was cast, he caught everything in one go."

At this moment, the fishing net in Lu Yi's hand kept jumping as it tried to break free. The Guardian’s voice emanated from within. "Damn you, Lu Yi! Next time I resurrect, I’ll kill all the other prey and make the last remaining Guardian hunt you down endlessly!"

With a crisp shattering sound, the core fragments in Yuchan’s hands broke simultaneously. Seeing this, Lu Yi’s eyes lit up. "Yuchan, come here quickly."

Yuchan trotted over. "Good person, what is it?"

"Are you full?" Lu Yi asked with a beaming smile.

Yuchan rubbed her stomach. "Not yet."

Lu Yi’s smile widened. He shook the largest portion of the core in his hand. "We’ll split this one."

Yuchan’s eyes sparkled. "Good person, you’re really going to share with me?"

After receiving confirmation, Yuchan knelt down and placed her hands on the net. Lu Yi’s left eye glowed, opening an energy conduit, and the energy from the core flooded toward both of them. It was clear that Yuchan was drawing a large amount of energy, while Lu Yi was taking only a meager portion.

"Ah!" The Guardian let out a howl of frustration. "Lu Yi, you’re letting her siphon my energy! You lied to me, you really were low on mental energy! If I had only attacked a few more times, if I had just attacked a few more times..."

As the energy flowed out, Lu Yi’s complexion improved significantly, and his absorption rate quickly caught up to and surpassed Yuchan’s.

"Ah, I won't accept this, I won't accept this!" With a final, desperate roar from the Guardian, the cores in the net shattered into countless pieces. A surge of power erupted from the core, knocking Yuchan and Lu Yi backward. The shattered fragments then flew upward and vanished into a light barrier.

Yuchan lay on the ground, rolling over to look at the barrier in the sky while rubbing her belly. "I’m full, maybe a bit too full."

Lu Yi glanced at Yuchan and smiled helplessly. At that moment, the notification that the Guardian had entered the resurrection phase reached his mind. He wore a brilliant smile—as he had expected, the Guardian’s resurrection time now exceeded the time remaining in the game. This Guardian, who had stirred up so much trouble, was finally, truly out of the game.

"Sweetie Yiyi: I suppose this counts as a seal."
"Heartwarming Guy: Naturally. Who would have thought? The Guardian caused so much chaos in the game, but the streamer still had the last laugh."
"Sweetie Yueyue: As expected of the streamer I support."
"Black Phosphorus Sauce: That's right, you should know who the streamer is."
"Feng: But having said that, this battle also reveals a huge hidden danger. The streamer is a classic example of someone who excels at external battles but struggles with internal ones. The Guardian might not have been able to make the streamer suffer too much, but the same can’t be said for those who are struggling to survive alongside him."
"Heartwarming Guy: That is indeed a hidden danger."

Hearing Feng’s message, Lu Yi nodded subconsciously. In the end, this outcome was only possible due to his Magic Eye and his status as the Demon King. The Magic Eye allowed him to absorb the Guardian’s energy and water-control experience, enabling him to handle the Guardian’s attacks with ease. And his status as the Demon King allowed the Magic Eye to trigger the ability to convert energy. Without that, given the tiny amount of Dark Magic within him, he would have been at the mercy of Tan Weiwei and her team within moments.

Wait, Lu Yi suddenly felt a jolt of excitement. Since the Guardian was out of the game and Tan Weiwei and the others were still trapped in the Guardian’s illusion, did that count as him defeating the Knight Order? If so, was it possible to keep this Demon King status?