Infinite Gods Reign Supreme

Chapter 151: Return and... A Deeper Existence

— [Settlement in progress...]

—【Complete the main quest: Survive for fifteen days, or defeat the descending Yamata no Orochi avatar. Participation by all members will grant one B-rank side quest and a reward of 5000 points.】

—[Defeat Geese Howard's forces to obtain 1 C-rank side quest and 2500 reward points.]

— [Defeat 'The Breath of the Storm Goenitz' to share 1 B-rank side quest and a certain number of reward points based on your contribution in the battle. Reincarnator Siming will receive 2 C-rank side quests and 4000 reward points.]

—[Defeat 'Omega Rugal' to receive 2 C-rank side quests and a certain number of reward points based on your contribution in the battle. Reincarnator Siming will receive 1 C-rank and 1 D-rank side quest, and 3000 reward points.]

—【Complete the special side quest: Annihilation—Slay all 'Contractors' belonging to the 'Nightmare Space' in this world. All participants will receive one B-rank side quest and 5000 reward points. A Depth of Existence will also be increased upon completion.】

—【Special Side Quest Change: Deep Annihilation—Slay all 'newly added' 'Contractors' in this world. In addition to the 'Annihilation' reward, all participants will receive an extra A-rank side quest and 10000 reward points.】

— [Calculating remaining reincarnation resources...]

—【Si Ming, the Reincarnator, currently possesses 31042 reward points, 2 A-level side quests, and 1 each of C-level and D-level side quests. He has undergone one depth upgrade.】

— [Initiating a deep upgrade...]

Si Ming missed the final battle against Yamata no Orochi. When he won, Orochi couldn't withstand the full force of the Heavenly Gods for even a few more seconds. And as that brief moment came to an end, he heard the announcement from the Supreme God.

The mission is over.

And the profits will be distributed accordingly.

Bathed in the light of the Supreme God, his thoughts stretched and lengthened. In a daze, Siming felt as if he had stepped into a vast and boundless sea. And before him lay a massive battlefield.

A battlefield he couldn't comprehend.

He saw golden light spill down into the ocean of emptiness. He saw the dim stars within the ocean ignite and light up. He saw vast swarms of dark stars scream and struggle to escape, but in the end, all resistance was submerged in this magnificent ocean of light.

Something was destroyed.

Only a very few stars, dragging their broken shells, flew towards more distant places in the void—where perhaps a chance to escape awaited them, or perhaps an even more horrific fate of being hunted. In any case, they would never again appear above this golden-tinged ocean.

【it's over. 】

Si Ming thought of it.

He himself didn't know why he had such thoughts.

The logic in his mind became clear, and things that were previously incomprehensible gradually became understandable. And ultimately, he found the answer.

[The Nightmare Space has been captured and devoured by the Supreme God. The unfinished business of the King of Fighters '98 world has now come to an end.]

It turned out to be the case.

He nodded, but his gaze unconsciously drifted downwards.

Within his own chest, he saw a radiant light, as magnificent as those dark star clusters, pulsating and shining.

That is……

A beacon of spiritual growth!

........................

Si Ming opened his eyes.

He immediately sensed the surging, frenzied power within his body. His total battle qi, which had previously been stagnant at the seventh star of the Dou Wang realm and had only increased slightly even with daily training, was now rising uncontrollably and rapidly.

Eight stars, nine stars, and more are being added!

The Douhuang level only held him off for a fleeting moment. Hundreds of trillions of cells throughout his body breathed and exhaled like living things, while massive streams of Dou Qi surged and flowed from beneath his skin.

Douhuang, one star.

The spatial structure before him seemed to be subtly changing in Siming's observation. He couldn't yet manipulate spatial power, but he could intuitively sense the weaknesses and general structure of the space before him. Even though he was currently only aware of the phenomenon without understanding its underlying reasons, it didn't prevent him from using it.

power.

Si Ming gently raised his hand, about to make a light stroke on the weak point in the space before him—he suddenly realized that his growth wasn't due to an increase in the amount and level of his battle qi. Rather, it was because the dark battle qi within his body, after increasing several times over, was still perfectly under his control!

There was no sluggishness, no sudden acceleration.

The surging stream of battle qi seemed to follow his will perfectly, just like his fingers. With a slight thought, a stream of battle qi flowing from his fingertips transformed into hundreds of independent, yet docile, slender lines of twilight color.

The gene lock may still be at the initial stage of the third level, or it may have grown slightly beyond that.

But Si Ming could feel that he had already gained his own 'weight'. The fourth-tier professional life level was now in his grasp. Even though it was still different from properly unlocking the initial stage of the fourth tier of the gene lock, he could now use himself as an anchor to suppress his own destiny.

It turned out to be the case.

So this is the effect of 'existential depth enhancement'.

Si Ming had to admit that this was indeed a very valuable gain. And since he had achieved such success, what about the others…?

There was a soft "bang".

Si Ming lowered his hand, which was about to tear open space, and at that moment he observed a sudden burst of power. It was a rapidly expanding spiritual entity, and it was being released outwards rapidly, using Luo Yinglong's brow as an anchor point!

"Hey! I did it!"

A fierce divine light erupted from Luo Yinglong's eyes. His robes fluttered without wind, and eight-colored energy surged and merged into his massive spiritual body. A dark, colossal shadow immediately appeared above his head. And that shadow was none other than himself magnified a hundredfold, a thousandfold. "The path of the Ghost Immortal is now beneath my feet. Today, I, the Daoist Master, will—"

He got stuck there.

However, no one actually came to stop him.

This, however, revealed confusion in his eyes, as if under normal circumstances, someone should be there to stop him at this time.

The name of that 'someone' is obvious.

Luo Yinglong looked in the direction where Song Tian was, puzzled.

"Uh... I remember according to those books, the blood energy of a Martial Saint upon advancement can have a significant suppressive effect on a newly promoted Ghost Immortal... You haven't advanced yet?"

He suddenly made an exaggerated tactical lean back.

"You can't possibly still not be a Martial Saint? Song Tian, ​​no way, no way, no way?"

However, Song Tian simply stood there quietly, looking at his palm and the knife in his hand.

"Body tempering is merely a secondary cultivation technique. What I focus on is always the sword in my hand." His aura had become noticeably heavier, even tinged with a touch of 'tranquility'.

"So you really didn't become a Martial Saint? Not even a Half-Martial Saint?"

"Yes, even if he's only a half-Martial Saint." Song Tian's body tempering realm is still at the peak of Grandmaster.

"Aha, then you'll be—"

The wind began to move.

The enormous ghostly immortal body, carrying eight-colored flames, suddenly pressed down. However, Song Tian, ​​who was the second to move, arrived first, as if he had foreseen the future, directly bypassing Luo Yinglong's ghostly immortal body and pressing Xueyin's blade onto Luo Yinglong's shoulder.

“But I have unlocked the third stage of my genetic lock.” Song Tian’s tone remained calm. “That old man who was in the battle gave me a lot of inspiration. Unfortunately, he was held back by his physical body. Even though his mind was full of energy, his flesh and blood couldn’t keep up. I couldn’t show him this new realm before I returned… I regret it.”

"Uh..." The extra-large Luo Yinglong raised his hands. "Um... could you please put the knife away first?"

"Not arrogant anymore?"

"Hahaha, I didn't... Look how humble and well-behaved I am..."

The two were still joking around.

"Achoo—!" A voice interrupted their conversation.

It was Yu Zhiwei; the first time the reincarnators of the Celestial Team had seen her sneeze—a physiological change that could be equated with illness. Before anyone could react, she suddenly coughed again.

Achoo!

She rubbed her slightly red nose, startling everyone else. Si Ming was already prepared to exchange her for a full-body repair, while Valentina, standing beside her, rubbed her eyes and looked at her.

"Something feels off... Hey, are you alright?"

Yu Zhiwei covered her nose and waved her hand. She looked up at Valentina, froze for a moment, and then rubbed her eyes hard.

"My God! Vana, this is what you look like?!"

She let go and pounced, grabbing Valentina's face and rubbing it repeatedly. Just as Valentina was about to say or do something, this clueless fellow abruptly turned his head away.

'Achoo!' Another sneeze.

Everyone knows that no one can sneeze without closing their eyes.

Yu Zhiwei, elated, turned her head and opened her eyes again. Just as she was about to explain something, the joy on her face turned into disgust and disappointment.

"...Why did it turn back into Eevee?"

Si Ming sighed silently.

Meanwhile, the veins on Valentina's forehead were already throbbing.

"Nonsense!" With a powerful thrust, she slammed Yu Zhiwei to the ground. "Don't ever say such insulting things to my intelligence again!"

That was a really hard, angry slap.

"Stirring what?" Liesel, who was rubbing her temples and seemed to have also undergone some improvement, asked, somewhat confused.

“I don’t know.” Jacob had returned to his usual calm and composed demeanor. He had lost his shroud and crown of thorns, but he still clutched the stone tablet in his hands. “I only know that Valentina is angry.”

That's enough.

Si Ming covered his face.

Seriously, enough of that sea tiger terrier stuff.

but……

He was too lazy to remove his hands from his face, but he could still see Almaria, who would usually be the first to jump out and respond to jokes, standing in the square. But now, this older magical girl was just standing there quietly, looking at the others, with a self-reproachful yet somewhat aloof and quiet smile.

That's enough.

(End of this chapter)