Challenge: The Fool with the Surname Okayamine

Chapter 196 Neighborhood Arc: The Black King

"Oh dear~ Shall we fight?"

"Whatever, but I'm protecting the lady behind me, understand?"

Wuming's lips curled up slightly as he pointed his katana at Kurumi in front of him.

Kurumi had no intention of backing down. Instead, she bypassed Wuming in front of her and looked at Rinpa Sie, who had originally given up resisting but was now full of hope and longing. The corners of her mouth also turned up slightly.

Sherry and Kongwu both felt that a fight was about to begin, and the atmosphere was so tense that it was almost frozen.

Both sides simply smiled and put their weapons away again.

"Aren't you going to fight?"

"Perhaps at first, but even though I am an elf, I would be in a lot of trouble if I were surrounded by three enemies at the same time."

"So, are you prepared to back down and leave?"

"That won't do!"

"Ok?"

The moment Wuming looked puzzled, Kurumi's styling pistol was already aimed at Sherry, who was standing next to Wuming and trembling because she had no more solar energy to protect herself.

"I'm going to kill her, no objections, right?"

Why?

"The two of them kidnapped my teammate and tried to kill me, and as far as I know, the hole in your chest is also somewhat related to them."

Touching her cheek gently, Kurumi offered Wuming the best price she could offer.

There's no doubt that neither Wuming nor Kurumi would feel too guilty about eliminating someone who had attacked them and kidnapped others through despicable means. This is indeed the optimal solution for this peace negotiation.

"So? Are you going to say yes?"

"It's definitely a good choice. In fact, from my perspective, I have no reason to refuse it..."

Wuming expressed his agreement with a smile.

But Sherry, who was watching from the sidelines, didn't think so. The moment those words were spoken, her whole body began to tremble rapidly, and she couldn't even run away.

That's right. If one's ally is turned against them, even excluding the Void that has no offensive power, there are still two peak-level near-elves present.

Escape? Unless you think you have the ability... who can escape? Especially someone like me whose solar energy reserves are almost zero right now.

"Well..."

The situation is like death's scythe is at his neck, and death is the only option facing him.

If that's the case... then I can only be betrayed and die in the end... Ah... I'm just a child, everything I've done is just to survive... Really, I want to eat another bite of sweets...

Thinking this, she couldn't help but drop the [Flame Demon's Eye] from her hand to the ground.

As for Li Bei, her eyes are now filled with complex and difficult choices.

She herself had invited Sherry, and the thought of abandoning her companion simply because someone else gave her a reason or value to continue living was somewhat unsettling for the young girl.

"What should I do? Someone might accept me... No, what if they're just a smooth talker? If I abandon my companions now, I'll still... But..."

The girl's mind was in turmoil, and she was still struggling to think things through.

Wuming, who was standing in front of him, opened his mouth again.

"I really have no reason to refuse..."

"Are you going to do that? Then I'm going to shoot!"

"But I refused."

Wuming's voice was resolute, causing Kurumi to pause slightly.

"Oh? You're refusing? Why? This is clearly a choice that's best for everyone."

Kurumi spoke with great interest, but Wuming's only response was to silently turn his head and look down at Rinpa Sie, who was kneeling in front of him, which startled the girl.

"Do you want to survive? I promise to give you a new goal, so do you want to survive? Go and continue to live a vile life."

"..."

The girl remained silent, which seemed like an invitation, but she hesitated over whether to abandon her companions.

Although she was despicable and very shy, betrayal was commonplace in this tenth realm. Her original goal was simply to prove her worth here, so she wanted to survive by fighting. However, as a former court maiden, she found it difficult to abandon her trusted companions.

Just then, the five-meter-tall man standing in front of her extended his hand, but instead of urging her to abandon her companion, he said to her:

"You can be even more greedy, wanting both a reason and the survival of your companions. I completely agree with that."

Upon hearing this, Rinpa Shai was slightly taken aback. Looking at the hand that Wuming offered, although she still felt wary of the quasi-spirit in front of her, she slowly reached out and grasped Wuming's hand.

For some reason, even though Wuming's expression has remained neutral from the beginning until now, it inexplicably gives people a sense of peace.

Before Rin could even ask anything after standing up, Wuming turned back to face Kurumi, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Hiding behind Kurumi, Kongwu was also secretly watching Wuming in front of her. The strange familiarity about him kept reminding her of some of his past impressions.

"Since you're refusing, then what you mean is..."

"No, fighting now will not benefit us. You should know that better than anyone, Miss Kurumi. There is a Chinese proverb that says, 'When jade and clams fight, the fisherman benefits.'"

"Oh~ then who is the fisherman you're talking about?"

"You should know better than anyone who I'm referring to."

"Yes, but if I let them kidnap my people and then don't punish them, wouldn't that be..."

"I understand what you mean, and I will give you the corresponding price."

The moment he finished speaking, Wuming used his katana to cut off his left arm and threw it into Kurumi's hands.

"What will the price be?"

Wuming remained calm, as if he were the one whose arm had been cut off.

Kurumi raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the severed arm that was still bleeding in her hand. A hint of horror flashed in her eyes, but she quickly returned to calm.

"This price is truly fatal. To lose an arm completely in a place like this is quite something in a way. Well then, I'll spare everyone here."

As Kurumi spoke, she lifted the empty back of her collar, bowed slightly, and then disappeared into her shadow.

"Huh...are we saved?"

Still not quite understanding, Shirley blinked and muttered to herself again.

"It's like I just slipped through the gates of hell and came back. Ah... I also seem to have some unpleasant memories of being cheated while I was working."

Because of the recent shock, some of Sherry's hazy memories from her previous life came back to her mind.

But what's even more exciting is what happens next.

"Ah... sigh! Tonami, what are you going to do?!"

As he watched Kong Wu leave, Wu Ming couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity welling up inside him. He put his hand to his forehead, as if he was thinking carefully, but that wasn't it.

"But compared to all that, what's more important to me right now is the war wheel that's right around my neck."

Wuming spoke in an almost joking tone, raising his hand above his head and a slight smile playing on his lips.

"This is really... unexpected. I thought he was the easy-going type. Oh well, it's true. But it's really sad to treat my savior in this way."

"Perhaps, after all, I was often called an ill-mannered person when I was alive."

"That seems quite fitting."

"Yes, but you don't think of me like someone in a romance novel, the kind of person who would willingly follow you and give everything for you just by saying a few nice words, do you?"

Li Bai Shei grabbed her three braids with one hand, while holding the war wheel in the other and placing it on Wuming's neck. She stood behind him, tilting her head and looking extremely serious.

Seeing this, Sherry wanted to step forward to stop them, but was stopped by a fierce look from Tomi that she had never seen before.

"So that's what you thought? That's even more impressive than I imagined."

"You didn't deny it? I thought you would try to argue your way out of it."

"Yes, I have no interest in making such pointless excuses to others. I'm more curious about why you suddenly turned against your benefactor."

"It's very simple. Your feelings have been very one-dimensional from beginning to end. It's undeniable that you do want my help, and you'd even be willing to offer an arm for it, but all I can feel is emptiness. You don't seem like a very compassionate person."

Libo analyzed it. She was the one who could most truly sense the danger of the guy in front of her. People who could ignore everything and live only for their own principles and beliefs were often more terrifying.

"It's not entirely a lie, at least it's true that I want you to experience this, and that I genuinely admire you."

"Ah."

Reibo nodded in agreement; this statement was undoubtedly true.

“That’s true. I can’t deny your contributions. If it were a normal person, I would treat him as a benefactor, but you are different…”

"You've really gone to a lot of trouble. So how can you trust me?"

"I don't know, but before that, I want to know why they need me."

"The reason..."

Wuming's eyes deepened, as if he were pondering something.

"Can't you say? Or are you still making up excuses?"

"No, this is my thinking. There are so many reasons, which one should I use to convince you the most? After all, they are all the truth."

"Then pick two that you think are most suitable. If I don't like what I hear, I'll probably find someone whose head will roll in the blink of an eye."

Libo gave a wicked smile. Although she couldn't be sure how Wuming Shi, whose chest was pierced, could still survive, she figured that even the most powerful monster would die once its head was severed.

Indeed, betraying her savior would make Tomi feel guilty, even though she was struggling to survive. But more than that, she didn't want to live a life controlled by false words.

In a short while, Wuming spoke again:

"Firstly, because you are desperately trying to live, no matter what despicable means you use, you just want to live and prove yourself. In this respect, I am very similar to you."

"Do they look alike? Perhaps."

Rinpo stared into Wuming's empty eyes, and there was no doubt that this statement was not a lie.

"Do you want to continue?"

"explain..."

"Would you believe me if I said the second reason I saved you was because your hairstyle reminded me of my lover? Even though I can no longer remember her face."

Rinpa Sie paused slightly, her grip on the battle wheel loosening unconsciously. She could see a strange desolation and sorrow in those empty eyes.

She stared at the man's Adam's apple, but another thought surged into her mind: No! He... was a man, the first man she had encountered since falling into the neighboring world!

"Shh~ It's good that you know, but there are other people here. It wouldn't be good to say it out loud."

Wuming put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, indicating that Shirley, who was observing everything from the side, was also present.

However, the lover he mentioned was so unexpected.

The feedback on her hairstyle was very positive, which was indeed a first for her in a sense. Her classmates would probably have said that the hairstyle was outdated or something similar.

"It's that simple. But the second one is just a simple statement to me. What I really care about is your first talent: living a base life and struggling to survive. It's so similar to me and yet so opposite to me. That's why I need you to be my strategist."

"military adviser...?"

"Yes, that's right, strategist. I need your talent for fierce struggle; it's such an admirable talent."

"why?"

Wuming's gaze shifted slightly as he met Libo's eyes. His right eye changed from a hollow black to a scarlet red as if blood were flowing within it, like a wild beast staring intently at someone.

A sinister smile slowly spread across his lips.

"I want to overthrow this place, kill the 'Puppet Master' to become the new ruler, and ultimately—be crowned king!"

That was a sudden inspiration Wuming had not long ago. If he traveled through each realm one by one, he might not even meet her when he finally reached the end. But as long as he had a bad reputation—as long as he became the Dark King, he would inevitably attract attention.

Even if "that girl" doesn't recognize me, I'll be able to find her more easily in the vast sea of ​​people in the future.

Naturally, all of this did not contradict the request he had made to Caiyan. She wanted to leave this place to find love, and he also had to go to the destination. However, before that, he should expand his popularity so that she could find him more easily.

Li Bai was stunned by Wu Ming's words, and the war wheel in her hand almost fell to the ground.

"You...you actually want to overthrow this place and become the new ruler?"

"Ah! You actually...you actually wanted to kill the 'Puppet Master'!"

Sherry was equally shocked, and her hand, which was pointing at Wuming, was trembling rapidly.

Li Bai took a deep breath, his gaze gradually hardening.

“This is indeed not an easy thing, and if we fail, we will be doomed. Admittedly, you saved me, but that is not enough for me to take this gamble. I am not good at putting all my chips on the table for a high-stakes gamble, so I have three questions for you later.”

"Please."

"First question, how many times have we met? Did we know each other before this match started?"

"Including the classroom before the match, this should be our second meeting. After all, if we use the process of elimination, you should have been one of the people who planned to attack me back then, but you were stopped by Hijikata."

"Indeed, that guy is as troublesome as a mad dog. So, my second question is, what do you plan to do after becoming the ruler?"

"Searching for her, my sins, everything I have, is all for the sake of seeing her one more time. Even so, it doesn't matter to me if I have to give up everything."

"Hmm, I didn't realize you were such a love-obsessed person."

"Yes, then let's get to the third question."

"Third question: Your spiritual energy reaction is not strong, and it is far inferior to mine. If I refuse your invitation, what will you do to me and Sherry?"

Staring intently into those eyes, Tomibo had to get to the bottom of the question: whether this person was worth following.

"Will you refuse? If you dare to refuse, I, Wuming, will still not choose to kill you. Of course, the premise is that you will not threaten me and that fool. For me, there is something more important than gaining a new companion. Your despicable behavior will not affect me."

The moment Wuming uttered those words, a chilling killing intent surged forth from him like a flood bursting its banks.

Any primate that senses this murderous intent will be deeply terrified.

Their bodies will tremble uncontrollably, their hearts will race, and they may even lose the ability to move due to extreme fear.

Rinpa Sie felt the killing intent and her body trembled slightly. Her survival instinct made her subconsciously raise the war wheel in her hand, trying to cut off Wuming's head.

"Do we really have to do this...?"

Unbeknownst to them, his vicious hole had been repaired, and the moment the war wheel touched his neck, it passed right through him as if it were passing through flames, without any real feeling of being hit.

Her body transformed into countless black butterflies, fluttering everywhere. Wuming turned around completely and walked towards her step by step, piercing her heart, while the samurai sword in his hand was pressed against Libo's neck.

"It's a pity that you didn't make me feel threatened."

The blade hovered over her neck, and a trickle of blood flowed out. Sherry didn't have time to react. Ryūha didn't even realize what had just happened. She only felt that the person standing in front of her was not a simple quasi-elf, but a black-dominated creature that terrified all primates—the Black King.

Under that gaze, as if dancing with wolves, the girl knelt helplessly on the ground.