Multiverse Skill System

Page 43

"No matter what, if anything happens to Yi Shuihan, I'm willing to risk everything, even if it means giving up my marshalship, to protect him."

A few days later, as soon as Yi Shuihan arrived at the Navy Headquarters, he was summoned to the Marshal's office. Besides Zhan Guo, there were other people in the office, Sakazuki and Kuzan.

Kuzan nodded to Yi Shuihan, and Yi Shuihan nodded in return. As for Sakazuki, he snorted coldly when he saw Yi Shuihan arrive, clearly showing some dissatisfaction.

"Everyone's here." Zhan Guo smiled when he saw Yi Shuihan. "Please, everyone, get ready!"

"What exactly is going on? Are you suggesting we become generals?" Yi Shuihan asked casually.

It's quite possible that they could bring together the three general candidates.

Seemingly having received some information, Sakazuki's eyes gleamed with fervor, and even Kuzan was not entirely unmoved, staring intently at Sengoku.

In response to Yi Shuihan's question, Sengoku did not refute it, but slowly said, "It is indeed about the Admirals. Our Navy has always had three Admirals. This time, apart from Kizaru, the other two Admirals are going to retire, so there are two positions, and these two positions will be decided among the three of you."

Upon hearing Sengoku's acknowledgment, the temperature around Sakazuki rose sharply, clearly due to excitement.

"So that means one person will be eliminated," Aokiji said calmly.

A hint of appreciation flashed in Sengoku's eyes, but his expression turned serious: "Indeed, originally, I planned for all three of you to become admirals. Although having four admirals is somewhat against the rules, the situation is different now. There are already four emperors among the pirates, but this proposal was rejected by the higher-ups."

It was rejected? It seems the World Government really can't stand the navy being too powerful! Yi Shuihan also had a feeling that this was targeting him.

Even Sakazuki showed a hint of dissatisfaction upon hearing about the World Government's intervention, after all, he also hoped that the Navy would become stronger.

"Who will be eliminated in the end is the key point I'm about to make." Sengoku paused for a moment, and seeing that Yi Shuihan and the others had become serious, he continued with satisfaction, "You will all go to the World Government headquarters together, where an elimination competition will be arranged to determine who will be eliminated."

"Of course, those who are eliminated should not be discouraged. It doesn't mean they can't become great generals in the future. They still have a chance."

That's what they said, but Yi Shuihan and the others all knew that if they missed this opportunity, they would have to wait a very long time, and might even remain general candidates forever.

Yi Shuihan knew that if the original plot unfolded as it was, if he didn't become a general this time, he would have to wait at least 10 years for a major event to take the position. Of course, if he secretly killed a general during that time, he could quickly rise to power.

“However, I don’t want to wait, so I’ll have to stop either Sakazuki or Kuzan.” As for who to choose, Sakazuki is the obvious choice over Kuzan, with whom he has a fairly good relationship.

Just as Yi Shuihan made this decision, Sakazuki was determined to prevent Yi Shuihan from becoming a general.

Sengoku didn't explain the specifics of how the elimination matches were conducted, because he didn't know either. He only told the three of them to face the matter calmly.

However, even Sengoku himself knew that was impossible. Unless he didn't care about the navy or the position of admiral, one of the three was destined to be rejected, and the other two would definitely be resented by the one who was rejected.

"Is this what you wanted to see? A navy riddled with internal conflicts." Sengoku was filled with resentment, but there was nothing he could do. The Five Elders behind the World Government were beings he could not possibly oppose.

"It's been a long time. How about we have a chat?" After leaving Zhan Guo, Yi Shuihan extended an invitation to Kuzan, who agreed after only a slight hesitation.

Watching Kuzan and Yi Shuihan's retreating figures, Sakazuki's eyes were filled with anger, both towards Yi Shuihan and Kuzan. But no matter how angry he was, it was useless, as Yi Shuihan and Kuzan were no weaker than him.

This was actually intentional on Yi Shuihan's part, meant to express an attitude: to join forces with Kuzan to eliminate Sakazuki. Kuzan's agreement showed that he accepted Yi Shuihan's invitation, which naturally angered and even frightened Sakazuki.

Chapter 110, Just as Life and Death Are Beyond One's Control

"What's your opinion on this matter?" Yi Shuihan asked, looking directly at Kuzan, each word distinct.

Kuzan pondered for a moment, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes. "The World Government is overstepping its bounds. They're trying to restrict the Navy's development. The Navy has been developing very smoothly recently, and its strength is gradually growing. They can't stand by and watch, because if this continues, the World Government's control over the Navy will be reduced to a minimum."

After a moment's hesitation, he continued, "As for whether or not I become an admiral, I don't really care. The navy is currently led by Fleet Admiral Sengoku, so the general direction is not wrong. However, Sakazuki's ambition is too great, and his sense of justice is distorted."

“That’s right. Rather than letting Sakazuki become a general, we should do it ourselves.” Yi Shuihan stretched out his palm and then clenched it into a fist.

"It's settled then. We'll kick Sakazuki out first." Without giving Kuzan a chance to object, Yi Shuihan got up and left.

After spending a few days at headquarters, Yi Shuihan had hoped to catch up with some old acquaintances, but he discovered that most of his former friends were no longer at headquarters, either on assignment or on missions. Therefore, Yi Shuihan could only stay quietly in his room.

"It's been a while since I've seen Robin. I wonder how she and Olvia are doing?" The three-year agreement was long over, and Olvia kept her word and returned to Robin's side. After that, she traveled the world with Yi Shuihan, taking care of her daughter. These years were the happiest time for Robin.

When Yi Shuihan won the Luck Trade lottery, he settled Robin and the others on an island, waiting for Yi Shuihan to return.

Upon arriving at the World Government, they were picked up by a warship sent by the World Government, accompanied only by Yi Shuihan and his two companions, who were all candidates for generalship.

"Weren't we supposed to be going to the World Government? What the hell is this place?" Yi Shuihan was quite surprised as he looked at the dark, restless island in front of him.

However, the person who brought them did not answer Yi Shuihan's question, but pointed in a direction, indicating that Yi Shuihan and the others should leave.

Not far away, there was a black stone tablet with the three large characters "Valley of Life and Death" written on it in scarlet script.

"It's here!" Kuzan suddenly exclaimed, full of surprise.

"Do you know where this place is?" Yi Shuihan asked, glancing at Sakazuki, only to find that the other was equally bewildered.

Kuzan didn't hide anything and told him everything he knew: "I'm not entirely sure either. I only learned a few bits and pieces from a file before. The World Government has a place for training absolute power called the Valley of Life and Death. Once you enter the Valley of Life and Death, your life and death are out of your control. It is said that anyone who can come out of here is an absolute powerhouse, at least a vice admiral, and there are many admirals among them. I always thought it was fake."

"Interesting. Once you enter the Valley of Life and Death, life and death are out of your control?" Yi Shuihan looked interested, not scared at all, but rather eager to see for himself.

"Let's go! You'll find out once we're inside."

Watching Yi Shuihan's hurried figure, Kuzan lowered his raised hand, unable to stop her at all. He just thought that he could only go in now, shook his head, and followed her.

Sakazuki's expression was uncertain, but in the end, he also chose to enter.

"Have you heard? There are two spots available for leaving the valley recently!"

"What? A spot to leave the valley? It can't be fake, can it?"

"It can't be wrong. It's said that as long as you kill any one of the three people, you can leave the valley and go out into the wonderful world."

"I'm determined to get a spot this time."

"All the heads are mine."

"..."

Blood, severed limbs, and mutilated corpses lay scattered on the ground like garbage, emitting a foul stench, with only a few unidentified birds occasionally feeding on them.

"This is all we've seen along the way. Is this Valley of Life and Death some kind of mass grave?" Yi Shuihan's face was gloomy. Anyone who keeps seeing these disgusting things will not be in a good mood.

Kuzan, standing to the side, also wore an unhappy expression. He had strong opinions about the World Government that had established the Valley of Life and Death, believing that such a place should not exist at all.

Behind the two, Sakazuki followed at a leisurely pace, a full 20 meters away, his expression unchanged, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

"There's movement!" Yi Shuihan's ears twitched, and his face lit up with joy. "Let's go quickly."

This is a colossal beast as tall as a 10-story building. Beside it is a small team of 5 people, who are attacking the beast.

The group consisted of five people: four men and one woman. All of them possessed formidable auras. Two of the men carried swords, one carried an arrow, while the remaining man and woman were unarmed.

It's clear that this team works together very well, keeping the giant beast firmly under control. Although the beast is stronger than each of them individually, it's still being manipulated and is on the verge of collapse.

"Success." The sword plunged into the giant beast's body, and blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly creating a pool of blood on the ground.

The five did not finish off the beast, but instead surrounded it and continued to attack it from a distance with arrows.

Finally, the giant beast collapsed in despair and closed its eyes.

"Finally done." The five people were overjoyed at the death of the giant beast, which was clearly of great value.

"who is it?"

A loud shout came from the only woman among the five. Upon hearing her words, the relaxed expressions of the others changed, and they all moved closer, looking around warily.

Yi Shuihan emerged from behind a tree, his face showing surprise. Although he hadn't tried to hide himself carefully, anyone who could spot him was definitely not an ordinary expert.

Seeing that Yi Shuihan was alone, a hint of relief flashed in the eyes of the five people, and then they looked at Yi Shuihan fiercely.

"There are others." The woman's voice was somewhat cold, and her eyes held a serious expression.

Kuzan's figure slowly approached from not far away and stopped beside Yi Shuihan.

Kuzan remained silent. Although the five people in front of him were considered strong, he clearly did not take them seriously.

Are you newcomers to the valley?

"Oh, how did you figure that out?"

Upon hearing Yi Shuihan's question, a knowing look flashed in the eyes of the five-person team.

The woman did not reply, but pointed to the clothes on Yi Shuihan and the others.

"I see." Yi Shuihan understood immediately. Since it was the Valley of Life and Death, a dangerous place, there must be constant fighting. Such spotless clothes without any damage were practically nonexistent. Even if they existed, they must belong to a true big shot here. Obviously, Yi Shuihan was not any of the known big shots, so the only answer was a newcomer.

Chapter 111, The Five Demons

"Can you tell me about the situation here?" Yi Shuihan asked with a smile.

"Who do you think you are? Why should I introduce you to someone?" the unarmed man shouted.

"Shut up, third brother."

"Big sister! Aren't they just newbies? Let them hand over their good stuff, and we can make another fortune."

Looks like we've been taken advantage of! Yi Shuihan's expression remained unchanged, as if he hadn't heard their words at all.

This behavior was clearly seen as fear by others, and immediately, all five members of the team, except for the woman, revealed a fierce look; they were tempted.

"Don't do anything rash!" Seeing that her brothers were about to make a move, the woman, who was called the eldest sister, quickly shouted.

The title of "elder sister" is just a name; it doesn't mean she's the strongest. Clearly, her words have no effect.

"call out"

A streak of black light burst forth, heading straight for Yi Shuihan; the archer had made his move.

The arrow, which never misses its mark, turned into an ice arrow three zhang away from Yi Shuihan before it even got close. Then it fell down and shattered into ice crystals with a bang.

"What is this?" The archer was stunned by the bizarre scene before him and asked instinctively.

The archer, named Gladys, was the fourth in the group of five, but his skill was second only to the others. He had repeatedly killed formidable enemies thanks to his exceptional archery.

"Sorry, it was just a slip of the hand." Gladys quickly apologized, clearly realizing his mistake; what had just happened proved that the two people in front of him were definitely not to be trifled with.

Those who had originally clamored to deal with Yi Shuihan have now backed down, and are now afraid that Yi Shuihan and his group will cause trouble.

Seeing this, Yi Shuihan shrugged and said, "Kuzan, what do you suggest we do?"

This sentence made the five-person team tense up, staring straight at Kuzan, their bodies taut.

"What's wrong? It's so cold."

"My feet are frozen."

"I'm frozen too."

"No, help!"

Apart from the woman who showed no hostility from the beginning, the other four had become ice sculptures, and their terrified expressions were still visible.

The woman didn't end up being frozen, but she still looked at Yi Shuihan and Kuzan with fear, especially Kuzan. Although she didn't see who did it, she instinctively knew it was the silent man.

Without saying a word, he killed someone directly. This was the first time Yi Shuihan had witnessed Kuzan's ruthlessness, and she was slightly surprised.

But then I thought about it and it made sense. Kuzan was a candidate for admiral in the Navy. He had killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Killing was commonplace for him. Don't be fooled by his amiable appearance. That's only because you haven't provoked him.

Strong people all have tempers. A general-level expert simply looks down on those who are far weaker than himself. It's good enough if they don't actively cause trouble; to dare to show hostility is simply courting death.

"You even know how to cherish women?" Yi Shuihan looked at Kuzan in surprise, causing Kuzan's lips to twitch, but he did not explain.

Seeing that Kuzan did not reply, Yi Shuihan did not continue to pester him and walked up to the woman.

"Now can you tell me what you know?"

The woman dared not refuse, and spilled everything she knew like beans.

The Valley of Life and Death is indeed a place where the World Government trains people. Apart from the talents sent by the World Government, the people inside are a group of criminals who have offended the Celestial Dragons. Every day is filled with killing. Only the truly strong can survive. And only those who stay in the valley for three years and complete the "Thousand Kills" can leave the valley.

The population here has remained around 10 for a long time. When someone dies, they are replaced by people from outside. To live here, you need to be at least as strong as a Rear Admiral, or at least as strong as a pirate with a power of 5000 million.

To live a good life, one needs the strength of a lieutenant general or above. To truly dominate, one needs the strength of a general. It is said that there are currently five rulers in the valley, known as the Five Demons, all of whom have the strength of a general.

"...Bone Demon, Sword Demon, Blood Demon, Heart-Eating Demon, and Succubus? Interesting. Could they be our mission?" Yi Shuihan muttered to himself, unaware that his words were causing a huge uproar in the heart of the woman beside him.

Who are these two? Could they be generals?

"So what should we do next?" Kuzan, who had been listening quietly to the story, asked. They had come here to participate in the general elimination, but how did they end up here? They were still completely confused!

"We can only take it one step at a time now. She only knows the basics. I think the Five Demons should know something different, so let's go find them."

Kuzan pondered for a moment before agreeing to Yi Shuihan's suggestion. Led by Eileen, the woman, they embarked on a journey to find the Five Demons.

"The Five Demons? They're all heretics and evildoers. For the sake of justice, they must all die."

Deep within a dark cave, there was a blood pool, several tens of feet in diameter, in which a man with bewitching blood-red hair was immersed.

Suddenly, the man opened his eyes, and what a look he had! The whites of his eyes and his pupils were both red, like those of a bloodthirsty monster.

As the man opened his eyes, the blood pool, which was originally full of blood, gradually decreased until it completely entered his body.

"We're running out of blood. It's time to find blood again." This person was none other than the Blood Demon, one of the Five Demons.

In a valley, countless bones covered the ground, resembling a purgatory. In the center of the earth, a chair made of bones sat a tall figure, yet they appeared so harmonious. This person was none other than the Bone Demon, one of the Five Demons.