Magic Eyes (3K)

"You don’t seem like the particularly bold type. Yet you dared come straight here to find me at a time like this. I suppose some other big shot is making a deal with you?"

Bai Cangshu checked the offers at his stall and teased Black Butler, who had approached him.

Black Butler looked somewhat awkward, but he still nodded.

"That’s right. I’m here to deliver a message from the Throne of Illusion and Reality. Even the Finality Empire won’t hold it against me over this."

A special card appeared in his hand. One side was entirely black, the other entirely white. When light refracted through the white side, a magnificent and resplendent palace could vaguely be seen.

The black side, meanwhile, bore only an emerald-green number in its center—No. 13.

Looking at the card, Bai Cangshu was inexplicably reminded of the three cards he had already obtained. Both their size and design bore a certain resemblance.

Seemingly seeing through Bai Cangshu’s thoughts, Black Butler explained softly,

"Many people believe that those special item cards are special tools crafted by the master of the Throne of Illusion and Reality. This kind of card, meanwhile, is the identity card of an official member of the Throne of Illusion and Reality…"

His expression was complicated, and there was a hint of wistfulness in his tone.

Mercenary Tao was a "super rookie" he had watched rise to prominence. Though he had not been certain before, as more and more information came to light, he was now able to roughly reconstruct the other man’s mission history.

After entering the Reincarnation Space, he encountered the temporary squad led by Moon Demon and Flame Demon. Not only had he survived a mission in an opposing faction, he had even caused that temporary squad to lose a veteran Reincarnator like Demon Mountain.

Afterward, while being pursued by Moon Demon, he rapidly rose through several missions. Along the way, he caused the deaths of a string of somewhat famous Reincarnators, including Kai, Flame Demon, Lapis Lazuli Knight, Kalpa, and Evil Child. He also thwarted the mysterious White Face. Now, rumors even said that he had joined forces with Crimson Night to severely wound the Finality Empire’s Reincarnators in Northern Myanmar.

It had been confirmed that the Title-level Reincarnator Rainbow Mage · Qilin Temple had fallen.

In the span of merely a few missions, Mercenary Tao had gone from a rookie to an elite Reincarnator no one could afford to overlook, to the point that a Supreme Expert had put out a bounty on him.

And now, he had earned the favor of the Throne of Illusion and Reality, which wanted to bring him into the organization as an official member.

"The Throne of Illusion and Reality is one of the most elite gatherings in the entire Reincarnation Space. In a sense, there wouldn’t be much wrong with calling it the strongest gathering."

Black Butler explained solemnly to Bai Cangshu.

"Mind you, I’m not talking about the East District. The influence of the Throne of Illusion and Reality spans all four major districts of the Reincarnation Space!"

"It is said that the Throne of Illusion and Reality is divided into three major clusters: the Emerald Cluster, the Silver Cluster, and the strongest of them all, the Golden War Group."

"The vast majority of members belong to the Silver Cluster. Every member ranges from concurrent-tier to Fierce-tier in strength. There are countless people in it—more than a thousand, by estimate. Nearly everyone who actively applies to join the Throne of Illusion and Reality and is accepted gets assigned to this cluster."

"As for the Golden War Group, it has only ten members. Every one of them is a top-tier Reincarnator with their own number, known as a Seat Officer."

Just from Black Butler’s expression, Bai Cangshu knew that the Throne of Illusion and Reality, which he had long heard about, was indeed likely a colossal force.

An elite cluster of over a thousand people was an utterly terrifying scale. When Bai Cangshu had joined Crimson Lotus, the gathering led by Crimson Lotus Mage · Luoxi, it had contained around eighty people, and even then, they had been a mixed bunch.

Over a thousand elite Reincarnators—Bai Cangshu could imagine the scene if they all caused trouble in the real world at once.

He examined the emerald color of the number and continued,

"So now they want me to join that Emerald Cluster?"

There was a mocking note in Bai Cangshu’s voice. Black Butler assumed Mercenary Tao felt underestimated and immediately explained,

"The Emerald Cluster is a cluster specifically for the Throne of Illusion and Reality to cultivate promising newcomers. It has very few members. With you joining, there will only be thirteen people. The Emerald Cluster is the reserve force for the Golden War Group. Its members receive immense intelligence support and enjoy nearly all the gathering’s privileges."

"Mercenary Tao, this is an opportunity that the vast majority of Reincarnators can only dream of!"

Black Butler was somewhat anxious. He truly envied him. Among the countless gatherings in the Reincarnation Space, most were, in his view, useful only for exchanging intelligence. The instability of their members, and even their upper ranks, meant such gatherings could disappear at any time.

Perhaps in the very next mission, the gathering’s leader might offend someone, leading to the entire gathering being hunted down.

Unstable membership prevented a gathering’s level from rising, which meant its members could not enjoy the benefits of facilities such as warehouses and gathering cultivation institutes.

But the Throne of Illusion and Reality and Azure Sky were the two gatherings he most wanted to join—powerful and stable.

Bai Cangshu gave a derisive laugh and did not respond.

Looking at the Emerald No. 13 identity card in his hand, Black Butler truly felt the urge to take its place himself. With this identity card, even in team battle missions, one practically had a death-immunity token. No one was willing to offend the Throne of Illusion and Reality.

Even the Finality Empire, whose membership had now grown beyond imagination, might not be willing to make an enemy of the Throne of Illusion and Reality over the lives of one or two Title-level Reincarnators.

"Mercenary Tao, do you even understand the value of this invitation?!"

Black Butler rarely lost his temper, but Bai Cangshu merely waved his hand, indicating that the man could leave.

He sat before his stall and browsed through the offers. Then, suddenly, he spotted one.

VH14421985 had sent an offer: I want to trade a Mystic Eye for Uchiha Obito’s Drop Card.

He immediately contacted the other party. That person happened to be in the Reincarnation Space as well and soon arrived at the stall under the watchful eyes of many Reincarnators.

Bai Cangshu looked up. The Reincarnator was a pot-bellied middle-aged man in a red suit jacket, with a rather receding hairline.

Few Reincarnators made their Avatars in such a "realistic" style, but it had to be said that he was certainly memorable.

The man looked at Bai Cangshu’s Avatar and clicked his tongue inwardly as well.

"Mercenary Tao, your Avatar-making style is a little aggressive~"

He also noticed Black Butler, who had yet to leave, and greeted him with a smile.

"Black Butler, this gentleman is your customer too? Looks like you have quite the eye."

Black Butler composed himself and nodded respectfully to the man before saying to Bai Cangshu,

"This gentleman is Thousand Illusions Demonic Eye Wu Junchuo, a Title-level Reincarnator. He belongs to the Evil King’s True Eye gathering and is a man of both strength and excellent credibility."

Black Butler clearly thought highly of the man, prompting Bai Cangshu to nod. Whether it was the codename that sounded like a real name or the gathering called Evil King’s True Eye, both were quite intriguing.

"What Mystic Eye are you planning to trade for that Drop Card?"

Bai Cangshu had completed Thousand Eyes’ milestone in the Naruto World, thereby unlocking a special Bio-Implant slot. He no longer needed to dig out his own eyeballs for transplantation; instead, he could directly install those Mystic Eyes between his brows and make use of them.

That was why he hoped to obtain a usable eye to increase his strength.

Most of the eyes in the Naruto World required Chakra. Since he had no Chakra in his body under normal circumstances, neither the Sharingan nor the Byakugan was particularly useful to him.

Wu Junchuo nodded. Light flickered in his hands as he spread them open before Bai Cangshu. Bai Cangshu froze when he saw that the man’s palms were filled with special eyes.

"Hehe, I’m quite interested in Mystic Eyes, so I deliberately collected a few."

Bai Cangshu gave him another look. Combined with the man’s title, he guessed that Wu Junchuo likely possessed some special ability that allowed him to freely use all manner of Mystic Eyes.

He focused on the eyes.

Scarlet Eyes from the Hunter World;

three Jewel Mystic Eyes from the Type-Moon World;

the Strongest Eye from the Fullmetal Alchemist World;

the Eye of Illusion Break from the Basilisk World;

as well as the God’s Right Eye from Blood Blockade Battlefront, along with several more eyes hidden behind them whose information he could not see.

These precious Bio-Implants, which were rarely seen under ordinary circumstances, had suddenly appeared in such quantities, drawing gasps from the surrounding crowd.

Yet neither Bai Cangshu nor Wu Junchuo had any intention of keeping them secret.

"Well? My collection isn’t bad, right?"

Wu Junchuo had a humorous personality and seemed to be deliberately showing off.

Bai Cangshu withdrew his gaze, considered for a moment, and said,

"I think they’re just average."

"I thought you’d be able to bring out eyes like the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception or All-Fiction."

Wu Junchuo’s expression stiffened, and he said irritably,

"Can something like that be exchanged for a pair of Sharingan?!"

Bai Cangshu’s smile was radiant.

"So, you also know how to specifically obtain the items you want?"

"In that case, I can’t sell this Drop Card containing Kamui too cheaply."

Wu Junchuo’s face twitched twice. Realizing he had let something slip and that Mercenary Tao was about to jack up the price, he could not help looking at Black Butler. But Black Butler merely shrugged, signaling that there was nothing he could do. Mercenary Tao was just that troublesome.

While Bai Cangshu and Wu Junchuo haggled over the price, the Team Space that had once belonged to Fatal Fury stood completely empty. A woman in a green dress took one final look at the space that filled her with nostalgia before turning and leaving.

With the last member withdrawing from the team, Fatal Fury officially perished.

The woman arrived at a new gathering, where quite a few people smiled and welcomed her.

"Flower Immortal, we just received news. It seems Luoxi has bet everything on Mercenary Tao."

"Ha~ Is she desperately grasping at straws? Looks like we’ll be getting that key very soon."

Seven or eight Reincarnators laughed loudly. Only the man leaning by the distant window remained silent. He wore a black jacket and an out-of-place scarf around his neck. He did not smile, and his expression was calm.

"Lord Sage, that Mercenary Tao… I have a feeling he isn’t simple…"

Flower Immortal spoke, but the man did not look at her. He did not think much of someone who had betrayed her team and murdered its captain. He merely said,

"I know it is Luoxi’s trap, but it doesn’t matter. We’ll just crush it beneath our feet."