Infinite Metaverse

Chapter 31: Wipeout

In the corridor, the bolter's muzzle erupted with fierce gunfire as Fu Qinghai opened fire without hesitation.

Unexpectedly, the black-clad man was surprisingly agile. The moment Fu Qinghai pulled the trigger, the man leaped into the air, dodging the bullets.

The black-clad man pushed off the ceiling and jumped again, landing on the side wall. He then ran toward Fu Qinghai as if the wall were flat ground.

Fu Qinghai watched the black-clad man's strange running posture—body leaning forward, arms stretched back—and noticed the two oddly shaped black daggers that had appeared in his hands.

Fu Qinghai was almost stunned.

Is this… Naruto running?

And those are… kunai?

The black-clad man dodged Fu Qinghai's shots with extreme flexibility and agility. As he closed in, he performed a forward roll and leaped over Fu Qinghai's head.

Fu Qinghai, facing forward, drew his power sword from his waist with his right hand and swung it backward without looking.

The sword, crackling with blue lightning, traced a perfect arc in the air as Fu Qinghai twisted his body and bent his knees, slashing toward the black-clad man who had just landed and had no way to dodge.

Fu Qinghai's peripheral vision seemed to already see the black-clad man being cut in half at the waist.

But then, with a 'thud', Fu Qinghai felt the sword strike something that wasn't human.

Fu Qinghai, holding the sword with one hand, looked at the split plate in front of him and then at the unharmed black-clad man not far away.

"Body Replacement Technique?"

This is the Warhammer 40K universe. You having martial arts is one thing, but why can you use ninjutsu?

Fu Qinghai raised his bolter with his left hand again. A few meters away, the black-clad man cautiously threw two shuriken.

Fu Qinghai stood firm as the black shuriken flew toward him. As expected, with two 'clinks', the shuriken bounced off his chest armour, leaving no mark.

Seeing this, the black-clad man gritted his teeth and charged at Fu Qinghai again, using his agile and versatile martial arts.

But Fu Qinghai noticed a surveillance camera on the ceiling of the corridor, quietly operating.

Fu Qinghai smirked, a plan forming in his mind.

He held the bolter in his left hand and the sword in his right, adopting a defensive stance. However, he subtly adjusted his muscle control, deliberately slowing his movements.

If Fu Qinghai's combat instructor, Arbuslan, were here, he would have shouted that this kid was up to his tricks again.

The black-clad man, standing at about 1.6 meters tall, was undoubtedly a small figure compared to Fu Qinghai, who, with his armour, was nearly 2.7 meters tall. The black-clad man nimbly dodged Fu Qinghai's sword swings, slid under his legs, and thrust his kunai toward the gap in the ceramite plating between Fu Qinghai's legs.

'Clang!'

Unfortunately, the MKIV Maximus power armour was fully enclosed.

The black-clad ninja rolled away from Fu Qinghai's magnetic boots, darting around him like a butterfly, stabbing at the joints and gaps in Fu Qinghai's armour with his kunai. But all he got in return was a series of sparks.

Finally, as the black-clad man leaped to stab at Fu Qinghai's visor, he was caught off guard and grabbed by Fu Qinghai, who slammed him to the ground.

Facing the dark muzzle of the bolter, the black-clad ninja struggled.

Until the muzzle erupted with flames, turning him into a charred corpse.

[You have killed your first hostile Reincarnator, achieving a career milestone!]

[Calculating Assimilation Points… 123 points]

A hostile Reincarnator!

And indeed, killing a hostile Reincarnator rewarded Assimilation Points, though the reward was labeled as a "career milestone." But why was the reward so small? Was it because this person was too weak compared to me?

Fu Qinghai pondered silently, casually twirling his power sword before sheathing it.

Meanwhile, in the control room, everyone had witnessed the scene. No one was laughing anymore after their comrade's death.

The black-clad man wasn't weak in their group. Specializing in martial arts, he was agile and versatile, and he was also the leader's brother. The otaku, Asano-kun, glanced nervously at the silent long-faced man, wanting to speak but not daring to.

The long-faced man narrowed his eyes, observing Fu Qinghai on the monitor, silently assessing: Strong defense, difficult to penetrate with ordinary physical attacks, average agility, slow speed…

This made sense. Wearing such bulky, heavily armoured power armour, it was natural for movements to be slower.

With this in mind, the long-faced man suddenly spoke, "Everyone, gather around. I have a plan."

***

In the corridor, Fu Qinghai turned a corner and climbed a staircase, heading straight for the control room.

Along the way, he used his flamethrower to sweep through any suspicious rooms and corners, actually managing to burn a few hiding pirates to death.

Seeing how emaciated these pirates were, they didn't even burn for long before being incinerated. Fu Qinghai thought: Is this what space pirates are like? Is being a pirate in the Warhammer 40K universe so unrewarding?

I heard that Huron Blackheart is doing quite well in the Maelstrom.

But that's in the 41st millennium. This is the 30th millennium. Maybe the Imperium's space security is better in this era.

Fu Qinghai carefully cleared every cabin, ensuring no enemies would appear behind him before heading to the control room on the top floor of the cargo ship.

Finding nothing, Fu Qinghai didn't believe he had killed all the pirates on the ship. It seemed the enemies were already waiting for him in the control room, Fu Qinghai thought.

Should he summon the Terminator? Fu Qinghai pondered as he walked toward the top floor.

Considering that Ogotai and the others might face an even more powerful cruiser, and the Assimilation Points he gained from killing hostile Reincarnators… Fu Qinghai wasn't sure if killing hostile Reincarnators by locals in the Reincarnation World would still reward him with Assimilation Points.

In the end, Fu Qinghai decided to go alone.

Arriving at the control room, he faced a tightly sealed door.

Fu Qinghai punched the control panel beside the door. 'Boom!' Sparks and smoke erupted from the panel, but the door remained unmoved.

Fu Qinghai gripped the door handle with both hands, his shoulders and back muscles bulging visibly under his armour. The electronic muscle fibers throughout his power armour tightened as he exerted force, pulling the door open with a loud metallic screech and a shower of sparks.

The door was forcibly pried open, revealing two white papers on the wall behind it, about to burn out.

Having been recalling the plot and abilities of 'Naruto' along the way, Fu Qinghai instantly recognized them.

Explosive tags!

Just as Fu Qinghai recognized them, the tags detonated.

'Boom!' Two fireballs engulfed Fu Qinghai.

Fu Qinghai's visor was instantly covered in flames. He staggered back two steps.

As his vision cleared, a figure in black tight-fitting combat gear appeared from the side, rapidly forming hand seals and shouting.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Again? Fu Qinghai didn't understand Japanese, but he strongly disapproved of shouting techniques before using them. Before the ninja could finish his chant, a bolt round blew his head apart.

Skull fragments, blood, and brain matter splattered everywhere as the body collapsed.

In the control room, the long-faced man was shocked by Fu Qinghai's quick reaction and precise shot. He abandoned the hand seals for his "Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere", enduring the backlash and wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Change of plans! Nagase! Sakata! Go all out!"

The blond young man swallowed a yellow capsule. He let out a roar, his face twisting and his body expanding rapidly. His clothes tore apart as he transformed into a three-meter-tall, blue-skinned, fanged beast.

At the same time, from Fu Qinghai's shadow, a figure twisted and emerged. A black-clad ninja, holding an explosive tag in his mouth, silently appeared behind Fu Qinghai.

Sensing the danger, Fu Qinghai turned and slashed with his sword, cutting the ninja in half before he could escape into the shadows. Blood sprayed, but the explosive tag fell to the ground.

'Boom!'

A close-range explosion turned Fu Qinghai's vision into static. Realizing his helmet might be damaged, he tore it off and threw it aside, revealing his face.

Fu Qinghai's agility and reflexes were far beyond what he had shown in the corridor. The long-faced leader, now desperate, was preparing a stronger jutsu.

As Fu Qinghai's vision cleared, the blue beast pounced. It grabbed Fu Qinghai's left hand, which held the bolter, causing the shots to go wild and explode around the control room.

Fu Qinghai's right hand, holding the sword, was also pinned. The beast opened its maw, aiming for Fu Qinghai's face. Fu Qinghai released the bolter, leaned back, and dodged the beast's bite, causing its fanged mouth to snap shut in the air.

With his left hand free, Fu Qinghai swung a powerful hook punch into the beast's face.

'Bam!' The beast lost its balance and crashed to the side.

With the beast no longer blocking the way, the long-faced man, who had been charging up a jutsu, was exposed.

In his hands was a massive ball of white lightning, crackling with arcs of electricity.

"Hold him, Nagase!" Then, clutching the lightning, he charged at Fu Qinghai.

The beast, shaking its head, got up and lunged at Fu Qinghai, aiming to tackle him. Behind the beast, the long-faced man, trailing sparks and lightning, rushed forward.

"Lightning Cutter—!"

Just as the beast was about to tackle Fu Qinghai, Fu Qinghai grabbed its wrist, twisted his body, and used his core strength to swing the beast like a hammer, slamming it into the long-faced man.

The beast and the long-faced man collided. The S-rank jutsu, capable of cutting through lightning, pierced the beast's back.

"Roar—!" The beast let out a blood-curdling scream, its body convulsing from the electric shock.

The beast's trembling body suddenly stopped as Fu Qinghai pulled the power sword from its chest, splattering dark blue blood.

The long-faced man struggled to push the beast off him. As he looked up, he saw Fu Qinghai standing over him.

Before he could speak, he felt a hot sensation in his throat. His vision spun as his head was severed from his body.

Fu Qinghai didn't give the enemy a chance to speak. With a swift motion, he beheaded the long-faced man.

The long-faced man's last thought was: 'Why are you so fast?'

Seeing the long-faced man's wide, unblinking eyes, Fu Qinghai smiled. 'You died with regrets, huh? Wondering why I have such high defense and agility?'

Go ask GW's writers.

Fu Qinghai looked around the control room and spotted a chubby, black-haired young man in a hoodie and jeans, trembling in the corner.

Fu Qinghai stepped over the beast and the long-faced man's body, striding toward him.

"No… no, please… don't kill me…"

The bone-white power armour was now scorched and stained with blood. The towering, blood-soaked warrior approached, and Asano-kun was so terrified he wet himself, scrambling backward on the floor.

"Please, please…"

Facing the power sword crackling with blue lightning, Asano covered his face with his hands, mumbling incoherently.

"Speak English." Fu Qinghai's deep voice came through.

Although Low Gothic, the common language of the Imperium, was essentially English, Asano, in his panic, had blurted out his native language. He quickly looked up at Fu Qinghai's calm face and asked in English.

"You're also a Reincarnator?"

"Yes."

Hearing Fu Qinghai's reply, Asano clung to this lifeline.

"Don't kill me, don't kill me. I'm useful. I can be your advisor, a plot advisor."

Fu Qinghai was about to say that Asano didn't seem particularly useful, but the term "plot advisor" caught his attention. He paused, then immediately understood.

Fu Qinghai stroked his chin, not rushing to respond, and asked condescendingly: "Did you all come in together?"

"Yes, we're part of the same Society."

"Society?"

"You don't know about Societys? Oh, I heard from them that some senior Reincarnators, called advanced players, can unlock this feature. It's called a Society, a faction, or whatever."

This Reincarnation World sounded more and more like an MMORPG.

"What's the use?" Fu Qinghai continued.

"I haven't unlocked this feature, but I heard from our leader, Takakura Yuki, that members of the same Society can enter the next Reincarnation World together and will be assigned to the same faction when the world randomly assigns factions."

"Randomly assigned factions?" Fu Qinghai caught onto a key point, emphasizing these words.

He distinctly remembered that when he entered the main Reincarnation World—the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an SSS-level world, the Reincarnation World had allowed him to choose his faction.

Fu Qinghai immediately asked what would happen in worlds where factions were chosen. Asano shook his head, indicating he didn't know.

Fu Qinghai pondered this.

Fu Qinghai pointed his sword at the headless corpse behind him.

"That's your leader?"

"Yes, he called himself Takakura Yuki. We don't know his real name."

"What's your Society called?"

"The Kotohira Group."

"Why that name?"

"Not sure. We guessed it might be because the leader is from Kotohira Town."

Ah, so Kotohira is a place.

"You're all Japanese."

"Yes, everyone in the Kotohira Group is Japanese or of Japanese descent."

Kotohira Group, Kotohira Group… Fu Qinghai repeated the name in his mind. He knew Reincarnators had three lives, and he might encounter them again in another Reincarnation World. It was best to remember their names to avoid being caught off guard if they sought revenge.

"I noticed you all seem to use abilities from 'Naruto'?"

"Yes, Leader Takakura Yuki and a few core members are Reincarnators from the 'Naruto' world. I joined them halfway."

Asano added, "Except for Nagase. His abilities aren't related to 'Naruto'." Asano pointed at the blue beast behind Fu Qinghai.

Fu Qinghai turned to look.

Five minutes had passed. As the yellow capsule's effects wore off, the beast's body shrank, turning back into a naked blond young man. However, the gaping wound in his chest didn't shrink with his body.

Fu Qinghai recalled the blond swallowing the capsule earlier and roughly guessed its origin.

'Project Power', a sci-fi action movie starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Fu Qinghai's most vivid memory of the film wasn't the cool superpower effects after taking the capsules but the rap segments by the little black girl.

Fu Qinghai pretended not to know and asked, "I remember he swallowed some kind of capsule before transforming?"

"Yes, I don't know where the capsule came from… Oh, right, he still has some in his waist pouch." Asano pointed to a pouch on the ground with a flattering expression.

'Oh? Time for my favorite part—looting…' Fu Qinghai's interest was piqued.

He found the small waist pouch where the blond had initiated his transformation. Inside were two yellow capsules.

Fu Qinghai picked up one capsule and examined it. It seemed to contain a swirling flame. He casually asked, "He swallowed this?"

"Yes, but swallowing this capsule might… might…" Asano suddenly hesitated.

"Might what?" Fu Qinghai asked with interest, looking at the chubby guy.

Asano wished he could slap himself.

'Asano, you idiot… why did you have to open your big mouth? If this Reincarnator gets curious and swallows the capsule, blowing up into a pile of gore, wouldn't that be your ultimate comeback?'

Asano stammered, mentally cursing himself for being so stupid.

Fu Qinghai, having seen the movie, knew not to swallow the capsule. He pocketed it and decided not to tease the poor guy further. He asked seriously: "You mentioned being a plot advisor. What does that mean?"

Hearing the powerful Reincarnator finally return to the topic, Asano eagerly explained.

"Before entering the Reincarnation World, I was an otaku—a game otaku. I've played all of Sony, Konami, and Nintendo's games. I remember the plots of many games and can help you navigate the storylines. This is very advantageous in the Reincarnation World. In our last Reincarnation World, 'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow', they didn't win the storyline, but they survived that round under my guidance."

"Hmm…" Fu Qinghai responded noncommittally.

Konami did have many game IPs. Fu Qinghai knew of 'Metal Gear Solid', 'Silent Hill', the ancient 'Contra'… but there were also games like 'Tokimeki Memorial ', a dating sim. What would I need your guidance for?

Oh, and there's the 'Pro Evolution Soccer' series. Do I need an otaku to teach me how to play soccer?

Fu Qinghai said calmly, "But at least you don't know much about the Warhammer 40K universe, or they wouldn't have ended up like this, right?"

He gestured to the corpses in the control room with his sword.

"Uh…" Asano had no response to that.

"Moreover…" Fu Qinghai crouched down, looking at the Japanese otaku. "Do you think I went through all this trouble, boarding this cargo ship and killing everyone, to uphold justice?"

"We're hostile Reincarnators, after all…" Fu Qinghai patted Asano's head.

"Uh, I… you…"

The otaku chubby guy, now fully understanding Fu Qinghai's intention, froze. He stammered for a while, unable to form a complete sentence.

Although he hadn't mentioned it deliberately, it was clear that this man also knew: killing opposing Reincarnators rewarded one with Assimilation Points.

Fu Qinghai stood up and said, "Thank you for sharing some knowledge about the Reincarnation World with me. What's your name?"

"Asano… Asano Jinann."

"Alright, Asano Jinann. I'll remember your name. Since you're so weak, I assume you have more than one Reincarnation Life left, don't you?"

"..." Asano Jinann didn't know how to answer this question. Should he say yes or no?

Fu Qinghai raised his gun and pointed it at Asano's head. "Next time, make sure you're on my side."

'Bang!'

With a single shot, Fu Qinghai ended the life of the Japanese otaku, Asano Jinann. As expected, the prompt from the Reincarnation World soon followed.

[You have eliminated your first group of opposing Reincarnators, achieving a Career Milestone Event!]

[Calculating Assimilation Points… 831 points.]

Fu Qinghai counted on his fingers—one, two, three, four, five, six. Only six Reincarnators. Was this really the entire group? He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The Kotohira Society was smaller than he had imagined. He had thought there might be branches in Tokyo or Osaka, but it seemed they were already wiped out. He had even been planning to hunt them down later for revenge…

With their level of strength, even if they had three lives each, they wouldn't stand a chance… Fu Qinghai mused.

As Fu Qinghai stood alone in the control room, lost in thought, a sudden noise broke the silence.

'Crash!'

A fat man, dressed in luxurious fur, tumbled out from within the wall.

Fu Qinghai was startled. Only then did he realize that the wall was hollow, with a hidden compartment behind the plate housing a cluster of thick pipes.

'How careless of me,' Fu Qinghai cursed inwardly. He had forgotten to sweep the area thoroughly. If another Reincarnator had been hiding there, it could have ended badly.

The fat man scrambled to his feet and crawled toward Fu Qinghai, wailing, "Th-thank you, Mr. Astartes, for saving my life!" He clung to Fu Qinghai's leg, tears and snot streaming down his face as he sobbed.

Fu Qinghai looked down at the man with disdain, taking in his trembling rolls of fat and the black implants embedded in his flesh. With a disgusted kick, he pushed the man away and asked, "Are you the owner of this merchant ship?"

The fat man nodded vigorously, his jowls wobbling.

It was a miracle that someone of his size had managed to squeeze into the narrow space.

"Good. Wait outside," Fu Qinghai ordered.

"Uh…" The merchant, though confused, obediently shuffled out of the room.

Fu Qinghai had an image to maintain. He couldn't let these mere mortals witness a noble Astartes rummaging through corpses.

Once the fat man was gone, Fu Qinghai meticulously combed through the battlefield, collecting all the items belonging to the Reincarnators. Only then did he step outside.

"Come with me to the warship," he said, grabbing the fat man by the collar and lifting him effortlessly. He began walking back toward the entrance.

***

Meanwhile, shortly after Fu Qinghai had boarded the merchant ship using a torpedo, a massive Lunar-class cruiser appeared before the 'Shortsword'.

On the bridge of the 'Shortsword', all the Astartes except Fu Qinghai had gathered. Captain Conrad Adenauer, Navigator Marco van Lier, and other notable figures of the ship were present. Only Magos Kurnos, hidden in the laboratory, was absent.

With a flicker, a holographic projection materialized in the center of the room.

A middle-aged man appeared in the projection. He wore blue-and-gold power armour, a white cape draped over his shoulders. His golden crew-cut hair glinted under the light as he held his helmet under one arm. His eyes swept across the room, and he spoke in a calm, authoritative voice.

"Greetings, warriors of the White Scars."

*****

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