Chapter 108
According to the Reincarnation Game setting, after passing the first stage, you will gain enhancement points and traits, which can be used to fight back. You might even catch the eye of a veteran player with connections to an organization.
The Clown had been playing with the beanbag on the side, stopped, looking somewhat eager to join in, but before he could speak, Yuki had already spoken first.
"I'll do it."
"Fine, you're such a pushover, go ahead." Pan Zi waved his hand dismissively.
The character design is continuously developed, and then choices are made based on that character design. Yuki indeed went there excitedly, and didn't need to go far because there was a bus stop right next to the square.
He was very curious; even if the Reincarnation Game liked to disregard human life, there should be a limit.
"My beginner quest was Bloodthirsty Red Moon. Although the difficulty was outrageous, it was mostly due to a combination of coincidences. Judging solely from a player's experience, Li Dan's three dungeons were the Limit."
Normally, the difficulty of a dungeon should be determined by the strongest player among them. This time, there were six veteran players, making it seem like there were many strong players. The newcomers in this dungeon had really bad luck.
He had no answer, partly because he was Lone Star, and partly because the difficulty of the Reincarnation Game was dynamic.
If six veteran players were to form a blood oath and work together to clear the dungeon, it would be many times easier than the Demon Hospital dungeon. New players could easily get through by relying on strong teammates.
But the problem is--
That's impossible.
Chapter Two: The Judge (First Update)
Unity? Alliance? Impossible.
In this Reincarnation Game, PVE and PVP are each about half the content. If players are really meant to push through dungeons, then creating a large party and immediately pushing to Hell difficulty is not the way to go.
Squeak.
Just then, the bus stopped in front of him, Yuki frowned, realizing that it was slightly different from the Demon Hospital.
The previous time, the newlyweds took the elevator and came up one by one, but this time there was more than one person on the bus. When the doors opened, three people got off one by one.
Two men and one woman, all around 20 years old, were dressed in rags, as if they had suffered terrible torture.
Yuki was somewhat disappointed, but also somewhat resigned, not seeing any familiar faces.
He currently has two instance experience levels, and he's definitely not the most experienced. Does this mean that the 'new player tutorial' will become difficult?
"Just the three of you?"
The three looked at each other, all pale-faced. The one in the lead had a square face, fair skin, and wore a police uniform from an unknown country. Due to his profession, he remained relatively calm.
"No, there were originally many, but they all died on the way."
He described in a slightly trembling voice that he was inexplicably dumped in an abandoned school, and then some people wearing gray robes appeared and started hacking and killing indiscriminately.
Some people died before they could even react, while the rest desperately fled and, after a fierce battle, boarded the bus.
"I had limited bullets and couldn't cover so many people. Rebecca grabbed an oil drum and rushed into the enemy ranks and set it on fire, which allowed the three of us to escape."
Yuki didn't know who Rebecca was, but she had the courage to sacrifice herself, so she must be a person of good character. He gradually began to understand her.
The tutorial for new players has indeed become more difficult, and it's no longer like Bloodthirsty Red Moon or Demon Hospital where each game is set in its own independent space. In other words, new players are experiencing a hellish ordeal without the help of experienced players.
No wonder he looked disheveled, yet not as bewildered as the previous newcomers; he was carefully selected. The increased difficulty also provided a way out; at least during his beginner's tutorial, he only had Scalpel.
Yuki glanced at the three men again, his gaze lingering for a moment on the pistol at the officer's waist.
"Thank you for your hard work. My Li Dan. May I ask your name?"
"Rick, this is Pinto, and the girl's Hua Yin." The officer introduced them one by one. The red-haired youth and the black-haired girl, both wearing masks, nodded slightly in greeting before keeping their mouths shut.
This was clearly something they had planned on the way here, forming a team before even entering the dungeon. Yuki knew that sticking together for mutual support during the newbie period was the most reliable strategy.
"I don't understand why I was thrown into the Reincarnation Game?"
"Yes, but I only want to live on in Rebecca's place." The man's eyes were filled with sorrow, yet more resolute than any newcomer Yuki had ever seen. He paused briefly before tentatively asking:
"Mr. Li Dan, I don't understand why the Reincarnation Game is tormenting us. Out of dozens of people, only three survive. Aren't you afraid we'll all be wiped out?"
They're already thinking about the game's deeper meaning; that's quite impressive.
Yuki thought about it and realized that regardless of whether he had any personal involvement, newcomers would have to endure this kind of torment as they progressed through the dungeons.
This might be luck, like how the difficulty level in Bloodthirsty Red Moon was supposed to be average, but he encountered newcomers like himself and Li Dan. But in essence, it's something else, something much more cruel:
At the same time, countless instances are unfolding. Some go very smoothly with everyone surviving, some have only a few survivors, and some involve both new and veteran players being wiped out.
If it were truly a selection process, it would require both the gradual transformation of the foolish and the selection of elites with both luck and ability.
So what if the entire group is wiped out? It's just a few dozen lives lost. Even if you add a "ten thousand" to the end, it's still a drop in the ocean when it comes to humankind.
Only veteran players have rights, and they can fall from grace anytime, anywhere.
Having already eliminated ten players, Yuki, his hands covered in blood, patted the other man on the shoulder and told him the final answer:
"He is not afraid, nor does he care."
The answer was cruel, causing Rick's throat to tighten as if he felt the world's deepest malice. He watched Yuki leave and followed her somewhat numbly.
Six veteran players and three newcomers—this ratio is quite skewed.
When everyone gathered, the veteran players showed no outward signs of anything amiss, as if they were already used to it, and unlike Yuki, they didn't ponder the deeper meaning behind it.
In Reincarnation Game, pursuing fairness is probably a serious problem. Even for veteran players, it's unfair to compete on the same platform with players who have experience from four different dungeons.
There's also team formation, resources controlled by conglomerates, and the unseen and intangible luck and metaphysics.
Okay, for the sake of harmony and friendship, everyone will enter the dungeon according to the same qualifications. But there are also monsters like Yuki. Everyone has experienced two dungeons, and their strength is vastly different. Is that fair to the other players?
Therefore, there is no fairness, only natural selection.
'At the very least, newcomers band together for mutual support from the start, allowing them to adapt to the game initially. This gives them a natural advantage from the outset, making it less of a meaningless ordeal.'
Yuki glanced at the newlyweds standing firmly together, finally finding a sliver of fairness.
"Disappointed, aren't you? Hahaha, being a pushover doesn't always work." The thug laughed loudly. He guessed that Yuki was trying to trick the newcomers into becoming cannon fodder, but they banded together for warmth and support, and they weren't so easily fooled.
"No, it just means less trouble. For example, they don't need my assistance anymore." Yuki somewhat awkwardly.
"You're being stubborn. You'll understand once you've experienced more dungeons. Sometimes there aren't a single newbie, and they're all dead before they even meet."
"That's a good thing, it reduces a lot of variables." Black Sword interjected again, somewhat wary, "Like this time, three newbies banding together for warmth, unlocking special abilities, can be just as effective as a veteran player, and I still have to distract myself."
It's malicious, but it makes sense. Since the Reincarnation Game doesn't care about the players' lives, why should they play the good guys?
That's how it is. There are a total of nine players in this instance. The newcomers form their own group, so there's no need to waste time trying to recruit them, and there's no need to waste words like we did with Mai Sakurajima- senpai last time.
Simple and efficient, Yuki was happy to have some free time. Everyone just stood in the square and waited patiently. Before long, the strange murmurs echoed in their ears.
[Start Game]
[Routine mission, those the Bystander Is Blind; players must survive for fifty hours and complete their respective tasks.]
[Tip 1: The town is filled with a kind of frenzied atmosphere. Do not leave the town area. Please be aware of the residents' enthusiasm.]
[2: The town usually holds a gathering in the square at noon every day, at which time God's gaze will become focused and last for one hour.]
[3: As night falls and the excitement subsides, please refrain from wandering around the town.]
[4: Players will be assigned one of the following identities: Cultist, Undercover, Ordinary Person, and Judge]
[5: 3 believers, 2 Undercover agents, 3 ordinary people, 1 Judge]
[6: Different prompts will be given depending on the player's role, and a notification will be sent if a player dies.]
[7: Task evaluation changes based on role.]
As usual, the hints didn't need to be memorized; they were directly implanted in the mind. Every player was taken aback, including the three newcomers who had banded together for mutual support. An uneasy feeling was spreading.
It can even separate player identities!
Yuki was in the same boat; he had encountered something similar at the Demon Hospital, except that there was a werewolf there, and everyone had to be suspicious of each other.
'Four identities, judging from their names, should be hostile to each other. Won't the people who team up with them be in trouble?'
He had anticipated this outcome and breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, this time we were smart. If we had brought all the senior students into the picture, things would have become complicated. There would definitely be a division of identities among the four of them, and even if there were a solution, it would be much more difficult.
Haha, anyone want to play dirty tricks? Let's see what you do now.
He couldn't suppress his schadenfreude, but unfortunately, the veteran players were very good at hiding their emotions, and he didn't notice.
After the warning, the people who had been gathered together immediately dispersed, and even the three newlyweds who had huddled together for warmth became more suspicious of each other.
' Your Reincarnation Game, you only seem to enjoy it when you've driven people to their deaths.'
Yuki sensed the malevolent intent, but thankfully he was alone and didn't need to think too much, so he stood still and waited patiently. In a daze, he seemed to see a playing card flipping in front of him.
Werewolf has turned into Witch Town?
It felt like a board game. After a few seconds, the cards stopped flipping, revealing a knight in heavy armor holding a sword. The strange murmuring sounded again.
[Player Yuki]
[Your identity is that of the Judge.]
Chapter Three: Devotion and Madness!
Clang, clang, clang.
The church bells rang again, startling flocks of white doves into flight in the square and bringing the players back to reality.
An eerie atmosphere was spreading. Everyone was staring at each other, the fragrance of flowers seemed to have become Hallucinogen, and suspicion filled the air. Unconsciously, people began to distance themselves from each other.
The identities have all been drawn. The hints for each identity will be different. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence can guess that the cultists and the Undercover are bound to be enemies.
As for the Judge and ordinary people, it's hard to say, but they certainly weren't just there for show.
The key issue is that this identity isn't displayed on the player panel, making verbal communication completely unreliable.
Yuki licked his lips; this move was a decisive blow, perfectly setting the eerie atmosphere high.
Different identities receive different hints, and combined with hint six, they represent different task contents. Surviving 50 hours seems simple, but it depends on whether others will let you live.
Especially for me, is this tailor-made for me?
[Player Yuki, you are the Judge]
[Hint 1: There is only one Judge; eliminate the fanatics.]
[2: Evil gods will receive a boost from faith; the more fanatical followers they have, the more powerful they become.]
[3: Do not accidentally kill or harm ordinary people or those with shallow faith (except for players), otherwise you will be punished. Too many accidental killings will result in your immediate elimination.]
[4: The evil god sees you as a thorn in his side; do not harbor any illusions.]
No wonder there were so few hints in the dungeon; this was the real danger.
Yuki only needs to glance at the hints to analyze many problems.
There's only one person, no need to worry about teammates, the enemies are cultists and evil gods. This is a hunter role, but you can't indiscriminately kill innocents, and you can't slack off at the end.
Conversely, players who draw the Cultist's card also need to kill me, so I have to hide my identity as the Judge while I'm killing them to avoid being attacked by the mob.
Yuki felt his head was overloaded, but he couldn't show it. No, no one could show it, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
Furthermore, the personal tips can be combined with tip 7 mentioned earlier.
[Tip 7: Task evaluation changes based on role.]
It's not mandatory, but it affects the mission evaluation. Is the main mission simply to survive for 50 hours?
"Damn it, this dungeon is so complicated." Pan Zi wiped his face, clearly having obtained his identity, and glared fiercely at the three newcomers. "What are your identities? Tell me the clues, or I'll have to take action!"
The simplest and most direct approach is to figure out what clues are given by other characters besides yourself, and the newcomer is the easiest to handle.
However, his shout caused the three newcomers, who had been somewhat at odds with each other, to band together again. Just like Yuki's choice in the Demon Hospital, they resolved the main conflict before fighting amongst themselves.
"What a waste of effort. Do you really believe what they say?" the Phantom Thief suddenly spoke up, as if to help someone out of a predicament.
"I have this." Pan Zi pulled out a small white bottle and explained, "It's a truth serum, absolutely reliable. Don't you want to know what the clues for the other identities are?"
The Phantom Thief hesitated, Yuki watched coldly, while Rick simply drew his pistol. It was the first time the dungeon had started fighting amongst themselves so early.
Just as the dark clouds were slowly turning into battle clouds, a cold female voice rang out.
"I don't want to think that way. There are nine of us, with only four different identities. It's fine if they reveal information, but what if they drag us down with them?"