I, a Reincarnation Stream Player

"Pah, you just got lucky and happened to end up underground." Thomas cursed and walked away, clearly annoyed.

Yuki let out a long breath. He seemed very wary of the Band Guy as he raised his head with some difficulty. "Brother Li, I've had a good eye for things ever since I was a kid."

"And your swordsmanship isn't bad, either. You're in great shape, too. No need to explain. Everyone keeps some secrets when they join this game, but don't hide anything from your real teammates."

Compared to Thomas, Li Dan certainly seemed more like a teammate. Yuki nodded emphatically, then started to feel a little embarrassed.

"Brother Li, actually, I'm a semi-professional. Second dan in kendo. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"Second dan? No wonder your strikes are so fast and precise. Having a weapon that suits you can make a huge difference in your fighting ability." Li Dan looked as if he'd finally understood. He took a careful look at Yuki's chapped lips, then produced several Snickers bars and bottles of mineral water as if by magic.

Huh?

Yuki sat bolt upright. This time, his surprise was genuine.

"Once you become a veteran player, you get a storage space, but it's very small. You'll understand once you clear this instance." Li Dan handed over the food and water, then thought for a moment and took out a roll of bandages, too.

"Wait, why don't you bring weapons? Like a rocket launcher or something?"

"That's a long story. Just remember, don't do anything unnecessary. The Reincarnation Game is smart. I'll give you that information for free."

You weren't this generous a moment ago. You must've realized I was useful.

Yuki accepted everything with profuse thanks. He wasn't stupid, either. It was only when he handed some over to Mai Sakurajima that he blurted out, "Were you worried earlier that we were veteran players?"

"Smart. But don't say it out loud next time. The most terrifying thing in this game is people's hearts." Li Dan gave him another word of advice. A hint of fear crossed his face. "There was a veteran player hiding among the newcomers in my last instance. I was almost killed by him. Sorry—I was testing you, too."

That kindness wasn't unconditional. It also filled in the gaps in his backstory, making his good-guy image more convincing. Even Yuki found himself warming to him.

You really are a big shot, but I'm not exactly a newbie, either.

Despite the goodwill, Yuki wasn't foolish enough to reveal all his cards. He simply nodded emphatically. "I'll remember."

"Get some rest. This is only the beginning. We'll meet in five minutes to discuss things, and then you should focus on treating your wounds. To be honest, this instance is a little too tricky. It's really strange." Li Dan looked troubled, while Yuki pricked up his ears without drawing attention to himself.

"I thought the game had no difficulty limits?"

"There should still be some kind of range. Thomas and I can just about handle this, but it's way too harsh on you newcomers. It's strange."

Harsh? We're in this hellhole, and you're calling it friendly?

At first, Yuki thought the comment was sarcastic. Then he decided Li Dan was right. If this game existed solely to kill people, there shouldn't be any veteran players. Since there were, there had to be some kind of limit—perhaps the limits of these two veterans' abilities, allowing them to lead some of the newcomers to survival.

But with the Crimson Moon still hanging in the sky, even the two veterans had no way out.

"Don't overthink it. Relax. We can hold on for now. The Reincarnation Game has one quirk: once you figure out its rules, everything suddenly becomes clear."

Li Dan reached out and patted Yuki on the shoulder. He gave him a thoughtful look, and the scene from earlier flashed through his mind.

In the corridor, he had raised his gun and aimed at the newcomer charging toward him. For some reason, he'd felt an urge to shoot him dead.

That makes no sense. A genius like him would be useful to me.

He hid the strange look in his eyes, turned, and went to shoot the breeze with Thomas.

Watching him walk away, Yuki fell into thought. Then he heard the sound of someone munching. He turned to see Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima wolfing down food, each of them downing half a bottle of mineral water in one go.

All notions of etiquette and elegance had vanished into thin air. They'd probably never been this disheveled in their lives.

But then, how was I any different?

Yuki glanced at the Crimson Moon in the sky, listened to the Living Corpses' wails, and looked at the bottle of mineral water in his hand.

Damn, I can't even unscrew the cap.

Chapter Sixteen: I'll Bet With You (Revised)

The rooftop stood thirty meters above the ground, higher than the city walls.

The night wind swept past, and the ceaseless wailing made the cold feel unbearable, both physically and mentally.

Yuki huddled inside his clothes, which were little better than rags. A bottle of cold water and a few chocolate bars had finally brought some feeling back to his body, and then the pain began to hit him.

Five abrasions, one bite, a torn muscle in his forearm, and several pieces of broken glass stuck in his back. At least he hadn't lost too much blood.

He took stock of his condition, then grimaced.

"Urgh."

"Does it hurt?" Mai Sakurajima leaned around from behind him, a pair of tweezers in her hand. She'd gotten them from Li Dan.

"A little. But considering a beautiful girl's bandaging me, it's bearable." Yuki smiled and lowered his head to look at the map again.

Li Dan had found the thing in the garden workshop and taken it with him. During the group discussion just now, everyone had pooled the useful items they'd found, and Yuki had immediately asked for it.

The map was in terrible shape, and its markings were nothing like the ones used today. No one could make sense of it. Since Yuki had explored the whole Ancient Castle and knew the layout a little better than the others, they'd given it to him.

"Want me to shove the glass back in?" The girl narrowed her eyes, looking dangerous.

"If this is how Miss Mai treats the person who saved her life, then I can only say I must've been blind as a dog."

"Hmph. You keep bringing that up. Are you really that eager for me to repay you?" Mai Sakurajima gave a quiet snort and tossed the glass shards aside.

"Of course. I never do anything for free. I've been waiting for you to repay me. Don't look at me like that. I know you'll pose, but you won't sleep with me. I'll think of something later."

"You..."

Mai Sakurajima's breathing grew heavier. Yuki really was shameless. Yet unlike the other frivolous men she'd met, he was impossible to dislike. That was partly because he'd saved her life, but that wasn't the whole reason.

The bloodstained figure had been seared into her mind: the boy wielding a knife with one hand, fighting for his life in the crimson corridor. No matter how desperate things got, he had never abandoned her.

Just a moment ago, he'd seemed like an expert, as practiced as a murderer. But now he was completely normal, even a little amusing. She found herself relaxing along with him.

A strange game, and strange people.

Mai had seen plenty in her life, but she'd never met someone with so many different sides. Maybe only Hayasaka was anything like him. As the thought crossed her mind, her slender fingers brushed lightly over the man's back.

"Mmm..."

"Don't make weird noises!"

Her hand, wiping the wound with alcohol, suddenly pressed harder. Yuki sucked in a breath from the pain, then focused and briefly took stock of things.

The game was difficult, but the rewards were substantial, too. In just a few hours, he'd already gotten a level-two Alienated Grade item and a Transcendental Grade skill.

It made sense. If I hadn't risked going after rewards and had just clung to the fat guy and his group, I'd probably still be an ordinary person. Or I could've been like Mai Sakurajima, running the whole way and gaining nothing.

"Stay still. You're in pretty good shape. An ordinary person would have to lie down for days with injuries like these." Mai had no idea what Yuki was thinking. She just thought he was quite sturdy.

"I'm used to it. Anyway, senpai..."

Before Yuki could finish, a finger pressed against his lips. The black-haired girl looked puzzled. "You're in college. How does that make me your senpai?"

"No particular reason. It just felt like it suited you." Yuki didn't elaborate.

"I keep getting the feeling you know me." Mai Sakurajima studied Yuki closely, certain she'd never met him before.

How could I not know you? I know plenty of things about you.

"Miss Mai, I'm actually your biggest fan. I've collected all kinds of information about you in secret. Meeting in the Reincarnation Game must be fate."

"So you're a stalker!"

"Yeah, but I'm a righteous stalker. Doesn't that make you want to get to know me?"

Mai Sakurajima did want to. From the first moment she'd seen him, she'd thought he was mysterious. Of course, she wouldn't say that out loud. She lifted her chin slightly.

"Not interested. But are you really my fan? Is that why you protected me?"

"No. I was talking nonsense."

The girl, who'd just been feeling a little proud, gritted her teeth. She hated how annoying he was. She couldn't even get the upper hand with him.

But before she could retaliate, a head poked out from around the corner. After recovering, Hayasaka Ai had wandered around for a bit and then returned, just in time to see Mai sulking.

"Oh, did I come at a bad time?" The blonde girl no longer seemed as cold as before. She half-covered her mouth, looking surprised, and even adopted a strange lilt. "But running into something this interesting makes me feel lucky today~"

"Hayasaka, please don't make that face like you've stumbled onto some classroom gossip!"

"Isn't it? Oh, right, I guess this counts as a celebrity scandal. Don't worry, I've seen plenty of things from the entertainment industry. I won't make a fuss."

"May I ask where you've seen them?"

"In magazines, of course. People my age love gossip magazines."

You weren't this cheerful when you were swinging that axe at people just now.

Mai Sakurajima was defeated. What kind of dream acting workshop had she joined? Why did everyone have so many different sides?

"Ahem. There are only three of us here. Could we be a little more serious?" Yuki wasn't used to this gyaru persona, either, so he decided to suggest it.

"OK~" Hayasaka Ai didn't object. She swept a hand over her head, as though putting on an invisible hat. In the blink of an eye, the teasing, fiery smile vanished from her face. She became stiff and serious, her gaze almost intimidating.

"Mai, you haven't taken a first-aid class, have you?"

"Huh?"

"Your bandaging is terrible. It'll come loose as soon as he moves. Yuki is an important fighter, so you should be more careful."

Mai Sakurajima couldn't react in time. Hayasaka had gone from a fiery high school girl to a professional instructor in a matter of seconds. When she started undoing the bandage Mai had struggled to secure, Mai panicked.

"Wait! I can just bandage it again, more carefully."

"Reality won't change just because you want it to. Not without the necessary knowledge."

"Are you... Are you trying to tell me what to do?"

"Yeah. At least I can teach you about this. Actually, there are lots of things in this game I can teach you."

I suddenly think I liked her gyaru persona better.

Mai Sakurajima was speechless again. She held Hayasaka's hand down and looked at her seriously. "You're tired, too. Just let me handle this little thing."

"I already said Yuki is an important fighter, so a professional should handle it. Besides, I'm just as grateful to him as you are, and I'm happy to do this."

"Let me do it."

"I'll do it. Acting childish won't help."

"Who are you calling childish?"

Yuki sat cross-legged, studying the map, while the two women tugged at him this way and that. He didn't stop them. He was clearly enjoying it.

Meeting these two so early on was lucky. They were familiar, pretty, and useful.

He didn't mind the noise. At least it drowned out the irritating wailing. It made him feel, in a way, that he was still among the living.

Having survived a life-and-death ordeal together, the three of them had grown closer. Their feelings for one another had deepened in their own way.

In the end, Hayasaka Ai was the one who finished bandaging him. It was textbook-perfect, covering every inch of his wounds.

"Thanks. This is even better than when I did it myself." Yuki stood and rolled his shoulders. He felt a lot stronger.

"I did my best. We should move on to the next step, shouldn't we?" Hayasaka Ai glanced at the other end of the rooftop. The rich man, the housewife, and the office worker were huddled together, still as lost as headless flies.

"I tested them earlier. Those three are no use, and I got nothing from them. They've survived this long entirely thanks to Thomas protecting them."

"Leaving your life in someone else's hands is a way to survive, too. What's Thomas like?"

"He's a womanizer, but there's more to him than that. All in all, he's clever." Hayasaka Ai let out a cold laugh. While testing him, she'd quickly noticed that although he seemed very interested in her, his eyes were full of suspicion.

As expected. Yuki had never considered the veteran player a mere pushover. Misjudging him would end badly.

"There's no need to test him again. We need those two veterans to take the lead from here."

"Have you figured something out?" Hayasaka Ai's eyes shifted to the floor plan. It was old and full of wormholes.

"Yeah. I confirmed one of my suspicions." Yuki didn't explain. He simply pointed at a spot on the map, then turned to look at Li Dan and Thomas, who had just returned. "I can't be completely sure, and there's no time to check. We'll have to take a gamble."

Not far away, the two veterans looked troubled, as if something was weighing on their minds. The group discussion had yielded nothing, and they'd just searched the area. There was nowhere to hide on the rooftop, and no way to escape.

That alone wasn't too bad. They could always spend a couple of days on the roof in the night wind. But the Crimson Moon still hadn't set, and even during their brief observations, they'd seen the Living Corpses grow stronger.

They were faster and more frantic. The broken doorway was like a busted faucet, pouring in a never-ending tide of corpses. The horde had already filled the garden, turning the beautiful flowers into a sea of swaying heads.

The Ancient Castle was an isolated island. If things kept going this way, once the "tsunami" washed over the players, not even scraps of their flesh would remain.

The veterans' expressions cast a shadow over everyone. Mai Sakurajima looked at the map in Yuki's hand. She couldn't make sense of it, but she could feel his confidence—a precious thing in this endless night.

She pressed her lips together and answered, her voice less than rational:

"All right. I'll bet with you."