Reincarnation Stream Player

"The strange whisper directly said, 'Player Mai, survive the first night and unlock the Ego Trait Adolescence Syndrome.' It sounded a little like a stage quest in an online game. Complete it, and you naturally get the reward."

Hayasaka Ai nodded as well, indicating that hers had been about the same. She also glanced at Mai Sakurajima, silently wondering what kind of bizarre trait that was.

Then that was strange. Why did I have to choose?

Yuki kept his expression neutral, as though he were merely curious.

"Though I don't know what happened, this isn't the time to discuss it, is it?"

Hayasaka Ai's urging brought Yuki back to himself. Their top priority was to gain some breathing room. They would have plenty of time to think once they were safe.

"Jump down and follow the wall."

As Thugs, they naturally could not take the subway. They all jumped down, their heads swiveling back and forth.

"Which way?" Hayasaka Ai asked.

Yuki looked both ways, then raised a hand and pointed left. "Isn't that the direction of the Ancient Castle?"

"Seems like it, but this is already the terminal station. There's a dead end ahead, so we should go right." Mai Sakurajima pointed to the station sign on the wall. She had noticed the detail while running earlier.

"Did either of you calculate how deep this place is?"

Uh...

Hayasaka Ai and Mai exchanged a look, then both shook their heads. They had barely had time to run; who would have calculated something like that?

"I did, so we're going left." Yuki gave a strange smile and turned toward the tunnel on the left.

"Hey, wait."

"Aren't you afraid we'll get trapped if the enemy blocks the dead end?"

Neither girl understood, but neither abandoned Yuki either. After hesitating for a moment, they followed him, even finding a reason for him as they did.

If the enemy pursued them, they would surely search along the tunnel. Going right would be even more dangerous.

In truth, Yuki's reasoning was more complicated. Back on the surface, he had observed that the Ancient Castle and the plaza were on the same level, so when they entered the subway station, he had deliberately calculated the depth.

The difference from the second basement level is less than five meters? Is that a coincidence?

Yuki did not believe in coincidences. Just like at the start of the game, when he had insisted on taking a look at the lowest floor. Without that glance, even their bones would have been gnawed into scraps by now.

Following the tracks, they soon reached an open space. Judging by the complex rails on the ground, this was likely a temporary Dispatch Room. There were also temporary maintenance facilities nearby. Subway trains turned around here before running in the opposite direction.

There was no one there. The staff had clearly fled in terror from the chaos on the surface. That saved Yuki the trouble. He quietly pried open the lounge door with his knife and found it empty, with several bottles of drinks scattered across the floor.

"It smells like cola, but the labels don't match." Mai Sakurajima picked one up and sniffed it, looking frustrated. "Looks like this isn't Earth. Even the technological development is strange."

All three of them were observant, and they had long noticed certain abnormalities. For example, the onlookers had clearly been taking pictures with smartphones, yet there was not a single surveillance camera in the subway.

"Hayasaka, did you find anything?"

Yuki turned toward the blonde girl. She was sitting in a swivel chair, rapidly tapping away at a keyboard as pages opened and closed one after another.

She was searching for familiar information, only to find nothing.

"This is the city's local intranet. I can't find any information beyond this 'Blood Moon City.'" Hayasaka Ai was equally disappointed. She glanced at the expressionless Yuki. "You don't seem surprised at all. Don't tell me you're still stuck in that hotheaded rookie act?"

An Ancient Castle being besieged by Living Corpses was still within the realm of acceptance. But for the Dungeon to expand into an entire city, with millions of people inside it all vividly alive, then create consciousness, order, and satisfy physiological and psychological needs—that surpassed even science fiction.

In front of Li Dan, Yuki had indeed played a somewhat clever but reckless newcomer, driven into a corner and bursting forth with limitless energy. But Hayasaka Ai knew that ever since this man had joined the game, he had behaved like an expert. In some ways, he was even more professional than veteran Players.

"I wasn't acting. For an existence capable of sending us here, it's already a miracle. Whether it transports us to another world or creates a living city, both are within its capabilities." Yuki spread his hands, reminded of The Matrix. "Maybe we were turned into data and stuffed into a fixed program, something like the virtual reality games that have become so popular as a concept lately?"

"We might be data, sent into a preconfigured game?" Mai Sakurajima began to consider it, immediately thinking of things like aliens.

"I was just making an analogy. Don't forget that Li Dan is a veteran Player, and don't forget that we were all sent here simultaneously from different places. If Miss Mai wants to find out whether she can wake up after dying, I'd be happy to help."

Yuki pushed open his gleaming blade with his thumb. Mai Sakurajima felt a chill run down her spine, then caught his teasing gaze and grew irritated. She raised her chin.

"I'll pass. I don't like taking risks."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of pain."

"I'm not even afraid of death. Why would I fear pain?"

"Uh, then the scream I heard while breaking out must have been an auditory hallucination." Yuki slapped his forehead, looking deeply troubled. "This Reincarnation Game is too cruel. It actually gave me a mental illness."

Pfft.

The person typing at the keyboard paused and covered her mouth. When Mai Sakurajima swept her with an icy gaze, she immediately returned to her expressionless, serious state.

These two were seriously annoying.

Mai quietly clenched her fists. She had thought her tongue was sharp enough, only to run into a master of sarcasm. Still, with her attention diverted, the nerves stretched to their limit finally relaxed.

She plopped into a swivel chair and crossed her long legs. Her bunny girl outfit was already in tatters, but the stockings covered in scratches were even more alluring. Yuki immediately looked over.

"Hey, aren't you being a little too brazen?" Mai Sakurajima promptly lowered her leg.

"I think sneaking a look is ruder. You should admire beautiful things openly and honestly. Look carefully into my eyes—they're full of appreciation."

"All I see is a pervert." Mai Sakurajima snorted and waved a hand weakly. "Forget it. I'm too lazy to argue with you. Tell us what we do next. We can't hide here for long."

"Don't forget Hint 2. We're no longer inside the Ancient Castle." Yuki grew a little more serious and lowered his voice. "We can't stay in any one place for more than two hours. Let's catch our breath first, then figure out these Ego Traits. They hold our hope of surviving the next step."

"We should study them properly. I suddenly feel like I have something to rely on." Mai perked up and straightened her back, curious. "Oh? What's your Ego Trait?"

Yuki said nothing. He picked up his knife and turned to leave.

"Hey, you're not holding back on us, are you?" Hayasaka Ai looked at him, her gaze sharp.

"You noticed after all." The man's eyes were utterly sincere, without a single flaw to pick at. "An Ego Trait should be a Player's greatest trump card. It can't be revealed lightly. But the three of us have gone through several life-and-death trials together. Why would I guard against you?"

"Then you..."

"I'll work a little harder and split my attention. I'll look into something I care about while studying this trait. Let's meet again and exchange information in about twenty minutes."

Bang.

Yuki shut the door and looked into the depths of the tunnel. After one night, he had already figured it out.

Strength was only one aspect. To survive, what mattered more was gathering information. Hayasaka Ai and the others could rest, but he could not.

Besides, he had to make a choice within these twenty minutes.

Since Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima had both unlocked theirs directly, why had his become a question?

"Besides, I have a bad feeling about this."

Yuki raised his head. Before him lay the pitch-black tunnel. As his mind completely relaxed, his thoughts seemed to transcend this hellish Dungeon.

He had two unsolved mysteries in this life. One was why he had come here. The other was why, after arriving in paradise, he had been warned that he would encounter hell.

[Survive.]

Those bloody words from the original owner's diary lingered in his mind. The notebook could no longer be found. Perhaps it had been an illusion when he crossed over, or perhaps the original owner had simply suffered from chuunibyou.

Yet for some reason, Yuki believed it. He really gave up on the idea of going around fooling elementary school students and began preparing for the end of the world. Then the apocalypse came true.

This was definitely not an ordinary transmigration.

The bloody stench of the Living Corpses still lingered in his nostrils. That illogical trust had collided with reality, so unlike other newcomers, he never felt as though he were dreaming. He proceeded cautiously at every step and deeply considered every anomaly he encountered.

[Player Yuki, do you confirm that you wish to unlock your trait immediately?]

Every word of the whisper was incomparably clear, as if it were waiting. Yuki thought it over and over without finding an answer. His brows were tightly furrowed, and he no longer looked like the man who had been joking with Mai moments ago.

Reason. Use reason and logic to judge it, and the result was—

"I have no other choice."

Li Dan's strange, inexplicable killing intent in the corridor, along with the abnormal difficulty he had mentioned, hung over Yuki's head like swords.

Those two veteran Players were completely unreliable. The nightmare had only just begun. I need strength.

That was his final judgment. Yuki liked to think deeply, but when it was time to decide, he never hesitated.

"Unlock the trait immediately."

The moment the words left his mouth, every muscle in his body tensed. The tunnel remained dark, and no terrifying monster emerged. Like Mai and Hayasaka, he felt no abnormality in his body.

Only a faint, vague, almost imperceptible sigh sounded. Before Yuki could hear it clearly, his entire body froze.

A gaze—an invisible gaze—looked upon him. He could not tell whether it was kind or malicious. He did not even dare raise his head.

In a single instant, the gaze vanished. Then the emotionless whisper resounded in his mind.

[Player Yuki, Ego Trait unlocked—Vestment of the Unknown.]

[Draw one vestment every day. A vestment is a Player's unique cognition. It cannot be stored, is consumed upon use, lasts one day, and must be used at least two hours after being drawn.]

[Description: The world is what you know. You are what the world does not know. Make good use of that unknown—]

[You will change everything.]

Upgrades and Enhancements (Revised)

Bang.

The door closed, and the footsteps gradually faded. Since this was already the end of the tunnel, they did not need to worry about Yuki wandering off alone beyond the permitted range.

Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima looked at each other. It was their first time being alone under relatively safe circumstances. As they stared at one another, they felt something strange.

Two people who had never known each other before had become remarkably familiar after only a few hours. Just as when they had fled for their lives in the Ancient Castle, they often knew what to do with only a glance.

No wonder people said life-and-death crises brought people closer together. In just a few hours, she and I have faced three life-or-death decisions.

Mai Sakurajima found it strange and wonderful, as though she had returned to a scene from a movie. Yet trust was trust, and she still found this Hayasaka girl somewhat troubling.

"You... acted before?"

"No. Or rather, what I do is different from acting. It's more like—" Hayasaka Ai placed a finger against her lips and tilted her head in thought for a moment. "A self-protection mechanism developed from living in a complex and treacherous environment for a long time. I have no choice but to adjust my state according to my surroundings. Just kidding. Sounds cool, right? Do you suddenly feel the urge to worship me as an idol?"

The blonde girl had initially been completely cold-faced, but suddenly burst into laughter. With her left eye closed, it seemed as though she could see stars streaking past.

Mai Sakurajima could not laugh. She was not blind; of course she could tell what was real and what was fake.

"Hayasaka, it looks like you've had a hard life."

"Hard is hard, but I've actually been quite happy most of the time. So no matter what, I have to make it back alive. Aren't you the same, Mai?"

"Mm. After coming to the Reincarnation Game, I suddenly realized how precious life is." Mai gave a bitter smile and rested her chin on her hand. "No wonder you're so capable. That only makes me more curious why he's stronger than ordinary people too."

The room once again fell into a strange silence. There was no answer to that question. Yuki was not a veteran Player, yet he exuded professionalism in every way, as though he had long prepared for everything.

"That composure of always being prepared really is intriguing." Hayasaka Ai rubbed her chin, then suddenly gave a brilliant smile and lowered her voice gossipily. "A mysterious man. But I've heard that when you become interested in someone of the opposite sex, there's a good chance you'll be drawn to him."

Mai Sakurajima's mind automatically conjured that bloodstained back, along with his usual sharp-tongued manner. It was as though he had two opposing personalities—sometimes making people tense, sometimes helping them relax.

But no matter what, amid the cruel darkness of this game, he was the only light that gave her a sense of safety.

"Who did you hear that from?"

"Don't romance magazines all say that? No way, no way, did I really hit the mark?"

"Hayasaka, I suddenly think you're cuter when you're serious." Mai did not want to answer and chose to skip the question, but then realized something. "Wait, don't tell me your Ego Trait is..."

"You know, aside from your pretty face, perhaps he values that cleverness of yours even more. But I think it's more comfortable to be a fool and hide your true thoughts."

Hayasaka Ai suddenly stopped smiling. Her face became full of coldness and rationality. She snapped her fingers, and a pure white mask appeared in her palm. It seemed to smile, cry, rage, and pout all at once. She placed it over her face, and Mai Sakurajima's contracted pupils immediately saw another version of herself.

Her disheveled clothes could not conceal the pride of a flower on a lofty peak. Her beautiful face held a calm, lazy air. Then she looked at Mai with the professional smile of an idol.

"That's right. This is my trait, [Fool's Mask]."

While Mai Sakurajima and Hayasaka Ai were bonding, Yuki walked forward along the tracks.

He examined his surroundings, his brows knitted as though he had encountered a difficult problem.

It was only unlocking a trait. Did it have to be this strange?

For a moment, he could not recall what he had just felt, much less understand the gaze or the sigh. He only knew he had made an important decision, yet he was completely at a loss as to where it would lead.

"Whatever. What I need now is strength. Just as the description said, only by using this power well can I control my fate."

His fighting spirit reignited. Yuki had already studied the matter: according to the game's settings, a trait was the manifestation of some characteristic or desire from a Player's life. That had been vividly demonstrated by Mai Sakurajima, confirming its authenticity.

My greatest trait is being a transmigrator. As the description said, most of this world is known to me. Just as I recognized at a glance that Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima could be trusted, in a sense, it's an invisible cheat.

So that gaze just now discovered that I was a transmigrator?