I, a Reincarnation Stream Player

Thinking of that, he glanced at the hot girl, who was staring blankly at her manicure with the buttons on her blouse deliberately undone.

She was no different from those two idiots hanging around Thomas. Most new female players used their bodies in exchange for safety. It was perfectly normal.

Then there was Mai, her face full of suspicion, as if everyone were trying to take advantage of her. Unlike before, she now carried a hidden air of pride, as if she'd transformed from a crow into a phoenix.

That was normal. The unobservable Ego Trait was simply too useful.

But neither of those two could have escaped the encirclement. It had been Yuki, and it could only have been Yuki.

"Brother Li, that Thomas guy doesn't seem to have done anything crazy. Technology hasn't advanced at all in the past few hours."

"He's a veteran player, not an idiot. If you can figure it out, of course he can too. Do you think something's off?" Li Dan looked over calmly.

"No, no. I was just curious. Mr. Thomas has always had it in for me." Yuki gave an awkward laugh, turned around, and curled up inside the pipe. "Everyone, try to get some sleep. We'll have to climb again in another hour."

A chorus of groans followed, then the sound of snores filled the pipe. Everyone was utterly exhausted. Li Dan looked at Yuki's back, and only after several seconds did he lie down fully dressed.

Yuki felt the gaze turn away. He snored, but his eyes showed no sign of closing. He met Hayasaka Ai's equally open, clear blue eyes.

He was lying.

Yuki moved his lips, silently forming the words.

The pipe was utterly silent. Aside from Rich Brother's occasional cough, they couldn't even hear the sound of dripping water. It was stiflingly hot, like a summer night.

But if you listened carefully, you could hear the rustle of shifting clothes, and the stifled, utterly suppressed laughter that followed fingers sliding over skin.

Not just Li Dan—even Rich Brother had pricked up his ears. Still, no one had any intention of getting up to stop them. In a Reincarnation Game where you could die at any moment, interrupting someone who was making the most of their time was a great way to earn resentment. Besides, they thought it was perfectly normal.

It was one thing for Mai Sakurajima to act like a chaste martyr, but Hayasaka didn't look like any kind of good girl. Why should she be protected if she didn't offer some benefits?

As long as they didn't go too far and leave themselves unable to run later, then if both parties were willing, they could do as they pleased.

Fingers slid over a snow-white stomach, meeting the silky softness of her skin. One inch higher, and they could touch the lower edge of her cleavage. A thigh rested over his hips, and her trousers brushed lightly against him.

The sight made the air feel a little hotter, but there wasn't a trace of desire in Yuki or Hayasaka Ai's eyes. They were as rational and composed as experts.

"He's lying."

"Mm. About five minutes after I passed him the message, a group of blue dots scattered. That proves they'd already surrounded Thomas, and he chose to escape. It's completely different from the information we heard over the radio earlier."

Fingers moved, and they communicated without a sound. Hayasaka Ai paused with her fingers on his chest, then continued writing:

"Mai told me about it. When we discussed our Ego Traits, Li Dan's gaze turned strange. She knew that look very well."

"What kind of look?"

Hayasaka Ai thought for a moment, then imitated Mai Sakurajima's tone as she slowly wrote:

"The look of someone who's politely greeting a fan at a meet-and-greet while imagining all kinds of perverted things in his head."

Chapter 28: Take a Guess (Third Update)

That explanation was pretty damn explicit.

Yuki's mouth twitched. In plain English, it was possessiveness. He'd deliberately arranged the exchange of information between the three of them after they regrouped.

He'd told the truth; he didn't understand his own Ego Trait anyway. Hayasaka Ai had lied, because she had to maintain her image as someone useless who'd gotten by through a transactional relationship.

Mai Sakurajima alone had exaggerated, taking almost all the credit for their successful escape.

Li Dan didn't know that—perhaps because she'd spent so long in the spotlight, Mai had acquired a skill called Good and Evil Perception.

From the information they'd gathered so far, Ego Traits were all very useful, though some weren't suited to their current situation.

Take Rich Brother, for example. His Ego Trait let him duplicate money. No matter the denomination or material, he could make copies. There was no question that it was an incredible ability. In a more normal world, he could use money to solve any problem.

Unfortunately, it was completely useless in this world.

But Mai Sakurajima's Puberty Syndrome was different. In a world where they had to keep running, how much would their odds of survival increase if they could disappear from the Living Corpses' perception?

Setting everything else aside, if the rules didn't forbid going solo, and he had that Ego Trait, he could eat hot pot, sing songs, and tear through the whole instance.

"Looking at it this way, Li Dan is suspicious."

"Obviously. Who in this instance isn't suspicious? Can even the three of us claim we trust each other absolutely?" Yuki found that rather amusing. He'd never trusted the veteran players in the first place. At a time like this, that was even more nerve-racking than running for their lives.

Hayasaka Ai raised an eyebrow, then nodded lightly, deciding that Yuki was right.

They'd been through life-or-death situations together several times and still held things back. How could they expect a veteran player to bare his heart to them? Did they think he was some kind of saint?

It was perfectly normal for two veteran players to be in contact. Even if they didn't get along, when it came down to it, they were far stronger than the newbies. But there were two key points:

First, why was Li Dan lying? On the surface, at least, Yuki was clever, straightforward, and honest. You'd think Li Dan would confide in him.

Second, how close were Thomas and Li Dan, really? Could they be putting on an act, too?

"Don't worry. Mai's already proved her worth, so he can't afford to leave us. If he tries to win her over, we'll have time to prepare."

"The more valuable Mai is, the safer we are. After all, winning her over doesn't conflict with using us." Hayasaka Ai relaxed a little. After spending so long together, she at least believed Mai Sakurajima wasn't the type to switch sides easily.

"But I still think Li Dan's acting strange toward me. He wants to use me, but he's also wary of me."

"Is it because of your Ego Trait?" Hayasaka Ai was curious. She knew that Akina Mountain Racer was a lie. Yuki had been the one driving.

"Not likely. Traits can't be stolen, and without a prompt from the game, killing each other wouldn't earn any rewards."

"Then why is he wary of you? Did one of us do a bad job acting?"

Yuki stopped moving his hand. He didn't know the answer either. Back in the Ancient Castle hallway, his instincts had told him Li Dan would open fire, and Li Dan really had hesitated before shooting at the Living Corpse.

Did I remind him of some bad memory? Impossible. Li Dan was a sly old fox who cared only about profit and logic.

"It's not about our acting. There must be a deeper reason. Maybe he's also noticed how much harder things got after we left the Ancient Castle."

"So he suspects that we, or Thomas's group, got something that affects the game's difficulty?" Hayasaka Ai froze, then suddenly remembered Yuki had acted alone. She eyed him suspiciously. "Don't tell me you really picked up some kind of divine weapon and didn't say anything."

"How could I? We were in such a hurry earlier. Would I really have held back?" Yuki wanted to laugh, but couldn't. He really had encountered something strange, and there was no way he could tell the truth. "Even if there were a divine weapon, it couldn't affect the game's difficulty, could it? Don't overthink it. We just need to be on our guard."

"How? We don't even know how many instances he's been through or what trump cards he has."

That was what bothered Yuki the most. He had to clear the instance and keep an eye on his teammates at the same time, and the latter was harder.

The Living Corpses might look terrifying, but the two veteran players had killed more than a hundred of them. And since they were the same kind of player, anything he had, the others would have too—and more.

"We have trump cards, too, even if we have fewer." Yuki adjusted his breathing, his fingers slowly sliding toward her cleavage. "Let's do it. I'm ready."

The sensation of her skin beneath his hand grew stranger and stranger. Hayasaka Ai shifted her shoulder, and her expression changed for a brief moment.

She might be professional and composed, but she wasn't a robot. The physical sensations made her breathing grow heavier, and this time, there was no way she could pretend it was all an act.

"Hey, I'm doing this for real now."

Hayasaka Ai was instantly brought back to reality. Her gaze turned cold, and a trace of annoyance flashed across her face. She put her hand on Yuki's lower abdomen and gave it a hard squeeze.

"Gah—ah!"

A sound of extreme restraint and extreme pleasure rang out, waking everyone in the pipe who'd been pretending to sleep.

Finally, he'd let one fly. Did these young people have no sense of time or place?

Li Dan immediately sat up and checked the time. "It's about time. Everyone, let's move. Hayasaka, check the enemy's positions."

"I still want to sleep. Besides, there's no signal here. How am I supposed to check?" Hayasaka Ai sat up, rubbing her eyes. She calmly buttoned her blouse, then clasped her hands together. "Brother Li, let me sleep for ten more minutes. No, five. Please?"

Tired now, are you?

Li Dan glanced at Yuki, whose face was full of smug satisfaction, and signaled him to keep his woman in line. Hayasaka Ai had been the first person he'd ruled out as a suspect, since she was too stupid.

He turned his head and looked at Mai Sakurajima, whose cheeks were faintly red and who seemed just as sleep-deprived.

"Miss Mai, if you're uncomfortable, you can stay behind me."

"No need. I'm fine following Hayasaka." Mai shook her head firmly and edged toward Hayasaka Ai, though she looked reluctant.

She seemed to despise the other girl, but with three men and two women, she felt that someone of her own sex was more trustworthy.

She couldn't even take a hint. That was why these half-grown kids were such a pain. The others were having a transactional relationship—why did she have to butt in?

Li Dan was a little exasperated. There were only five of them, yet their web of relationships was incredibly complicated. Even Rich Brother had deliberately cozied up to Yuki, as if he were placing bets on both sides.

He looked at Yuki and Rich Brother chatting happily, about to interrupt them, when his expression suddenly tightened. He raised a finger to his lips.

The pipe fell silent at once. Aside from their breathing, a distant grating sound rang out, like something being sawed through. Rich Brother's fat cheeks trembled, and he started coughing repeatedly.

"Cough, cough! It hasn't even been two hours. How did they find us already?"

"Keep your voice down. The time's not up, but they're not idiots. Ever heard the saying 'turn the place upside down'?" Li Dan had no energy to deal with the team's relationships. He immediately crouched down. "Move! We're dead if they trap us in here."

Given the way Crimson Moon City's police operated, they'd probably throw grenades in as soon as they found them. There'd be nowhere to hide. No one cared how foul the pipe smelled anymore; they all crawled as fast as they could.

Li Dan led the way, constantly checking the pipe map in his hands. Hayasaka Ai had downloaded it after breaking through the local network's firewall, and it was finally proving useful.

The pipe system, less than two meters in diameter, wasn't complicated and had no multiple levels. But if the enemy sent in police dogs, they'd find them in no time.

So Li Dan decided to climb up. About ten minutes later, he stopped beside an iron ladder that descended from above.

"This is the spot. I'll go up first. Fatso, you're next."

Yuki saw Rich Brother climb the ladder with a look that said, "Why me?" His eyes flickered, and he happened to catch Hayasaka Ai's gaze. She pursed her lips, making her meaning obvious.

Should we follow?

"We should. The veteran players have been a threat since the game began. Right now, we need his help to deal with the main problem. By the way, were you a little too rough just now?" Yuki curled up. It still hurt.

"The situation was urgent. Please don't bring up topics unrelated to the Reincarnation Game." Hayasaka Ai's face was expressionless.

"Fine, you win. Just you wait."

Yuki promptly climbed the ladder. He didn't see Hayasaka Ai's lips curl up, or Mai Sakurajima quietly cover her mouth. But the game was moving too fast for any of them to dwell on it.

Back on the surface, Yuki quickly looked around. Sure enough, the pipe map had been accurate.

The place looked like a village inside the city. Its doors and windows had been removed, and its residents had been relocated. Apparently, the port was expanding and preparing to absorb the village, leaving it looking utterly run-down.

The sun had set, but the red moon had yet to rise. Light from afar left the village shrouded in a haze. The people who remained had also been frightened away by the chaos. They could just make out two unfinished buildings of more than ten stories near the village center, splitting the urban village into eastern and western halves.

Some poor sap had probably just bought the land and hadn't even finished building the houses before getting dragged into all this.

Yuki noticed the unfinished buildings' unusual layout and the police tape strung all around them. His expression shifted, and Li Dan lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

He closed his eyes, carefully registering the force of the tap, then heard the man's steady voice.

"Let's find somewhere to hide. The enemy won't give up. It's eight p.m. now, and the red moon will rise soon."

"Brother Li, I want to check out those buildings." Yuki pointed to the two unfinished towers and explained, "The information terminal can only show vehicles. The rooftops are high ground. If we climb up, we'll be able to see the enemy's general deployment."

It was a sound argument, and Li Dan couldn't easily refuse. He was about to send Hayasaka Ai out to help when Mai Sakurajima stepped forward and gathered her courage.

"I'll go. If there's trouble, my Trait might help."

"Yeah, yeah. That place looks scary. I don't want to go." Hayasaka Ai froze, then echoed her as she edged backward.

Li Dan lowered the finger he'd just raised. Looking suspicious and a little irritated, he waved them on.

"Then hurry back."

Yuki quickly thanked him. He tried to take Mai Sakurajima's hand, but she hid it behind her back in disgust. He could only give an awkward laugh and bend down to slip beneath the police tape.

But when his back was to Li Dan, his smile faded. There wasn't a trace of it left.

"Do you know why I brought you along?"

"You're afraid Li Dan will try to win me over." Mai answered casually. She wasn't stupid. Ever since they'd discussed their Ego Traits, the veteran player's attitude toward her had clearly changed.

"Yeah. He's a veteran player, so he's more reliable than me. Have you thought about switching sides?"

Tap, tap.

With light footsteps, the girl ran ahead and stepped onto the bare staircase. Then she clasped her hands behind her back and turned around, her face carrying a playful smile.

"Hehe, take a guess."

Chapter 29: Learning Makes Me Happy~

The faintly fishy sea breeze, the pitch-black village, the abandoned buildings, and the girl appearing and disappearing from view.

Together, these things formed a beautiful scene in Yuki's eyes. He couldn't say exactly what made it so beautiful. Maybe it was simply because the girl in the scene was so pretty.

There was no need to guess. Mai Sakurajima had already made her position clear through her actions—and rather abruptly, at that.

"You were too direct when dealing with Li Dan's attempt to win you over."

"Right now, I'm playing an innocent high school girl who doesn't understand hints and cares more about friendship." Mai spread her hands. Her gaze was clear and pure.