In This Reincarnation Stream, I'm the Player

"It does fit your character, but being too foolish could be dangerous."

"Why? The game said the Ego Trait couldn't be stolen. No matter what he thinks, he'll have to take us along."

Chaos Items could be used on other players, but their side effects were too severe for beginners to necessarily withstand. Ego Traits, however, were bound skills, and their users couldn't be changed.

But nothing was absolute. In the hands of an experienced player, your trait could reduce the difficulty of a scenario several times over.

That thought crossed Yuki's mind, but he had no proof, and there was no need to voice it and worry her for nothing.

"I get it. You're jealous of me and Hayasaka..."

Before she could finish, her long black hair swished as Mai Sakurajima lightly sprang in front of him, her face beaming with a kindly smile.

"You have two seconds to choose your next words carefully."

Yuki instantly stood up straight and declared, "Mai-senpai is a woman of principle. She'd never do something as rotten as betraying someone for personal gain."

"That's more like it." The girl nodded in satisfaction, clasped her hands behind her back, and slowly headed upstairs.

Yikes. It was pitch-black, and she still managed to step right on my foot. Could that be some kind of passive skill?

Yuki bent down to rub his foot, then followed her with a grimace. Still, he felt a little warm inside, knowing he hadn't misjudged her.

His Prophet ability let him know Mai Sakurajima's personality, interests, and even her traits in advance. But it couldn't predict how she would change under extreme pressure. When their lives were at stake, the chance that a person might change was simply too high.

It felt like the beginning of the game all over again. The two of them made their way through the abandoned building, exploring from the underground Parking Lot to the rooftop. Every so often, they stopped to look into the distance, where they could see flashing police lights and helicopters flying overhead.

It really did feel like a certain game. As your wanted level rose, the enemies changed from ordinary officers with handguns to a combined air-and-ground force. Yuki suspected that the scenario had no upper limit, either. If he abused his veteran-player abilities and went on a killing spree, the sky would probably fill with giant mechs.

The underground tunnels were being explored, and the Port District and its shipping containers had already been searched. Like a tightening noose, the space they had to maneuver in was shrinking.

"They seem to be searching this area." Yuki leaned against the wall as a helicopter's spotlight swept past. The sound of the police dogs grew clearer. After making a couple of rounds, he had a good grasp of the building's layout.

It was fifteen stories tall, facing south, with stairwells on the east and west sides and an empty elevator shaft in the middle. Spacious rooms lined both sides of the corridors—a standard apartment building.

"Should we take another detour?" Mai panted lightly, deciding that if she made it back alive, she'd get serious about exercising.

They had climbed from the underground Parking Lot to the rooftop, then gone from the rooftop to the first floor. Her legs were sore and aching. It felt like she'd walked a year's worth of steps since the game began.

"Sit down. Want me to massage your feet?" Yuki saw how tired she was at a glance. Who could handle tens of thousands of steps a day?

Mai glanced at the man, who looked perfectly calm. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded. "Don't do anything weird."

"Please don't underestimate me. Without black stockings, I won't lose control of myself."

She raised a hand as if to hit him, but obediently offered him her leg. At first, she tensed with wariness, but after a moment she relaxed.

She couldn't help it. It really felt good. His pressure was just right, and he found the right spots with precision. It hurt a little, but not too much. He was clearly very experienced. It was just that look in his eyes...

"Hey, why do you look like you're enjoying this more than I am?"

Yuki didn't answer. He simply savored the sensation in his hands.

Long, slender, shapely, and supple. His fingers passed over her delicate ankle, relishing the smooth feel of her skin. In the faint light coming through the window, he could even make out a stretch of snowy-white skin.

The only thing missing was her pants. If she'd been wearing silky black stockings, it would have been perfect. Even with her pants on, he could only reply with a famous quote:

"Because they feel amazing."

"You really are full of perverted thoughts. I don't want you to massage me anymore."

"Don't take it personally. A gentleman is judged by his actions, not his thoughts. I haven't done anything wrong, so why do you care what I'm thinking?"

Mai had just been about to pull her leg away, but then she paused. Yuki really hadn't done anything inappropriate, nor had he tried to feel his way up her thigh. He was still focused on helping her relax her muscles, while occasionally peeking out to check on their pursuers.

"Couldn't you at least pretend to be a gentleman?"

"My acting depends on the audience. I act like an innocent kid in front of Li Dan, and like an expert in front of Hayasaka. In front of you, I have to be full of dirty jokes."

"Why?"

Yuki's hands paused. He lifted his head and said with a serious expression, "Because, Mai-senpai, you're pretty suggestive yourself."

Smack.

As soon as he finished, she smacked him on the head. He watched longingly as her long legs slipped out of his grasp.

What did he mean, suggestive? How long was he going to keep making bunny-girl jokes?

Mai Sakurajima clenched her teeth. Because of her job, she'd met plenty of polite people who were wicked inside, and plenty of shameless sycophants. But she'd never met anyone who talked dirty to her face.

She flexed her ankle. Sure enough, the soreness in her calves had eased quite a bit. That made her expression even more complicated. She had to admit Yuki had been right.

Actions mattered more than thoughts. Whatever he said, ninety-nine percent of the reason she was still alive was thanks to him.

"You're not even going to say thank you?"

"I'm not. Let's call it even. I can thank you once you start behaving yourself."

"Oh, then I guess I'll be waiting a long time." Yuki shook his head ruefully, though he found it all rather amusing.

Calm, mature, sensible, and determined, yet still sweet and shy in a distinctly girlish way. Teasing her a little even lifted his mood.

He wondered what the Reincarnation Game would turn her into. At least the chances of it twisting her were low.

Yuki didn't like girls who went dark. They became impossible to control.

"What are you thinking about now?" Mai eyed him suspiciously, feeling as though she could never see through him.

"About your question earlier. Weren't you asking whether we should take another detour?"

Mai's eye twitched. She'd genuinely forgotten after being interrupted. How was this guy's mind even wired? It was hard to keep up with his train of thought.

"They're searching in a grid. Breaking through won't be easy." Yuki paid no mind to what the girl thought. Returning to planning mode, he considered the options. "Hayasaka's already checked. Unless we go on a massive killing spree, the enemies' technology and numbers won't change. It's interesting. This is the complete opposite of the Ancient Castle."

Inside the Ancient Castle, the players were on a Killing Spree, their nerves stoked by the blood and mangled corpses.

"But if we don't break through, we won't last until midnight." Mai shifted her position and leaned out from in front of Yuki, like she was holding a plank, to peer outside. "This town isn't too big or too small. We can only evade them for an hour or so at most. If they corner us and we have nowhere left to hide, we can't just wait to die."

"Why go to all that trouble? Just lie across my lap. Or are you wary even of a gentleman?"

"Dream on. We're talking business, and I'm not falling for that again." The girl turned her head and rolled her eyes at Yuki. Somehow, the look still made his heart itch.

"Right. That's the dilemma. We can't evade them without going on a killing spree, but killing them will make it even harder to hide. And I'm curious. Since Li Dan and Thomas are in contact, why not have him draw their fire in the city?"

If the total number of enemies stayed the same, there'd be more on this side of the canal and fewer in the city. The difficulty would be avoiding reports from ordinary citizens, but Thomas could knock them out before they even managed to shout.

"What's so strange about that? When would that mop-headed guy ever risk his own neck for someone else? Why would he put himself in danger?" Mai scoffed. Sometimes Yuki just overthought things. Wasn't the answer obvious?

It was the only explanation, and the most reasonable one, but Yuki still felt that something was off. It was just like Li Dan saying his trait was some kind of weapons master.

Trying to outthink other players really took more brainpower. He heard the helicopter blades approaching again and signaled Mai. They lay flat and moved farther inside the building, waiting until the third floor's walls blocked the light before slowly getting up.

A steel door stood in front of them, looking out of place in the unfinished building full of gray concrete. Yuki didn't dare turn on his flashlight. He felt around the door with his palm, then quickly brightened.

"Round doorknob. The lock's not complicated. Lend me your hairpin."

Mai looked bewildered and instinctively removed her hair clip. It wasn't until she heard the metallic click of the lock that she realized what Yuki was doing.

"Picking a lock? Wait, are you a medical student or a thief?"

"Of course I'm a doctor who saves lives. I just have a wide range of hobbies." Yuki had spent years preparing all sorts of strange skills. He couldn't claim to be an expert, but he knew a little about everything.

Click.

The lock soon popped open. He gently pushed the steel door aside and, sure enough, found several neat piles of supplies inside.

"What's all this stuff?"

Yuki didn't answer. He pulled away the plastic sheet draped over the piles, revealing a series of metal boxes underneath. He opened one and nodded in satisfaction.

"Explosives and detonators. You have to use explosives to demolish a building like this. Remember those holes we saw when we came in?"

Mai tilted her head. She remembered the round holes in the pillars and walls, and immediately understood.

It was all completely unfamiliar to her. When she'd seen them, she'd only thought they looked strange. But in the eyes of an expert...

"Wait. How do you know that?"

"I told you, I have a wide range of hobbies. Demolitions, for example. Don't look at me like that. I've only studied it in books. I've never actually done it."

As if you could actually try that stuff out.

Mai didn't know what to say. Now she understood where the "professional" in Hayasaka's description came from. It was a combination of observation, intelligence, and knowledge. But what kind of normal person studied lock-picking and demolitions?

Wait, there was also swordsmanship. And acting. Even massage therapy...

"Do you spend all your time learning this kind of weird stuff?"

"Wrong." Yuki spread his hands. A few white teeth showed in his face, hidden by the shadows.

"Learning makes me happy."

Seven Steps Away, the Blade Is Faster!

What a weirdo.

Mai really wanted to cut his head open and see what was inside.

Living in a peaceful modern society, shouldn't he have been studying hard and enjoying his youth in his spare time? How could anyone spend so much time learning all these strange things?

No wonder Hayasaka suspected he was a veteran player. It was like he'd known the Reincarnation Game was coming and had prepared in advance. In a way, it was a form of cheating.

"You knew about the Reincarnation Game ahead of time?"

"Of course not. I just have a wide range of hobbies." Yuki wasn't about to reveal his secrets. He took out a few detonators, wrapped them in his jacket, and strapped them to his back.

"You don't believe me?"

"I do. But everyone has little secrets, don't they? Senpai, if I asked your measurements, would you tell me?"

"Pfft. That's not the same thing. And who said you could call me senpai?"

Mai's cheeks reddened, but she gave up on digging into his secrets. Whatever the reason, the more professional Yuki was, the safer she'd be.

She opened her mouth, about to ask what he planned to do with the explosives—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The muffled gunshots rang out across the night, so out of place that the two of them turned around at once, their expressions tightening.

The Death Knell Revolver. Li Dan and the others had been spotted!

It had been bound to happen, but when it did, it made them break out in a cold sweat. The enemy would converge like sharks drawn to the smell of blood.

Kill and evolve, or get used for target practice if they didn't. The dilemma pulled at their nerves, making them instinctively focus.

9:30 p.m.

Yuki glanced at his watch, then at the window. A pale red veil covered the entire Port District, yet he couldn't see the Crimson Moon in the sky. It was as if thick clouds had hidden it.

Damn, it really was right on schedule. At this rate, the Crimson Moon would appear around ten. That confirmed the information Hayasaka Ai had found online.

The moonrise really was coming earlier. It was reasonable to conclude that the sun would rise at eight in the morning, making tonight twelve hours long.

Then what would happen to these Living Corpses, who were barely any different from ordinary humans?

Without a reference point, Yuki couldn't answer. He only knew two things:

First, the enemies hunting them in Crimson Moon City during the day were fundamentally different from the Living Corpses in the Ancient Castle, despite having the same core objective.

Second, if he didn't find a solution soon, he wouldn't make it to the start of the second night.

Helicopters were patrolling overhead. Moving across the ground would inevitably expose them. Should they go back into the tunnels? Impossible. There was no room to dodge in there. If someone tossed in a grenade, Li Dan might be fine, but I'd be dead for sure.

Mai didn't dare breathe too loudly, afraid she'd interrupt Yuki's thoughts. She heard the helicopter blades growing louder and the gunfire beginning to ring out from all directions.

"Yuki, hurry and meet us. The enemy's on our trail. I can't protect the other two!"

Li Dan's anxious voice came over the Walkie-talkie, almost threatening. If he could have acted alone, he would have abandoned the two deadweights already. With a veteran player's trump cards, escaping wouldn't be hard.

Yuki stood there in a daze, as if he hadn't heard. His gaze shifted between the explosives in front of him and the increasingly scarlet scene outside the building. Then he gritted his teeth.

"Brother Li, I have a way to buy us time. Bring the other two to these unfinished buildings. Don't hold back against the enemies. Just kill them."

"But then..." Li Dan quickly understood. "All right, I get it. Every extra second we stay alive is a second gained."

Why had they chosen to hide in the Port District? Besides the low population making it harder to spot them, this area was on the edge of the city, farthest from where the enemies spawned.

That meant that even if a RoboCop spawned, it would still need time to reach them. As for what would happen after the Crimson Moon appeared, who could worry about what might happen half an hour from now?

Time was short. Yuki quickly explained his plan, telling Li Dan that the underground parking lots of the two unfinished buildings were connected and where they should hide later. Then he told Li Dan to pass the Walkie-talkie to Hayasaka Ai.

"Hack the terminal and jam communications. Feed them the fake message I told you about."