I, a Reincarnation Stream Player

As the bolt slid back, the tension that had just spilled over vanished. His face expressionless, he opened his mouth.

"Judgment of Fate."

His answer made no sense. Before Mai could ask what he meant, footsteps drew closer, and a large leather shoe abruptly appeared in her field of vision, followed by a heavy leather coat.

A giant nearly three meters tall seemed to take shape out of the night. Mai slowly tilted her head back, her mouth opening wider and wider, until she saw a blood-red, completely bald head.

She had never seen anything like it, but as another Gift of the Crimson Moon, its presence was far more imposing than that of the monster with its brain exposed in the Ancient Castle.

The Tyrant. At least, it looked a lot like one.

Yuki took a deep breath. He had his answer at last. Even as he trembled, he felt a trace of relief.

It wasn't certain, but there was a good chance the instance wouldn't reset with the moon's rising and setting. The Tyrant was without a doubt an upgraded version of the Licker. Even Mai Sakurajima could tell, without any foreknowledge.

Like the Licker, it was a gift from the Crimson Moon. But this thing was stronger than the one from last time. Which meant—

"Yuki, does this mean..."

"Right. It's the worst-case scenario I mentioned. Take a deep breath, remember every word I said, and follow my instructions to the letter."

Yuki's voice was so steady it held no emotion. Keeping his eyes fixed on the giant in the distance, he slowly lowered his stance.

Click.

He switched the safety to fully automatic. There was no opening line, not even a roar. The Tyrant bent its knees and charged straight at them like a tank.

Thud, thud, thud... Ratatatatat.

Footsteps and gunfire intertwined. As the monster charged head-on, Yuki held the trigger down. Bullets sparked brightly against the Tyrant's crossed arms.

It couldn't be stopped!

The 5.56 mm rounds couldn't even make it flinch. The Tyrant covered nearly fifty meters in a few seconds. When it heard the bolt lock back with a clack, its arms spread wide and its fists clenched, ready to pound Yuki into a bloody pulp.

But in the next instant, two flashbangs flew into view and went off at nearly point-blank range.

Boom! Boom!

Brilliant light burst forth, and the shockwave sent gravel pattering down from the ceiling. Even with his back turned, more than ten meters away, Yuki's ears rang. He had no time to change magazines, so he flung the rifle behind him.

"Stay with me. Don't shoot!"

With a low growl, he gripped the long blade at his waist and charged at the giant.

Its massive body filled his vision, its oppressive presence stabbing at his nerves. Even after taking two flashbangs, the Tyrant sensed its prey approaching by instinct alone.

Whoosh—

A palm as big as a fan swept toward him. It looked capable of flattening a car. Yuki didn't dare meet it head-on. As he charged, he leaned back, dropped to one knee, and slid across the ground.

A gust of wind swept over his face. The air boomed as he slid between the Tyrant's legs. In the instant they passed each other, he drew his blade and twisted around.

Clang.

The blade left a silver streak in the crimson moonlight, slicing across the back of the Tyrant's knee. The sensation in his hand was like cutting into frozen meat.

It was hard. Even with an Alienated Grade weapon, his current strength couldn't cut through a vital spot.

After one slash, Yuki understood that this thing was nothing like the Licker. It was a Warrior type, with both high attack and high defense, and an even more direct fighting style!

He planted his blade against the ground, sliding several more meters before he heard a dull crash. The Tyrant had turned around on one knee and smashed a crater into the ground.

Yuki didn't dare look back. He ran deeper into the Parking Lot and shouted to Mai Sakurajima, who had circled around the other way.

"Shoot it now!"

Ratatat.

Gunshots rang out at once. A few sparks flickered over the Tyrant at first, but the rest of the bullets seemed to hit who knew where. Meanwhile, the recoil made Mai Sakurajima's wrist and shoulder ache.

She had learned how to hold a gun from a cop movie years ago. She'd only test-fired a few rounds earlier, and now her first real fight was against a monster like this.

"Even a real gun can't kill it?" Mai saw the monster raise its bald head. A bullet was embedded in its forehead, and its protruding eyes fixed on her. A chill ran down her spine, and her lips went dry.

Fortunately, the Tyrant's right-leg tendon had been severed. It had only just gotten to its feet before dropping to one knee again. Two round defensive grenades rolled beneath it.

Boom!

The explosion was even more powerful, sending shrapnel flying in every direction. Yuki tackled Mai to the ground and glanced behind them.

Smoke engulfed a wide area. Through it, he could just make out a huge figure kneeling in the middle. He didn't turn back to attack. He simply pulled the girl to her feet and ran deeper into the Parking Lot.

"This thing needs a rocket launcher. Drop your backpack."

Mai quickly ditched her backpack. The extra weight gone, she immediately felt much lighter. She shook off Yuki's hand. "Aren't you going to take the chance to kill it?"

"Gifts of the Crimson Moon can become Alienated. Remember that monster with its brain exposed?"

Of course she remembered it. It could merge into the moonlight and had thrown even veteran players into disarray.

"Wait, this thing can do that too!?"

She turned her head and saw a thick leg emerge from the dust. Less than half a minute later, the Tyrant was moving again. It reached out and grabbed a nearby I-beam.

"This way!"

Boom—

Yuki had just pulled Mai Sakurajima onto the ramp leading to the underground level when the wall beside them exploded. An I-beam several meters long shot through the air like a javelin and embedded itself in the wall.

Thud, thud, thud.

Footsteps like a pounding drumbeat drew closer, carrying the force of something bent on tearing everything apart. If this had happened on the first night, everyone would have been weak in the knees. But after surviving death several times over, Mai Sakurajima felt something strange.

She was getting used to it: running, being chased by monsters, the smell of death drawing near. Then she saw the Limit of the crimson moonlight at the bottom of the ramp.

It was like a dividing line. Beyond it lay total darkness. But once she pulled the Night Vision Goggles over her head, their greenish view let her just make out the layout of the underground level.

So that was it!

Mai Sakurajima's eyes lit up. At last, she understood why the man in front of her was running into a dead end. Besides the supernatural powers the game bestowed on those who survived, they also had something even more precious—

Experience accumulated between life and death!

Chapter 36: One Slash, One Decapitation!! (Second Update)

That was right. Yuki was planning to use the same trick again.

The Licker had given him a weapon, but more importantly, it had helped him figure out the pattern: the more dazzling the moonlight, the stronger the Crimson Moon's gifts. That was why he had stayed in the Parking Lot, waiting for the "judgment."

No matter how things turned out, having the terrain on his side couldn't hurt.

If I'm right, the Tyrant's Alienation should be hyper-speed regeneration.

The Night Vision Goggles gave him a dim green view. It wasn't clear, but it was enough to run through the pitch-black area. The footsteps pounding like a death knell kept his mind sharp.

He had severed its tendon with his blade, then hit it with two defensive grenades. There was no way an ordinary Tyrant could recover so quickly.

He glanced at the silent Walkie-talkie. Li Dan would need some time. Before, he might have been anxious, but now he was more than happy to see Li Dan reveal a few more of his cards.

Yuki lightly tapped the back of Mai Sakurajima's hand. They immediately slowed down and hid behind a support pillar. The underground Parking Lot hadn't opened yet, so there wasn't a single car in sight, but the densely packed pillars could still obstruct the Tyrant's view.

The footsteps slowed at once. In the darkness, red eyes turned this way and that like ghost flames as the Tyrant searched its surroundings. The slower, heavier footsteps made the scene even more terrifying. Each step felt like it was landing on someone's heart.

Thud, thud, thud.

Mai Sakurajima pressed her back against the wall and tapped a rhythm into Yuki's palm. It was Morse code. She wasn't very good at it, but Yuki could just about understand what she meant.

"This is a dead end. Should we wait for Li Dan to come help?"

"He'll need time to deal with this Tyrant. He won't be here that soon."

"Then are you planning to fight it alone?"

"What do you mean, alone? I've got you."

Through the Night Vision Goggles, Yuki saw Mai's expression stiffen. He couldn't help finding it a little amusing. He peered around the pillar, looking toward the Tyrant as it searched from side to side dozens of meters away.

This thing was far stronger than the Licker. Even without the Crimson Moon's enhancement, an ordinary person without heavy weapons would be walking meat.

Of course, on the second night, players like Mai Sakurajima weren't ordinary people anymore.

That Conceptual Craft Essence was perfect for the situation, and she could fight if she used Reinforcement Magecraft at full power.

Yuki wasn't at a loss. Even if he returned the Chaos Item to Hayasaka Ai, he still had several trump cards. But how to put it...

It's not time to go all out yet. If my skills go on cooldown, I'll have no way to fight back.

He stayed clear-headed. With the difficulty this damn high, he had to think several steps ahead. For a moment, he forgot about the footsteps drawing closer and laid out all the cards in his hand, like he was filling in the blanks on a test.

Guns? No. I'm not very good with those.

He hadn't had many chances to practice shooting, so his skill with firearms was only at a beginner level. That was why he repeatedly chose to spray at point-blank range. He couldn't hit a vital spot from farther away anyway, never mind sniping.

The Conceptual Craft Essence? That was his trump card for turning the tables next time. It would be a waste to use it on a monster.

He'd definitely have to use Reinforcement Magecraft. As long as he didn't use it at maximum power, the cooldown should be manageable. But if he didn't go all out, how could he kill the Tyrant?

Yuki felt he didn't have enough cards. Then he thought of Mai Sakurajima beside him.

Her Ego Trait had come off cooldown, but just like the Conceptual Craft Essence, it was best to save it if possible. Her own physical ability was also poor. She had sprayed almost every shot into the ceiling just now.

Wait, she had a new Chaos Item.

After a moment's hesitation, Yuki had an idea. "Use Quiet Dew on the Tyrant. It never said it only worked on players."

"Hm? How?" Mai was confused at first, then understood that Yuki wanted to exploit the item's side effect. But the bald giant didn't look like the sort to obediently open its mouth and drink something.

It was easy to talk to someone smart. Yuki didn't need a long explanation. He simply pulled a shiny brass-colored bullet from the front pocket of his bulletproof vest and held it up between his fingers. Mai's eyes lit up. She nodded firmly three times.

"Good. You're getting into the swing of things."

Yuki gave her an encouraging smile. He and Hayasaka Ai had dealt with the first gift. This second one was Mai Sakurajima's turn. For some reason, he felt she'd be just as reliable.

Get ready—attack!

He made a hand signal and took out a fresh magazine. The moment Mai Sakurajima pulled out the Chaos Item, he charged forward.

Clatter.

The magazine hit the ground. The bolt slid back, the sound unnaturally loud in the silent underground. The Tyrant turned its head and charged, arms swinging.

It really was a human tank. It smashed the construction equipment in its path to pieces, then grabbed several steel pipes and hurled them from dozens of meters away.

Thud, thud, thud.

The "javelins" stabbed into the concrete floor. Yuki rolled across the ground, dropped to one knee, and raised his gun to fire. A bright stream of gunfire appeared in the dark underground.

All thirty rounds emptied in seconds, showering sparks across the Tyrant's body. But the monster lived up to its name. In an instant, it was in front of him, and a fist came crashing down.

Physical Enhancement!

Bang!!

The concrete floor crumpled into a shallow crater. The Tyrant turned its bald head, locked onto its prey as Yuki leaped several meters away, and promptly raised its other hand over its head.

Ratatatat...

Another magazine ran dry. From almost point-blank range, he riddled the Tyrant's left hand until it was bloody and mangled. But the Tyrant couldn't feel pain. It strode after him and spread its arms, offering him a warm embrace.

Yuki couldn't let it grab him. Reinforcement Magecraft had greatly improved his reflexes. He wasn't as quick as he'd been during the slaughter in the building, but he was fast enough to respond.

He leaned back and tossed the empty rifle behind him. As the giant hand swept past his face, his right hand pulled out another gun by the grip. He pressed it against his chest and pulled the trigger.

Bang—

The shotgun fired against the Tyrant's chest. The buckshot made the huge giant lean back and stagger half a step. Yuki braced his left hand on the ground and rolled halfway across the floor.

Clatter.

He racked the slide, chambering the next round. At the same time, the Tyrant steadied itself and swung its pot-sized fist at his face. Yuki didn't dodge. Expressionless, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The second blast was buckshot. In a burst of fiery sparks, he saw the fist's battered flesh fly apart. The Tyrant stepped forward as if nothing had happened and raised its leg to kick. As Yuki rolled away, he felt the wind sweep past him.

Bang!!

The kick came faster than the gunshot. It struck a support pillar, gouging a huge chunk out of the reinforced concrete. Before the Tyrant's leg had even come back down, Yuki, still on one knee, racked the slide again.

Clatter—bang!

The second round, the third, the fourth...

The 12-gauge M870 shotgun kept firing. Its powerful impacts drove the Tyrant back step by step. Like a machine, Yuki fired all eight rounds, then drew the pistol at his waist and sent every last 9 mm pea-shooter round into the monster.