Reincarnation Stream Player

"Huh? Why??" Hayasaka Ai also grew tense, her eyes darting around as if afraid an enemy might pop out from somewhere.

"You don't even know this? If it resets, even if the monster isn't exactly the same as last night, it should at least be on the same level. Last night, I saw Brother Li take care of the monster in a few quick moves!"

The battle just now could hardly be called easy. Hayasaka Ai blinked again, looking as if she had just woken from a dream, and then her teeth began to chatter as she leaned against Li Dan.

The man stepped back half a pace, seemingly unwilling to offer her any sense of security, and let out a heavy sigh: "At least it won't reset during the night, but we can make a reasonable deduction. Damn it, why is the difficulty of this dungeon so high!?"

This statement was not false in the slightest; it even extinguished his last shred of hope. If it reset, they could barely scrape by under the current circumstances—it wouldn't be easy, but it would still be within their capabilities.

But if it kept stacking, how were they supposed to survive the final day and night?

For a moment, he regretted following Yuki's plan. There were at most two more Rites of the Crimson Moon tonight, which they could grit their teeth and push through, but the slaughter before moonrise was too heavy. Who knew what kind of things would crawl out tomorrow morning?

"I originally thought the night would be more difficult, but it turns out the real killer move is during the day. I truly miscalculated." Li Dan took a deep breath and, without even looking at Hayasaka Ai, muttered to himself:

"The dungeon's daytime traits are more troublesome. As the technology keeps upgrading, it compresses our room for evasion, and when you can't evade, you have to choose to fight head-on. Doesn't that just lead to a vicious cycle? So—"

I must make a choice.

The final words surged through his heart. He carefully put away his gun and forced a smile: "Let's go meet up with Mai. She is very important to us."

"What about Yuki?" Hayasaka Ai asked, wondering why he had brought up Mai so directly.

"Him? Forgive my bluntness, but given the strength of this monster, I'm afraid his chances are slim." Li Dan's expression was complex; he both hoped Yuki would die and felt a sense of regret.

Of course, it wasn't regret for Yuki as a person, but for his abilities and the secrets he might possess.

A moment later, the expression on his face stiffened, and he turned his head rapidly.

The sound of light, rapid footsteps echoed from the distance. A man and a woman were running toward them; the disheveled boy ran in front, waving his hands as if he had just survived a catastrophe.

"I'm here to help! Huh? As expected of Brother Li, you took care of the monster so quickly!"

Li Dan didn't recover for a moment, and some words almost slipped out.

You didn't die!?

Chapter 38: Are You Human or Wolf? (Revised)

He didn't die? And he finished off the monster?

When Li Dan saw Yuki, his first reaction was to look behind him, but he didn't see the shadow of the bald Giant. An unbelievable thought popped into his mind.

Impossible, but the monster wouldn't stop its pursuit, so did he really kill it?

For a moment, he was stunned, because a Tyrant and a Licker were not on the same level of enemy. Although the latter was scary, it was thin-skinned and soft-bellied; if you found the right opportunity, it was possible to eliminate it.

The Tyrant was different—impervious to blades and bullets, it could stand still and let an ordinary person hack at it without issue, not to mention that heart-stopping pressure. Anyone with poor mental fortitude wouldn't even be able to exert a fraction of their own strength.

Firearms? No, bullets didn't do much. Grenades? The monster wasn't stupid; would it just stand there and wait to be blown up?

Li Dan couldn't figure it out. Seeing Yuki didn't react much, Hayasaka Ai, on the other hand, cheered and suddenly rushed out to hug Mai Sakurajima tightly. The two jumped and bounced like best friends celebrating their survival, and in their carelessness, they rolled into a shallow pit.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, slow down."

The girl's voice woke Li Dan from his stupor. He ignored the two women and stared fixedly at Yuki, making the latter feel uneasy.

"Brother Li, what's wrong? Why don't you look happy?" Yuki scratched his head, looking as if he didn't know what to do.

"Little Brother Yuki, you were actually able to kill that thing?"

"Uh, I guess I was lucky. When it appeared, I happened to be in the Parking Lot, and then I ran to the second floor where there was no moonlight..."

Yuki gave a rough account of the battle. He barely maintained his composure, knowing that the Crimson Moon would amplify the monster, so he ran to a battlefield without moonlight. Finally, pushed to a dead end, he had no choice but to find a way to deal with the monster.

The key point was Mai Sakurajima; her trait allowed her to disappear from the monster's perception. Through tacit cooperation, they threw a few grenades at the monster's feet to injure it, and then he ran out to claim the kill.

It was logical and well-founded. A Tyrant without moonlight wouldn't undergo super-speed regeneration, and Mai Sakurajima's trait was utilized to the extreme. She was an invisible assassin; as long as she dared to approach the Tyrant, she could indeed cause massive damage with the grenades they had scavenged.

Li Dan analyzed every word repeatedly, yet he couldn't find any flaws. If that black-haired girl was the primary attacker, as long as she wasn't afraid, she could even solo the monster. After all, who could withstand grenades exploding around them for no reason?

First, being forced into a dead end, then a desperate counter-kill, and now I can't find any flaws.

Li Dan glanced at the Night Vision Goggles on Yuki's head—this item was also one of the conditions for victory—but his gaze grew sharper: "Anything else? Mai had the guts to do it once, but the monster wouldn't give her a second chance. Are you still hiding things from me!?"

"There really isn't anything else..." Pressed by his gaze, Yuki stammered.

"Speak!"

"Uh, there is this thing. I didn't mean to hide it from you." Yuki obediently took out the long blade and said shamefully: "I got an enhancement point when the moon set earlier, so I upgraded this blade to Chaos Item grade. It cuts through steel plates like paper."

"So you were afraid I would snatch it?"

"No, no, I really didn't mean that!"

"No" my foot, but that barely made sense.

Li Dan's gaze gradually softened. A Chaos Item did have the ability to turn the tide, and combined with Mai Sakurajima's trait, wasn't that just a super-strong assassin?

Invisibility on an observational level, while also being able to influence the material world—this Ego Trait was too broken. If the main body's stats were stronger and the enemy lacked skills like intuition or mind's eye, wouldn't they be able to kill anyone they wanted?

The smartest approach should have been to let Mai Sakurajima do it, but she lacked the guts and the ability to hack off a monster's head at close range.

He glanced at Mai Sakurajima, who was climbing out of the shallow pit and complaining to her friend. That delicate and slender body, those eyes devoid of any killing intent—it was truly a waste of talent.

It made sense, but actually pulling it off was still very difficult. This person definitely still had secrets, and perhaps it was these secrets that caused the dungeon to mutate.

This felt like a presumption of guilt, but Yuki had accomplished too many "impossible" things. The convenience his intelligence brought to the walkthrough began to be replaced by potential threats.

Since you refuse to tell the truth, then I am sorry.

"Rest assured, I am not a man who takes things by force." Li Dan patted Yuki on the shoulder with a meaningful look, then called the remaining few to a halt. "Stop messing around. We are currently on the brink of total annihilation; this might just be the last few hours of your lives."

These words were like a basin of cold water, chilling everyone to the bone. The current sense of ease was merely an illusion, and in reality, it was far more dangerous than the Ancient Castle besieged by the Living Corpse.

"I am basically certain that the instance difficulty will not reset with the rising and setting of the moon. There is at least one more Crimson Moonlight gift tonight, but what is even more desperate is what happens after the sun rises tomorrow."

No one spoke; even their eyes were dull. No one wanted to face the cruel reality.

"Brother Li, we can be a bit more careful and try our best not to clash with the instance natives," Yuki said, biting the bullet.

"But they will come looking for us! We spent all day hiding and were still found, cough, cough, cough! Maybe when the sun rises tomorrow, the sky will be full of drones!" Robert roared, his face flushed red, coughing incessantly from his agitation. "It's all because of your combat plan—killing so many enemies!"

You brat, you were sucking up to me two hours ago. This speed of changing faces is just too fast.

Yuki was stunned. The little fatty had fully shown him what a chameleon was.

"Uh, we didn't have the luxury of considering the difficulty level back then, did we?"

"But the result is that we were killed because of you!"

"What did you say? Without my plan, you would have been riddled with bullets long ago. Getting to live a few extra hours should be considered a profit." Yuki was furious, grabbing his knife, ready to fight this ungrateful bastard to the death.

"Alright, alright, now is not the time to assign blame." Li Dan raised a hand to interrupt the two bickering men, rubbing his furrowed brow. "The city is huge. We can find a way to hide tonight, and we should be able to drag things out through tomorrow morning."

"Brother Li, what about the Living Corpse?"

"I already said the city is huge; there is enough room to maneuver. It is the Crimson Moonlight's gift that is more lethal." Li Dan glanced at Yuki, and seemingly dissatisfied, he completely took over command.

The gift was delivered precisely to one's side; it was impossible to avoid. And even if they dragged it out through the morning, what about the afternoon? And what about that final night, that long 12-hour stretch?

Calculating by the maximum interval of four hours, they would have to receive at least three gifts tomorrow night. Given the current stacking intensity, heaven knows how terrifying it would be.

These were all problems, but no one wanted to think about them. Li Dan and Yuki, however, were more focused on one thing:

Since a reset would not occur, if one excluded the existence that interfered with the difficulty, would the speed of the intensity stacking slow down?

"It is time to unite. We will go find Thomas and regroup. With me joining forces with him, it will at least give us a bit more confidence." Li Dan made a decision that no one could find fault with.

If they couldn't change the instance, they could only strengthen themselves. So, even if the new Players didn't want to return to the city full of Living Corpse, they had to bite the bullet. Hiding in this cramped Port District was a dead end.

Action followed thought. This time, Li Dan didn't consult Yuki's opinion, decisively splitting the team into two groups. He had Yuki and the fatty lead the way, while he followed behind with the two young women.

The two groups moved cautiously, taking nearly half an hour to reach the canal. Yuki looked up and ahead, quietly swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

The entire city was devoid of any light, completely shrouded under the Crimson Moonlight. The radiance was so intense that it looked like a layer of rolling, thick fog.

Ahhh--

Ghost-like wailing sounds drifted in with the wind. Even if they couldn't lock onto the Players for the moment, it was still a purgatory filled with evil spirits. The moment a firefight broke out, the Living Corpse would swarm in like a tide.

"Brother, cover me a bit more later."

A trembling voice came from beside him. The fatty's hand holding the gun was shaking, his eyes staring straight into the city.

"Fatty, didn't you just want to have a fight with me?"

"That was then, this is now, Brother. You can just call me by my name from now on. I've practiced shooting; my aim is very accurate."

Yuki rolled his eyes. Sure enough, young masters from wealthy families were willful, and they had mastered the essence of face-changing.

He had no time to deal with this thick-skinned fatty. He quietly looked behind him; Li Dan and the other three were walking very slowly, with accidents occurring frequently.

Hmm, let me see if you are a human or a wolf.

Chapter 39: Li Dan, is a wolf! (Revised)

One day later, the Players had long since traded their bird guns for cannons.

The instance difficulty was absurd, but the rewards were quite generous. Even the items laid out on the table were qualitatively different from last night.

Bulletproof vests, Night Vision Goggles, various firearms—not just Yuki, but even the fatty was armed to the teeth. Moreover, being able to survive until tonight meant their physical fitness was already not weak; at the very least, their willpower and psychological quality surpassed that of ordinary people.

Robert hadn't lied; his marksmanship was indeed very accurate. Hiding at a street corner, his suppressed rifle let out two muffled "chi-chi" sounds, and the head of a Living Corpse wandering a hundred meters away exploded on the spot, causing it to collapse to the ground.

"Brother Yuki, my marksmanship is at the proficient level." He turned his head, looking somewhat proud.

"Practiced shooting before?"

"I often went hunting, and I even went to Africa to shoot lions from a helicopter."

Sure enough, a young master from a wealthy family.

Yuki gave a dry laugh. He had too many things to prepare over the years to specialize in one thing, and this body hadn't inherited much. Sometimes he even had to fight in underground boxing matches to make ends meet.

Good shooters were fed by bullets; he couldn't compete with those resources.

"Monitor the intersection ahead. Shoot one for every one that comes out," Yuki said in an almost commanding tone. He took out his phone and opened the map, discovering they were already several kilometers away from the Port District, not far from the Old Town.

According to Li Dan's plan, the squad would try their best not to alert the Living Corpse. After regrouping with Thomas in the Old Town, they would find a way to slip into the sewers.

They had checked the data; the sewers in the Old Town were the common European-style subterranean rivers. They were not only wide but also complex, and they wouldn't be trapped inside like rats as they were in the modern sewers of the Port District.

Currently, there doesn't seem to be any problem. I originally planned to hide in there anyway; it's better than running around on the surface. Dragging it out for a few hours shouldn't be a problem.

As for what happened after a few hours, no one could say for sure. Yuki tapped his fingers rhythmically on the screen, constantly refining his thoughts.

According to Li Dan, once the main instance mission is completed, we will return. But sometimes it's an instant departure, and sometimes there is a short waiting period.

Should I tell him about what I discovered when leaving the Ancient Castle? No, this is my final trump card. If he truly makes his move, I'll need this secret to maneuver around him.

After determining the pattern of the moon's rise and fall, he already had an escape plan. Setting aside the risks, the fact that the Players were all harboring ulterior motives made the plan difficult to execute, which was why he hadn't discussed it with anyone after discovering the issue with Li Dan.

Lifting his head, Yuki happened to see the fatty staring at him with a strange look in his eyes, so he reached out and patted him on the back.

"What are you looking at me for? Watch the intersection; we need to cross the Railway to get to the Old Town."

"Uh, I just noticed you looked really troubled." Robert turned his head back, and while staring through his scope, he advised, "If you've discovered something, it's best to discuss it with Brother Li. We're all in the same boat, and he's a veteran Player with plenty of experience."

"How do you know I've discovered something?"

"You're very smart. Didn't Brother Li say that this Reincarnation Game can't be cleared by brute force alone? Sometimes, discovering the patterns can yield twice the result with half the effort, just like how you led us out of the Ancient Castle." Robert's tone was full of admiration, then he suddenly asked:

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask, how did you figure out there was a way to survive when we left the Ancient Castle?"

Li Dan had asked this question too, but the situation had been urgent at the time, so Yuki had brushed it off.

"I gambled with my life."

"Stop joking. Even gambling requires chips." The fatty wore an expression of thirst for knowledge.

Is he interested, or is Li Dan interested?

Yuki thought for a moment. He didn't believe Li Dan wouldn't notice the Crimson Moon gift appearing by his side. In other words, the Tyrant was a test left behind by Li Dan.

If he died, that would be the end of it; if he didn't die, then Li Dan could reasonably speculate that he had kept a trump card capable of changing the game's difficulty.

"Of course there were chips. It was a major discovery that only I knew about."

"What major discovery?" Robert leaned forward instinctively.

Yuki looked at him and suddenly smiled: "Why would I tell you?"

The expression on the fatty's face froze, as if he had choked on something, and he began to cough incessantly.