This Humble One, Reincarnation Stream Player

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds.

Gradually, the slapping sounds grew faint, and after a few more seconds, the slapping was replaced by the dense, receding patter of footsteps.

Can't sense where the prey is, let's disperse.

Hoo—

Only then did heavy, ragged breathing emerge within the deathly silent subway station. Mai Sakurajima collapsed onto her backside, feeling as though both her legs had lost all sensation.

It was too thrilling—more intense than driving wildly through the city in the daytime. Life and death had been separated by nothing more than a thin fire door. As she lifted her head, the words that had surged to her throat were swallowed back down.

A meter away, the man holding the girl leaned against the wall, propping himself up with his sword in one hand, yet he was grinning at her.

He was smiling.

It was as if he had won a game of tag with the Grim Reaper. Yuki smiled with exhaustion, yet also with great pleasure, and finally, a hint of regret.

If he had known not to unlock those traits, he could have gained at least two more reinforcement points along the way. It was a pity he had never learned the art of fortune-telling all these years.

Wait, it seemed the Reincarnation Game wasn't pulling any new tricks, either?

Yuki paused, catching a whiff of something. The third Rite of the Crimson Moon hadn't suddenly spiked in difficulty; on the contrary, because he had killed Robert, the dungeon had become somewhat easier.

The rewards that should have been obtained hadn't evaporated, but rather, had taken on a different purpose?

Just as he was thinking this, a handkerchief flew toward him.

"What are you smiling at? Hurry up and wipe the blood off your face." Mai frowned, finding Yuki's smile rather creepy.

"Keep your voice down. If you draw the corpse tide back here, we're all dead." Yuki wiped his face and let out a long, relieved breath.

The charge just now had been perilous, but the difficulty was manageable. By stepping over Robert's corpse, he had gained much more room to maneuver.

It was just like playing a game; the difficulty depended on one's own strength. The more powerful you were, the more room you had to operate.

It was just a pity that this kind of 'composure' hadn't arrived sooner.

"How did you know there wouldn't be many Living Corpses inside the subway station?" Hayasaka Ai struggled to sit up. She had lost her combat effectiveness earlier; if there had been many Living Corpses in the station, they would have had to rely entirely on Mai and Robert.

But neither of those two had melee capabilities. Once they started firing, the corpse tide wouldn't have receded, and this fire door would never have withstood the onslaught of thousands of Living Corpses.

"They don't like places where the Crimson Moon can't shine. Otherwise, why do you think we've been acting like rats this whole time?"

Yuki pointed at the ceiling. The group looked up; the subway station was deep, and the moonlight could no longer reach them.

He even calculated this? No wonder he looked so confident.

Hayasaka Ai's expression shifted slightly, and she said, somewhat unconvinced: "That makes sense, but Living Corpses wander around without any pattern. How could you be sure?"

"I couldn't. I'm not a god; how could I master every single detail? If there had been enough Living Corpses left on Cross Street, we wouldn't have been able to get in at all." Yuki didn't show a shred of lingering fear, only smiling as he said:

"Be meticulous when you need to grasp the details, but don't hesitate when it's time to be reckless. Just enjoy the process."

These words left the group silent. To put it bluntly, it was like a gambler going 'snap' and shoving his entire life savings into an all-in bet. It was just that he had gone all-in so decisively that it gave the illusion of absolute certainty.

But no one would blame Yuki for his rashness. When there were few choices, one could only gamble, and since it was a gamble, one must never hesitate.

Did I get played?

Mai Sakurajima felt strange. Having worked with Yuki for so long, she had long since grown accustomed to his cunning, underhanded style. Just a moment ago, she had assumed everything was perfectly planned.

But how to put it? It was precisely because that steady, unflappable style inspired trust that she hadn't thought about anything else, focusing only on keeping up with his pace.

"No wonder you didn't explain the specific plan. If we had hesitated..."

"Then none of us would have made it here. Since you chose to trust me, don't harbor a shred of doubt. Remember, if you want to be my partner, this is the one rule you must never break."

Yuki's reply was overbearing, yet it left no room for argument.

During that mad dash, everyone, including Robert, had played a vital role. The key had been their absolute trust in him; they had never once thought of looking for another way out.

As for the other key, it was naturally this Chainsaw Sword, seized from a kill.

Yuki lowered his head. Because it was a robbery, he hadn't had time to adapt to it, and the results were a mix of joy and worry.

Undoubtedly, whether in terms of versatility or side effects, it was outstanding among Chaos Items.

Superhuman attack power and a certain physical boost—Yuki already possessed an 'Excellent' grade physique, not inferior to any professional athlete. Layering that with Reinforcement Magecraft, he could at least count as a weakened version of Captain America.

What was even better was having Mai Sakurajima there to assist; that Quiet Dew could purify the side effects.

Unfortunately, Chaos Items always had limitations—limitations in their very laws.

You have to 'warm up' the blade first, then after reaching the limit, it recedes, and finally, it converts all the excitement of the slaughter into exhaustion. This timing is too hard to master.

The brief description in the game panel was useless; only after using it did he understand why there was no threshold for using Chaos Items. The key lay in the word 'Chaos'.

The recession time was hard to control, but that was normal. If it were just a simple berserker boost, wouldn't he be able to slaughter his way through the dungeon with just the Chainsaw Sword?

"Well done, Robert." Yuki suddenly looked up at the fat man, who was tilting his head back to drink water. "I didn't expect your mental fortitude to be so good. To be able to use your ability under such fast-paced combat."

The fat man clearly hadn't expected to be praised and was somewhat flustered. "I performed beyond my limits just now. I only had eyes for your back."

"You wanted to shoot me?" Yuki immediately darkened his face.

"No, no, that's not it! I meant the pace was too fast. I didn't have time to be afraid; I only thought about pulling the trigger and carving out a path to survive."

"Just kidding, don't be so tense. I've been in similar states before; humans only unleash their true potential when pushed to the limit." Yuki's expression shifted as if he were wearing a mask, revealing a relaxed smile as he tossed the magazine from his chest over to the others.

"Your aim is the best, so you should take the ammo. Remember to conserve your shots; there's no way to resupply now."

Robert, who had only one magazine left, accepted it with a face full of emotion, even wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes.

He had finally gained recognition and no longer had to worry about being abandoned, though he failed to notice the cold look in Yuki's eyes.

Yuki leaned on his sword to slowly stand up and reached out a hand: "Hayasaka, how is your recovery coming along?"

"It still hurts, but I don't think you're going to give us any more time." Hayasaka Ai took his hand and stood up, her footsteps just as unsteady as Yuki's.

"That duet we danced was quite spectacular." Yuki cracked a joke, watching the girl smile before he turned serious again: "We have an hour and a half left, we need to pick up the pace."

Even without any combat, it would take about an hour to get from here to the Ancient Castle square, and that was assuming the impossible—that no Living Corpses would wander into the subway tunnels.

Sounds of lamentation drifted over, and Yuki saw one exhausted face after another. To be honest, he could barely move his own legs; it wasn't just physical fatigue, his mental state was also reaching its limit.

Rushing out of the Ancient Castle, playing real-life GTA in the city, fighting the Tyrant, suppressing internal strife, and then sprinting several kilometers through a sea of corpses only to end up back at the starting point.

It was undoubtedly torture, but what else could they do? They couldn't just lie flat like those guys at the start.

"Pull yourselves together, we'll have a result in two hours at most." Yuki patted his cheeks and took a deep breath:

"Either we live, or we die. There is no third option."

The final step.

Li Dan stood on the rooftop of a high-rise, wrapped in a black cloak. His exposed face was devoid of expression, much like the housewife coughing softly beside him.

He had truly broken into a cold sweat for Yuki just now. Of course, it had nothing to do with friendship; it was simply that if Yuki died, he wouldn't have a good ending either.

Yet, the result brought him relief, even if he couldn't bring himself to smile.

What kind of newcomer is this, anyway?

Not to mention the combat skills and psychological fortitude—how did he use the Chainsaw Sword so proficiently the moment he got his hands on it? He had practically timed his entry into the subway station to the second.

Luck? No, luck is also a player attribute visible on the detailed panel, and this guy definitely wasn't relying on luck.

A newcomer who is the least like a newcomer. I'm starting to understand the anomalies in the Reincarnation Game.

With Yuki's abilities, he could walk sideways through a normal-difficulty beginner dungeon. If the dungeon becomes a place to farm points, doesn't the Reincarnation Game lose a bit of face?

No, even I am losing face.

Li Dan had the credentials of three dungeons under his belt, and with the assets he currently possessed, he estimated that Yuki would surpass him in no more than two dungeons. Thomas had been a genius hand-picked from the best, yet even with the advantage of time and place, he had been counter-killed.

"At his rate of growth, the next time we meet, I won't even have room to resist. In the same dungeon, his gains are far greater than mine."

Seeing him accumulate so many trump cards right under his nose while the game was acting abnormally, Li Dan couldn't even imagine how terrifying the guy would be once he became a veteran player who dominated dungeons.

But I still have to keep you around for a while, until you are forced to reveal the clues yourself.

He tilted his head slightly. Within his line of sight, every building and street was shrouded in the light of the Crimson Moon. A thousand meters away lay a square, and not a single soul could be seen upon it.

It was just a writhing carpet, pulsing like a heart, injecting countless Living Corpses into the streets, which acted as its veins.

Beyond the square stood a wall of blood-red mist that looked almost solid. This wall of gas remained fixed, and that 'carpet' made of countless human heads was extending outward from within the mist.

It was vast and boundless, making one feel no desire to challenge it, yet behind the mist, the Ancient Castle loomed in and out of sight.

Directly above, the Crimson Moon hung high.

We can't get through; it's absolutely impossible to get through!

At almost the same moment, the screen transmitted a terrifying image, and everyone, including Yuki, held their breath.

After entering Line 7, Hayasaka Ai had taken advantage of their rest to hack into the municipal surveillance cameras, using the game's 'technological evolution' during the day to scout their route in reverse.

The results came quickly, and they were the worst possible outcome.

It was packed with dense swarms of Living Corpses, filling every inch of space where one could set foot. This terrifying number had also piled up countless mutated variants; Yuki only had to glance at it to spot several sturdy 'Tanks' moving with the horde.

They wandered aimlessly, merging into the streets and alleys like a stream. If it weren't for the fact that dawn was approaching, they probably would have dispersed on their own in another dozen hours or so.

In other words, there's a corpse tide right above our heads?

He looked up. The thick concrete layer provided a sliver of security, but he knew that if there was even a single hole, the Living Corpses would pour in like a broken dam.

Oh, they didn't even need a hole; the Living Corpses would find their way deep underground regardless.

Crunch.

Yuki chewed on a compressed biscuit. A dozen headless corpses were scattered around him. Being able to eat without expression amidst the thick stench of blood—including Mai Sakurajima, none of them were normal people anymore.

Humans are a species with extremely high adaptability, or rather, throughout millions of years of evolution, those who couldn't adapt had long since been eliminated.

Hrr-hrr...

Hair-raising groans echoed all around. As they turned into the Line 7 tunnel, the number of obstructing Living Corpses increased significantly. This was normal; there were always unlucky 'Living Corpses' pushed into the subway entrance by their own kind, only to wander aimlessly in the dark tunnels.

The sparse lights flickered like ghost fires, the Living Corpses appearing and disappearing, casting a deathly pallor over the players.

"Stop looking. We can cancel this backup plan." Yuki clapped his hands. He had been wondering if they could bypass the area from the surface if the subway tunnels were too crowded with Living Corpses.

It seems I was overthinking things; if I were to show my face now, there wouldn't even be a scrap of me left.

"In that case, there is only one path left." Hayasaka Ai closed her tablet and looked toward the deep, dark underground tunnel. "Ancient Castle Station is two kilometers away. It is seven o'clock in the morning, and we have very little room for error."

The number of Living Corpse on the road is increasing; including the travel time, it will take at least half an hour, and the moon will set and the sun will rise at eight o'clock. By then, the dungeon will be a completely different scene.

We know that progress will not reset, and when the moon sets and the sun rises, what will appear will likely be a group of RoboCop.

"Uh, why don't we wait here for a while?" Mai Sakurajima suddenly spoke up. Seeing Yuki look at her, she hurriedly explained her idea: "After the moon sets, the Living Corpse in the city will disappear, and the daytime enemies won't be able to pinpoint our location quickly regardless. There should be enough time to get in and out, right?"

As long as one crosses the Blood Mist, it becomes Eternal Night, and retreating after that would mean the final day has passed. This is indeed safer, but Yuki shook his head slightly.

"Li Dan and I already considered this. First, I cannot be certain if we will be instantly returned upon completing the main quest; it would be disastrous to be surrounded by a group of enemies armed to the teeth at that moment."

"Second, the Crimson Moon will soon deliver its fourth gift. Although I don't know what it is, it's impossible for it to be resolved without a sound. As long as the commotion is big enough..."

He didn't need to finish his sentence; countless Living Corpse would flood into the tunnel, and those two kilometers would become an impassable chasm.

Mai Sakurajima felt her face heat up slightly; she was indeed too naive. How could the relentless Reincarnation Game leave such an obvious loophole?

Yuki had no intention of mocking her; he swallowed the last bite of his biscuit, clapped his hands, and stood up decisively.

"So stop thinking about nonsense. This is the only path; break through it, and we live."

"Have you never thought about dying?" Hayasaka Ai asked coldly. She already knew that Yuki was hiding a key piece of information.

Li Dan would most likely stir up trouble; how could he possibly let them return alive?

"I am an optimist; I don't like thinking about depressing things." Yuki reached out and patted Hayasaka Ai on the head. After stroking her blonde hair for a moment, he quickly pulled his hand away when he saw her cold gaze.

Hayasaka Ai's player persona is becoming more and more proficient; at the beginning, she would still chat and joke like an ordinary high school student.

However, this persona is very suitable for the Reincarnation Game.

Yuki did not object. He turned to look at Mai Sakurajima and, while quickening his pace, smiled and said, "I promised to bring you all out alive, so I will certainly not break my word."

"Mm, and one last step: don't say anything reckless at this moment." Mai Sakurajima was filled with the hope of survival, and as an actress, she offered this warning.