This Humble One, Reincarnation Stream Player

The two of them each had one enhancement point remaining, planning to either enhance a specific attribute later or simply use it for a random draw.

The Reincarnation Game's point-allocation system was simple and brutal; by the time Yuki finished a cup of tea, both of them had already finished their upgrades.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Yuki felt that both of them had grown stronger, especially Hayasaka Ai, whose petite frame seemed to harbor immense power.

Without further ado, the two directly displayed their simplified player panels. Amidst the relatively straightforward information, Yuki focused primarily on the Ego Trait column.

[Puberty Syndrome (LV2): Maintains an 'invisibility' effect for thirty minutes. Traces of existence become faint and thin. Cooldown: two hours.]

[Fool's Mask (LV2): Disguise effect lasts for two hours. Possesses two personality masks. Before activation, provides a minor interference to perception (passive effect). Cooldown: six hours.]

The duration had been extended, the cooldown remained the same, and the descriptions had changed. If he remembered correctly, Mai Sakurajima's trait had previously been described as 'minor.'

This point had been tested in actual combat; back when Thomas had fallen into a frenzy, he had deliberately ignored the 'Hayasaka Ai' beside Yuki, perceiving her as just another person. However, once he regained a sliver of clarity, he would realize something was wrong.

A god-tier skill with a flaw.

Yuki nodded to himself. When he looked at Hayasaka Ai's trait, his expression turned strange again. Its base effect hadn't improved, but the key was the passive effect.

He had just been agonizing over how to hide his player identity, thinking he could only have Hayasaka Ai use her precious specialization point to gamble.

It was truly a case of being handed a pillow just as one was getting sleepy.

Yuki glanced at his own upgraded panel, likewise focusing on the trait column.

Wait, I didn't draw any luck-related vestments either.

Player: Yuki (Simplified Template)

Completed Instance: Bloodthirsty Red Moon

Physical Strength: Human (Limit)

Storage Space: 0.5 square meters

Ego Trait: Vestment of the Unknown (LV.2). Specializes once, randomly draws a vestment. Cooldown: one day. Memory Slot: Backview Assassin (Character Vestment)

Equipment: Chainsaw Sword +1 (Chaos-grade); Reinforced Long Blade (Alienated-grade)

Items: Distortion Kaleidoscope (Chaos-grade); Soil-Offering Contract (Chaos-grade)

Supernatural Skills: Reinforcement Magecraft (Mastered → Proficient); Vitality Shift (Mastered)

Core Skills: Firearms Usage (Mastered), Combat (Mastered), Sharp Weapon Usage (Proficient), Self-Hypnosis (Mastered), Biological First Aid (Mastered)

Enhancement Count: 1

Specialization Count: 0

Yuki looked at his latest panel. Before giving Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima their lessons, he had already leveled up, splitting his specialization points into two parts to maximize his adaptability to different environments.

The biggest change remained his trait, which in a sense had undergone a qualitative transformation.

When it was first unlocked, Yuki couldn't store any vestments; it was purely a matter of luck. For instance, he had drawn a vestment during the final battle, but because it was useless, he acted as if nothing had happened.

But now, he had a memory slot. If he drew something useful, he could save it and use it as a trump card, building a plan around it.

"Your Ego Trait is quite strange. Drawing a vestment? That's like having a permanent enhancement point?"

Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima were seeing Yuki's player panel for the first time. In truth, it wasn't as exaggerated as they had imagined; he didn't even have a single 'Excellent' grade skill.

"How could that be? The drawn vestments are one-time use, and they aren't necessarily positive." Yuki spread his hands. He could only say that his core skills weren't fully displayed; for instance, his strongest assets were likely his intelligence analysis or the foresight he possessed as a transmigrator.

Because Mai Sakurajima had seen Yuki use his trait to turn the tide, she looked more closely, only to become more confused: "What does this 'Backview Assassin' mean? 'Some people can inspire fear with just their back. In this state, one only needs to keep their back to others to manifest sanctity before the masses...'"

"Alright, alright, stop reading. It's embarrassing."

Yuki quickly hid his player panel. It was the most useful vestment he had selected recently.

"What does 'manifesting sanctity before the masses' mean? Explain it to me."

"Oh, don't worry about such trivial details. I haven't figured out how to use it yet, so I'll just keep it for now." Yuki waved his hand, ending the topic.

He hadn't figured out how to use it yet. Prestige had to be backed by strength. If he tried to show off in an instance and ran into someone stubborn who wanted to test him, wouldn't he look like an idiot?

Yuki lifted his teacup. Logically, their offline meeting should have ended here, but hadn't an accident occurred?

They were now humans, but more importantly, they were players. Having stumbled into a brand-new order, the significance of huddling together for warmth had become even greater; they would no longer be divided by the game or reality.

Tick, tock.

No one spoke, listening only to the sound of the clock, staring blankly while holding their teacups. Everyone didn't mind this boredom; at the very least, staying in this apartment felt incredibly safe.

Having supported each other through the Bloodthirsty Red Moon and knowing each other's secrets—including the fact that Li Dan had left deep psychological scars on everyone—the word 'player' now felt inherently unreliable.

"Relax. The more you return to a normal life and act like an ordinary person, the less likely you are to be suspected." Yuki broke the silence with a dry laugh and checked the time again. "Hayasaka, aren't you going back to Tokyo?"

Are you implying that I should leave?

Hayasaka Ai glanced at the young man. In truth, she didn't want to go back because she couldn't handle the current situation, but she had to; her reason for existing was there.

"Something happened at home. I'm taking a leave of absence for now."

"Then why not just stay here with me?" Mai immediately extended an invitation.

"No, there are more important matters at home that I must handle." Hayasaka Ai slowly stood up. She looked at the expressionless Yuki and, matching her attire, revealed a mature, elegant smile. "But if I have time, I will come to find you. After all, my trait is best suited for running around."

With hacking skills and the Fool's Mask, she could come and go as she pleased as long as she had some precautions in place. Was it really that hard to be free just because she was worried about Lady Kaguya?

Yuki Sorajima read the thoughts in Hayasaka Ai's heart and knew she had withheld certain information while observing the scene.

"By the way, I want to ask you something, and you must tell me the truth."

The young girl, who had been escorted to the door by Mai Sakurajima, turned back. She hesitated for a long time before speaking as if she had finally made up her mind:

"With your abilities, it would be better to join those large organizations. Whether it's resources or intelligence, we can't provide much, and we might even have to rely on you to slowly acquire them."

This was the difference between being a powerhouse and clinging to one. Mai Sakurajima also turned her head to look, clearly having had the same question for a long time.

It would be one thing if the game were completely severed from reality, but now it was clear that a new order was forming, and this man could seize immense benefits in a storm that would sooner or later sweep the world.

That was not an easy question to answer.

Yuki lay half-slumped on the sofa like a salted fish, staring blankly at the ceiling, because this question concerned himself even more.

"Rationally speaking, I like to keep the initiative in my own hands rather than being used by others. Having Li Dan happen once is enough; I'm not sure I could spot players with higher ranks than him."

"Furthermore, you two know my secrets, so I feel more at ease keeping you by my side."

Hmm, that made a lot of sense.

Mai and Hayasaka Ai nodded in unison. To them, Yuki did not seem like the type to climb the ladder by any means necessary. Since the Reincarnation Game could decide life and death in an instant, even Li Dan and Thomas needed to sign contracts to trust each other.

None of the high-ranking players who returned alive from the game were simple; once they discovered a tool was uncontrollable, the best method was to destroy it.

"And emotionally?"

"That's even simpler. Compared to power and strength—" The previously lazy Yuki stood up instantly, clenched his right hand into a fist, and looked Hayasaka Ai up and down.

Full chest, black stockings, high heels, and a waist that could be spanned by a single hand.

"I prefer to follow the desires of my heart."

Just as Miss Mai said, Yuki Sorajima really was a rascal.

Hayasaka Ai clenched her fists and walked quickly down the stairs, only stopping when she reached the entrance of the apartment building to look back at the lights behind her.

Damn it, it seems I exposed my true nature. There's no way I escaped their eyes.

Bad, bad, bad.

The girl paced in circles. Ever since the Crimson Moon appeared, she had used two personas: the flamboyant gal and the cold player, and she had almost grown accustomed to the latter.

Calm, rational, sharp-tongued—those key points had just been shattered. But thinking about it carefully, the mask had been failing for a while now.

Back in the tunnel, when the Living Corpse was about to catch up, she had almost burst into tears.

"Forget it, they don't need me to be on guard anyway. If I'm being honest, I suppose I was the one who voluntarily revealed my flaws."

Yuki's answer had satisfied her; it was as if the support behind her had become more solid, and her goals were now within reach. On the other hand—

She glanced at the deserted street in the middle of the night and walked forward silently, soon enveloped by the darkness.

The game is despair, reality is pain, and I, too, am craving friends.

"Serves you right."

Mai Sakurajima leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, watching Yuki press an ice pack to his head. Hayasaka Ai had turned bright red in an instant and used her newly acquired Limit-level strength to throw a teacup at him.

But then again, was that her true nature showing? And it was strange; Thomas was far more explicit, yet she could still smile and play along with him.

She realized that Hayasaka Ai wasn't as hard to read as she had imagined, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey, hey, is it that enjoyable to see me suffer?" Yuki tapped the table. In truth, Hayasaka Ai hadn't caused him any real damage; the increase in his physical strength was comprehensive.

"Who told you to spout such lewd nonsense at Hayasaka-san? Do you think everyone is like me?"

"Are you saying... I can only spout lewd nonsense to you?"

"I never said that!" Mai Sakurajima stomped her foot lightly, then watched as Yuki stretched out his foot, looking as if he wanted her to step on it.

"You—forget it, I don't have the energy to argue with you. You're sleeping on the sofa tonight; I'm going to take a shower."

She spoke rapidly, grabbed her change of clothes, and ran toward the bathroom. Just as she stepped inside, she opened the door and poked her head out, her eyes full of wariness.

"Don't you dare peek!"

"What kind of person do you take me for? I'm a gentleman. When have I ever behaved rudely toward you?" Yuki put on a heartbroken expression.

This... it seemed he really hadn't.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have doubted—"

"Don't underestimate me. Just hearing your voice is enough for me to scarf down three bowls of rice."

Mai Sakurajima, who was halfway through her apology, twitched her mouth. She took a deep breath and slammed the door shut with a 'bang'.

"You'd better go sleep on the balcony!"

On the narrow balcony, the sofa had already been moved out. The open window let in a constant stream of night wind. With his 'Limit' level physical strength, he could still hear the sound of tossing and turning inside the bedroom.

Having just made the senior student blush, the smile on Yuki's face never faded. He glanced at the apartment building diagonally across from his and felt it was all quite interesting.

Unlike Hayasaka Ai, he had no intention of wearing a personality mask. He simply faced different people and different situations with different states of mind.

"It still comes back to my first dungeon. If it weren't for those two, I definitely would have taken the lone wolf route, and that would have been an entirely different story."

Cold, decisive, efficient—that kind of solo player style isn't bad, but when there are two beautiful girls by your side you can trust with your back, wouldn't it be insane to choose that path?

"I don't have a masochistic streak, nor have I forgotten what I've been working so hard for all these years." Yuki lay back, sinking into the soft sofa and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, his mind filled with nothing but strange thoughts.

Counting from the Bloodthirsty Red Moon, it had only been three or four days, yet he had completed the three steps of meeting, getting to know each other, and finally becoming friends. Now, he was even staying at Mai Sakurajima's place, and had incidentally boosted Hayasaka Ai's favorability.

If it were just a simple cooperative relationship, that maid wouldn't have blushed like that.

It's bizarre. Even if I had some kind of favorability system, there's no way I could have progressed this much in a mere few days. Plus, I keep feeling like something is off.

Why did I encounter Mai Sakurajima and Hayasaka Ai in my very first dungeon? Why are these two able to cover for my own shortcomings? Why did a solution to my hidden identity appear just as I was worrying about it?

And, if it wasn't a hallucination, where did that diary go? Did the person who wrote it shield me from the game's gaze?

Too many mysteries swirled in his mind, but this time, Yuki lost interest in getting to the bottom of it all, vaguely hearing a "good night" drift out from the bedroom.

His lips moved, letting sleep replace his endless conjectures.

"Good night, Senpai."

Chapter 10: Advanced Nurturing High School

The fire in the alley didn't cause any commotion because there were no casualties; it didn't even qualify for the news.

Kanagawa remained peaceful, with everyone going to school or work just as they always did, as if nothing had happened at all.

Yuki certainly wasn't bored enough to run to the scene to investigate. For several days in a row, he stayed holed up in the apartment, surviving on instant noodles for breakfast and lunch, occasionally opening his computer to look up some information, and sleeping soundly whenever he felt tired, living a life that could only be described as a salted fish.

He only went out once during those few days, heading to a nearby demolition site to grab a fair amount of dynamite and detonators. Yuki had tasted the benefits of such things in the Port District under the Bloodthirsty Red Moon; they were far more useful than firearms.

Time slowed down accordingly. He didn't know what other players did after returning to reality, but he had no interest in cramming at the last minute. Or rather, he had been "cramming" for nearly ten years; a few days of effort would only make him anxious and yield no real results.

Because he didn't know when the next dungeon would arrive, Yuki didn't dare run around too much. If he triggered a random mission and couldn't go together with them, he really wouldn't be at ease letting Mai Sakurajima and Hayasaka Ai handle a dungeon on their own.