Chapter 66
"Uh, you two are a team, so if there's a problem, you should start fighting first. I'll also bet on whether 'individual' is one or two."
It's a very logical and honest argument, or rather, he couldn't handle the dungeon alone and needed two of the most reliable helpers.
Hayasaka Ai lowered her gun, frowned, and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Curly glanced at his watch; it was 8:15 in the morning. Without another word, he said nothing.
"Come with me, I've already found a way out, I can get downstairs before them."
Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima exchanged a glance, their expressions a mixture of composure and nervousness.
That idiot Yuki is actually quite clever; he actually guessed it correctly beforehand. But I don't know what he's thinking; he's clearly a pig, yet he insists on pretending to be a tiger to instill fear.
Is it really as he said, that he's planning to force veteran players to hand over clues? But even so, how can we give him the information?
The two were unaware of the details, but they knew this cunning old man was full of evil intentions and was planning to scheme against others.
They walked side by side back to the ninth floor, looking at Curly's back as they spoke in hushed tones.
"Isn't this idiot afraid of dying at the hands of the players?"
"Now that we're separated, who's going to kill him? Besides, doesn't he look like a master? As long as he doesn't expose himself, no one would dare to confront him head-on." Hayasaka Ai licked her lips, feeling that things were alright under the Crimson Moon, but her intelligence wasn't quite up to par in the Demon Hospital.
The dungeon, the player, and the wolf—three intertwined threads, like a tangled mess.
"None of the three of us are 'individual players,' and the chances of this curly-haired guy being one are very small. In fact, we can roughly narrow down the possibilities." Mai Sakurajima seamlessly switched between foolishness and intelligence, firmly believing that the three of them would not hold anything back from each other.
Tyrant, Jack, Jenny, Zhang Qing, Shiina Hiyori, and the remaining five all have a chance, but the clever part is that the latter two are under Yuki's surveillance.
"But there's one last possibility he mentioned." Hayasaka Ai wasn't optimistic; she brought up this somewhat taboo topic and then exchanged a silent glance with Mai Sakurajima.
If the wolf doesn't know it's a wolf, if the wolf and the player cannot coexist...
"Hayasaka- san, are you really going to consider such a slim chance?" Mai Sakurajima's lips twitched slightly.
"I have to consider it, but I'll wait until the very last step to make a decision."
"What choice?"
Hayasaka Ai took a breath. In reality, the group of them were already bound together, and that equality was the biggest constraint. Meanwhile, she still had a mountain of messy things to deal with that Yuki needed to clean up.
After thinking for a long time, he gently shook his head.
"I have no idea."
By this time, they had traversed the entire ward and returned to the lobby where they had first entered.
Curly-haired girl pressed the open button and went in first. Under the Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima, she took out a card.
What is this?
"The number of patients at the Demon Hospital remains the same, but I noticed this morning that the doctors and nurses are changing shifts." Curly-haired man grinned smugly.
"And then what? We can't communicate with them."
"That's something you can't do, but my special ability can, so I got this employee card from a doctor."
Sure enough, no veteran player is a fool; their observation skills are amazing, and they each have their own strategies.
Hayasaka Ai thought the other person was proving their worth. She watched as he swiped his card, and after a 'beep', the floor buttons changed.
Instead of a dozen identical 9th floors, the employee card now lists the numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, meaning that with this employee card, you can go as far as the third floor.
Her cold face remained expressionless. She had an immediate urge to tear off the mask and tell Yuki the secret, but she knew she couldn't do that.
Firstly, both she and Mai Sakurajima are novices and might not be a match for Curly; secondly, the other party must have hidden crucial information, and it's definitely not something that can be done by simply copying someone else's method. It sounds simple, but without a special method, wouldn't everyone be able to snatch an employee card?
Most importantly, Yuki had made it clear in the plan that he would follow him no matter what.
"Rabbit, bring that thing out." After a moment, Hayasaka Ai looked to the side, and then Mai Sakurajima took out a bamboo scroll, which was the 'Soil-Offering Contract' that she had obtained from Li Dan.
Curly-haired girl immediately recognized what kind of Chaos Item it was, and looked at Hayasaka Ai with a mixture of surprise and admiration.
That's right, he was just testing her, trying to see what her stance was, whether she had any other companions, and whether she would try to steal it.
The result was better than he had imagined.
"Ms. Hayasaka, you are truly a rational and experienced player. It's a pleasure doing business with you."
Just as the Hayasaka duo signed a contract with Curly, going so far as to increase the difficulty and harm other players, Yuki entered the left side of the eighth floor.
Squeak--
Pushing open the stairwell door, then turning around to try and pull it open, just as Shiina Hiyori had analyzed, there was a gap in the door, but she couldn't open it no matter what she did.
Rules supersede common sense, a Yuki had already learned. He awkwardly released his grip, turned around, and coldly surveyed his surroundings.
This is still a ward, and even the floors are decorated the same way. The only difference is that the ward name is posted on the wall.
Oncology department? That's really bad luck.
Yuki's eyes twitched slightly. Through the battle just now, he already knew that the demon had been attracted by the patient's resentment.
It might be a bit better in obstetrics or pediatrics, but don't even think about oncology; you can hear the deep resentment in those irritating wails.
The competition between players is complicated, but don't forget that only accounts for 50% of the problem; the other 50% of the trouble lies within the dungeons.
He glanced at the boy rolling around in front of him, clutching his head, and knew that the boy was having another episode, but he had no desire to go up and comfort him.
"Hiyori, have you noticed that these wails have gotten a little louder?"
The girl behind him was in a daze, clearly having received a system notification, just like Yuki.
[Player Yuki, you have once again hunted down a powerful demon, rewarding you with one enhancement point.]
Strange, why have you suddenly become so generous?
In Bloodthirsty Red Moon, he killed many elite monsters but didn't receive the reward every time, originally thinking the achievement could only be completed once.
No, rather than being generous, it's more like this is normal. It gives me the feeling that they want to nip it in the bud?
"Ah? Yes, to some extent. Are you saying that the strength of those demons is directly proportional to these tragedies?" Hiyori suddenly spoke, interrupting her train of thought as she carefully observed her surroundings.
"It's only a possibility." Yuki regained his composure and sat down on a nearby chair. He noticed that there were more medical staff on this floor.
Pretty nurses pushed their carts with a brisk pace, skillfully changing IV fluids, while groups of doctors in white coats moved in and out of the various wards.
Hiyori glanced at the boy who was having an attack with some pity, but she couldn't help him. She was even more confused by the indifference of the passing medical staff. So she simply sat down next to Yuki, opened her mouth and then closed it again.
"Ask away your questions; we are now in an equal partnership."
The girl hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and asked, "Do Miss Rabbit and Miss Hayasaka know about the last little thing?"
Very clever, you found the loophole in her words so quickly.
Yuki raised an eyebrow, then nodded decisively. "I know, I mentioned it to them."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that the girl's face was full of confusion and bewilderment, something that shouldn't have been mentioned in the first place.
Because in the worst-case scenario, they cannot be compatible with the other players, and it has nothing to do with trust; the wolf themselves don't even know they are a wolf.
This possibility is taboo and deeply hidden; Hiyori feels that not everyone can think of this aspect.
"You think I shouldn't be stirring up trouble? Don't worry, only by knowing the worst-case scenario can they prepare in advance, and even if the scenario comes true, there are solutions."
"What method?"
Yuki smiled and spread his hands, "A method I don't know."
Shiina Hiyori, and could only conclude that the three of them were definitely deeply bound together and had absolute trust in each other.
'Since he gained the absolute trust of those two people, he might not be a good person, but he must be a person of principle. Furthermore, his micro-expressions, heartbeat, and breathing are all normal; these are all true.'
Zhang Qing was still rolling around, the girl's eyes darting around, and after several seconds, she seemed to have made up her mind.
"Mr. Yuki, could you please take a look at this property for me?"
Shiina Hiyori proactively showed Yuki her player panel, which was understandable, but Yuki.
A player's profile is more private than being naked; it's like revealing all your cards, exposing your secrets to others completely naked. Shiina Hiyori understands this better than any new player.
Yuki turned his head and looked at the blue-haired, purple-eyed girl who was breathing heavily and biting her silver teeth. A strange thought came to his mind.
Hey, hey, hey, you're showing me the player panel, not actually being completely honest with me. Do you have to act like I'm taking advantage of you?
Chapter Fourteen: The Reverse Strategy (Second Update)
Wearing a white dress and gray over-the-knee socks, paired with her soft and cute face, Shiina Hiyori gives off Taiyi vibe than Yuuki.
She lacks Mai Sakurajima's maturity and Hayasaka Ai's versatility; she's just a true soft girl.
She should be in an afternoon café, sipping pastries and engrossed in reading.
'Unfortunately, this is Reincarnation Game.'
Screams and groans echoed throughout the ward. When Yuki glanced at the blood-stained dress, his attention was only diverted for a moment before he immediately returned to his strategy.
He read through Shiina Hiyori's stats and found that her physical strength was 'average'. In the main skills section, apart from 'excellent' observation and 'excellent' reasoning abilities, the rest were unremarkable.
Oh, they left one upgrade point, which shows the beginner tutorial was really well done. No wonder they came in last.
The key is still the Ego Trait, which is fundamental for ordinary people.
Yuki looked down and saw the description of [Reality Reading]:
[Player Hiyori will enter reading mode, collecting data at supersonic speed and analyzing all surrounding details simultaneously. Activation time: 5 minutes; Cooldown time: 1 hour]
As expected, this is the embodiment of Shiina Hiyori's most prominent characteristic: she loves reading, especially mystery novels, a trait that was extracted by the Reincarnation Game.
'Activating this feature turns you into a humanoid computer, collecting and analyzing countless pieces of information—hmm, is that some kind of dungeon-clearing specialization?'
Yuki gently stroked his chin, showing no sign of looking down on the girl.
In the Reincarnation Game, you don't necessarily have to be a strong fighter. Being a support character also has its value. Just like Mai Sakurajima- senpai, if it weren't for her effective support, I wouldn't have been able to survive the Bloodthirsty Red Moon.
"W-How is it?" Hiyori asked nervously.
"It has very powerful characteristics. Remember, this thing doesn't necessarily have to be very useful, but it must have unique features." Yuki, playing the role Li Dan had played before, certainly wouldn't hide important information like the latter:
"Skills can be obtained through drawing or training, and items can be collected through various means, but only traits represent a player's future and determine their strengths."
Shiina Hiyori was very clever. With just a little guidance from Yuki, she nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, this Reincarnation Game has many puzzle elements. If we use its special features, we can reduce the difficulty of solving it?"
"Of course, but the time is too short, you have to use it wisely. Besides, it's effective against players too." Yuki stretched his shoulders and said in a relaxed tone:
"Veteran players are all masters of acting, and you can use this trait to detect facial details, eye contact, and heartbeat. By analyzing these, you can tell whether someone is trying to fool you."
"Just like how you analyzed things for me so earnestly, you haven't had any bad intentions until now, oh, except for the strange look in your eyes at the beginning." The girl gave a light smile, meeting Yuki's surprised gaze.
She's definitely a smart person with high emotional intelligence; by speaking frankly, she avoids offending others.
Yuki then noticed a glimmer in the girl's purple eyes. Activating a special ability grants a trial period, and just now, she had been analyzing various details of herself.
Phew, thank goodness I didn't think of anything else, otherwise I would probably be mistaken for a pervert.
"I underestimated you. It's alright. Cooperation is a two-way street, so you have to test me too," Yuki chuckled dryly, then turned his head away. This trait would be terrifying if used in a romantic relationship; there was no way he could hide it from her.
"Use your enhancement points for random draws; you might get lucky and get something good."
"Okay." Hiyori was very obedient. After using the enhancement points, she saw the scene in front of her distort, as if she was trying to scoop something out of the void, and she couldn't help but hold her breath.
Just a moment later, she opened her fair hand, revealing a small medicine in her palm—yes, the kind of medicine bottle you see everywhere in a hospital.
What is this thing?
Yuki bent down to look; there was no label on the medicine bottle, nor was a label needed. Shiina Hiyori's panel described all the information.
[Chaos Item: Comfort Pills (Chaos Level)]
[Reduces user's pain and negative status effects, creating the illusion of the body returning to normal. 100 pieces available, maximum duration 5 hours. Cannot be replenished within the copy.]
[Side effects: Drowsiness may occur after use; after the effects wear off, pain and negative symptoms will be amplified and can be cumulative.]
[Description: The pain will be eternal; you will only find fleeting solace.]
Yuki raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he had encountered a consumable Chaos Item, and it seemed rather rip-off. In any case, it was weaker than Quiet Dew and had a greater negative impact.
Is it equivalent to a powerful sedative?
"This... doesn't seem to be very useful?" Hiyori also felt uneasy, tilting her head. "Is the gacha mechanism of the Reincarnation Game entirely based on luck?"