In This Reincarnation Stream, I'm a Player

The red-haired boy held a sheet of white paper. After he cast Magecraft, it became as hard as steel.

I don't even have a Magic Circuit. This game can actually skip the prerequisite entirely?

Thud.

The pain in his shoulder jolted him awake. His muscles tensed, and he instinctively rolled several times to shed his momentum. Yuki planted one hand on the ground, his face alight with shock and excitement.

Even with a cooldown, he'd instantly obtained something he'd pursued for so long in this world. Was the divide between ordinary reality and the supernatural really no more than a thin sheet of paper?

What did it mean to be Transcendental? This was what it meant. The game directly bestowed a rule upon its players, without caring about a mage's identity or bloodline.

Wood chips fell with the dust into the first-floor corridor. Yuki blinked rapidly. He didn't have time to marvel at how incredible the game was, or how lucky he'd been—or rather, his luck could only be called average.

Reinforcement Magecraft wasn't considered a high-level skill in the Type-Moon World. The "Beginner" prefix made it even less promising.

"But at least it's a supernatural power." He gritted his teeth, turned, and ran toward the other end of the corridor, gripping his long knife tightly. He glanced over his shoulder as he familiarized himself with the knowledge he'd just received.

He still hadn't seen what the enemy was, but after running seven or eight meters, he suddenly stopped and slammed into the door beside him.

Bang—whoosh—

The wooden door burst open, and a huge claw suddenly reached out from the Crimson Moonlight. It grazed Yuki's sleeve, and he saw five blade-like claws.

It's that thing!

As a forensic science student, Yuki recognized at a glance that this creature had caused the same wounds as the ones on the White College Student's chest. He planted one hand on the wooden floor and rolled quickly into the room, his back against the wall. Then he kicked the wooden chest in front of him toward the doorway.

He dodged while blocking the door, but when he heard the chest collide with the doorframe, his eyes froze.

The attacker didn't charge through the doorway. Instead, like a droplet of water, it coalesced on the wall bathed in Crimson Moonlight. Its nearly four-meter-long body came fully into view.

It clung to the wall like a giant gecko. It had no skin, leaving dark red muscles exposed to the air, and its head was even more horrifying.

It looked like the swollen head of a corpse bloated beyond recognition. Its features were impossible to make out; its skull had vanished, exposing its red-and-white brain. A long, narrow tongue like a lizard's whipped back and forth like a lash.

His breath stopped. A chill ran down his spine. Yuki stared at it, gripped not only by fear at its appearance but also by a sense of déjà vu.

A Licker? A Licker from the Resident Evil series?

He recognized the thing, and its appearance wasn't entirely unexpected. Judging from the description of the Living Corpses, the Resident Evil series had been one of Yuki's reference points from the start.

But wait. Resident Evil still had the excuse of a sci-fi veneer with the T-Virus. What kind of Licker could come through a wall out of moonlight? Wasn't it supposed to be a knife's best friend?

He shoved science aside, just as Li Dan had said. Common sense was useless in the game—including the common sense of a transmigrator like him.

In that fleeting glance, Yuki couldn't think of a solution. Only a furious curse flashed through his mind:

This is the Gift of the Crimson Moon? What the hell is wrong with this game?!

Whoosh—thud!

A whoosh followed by a dull impact rang out. Yuki threw himself sideways and saw ten deep gouges carved into the wall behind him. Even the bricks behind his palm had been torn apart.

He'd never fought a Licker in real life, and he had no idea whether this thing had been enhanced. But just as he'd cursed a moment ago:

Slow-moving zombies would've been terrifying enough. This thing could wipe out everyone except the veteran players. The elimination rate is way too high!

But no matter how much Yuki protested, the stench of a corpse washed over him. The creature tore apart the wooden chair he'd kicked into the air, and crimson claws, stained red by the moonlight, came straight at him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Nothing in the bedroom could withstand its rampage. The single bed, wardrobe, and wall lamp were instantly reduced to splinters. Yuki retreated into a corner and pressed his left hand against the nearby Round Table.

He forcibly shut out his fear. Time seemed to slow in his eyes. He needed no complicated theory; it was like pressing a skill button in a game.

Structure. Trace On. Reinforcement.

Thud—

He kicked the Round Table forward. The Licker lunged straight at him and swung its claws as before, but this time there were no wood chips. Its claws struck what seemed like an iron shield, sending a dazzling burst of sparks into the air.

It was like punching a solid wall. The Round Table warped slightly, the creature's massive body sank under the impact, and several wounds split open across its thick forearm.

It was a brief opening. Three streaks of silver followed one after another, aimed straight at its exposed brain.

Yuki wasn't about to miss his chance to attack. He threw the Scalpels, his hand already gripping the knife handle. He leaned forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey, and arcs of light flickered around him as Reinforcement Magecraft took effect.

But he didn't pounce. He stood as still as a statue, his muscles so tense that his fingers trembled slightly. It had nothing to do with hesitation. It was because—

Three scalpels quivered where they'd stuck in the ceiling, and the huge monster had vanished without a trace, leaving only a severed index finger on the floor.

Huff, huff, huff.

Apart from his panting and the sound of debris hitting the floor, the room was terrifyingly quiet. Yuki still held his knife-drawing stance. He'd seen clearly that before his scalpels could hit, the Licker had raised its hand and knocked them away. Then it had quickly merged with the Crimson Moonlight on the floor, just like the girl with her head blown open.

It was still there. It was just waiting for the perfect moment to hunt.

His eyes darted around, passing over the half-cut chandelier and the swaying wall painting. Their encounter had lasted less than ten seconds, yet the twenty-square-meter bedroom was already a wreck.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Yuki counted silently. When he reached five, he finally rose onto his toes and slowly backed into the corridor, still keeping his battle stance.

It would've been stupid to face a Licker in a cramped room. No one could stay focused forever, and he hadn't forgotten that he was in a state of "going solo."

The corridor was spacious, and he was already on the first floor. At least nothing could attack him from beneath his feet. He'd counted just now: the Licker needed at least one second to merge with the moonlight.

As he retreated, the feeling of being watched weakened considerably. But Yuki didn't dare let his guard down. A moment later, he suddenly whipped his head around.

Bang—

A long gunshot echoed through the night, almost as loud as a cannon blast.

Li Dan?

Yuki immediately pictured the veteran player's enormous revolver at his waist. Then the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily as he heard the Walkie-talkie in his pocket crackle.

"Everyone, heads up! The gift from Hint Four has arrived!"

There was more than one of these things. It seemed they'd reached the worst-case scenario.

Yuki did his best to stay calm and fight off the exhaustion that followed his adrenaline rush. He didn't know if the veteran players could handle these monsters easily, but he knew there was no chance of waiting for backup.

What now? What should he do?

Sweat beaded on his forehead as his mind raced to assess the situation.

He was alone, and a supernatural monster was watching him. Mai Sakurajima seemed to have run off. It was probably best if she stayed away; if she could even move in the face of the Licker's terrifying presence, she'd be doing well.

Yuki licked his dry lips, looked up at the hole in the ceiling, then glanced at the Walkie-talkie in his shirt pocket.

"Staying here means certain death. Whatever happens, I need to contact the others first."

His right hand hovered over the knife handle as he sprinted toward the stairwell. Windows flashed past him. In the corner of his eye, the red moon still shone brilliantly overhead.

It showed no sign of setting. It hung in the night sky, casting its ominous light over the earth, as if the world consisted only of this Ancient Castle and the Crimson Moon.

Damn it, why was that thing still lying in wait? What was the answer?

A nameless anger flared inside him. He felt a powerful urge to stop and fight the Licker to the death.

What was the point of hiding? Come out and fight me one-on-one! Either you kill me, or I cut you down!

The urge grew stronger and stronger. Yuki felt himself slipping into a strange state. His reason ordered him to keep moving, while his impulses urged him to stop and trade blows with the Licker like a real man.

He knew something was wrong, but he couldn't make himself calm down. He could only force down his anger and charge into the stairwell. Because of the building's layout, the moonlight was slightly dimmer here. Then something even stranger happened.

His anger vanished instantly, and reason returned to him. At the same time, the corner of his eye caught a shadow on the stairs. His body, tense to the limit, reacted automatically.

Clang—

His long knife flew from its sheath, crossing with a crescent of silver light at the other end. But the blade he'd swung with all his strength stopped abruptly.

Yuki felt a sting at his throat. His red eyes trembled faintly, and his pupils reflected the scene before him.

A steady long knife, a snow-white neck, golden hair with a cleanly sliced edge, and clear blue eyes brimming with confusion.

A girl stood on the stairs. The Crimson Moon hung high outside the floor-to-ceiling window behind her. The battle-axe in her hand was equally steady, but its extended blade formed a sharp Petal pressed against Yuki's neck.

It was Hayasaka Ai.

Chapter 10: One Cut, Blood Like Rain (Revised)

Huff, huff, huff.

Both of them were breathing heavily, their faces expressionless. Their near-fatal infighting had sent their heart rates soaring past 160, but unlike ordinary people, they'd both recovered in an instant.

So it was her.

Yuki wasn't surprised. If anything, among the new players, Hayasaka Ai was the teammate he'd wanted most: the all-around maid trained with every effort by the Shinomiya Group.

Her intelligence, combat skills, and acting ability were all top-notch among ordinary people. She'd even fooled the two veteran players into thinking that the burly Black Brother was the most promising newcomer.

Of course, if Yuki hadn't been a transmigrator, he wouldn't have known what Hayasaka Ai was capable of.

No wonder she could play four roles and fool several geniuses. This was different from Mai Sakurajima. It was a personality developed to suit her surroundings.

From that flash of killing intent, it seemed she'd already gotten into character.

"So this is what 'don't go solo' means. The moonlight interferes with your perception." Yuki broke the silence first. His gaze lowered to the Petal extending from the axe blade. "You acted well. You were every bit as good as that celebrity."

He recognized the Petal. Was it one of the pieces from the girl whose head had blown open? It seemed he wasn't the only one to gain something from the tutorial.

"You're not bad yourself. I'm curious which Kendo Club has someone with such skill. Drawing your blade is easy, but stopping it isn't." Hayasaka Ai was nothing like the lively girl from before. She seemed more like her maid persona, but with a few extra touches of sharpness amid her composure and efficiency.

Because of what had just happened, they'd effectively revealed their cards to each other. There was no need to keep acting.

Yuki said nothing and didn't change his stance. He only rolled his eyes upward, while Hayasaka Ai didn't look up either. She gently licked her lips.

The next moment, they both jumped backward.

Bang!

A black shadow suddenly landed between them, smashing the floor and sending wood chips flying.

The Licker seemed puzzled that its ambush had missed. It pulled its huge claw from the floor, knocked away the three streaks of cold steel passing through the wood chips, then instantly turned its head.

The blond girl's face was expressionless. Holding her axe in one hand, she charged up to it. Before the Licker could turn around, she swung straight down at its head.

"Don't let its tongue touch you!"

The sudden growl reached her ears. Hayasaka Ai, who'd been about to block with her hand, instinctively turned sideways. She saw a blur sweep past her face and swung her right hand down in a full arc.

Splurt.

The axe bit into its shoulder, spraying blood. The Licker let out a low growl of rage and raised its right arm to sweep the girl in half, but Yuki had already appeared beside it.

He held his knife in both hands. Faint arcs of electricity danced along the blade.

Trace On, Reinforcement—

Slash!

The reinforced blade was impossibly sharp and impossibly hard. It cut through muscle and bone, sending an arm spinning away from the body. Hayasaka Ai seized the opportunity to step forward and swung her axe level with its neck.

Whoosh—

The blade tore through a large section of muscle. The Licker instinctively leaned backward, then sprang onto the wall with both legs. Before it could merge into the wall, three scalpels lodged in its back.

"Damn it, it got away again." After counting two seconds, Yuki narrowed his eyes. Keeping his guard up, he turned toward the girl who was bent over with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. "Are you all right? You were pretty reckless just now. Weren't you afraid of that thing?"

Hayasaka Ai's countercharge had been even more decisive than his. She'd had the air of a beautiful madwoman.

"I was scared, of course. But because I was scared, I had to put on the mask of a brave person. Aren't people always switching between different personas?" She said something that seemed to carry a deeper meaning, then flicked her long axe, leaving a streak of blood on the wall.

"How did you know there was something wrong with its tongue? I could've split its head open with that axe just now."

Yuki didn't actually know. This Licker had acquired fantastical traits, so it definitely wasn't the same as the original. But he hadn't dared to take the risk.

This wasn't the world of Resident Evil. If he actually got infected with the T-Virus, he'd be done for. There wouldn't be any antidote.

Also, no wonder this Hayasaka Ai seemed so unfamiliar.

She wasn't like a maid, a girl next door, or even a male butler. So she'd created another persona. Was this one supposed to be a player?

Yuki didn't dwell on her personas. The stronger Hayasaka Ai was, the better. He nodded.

"Instinct. Its tongue didn't seem capable of much damage, yet it used it to attack. That had to mean something was wrong. By the way, why didn't you use that Petal just now?"

"This?" Hayasaka Ai raised her axe. Thin tendrils, like wire, were wrapped around the handle. She hesitated for a moment before answering, "Using a Chaos Item comes at a cost. I wasn't sure I could kill it in one hit."

A cost? A Chaos Item?

Yuki froze for a moment. He'd drawn a skill from his beginner's gift pack, not a Chaos Item. Besides, the name sounded dangerous.

But now wasn't the time to analyze the information. Since Hayasaka Ai had also received a beginner's gift pack, there was still a chance.