Chapter 72
Hiyori was terrified, feeling as if her heart had stopped pumping blood throughout her body, but at the same time, she also felt a sense of pleasure, like she had correctly predicted an exam question after careful observation.
Yes, it treats us all the same!
Bang!!!
The greatsword smashed a large crater in the ground, and the shockwave knocked Hiyori to the ground. She looked back and saw the gleaming blade piercing through the monster's right knee. The greatsword, now out of balance, crashed down right next to her.
"Good cover."
Yuki laughed. "Who says you can't be useful without combat skills?"
The Butcher Doctor's appearance is to block the exit; of course, it won't let a single player escape. It's like a necessary procedure that must be executed, beyond its combat instincts.
Physical Enhancement. Slashing power.
The Magic Circuit on his forearm became denser, and he used his waist and abdomen to pull sharply to the side.
Click.
The knee joint was neatly removed; the Butcher Doctor's heavy body could not be supported by a single left leg. He simply twisted and slashed back as he fell.
Clang!
The sword strike sent Yuki flying, his back slamming against the wall several meters away, his eyes fixed on the monster that had risen with its sword.
Its charge now would create another wave of suppression, but before Yuki could even speak, Shiina Hiyori had already gotten up.
Her legs seemed to go weak, and she staggered toward the elevator, slamming her hand on the open button. The Butcher Doctor head had just turned halfway, suddenly turned back and raised his large right hand.
Ugh--
The giant sword was thrown; its blade, as large as a door panel, was bigger than Shiina Hiyori's body and so fast that there was no time to react.
Bang!
Gunshots rang out, and the spinning giant sword exploded in sparks, veering off course and slamming hard into the elevator door. But this giant sword, capable of cleaving through reinforced concrete, didn't even leave a scratch; it bounced away with a 'ding'.
Just as I expected!
Yuki's eyes widened. He had seen the game rules override everything during the tutorial. He simply turned his head and shouted at the approaching Tyrant:
"Speed it up for me!"
"Good."
Experienced players don't hesitate for a second. Seeing Yuki crouch down and stand on tiptoe, they raised their guns and pressed them directly against Yuki's back.
Storm Bullet.
Bang--
Yuki felt as if he had been shoved hard, and everything around him accelerated instantly, so fast that he couldn't adjust his posture at all.
In the midst of the Extreme Speed, he saw the Butcher Doctor with his arms crossed in front of his chest, meaning that even if he drew his Chainsaw Sword, he couldn't possibly strike a vital spot.
"I know you can defend!"
Bite--
The elevator reached its floor, and Yuki, who was rushing towards it, did his best to raise his knee, concentrating all his Reinforcement Magecraft on his legs, and used the momentum to deliver a flying knee kick.
Bang!!
The force was immense, and the shockwave it generated cleared away the mist. Yuki's face was flushed red, and his veins bulged. He felt the force of the collision was almost reaching the Limit of his enhanced abilities.
Click.
With a cracking sound, the Butcher Doctor was thrown back, like a ball of flesh crashing into the elevator.
As if like poles repel each other, it did not fall into the elevator, but was bounced back forward, just like the giant sword before.
This blast made maintaining balance impossible. The enormous head lowered slightly, seeing the black-haired boy also thrown back, only to step on the wall and rush back.
Yuki felt as if a giant baseball was hurtling towards him, staring at the drooping arms and exposed left chest.
Inhale, twist your waist, raise the knife—
Cut in two!
Chapter Twenty-One: The Professional Player! (5K)
Bite--
The elevator doors closed, isolating the fog and the hideous monsters. This place felt like a third area besides reality and the subspace, a safe haven for the players.
The spacious elevator could normally squeeze in twenty or thirty people, but now there are only three left, just enough for them to lie down haphazardly.
Heavy breathing continued. The nurses' claws had almost touched the door. Luckily, Yuki killed the Butcher Doctor was blocking the way in time, otherwise one or two people would definitely have been left behind.
'He's not as strong as I thought.' The Tyrant turned his head slightly. He wasn't blind; of course he could see the upper limit of Yuki's abilities.
His swordsmanship and physical strength are quite good. The gray mist and eyes are probably related to his Ego Trait. The former is not much, but the latter is very important in this dungeon, as it can make things twice as effective with half the effort.
His destructive power is far greater than Yuki's, but each strike requires a waste of energy. A single stab through the chest is much easier than smashing someone to pieces, making him particularly suitable for prolonged battles.
'The body shows signs of mutation; could it truly be a bloodline skill? If such a rare thing exists, then it cannot be judged simply by strength.'
'After all, this thing only has two words more than a skill, yet I've heard they're worlds apart.'
Thinking of this, the Tyrant shifted his gaze and scrutinized Shiina Hiyori lying in the elevator. This newcomer had no fighting ability whatsoever, but her reckless charge just now was crucial.
They are both good partners; the collaboration can continue.
The man closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and regulated his breathing.
Yuki wasn't that cunning; partly, he was exhausted and his whole body ached, and partly, he was lost in thought.
[Player Yuki, you have become a demon slayer. Reward: 1 enhancement point.]
The murmur wasn't strange; it was somewhat like Hayasaka Ai's "Living Corpse Slayer," an achievement accumulated to a certain level. She had just hacked through an entire floor, killing most of the demons, including the Butcher Doctor.
However, when he compared it with the first enhancement point in the dungeon, he felt something was off.
'Hunting demons, then Demon Hunter—could this be a milestone achievement? And it's still progressing; just from killing monsters, this is already the third reward.'
He's definitely become more generous.
Yuki stroked his chin, deciding to put the question aside for the time being.
Another strange thing is that the greatsword that was touched just now was not Chaos Item.
It's strange. Li Dan said that Chaos Item can be picked up in dungeons, but I haven't picked one up even once in two whole dungeons.
The strength is probably not enough. By the way, where should these points be used?
As he entered the deeper parts of the dungeon, he realized his strength was falling behind. A direct confrontation would put him at a disadvantage, but these demons were professional at blocking the entrance; what else could he do but fight them head-on?
He had no intention of saving it, but he was caught in a difficult choice. The reason was simple: as players delve deeper into this Reincarnation Game, there are too many uses for it.
Improve your skills, upgrade your items, draw random items, and forge weapons.
There are four directions in total. He first rejected the random selection, as he doesn't have the energy to gamble now.
Then there's no need to even think about bloodline skills. This thing requires two enhancement points to go from beginner to master, and another Bloodline Object that he doesn't even know what it is.
Skill?
There's no need to waste ordinary skills. By the way, it seems my swordsmanship has improved from Master to Excellent?
He noticed this and knew he couldn't afford to waste time on skills that could be improved. However, he was still one point short of Reinforcement Magecraft, so he gritted his teeth.
Why can't I save up?
Including the enhancement points from the Crimson Moon settlement, Yuki has a total of three. He used the first two to forge the Nameless Longsword and improve the Quiet Dew, respectively. He originally wanted to save up two to directly upgrade his Reinforcement Magecraft to the excellent level.
'There's no other way; even the most versatile skill can't handle every situation. Given the immediate threat, we have to use it when necessary.'
Yuki didn't hesitate, realizing that specializing in a particular skill in the Reincarnation Game was really difficult. For example, he had taken advantage of Mai Sakurajima- senpai, and without Quiet Dew, his Demonic Possession and Chainsaw Sword were greatly diminished.
Skills that cannot be used are equivalent to having none.
He lowered his head slightly, thinking from this perspective that there was nothing left to improve in terms of skills, leaving only forging or upgrading items.
He possesses four Chaos Item: Chainsaw Sword, Kaleidoscope, Quiet Dew, and Nameless Longsword.
The Kaleidoscope has limited effect, and there's no point in forging the Quiet Dew again; it's best to collect two and upgrade them to the Transcendental Grade level.
Sword or knife?
Yuki's eyes darted around. With his Demon Possession activated, the Chainsaw Sword wasn't very effective. The stacked madness required him to constantly drink potions, and he also had to precisely control the degree to which the Warm Blade.
If I get carried away in the fight and accidentally reach my peak, I can't handle the resulting fatigue, especially since there's no one around to boost my stamina.
Is it still this sword? After all, it complements the Conceptual Craft Essence.
After eliminating all but one option, Yuki stroked his chin, seemingly having discovered a loophole in the game.
Why are Chaos Item divided into two options: upgrading and forging?
He originally thought it would be a transitional feature for players when they couldn't handle the side effects, or when they couldn't collect two enhancement points to upgrade, a kind of setting to prevent players from being frustrated by having enhancement points stuck in their hands.
But after forging the Chainsaw Sword, the Quiet Dew, and the Nameless Longsword, he discovered a certain pattern within them.
The improvement isn't a qualitative leap like an upgrade, and the side effects won't be reduced either, but this knife originally had no side effects.
The simplest weapon, combined with Demon Possession and the Chainsaw Sword, is just right. At least it won't add any more debuffs to me. I doubt any player would use two upgrade points on an Alienated Grade -level item.
"Use enhancement points to forge the Nameless Longsword."
Yuki a beat, and he did just that, then nervously looked at the weapon panel.
[Chaos Item: Longsword (Alienated Grade), Second Forging.]
[Permanent Reinforcement Magecraft, Forging Effect: It is sharper, harder, and can even cut through energy]
[Side effects: None.]
[Description: A longsword evolved from Common Grade; it is simple, yet deadly enough.]
The difference is minimal; it's just that there's an extra description in the effects section. "Yuki clenched his fist."
You guessed right; the essence hasn't changed, but the effect is still being further improved.
"Is the only characteristic of this knife its slashing effect?"
He didn't draw his sword, nor did he have a chance to test it. The Tyrant, having caught his breath, sat up and rubbed his messy hair.
He rubbed his head while wearing a gas mask, his movements were somewhat comical, but no one present could laugh out loud. After a moment, he clapped his hands vigorously.
"Alright, the game must continue!"
Just like at the beginning of the game, the Tyrant's leadership is more realistic compared to Li Dan's. He looks at the elevator buttons, causing Yuki and Hiyori to turn their heads together.
As expected, the elevator buttons displayed the numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. They weren't as Arcane Grade as before, but they weren't back to normal either.
"As expected, the instance has changed; this Demon Hospital instance isn't too complicated."
Huh? This isn't complicated?
Hiyori opened her mouth, feeling that her intelligence had been put to a tremendous test, yet the result wasn't considered complicated in the Tyrant's eyes?
"Yes, the solution wasn't difficult; we took less than 20 hours in total." Yuki nodded, which wasn't him showing off.
The clues are not buried as deeply as in Bloodthirsty Red Moon, and each player has ample freedom to solve the puzzles in their most proficient way.
"But it's dangerous. The demons have grown too powerful, and there's also a warning sign that's forcing players to fight amongst themselves."
The Tyrant did not refute, but cast a faint gaze at Shiina Hiyori. He had been fighting Yuki with all his might and had no energy to care about anything else, while this girl had been observing him the whole time.
"Hiyori tell me directly, we're short on time."
Because of her unauthorized 'escape' just now, Shiina Hiyori's value in Yuki's eyes has increased even further.
"Okay, my biggest discovery is that the monsters won't keep replenishing themselves indefinitely." The girl answered softly, then became firm as she made her judgment. "This proves that the hospital is now located between reality and the subspace. Demons cannot come directly to reality; they must have a vessel, and those medical staff are that vessel."
These words startled both Yuki and the Tyrant. They had experienced the abnormal floor, where the demons were endless, and they had also analyzed the spatial convergence phenomenon.
That's right, that's why we distinguish between normal and abnormal floors. Two straight lines may converge, but they are still two separate lines.
Yuki nodded again and asked, "Like Demon Possession?"
"No, what about the physical reconstruction? Thomas should have killed all the medical staff on this floor," the Tyrant immediately retorted.
Shiina Hiyori and forth and proposed a hypothesis. "I suspect that in normal floors, they might not even be considered human, at least not biologically human. Here are the details I observed."