Chapter 77

Yuki picked up the machete, but without looking at it closely, he turned his head away.

A girl in a floral dress stood outside the hole, staring intently at him. Yuki thought for a moment, then drew his sword and walked towards him.

Shiina Hiyori instinctively took a half step back; the visual impact of her gaze was too strong.

A man covered in blood, his eyes glowing red, was approaching, sword in hand, stepping over mountains of bones and seas of corpses. Anyone would be terrified and retreat.

Yuki stopped, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes, before offering a smile he tried to keep gentle, "Well done, Hiyori."

Her task was no less arduous than slaying demons with a knife; she acted swiftly and with impeccable timing.

If the weakening is too slow, Yuki won't be able to snowball; if it's too fast, the manipulator will realize something is wrong and retreat immediately.

This speed was just right; it killed hundreds of puppets while also instilling fear in the enemy, without exceeding Yuki's stamina limit. But this too much joy turned to sorrow.

"I only did some behind-the-scenes work; the key is that you and Tyrant. Tyrant are both incredibly powerful." Shiina Hiyori pursed her lips and lowered her head modestly.

"You are the premise, and we are the result." Yuki waved his hand gently, not denying the other party's value. "In the Reincarnation Game, every player has a purpose; the key is whether they can do their job well."

"Alright, stop with the mutual flattery."

After dealing with the remaining demons, the Tyrant arrived. His voice was weak, as if he had been up for several sleepless nights, but his tone was relaxed, no longer as tense as before.

This battle solidified his and Yuki's mutual trust. The details of the battle couldn't be concealed by acting skills, not even by Oscar- winning actor.

"So, this counts as a fistfight to build a heart?" The Tyrant spread his hands, revealing a much more cheerful demeanor after shedding his pretense.

"It's a bit crude, but I guess so. Even with the hint six, we don't need to be wary of each other anymore. Let's clear this dungeon together."

The two held hands tightly, and then Yuki pulled Hiyori's hand over and covered the back of her hand, indicating that she also deserved some credit.

"Clean up the battlefield, recover our strength, search for details, and then we'll slaughter this Demon Hospital!"

This battle, though long and short, turned the tide of a seemingly hopeless situation, and thanks to the penalty of Hint Five, the effect was surprisingly good.

First, most of the dolls in the Demon Hospital were killed, and the survivors scattered and fled, shaking the very foundation of the hospital.

Dean Fukawa must be completely bewildered. At least until he figures out why the demons have been weakened, he won't dare to launch a heavy attack anytime soon.

Secondly, the three of them re-examined the number of times Deep into the Wrong Path, and the sword hanging over their heads, Hint Five, was finally removed. If it weren't for the pre-arranged battlefield, this punishment would have been fatal.

The player's biggest trump card is the elevator lobby, a safe house protected by the system's rules. Putting aside everything else, even on the abnormal ninth floor, the endless stream of demons is deadly enough.

At that time, the abnormal and normal floors had not yet intersected. The patients in the entire hospital were like an external power source, continuously inputting energy to attract demons from the subspace.

However, the premise for this battle had already been secured: the two types of floors would intersect, forcing the opponent to use a limited number of puppets, which would then be weakened, thus giving the player the right to fight.

Now that you're qualified, let's conquer the dungeon!

"We've turned the tap down; if we compare resentment to energy, the patients aren't providing enough."

"It's like letting that dean voluntarily unplug the external power supply and use the cards he has to fight us. And according to the principle of replica formation, he will inevitably retreat after a certain critical point."

"It's possible that the energy driving the puppets comes from it, which is why there are differences in strength, but I think there's another possibility."

"Without medical staff, there would be no Demon Hospital; without Demon Hospital, there would be no instance of this dungeon. Therefore, whether or not to retreat is not up to the director's subjective will."

"Finally, there's a potential problem: now that the demon has connected to the player's head, will it gradually learn our secrets?"

Yuki leaned against the wall, muttering to himself as he analyzed the patterns while stuffing something that looked like a compressed biscuit into his mouth. He could leave the task of searching for details to Shiina Hiyori; he and the Tyrant needed to find a way to recover their strength.

He didn't expect an answer to his mutterings, and even the Tyrant couldn't hear him clearly, only turning his waist, while Yuki chewed and then closed his mouth.

The compressed biscuits were so awful that they made his mind go blank, but he couldn't bear to spit them out, so he took out his water bottle and took a sip.

The reason is simple: this thing is also a Chaos Item that can quickly restore stamina. This is not a coincidence, but like the Quiet Dew, the Tyrant must possess this item.

After establishing mutual trust, the two were quite open with each other.

His dual pistols were Transcendental Grade (level 4) weapons, their function being to absorb energy to fire bullets. Without them, he would have suffered from kidney deficiency after a battle, and the source of the energy was no coincidence.

"Player Forum?"

Yuki remembered what the masked man had said. He had deliberately used the excuse of "seeing is believing" to fool him when he was afraid of being exposed. It turned out that such a thing really existed.

That makes sense. Players are fundamentally different from ordinary people. If they use a communication method like Line, not only is it too low-level, but they would also be completely monitored by those conglomerates. The Reincarnation Game would then become something they work for.

That can't be! Yuki discovered long ago that this game has ulterior motives and encourages players to kill each other.

"I see. I was wondering how Li Dan's Death Knell Revolver and Distortion Kaleidoscope could work together. Just considering it as a lottery or a robbery, his luck is just too good."

The series of mysteries were solved, not because of luck, but because of the player's deliberate combination. It was just that he borrowed Mai Sakurajima- senpai's good luck; otherwise, the Chainsaw Sword and the Demon Possession would have killed him.

"You mean, after the second instance, forum access will be unlocked, and then we can go in to exchange information and items?"

The Tyrant squatting nearby turned his head, looking at him strangely, thinking to himself, "Could this really be a player from the same instance? What kind of monster must he be?"

"Yes, I got this supplementary biscuit by trading another Chaos Item, just like your little purple potion. With it, I can unleash my full power."

"Trading useless things with others is the scientific way to go. More Chaos Item aren't necessarily better." Yuki clapped his hands and sighed. "Every player has different characteristics and skills. There are no useless Chaos Item; it's all about whether they're suitable."

He thought of the frontal Frontal Lobe Fragment of Hayasaka Ai; if anyone had a powerful painkiller or something similar, that thing that grew wildly upon contact with blood was actually quite formidable.

Yuki was intrigued and asked, "Besides barter, are there other forms of trade?"

"Are you genuinely unaware, or are you feigning ignorance?" The Tyrant couldn't tell, and spread his hands, saying, "The Reincarnation Game doesn't have points or currency. It's just that your useless item might be effective for someone else."

"Oh, and also, there's a lot of information on the forum, but it's impossible to tell what's real and what's fake. I saw a post that seemed really convincing, but it turned out to be just some bastard plagiarizing a web novel!"

Yuki almost lost his composure, recalling how he had used the 'Golden Book Shadow' to completely fool the masked man, making it impossible for him to distinguish between the real and fake on the spot, let alone online.

When it comes to bragging, he has plenty of material. He talks about how the Great Dao has been extinguished and how the flame has been burned out. These are legendary scenarios that would send chills down a player's spine.

"Thank you for the information." Yuki nodded slightly.

"Don't thank me, I feel insulted by you." The Tyrant shook his head, even more frustrated by the sight of the demon corpses scattered on the ground.

This bastard has killed way more people than me, and he's asking me for advice?

Regardless of what the Tyrant thought, Yuki felt indebted to him. The information was indeed valuable, but more importantly, with the Tyrant's cover fire, he had a blast racking up kills.

[Player Yuki, you have become a Demon Hunter. Reward: 2 Enhancement Points]

The strange murmurs jolted Yuki awake, confirming his earlier suspicions: the achievement was indeed gradually increasing, and the difficulty level was also rising with each attempt.

But looking at the Corpse Mountain, Blood Sea on the ground, he felt a sense of entitlement. From hunter to butcher, this was a qualitative and quantitative leap.

It was an unexpected bonus, I suppose. From Shiina Hiyori to the Tyrant, everything from pre-battle preparation to the battle rhythm was indispensable.

I've finally collected two enhancement points.

While the Tyrant was feeling down, Shiina Hiyori returned after investigating the details, Yuki opened the character panel and fell into serious thought.

Which one should we strengthen?

Chapter Twenty-Seven is five against one! (Second update)

Reinforcement Magecraft, Chaos Item.

Having looked at the panel dozens of times, Yuki already knew it by heart. Before entering the dungeon, he was focused on collecting two enhancement points to push 'Reinforcement Magecraft' to the excellent level.

However, due to the issue with the instance, he had to use the "Adaptability" skill ahead of time, and this time, his Killing Spree brought him back to square one.

The thought of staying true to his original aspiration welled up within him, Yuki immediately suppressed it, focusing his gaze on one of the columns.

[Bloodline Skill: Demon Possession, Mastery Level, requires two upgrade points and one Bloodline Object.]

Without a doubt, bloodline skills are the foundation of his current success. Without the Demon Eye, even excellent-level Reinforcement Magecraft would not be able to Killing Spree.

Even prodigies need to be judged scientifically. No matter how prodigy he is, he can't possibly surpass the Tyrant, this veteran player with rich experience, in every aspect of combat power.

'Because of the Demon Eye's suitability for this dungeon, my efficiency is far higher than his. For one thing, my kill-stealing efficiency surpasses that of most players.'

Yuki stroked his chin, the memory of the battle he had just witnessed leaving a deeper impression. What he could accomplish with a single strike, the Tyrant had to exert all his strength to shatter the demon.

There is no skill that is universally applicable. If you are Living Corpse under the Bloodthirsty Red Moon, ten of you are no match for the Tyrant.

'No need then. We might encounter Bloodline Object somewhere. There's no adjustment period for skill upgrades anyway, and we can always break through in battle. We might even surprise the enemy.'

Yuki made a quick decision. Feeling his strength returning, he dusted himself off and stood up. Just then, Shiina Hiyori also returned.

"Have you finished reading the details?" the Tyrant asked immediately. Seeing the girl stepping over the twisted corpses, unconcerned about the bits of flesh clinging to her shoes, he knew she had grown up.

"Yes, those demons went back to their respective warehouses and locked the doors, they didn't come out, they didn't run down the stairwell." Hiyori didn't keep them in suspense and immediately revealed the clue, "This means that the stairwell, like the elevator, is a safe zone for us players."

As expected, when they stormed through the floors, the thin fire doors in the stairwells had already blocked countless demons.

It's not scientific, but that's how the game works.

"Just as I thought, there are two sets of rules just for going downstairs," Yuki chimed in.

"Like Curly and the others?"

"That should be right. They used these two sets of rules to get to the lower floors all at once, but I'm curious why they didn't continue moving forward?"

Yuki's question is unanswerable, since we don't even know where Curly's group is right now, only that they're definitely below the fourth floor. But this question isn't hard to guess.

"Either they can't leave because of clue number six, or they're afraid to go downstairs because something terrifying is blocking their way," Shiina Hiyori explained, pausing slightly before continuing:

"Or both. The best way to solve these two problems is to strengthen ourselves and then minimize the number of players."

The Tyrant didn't reply, but looked at Yuki. There were still three floors left, and the chances of them meeting were getting higher and higher. It was time to adjust their attitude.

Cooperation or confrontation—this question doesn't really need much thought.

"Curly has already bared its fangs at us."

Yuki's words are enough: in the Reincarnation Game, trust between players is negligible; once there is hostility, it means a fight to the death.

"Betrayal can happen once or countless times; I could never entrust my back to someone like that." The Tyrant wholeheartedly agreed, adding, "You're quite shrewd; you have to be ruthless in crucial moments."

"It has nothing to do with the methods used; I'm simply fulfilling a promise. Do you remember the pact we made at the start of the instance?"

Yuki drew his sword and walked towards the stairwell. The Tyrant paused for a moment, remembering the initial alliance. Back then, this man had said:

Whoever makes the first move, I'll kill them!

Pushing open the fire door, the three entered the dark staircase, turned the corner, and stared blankly at the word '3F' on the wall.

The walkthrough for the Demon Hospital is in its final stages; looking back, the progress has actually been quite fast.

It only took about twenty hours in total, with most of that time was wasted on early exploration. You could say that once you entered the fifth floor, the dungeon became an open secret.

The Dean, the Demon, and the Player form a logical closed loop.

'This time it wasn't as long as under the Crimson Moon, and there were fewer times I had to gamble with my life, which can be considered a benefit of the increased power.'

Becoming stronger should make one more composed; what strong person would risk their life for no reason?

Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. The biggest drawback of this instance was the lack of a senior in black stockings to relax him. Although Hiyori was soft, she was still somewhat afraid of herself from beginning to end.

Since he's already in a strategy phase, there's no need for him to shamelessly try to win him over.

There's plenty of time in the future, let's get back to reality and talk about it later.

"Phew, thankfully the third floor wasn't divided into left and right sides." Hiyori patted her chest lightly, her tense expression relaxing.

The good news is that they can no longer split their forces, but seeing the door on the third floor makes it anything but relaxing.

The further down you go, the more difficult it becomes, and there's a bunch of demons hiding in the warehouse above you; going back is impossible.

How much time do we have left?

"The maximum effect time is still four hours away. Luckily, you two were quick." Hiyori glanced at her watch.

"At least for the next four hours, Dean Fukawa, who is still confused about the situation, won't retaliate." Yuki nodded. The instance character couldn't possibly know that this was the effect of the Chaos Item, and Curly couldn't guess either. "We still have time to deal with the traitor."

Are you sure it's on the third floor?

"It's highly likely that Dean Fukawa is on the first floor. The boss always has to be at the back, right? Even if that curly-haired guy had a lot of guts, he wouldn't dare to stay on the same floor as him."

With such sound reasoning and evidence, even the Tyrant couldn't find fault. He flexed his wrist and asked, "How much strength do you have left?"

"Seven out of ten, that's enough for one match."

There are five compressed biscuits left, enough to replenish energy twice more. Once we break through the third floor, we'll be close to the finish line, and there probably won't be a chance to rest then.

"How about we rest for another half hour? We're going to be playing two against three, so I'm sorry, Miss Hiyori, this might be a bit impolite to you." The Tyrant said, glancing to the side.

The girl waved her hands repeatedly, indicating that she was a noob and shouldn't count the kills.

"My intuition tells me that Miss Rabbit isn't very strong, Hayasaka has at most two dungeon experiences. The key is that curly-haired guy."