Chapter 85

The lights brightened slightly, and he saw Hayasaka Ai gripping his forearm, Mai Sakurajima with her arms outstretched, and the Tyrant raising his gun for cover.

With a slight twitch of its lips, it flew out with the pull and landed in the girl's gentle embrace.

Bang--

The giant claw grazed past, swept out of the corridor, smashed the outer glass railing into shards, then disintegrated, throwing out a large number of twisted demons.

Before she even landed, a barrage of gunfire erupted, and flesh splattered everywhere. Yuki, nestled in her senior's arms, peeked out.

The moon is perfectly round.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil! (First Update)

They broke through.

Just as Hayasaka Ai and the Tyrant were firing wildly, a rather grand hall appeared before the players.

The glass roof allows the moonlight to stream in without obstruction, and the thick marble columns supporting the roof, which can be seen by several people, create a sense of religious ritual.

There were no medical facilities whatsoever, making it seem like a luxury hotel, but looking around, the place felt rather strange.

The corridor that Yuki and the others had just passed through connected to the lobby, and there was no other way out. In front of them was a row of glass railings that seemed to be a mezzanine above the lobby, and there was an escalator connecting the two.

1.5 floors?

Yuki decisively left his senior's embrace, without even glancing at her slightly flushed face, and swung his sword to cut down the approaching demon before moving closer to the glass railing.

You idiot, you're taking advantage of me.

Mai Sakurajima hugged her chest tightly, but seeing the man's serious profile and his red-glowing eyes, she could only grit her teeth and remember this score.

Knowing when to relax and when to be tense is as easy as breathing for Mai Sakurajima to switch between. She's become increasingly familiar with this feeling and quickly erases the tingling sensation from her mind.

Bang bang bang...

Gunfire erupted, and the splitting giant claws brought forth a large number of demons. Tyrant and Hayasaka Ai were suppressing the fire. Following Yuki's footsteps, Mai Sakurajima arrived at the railing and quickly looked around.

The hall is several thousand square meters in size, with walls without windows on all sides and gray-brown marble floors. The information desk in the middle is like an isolated island, with a row of pharmacy windows on the left.

It's very spacious, grand and imposing, but lacks functionality, and makes it easy to spot people near the information desk.

A hunched old man stood there, dressed in a black suit and leaning on a cane. His withered head, which looked like something out of a horror movie, was slightly raised, and his empty eye sockets made Mai Sakurajima's heart stop and she instinctively took a half step back.

"Dean Fukawa!"

"Yes, it's him." Perhaps because he had met the other person once before, Yuki appeared extremely calm, and didn't even pay attention to him for long before heading straight into the distance.

That was a wall directly opposite this side, pitch black, billowing with black smoke; he had seen a similar scene on the second floor.

Please do not vandalize the hospital building.

At the beginning of the game, everyone analyzed that as long as you are inside the building, there will be spatial gaps, making it impossible to break through the walls.

You won't die from a fall from the first floor, but you'll be crushed by the force of the impact.

The entire wall was covered, so who knew where the door was? Even if it was there, who could guarantee it wasn't an illusion? After all, Dean Fukawa had spatial abilities.

You are troubled.

Just as Yuki was deep in thought, the old man spoke. His aged voice trembled slightly, and although it wasn't loud, it resonated throughout the entire first floor, even drowning out the gunshots.

"Well, this is the core of your territory after all. It would be easier to handle if it were in a neutral area." Jie Cheng stared straight into the empty sockets, showing no fear whatsoever.

Neutral zone? So what?

"You'll be slaughtered by me, leaving not a trace, old Biden." Jie Cheng shrugged, calmly taking his senior's hand and stroking its fair back.

"It will do you no good to anger this old man."

"I'm just stating the facts. With all the rotten things you've done, you should have died long ago."

Xiao Qiannai thought of Chika and the human flesh warehouse, but he didn't exude much murderous intent. He simply slashed down the nurse who lunged at him with a single stroke and stepped on her head as she rolled away.

"These things were originally quite powerful, but you, you miser, were unwilling to invest your own power to drive these puppets."

The old man wasn't too surprised; his words hit the nail on the head, revealing the biggest secret of the dungeon.

Driving the puppet requires energy; either the patient's resentment summons a demon, or he relies on the energy he has accumulated himself. Clearly, he is unwilling to entrust his Destiny to his subordinates.

"Very good deduction. We are on equal footing in terms of intelligence, so I'd like to make a deal with you."

He waved his hand gently, and a crack appeared in the black wall, revealing a rather impressive glass revolving door. From Yuki's position, he could see the Parking Lot behind the door.

Oh, this.

Mai Sakurajima was at a loss for words. Why did the other party take the initiative to give way and show goodwill? Yuki raised an eyebrow, but he wasn't bothered much and led the girl toward the escalator.

Hayasaka Ai and Tyrant continued to fire their guns, knocking down the demons that surged out of the corridor, while Keisei stepped onto the escalator and slowly headed down to the first floor.

"Don't try to stall for time. You have fifteen seconds."

"I know you can return once you leave the hospital. There's nothing in the game that says anything about taking my life, so there's no need for us to fight."

He was logical, frank, and unsurprised that he had swallowed Curly and Jenny, and that the copy hint was not surprising at all.

It was incredibly tempting, but Jie Cheng shook his head and uttered two words:

"Ten seconds."

The simple answer caused Dean Fukawa's expression to change slightly. Why wasn't this person following the script and logic?

"You have no connection with them whatsoever, surely you wouldn't fight me out of hatred?"

Eight seconds.

"So it's because of the dungeon rewards after killing me? Putting aside whether there's even an achievement, do you really think I'm made of clay?"

The volume started to rise. If there was no intention whatsoever, then there was no point in discussing the details of the transaction. He began to think, and then he became unable to understand.

Five seconds.

"You're not that kind of naive sense of Justice, are you? In his memory, that's the most useless and foolish emotion a player can have." The old man leaned forward, annoyed that the plan had taken an unexpected turn from the start.

"This is a dungeon, a playground for players to plunder and kill. Even destroying the world is worth it as long as there's enough profit. Would humans grieve for the ants they trample while playing?"

Clatter.

Fifteen seconds had passed, and the formation stopped as if on a clock.

"No need to think about it anymore, there's no reason, I just—"

"I just wanted to kill you."

This remark made the dean frown and also drew the attention of the senior student next to him. In her memory, Jiecheng was not the kind of person who acted impulsively, but her expression remained unchanged, and she still trusted the other party's judgment.

Jie Cheng didn't make excuses; this was what he truly thought, but it wasn't simply a matter of willfulness.

Making a deal with a demon? That sounds foolish. Besides, he had a dangerous feeling; it seemed that the person standing in front of him wasn't a dungeon boss, but a player.

Foolish and dangerous, why would I do such a thing?

"You just want to kill this old man? You really are a madman, no, you are all madmen." Dean Fukawa's gaze swept over them.

Words can be sharp blades. The 'way out' was right in front of them, yet these players didn't even argue, let alone fight amongst themselves.

"Very well, since you are so foolish, then this old man will grant your wish."

He beckoned, and black mist surged, obscuring the doorway. Then, a flash of silver light appeared before his eyes.

Swish--

Jiecheng suddenly charged forward, slashing the hunched old man in two with a single stroke, but it vanished like mist, disappearing without a trace.

"Are you all ready?" Yuki hadn't expected to kill his opponent with a single strike, and slowly straightened up.

The gunfire had ceased, and the corridor, which had been teeming with demons, suddenly fell silent. No one spoke; they simply raised their heads slowly, along with Yuki.

A wriggling sound came, the black mist in front of them dissipated, and a huge creature was reflected in their contracting pupils.

Wow, this thing is the dungeon boss?

Yuki licked his lips, tasting a metallic, rusty flavor. His crimson eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt his otherwise decent descriptive abilities had become utterly inadequate.

A 'snake' coiled on a wall several meters high, its scarlet skin covered with countless human faces, somewhat like a carpet of human skin from a skeletal Giant. Those faces, some sorrowful, some distressed, some angry, could trigger trypophobia and made people instinctively look away.

Besides the human face, there are countless hands and feet extending from the body, twisting and swaying back and forth, like dense downy hair.

It was thick, terrifying, twisted, and with a hint of greed, like a rotten piece of intestine that made people nauseous. Moreover, it had no head, and it was impossible to tell which was the front and which was the back.

From the perspective of the Demon Eye, it appears as a lump of dark excrement, covered in densely packed demon cores, like it's wearing a garment made of black pearls.

'It's somewhat like that giant claw, formed from those puppets, only much larger.'

The size was too large and the distance too great, so Yuki couldn't immediately spot the brighter cores among such a massive mass of dark stars. He also couldn't see Curly's and the others' heads, because the large intestine was entirely composed of faces, which were still wriggling, making them impossible to distinguish.

"What kind of monster is this?"

Mai Sakurajima gasp escaped her lips. Under the Crimson Moon, the greatest threat was Li Dan; at least he was still a human being.

"Don't think too much about it, as a player." Yuki patted the girl's hand and leaned forward, sword in hand.

"It is our duty to slay demons and eliminate evil!"

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Let the moonlight Illuminate All Rivers! (Second Update)

The blade, as clear as autumn water, reflected the massive body before them. Tyrant and Hayasaka Ai stood on either side, each wielding a gun, while Mai Sakurajima and Shiina Hiyori retreated to the back, as neither of them were particularly adept at direct confrontation.

It's a standard team fight formation, except it's missing a tank.

Yuki glanced around, then finally looked at the large snake writhing in place, and understood what the other party meant.

The longer the game drags on, the better it will be for them. They'd love for the players to be intimidated and hesitant to move forward. Seeing the tense bodies of the players, they knew that the other side's plan had succeeded.

The enormous size, which is enough to make your sanity drop wildly, is indeed frightening, but the players weren't scared. For example, Hiyori took out paper and pen and started writing and drawing frantically.

"Then I'll start the group buy."

Clatter.

He took a step forward, meeting the enemy head-on, his speed increasing until he was charging. Hayasaka Ai Yuki stepped forward to follow. The Tyrant, responsible for providing fire support and covering the rear, advanced at a steady pace, while Shiina Hiyori kept her eyes wide open, observing every detail.

In the empty hall, Yuki and Hayasaka Ai walked side by side. They exchanged a glance, and there was no need for a long talk. Their experience of fighting side by side dozens of times made them know exactly what to do.

We'll force it off the wall, take care of Curly and Jenny, and then get out of the hospital building!

Ta-da-ta-da...

The footsteps became lighter and faster. The two people walking side by side looked up at the same time and saw the giant snake move. Suddenly, a red light flashed among its hundreds of swaying arms.

Call out--

An invisible, enormous wind blade slammed towards them, causing Yuki and Hayasaka Ai to leap to the left and right, seeing a straight line cut into the ground.

"It's curly hair."

"Cross-position transposition".

Hayasaka Ai immediately ran ahead. With so many arms, it was impossible to tell which one was curly-haired. Fortunately, the contract existed, so she could act as a human shield.

Bang bang bang!

With the revolver firing in rapid succession, ordinary bullets could only leave bloodstains on the giant snake's body. A deadly feeling came over her, Hayasaka Ai suddenly slowed down.

They switched places again, and Yuki, shrouded in gray mist, blocked their way. The next moment, countless faces opened their mouths.

Roar!!!

The intense Mental Impact left Yuki dazed, but under the Demon Possession, his extremely high mental resistance allowed him to act as a human shield for Hayasaka Ai. The Mental Impact from a hundred meters away only made his hands and feet feel cold.

Hayasaka Ai huddled behind Yuki, her back obscured by his silhouette, and then, while he was still in a daze, she grabbed his collar and jumped aside.

Puff puff puff...

Suddenly, his sides were covered with 'spears', all of them bloody thighs and arms, stuck in the marble floor and impossible to pull out.

"It's the red glow of alchemy."

A soft female voice came through the headset, Hayasaka Ai immediately stepped in front of Yuki without hesitation.

"Mental Impact."

Yuki immediately switched positions and once again used Gray Mist to withstand the attack.

"Many limbs are spasming and retreating."