Chapter 87
The giant sword, several meters long, made Yuki appear tiny, and the remaining red light illuminated his expressionless face.
Being unafraid of fear and indifferent to death is not a virtue in the Reincarnation Game, because courage alone cannot accomplish anything.
Whatever tricks you're up to, here's the slash.
The storm propelled the greatsword forward, and then... the greatsword remained motionless!
Um???
Not to mention Curly, even Dean Fukawa was shocked. Why did the alchemy reaction stop? The charging man hadn't signed a contract with him.
What's going on? That blonde woman was clearly far away from me, huh? Where did the other woman go?
Invisibility? Impossible! The giant serpent's the Roar has already dispersed the gray mist, and the demon's perception of humans surpasses all thermal imaging systems!
A huge amount of doubt filled Curly's head, while Yuki had already bypassed the greatsword. He couldn't see anything either, except for the faint feeling of a girl's gentle touch on his neck.
You really think it's something as simple as invisibility?
Demons can certainly sense the emotions emitted by humans; optical invisibility is no substitute, but they can simply move out of the observation range, right?
Player squads are more powerful than you think!
Swish--
The blade sliced through the air with remarkable simplicity, without any dramatic special effects. With a mere flick of the wrist, it severed a rapidly retracting arm, then caught it with the left hand and tossed it into the storage space.
Using the momentum, Yuki stepped onto the giant snake's body, feeling a muddy sensation beneath his feet.
With each step he took, silky baby arms grabbed his feet and pulled him into his body. Yuki swung his arms back and forth, clearing the 'grass' in front of him. After only a few steps, he felt his feet shake violently.
"Senior, hold me tight."
"Hayasaka, three-second countdown, target, beneath my feet."
Thump!!
The giant serpent crashed to the ground and began to writhe wildly, trying to throw Yuki off, but he used his sword as a plow, struggling to climb forward, his eyes fixed on what lay ahead.
Two seconds, one second.
The giant serpent nearly rolled on the ground, making it impossible for him to stand. He simply jumped up, and with that leap, the Death Knell tolled in his ears.
Bang!
This attack was even more powerful than the previous one, tearing off a large chunk of the giant snake's body, revealing a head with slightly curly hair amidst the dark flesh.
Several meters apart, the two players stared at each other. Curly-haired man's pupils contracted, and he dared not utter a word, quickly shrinking into the giant snake's body.
Trying to run? Too late!
The bright moon seemed to hang behind Yuki, and the man remained silent, only twisting his waist and raising his greatsword high.
Overload Mode. Storm Drive.
Waaah--
The chainsaw roared, creating a gust of wind that sent Yuki spinning like a top, his longsword in one hand and his greatsword in the other, as he was propelled away by the gale.
Blade Storm!
The bright circular saw shone under the moonlight; this was the only 'aerial combat' technique. With the help of gravity and jet propulsion, Yuki was unstoppable in the air.
Swish swish swish swish...
With his arm severed and his skin ripped open, Yuki carved a bloody path through the air, the gleaming blade magnifying in Curly's vision.
No!!
Without hesitation or a word, Yuki crushed him on the head, the long sword severing his facial bones, the chainsaw shredding them to pieces, leaving this meticulously crafted specialist player completely vanished from the world without uttering a single word.
Swish, swish, swish...
Yuki showed no sign of stopping, sweeping across most of the snake's body, leaving a long trail of blood behind it, before finally landing back on the ground and rolling a few times.
He could feel two soft lumps pressing against his face, making it hard to breathe, but miraculously, he could still see clearly ahead.
The giant snake fell down the wall, revealing a rather ornate glass revolving door. Unable to think about this 'Schrödinger's face wash', Yuki leaped forward and rushed towards it.
"Let's go, let's get out of here!"
Hayasaka Ai, Shiina Hiyori, and the Tyrant had already run ahead while the giant snake was focused on dealing with Yuki. They turned around, saw Yuki lying on the ground, and then buried their heads and ran.
The glass door was pushed open forcefully, and the pungent smell of disinfectant finally disappeared, replaced by the refreshing fragrance of the garden. When Yuki also ran out, everyone rushed forward at the same time.
Bang--
An Abyss Grade maw from the abyss slammed into the door, shattering the glass and trapping the massive head inside. Ignoring the flying debris, the players sprang to their feet faster than ever before and raced across the Parking Lot.
They escaped!
The Tyrant grinned, his heart pounding from the terrifying scene just now. They crossed the Parking Lot and the garden, and by the light of the streetlights and moonlight, they saw an iron gate ahead.
The iron gate was wide open, and there were no security guards. Outside the gate was a wide road. A group of people rushed towards the iron gate, and then at the same time, they felt their hearts stop beating.
Thump.
The moment he stepped out of the iron gate, the Tyrant, who was running at the front, felt as if he had crashed into an invisible wall. He was instantly bounced back and fell to the ground.
He turned his head in confusion and saw several other faces that looked equally confused.
They've left, but haven't completely left yet?
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Departure and Return (Second Update)
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Heavy breathing echoed in the still moonlight, mingled with the chirping of cicadas in the garden, creating a sense of unease, but the root of this unease lay in the whispers in one's mind.
[Some players remain; the remaining players must not leave the instance.]
How could we not get out? How is it possible we can't get out?
The sense of bewilderment surpassed despair. He had just gone to great lengths to fight his way out and even took care of Jenny and Curly in the process, but this was still the result.
According to the hint, the wolf is still there and unable to leave the instance, which fits one of Yuki's three guesses:
Wolves and humans cannot coexist.
Just as Curly planned, the best way to solve this kind of puzzle is not to try to solve it; when only one player remains, all the problems will be solved.
The group, who had just fought their way out through perfect teamwork, stared at each other. The Tyrant, with a helpless yet resolute expression, reached for his gun. As soon as he moved, Hayasaka Ai pulled the trigger and kept giving Yuuki, who was deep in thought Yuki out of the corner of her eye.
As for Shiina Hiyori, she was completely at a loss. She didn't know who to advise, let alone how to advise them.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, but the battle ultimately did not take place. There was some trust built up from fighting side by side, but more importantly, there was the harsh reality.
The Tyrant is exhausted, Mai Sakurajima has not yet shown up. If infighting breaks out, there are three of them on Yuki's side.
"Which of you lied?" The Tyrant was overcome with despair; he had no way out no matter what.
"If we get a hint, we'll just say it."
"Who would believe that? Now it's just a few of us left, fighting side by side. There's only one way now." The Tyrant swept his gaze across the crowd and said coldly, "Step forward and kill yourself. Don't drag the rest of us down with you."
No one can be trusted, including himself, who is full of doubts. Asking players to commit suicide in the Reincarnation Game is like a fantasy, especially since veteran players have only managed to get to this point because of their will to survive.
"Mr. Tyrant, there's another possibility: the wolf might not even know it's a wolf. Please don't make wild guesses," Hiyori said weakly, drawing a look of despair and anger from him.
This outcome is worse than someone lying and concealing the truth; it's like Schrödinger's wolf, right? How are we supposed to escape this scenario?
How about playing Russian roulette, where everyone takes turns committing suicide and then everyone else walks out, until the last one is left?
Given the style of Reincarnation Game, it's quite possible they could do that. Amidst the suspicious glances, Yuki, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.
"Alright, if we fight amongst ourselves, we'll all die."
"But the problem now is that we can't get out. We only have half an hour left before the restraints reach their Limit, and the pain we feel will cause that thing to expand infinitely!"
The Tyrant growled, knowing full well the potential side effects of the Comfort Pills. As one of the plan's organizers, he was well aware of the consequences.
"Then let's go back and kill it while we still have time."
"It's pointless. Even if we're exhausted and can't win, this won't solve anything. In the end, we'll just end up killing each other!"
Even if the hospital director is dealt with, he still can't leave the Demon Hospital; when his time comes, he'll die anyway.
"Then what's your plan?" Yuki stood up, facing him directly. "For example, what if I were the wolf? Would you dare to bet?"
The Tyrant swallowed hard, his chest heaving with intense inner turmoil. He dared not gamble; if he made a move, he would die right now.
"That's right. Even if it's about killing each other, it shouldn't be now. Do you want to let that old Biden get away with it for nothing?"
The answer is no. The foundation of the Tyrant's cooperation with Yuki lies in what he saw and heard at the Demon Hospital. The suspicion is slowly dissipating, and Yuki's words, sharp as knives, reveal a more important objective:
Even if all the players are wiped out, you won't survive.
"Take a deep breath, don't fall into their trap. Also, have you noticed that one player is missing?"
At first, everyone thought it was the invisible Mai Sakurajima, and after a slight pause, Shiina Hiyori, clapped her hands.
"It's Zhang Qing, we didn't see him!"
The boy with the uneven eyes was almost invisible; even the Tyrant had forgotten about him, only knowing that he had disappeared on the fifth floor.
"You saw him?"
"No, there are only three cores inside the giant serpent. If I saw it, would I give up?" Yuki shook his head honestly, which dimmed the hope in everyone's eyes.
They were able to get this far largely thanks to Yuki's keen observation, and they believed he wouldn't let them get away.
"But just because you can't see him doesn't mean he's not there."
"What do you mean?"
"The boy with uneven eyes is different from the curly-haired boy. If he were a wolf, would he have special abilities?" Yuki said something thought-provoking, and then calmly shared all his observations.
He noticed the other party from the very beginning of the dungeon. As a brain cancer patient, the fact that he could pass the beginner's guide was something that Mai Sakurajima had secretly observed, leaving the latter puzzled.
"His illness is strange; it flares up occasionally and then subsides. Also, Mai Sakurajima told me that the first time she Deep into the Wrong Path, she met the boy at the pharmacy door. Without Comfort Pills, how do you think he managed to stop the pain?"
"He... took the medicine from the hospital?" Hiyori blinked, as if reading a captivating detective novel; a true detective pays attention to details that others overlook.
"Hmm, maybe he ate it during the beginner dungeon. In that strange situation, a normal person wouldn't touch anything, but he's not a normal person. Do you remember what ward the ninth floor was?"
Neurosurgery, brain cancer—he should have been there, whether intentionally or unintentionally; receiving treatment is not a given.
"That makes sense. He told us at the beginning that he thought it was a transfer to another hospital, so it's normal for him to receive treatment!" The Tyrant slammed his fist into his palm. He hadn't paid any attention to this newcomer who was destined to die, so he looked up with some suspicion:
"But why would you notice him? A completely unknown newcomer?"
"I have OCD; once I discover a problem, I have to get to the bottom of it. He shouldn't have gone through the beginner's guide, but he did, and that's the problem."
"Alright, even if you're right, we still have a major problem." The Tyrant didn't care about analysis, only about the result. "We've exhausted all our methods and are almost completely worn out. How are we supposed to defeat that monster?"
Zhang Qing isn't important; he's just a reason, a reason for everyone to regain hope.
After a moment's Yuki, Yuuki opened his hand and grasped a severed hand; the stone on the back of his hand gleamed with a reddish-black light.
"Wrong, we haven't used all our means." He pointed at Hayasaka Ai, and thanks to Mai Sakurajima's skill, there were still four bullets in the gun. He turned his wrist and pointed to his chest.
[Use 2 enhancement points to activate Bloodline Object]
"That's not all, I now have another trump card!"
When the player rushed out of the hospital, the giant snake showed no intention of giving chase, as if, just as the hospital director had said, there was no reason for either side to fight to the death.
They're gone.
An aged, eyeless head emerged from its abdomen and glanced in the direction of the gate.
"If all goes well, they should kill each other, and perhaps one or two people will be left to come back and die."
"But that's what players are like, at least the players Mr. Curly remembers."
A head grew out of Dean Fukawa's neck, youthful and innocent, with eyes of different sizes, looking like conjoined twins.
The headache disappeared, leaving him in excellent condition, as if he had returned to his days as the top student in the elementary school math Olympiad.
"Even if Mr. Thomas manages to subdue the others with his strength, it will be difficult for them to unite. Disagreements are the biggest problem and will waste a lot of time."
Time, yes, I feel the constraints are weakening.
The dean nodded slightly, glancing at the massive and broken body. The attack had also seriously injured him, but once his resentment was restored, it would be like turning on a tap, quickly reviving him.