Reincarnation Stream Player

"Then I wouldn't be suffering this much. A top student in mock exams is still a top student." Yuki spread his hands without further explanation, then held out his right hand. "Pleasure working with you, Miss Hayasaka."

The girl glanced at the hand before her. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and shook it.

"Pleasure working with you too. Looks like I've found someone to carry me."

For a moment, she showed a hint of playfulness, leaving Yuki stunned and unable to tell which version was the real her.

"All I can say is that we'll help each other."

As the monster's corpse sank away, the two leaned against the wall to recover their strength, chatting idly as they did.

Only then did Yuki learn that Hayasaka Ai's solution had been rather unique. She had dragged the Novice Guide in by the head, used the rules to cut off a Petal, and obtained a Chaos Item called the Frontal Lobe Fragment.

The gift Crimson Moon gave her was simple as well: one random skill increased by a level. It had randomly landed on Hacker Decryption, which she already had at the Mastery level.

"This is useless for now. It would've been better if it boosted my physical strength."

"Keep dreaming. I'm guessing specialization points are even harder to get than enhancement points. Besides, it might come in handy later." Yuki rubbed his chin, feeling a trace of frustration.

As far as skill slots went, Hayasaka Ai had no fewer than he did, but that had nothing to do with talent. When I first transmigrated, I had to earn money to support myself. How could I compare to the Shinomiya Clan's resources?

Just as he was about to complain, a clattering set of footsteps reached his ears, making both of them tense their muscles again. Hayasaka Ai returned to her Player state, arching her back like a female leopard.

Another gift from Crimson Moon? Was it trying to kill them all?

Without blinking, the two stared at the archway and quietly tightened their grips on their knife and axe. A few seconds later, a short knife entered their view.

Hayasaka Ai immediately leaned forward, ready to charge in and seize the initiative, but Yuki pressed down on her shoulder. She turned around in confusion.

"One of us."

Yuki answered as he looked upward with mild surprise. Behind the short knife was a long, shapely leg clad in black stockings, followed by a bunny girl outfit that perfectly outlined its wearer's curves.

Mai Sakurajima hadn't followed the gunshots to find Li Dan? Was she too scared, or remarkably brave?

The answer was unknown, because Bunny Girl Senpai had frozen at the entrance, staring blankly at the two of them.

The Licker's enormous, bloody corpse had not yet fully vanished. Great streams of blood flowed down the stone steps into the depths, while the girl her own age who had spoken to her not long ago had been dyed into a blood-soaked figure.

The game had been running for nearly five hours. For the first time, she felt the alien distance between people. Looking at them, then examining herself, it was as if they did not live in the same world.

Fortunately, Mai Sakurajima had seen her share of things and possessed a maturity beyond her years. She swallowed. "Y-you two... what happened here?"

"Hehe, we just took care of a few minor matters. Mai, though, you've got some guts. You dared to follow us alone." Hayasaka Ai instantly resumed her Gal persona, teasing, "Going solo ends badly, you know. If you hadn't found us, how long do you think you'd have lasted? Five minutes?"

The blood-covered girl wielding an axe was terrifying, but the teasing tone made Mai frown slightly. She could hear the contempt in her words.

"I made a judgment. My odds of surviving were lower if I went to find Li Dan. If danger came up, he wouldn't do everything he could to protect me either."

"Oh? And he would?"

Mai shifted her gaze to Yuki and gave a slight nod.

The fact that he had pushed her away earlier already said a lot. Mai Sakurajima was not stupid. She knew the Licker's first target had been her, and an ordinary person would have been scared senseless in that situation. Who would have the presence of mind to save someone else?

"It wasn't only about survival odds. He saved me before, and I wanted to help him too. At the very least, I wouldn't let him go alone."

Hayasaka Ai's lips moved as she swallowed her sarcastic reply. There were no burdens in a Dungeon; if Yuki had been alone, he would have been doomed even without the Licker attacking him.

Whether those words were true or not, there was nothing particularly moving about them. Still, that rationality was admirable.

"Yuki, I didn't expect you to be such a gentleman." Hayasaka Ai's tone remained teasing, but her eyes carried a rational chill, as if asking him what they should do.

Their trump cards could not be exposed, and this big star was of little use in the game. At least, her little bit of cleverness and rationality was far from enough. The bloody battle they had just endured was already terrifying enough; how could they spare the energy to look after dead weight?

No matter what, I have to make it back alive. There are still so many things I haven't done.

Getting involved between two women was dangerous. Yuki had kept silent, but when he noticed Hayasaka Ai's gaze, he merely spread his hands.

"I've always been a gentleman."

"Then why didn't it show when you were messing with me earlier?"

"That was to help you relax. Staying tense for too long can cause heart problems. I'm a doctor, after all."

"A medical student. And only a first-year at that."

Yuki's mouth twitched. Ignoring Hayasaka Ai's nitpicking, he looked toward Mai Sakurajima. Bunny Girl Senpai was biting her lip with her chin raised, but the hand gripping her short knife trembled faintly.

She was awaiting judgment. Neither of them needed to do anything; if they simply turned and left, she would be dead. She had just experienced the terror of going alone.

Yet even so, she refused to kneel and beg. It would be useless, and she would lose her dignity as a person along with everything else.

Yuki was no saint, nor did he have any interest in pretty ornaments, but his speculation about the Ego Trait softened his gaze. He turned to Hayasaka Ai.

"Miss Hayasaka, the three of us are allies."

We Join Forces (Revised)

A three-way alliance?

Hayasaka Ai felt both confused and disappointed upon hearing that.

Joining forces with this man suited her well, because they had both demonstrated their value. Yuki in particular had greatly satisfied her with his rationality, combat strength, and professionalism. Besides, he was definitely in Japan, so he would not dare betray her lightly.

He was the perfect partner, but why bring her along?

Hayasaka Ai looked back and forth between the two, her gaze becoming increasingly suggestive. Covering her mouth, she smiled. "Yuki, it seems you have quite a few unrealistic fantasies about the entertainment industry."

Mai Sakurajima's hand shook even harder around the knife. Yuki felt a headache coming on, yet he had no way to refute her suspicion.

"I never abandon comrades. I keep my word."

"You two count as comrades?"

"Barely. But since she dared to come looking for me, we can drop the 'barely.'" Yuki sheathed his knife. He could not say that Mai Sakurajima might be useful in the future, so he could only offer an analogy. "We're Players, but we're people first. If I abandoned you the moment I found a better partner, that'd make me a pretty shitty person."

The blonde girl tilted her head slightly. Thinking it over, she found it did make some sense. If this guy truly was someone who would do anything to survive, that slash earlier should have cut through both her and the monster.

She reluctantly accepted the explanation. They had time, anyway. Whether he was lying or not, her eyes would see through him.

"Fine, but I still have to remind you: trying to play the hero in a game like this is dangerous~"

"Don't worry. I'm more professional than you." Yuki rolled his eyes. Hayasaka Ai kept switching between different personas, making her difficult to read.

But one thing was certain: her desire to survive was no less than his.

"Mai, come over. Since we're allies, let's talk things through properly." He turned and waved to the girl standing above them.

After he spoke, Mai Sakurajima did not move. This outcome truly surpassed her expectations. She had thought it would already be good enough if these two merely brought her back to regroup, yet she had somehow become a teammate?

"Why? I don't think I can be much help to you." Her face was full of suspicion. When the monster had appeared, let alone fighting it, even staying calm enough to judge the situation had been difficult.

She doesn't know she has that ability? Right, it hasn't shown itself since she joined the game.

After relaxing, Yuki suddenly noticed a blind spot. But he could not directly ask, "Where's your Adolescence Syndrome?" He could only stroke his chin and put on a profound expression.

"Your value is something I understand better than you do."

The moment he said that, Mai Sakurajima became even more confused. After turning it over in her mind, she suddenly covered her chest, blushing as she assumed a guarded stance.

They had not known each other long. Earlier, Yuki had only said strange things like, "You're dressed pretty provocatively," so naturally, her thoughts went in that direction.

Even Hayasaka Ai could barely hold it together at that sight. She turned her head away. "Pfft. You're really not very good at winning girls over."

"Mind your own business!"

Mai Sakurajima watched their expressions grow increasingly animated. For some reason, her body instinctively began moving down the stone steps. The guarded expression that had appeared on her face vanished without a trace.

No matter what, the way these two were acting now was more in line with common sense than the cold-blooded Players struggling for survival.

As Yuki watched Bunny Girl Senpai slowly approach, the smile on his face became increasingly sincere.

In this Reincarnation Game, keeping one's reason was necessary. But if one became a robot that had nothing but logic left, how could one ever write the word "trust"? Just like Hayasaka Ai's masks, one's state of mind needed to shift with different people and circumstances.

After getting through Crimson Moon's "gift," their small group had finally come together. Beneath this dead-silent underground, they went back over the events of the past five hours.

Those five hours had felt longer than five years. All three had experienced things they could never have imagined before. Now that they were temporarily safe, they could finally exchange information.

"Hints One, Four, and Six have all revealed their problems. That strange voice wasn't joking; it was simply ambiguous. We had to experience things ourselves to understand how dangerous they were." Yuki leaned against the wall, repeatedly rubbing the space between his brows. His ability to analyze information was the strongest among the three.

Hint One: Living Corpses will devour every last bit of your flesh and blood. Hint Four: At regular intervals, Crimson Moon will send gifts. Hint Six: Please do not travel alone.

Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima both went over those words in their heads. The more they thought about them, the colder they felt.

"Mm, that monster did resemble a Living Corpse. It was one of Crimson Moon's gifts. We've all felt what happens when you travel alone; you become especially irritable and agitated." A moment ago, Hayasaka Ai had been discussing shampoo with Bunny Girl Senpai like a Shibuya-style girl. Now, she had instantly switched back into her Player state.

"Agitated? What I felt was fear. It was like walking through darkness without any light, as if even my consciousness was about to be erased." Mai Sakurajima took over, glancing at Hayasaka Ai as she spoke. This girl's acting was pretty good.

"Looks like everyone encounters different problems. This game magnifies the emotions in our hearts."

"What will happen as a result?"

"I don't know. Anyway, it won't be better than having your head burst open." Yuki answered casually. Seeing the disgusted expressions on both girls' faces, his smile widened. "But I can be sure of one thing: these hints are linked together."

The two nodded at once. That was beyond doubt. Then, as if they had thought of something, they spoke in unison.

"Wait, then Hint Three..."

Talking to smart people really was easy. They could raise the question themselves.

Yuki's smile turned bitter. That was right. Hint Three: Time will continue to pass, just like your lives and hopes.

There was a fucking time limit, and it was very likely connected to the other hints. In other words, the next gift would be even more terrifying. Once they reached a certain stage, even veteran Players would have no path but death.

"Then we're doomed?" Hayasaka Ai's face instantly went pale. She knew better than anyone where the Limit of her strength lay.

"I don't know, but do you remember the very first sentence...?" Mai Sakurajima spoke somewhat hesitantly. Seeing Yuki make a gesture for her to continue, she gritted her teeth and went on. "Please survive until the third day. Since it says 'day,' there should be daytime and nighttime. It shouldn't be counted by clock time."

Her words were somewhat abrupt, at least not something a pretty ornament ought to have said. Hayasaka Ai looked suspicious for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"Like that movie Long Night of Terror. I'd forgotten—you played the little girl in it. Though you died pretty horribly."

"Hayasaka, there was no need to add that last part."

Yuki ignored Mai Sakurajima's helpless expression and immediately seized on the idea.

He had seen Long Night of Terror too. It was roughly about an apartment building where evil ghosts came out at night to eat people. But just like Polar Night, the sun never rose even after twenty-four hours had passed. Naturally, everyone was wiped out in the end.

It was somewhat similar to their current situation. Five whole hours had passed without any sign of the moon setting. If they did not solve this problem, would they be wiped out just like in the movie?

Mai Sakurajima's idea was valuable. It felt as though they finally had something to work with. Hmm, it was already five in the morning, yet Crimson Moon had not moved an inch, let alone set to let the sun rise.

"Got any ideas?"

"A few, but not many." Yuki gently shook his head. He had now found the problem, but not its solution. Muttering to himself, he asked, "What do you think Hint Two means?"

Hint Two: Other than the Ancient Castle, you may not remain in any one location for more than two hours.

It sounded somewhat like a hint meant to lower the difficulty. If they could not hide in the Ancient Castle for long, were they supposed to rush out and fight the endless Living Corpses to the death? Even veteran Players would die of exhaustion.

The two shook their heads at once. Hayasaka Ai pondered for a moment. "It looks like a way out, but I don't think this Reincarnation Game is that kindhearted."

"That's the problem. I've noticed that the game is misleading us to some degree. For example, this Ancient Castle looks safe, but it's actually full of danger."

"True. The sturdy walls keep the monsters outside. At first, I thought our biggest problem would be water and food, but I never expected..."

"You never expected the surprises to be deadlier. By the limits of human endurance, we can make it through two days without food or water."

"We can go without water too?" Mai Sakurajima interjected. Then, seeing the meaningful looks from the other two, she instantly shut her mouth.

When survival was on the line, there were many things one could eat and drink.

So this game hated shortcuts, and the key was finding clues?

Yuki glanced into the deep underground and decided to follow its lead. If they were searching for clues, they could not possibly stay where they were.

"It doesn't look good in there," Hayasaka Ai warned.

"Nowhere in this damned place looks good. Let's take a look first. At least there's no moonlight down here. I think that might prove useful."

Loosely gripping his knife hilt, Yuki took the lead. He soon discovered that the stone steps were very long. Even counting the turns, they descended roughly twenty to thirty meters underground.

Another arched doorway appeared ahead. Wall lamps that seemed nuclear-powered gave off a faint glow. Yuki suddenly pressed himself against the wall, startling the two behind him. They quickly stuck their heads out to look.

A dungeon?

Beyond the doorway was another corridor, but unlike the basement level, dense bars lined both sides. There was a turn roughly ten meters away, and a strange sound came from beyond it.

Huff... huff...

It sounded somewhat like wind, accompanied by the clattering rattle of chains.

Gulp.