Chapter 99

It wasn't just the ability to overcome all difficulties, but also the clear understanding that this man was a cunning old fox who definitely had a backup plan, and that she couldn't bear the retaliation.

"Is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka that important? Is he worth you risking your life to run away with?"

"It's very important. Do you remember the 'he' that Li Dan mentioned?"

Hayasaka Ai was taken aback, then remembered one of the main reasons why Li Dan attacked them under the Crimson Moon: it was because they had suffered a loss at 'his' hands that the veteran player became wary of Yuki, which led to a series of subsequent problems.

You think it was him?

"That's possible. Also, some people in this academy are fighting against the Shinomiya Group. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so I have to make contact with him." Yuki gave him a look that said, 'I'm doing this all for you,' which made Hayasaka Ai avoid his gaze.

That wasn't the whole reason, though. He wanted to uncover the secrets of the Reincarnation Game. Although they had never met, he knew that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was similar to him, someone with a long-term vision who liked to explore the essence of things.

He looked at the students coming out of the library, such as a girl with long pink hair, a sweet face, a great figure, and slightly plump legs, and a handsome boy with blond hair not far away.

The former made him lecherously look at him, but he quickly looked away because of the latter's gaze. Then, he felt an invisible gaze sweep over his entire body.

This gaze felt somewhat familiar, much like the feeling of being scrutinized when driving in a car – a gaze that nitpicks and looks for signs of correction.

Nagumo Miyabi? She really does have a villain's face.

Since he was suspected to be a player, there were too many things that could be speculated about. Yuki pushed the cart forward and saw many 'familiar' faces, feeling the gazes behind him shift away.

Something's not right, there's definitely something wrong. If the Reincarnation Game is meant to select geniuses, why isn't Shuchiin process this extreme?

Yuki muttered to Shuchiin, he had never been to Shuchiin in person, he had only heard Hayasaka say that there would be no problem, as a veteran player, it was hard for him to be fooled.

The only player we know of right now is that squinty-eyed student council president, but that's part of the Shinomiya Group's power, and it's not as blatant as this.

While observing the players, he would also expose himself. The three people he met on the way made no attempt to hide it, and he immediately understood Hiyori's predicament, along with a sense of regret.

'If I had been born two years later, this school would have been quite a spectacle, a direct transition from the virtual world to reality. But forget it, competing with these exam kings is too exhausting.'

As anticipation grew, Yuki vaguely grasped a clue, but the final answer remained—

Let him tell me.

Chapter Twelve Random Diffusion Effect

As the sun sets, the bustling campus gradually quiets down. Thanks to the excellent facilities, students can manage without going home.

Everyone has a single dormitory room, and as long as you are strong enough, you can definitely live better than outside. But now there is an additional layer of Reincarnation Game, making the originally 'simple' confrontation more unpredictable.

Losing a school test is at most a matter of dignity, but losing Reincarnation Game is the difference between life and death.

'The situation hasn't improved; as the game progresses, things are gradually spiraling out of control. Moreover, the Reincarnation Game isn't limited to the academy; there are many powerful individuals outside.'

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood with his hands in his pockets, his shadow stretched long by the streetlights. He had been taking a stroll along this alley every night lately; the silence allowed his mind to think more rationally, and it also gave certain people an opportunity.

It's a pity that after suffering a loss last time, they're no longer willing to target me? No, now they don't even dare to monitor me, they're so afraid of me catching them red-handed.

Whether or not he goes to school is no longer important, but for the sake of his ultimate goal, he will not voluntarily give up this treasure trove, because there are many partners he can cooperate with besides those he opposes.

"It's a pity they've all hidden themselves. Once you're pulled into a dungeon, you'll never trust your own kind again, and suspicion is an as-so-natural part of this academy."

Time was still short, and many things hadn't had time to unfold. Occasionally, he would hear news of students dying 'naturally,' but it wouldn't affect him much.

Clatter.

He stopped walking, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka up, and saw something on the chair he often sat on. He hesitated for a moment, and a faint blue light appeared in his eyes.

This is an old phone model, with no signs of traps or malware. Who wants to contact me?

The boy showed no change in expression, clearly used to it; since he hadn't hidden his player identity, it was normal for him to be noticed.

Some newcomers, after completing the first instance, will find that they cannot hide their identity for long and will have to face a life-or-death test in the next instance.

The best approach is to seek help, and the identity of a 'classmate' provides the greatest sense of security.

"Someone from the first year? Trying to test me by hiding their identity first?"

Ayanokoji has seen phone recordings, voice changers, and things disguised as love letters. He will accept them based on the other person's worth, but he will not force them.

In the Reincarnation Game, treacherous teammates are more terrifying than monsters.

The boy was very cautious. He first circled the bench twice, then put on medical rubber gloves before picking up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ayanokoji, just as I expected, you're a gamer." A dry male voice came from the phone, sounding like someone much older than him.

That's normal. If they didn't even use a voice changer, they would be underestimating the intelligence of the college's elite students.

Several faces flashed through his mind, and as the boy tried to recall which one it was, he froze slightly.

Have you heard of Li Dan?

Those few words said it all. Ayanokoji had seen all sorts of misleading claims about his identity, including some who said they were from outside the school, but none of them mentioned a particular name right away, and he had heard of that name before.

Ayanokoji didn't answer yes or no, but instead asked:

"You're not from the school?"

"Of course not, but your reaction is quite interesting." Yuki chuckled softly. He hadn't gotten an answer, but the answer no longer mattered.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is a player, and a seasoned one at that, and that's enough.

Several kilometers apart, separated by a telephone receiver, both sides were on edge, realizing that the other was not a simple person.

When did he enter the school?

Ayanokoji had a strong urge to check the temporary access pass right now, but she knew it wasn't important. Clearly, the other party had informants within the school who could pinpoint her location so precisely, and their paths had even crossed in the instance.

What do you want? A test or cooperation?

"Is there no option to fight back?"

"If you wanted to fight back, you shouldn't have called." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka relaxed again. Whatever the other party wanted to do, there was no need to be nervous in his own backyard.

Talking to smart people is so simple; I don't even have to waste my breath.

Yuki leaned back in his chair. Although they only exchanged a few words, both of them had put in hundreds of times more thought than they actually said.

In terms of intelligence, he might not be as good as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, but he possessed an intelligence-gathering ability that transcended logic.

"I want to cooperate."

"Because of the player group, it might also be related to those conglomerates?" The boy had already guessed, and slowly shook his head. "But there's one thing you can't solve: how to prove you're not a member of a conglomerate. After all, the probability of encountering academy newcomers in the Reincarnation Game isn't low."

Since everyone here is intelligent, there's no need to beat Yuki. Yuki couldn't answer the boy's question, so he chose not to.

"If I'm not mistaken, you don't have an absolute advantage at Advanced Nurturing High School; there are still people who are competing with you."

"Very good intelligence Reconnaissance ability. Either you have informants, or they come to you to put on a show."

"That's certainly possible. Even if a pledge of loyalty is made, it's not credible. Why don't we start by looking at the rewards?"

Yuki chose to bypass the topic again and directly Repulsion. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka hummed in agreement, showing his interest as well.

In just a few minutes of conversation, he could tell that the other person was very shrewd and didn't resort to any useless tricks like feigning injury.

"I want to know more about the Reincarnation Game, such as its impact on reality."

Yuki cut to the chase, but Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was taken aback; this purpose was indeed unexpected.

There were no team requirements, no talk of cooperating against any particular side, and it had nothing to do with me.

This objective is too simplistic and doesn't quite match the other side's formidable intelligence capabilities. They risked contact just for this little bit of information?

Moreover, he has a desire to acquire knowledge but lacks the ability to obtain answers, meaning he is not of high rank but has far-reaching ambitions.

"Aren't you afraid I might mislead you?"

"The truth will always come out; it'll just take some time. I'll find out eventually."

Very rational, and these aren't ordinary players, because most players are either concerned with their own survival or obsessed with Transcendental Grade powers; who cares about the Reincarnation Game itself?

Knowing more about these things is useless; if you can't change the rules, you can only adapt to them. Knowing too much will only cause you trouble.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka found it increasingly interesting; there were actually people in this world who shared his views.

How far have you gotten from your investigation?

Yuki in the truck, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Things hadn't gone as he expected. Someone like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would definitely seek out the deeper truth and wouldn't be blinded by immediate gains.

This is inevitable, and it's also a test to see if I'm just spouting empty words.

"I've found that the game's instances are connected to reality, and the Reincarnation Game hasn't been around for very long. In the end, it's not just a game, but more like a selection mechanism."

Yuki stroked his chin and spoke slowly under Hayasaka Ai's strange gaze. He rarely mentioned these things, and Hayasaka Ai found them even more difficult to understand.

Surviving in the dungeon is hard enough; how can these two monsters have the leisure to think about game mechanics?

"You know a lot; you've definitely put in the effort." The young man nodded slightly. It was already quite impressive that he had found this much information, and he didn't hide the fact that the player's level was not high.

This is more effective than making oaths or vows; at least it shows honesty and a willingness to expose one's weaknesses, thus changing one's attitude.

"I have the answers. Except for those that the game rules forbid, I can tell you everything, but there will be a price."

It's really interesting to listen to these two go around in circles; after talking for so long, they finally got back to the original topic.

Hayasaka Ai touched her forehead. She considered herself intelligent, but felt her IQ still wasn't enough. Even when negotiating a deal, she could Repulsion from the objective. Shouldn't it be about building mutual trust first and then gradually deepening the relationship?

Yuki smiled faintly. They really were the same kind of people, not following the usual path. Since they couldn't trust each other no matter what, they would build a logical chain based on their respective needs.

"Just tell me, who are you targeting?"

"You should know without me saying it; it's a kind of test, and all I want is the result."

If you don't even know who your enemy is, then there's no point in discussing further cooperation. If you're pursuing the Truth of the world, whatever you want to do with that Truth, you need to have some skills to back it up.

"Okay, but I need an advance payment, since the risk is quite high."

"No problem, I'll give you some free information first." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka agreed. To be honest, he treated it as a scam call and suffered no loss whatsoever.

Given this person's intelligence, the truth will be revealed sooner or later.

"I suppose you're curious about the density of players in the academy, so I won't beat around the bush. The reason for this situation is—"

Amidst Yuki's soft breathing, the boy paused for a moment, then answered in a flat, even tone:

"This is due to the random diffusion effect among players."

Chapter Thirteen: First Direct Encounter

The van was quiet, without a sound for a long time. The phone call had ended, and Yuki had gotten the answer he wanted.

Just as he thought, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knew a lot and spent a lot of time exploring the Truth. People like him could not tolerate the existence of 'knowing what but not why'.

"I see, the player diffusion effect?"

Yuki turned off his phone and shrank back into his seat.

Players are randomly selected by the Reincarnation Game, and their numbers are negligible compared to the world's seven billion population.

However, according to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's theory, this is more like a disease called 'players'. When too many pathogens gather in one area, they will randomly spread outwards, making more people become players.

The closed, Advanced Nurturing High School is perfect for the Reincarnation Game, so the survival rate of newcomers is relatively high, and then it just keeps growing like a breeding ground for venomous insects.

Yuki can also verify this answer, but it will take a lot of time and there is no similar environment. This can even be linked to the castle and hospital he found.

Does it feel like it's eroding reality?

Yuki's head was throbbing with thought. There was another problem: Truth did Ayanokoji Kiyotaka want to do? That was meaningless for survival, just like a fish on a chopping board doesn't think about why the knife fell.

Is he just bored, or does he have ulterior motives? It doesn't matter; the deal is tentatively finalized, and I have time to figure out his thoughts.

Yuki turned her head and saw Hayasaka Ai's slightly pale face. Without asking, she knew what she was worried about.

If players have a diffusion effect, then wouldn't that mean...?

"Don't worry, this spread is random, and the number won't be too large. The entire Advanced Nurturing High School has more than 500 people. No matter how much they gather, the number of players won't exceed one-twentieth," Yuki comforted him. He felt that the spread would also have limits, otherwise all the players would become Lone Star.

"Well, it's just a probability." Hayasaka Ai forced a smile, but the gloom on her face didn't disappear, because she suddenly remembered that Kaguya Shinomiya had disappeared.

"Why don't you just go back and ask her?"

"How can I possibly ask that..."

"We still need to test it out. Besides death, there's also the distortion of the instance. You don't want Kaguya Shinomiya to become a different person, do you?"

Yuki doesn't like to run away from problems; she believes in addressing them directly.

"If so, would you help her first?"