A three-way alliance?
Ai was somewhat confused and disappointed when she heard that.
Teaming up with this man was suitable because they had both shown their value, especially Yuuki.
His rationality, combat power, and professionalism made her very satisfied, plus he must be in Japan, so he wouldn’t easily dare to betray her.
A perfect partner, but why bring her along?
Ai looked back and forth between the two, her gaze growing increasingly ambiguous.
She covered her mouth and chuckled: “Yuuki, it seems you have a lot of unrealistic fantasies about the entertainment industry.”
Mai’s hand holding the knife trembled even more, and Yuuki felt a headache coming on, but he couldn’t refute her suspicions.
“I never abandon my comrades; I keep my word.”
“You two are comrades?”
“Barely, I suppose. And since she dared to come find me, the ‘barely’ can be dropped.” Yuuki put away his knife.
He couldn’t exactly say that Mai might be very useful in the future, so he just used an analogy:
“We are players, but first and foremost, we are individuals. If I saw a better partner and abandoned you, that would be a pretty scummy thing to do.”
The blonde girl tilted her head slightly.
Upon closer thought, there was some truth to it.
If this guy were truly someone who would stop at nothing to survive, that strike earlier should have cut through both her and the monster.
She reluctantly accepted this reason.
Anyway, there was time; she would see the truth with her own eyes.
“Alright, but I still have to warn you, trying to be cool in this game is very dangerous~”
“Don’t worry, I’m more professional than you.” Yuuki rolled his eyes.
Ai kept switching between various personas, making her somewhat inscrutable.
But one thing was certain: her will to survive was no less than his.
“Mai, come over here. Since we’re an alliance, let’s discuss things properly.” He turned his head and waved to the girl standing idly above.
After he spoke, Mai didn’t move.
This result was truly unexpected.
She had originally thought it would be great if these two could just take her back to meet up, but they actually became teammates?
“Why? I shouldn’t be of much help to you, right?” She was full of doubt.
When the monster appeared earlier, let alone fighting it, it was hard enough to maintain calm judgment.
‘She still doesn’t know about her ability?
Oh, right, it hasn’t manifested since she joined the game.’
After relaxing, Yuuki suddenly noticed a blind spot, but he couldn’t just directly ask, ‘Where’s your puberty syndrome?’ So he stroked his chin, his expression profound:
“Your value, I know better than you do.”
At this, Mai became even more confused.
She thought hard, then suddenly clutched her chest, her face red, looking wary.
The two hadn’t known each other for long.
Before, Yuuki had only said strange things like, ‘You’re dressed provocatively,’ so naturally, she would think in that direction.
This scene made even Ai struggle to maintain her composure.
She turned her head away: “Pfft, you’re not very good at charming girls.”
“Mind your own business!”
Mai watched their expressions gradually become more animated.
For some reason, her body instinctively moved down the stone steps, and the wary expression that had appeared earlier vanished without a trace.
In any case, the way these two looked now was more in line with common sense, rather than cold-blooded players struggling to survive.
In this Reincarnation Game, maintaining rationality was a necessary option, but if one became a robot driven only by logic, how could one write the word ‘trust’?
Just like Ai’s mask, one’s mindset also had to change according to different people and situations.
After surviving the ‘gift’ sent by the Red Moon, a small group was finally formed.
In this silent underground, they recounted the experiences of the past five hours.
Five hours felt longer than five years.
All three had experienced unimaginable things, and taking advantage of the temporary safety, they could finally exchange information.
“Hints 1, 4, and 6 have all shown problems. That strange voice wasn’t joking; it was just ambiguous, and we needed to experience it ourselves to understand how dangerous it was.” Yuuki leaned against the wall, constantly rubbing his forehead.
His intelligence analysis ability was the strongest among the three.
Hint one: The living corpses will devour your flesh and blood; Hint four: Every once in a while, the Red Moon will send a gift; Hint six: Please do not go alone.
Ai and Mai both replayed these words in their minds, feeling a growing chill as they thought about them.
“Hmm, that monster really was like a living corpse, a gift from the Red Moon. We’ve all felt the consequences of going alone; our emotions become particularly agitated.” Ai, who had just been discussing shampoo with the senior like a Shibuya-style girl, immediately switched back to her player persona.
“Agitated? I felt fear, like walking in a lightless darkness where even consciousness would be annihilated.” Mai interjected, glancing at Ai, thinking this girl was a good actress.
“It seems everyone encounters different problems. This game amplifies the emotions in our hearts.”
“What will be the outcome?”
“I don’t know, but it won’t be better than our heads exploding.” Yuuki replied casually, his smile widening when he saw the two girls’ disgusted expressions: “I can confirm that these hints are all interconnected.”
The two nodded simultaneously, this was beyond doubt.
Then, as if they had thought of something, they spoke in unison.
“Wait a minute, then Hint Three…”
Talking to smart people was simple; they could even pose the questions themselves.
Yuuki’s smile turned bitter.
Indeed, Hint Three: Time will continuously flow, just like your lives and hope.
This meant there was a time limit, and it would most likely be linked to other hints, meaning the next gift would be even more terrifying.
At a certain stage, even veteran players would face a dead end.
“Then we’re doomed?” Ai’s face instantly turned pale.
She knew all too well the limits of her strength.
“I don’t know, but do you remember the very first sentence…?” Mai spoke with some hesitation.
Seeing Yuuki make a ‘please’ gesture, she bravely continued: “Please survive until the third day. Since it’s ‘day,’ there should be day and night, it shouldn’t be calculated by clock time.”
This was somewhat abrupt, at least not something a mere pretty face would say.
Ai was suspicious for a moment, then suddenly realized.
“Like that movie, ‘Night of Terror.’ I forgot, you played the little girl in it, though she died quite tragically.”
“Hayasaka, there was no need to add that last part.”
Yuuki ignored the helpless Mai, instantly grasping an inspiration.
He had also seen the movie ‘Night of Terror.’ It was roughly about an apartment building where evil spirits would come out at night to eat people, but like an endless night, even after twenty-four hours, the sun never rose, and the story naturally ended with everyone dying.
It was somewhat similar to their current situation.
Five whole hours with no sign of the moon setting.
If they didn’t solve this problem, would they all die like in the movie?
Mai’s idea was very valuable; it seemed to offer a handle on solving the problem.
Hmm, it was already five in the morning, and the Red Moon hadn’t moved an inch, let alone setting or the sun rising.
“Do you have any ideas?”
“A little, but not much.” Yuuki gently shook his head.
He muttered to himself: “Do you think Hint Two has any significance?”
Hint Two: Other than the old castle, no location can be stayed in for more than two hours.
This sounded like a hint to reduce difficulty.
If they couldn’t hide in the old castle long-term, were they supposed to rush out and fight the endless living corpses to the death?
Even veteran players would be exhausted.
The two shook their heads simultaneously.
Ai mused, “It looks like a glimmer of hope, but I don’t think this Reincarnation Game is that kind.”
“That’s the problem. I’ve found that the game has a certain misleading aspect. For example, this old castle looks safe, but it’s actually full of hidden dangers.”
“Indeed, with sturdy walls keeping the monsters out, I initially thought the biggest problem would be water and food, but I never expected…”
“I never expected the surprises to be even more deadly. According to human endurance limits, you can last two days without eating or drinking.”
“Even without water?” Mai interjected, then saw two meaningful glances and instantly shut her mouth.
If one truly wanted to survive, there were many things that could be eaten and drunk.
So this game detested shortcuts, and the key was to find clues?
Yuuki glanced at the deep underground and decided to follow its lead.
Since it was about finding clues, they couldn’t stay put.
“It’s not good in there,” Ai warned.
“Nowhere in this cursed place is good. Let’s check it out first. At least there’s no moonlight here, which I think could be useful.”
Gripping his knife hilt, Yuuki walked ahead, clearing the path.
He then found that the stone steps were very long, even accounting for the turns, they extended about twenty to thirty meters underground.
Another arched doorway appeared ahead.
Wall lamps, as if nuclear-powered, emitted a faint light.
Yuuki suddenly leaned against the wall, startling the two behind him, who quickly craned their necks to look.
Dungeon?
Beyond the doorway was still a corridor, but unlike the first basement level, both sides were densely packed with railings.
About ten meters away, there was a corner, from which a strange sound was coming.
Whoosh, whoosh.
It sounded somewhat like wind, accompanied by the clanking of chains.
Gulp.
Yuuki heard a gurgling sound in his throat, then felt a tug on his sleeve.
He half-turned and saw Ai and Mai shaking their heads in unison.
“You two wait for me here; I’m just going to take a look.”
“Hey, if you’re going to seek death, don’t drag us down with you.”
“You two together aren’t alone, what’s there to be afraid of?” Yuuki pulled his hand free.
He wasn’t trying to seek death; a gut feeling told him there would definitely be a reward there.
Just one look, just one.
He stood on his tiptoes, his spine chilling with tension.
The short ten-meter distance felt like the ends of the earth as he stared fixedly at the wall around the corner.
It took him a full minute to inch to the corner.
He leaned his back against the wall, took a deep breath, and then abruptly poked his head out.
With just a fleeting glimpse, his blood-red pupils froze.
He opened his mouth and, with clear articulation, let out a sound:
Fuck!