NOVEL WEB Chapter 6 - The Game Begins
The game officially begins.
As the scarlet moonlight accompanied by a whisper descended, everyone froze for a moment, their minds overwhelmed by the flood of information. But soon, led by the two veteran players, the entire group rushed to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“What the hell are those things?”
“Isn’t it obvious? That weird voice just called them ‘ghouls’.”
“We should be safe, right…?”
“How would I know?”
The room buzzed with murmurs and unease. After the tutorial, no one was foolish enough to believe this was a dream. But realizing that this horror movie-like scene was just the beginning—some couldn’t handle it.
The game is only now officially starting? The monsters just now nearly scared the piss out of us.
Sakurajima Mai licked her dry lips. Through the window, she could see an expansive ancient castle. Below lay a garden in full bloom, its colors vivid and varied, and beyond that, an imposing wall.
Beneath the wall, hazy figures wandered aimlessly, like schools of fish in a crimson sea. But after witnessing that grotesque creature with its head bursting open, she knew—they weren’t human. They were the “ghouls” mentioned by that eerie voice.
They will devour your flesh and blood.
The words clung to her mind like a curse. She unconsciously clenched her fists, her thoughts in turmoil—until a voice suddenly spoke beside her.
“Sakurajima-san, do you think we’re just filming on some elaborate set?”
A clear voice cut through the heavy breathing around them. Sakurajima Mai spun around sharply and found a blonde girl standing behind her, innocently blinking her blue eyes.
“You know me?”
“You’re a big star. Plenty of people in Japan know who you are.”
She wasn’t wrong. Sakurajima Mai had debuted as an idol at six years old. Finding someone her age and from the same place gave her a small sense of relief. The tension that had gripped her since joining the game eased slightly.
“Of course this isn’t a film set. Though, I wish it were some prank show—where a hidden door suddenly opens and the host jumps out.” Mai curled her lips into a wry smile. “Aren’t you scared? Everything feels like a nightmare.”
“I’m scared too, but being scared doesn’t help. We have to find a way back, right?” The blonde girl spread her hands, lowering her voice in an attempt at nonchalance. “We won’t get anywhere if we’re fumbling around blindly. Like Brother Lee said, we need to stick together. Surviving comes first more then anything~~”
It was blunt and simple logic, but undeniably realistic. Any last traces of wishful thinking were gone now. If the outside hadn’t been so dark earlier, some people might have already tried jumping out the window.
But now? Who dared test those wandering corpses?
Mai glanced at Li Dan, who was clapping his hands, trying to get the disoriented new players to introduce themselves—perhaps to help them focus.
“Yeah, Brother Li’s way more reliable than that red-haired guy. He’s a veteran player, and he’s been looking out for us new players from the start.”
“Red-haired guy?”
“Thomas. In these kinds of stories, people with his personality type tend to die early.”
“Haha, Sakurajima-san, I didn’t expect you to have such a sense of humor. Not quite what I imagined an idol to be like.”
“Well, you have to get in the right headspace before facing challenges. Just like you—you’re not quite what I expected from a Shuchiin student either.” Mai’s gaze lingered on the open collar of the blonde girl’s uniform before extending a hand. “Just call me Mai, or add ‘san’ if you want”
“I’m Hasaka. Looking forward to working with you, Mai-san~” The blonde girl grasped her hand with a friendly shake, her blue eyes remaining calm.
As expected of a seasoned actress—mature beyond her years, level-headed, and undoubtedly useful.
Releasing her grip, she subtly turned her head to glance at a black-haired boy near the window, standing on tiptoe as he peered outside.
And then there’s him. Strange.
Yuuki had no idea a certain maid was quietly observing him. He had noticed her gaze from their first meeting and knew she had sensed something odd about him. But unlike the others, he wasn’t interested in the introductions.
He stood at the back, listening absentmindedly while his mind raced. He had already reread the six hints they had received multiple times.
[Ghouls], [Three days], [Castle], [Alone]…
No points, no rewards, no penalties, no staged objectives…
This reincarnation game doesn’t play by the rules.
Yuuki frowned instinctively. He hadn’t encountered many scenarios like this before—this wasn’t a typical “infinite survival game.”
Clues had to be extracted from the hints. The difficulty level was unknown, depending on how the players approached the challenge.
This is going to be tough.
He took a deep breath. Given all the problem-solving he had done over the years, he could probably survive in a Resident Evil-style dungeon. But this game? His confidence wavered.
As Li Dan said, logic and common sense don’t always apply here.
Yuuki had no trouble multitasking. Even as he analyzed the situation, he listened to the others’ introductions.
The two veteran players aside, Hayasaka Ai had used the fake name “Hasaka,” and Sakurajima Mai had only given “Mai.” The players came from all over the world—none of them recognized the idol, who had been on hiatus for years.
[Looks like they’ve also figured out that players might meet in reality and are trying to conceal their identities. As expected, their mental fortitude is above that of ordinary people.]
Yuuki respected their composure, but he had no interest in remembering the other players’ names. He only took note of their professions.
Aside from the four of them and himself, there were four more newcomers. A slightly overweight man who made no attempt to hide his wealth—he could be called “Rich Guy.” A young woman in an office lady outfit—a financial analyst. A woman with a sketchy haircut, coughing discreetly—a housewife.
These three had already moved closer to the band guy, seemingly agreeing to his terms. The latter was now openly groping the office lady’s curvy backside. Even in this situation, he still had the energy for that—Yuuki had to respect the guy’s determination.
Beyond those three, there was a timid, clean-cut university student and a muscular Black man watching everyone warily.
[Rich Guy, OL, Housewife, White College Student, Black Guy, Sakurajima Mai, Hayasaka Ai, and myself—eight new players. Li Dan and Thomas are the veterans. The ratio of new to old players is quite high.]
Yuuki mentally reviewed the lineup before finally raising his head—because all eyes were now on him.
“Hey, it’s your turn, dumbass. What, are you some kind of idiot?” Thomas snapped impatiently, and the others looked equally annoyed.
The black-haired boy, his clothes disheveled and stained with blood, had the weakest presence of all. He had arrived the latest, was the least noticeable, and often spaced out like an autistic child.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. I still haven’t fully wrapped my head around all this,” Yuuki said with an innocent smile, coughing lightly. “My name’s Yuuki, I’m eighteen, and I’m a college student. Uh… is something wrong?”
After finishing his self-introduction, the group continued staring at him. The chubby guy, Rich Guy, impatiently asked, “That’s it? What about your skills?”
“Uh, I’m a medical student. I know some first aid.”
“Don’t try to fool me. What can a first-year med student even learn? Whatever, I guess that’s at least somewhat useful. Better than that history major.” Rich Guy sneered, casting a glance at the white college student before instantly losing interest in Yuuki.
The others turned away in disappointment, shifting their attention to Li Dan, clearly treating him as the leader. Even the burly Black man looked at him expectantly.
“Brother Li, we’re all listening to you. Just tell us what to do.”
A natural development.
Li Dan smiled slightly, pressed his hands down to calm the group, and cleared his throat. “Everyone, don’t panic. The outer wall should hold back the ghouls for now. We’re not in immediate danger, so we have time to plan properly.”
The towering, thick walls indeed provided a sense of security. Most people relaxed a little and listened as he analyzed the hints one by one.
“The castle is a temporary safe zone, but don’t get too comfortable. Hint Three states that the enemies will get stronger. Sooner or later, that wall won’t hold. But we can’t just run around like headless chickens either—staying outside for more than two hours is absolutely not an option.”
“What happens if we go over two hours?” Rich Guy asked loudly.
“Heh, what happens if you don’t open the door when the game starts? It’s about the same,” Thomas said with a cold smirk before Li Dan could respond. Several people shrank back at his words.
Not opening the door had already gotten someone’s head blown apart in that corridor. Ignoring the hints would definitely lead to a gruesome death.
“Don’t scare them. They haven’t experienced anything that bizarre before. The first rule of survival in this game is don’t gamble on luck.” Li Dan rubbed his face, looking as if he was recalling something he’d rather forget. Then he took a deep breath and refocused.
“But don’t blindly trust the hints either. This thing isn’t going to let us breeze through three days without a hitch. Our priority is searching the castle—at the very least, we need to understand the layout. And according to Hint Six, never act alone.”
Mapping out the area and identifying potential hiding spots and safe rooms was a solid and cautious approach. As for the latter half of Hint Six, its meaning remained unclear.
The castle was massive—there was no way they’d finish exploring it in under half a day. And that outer wall didn’t seem like it could guarantee safety for long either. With that in mind, Li Dan decided to split into groups. The rule was “don’t go alone,” and two people technically counted as a group.
Nobody wanted to leave the hall and return to that terrifying corridor, but since they had already handed leadership over to Li Dan, they had no choice but to follow orders.
The group exchanged hesitant glances, unfamiliar with one another and unsure how to form teams. And then there was that troublemaker, the band guy.
“Hey, you two wanna join my team? It’s a great deal, you know.” Thomas glanced at Sakurajima Mai and Hayasaka Ai, clicking his tongue playfully. “Come on, don’t look so resistant. Who knows, maybe it’ll be even more fun than you think?”
In terms of looks, figure, and overall presence, the two girls were clearly the standouts. But while Sakurajima Mai’s expression twisted with disgust, as if she valued certain things more than survival, Hayasaka Ai hesitated, her attitude matching her flashy gyaru appearance.
He was wielding a weapon that looked like a chainsaw sword, yet he was being eroded by lust? Looks like there’s no Emperor’s judgment here.
(TL: Warhammer 40k reference, I think.)
Yuuki watched coldly from the sidelines, silently throwing in a snarky remark.
“Enough. You’re pulling too many people away—this will slow down the search.” Li Dan stepped in, standing protectively before the two girls, his expression stern. “There are only ten of us in total, and you’re trying to take four? Are you trying to drag everyone down with you?”
Two veteran players stared each other down while the rest of the group barely dared to breathe. Only Yuuki’s eyes flickered with curiosity, as if wondering just how strong these evolved humans really were.
After a few tense seconds, it was the band guy who backed down.
“Tch, meddlesome. Whatever, we’re all gonna die sooner or later anyway. So what if we clear this dungeon?” He didn’t argue further and simply hefted his chainsaw-like sword onto his shoulder, walking off. Rich Guy and the two women hesitated for a moment before quickly following.
The reckless thrill-seeker just walked away, leaving six people in the room, all steeped in an ominous mood.
When personal goals differ, “sticking together” is just a joke. But the dungeon still had to be cleared.
“It’s fine. With more people, they’ll attract more firepower. We’ll follow the hint and go in pairs, sticking to the plan to search the castle. Let’s draw lots to decide the teams—it’s the fairest way.” Li Dan clapped his hands to regain everyone’s attention and pulled out slips of paper with names written on them.
As expected, everyone wanted to team up with the veteran players. To maintain order, a random draw was the best option, and nobody objected.
One by one, the remaining group stepped forward to draw. Seeing how excited the Black guy looked, Yuuki already knew he had pulled the jackpot. Finally, Yuuki stepped up, silently chanting in his mind, ‘Hayasaka Ai, Hayasaka Ai’—obviously aware that the maid’s combat skills would significantly boost his survival chances.
But the moment he glanced at his slip of paper, his eyes immediately shifted to the bunny girl by the round table, whose expression was… complicated.
Sakurajima Mai.