You’re Telling Me This Is a Slice-of-Life?

Yuuki wasn’t exactly an upstanding person, but he wasn’t evil either. He had nothing to do with being reclusive or violent.

All these years, his preparations had been for surviving crises while still enjoying a normal youth. If his personality changed in the process, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?

His fingers traced over his thigh, brushing against the deep crimson glow, while he listened intently to the voice crackling over the radio.

The other two teams had found nothing either. That garden completely defied common sense—blooming in full splendor yet devoid of even a single drop of water. As for those unknown fruits, no one dared to taste them. Li Dan decided to check out the city walls instead.

Meanwhile, Hayasaka Ai was wandering aimlessly through the building, occasionally making some noise—who knew what she was up to.

The unknown loomed over everyone like moonlight, even making Yuuki relax a little. He pondered how best to use his remaining enhancement points, but with no clue what the real threat was, he had no choice but to be patient.

“Break’s over. Time to move.”

Glancing at his watch, he turned with a half-smile. “Hey, still mad at me?”

Sakurajima Mai sat sulking in the corner, chin propped on one hand, only letting out a faint “hmph.”

They had gotten somewhat familiar with each other by now, but earlier, Yuuki had made the bold move of extending a hand of ‘trust’—and promptly pissed off the bunny-girl senpai.

“I only spoke the truth. And only the truth can build trust between us.”

“Hmph, it was just too blunt.” Sakurajima Mai finally turned to face him, her violet eyes filled with dissatisfaction.

Whether it was personal preference or a strategic choice, Yuuki was willing to stick with Sakurajima Mai. But in a game like this, there was no time for slow trust-building, so he gave her a very practical reason:

You’re too famous. If you betray me and I happen to survive, getting revenge wouldn’t be hard.

[If I hadn’t left showbiz years ago, this game would be unplayable for me,] Sakurajima Mai thought, fully grasping the downside of fame. According to Li Dan, once they cleared the game, they’d return to reality—and this guy was clearly from the same world as her. His reasoning was uncomfortably sound.

Still, it was better than blind trust.

Annoying as it was, Sakurajima Mai had to admit his logic was solid. After all, it worked both ways—if he betrayed her, she’d have no trouble tracking him down either.

“Fine. We’re stuck on the same boat anyway. You’re at least more reliable than the others.” She narrowed her eyes warily. “But don’t get any weird ideas about me.”

“With your outfit, that’s asking a lot.” Yuuki teased, only to immediately grimace. “But I’ll try. Now, can you move your foot?”

“Hmph, that’s more like it.” With a slight smirk, she lifted her high heel, exuding a queenly aura.

Yuuki flexed his foot, shaking off the lingering numbness. This girl was sharp—just like the dagger she always carried. According to Sakurajima Mai, she couldn’t kill anyone else, but she could definitely kill herself. If she ended up covered in blood, no one would probably be interested in her anyway.

In a game this dangerous, Yuuki didn’t need a delicate, clinging girl. He needed someone who wouldn’t hold him back.

After their brief rest, they continued exploring the castle. Past the grand banquet hall, they entered another building. This one was likely for guards or servants—far less luxurious than the previous one.

The plush carpets were gone, and their leather shoes creaked against the bare wooden floors. The walls were lined with fine cracks, and the crimson moonlight streamed in relentlessly through every gap and window, leaving no corner untouched.

The radio crackled with static—Hasaka’s voice was gone.

That sent Sakurajima Mai pressing closer to Yuuki, a chill running down her spine.

“Maybe we should go back. There’s no way we’re finding food here.”

“I know.” Yuuki spotted some plates in a narrow corner—completely clean, not even a single breadcrumb left. “You’re not saying you’re too hungry to walk, are you?”

Sakurajima Mai’s cheeks flushed as she instinctively covered her flat stomach. It wasn’t a big deal to go four hours without food, but now that the tension had eased, the hunger hit her hard.

“I’m fine.”

“Really?”

“Really! I just think wasting energy like this is pointless.”

Your stomach is literally growling.

It was past midnight—dinner had been ten hours ago.

Yuuki was just as hungry and thirsty, but he didn’t call her out on it. Instead, he casually replied, “I’m not looking for food. I’m looking for places where the red moonlight doesn’t reach. There might be something useful there.”

“Huh?”

Sakurajima Mai blinked at him, momentarily thrown off by his train of thought.

Normal people would be searching for water and food, but this guy was looking for places untouched by moonlight?

“Why? Does that even matter?”

“Not yet. But this game has puzzle-solving elements. To solve them, we need information—we can’t just let it lead us by the nose.” Yuuki pushed open a wooden door, revealing a staircase leading down. “Have you noticed? It’s almost 4 AM, but the red moon hasn’t moved at all.”

That’s true.

Sakurajima Mai turned toward the window. That crimson moon still hung in the same spot in the sky.

But what did that mean? They weren’t even sure they were still on Earth.

“We should head back. We’re getting farther from Li Dan’s group.”

“Not yet. Let’s find the basement first—no way a castle doesn’t have one.”

Sakurajima Mai sighed and rolled her eyes. She had underestimated how stubborn this guy was. Glancing back at the dimly lit hallway, she hurried after him, only to bump straight into his back when he suddenly stopped.

“Ugh, what now?”

“Shh.”

Yuuki turned and gestured for silence, his face suddenly serious. Seeing his expression, Sakurajima Mai instinctively shut up, holding her breath as she stared at him.

Their faces were so close, they were practically pressed together—but there was no trace of romance in the air. Both of them were listening intently, muscles tensed.

[Is he messing with me just to get close?] Sakurajima Mai briefly wondered—until she heard it.

Tap.

It sounded like a footstep. Or maybe a water droplet hitting the floor.

The radio crackled, mixing with a raspy, almost mechanical breathing.

Both of them instinctively looked up.

The second floor? Was it Hasaka’s group?

Sakurajima Mai started to raise her radio, but Yuuki shot her a sharp look. Without thinking, she lowered it again.

She didn’t know why, but after spending these past few hours with him, Yuuki gave off the impression of someone… professional.

Not a veteran player, but definitely not a clueless newbie either.

The Blood Moon’s gift… was it coming now?

Yuuki hadn’t forgotten about 【Hint #4】. He wasn’t just looking for the basement—he wanted to know what this ‘gift’ really was.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The strange sound grew closer. Yuuki’s eyes darted around, but all he could see were the cracked walls and that ever-present crimson glow.

Something was building in the air. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the moonlight in the hallway seemed to thicken. He didn’t wait any longer—grabbing Sakurajima Mai’s slender wrist, he yelled:

“Run!”

He turned and bolted toward the banquet hall, ignoring her sharp intake of breath. His focus was razor-sharp.

【Player Yuuki has consumed an enhancement point. Draw a skill or item?】

No hesitation when it counts—clutching onto your trump card only to die a pathetic death? That’d be downright stupid.

As that thought flashed through his mind, a faintly glowing playing card materialized before him, spinning rapidly as if excavating the depths of the unknown.

From the tutorial, Yuuki had already learned how the game’s rewards worked: they were divided into enhancement points and specialization points—the former used to upgrade items and skills, the latter to strengthen physical attributes and that… so-called innate trait.

Aside from all that falling under the category of “enhancement,” there was another way to use them—drawing.

Yuuki had already thought about this while exploring. Right now, he had no gear, no equipment, and even if he leveled up a skill by one rank, it wouldn’t lead to any major breakthroughs. That left him with only one obvious choice—

[I’m going full gambler mode.]

He had no time to worry about his luck, only praying for the card to spin faster, because the dimly lit corridor was already undergoing a disturbing transformation—

Thud.

Something dark and amorphous fell from the ceiling ahead, landing with a wet splatter as crimson liquid spread across the floor. Yuuki squinted to get a better look—only to hear a sharp scream from behind.

“It’s that college student!”

Sure enough, it was the white college student—or at least, his clothes were intact. His once-handsome face, with its faintly delicate air, had been reduced to pulp, resembling a smashed watermelon. Red and white fluids soaked his attire.

Unlike Sakurajima Mai, who was frozen in horror at the gruesome sight, Yuuki took the opportunity to study the body as he dashed past it. A massive, gaping wound marred the chest, its insides torn open, various organs strewn about in a grotesque display.

Claw marks? A beast-type creature, then?

Despite the gruesome scene, Yuuki actually felt relieved—it wasn’t a ghost. He hadn’t prepared exorcism-related skills over the years.

His foot splashed through the blood, the slick sensation seeping through his soles. Meanwhile, Sakurajima Mai felt as though the thick metallic stench was strangling her, an oppressive force gripping her throat. This was nothing like the “head-blooming” tutorial guide.

Just hours ago, that college student had been full of life, exuding gentlemanly charm—she had even found him rather likable. And now? His corpse was splayed out like a discarded ragdoll right in front of her.

[How’s Hasaka-san doing? Am I going to die just as horribly?]

Fear clawed its way up her chest, sending an icy chill down her spine. It was like plummeting off a cliff—the sensation of a hand gripping her wrist suddenly became overwhelmingly clear.

Her fingers twitched slightly. Instinctively, she wanted to grab onto Yuuki’s hand—but before she could, that last sliver of reliance was cruelly ripped away.

Yuuki suddenly stopped, turned around, and threw her forward.

Their eyes met—hers, violet and filled with shock and fury; his, cold and unreadable.

“I Knew it. You’re no good guy!”

He was clearly using her as bait, sacrificing her to stall some terrifying creature.

But in the very next instant, Sakurajima Mai realized how completely, utterly wrong she was.

Crack!

The sharp snap of wooden planks shattering rang out. A web of fractures spread beneath Yuuki’s feet before the floor gave way with a thunderous crash. Amidst a flurry of broken wood and dust, he plummeted straight down to the first floor.

Thud, thud, thud.

Pain shot through his body as he collided with hard surfaces on the way down, but his mind was too overwhelmed by the grating noise filling his ears to care about the injuries.

【One enhancement point consumed. Drawing complete—】

【Player Yuuki has obtained the skill: Reinforcement Magic (Novice)】

That voice spoke thus.