A crossover anime/manga story, set in everyday Tokyo, but within a loop of a game.

Page 43

"From the start of the instance until now, it's only been a little over three hours. In such a short time, you were able to leave the spawn point, find the route to Ren'ai Hospital, and arrive here. This shows that you are a very good player."

"According to real-world time, today is Wednesday, a workday. If you are the kind of players who have only experienced the newbie dungeon once and are required to do it again within a month according to the system rules, you should choose to enter the dungeon on a weekend when you don't have to work."

The male player frowned slightly upon hearing this, looking somewhat curious.

"Just because of that?"

"Of course, that's not all."

Asagiri shook her head, speaking calmly.

"If you are the kind of people who don't have a job in the real world, or whose work hours are relatively flexible, you might also enter the dungeon today. But as I just said, the fact that you can get here at this time shows that you are excellent players, and you must have been determined from the moment you entered the dungeon that you didn't want to just waste ten hours, but to take the initiative and complete the second objective of clearing the dungeon, without wasting time due to hesitation or indecision."

"Now that we've determined that you're the type of ambitious players who take the initiative, this can't be your second dungeon after clearing the newbie dungeon. In terms of time, there have been sixteen days since the game started. Even if you signed up on the day the game started, there's a three-day queue and a one-week cooldown period, so it's impossible to enter the fourth dungeon at this point. Therefore, you can only be players who have already cleared the dungeon twice, including the newbie dungeon."

Upon hearing Asagiri's words, the two male players exchanged glances. Then, the more astute player turned around and nodded without any hesitation.

“That’s right, this is indeed our third instance, and I agree with what you said. Exchanging items or equipment for the antibody reagents you have is indeed a win-win deal.”

If it were a simple-minded player, like the one foolish enough to enter the instance wearing a suit that made movement inconvenient, they would think to themselves, "Since Asagiri said he's already thoroughly searched the hospital, doesn't that mean he's eliminated most of the dangers? Why should I trade items or equipment? Why not just go in and search? If I don't find the antibody reagent, I can come back and trade with him."

But these two players don't see it that way.

Is there still any danger inside the hospital? That's uncertain at the moment, but what is certain is...

The mysterious player in front of them, dressed in black and wearing a gray mask, must possess immense strength; he might even be able to instantly kill the two of them.

After all, if one didn't have absolute confidence in their own strength, why would they do something like blocking the hospital entrance and actively seeking out other players to make trades?

Thinking of taking advantage of small gains? If you anger this mysterious player and they kill you, it will be too late for regrets.

but……

The two men exchanged a glance, and an idea formed in their minds.

You say you're bringing out valuable equipment and items, but the other party doesn't know what equipment or items you have. While you certainly can't fool them with junk, there's no need to bring out your best stuff, right?

Just as they were thinking this, Asagiri seemed to see through their thoughts and added in a calm tone.

"By the way, if the equipment and items you bring are of a value that satisfies me, I can share with you the truth about the dungeon that I have learned. Although you did not explore and deduce it yourselves, even if you only learn it from me, it will definitely increase your completion rating by at least two small levels, and maybe even a big level."

Upon hearing this, the two male players were deeply moved.

In their last run, they did indeed receive a notification that they had discovered a certain pattern in the dungeon, which resulted in a bonus to their run score.

The mysterious player in front of me said... he could share the truth about the dungeon that he knew with me?

That's really tempting.

"But..."

Just then, Asagiri added with a smile.

"Although sharing such important information with you won't cause me any loss, I'm not the kind of person who likes to help others for free, and my patience is also very limited. So, you only have one chance. If you can't come up with something that satisfies me, you won't get the information, or even the antibody reagent."

The two middle-aged male players remained silent for a while. Then, the one who was more intelligent slowly extended his right hand, and a sharp dagger with a deep dark purple hilt and blade appeared in his palm. It looked ominous and his face showed undisguised pain and reluctance.

"This is the best equipment I own."

"is it?"

Asagiri stepped forward, gently placed her right hand on the dagger, and took out her phone with her left hand to check the specific information about the equipment.

His relaxed demeanor, even after closing the distance, convinced the two male players that this mysterious man's combat power far surpassed theirs, and that he had no fear of them taking the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

[Ominous Dagger: Equipment (Blue Quality, Excellent)]

[A dagger crafted from an unknown material, more durable and resilient than ordinary daggers. Due to the ominous aura it carries, it intensifies the pain of wounds inflicted on biological enemies and disrupts their mental state.]

After reading the description of the dagger, Asagiri nodded and said in a calm tone.

"Blue-quality weapon type equipment, that's actually not bad."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged male player's expression became somewhat complicated.

The best equipment I own... does it only deserve a "good" rating in the eyes of the other party?

What's the deal with this mysterious person? They're just like me, a player who's only cleared the dungeon twice, right?

It's impossible that the other party achieved the highest level of completion rating in both of those dungeons, right?

"And yours?"

Upon hearing Asagiri's question, another male player sighed, then, with a pained and reluctant expression, took out a small bottle.

【Miracle Hand Sanitizer (Disposable, High-Quality Purple)】

[A certain fatherly warrior's most frequently used healing item possesses a magical, illogical power: when poured onto a wound, it instantly eliminates the pain and allows the wound to heal at a visible speed. The only drawback is that this hand sanitizer seems to follow some strange causal law; once opened, even just a single drop cannot be used again.]

"Wow, I didn't expect you guys had this kind of prop?"

Hearing Asagiri's praise, the male player who took out the hand sanitizer felt as if his heart was bleeding, but he was not the kind of person who couldn't understand.

Now that the game is in its early stages, what is most valuable to players like them?

Skills, talents, and professions are the highest priority, followed by equipment, with items coming last. Items that can only be used once have a much lower priority.

Is hand sanitizer effective? Yes, it is. If you are seriously injured, using this product might save your life.

However, it also has the limitation of being a one-time use item.

There's simply no opportunity to use this during battle, and even if you do get a chance to use it, it will disappear after you've finished.

Players at their level don't need insurance with strict usage conditions or an uncertain timeframe; instead, they need rewards like skills, talents, classes, and equipment that can be used repeatedly and frequently to demonstrate their value.

In other words, he is now taking out this purple, one-time-use item, which he doesn't know when he'll ever use and which is practically worthless before it's actually used, to exchange for the opportunity to obtain the more valuable rewards mentioned above after clearing this dungeon.

This deal is a great deal.

"OK, deal done."

Asagiri took the dagger and hand sanitizer, put them away, handed the two bottles of reagents to the two players, and then spoke with a smile.

"The truth behind this instance is actually..."

……

After the two players confirmed they had cleared the level and disappeared, Yuuki Asuna, who had been standing inside the hospital wall without showing herself but had listened to the whole process, came out and looked at Asagiri with a mix of seriousness and sarcasm.

"I thought you would take their tools and equipment and then kill them, or force them to hand over all their belongings."

Upon hearing this, Asagiri smiled and asked in return.

How could you possibly think I would do something like this? What kind of image do you have of me?

Asuna Yuuki smiled, her tone relaxed yet playful as she teased him.

"Given your personality, I think you might actually do it. Why don't you reflect on yourself?"

"If I were a lone wolf player, I might do that."

At this point, Asagiri suddenly changed the subject, looking at Yuuki Asuna's face and smiling.

“But now that we’re teammates, you’d be unhappy if I did that kind of thing, right? If our styles of action become seriously different, it will affect our teamwork, and in more serious cases, it might lead to us going our separate ways. Compared to so-called props and equipment, you are much more important to me.”

78

Chapter 78 Locator Fishing Operation.

Upon hearing Asagiri's words and seeing the smiling look in her eyes, Asuna Yuuki's face instantly flushed red, and she stammered.

"Uh, suddenly... what are you saying..."

Immediately afterwards, Asuna Yuuki mustered her courage. Although she dared not look directly into Asagiri's eyes, she extended her slender, fair left hand and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"There are no infected people left in the hospital, and there are no other players around, so... should I offer you a hand?"

Before Yuuki Asuna could finish speaking, Asagiri had already taken her hand, and just like during the first newbie dungeon, they intertwined their fingers in a more intimate way.

"Of course we should hold their hands."

Feeling the warmth from her palm and hearing Asagiri's smiling voice, Asuna Yuuki's blush became even more pronounced, but her slender fingers gripped Asagiri's hand even tighter.

At this moment, even the scene of infected corpses scattered everywhere, under the dim sky, which made the hospital buildings appear even more sinister and suffocating and terrifying, seemed less frightening because of her budding girlish heart.

……

Meanwhile, in the real world...

"Wuhu~ A new skill~ And a piece of equipment~"

Seeing Kotoko Iwanaga's cheerful and energetic demeanor, Megumi Kato, lying on the sofa with a somewhat tired expression, sighed softly and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Iwanaga-kun, you have so much energy! I'm so tired I barely have the strength to talk..."

Kotoko Iwanaga sat on the sofa, her petite body bouncing on the soft fabric as her legs, clad in white stockings, swayed.

"After all, my skills consume mental energy but not much physical energy, while your unique talent consumes both mental and physical energy. Plus, you've killed quite a few zombies, so it's normal to feel tired."

When the results were tallied this time, Kotoko Iwanaga received an S-rank rating, while Megumi Kato received an A+. Although both of them were in a team with Asagiri and Asuna Yuuki, their actions that earned them points were quite different.

Kotoko Iwanaga "collected information and deduced part of the truth about the disaster that occurred in the city of doomsday," while Megumi Kato "cleaned up some of the ordinary infected people in the hospital." Obviously, in the system's evaluation, Kotoko Iwanaga, although she did not personally kill zombies, performed better in this instance because she collected information from the ghost man and deduced part of the truth about the disaster.

After clearing the game, Kotoko Iwanaga received the same physical enhancements as Megumi Kato, along with a piece of equipment that was very suitable for her, and a new "strange" type skill.

【A Unique Brooch (Equipment, Blue, Excellent Quality)】

Wearing this brooch slightly increases the player's mana recovery speed, and it can be changed to different colors according to the player's preference.

The value of this piece of equipment is actually just so-so, after all, it's just a blue-quality accessory and it's unlikely to have any overpowered effects. But what Kotoko Iwanaga likes most about this accessory is that it can change colors according to the player's preference.

In this way, there will be no color conflict.

However, although Kotoko Iwanaga really liked the brooch, the main reward she received after clearing the game was actually the "weird" skill.

【Grip of the Underworld: Consumes a large amount of mental energy, charging for about two seconds before summoning a giant pale ghost hand from the void to unleash a terrifying attack on the target, inflicting both curse and physical damage. The charging time decreases as the player's mental energy increases.】

Attack skills that can directly cause damage are exactly what Kotoko Iwanaga needs right now.

Although "Grip of the Underworld" requires a two-second charging time before activation, consumes a lot of mental energy, and affects her own condition, she is not a lone wolf. She has Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna in her team, who can buy her time to charge up her skills during battle. She doesn't have to worry about being unable to fight back against enemies after consuming a lot of mental energy.

Simply put, it provides the team with an extremely powerful means of dealing damage.

Kato Megumi, who received an A+ rating, not only had her physical abilities enhanced, but also unlocked a special job and an exclusive skill that matched her talent.

Special Profession: Shadow Dancer

Shadow Dancer: A special assassin-like class that moves through the shadows, concealing its presence to deliver a fatal blow to its enemies.

[This special class's passive effect: Delivering a fatal blow to an enemy without being detected will restore both spirit and stamina.]

[Player-Exclusive Skill: Touch of Nothingness]

【Void Touch: Can be activated when touching other players. By consuming the user's own mental and physical energy, it temporarily grants the other player a "weak sense of presence". The duration of the effect depends on the mental and physical energy consumed when the player activates this skill.】

[Note: Similar to when the player uses their own exclusive talent, the slower the opponent moves, the longer the skill effect lasts; the faster the opponent moves and the more noticeable they are, the shorter the skill effect lasts. The maximum duration is thirty seconds.]

Upon seeing her newly acquired exclusive skill, Kato Megumi immediately envisioned its many uses.

For example, before starting a battle, you can use "Void Touch" on Kotoko Iwanaga, who is not good at direct combat. This will not only prevent her from being targeted by the enemy, but also give Kotoko Iwanaga the time to charge up her "Grip of the Underworld".

For example, when traversing potentially dangerous areas, use this skill on Asagiri, Kotoko Iwanaga, and Asuna Yuuki to ensure the team isn't targeted by the enemy and to guarantee the squad has the initiative in battle.

"Oh, so boring."

Kotoko Iwanaga lay on the sofa, her hands supporting her cheeks, looking utterly bored, and muttered to herself.

"What are Asagiri and Asuna doing in the dungeon at this hour... I should have stayed put. Sigh, I just couldn't refuse his request."

Upon hearing Kotoko Iwanaga's words, Megumi Kato cautiously spoke up.

"Iwanaga-kun, may I ask you a question?"

Kotoko Iwanaga replied with a smile.

"Don't be so formal, just ask!"

"Do you... really like Utsunomiya-kun?"

"Why not?"

"But...why?"

Kotoko Iwanaga looked puzzled when she heard the question.

"what why?"