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

Dawn was approaching, and the two-hour time limit for staying in one location was nearly up. Sakurajima Mai began gathering supplies and stuffing them into her backpack.

Even after receiving several eye-rolls, Yuuki had no intention of helping. He simply held the radio close to his ear, listening.

“The port is clear—no boats in sight. We did spot some ghouls drifting in from the sea, though. How the hell do these things sniff us out?”

“They’re coming from the south. Just as I suspected, they’re spawning from the castle.”

“Alright, everyone, regroup in five minutes. We’ll raise all the canal bridges. The river’s over ten meters wide—should be enough to keep most of them at bay.”

Li Dan’s voice crackled intermittently through the radio, but his orders were precise and faultless—plans they had agreed on earlier in the day.

If the ghouls spawned nearby, they’d break through and trap the creatures in the port district. If they emerged from the castle, then this peninsula would serve as their best fortification.

[But both Li Dan and I knew that dealing with the ghouls was the easy part. The real problem would come at sunrise. If the cycle didn’t reset, it would be the same as walking to our deaths.]

[We are all gambling. The difference was, he had room to adjust his strategy—I didn’t.]

The tension in the air was impossible to ignore, even for Sakurajima Mai. As she hoisted her backpack, unease crept over her, bringing another thought to mind.

“I used that enhancement point the way you suggested earlier.”

“Hm? What’d you pull?” Yuuki didn’t turn around. He already knew she had gotten an enhancement point—a lucky bonus.

Since she lacked suitable skills to upgrade, she’d chosen to roll for an item, just like he had with his first point.

“I got an item.” Mai took out a small azure vial, shaking it lightly. Inside, about thirty milliliters of liquid sloshed around.

【Chaos Artifact: Serene Dewdrop (Chaotic-Grade】

【Forces the user into a state of extreme calm, eliminating agitation, rage, and fear. 30ml replenishes every six hours.】

【Side Effect: Excessive calmness may impair movement and cognitive abilities.】

【Description: The right amount of calmness can help one find a way out. Too much, and one becomes a statue.】

Yuuki raised an eyebrow. Not exactly a game-changer, but not useless either. At least its application was broad, and the side effects weren’t severe.

The only downside was the limited quantity—hard to control the dosage precisely.

After a quick glance, he smirked playfully. “Senpai, you’re really committing to the support role, huh? Not that I blame you—handing you a blade would be a waste.”

“Hmph, I have fought before,” Mai scrunched her nose, admitting to herself that she just wasn’t cut out for this.

Combat required more than just strength—it was also about mindset. She had always been averse to killing, and there was no reason to fight with this lunatic over something she didn’t even want.

“Anyway, what are you still waiting for? The time limit’s up in two minutes.” Her legs were going numb from standing. Following Yuuki’s gaze toward the dark depths of the parking lot, she saw nothing—just the eerie crimson mist hanging in the air, sending chills down her spine.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The silence shattered. Heavy footsteps echoed without warning, making the ground tremble with each step.

Mai froze. An icy chill ran down her spine, straight to the tips of her hair. Instinctively, she raised her gun.

“W-what is that!?”

Yuuki’s breathing grew heavier. Reaching over, he flicked off the safety on her gun before calmly raising his own assault rifle.

Clack.

The moment he chambered a round, the previous tension melted away. His face was expressionless as he parted his lips.

“The judgment of fate.”

Before Mai could ask what he meant, the footsteps grew closer. And then, in their line of sight, a massive leather boot came into view—followed by a heavy, worn trench coat.

A towering figure, nearly three meters tall, seemed to materialize from the darkness. Mai’s gaze slowly traveled upward, her mouth opening inch by inch—until she saw the bald, blood-red head.

She had never seen this thing before, but as another “gift” from the Blood Moon, it exuded an overwhelming presence—even greater than the exposed-brain monstrosity in the castle.

A Tyrant. Or at the very least, something very similar.

Yuuki took a deep breath. The final answer was clear now. Even as a chill crawled up his spine, a strange sense of relief settled over him.

It wasn’t absolute proof, but this heavily suggested that the dungeon wouldn’t reset at moonrise. The Tyrant was undoubtedly an upgraded version of the Licker—anyone, even Mai, could tell at a glance.

If this was a new “gift” from the Blood Moon, stronger than the last one, then that meant—

“Yuuki… does this mean…?”

“Yeah. It’s the worst-case scenario I warned you about. Breathe. Recall every word I told you, and follow it exactly.”

Yuuki’s voice was eerily steady, devoid of emotion. His eyes locked onto the approaching giant as he slowly crouched.

Click.

He switched his rifle to full-auto. No opening speech. No battle cry. The Tyrant bent its knees—and charged like a tank.

Boom, boom, boom—tatatatatata!

Gunfire and footsteps clashed in a cacophony of noise. The creature barreled forward, ignoring the bullets that sparked off its crossed arms.

Unstoppable!

Even at point-blank range, 5.56mm rounds couldn’t even slow it down. Within seconds, the Tyrant had closed fifty meters. The moment Yuuki heard the empty click of his gun, the monster spread its arms and clenched its fists, ready to turn him into paste.

But at that instant, two stun grenades landed right in front of it—detonating almost simultaneously.

BOOM! BOOM!

Blinding light erupted, shaking the ground and sending debris raining down. Even from a distance, Yuuki’s ears rang painfully. There was no time to reload—he simply tossed his rifle aside.

“Follow me. Don’t shoot!”

With a low growl, he gripped the sword at his waist and charged straight at the giant.

The hulking frame filled his vision. Every nerve screamed in alarm, yet he pushed forward. Even blinded, the Tyrant instinctively sensed prey approaching.

Whoosh!

A massive hand swiped toward him—powerful enough to crush a car. Yuuki didn’t dare block it. Mid-sprint, he leaned back, letting his knees graze the ground as he slid beneath its legs.

A gust of wind brushed past his face, followed by a deafening impact behind him. As he passed between its legs, Yuuki twisted his body—drawing his blade in a single motion.

Shing!

A silver arc cut through the crimson-lit night, slashing across the back of the Tyrant’s knee.

The sensation was like slicing through frozen meat—tough. Even with a mutated weapon, he couldn’t sever anything critical.

That one strike was enough to confirm—this thing wasn’t like a Licker. It wasn’t just strong. It was a high-attack, high-defense warrior. And its combat style was brutally direct.

Using the blade as a pivot, Yuuki skidded further before springing back to his feet—just in time to hear a boom as the Tyrant slammed the ground, leaving a crater.

He didn’t look back. Sprinting deeper into the parking lot, he called out to Mai, who had circled around.

“Now! Shoot him!”

Gunfire erupted. But aside from the initial sparks, most bullets missed their mark. Worse—Mai’s arms ached from the recoil.

Her stance was something she’d copied from an old cop movie. After firing a few test shots, her first real battle was against this thing.

“A real gun can’t even kill it!?” She gasped as the Tyrant’s eye caught hers—fixating on her with its grotesquely bulging gaze. A chill ran down her spine.

Luckily, its right knee had been severed. As it tried to stand, it collapsed again—right onto two defensive grenades.

BOOM!

Shrapnel flew in every direction. Yuuki tackled Mai to the ground, then glanced back.

A thick cloud of smoke engulfed the area. Within it, a massive silhouette loomed.

But Yuuki didn’t turn to fight. He pulled Mai up and ran.

“This thing needs a rocket launcher. Drop your pack.”

Mai obeyed, instantly feeling lighter. She yanked her hand from his grip. “You’re not going to finish it!?”

“Blood Moon’s gifts mutate. Remember the exposed-brain monster?”

Of course she remembered. That thing could meld into the moonlight itself. Even veteran players struggled against it.

“Wait a second, that thing can do that too!?”

She whipped her head around and saw a massive, muscular leg stepping out of the dust. Not even thirty seconds had passed before the Tyrant restarted its pursuit, reaching out and grabbing an I-beam from the pile beside it.

“Over here!”

Boom——!

Just as Yuuki pulled Sakurajima Mai onto the sloping path leading to the second basement level, the wall beside them suddenly exploded. A several-meter-long I-beam was embedded into the wall like a javelin.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Footsteps pounded like a war drum, carrying an unstoppable force that closed in rapidly. If this had been the first night, anyone would have been too paralyzed to move. But after experiencing life-and-death situations multiple times, Mai felt something strange—

She was getting used to it.

Used to running, used to being chased by monsters, used to the scent of death closing in.

Ahead, she caught sight of the very edge of the crimson moonlight spilling down the slope. It was like a dividing line—beyond it lay utter darkness. But as she secured the night vision goggles onto her head, the green-tinged vision barely revealed the layout of the second basement level.

[So that’s how it is!]

Mai’s eyes lit up. She finally understood why the guy ahead of her had rushed straight into a dead end.

The ones who survive don’t just rely on the extraordinary powers granted by the game—

They have something even more valuable—

The experience forged in the crucible of life and death!