MTLNOVEL Chapter 23 - The Outside World is Even Deadlier!
Professionalism—that was the label Yuuki gave himself. Be it killing or clearing dungeons, he had to be professional.
[Of course, when it came to flirting, I’m just as professional.]
He glanced at Mai, who was leaning against the table, panting heavily. Her torn black stockings, her heaving chest pressed against the tabletop at the perfect angle—the valley in between seemed like a bottomless abyss, ready to swallow a person’s soul.
Yet, Yuuki only spared it a glance before looking away, leaving Mai somewhat puzzled.
“…That look in your eyes…”
“What? If senpai want me to, I suppose I can force myself to take another look or two.”
“Of course not!” Mai clutched her chest protectively, only to realize Yuuki wasn’t even looking her way, which left her somewhat baffled.
“Senpai, feeling a little better all of a sudden?” Yuuki asked abruptly, gesturing first at Hayasaka Ai, who was watching the scene unfold, then at Mai, who was still leaning against the table.
“Even if it wasn’t intentional, the fact remains that both of you smiled. And under this crimson moon, a smile is a rare thing indeed.”
Both women were momentarily stunned. Somehow, a minor incident sounded almost philosophical coming from Yuuki’s mouth.
How impressive… He took advantage of the situation, yet instead of being annoying, he managed to earn goodwill.
The phrase “professionalism” flashed through Hayasaka Ai’s mind. She shot Yuuki a wary glance, only to see his gaze turn puzzled. Deciding not to dwell on it, she tapped her fingers against the table.
“Alright, break time’s over. Trouble’s coming.”
She swiveled the computer screen around. The looping footage on the monitor displayed a city-wide wanted notice, their faces clearly visible.
[Citywide manhunt for the following terrorists. Authorized to shoot on sight.]
Dozens of police cars roared past, speeding down the roads. It was like a scene straight out of an action movie—thrilling to watch, right up until they realized that the chase was for them. Then, the corner of their eyes twitched.
“We’re in deep trouble. Humans are harder to deal with than ghouls. They can shoot us dead from hundreds of meters away.”
“We didn’t kill anyone. Can’t we explain the situation? Hasaka, you said this city has laws, right?” Sakurajima Mai asked while scanning the screen.
“That’s a tricky one to answer.”
Yuuki pulled a few work uniforms from the break room locker, quickly matching the sizes before tossing them over.
“Change while I explain.”
“Wait, right here!?” Sakurajima Mai clutched the gray uniform to her chest. Changing clothes with three people facing each other—just picturing it was enough to make her want to explode.
“You still care about modesty at a time like this? Fine, fine, I’ll wait outside. I won’t take advantage of you.”
Yuuki left with a hint of regret, leaving the door slightly ajar. As he listened to the rustling sounds of clothes being removed, he continued speaking.
“Second hint: Except for the castle, no location can be occupied for more than two hours. The cops here might be reasonable, but no way they’d let us go in just two hours.”
Sakurajima Mai’s hands paused on the buttons of her shirt. “If we get thrown in jail, it’ll be impossible to escape. We can’t leave our fate in someone else’s hands.”
Hayasaka Ai nodded as she stripped off her school uniform, her athletic figure coming into view. She subconsciously glanced at Sakurajima Mai, noting that they were on par—except in height. Then, she turned to stare at the door’s narrow opening.
“But if we keep running, we have nowhere to hide. The police are organized and intelligent. Just running will get us surrounded in no time.”
Unlike ghouls, people had guns. And brains. No matter how fast they ran, it wouldn’t help.
There was no response from outside. Two seconds later, the door suddenly swung open.
Still fastening their buttons, the two girls paled.
Yuuki’s gaze flicked downward, catching a glimpse of crimson and black lace through the gaps between the buttons. But his nerves were already stretched taut, his mind switching into strategy mode. Even faced with this exquisite view, he didn’t feel a thing.
“Someone’s coming. Move, I’ll explain on the way.”
The three had only spent a day together, but they already knew one thing—Yuuki never joked when it came to business. Without hesitation, Sakurajima Mai and Hayasaka Ai fastened the last of their buttons and followed him out through the staff entrance.
A narrow staircase spiraled down to the ground floor, dim LED lights casting their figures in elongated shadows. Footsteps hurried, and in the distance, they could already hear surprised voices from the break room.
They’d been discovered. The pursuers wouldn’t lunge at them like ghouls, but a single phone call would summon firepower they couldn’t hope to resist.
“Hasaka, did you get the map?” Yuuki took the stairs two at a time, fingers idly rubbing the hilt of his knife.
Hayasak Ai didn’t answer—just raised her phone in response. No signal, but it worked as a tablet.
“What about Li Dan and the others? Where are they?”
“He and Thomas split up. He’s hiding in West District Cross Street with that rich guy. Should we meet up?” Sakurajima Mai has been in contact with the outside world.
“Yeah. He’s a veteran player, stronger than us in combat. When it’s time to cling to a bigshot, don’t hesitate. Stay in touch.”
Yuuki nodded heavily, though something still nagged at him. Why were those two only joining forces when things got critical?
Did they dislike each other so much that they’d rather risk death?
There was no time to dwell on it. “And what about the other thing I asked you to look up?”
“I checked online and found something interesting. Take a look yourself.”
Hayasaka Ai handed him her phone, its surface covered in sparkly decorations. The screen displayed several screenshots.
Tourism notices.
Something about how the Moonlit Castle was at its most beautiful under the night sky.
Yuuki had experienced that firsthand—just a few hours ago, he had almost been ‘beautifully’ killed inside it.
But his brows furrowed as he read further.
March 21, 02:00—08:00
March 22, 00:00—08:00
March 23, 22:00 (-1 day)—08:00
…
A strange astronomical phenomenon. Clearly, this place had nothing to do with Earth. Sunrise remained the same, but every night was getting longer—by two hours each day.
Based on the castle’s midnight chime, players had arrived at the very end of March 21. Right now, it should be March 22. Tonight, the moon would rise at 10 PM and wouldn’t set until 8 AM on the 23rd.
Yuuki’s eyes widened. He had already confirmed via an extra reward that one “day” only ended after three moonrises and moonsets—completely unrelated to real-world time.
Meaning that without this discovery, even a max-level player could clear the dungeon in twelve days… only to perish alongside a so-called victory.
Because after twelve days, there would be eternal night.
Even if they slaughtered every creature in the castle, they’d never escape.
“…What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just realized this game is vicious. Relying on brute force alone is a death sentence.”
Hayasaka Ai nodded. She had come to the same conclusion. No wonder Li Dan and Thomas were willing to bet everything—they knew standard tactics wouldn’t cut it.
She wanted to ask more, but upstairs, the sharp sound of leather shoes echoed through the stairwell. Hayasaka Ai tensed, instantly drawing her axe—only for Yuuki to press her hand down.
“I’ll handle it.”
No hesitation. He dashed up the stairs, grabbing a nearby office chair. As he rounded the corner, deep blue uniforms came into view.
Two officers, both startled at his sudden appearance. Without a word, they aimed their guns.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang through the stairwell. Yuuki raised the chair above his head—reinforced with magic, it was tougher than steel. Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted.
What the hell!? It won’t break!?
The two police officers instinctively leaned back, twisting their wrists in an attempt to shoot Yuuki behind them. However, with both sides pressed tightly together, it was already too late to turn their guns around.
Thud!
A flying knee slammed one officer into the wall. A chair to the face sent the other sprawling. The hilt of his knife struck a neck, and the second man collapsed.
Huff… huff… huff…
Yuuki panted heavily, trying to steady his racing heart. His gaze fell on the dented office chair, and his expression twisted as if he had a toothache.
Even without using his full strength, even with just an ordinary office chair, a Mastered-level reinforcement magic should have been enough for a ghoul to chew its own teeth off—yet it was only just enough to block a direct handgun shot. The recoil had numbed his wrist. This game was full of illusions.
You think castle ghouls are deadly?
Yuuki looked up, hearing the dense thudding of footsteps above him. His eye twitched.
No—this seemingly normal human society is even deadlier!