Chapter 37: Orphanage of the Holy Infant 04

Chapter 37: Orphanage of the Holy Infant 04

Qin Fei pondered over it. Since the live broadcast began, Xiao Xiao hadn't done anything that deviated from the group.

Each step he took was steady, and it was impossible for him to unknowingly violate any rules.

There could only be one explanation.

Xiao Xiao's current behavior was related to his hidden identity in this instance.

Although Satan in the mirror had yet to cause Qin Fei any trouble, every individual's situation couldn't be generalized.

Qin Fei ate while calmly considering the matter.

In the afternoon, he had paid special attention. After Player 14 returned to their bedroom, all the other Holy Infants also retreated to their rooms for rest.

Players 15 through 19 would hear the chime of their respective bells before dinner.

However, except for Player 15 who went to the resting area before three, the others remained in their bedrooms until dinner was served.

From the 16th to the 19th, four individuals, it was inconceivable that they all coincidentally chose to ignore their missions without any agreement.

Moreover, just like Number 14, they didn't encounter any issues.

At least, for now, everything seemed no different from noon.

Qin Fei's conviction grew stronger. Concealing one's identity might not be unique to him alone, but it certainly wasn't a common occurrence among everyone.

That rule did indeed apply to all Holy Infants.

However, not every Holy Infant had "today's tasks" to fulfill.

The dinner proceeded in an orderly manner.

The portions were moderate, and to avoid wasting the "gifts from the Master," all 24 participants finished their meals completely.

Halfway through the meal, Xiao Xiao, as if a vegetable had suddenly regained mobility, devoured everything on his plate with the speed of a whirlwind.

Player Number 2, after finishing their own food, continued to gaze longingly at the now-empty plate before them.

He even occasionally glanced at others' plates, his body twitching as if he couldn't resist the urge to rush to their mouths.

It wasn't until a nun glared at him that he reluctantly turned away.

After dinner, the players gathered in the recreation area to rest.

Perhaps due to the starkly adversarial nature of this instance, despite the large number of players, no distinct cliques had formed.

The Holy Infants wandered around in pairs or small groups. Occasionally, someone would approach others for a chat, but these conversations seldom lasted long.

Taking advantage of the lack of attention, Xiao Xiao discreetly approached Qin Fei.

They sat down beside the water bar and began chatting casually.

"Boss Qin, how do you think we should accumulate those 24 points?" Xiao Xiao's face was filled with worry.

Half a day had passed, and not a single person had earned any points yet.

In fact, not only had no one obtained points, the players were clueless about how to even earn them in the first place.

The nun spoke like she was delivering riddles. If what she said was true, and devotion granted points, then surely by now, one or two people should have accumulated some.

Qin Fei lowered his eyes in silence.

Based on the clues given by the current scenario, the way he could think of to earn points was to demonstrate his utmost devotion to the Lord.

Perhaps he could also occasionally flatter the nun.

In reality, the latter was extremely challenging to execute, for the nun seldom appeared and only did so when she had an announcement to make.

Qin Fei wasn't the only player who sought to approach the nun to uncover more clues.

However, up until now, aside from Qin Fei, the nun had yet to show any favor to anyone else.

"Big Boss Qin, how did you think of praying to God during dinner just now?" Xiao Xiao asked curiously.

Xiao Xiao genuinely hadn't recalled the tradition of praying before meals.

Moreover, even if he had, he wouldn't have dared to do it.

Due to the regulations in the resting area that stated, "No whispering during meals."

Yet, Qin Fei seemed to know beforehand that this rule was insignificant, as he spoke without hesitation.

After listening to Xiao Xiao's concerns for a while, Qin Fei smiled and said, "Who told you that rule doesn't matter?"

Huh?

Xiao Xiao was confused, "B-But, you talked during the meal just now, and nothing happened."

It even resulted in the nun's blessing.

Didn't that prove that the rule was a fake one?

Qin Fei shook his head. "Of course not, because I never violated the rules from the start."

Perhaps, at that moment in the dining hall, there were others besides Qin Fei who thought of saying grace before the meal.

But none of them took action.

It was merely restricted by the rules.

But the rules never stated, "No talking during meals in the restaurant."

They only prohibited "whispering" to one another.

So Qin Fei deliberately spoke loudly, at a volume that everyone could hear.

In this way, even if God were to descend before him, there would be no grounds to accuse him of whispering.

Xiao Xiao: "...."

So that was the case.

It sounded impressive, but something still seemed off.

Why would anyone bother exploiting the loopholes in the rules?

Wasn't he being overly daring? One misstep, and everything could utterly collapse.

Qin Fei shrugged. "You have to be willing to risk something to gain something."

Opportunities to engage in conversation with the nun and build rapport were scarce; he had to seize every precious chance.

If possible, he would certainly prefer to be a cautious conservative, minding his own safety.

However, this instance clearly wasn't one where one could laze about without consequences.

If he didn't seize the time now to create an advantage for himself, he might end up being chased by 5678 players later on.

Upon hearing Qin Fei's words, Xiao Xiao grew even more anxious.

"Hmm."

An idea struck Xiao Xiao. "What if someone has already earned points but is secretly keeping it from us?"

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow. "It's not entirely impossible."

Such matters were hard to discern unless they obtained a point themselves; otherwise, there was no way to guess how the system functioned.

Xiao Xiao let out a sigh and slumped onto a chair next to the bar, disheartened.

"This is truly an E-level instance. It's bewildering," he said, casually picking up a bottle from the table. "Ah, it's whiskey."

He was about to twist off the cap.

Opening the bottle wasn't because Xiao Xiao wanted a drink; he was simply restless and had an urge to uncork any alcohol and sniff its aroma.

However, Qin Fei stopped him, gently brushing his hand away.

"Though the Catholic Church doesn't entirely prohibit its followers from drinking, excessive indulgence is undoubtedly a vice. To avoid any potential transgressions, it's best to keep your distance from alcohol."

Although he wasn't sure what actions would earn points, it was wise to avoid anything that might deduct them.

Even if there were no immediate consequences, it could still affect their progress in future stages of the instance.

"By the way," Qin Fei began to enlighten Xiao Xiao, "the Catholic Church recognizes seven deadly sins: pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust."

"All of these are forbidden."

"For the days we're in this instance, it's best for you to maintain a stable mood and stay cheerful," Xiao Xiao nodded blankly.

Achieving that wasn't difficult.

Strangely, ever since the beginning of the instance, he had been in a rather pleasant mood, even breaking into foolish laughter from time to time.

But...

"Big Shot Qin, how do you know everything?!"

Xiao Xiao looked at Qin Fei with reverence.

"Hmm?" Qin Fei blinked. "Why, there's no need to make a fuss over this."

"All these bits of knowledge are written in the Bible the nun gave us," Qin Fei said, dramatically clapping his hands lightly. "Oh my! Is that so? You didn't read the book at all, did you?!"

Xiao Xiao: ...

Apologies, it seems that the expert wasn't knowledgeable; he simply hadn't been inquisitive enough.

Seeing Xiao Xiao lower his head in embarrassment, Qin Fei smiled and returned the wine bottle to its original spot.

There were numerous glass bottles on the table, containing not only various alcoholic beverages but also juices, sparkling water, and even an array of condiments and oils.

All the bottles were meticulously arranged by color and size, lined up in ascending order from shortest to tallest.

Upon realizing this, Qin Fei's heart stirred.

Back when everyone was discussing the corrupted rule in the activity area before two o'clock in the afternoon, Number 13 had been standing behind the bar.

At that time, the bottles on the table had been haphazardly placed.

Qin Fei hadn't examined them closely then, but from the image etched in his memory, Number 13 had gathered all the alcoholic beverages from the bar and piled them together.

Later, when Number 14's woman rushed back to the room in search of clues, the other players and NPCs followed her into the bedrooms. After that, until dinner, only Number 15 had emerged briefly before returning to the bedroom.

So Number 15 had come out specifically to clean up for Number 13?

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled.

Every unusual occurrence must have a reason behind it.

It was just that he wasn't yet aware of the specific "reason" behind this one.

"Oh, right," Qin Fei said abruptly, noticing Xiao Xiao sitting idly by with a foolish expression on his face that Qin Fei had grown all too familiar with. "Do you remember what happened to that NPC who was always drinking in the previous scenario?"

Xiao Xiao was taken aback. "Huh?"

"Always drinking?"

Who was he talking about?

Xiao Xiao pondered to himself, "The village chief? No, he doesn't drink... Could it be Xu Yangshu? He hasn't mentioned drinking either..."

Unable to come up with an answer, Xiao Xiao scratched his head in frustration.

Finally, he shut his eyes in pain, "I really can't remember... Speaking of which, why do I feel like I've been forgetting things lately?"

Could it be that he was getting old and his memory was failing him?

Qin Fei waved it off nonchalantly, "Mmm, it's alright. If you can't remember, then forget about it. Go back and rest."

It didn't exist in the first place, so there was no reason for him to recall it.

Qin Fei pressed his lips together and smiled at Xiao Xiao.

Their conversation had been so smooth, without any hint of a flaw.

All the subtle expressions Xiao Xiao had shown while pondering, doubting, and asking questions were consistent with his habits in daily life – this couldn't have been faked.

Qin Fei thought back to Satan's reflection in the mirror in his room.

Despite Satan resembling Qin Fei in appearance, their mannerisms were vastly different, making it evident that they were two distinct individuals at first glance.

As for the Xiao Xiao before him, Qin Fei was, at least up until now, certain that this was the genuine Xiao Xiao, not some other entity masquerading behind his face.

The reason behind his intermittent stupidity—Qin Fei was unable to discern it.

It was best to put it aside for now; it didn't really hinder anything anyway. If he was foolish, then so be it.

"Go back to bed. Don't stay out here," Qin Fei glanced at the time and patted Xiao Xiao's head as one would a puppy.

...

Before the 22nd chime of the bell, the activity area was already deserted.

Qin Fei returned to his bedroom but didn't sleep. The room was pitch black. Lying on his bed, he quietly sorted through all the events he had witnessed throughout the day.

From the moment they entered the dungeon, many people had exhibited unusual behavior.

Aside from Xiao Xiao's persistent foolishness, there was Player 8 who had screamed "it stinks" in the church and Player 6 who had beaten him up simply because he screamed.

There was also Number 13.

He seemed to have quite an attachment to alcohol.

Before Qin Fei left the bar, he noticed two bottles that had clearly been tampered with on the table.

Did Number 13 sneak a drink?

No matter how much of an alcoholic a normal person was, unless they wanted to die immediately after entering the scenario, they wouldn't indulge themselves like this.

The reason for their abnormal behavior likely had something to do with the hidden storyline of the entire scenario.

He needed to find a way to get closer to them first.

Qin Fei stared thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"Tap."

"Tap."

Soft footsteps echoed at the door.

Soon, a gentle knock followed.

The sound was so faint that if Qin Fei's hearing wasn't sharp or if he were asleep, it would surely have gone unnoticed.

"Big Boss Qin, Brother Qin," a voice whispered from the entrance.

It was Xiao Xiao.

What was he doing here in the middle of the night?

As the most representative figure among the "strange players," Xiao Xiao had already caught Qin Fei's attention and been labeled as a subject for close observation.

It wasn't yet 10:30, which meant they were still in their free time. However, the lights in the resting room and the hallway had been turned off, leaving the surroundings pitch black.

Qin Fei got out of bed and opened the door for him.

"Why are you here?" Qin Fei cracked the door open.

Xiao Xiao swiftly slipped in, "I have something to discuss with you."

He sat down on the edge of Qin Fei's bed and adopted a serious expression,

"I just noticed that quite a few people are moving around outside."

"Big Shot Qin, do you think we should go out and search for clues as well?"

In about forty or fifty minutes, it would be time for lights out. After that, leaving the room would become much more difficult.

Xiao Xiao didn't come to Qin Fei seeking a companion to share his troubles or desperately cling to Qin Fei's support.

He simply couldn't wrap his head around the situation and felt that he should involve Qin Fei in everything he did.

Qin Fei waved his hand, "There's no need."

"Is there something specific you need to do outside?" he asked.

Xiao Xiao shook his head. "Nope."

Qin Fei sighed in frustration. "Then what were you planning to do outside?"

Those who dared to venture out in the dark must have had pressing matters.

As for what they were up to?

They could always find out in the morning.

There were quite a few people outside, Qin Fei had heard them earlier.

Yet, he was all alone.

Even if he went out, who could he possibly tail?

It made more sense to let them fight amongst themselves first, and deal with any aftermath after a good night's sleep.

That did seem logical.

Xiao Xiao acknowledged with an "Okay, okay."

Who cares? Regardless of whether it made sense or not, Qin Fei was always the one with the final word.

Xiao Xiao got up, preparing to return to his own room.

As he rose, he couldn't help but remark, "Why do people in this instance like staying in their bedrooms so much?"

"There must be something attractive in their bedrooms, that's why they prefer to stay there," Qin Fei replied casually.

Before Qin Fei returned to his room at night, he had visited Xiao Xiao's bedroom. Indeed, there were no signs of anything unusual under the bed or in the mirror; the room was as empty as his foolish mind had been.

But others were not like him.

The lounge and dining area were quite small, and every possible spot had already been searched thoroughly in the afternoon.

Those people must have gone back to their rooms to study the items within.

Those who were wandering around at this late hour probably had some understanding of the situation.

"Listen, someone's coming out," Qin Fei nodded towards the door, gesturing for Xiao Xiao to be quiet with his hand.

Xiao Xiao was startled, and he pricked up his ears to distinguish the sounds carefully.

Sure enough, in the quiet corridor, a soft and steady tread could be heard.

Click-clack.

Click-clack.

The sound grew closer and closer.

Qin Fei suddenly frowned. Why did it feel like that person was heading towards his room?

Qin Fei wasn't mistaken.

Outside the door, the figure drew closer and closer.

Until the footsteps were just inches away, then abruptly ceased.

Inside the room, both men's expressions turned grim.

"What should we do?" Xiao Xiao signed, asking.

Qin Fei lifted a finger, pointing at the door.

The person was standing right there.

Xiao Xiao startled, while Qin Fei had already risen to his feet.

The peephole in the door was one-way, a fact Qin Fei had verified earlier that afternoon.

Xiao Xiao hurried to follow, and both of them moved with the utmost stealth, as quiet as nocturnal creatures, silently approaching the door.

Qin Fei pressed half his body against the door, bringing his face close to the peephole.

In the cat's eye, a bloodshot and turbid eye suddenly appeared!

Instantly, a flood of exclamations filled the live stream.

"Jesus, you scared the crap out of me!"

"I'm really done, how many times do they have to use the same trick?? Every time something like this happens, they zoom in on it!"

Some brave viewers clapped in approval, but most were focused on another matter:

"The streamer is so daring! With so many viewers frightened through the light screen, how come he's not reacting at all?"

Someone chuckled immediately:

"You don't get it, do you? Those of us who watched the previous stream know that this streamer loves excitement. The more intense the scene, the calmer he gets..."

Indeed, Qin Fei did not disappoint his audience in the light screen.

Before he leaned in to look through the cat's eye, he had already grasped a foldable pocket knife he had exchanged from the system store before entering the dungeon.

Upon reflection, the rules mentioned that no blood could be shed in the church, so he put the knife away and replaced it with a stick.

The items in his hand changed swiftly, leaving Xiao Xiao astonished by the extravagant display.

Rising from an F-Rank to an E-Rank cost 1000 points. After becoming an esteemed E-Rank Streamer, Xiao Xiao found himself instantly returned to abject poverty.

Though an E-Rank Streamer had six inventory slots, with three of them having a stacking capacity of five, after paying the modest rent for the Living Zone, Xiao Xiao was left with only 300 points.

For the sake of survival, he exchanged all of them for potions that enhanced mental immunity and slowed down the decline of SAN points.

However, the young man before him kept changing his items, all of which were weapons.

One must know that there were no good weapons available for exchange in the System Store!

That small knife and stick were merely the most ordinary foldable fruit knife and an empty steel pipe used by hooligans during fights.

Very few players would waste their precious points on such items.

—Isn't it just a fruit knife?

Even if Big Boss Qin didn't have a fruit knife with him today, he could still manage just as well by stealing one from the kitchen!

How could Xiao Xiao have imagined that Qin Fei was completely unfazed by SAN issues!

Moreover, he was extravagantly wealthy.

Recalling his helpless and disheveled state in the last scenario where he was pursued by those corpse ghosts amidst the jumbled graves, unarmed and unprepared, Qin Fei swept through the mall with a grand gesture, purchasing every basic weapon available.

Aside from the knife and steel pipe, he even had a brick tucked away in his backpack at this moment.

In that instant of locking gazes with the feline's single eye, Qin Fei tightened his grip on the steel pipe in his hand.

His expression unchanged, his actions showed no hint of hesitation as he suddenly reached out and yanked the door open!

The doorway was eerily empty.

Qin Fei's brows gradually knitted together.

He stood by the door, seemingly lost in thought.

Xiao Xiao extended his hand, gently nudging Qin Fei with his elbow, whispering softly, "Look, someone's coming over there."

Indeed, a figure appeared at the end of the corridor.

The person was returning from the direction of the dining area, and it didn't seem to be the same one they had seen by the door earlier.

For some unknown reason, the individual was walking unsteadily with slow steps, completely oblivious to Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao watching him from the other end of the hallway.

"What's on him..." Xiao Xiao's eyes narrowed abruptly.

His clothes and skin were stained with numerous dark patches, adhering tightly to both.

Was that...

Blood?

As the person moved forward, Qin Fei recognized his face.

It was Number 2.

That player, whose manners during dinner had been utterly atrocious.

At this moment, he finally realized something was amiss. He lifted his head and noticed Qin Fei's door ajar, clearly taken aback by the sight.

Then, he swiftly lowered his head and wiped the corners of his mouth with his hand.

As a result, the residue on his lips adhered to the back of his hand.

Despite the darkness in the corridor, Qin Fei's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of him seemingly extending his tongue to lick the blood off the back of his hand.

Then, with a hint of longing, he licked his lips in a circle.

Suddenly, a faint buzzing of electricity echoed through the silent corridor overhead.

A whimsical and eerie melody resounded through the air, harmoniously intertwining with the system's announcement.

"Child Saint 14 has withdrawn from this selection."

"Congratulations to Sacred Child Number 2 for acquiring: 4 points!"

Xiao Xiao's heart lurched, as if someone had tightly grasped it with an iron grip.

His face paled as he looked at Qin Fei.

The latter's expression wasn't much better either.

Within just a few seconds, Player 2 had already opened the door to their bedroom and slipped inside.

The system's announcement drew numerous players out of their rooms.

One by one, over ten figures emerged from their doors and stepped into the hallway.

Player 7, a blond man, asked in confusion, "Can we still withdraw from the selection?"

No one replied.

This was likely a question that only an NPC like the blond man would fail to understand.

Player 14, another participant, knew full well what it meant to withdraw from the selection.

All the other players were well aware of it.

She was dead.

It had happened within that short hour after they returned to their bedrooms from the activity area.

And what did Number 2's inexplicable acquisition of four points at this moment signify?

Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao exchanged glances, both seeing the answer in each other's eyes.

"Blood on the hallway!" someone exclaimed. "Didn't the rules say there shouldn't be any bloodshed in the church?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the light bulbs on the ceiling started flickering violently.

The dimly lit corridor was suddenly illuminated before plunging back into darkness, repeating this cycle several times before finally going out with a "pop."

Rule number six for defense at Sacred Orphanage:

If the lights in the resting area flicker, please repair the electrical meter promptly. If the lights go out, please evacuate the resting area within three minutes; otherwise, you bear the consequences.

Though the lights in the rest area were initially designed to be turned off, the difference between their programmed shutdown and being manually switched off after a flicker was still discernible to everyone.

"Run!"

Without any hesitation, Qin Fei pulled Xiao Xiao along and dashed swiftly towards the free activity zone on the right, where the black box containing the key was located!

However, no matter how swift Qin Fei's actions were, they proved to be too late.

The putrid odor that had permeated the nostrils of all spectators since the live broadcast began became acutely distinct at this moment, almost inducing nausea.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The walls, ceiling, and floor on all sides seemed to come alive, writhing in motion.

Immediately after, as if seared by flames, the pristine white walls turned black at an astonishing pace.

Inch by inch, it spread towards where the players had gathered.