Chapter 42: The Holy Infancy Academy 09

Chapter 42: The Holy Infancy Academy 09

Player 24 glanced indifferently at Qin Fei and turned away coldly, lost in thought as if staring at an invisible entity before him.

Silent and indifferent to the surroundings, this child was a complete contrast to his harmless and innocent demeanor within the Inner World.

Not only that, the affection bar above his head had vanished.

Why was that so?

A hint of curiosity flickered in Qin Fei's eyes.

In the nearby corridor, a player hesitantly spoke up, "Number 2... is dead?"

It was Player 1 who had spoken. Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned their heads towards him simultaneously.

The system announcement of Player 2 quitting the game was public, audible to all.

Number One's gaze pierced through the crowd until it landed firmly on Qin Fei.

His eyes shimmered as he said, "I recall that before Number Two died, he was chasing after Number Twelve, right?"

"Why did Number Two suddenly go after Number Twelve, and how exactly did he die? Could Number Twelve enlighten us all?" Number One's tone suddenly became aggressive.

From his perspective, Number Two had been pursuing him and two other players at the time. However, the moment Number Twelve appeared, Number Two switched his target immediately.

And then there was Prisoner Zero, who seemingly came out of nowhere, ignoring everyone else to focus solely on Number Twelve.

Number One couldn't shake off the feeling that Number Twelve was hiding some secret unknown to the others.

By doing this, he intended to make Qin Fei the center of attention, using the pressure to force Qin Fei to reveal new information.

Unfortunately for him, he had miscalculated.

It was true that both Number Two and Prisoner Zero relentlessly pursued Qin Fei, but the reasons behind their actions had nothing to do with the scenario's plot.

No matter how deeply he dug, he wouldn't uncover any leads.

Faced with such abrupt hostility, Qin Fei remained unbothered.

"I'm not sure why they're chasing me either," the young man frowned slightly, his tone sincere as he seemed to genuinely ponder, "I suppose it might be because I was initially closest to Player 2, and I got blood on me."

Player 1 clearly didn't believe him. "Then how did Player 2 die?"

"I have no idea." Qin Fei had no intention of wasting words discussing irrelevant matters with Player 1.

He smiled, speaking calmly and warmly, "After Player 2 died, I didn't receive any points."

"So, I didn't kill him."

"And I didn't witness how he died."

Upon these words, the hallway fell into an eerie silence.

The night before, when Woman 14 had died, Player 2 had appeared drenched in blood.

Simultaneously, the system had announced that Player 2 had gained four points.

The connection was something no one could fail to recognize.

However, acknowledging it in one's heart was a vastly different matter from bringing it to the surface for open discussion.

With Qin Fei's statement, he had effectively brought the hidden possibility that everyone had been pondering into the limelight.

Not far from Qin Fei, Xiao Xiao's intellect experienced a fleeting resurgence.

He gasped in astonishment at Boss Qin's remarkable revelation.

If one were to say that a smoldering flame had been ignited among the players ever since Player 14's demise, Qin Fei's words were undoubtedly gasoline poured onto those flames.

A single thought surged in everyone's minds:

If killing one person awarded four points,

then wouldn't slaying six...

Breathless sighs seemed to echo through the air.

Xiao Xiao's heart pounded with fear.

Combining Qin Fei's previous behavior, a vague suspicion began to form in his mind:

He suspected that Boss Qin intended to muddy the waters, then sit back and watch the tigers fight, taking delight in the chaos, ultimately reaping the benefits as an amused bystander.

This assumption had been hinted at when the live broadcast first started, when Qin Fei asked in the church, "Is it certain that the Saint Son exists?"

As for how Qin Fei planned to reap these benefits... Xiao Xiao couldn't fathom it at all.

He had no intention of even trying to figure it out.

How could he, a mere mortal, possibly predict the logic behind a boss's actions?

Not to mention, he was playing the role of an idiot with zero intelligence in this instance!

Unbeknownst to Xiao Xiao himself, he had somehow come to accept, quite comfortably, that he was indeed a genuine fool.

He lifted his gaze to meet Qin Fei's.

Qin Fei was locked in a staring contest with Player 1.

His smile was gentle, yet the tension between them remained palpable, as if they were on the verge of a clash.

After a long moment.

Someone nearby attempted to diffuse the situation with a comment.

"What time is it? Let's not just stand here idly. We should search for more clues instead."

It was Player 5 who spoke up.

Advancing half a step, he skillfully positioned himself between Qin Fei and Player 1 without drawing attention.

Player 5 forced a chuckle, his face bearing a strained smile. "Let's all stay calm, there's no need to be so serious."

"We can't..." Player 5 swallowed, taking a moment to find the right words, "We can't turn against each other. That would be far too dangerous."

As Qin Fei had previously analyzed, the consecutive deaths of Players 14 and 2 had indeed triggered the flipping between the two worlds.

With such blatant clues laid out before them, even the slowest of players had now grasped the situation.

If the players truly started attacking each other chaotically, the worlds would undoubtedly keep shifting back and forth.

"Didn't Number 2 get taken away by the black-robed nun because he killed someone?"

Number 5 seemed fearful of the situation escalating in that direction and hastily tried to persuade the others.

"After Number 2 was taken, he became that terrifying. It's all because he caused the death of Number 14."

"You might be able to earn points at the cost of your life, but you can't guarantee you'll survive until the end of the dungeon."

They were all E-Rank players. Who had the audacity to claim they could continuously eliminate six people without any unforeseen incidents?

Not even San Tu, who was on the verge of becoming a top player in a major guild, would dare make such a promise in front of over twenty peers of the same rank.

Number 5's heartfelt and straightforward speech immediately resonated with a group of players whose minds had just been stirred.

These individuals were aware that their combat abilities weren't exceptional, and they could clearly read from the anxious expression on Number 5's face a grim reality.

—Once the massacre began, they would undoubtedly become the first to be at the mercy of others.

This subtle tension and relative tranquility were, in fact, their best form of protection at present.

Those with ulterior motives would have to carefully consider whether they could bear the consequences of becoming the common enemy of all before making a move.

Sanzu, who had always remained detached and indifferent, surprisingly expressed agreement with this notion.

She gazed deeply into Qin Fei's eyes. "Indeed, we don't even know the specifics of the main storyline in this instance yet. There's no need to limit our options from the start."

"Perhaps we should focus on something else."

"Like... searching for the Confession Room key," San Tu suggested.

The players had already noticed the absence of the Confession Room key the previous day.

According to the rules posted on the wall in the lounge, if the key to the Confession Room was lost, players could seek out Sister Della for a replacement.

Sister Della hadn't revealed her identity to the players while in the Inner World.

Unlike Qin Fei, who could see NPC information, the others were unaware that the nun wielding the stun baton was none other than Della.

Despite Three Paths' words, everyone didn't hold much hope in their hearts.

If the key were truly that easy to find, why hadn't they discovered it yesterday when they searched the lounge thoroughly?

Keys didn't have legs to run away. If they couldn't find it yesterday, there was no chance of finding it today.

But staying frozen in the corridor without searching for the key wasn't a good idea either.

Someone shot an annoyed glance at Player One.

It was all because of this guy, who had suddenly gone crazy, causing Number Twelve to follow suit, and spoiling everyone's peace.

The players split into groups. Some went to search for the key, while others followed the trail of dried blood on the floor towards the dining area, hoping to uncover what had transpired between Players Two and Fourteen last night.

However, soon, those heading to the kitchen let out startled cries.

"Bodies!"

"The bodies are gone!"

...

The players converged on the dining area from the dormitory corridors.

During their absence in the Inner World, it was evident that no one had cleaned the Resting Area in the Surface World.

Droplets of blood on the floor formed a macabre trail, linking the door to Room 2 with the dining area, as if they were death's footprints.

Inside the dining room, blood stained the once pristine space, transforming it into what resembled an abandoned slaughterhouse rather than the clean and tidy setting of the previous night.

Qin Fei pushed open the door and found a half-human finger bone resting on a chair directly opposite.

Bits of flesh still clung to the bone, the wounds jagged and uneven, as though they had been gnawed by some wild beast.

Recalling Number 2's beast-like appearance during dinner and the blood residue on the corner of his mouth that night, Qin Fei felt a chill run down his spine.

San Tu entered the restaurant, circled around it, and shook his head at the crowd by the entrance. "Nope."

Woman No. 14's corpse was indeed gone.

Ghost Fire frowned and suggested, "Could it be that after she died, her body was automatically refreshed by the instance dungeon?"

That was pure fantasy.

The live broadcast of a Rule-bound World wasn't an online game. When a player died, they were truly dead.

Why would the System bother to refresh the corpse? To protect the mental health of other players?

The players exchanged glances with each other.

"I don't think so…" someone hesitantly spoke up, "I've never seen such an instance dungeon before."

Qin Fei reached out and tapped on the table, gesturing for Ghost Fire to look over.

Ghost Fire's gaze shifted, and what caught his eye was that finger bone.

"If Number 14's corpse vanished, this bone should have disappeared with it," Qin Fei remarked coolly.

Even if there was a need for cleanup, the System should have disposed of the entire corpse.

Surely, just because the parts were detached from the main body, they wouldn't cease to be part of Number 14, right?

Convinced, the ghostly flame subsided.

Qin Fei scanned the restaurant, his mind already forming a conclusion.

"Someone took Number 14's corpse away."

His expression indifferent, the young man's clear eyes seemed to hold sharp, icy glints as he gazed toward the dormitory area.

He said, "That person dragged her corpse back to the bedroom after she died."

Qin Fei's statement was based on evidence.

The lighting in the resting area was too dim during the incident last night, making it difficult to see clearly. But now, there were numerous suspicious points.

Qin Fei pointed to the blood splattered on the ceiling and walls. "The ceiling in this dining area is nearly three meters high. For such a quantity of blood to reach that height, there's only one possibility."

"The victim was lying on their back when the suspect slashed their major neck artery."

The dining area fell silent. The atmosphere was peculiar; they were supposed to be live-streaming a spooky story, but it felt as if they had suddenly been transported to a crime scene, listening to a police officer logically analyzing the circumstances.

With that said, Qin Fei stepped toward the door.

Outside, a distinct blood trail, almost as wide as a person, was visible.

"A mark this clear indicates that the victim was already losing a tremendous amount of blood."

It was evident that the dining area was the primary crime scene. The trail led from inside the restaurant outwards.

Therefore,

someone had their throat slit on the 14th

and was then dragged towards the dormitory area.

"Could it be that Number 14 wasn't completely dead at that time and crawled his way to the dormitory area by himself?" the blond-haired Number 7 inquired.

As soon as he finished asking, he realized how absurd his question was.

It wasn't because he found any logical flaw in his question.

Instead, he believed that such an obvious loophole would surely have caught Number 12's attention.

Yet, Number 12 didn't mention it.

That suggested it wasn't the case.

Perhaps Qin Fei's calm and composed demeanor, despite the tranquility, was too compelling, persuading Number 7 effortlessly without him realizing it.

Unlike with Number 1, Qin Fei was more polite towards Number 7. He shook his head and explained, "If there was an accident during which Number 14 was still conscious and able to crawl, there would definitely be bloody handprints on the floor."

However, the bloodstains on the floor resembled continuous wheel tracks, with no handprints present nearby.

San Tu frowned. "So, after Number 2 killed Number 14, they brought her body back to the room?"

Qin Fei shook his head again. "There are two different sizes of footprints on the floor, and they're both heading in the same direction."

After Number 14's death last night, the players hadn't had a chance to investigate outside before being directly transported into the Inner World via the corridor.

They returned very late today, and the bloodstains on the floor had long since dried into black clumps.

Those footprints were left in the middle of the night yesterday.

Qin Fei no longer kept them in suspense. He straightaway revealed his conclusion. "There were multiple large bloodstains in the kitchen, spaced apart, indicating that the fatal wound on Number 14's neck was the only one. There was no possibility of a follow-up strike. Therefore..."

He paused. "Considering Number 2's previous behavior, I believe that after killing Number 14, they dismembered her right here in this dining hall and partially consumed her corpse."

"At the same time, another player was lurking in the shadows. While Number 2 was feeding on the corpse, this player secretly took Number 14's body away."

The trail of dragging marks disappeared right in front of the dormitory area, leaving no further traces.

There were only a few scattered drops of blood, likely left behind when Number 2 walked towards them.

Someone had cleaned up the scene.

Qin Fei wasn't sure what method had been used. After all, this was a dungeon, and perhaps someone was hiding secrets unknown to other players.

Xiao Xiao was astonished by Qin Fei's sudden professionalism: "Big shot, y-you said before that you worked as a social worker before entering the dungeon...?"

What was this about a Death Community? Social workers were actually responsible for crime scene investigations...

Qin Fei maintained his composure, replying with a smile, "I just happen to enjoy watching Detective Conan."

Xiao Xiao: "..."

I don't believe it, but I guess I'll take your word for it.

Qin Fei's reasoning was sound, leaving no room for others to doubt him.

"Regardless, let's search everyone's rooms first," San Tu said, his gaze cold.

Several players in the crowd subtly changed their expressions.

Qin Fei knew that these people must have hidden something in their rooms, just like he had.

However, after a moment of hesitation, they all surprisingly nodded in agreement.

This was a fair revelation.

Not only would they expose themselves, but they would also expose others.

The opportunity to peek into the secrets of other players was something everyone was eager for.

The outcome of this search was unusually swift.

Players started searching from Room 1, and in the bedroom of Player 4, they found the corpse of Player 14, a woman missing an arm and a leg.

Seeing this, Player 4 flailed his arms, looking panicked, "S-She, she wasn't killed by me. Number 2 did it. I just brought her back to the room..."

Xiao Xiao gazed at the bloodstained bed.

The 14th, an obese and mutilated corpse, was bound with a massive pink ribbon, resembling a grotesque and ugly human puppet.

Her eyes were wide open, staring at the ceiling, as if she couldn't find peace in death.

Xiao Xiao: "...."

Damn, this is really terrifying.

Normally, it's the NPCs that scare you in regular dungeons. But why are the players in this one more twisted than the next??

Shivering, Xiao Xiao moved closer to Qin Fei.

Number 4 was still stammering an explanation, but nobody was listening anymore.

Under the guidance of San Tu and the middle-aged man from Team 5, the players collectively decided to lock Number 4 in the room.

They used a key and lock they found in a toolbox in the corner of the resting area.

The advantage of having many players in a dungeon became apparent in this situation.

Faced with over 20 adversaries filled with righteous indignation, Player 4 didn't dare to utter even a whimper.

He knew that if he entered the room now, there was a high chance he might never come out again.

The others clearly regarded him as four potential points that could be disposed of at any time.

But if he were to resist now, he might end up becoming four points within just a minute.

Every moment he survived counted; what if something new and favorable happened during the time he spent in the room?

Player 4 met his fate this way.

Qin Fei stood on one side of the corridor, watching the ashen-faced Player 1 with a pleased upward curve of his lips.

They had found their answer after searching only four rooms.

Player 2 was already dead, nothing was found in Room 3, and Player 4 was the suspect they were looking for.

Only Player 1 was left, injured without apparent cause.

In Room 1, they discovered a box filled with an odd assortment of items: a camera, a telescope, a magnifying glass, screwdrivers, and metal sheets...

Although no one asked any questions at the time, it was clear that everyone had quietly noted this suspicious discovery.

Room 1's face was as dark as thunder. He glared at Qin Fei, his nostrils flaring, but he didn't dare say anything.

He actually wanted to suggest to everyone, in the name of fairness, that they should also allow him to search their rooms.

But he didn't dare.

He was afraid of provoking the others' anger, and if he insisted, it might seem overly suspicious.

So he could only swallow this bitter pill silently.

Under Room 1's murderous gaze, Qin Fei returned to his room with light steps.

...

Xiao Xiao accompanied Qin Fei back to Room 12.

Actually, Xiao Xiao wasn't sure why he had followed Qin Fei back to the same room.

He had simply seen Qin Fei walking ahead and, without thinking, tagged along. By the time he realized what was happening, he found himself sitting on a chair in Qin Fei's room.

Qin Fei could understand Xiao Xiao's behavior quite well.

He had previously interacted with children with intellectual disabilities, who often acted similarly – once they found someone they deemed trustworthy, they would stick to that person like glue, no amount of shooing could get them to leave.

Qin Fei didn't mind Xiao Xiao following him into the room. After all, he wasn't sleeping or up to any mischief. If Xiao Xiao wanted to be there, Qin Fei let him be.

Xiao Xiao scratched the back of his head, endeavoring to find a topic. "Big Shot Qin, did you know from the start that there was something off with Number 4?"

He couldn't quite put his finger on why he had this feeling, but he just sensed that Qin Fei possessed a clairvoyant ability.

Qin Fei didn't hide the truth and nodded in confirmation.

In the restaurant, while analyzing the situation, he had been observing everyone's subtle facial expressions.

Number 4 wasn't an experienced perpetrator. Standing at the back of the crowd, his evasive gaze and flustered demeanor almost immediately gave away his suspicious nature.

If Qin Fei hadn't noticed early on that Player 4 was the one they were looking for, he wouldn't have said so much and secretly supported San Tu's request to search the rooms.

After all, his own room also hid secrets he didn't want exposed.

Even if those items were discovered, others wouldn't be able to guess their significance.

But he couldn't afford to take that risk.

Xiao Xiao was genuinely impressed with Qin Fei: "Sometimes I really think you've planned everything out."

Qin Fei waved it off casually: "Not quite, not quite."

Xiao Xiao opened his mouth to say more but then quietly closed it again.

He turned his head, looking strangely towards the door.

The hallway outside was already quiet.

When the two of them had entered the room, the other players had returned to their own rooms, claiming to be exhausted after a long night and needing rest. They said they would wait for the nun to call them for lunch before coming out again.

Yet now, Xiao Xiao clearly heard footsteps outside.

The footsteps were faint but headed straight for the room they were in.

Straightening his expression, Xiao Xiao lowered his voice and asked Qin Fei, "Big Shot Qin, did you hear that?"

Qin Fei heard nothing.

Xiao Xiao was doubtful, but when he tilted his ear to listen carefully, he was still certain:

"There's someone coming. They're approaching from the front of the corridor, in the direction of the resting area."

Qin Fei looked at Xiao Xiao in surprise.

He didn't think that Xiao Xiao had lost his mind and was talking nonsense; instead, he considered another possibility.

Human energy was limited, and Qin Fei had seen before how some people, after losing a part of their body, would become extremely sensitive in another aspect.

For example, a blind person's hearing would often become exceptionally sharp.

Perhaps there were some people whose reaction speeds increased after going deaf, allowing them to understand others simply by reading their lips without the need for sign language.

So...

Could it be that after Xiao Xiao became mentally impaired, his senses had become abnormally sharp?

Qin Fei tsked, silently suppressing the disrespectful thought that had just arisen in his mind: 'He can locate sounds like a dog.'

The footsteps drew closer and closer.

Eventually, they stopped right outside Qin Fei's door.

Using a combination of whispers and gestures, Xiao Xiao told Qin Fei, "I heard a sound that resembled the person who came to your door last night."

He was referring to the individual Qin Fei had encountered when he opened his door last night but found no one there.

Qin Fei nodded in response.

Since Xiao Xiao said so and mentioned that the sound originated from the end of the hallway,

Chances were that the person lurking outside his door both tonight and last night was Number 1.

Xiao Xiao bit his lower lip.

He couldn't figure out why Number 1 kept coming to Boss Qin's bedroom. Was he trying to eavesdrop?

But with the volume of their conversation, there was no way anyone could hear them from outside the door.

Xiao Xiao stood up, bending his waist slightly like a cat as he stealthily approached the bedroom door.

He slowly, ever so slowly leaned his body against the door, moving upward in an attempt to peer through the peephole.

Just as he was about to get close to it, Qin Fei grabbed him by the back of his shirt.

Xiao Xiao turned his head. "?"

Qin Fei didn't look at him.

He pulled Xiao Xiao back a little and casually picked up the cushion from the chair Xiao Xiao had been sitting on.

Taking a few steps in place, Qin Fei abruptly pushed the cushion toward the peephole.

A crisp shattering sound was followed by a muffled thud.

A sharp screwdriver had pierced through the thin glass of the peephole and precisely embedded itself into the cushion.

Seeing the cotton protruding from behind the needle, Xiao Xiao broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

Qin Fei retrieved the metal pipe and pulled the door open forcefully.

As expected.

It was the same as last night.

There was no one outside the door.

The person outside, sensing something amiss, didn't even bother to retrieve the screwdriver and fled immediately.

It was unknown what special ability he possessed that allowed him to escape so swiftly every time.

Xiao Xiao's heart pounded wildly as he stared blankly at the corridor outside the door. He stammered, "Big shot, h-how did you know...?"

He wanted to ask Qin Fei how he had predicted the danger that had just occurred.

He thought he had been extremely cautious.

Noticing someone approaching early on, he had moved with utmost care when he walked towards the door.

However, he never imagined that the individuals in this instance were so twisted, each one more sinister than the last in their underhanded tactics.

If not for Qin Fei's timely intervention, his eyeball might have exploded like shattered glass from a cat's eye.

Closing the door, Qin Fei casually plucked a clump of cotton from the hole in the cushion and stuffed it into the peephole. His clear eyes held an innocent expression.

"Hmm, actually, I didn't think much about it."

He patted Xiao Xiao's head in a soothing manner. "If I were to put it bluntly, it was probably just..."

"Putting myself in their shoes," Qin Fei finished.

Xiao Xiao: "?????"

...

Xiao Xiao shut his mouth.

Suddenly, he regretted his earlier complaint.

What was he talking about? Too many perverts, too frightening.

In fact, the biggest source of instability in this instance was probably the guy standing right in front of him, wasn't it??