Chapter 45: The Orphanage of the Holy Child 12

Chapter 45: The Orphanage of the Holy Child 12

"..."

For a long while, Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao were at a loss for words.

Outside the closet, Phantom Flame was unusually awkward. He scratched the back of his head as he explained, "Reverend Father, I, I really just thought about it and never actually did it!"

It was all because of this damned scenario; even he thought he was abnormally twisted!

Qin Fei: ...

Please stop talking, please.

The priest was speechless, retracting the crucifix and silently cursing the believer in his heart.

From what Phantom Flame had implied, this "stealing underwear" seemed to be a task assigned by his alter ego in the mirror as part of his "daily objectives."

Phantom Flame was Number 9.

No wonder this morning, before 9 AM, Phantom Flame didn't show any intention of going on the mission.

This damn mission was indeed impossible to complete.

Xiao Xiao stood by the side and let out a long sigh.

To be honest, ever since he found out that he was playing the role of an "idiot," he had been in a conflicted state of relief and frustration.

He was relieved that he posed less of a threat than others, but at the same time, he felt frustrated—why did he have to draw such a ridiculous role?

But now, Xiao Xiao's mind was completely at ease.

If being an idiot was his fate, then so be it.

What difference did it make if he was an idiot?

It was still much better than stealing underwear, that was for sure.

All things work together for good, amen.

Mr. Daoist, who had always believed in Eastern ghosts but never Western gods, sincerely prayed for the first time in his over two decades of life.

"Father..."

Outside the confessional, the ghostly flame hesitantly began, "I've already told you everything I know. My points...

His words were interrupted by the creak of the door opening.

Startled, the ghostly flame turned its head, then breathed a huge sigh of relief upon recognizing the newcomer.

"Sister Sanzu!"

Tears threatened to well up in the ghostly flame's eyes. "You're okay! That's such a relief!"

Heaven knew how worried he had been just now.

However, Sanzu's expression was far from reassuring.

A tall and slender woman exuded an air of sophistication, her every move accompanied by the swish of her sleek high ponytail, resembling a powerful whip trailing behind her.

She approached the direction of the ghostly flame and asked, "Why haven't you entered the confessional yet? Is there a problem?"

Phantom Fire touched the tip of his nose and said, "Well... actually, I've already confessed everything and am just waiting for my points to be credited."

San Tu: "?"

"Arrival...?" She pondered over these two characters meticulously.

Phantom Flame explained, "Actually, we misunderstood during our analysis. We don't need to enter the confessional; we just have to confess from outside to complete the mission."

"There was a priest inside who was talking to me and guiding me through the task."

As San To listened to Phantom Flame's account, she somehow got a bad feeling about the situation.

Her brows knitted together.

San To was always serious and stern, which made Phantom Flame a little apprehensive around her.

Noticing the growing solemnity on her face, he couldn't help but feel anxious as well. "W-What's wrong?"

San Tu narrowed her eyes in deep contemplation.

After a moment, a realization dawned upon her, and her expression shifted. "Where did those two from the Benevolent Hall go?"

Although Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao were not actually part of the Benevolent Hall, due to their close proximity with Cheng Song during their time in Central City, both San Tu and Ghost Fire had subconsciously assumed they were part of the same group.

San Tu's gaze swept across the area like a torch, searching for any sign of the duo.

But they were nowhere to be seen.

"Do you see them when you arrived?" she asked Ghost Fire.

Ghost Fire naturally shook his head.

Though Ghost Fire was somewhat absent-minded, he wasn't truly foolish. Witnessing San Tu's reaction, he gradually pieced together what might have happened.

"Well, I don't think it should be that serious..." His eyes went blank, and he swallowed hard.

Together, they turned their heads, fixating intently on the confessional.

The next second, a clear and pleasant male voice echoed from within the wooden walls.

"Hey~"

A simple greeting, yet it reverberated through Sanzu and Ghostfire's minds like an eerie melody.

The dark green curtain was drawn aside, revealing a young man dressed in priestly attire with a gentle smile on his face. His smooth black hair brushed against his cheeks as he held a Bible and a crucifix in his hands. He appeared beautiful and holy from every angle.

However, the two outside the confessional seemed to have seen a ghost, their eyes widening like eggs, and a chill running down their spines.

Sanzu recalled what Ghostfire had just said:

"In fact, I've already finished confessing,"

"I'm just waiting for my points to be credited."

"…No need to enter the confessional to complete the mission."

San Tu: "…"

...Damn it!

!!!

San Tu turned his head, shooting murderous glares at Ghost Fire, then turned back and gave Qin Fei the same deadly stare.

Qin Fei smiled and began to speak within the confessional:

"I confess on behalf of Number 3 for his laziness and inaction."

"On behalf of Number 7 for his promiscuity, Number 8 for being homosexual, and Number 15 for being a control freak."

He repeated the words that Ghost Fire had spoken.

"Congratulations to Holy Child Number 12 for acquiring 4 points! Current total points: 10!"

4 points easily in the bag.

Players Number 3, 7, 8, and 15 each had a point deducted from their scores.

The E-grade game hall was in an uproar.

The grand spectacle that once took place in the F-class newcomer hall three days ago is now re-enacted.

A swarm of spectral spectators resembled a winter migration of fish, viewed from the second floor, their countless heads densely packed in every corner of the grand hall.

All the spirits were converging towards a specific spot in the center.

The E-Rank hall had a more intricate layout than the F-Rank one. The second floor was reserved for high-ranking spirits as an exclusive VIP viewing area.

Senior viewers who wished to enjoy the live broadcast with their friends without incurring extra costs for a separate viewing space would gather here.

The spirit radiating golden light had returned once again.

He occupied the prime viewing seat on the second floor, with a plate of melon seeds by his side. He watched the light screen with great interest, muttering to himself softly.

"How intriguing, he truly didn't disappoint me."

...

Within the massive light screen, at a distance less than half a meter away from Qin Fei, the second most popular player in the live broadcast, San Tu, was on the verge of losing her mind.

She had never been ambushed like this in any dungeon before!

And Ghost Fire!

That good-for-nothing troublemaker!

San Tu angrily turned her head, only to see Ghost Fire hugging his knees and crouching aside, almost blending into the floor.

San Tu: ?

It was indeed infuriating.

But did it really warrant such an extreme reaction?

Was this child's emotional barrier really that fragile?

San Tu cleared his throat, attempting to make his tone sound less stiff: "Actually, it's not a big deal—"

"You don't understand!!! Waaaah, you have no idea!"

The wraithfire's voice was weak and pitiful, appearing even more miserable than Ying Ping, who failed to get money from Lu Zhenhua.

Wraithfire's mentality had genuinely collapsed.

The character he drew was incredibly humiliating – so shameful that he didn't even have the courage to tell Sister San Tu about it.

The reason he was willing to confess to the priest in front of the confessional just now was purely because he believed it was part of the scenario.

He thought he was dealing with an NPC in the scenario.

But who could have guessed!

This NPC turned out to be a player in disguise!!!

Or was it an enemy from his rival guild, pretending to be his friend?!

Ah! Aaah! Oooh!!

Spiders eating earwax! Wild boars on airplanes! Tornadoes ravaging parking lots!

Utter madness!

Utter madness!!!

Sanmu watched as Phantom Flame trembled violently, his eyes bloodshot. He couldn't help but look at Qin Fei in a mix of shock and fury.

"What have you done to him?!"

Why did he seem so ashamed, as if he couldn't face his fellow guild members again?

Qin Fei coughed. "If I were to be honest..."

Phantom Flame suddenly lifted his head, staring intently at Qin Fei.

Qin Fei: "…Nothing much."

The young man's eyes curved gently, his expression warm and serene. "Didn't you see it all? I just… um, persuaded him to reveal some information. That's all there is to it."

Upon hearing Qin Fei's words, the ghostly flame's eyes suddenly lit up.

What did 'that's all there is to it' mean?

Was he not planning to confess his dark side with Third River Sister to the Lord?

If that was the case…

While it was still embarrassing, at least his face was saved with Third River Sister!

Third River watched in astonishment as Ghost Fire resurrected on the spot and dashed up to Qin Fei like a large pet dog.

Third River: ?

Qin Fei patted Ghost Fire's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, you see, I didn't say anything about it."

Phantom Flame: "Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm, you're really such a good person!"

It was a good thing he didn't have a tail; otherwise, it would have spun like a fan from sheer excitement.

Qin Fei looked at Phantom Flame's silly expression and suddenly felt a twinge of regret.

What a pity, his devilish persuasion mission for the day had already been completed at 100% when he taught the priest a lesson with steel pipes and bricks earlier.

Otherwise, with Phantom Flame's foolish look, he probably could have fulfilled his KPI targets for the next two days.

With a subtle smile hidden in his eyes, he rested his intertwined hands gently on the window frame of the confessional and spoke to San Tu in a warm tone, "Let's have a talk."

San Tu wore a displeased expression but didn't say anything.

She had a short temper, but she was always a pragmatic person. She wouldn't foolishly provoke someone when the odds were clearly stacked against them.

It was their own fault for lacking skills and falling into a trap; they could only accept it.

Looking at Ghost Fire's foolish demeanor, it was clear that the other party had some leverage over him.

San Tu raised his chin coldly. "Speak, what do you want?"

Qin Fei smiled.

He didn't propose any conditions; instead, he spoke calmly and unhurriedly.

"Don't be so tense, I just have a small question."

"As one of the renowned seed players in the major guild, Number 22—"

He looked at San Tu.

"Your combat strength is undoubtedly among the top in this instance."

"But after the conflict escalated, instead of seizing the opportunity to take a few kill points amidst the chaos, you rushed to the Confessional Hall first."

This was a very peculiar phenomenon.

During the initial chaos, it would undoubtedly be the easiest time to score kill points.

At this moment, most people's minds hadn't yet processed the situation. Even the weakest players were still alive and well.

Someone like San Tu, if they wanted to seize this opportunity to score 4 to 8 points, it would be no issue at all.

Yet, she had given up.

And it was Player 6 who had taken care of the zombie-loving Player 4, who was locked in the room.

Qin Fei analyzed the situation methodically.

Though he hadn't said anything extraordinary, merely recounting the events that had transpired, yet both Ghost Fire and San Tu found themselves trembling with fear.

"Allow me to speculate, why might that be?"

"Could it be..."

Those clear, limpid amber eyes now gleamed with razor-sharp intensity. When they landed on someone's face, it was as if they could slice through the surface skin, exposing the darkest thoughts hidden within their hearts.

"Could it be that you've uncovered some clue, suggesting that in this instance, one must absolutely not take lives lightly?"

The youth's tongue lightly brushed against the roof of his mouth, his tone light and elegant.

Qin Fei didn't have any concrete evidence to back up this assumption; all conclusions were derived from analyzing the logic behind the two people's actions before him.

Put bluntly, it was pure conjecture.

Yet, somehow, his guess was spot on.

This made San Tu feel an uncomfortable sensation all over her body, as if she had been stripped bare under the scorching sun, with every move she made under the scrutiny of others.

Qin Fei's fingers tapped gently against the wooden walls of the confessional, producing a rhythmic tapping sound that filled the air and stirred unease in one's heart.

"How can we avoid killing and still obtain the head points? What should we do?"

"If you're thinking of accumulating the 24 points through whistleblowing, then let me remind you."

Qin Fei smiled and said, "That is an impossible task."

"To clear the level, 24 points are needed, and there are only 24 of us. You would have to confess to everyone, including yourself, in order to meet the conditions for passage."

However, confessing one's own secrets doesn't grant any points.

The logic behind it is straightforward.

A confession earns one point, while being the subject of a secret deducts one. If you confess to your own secret, the positive and negative cancel each other out.

Therefore, a simple act of confession alone cannot fulfill the clearance conditions.

"Besides, some of us haven't committed any sins worthy of confession."

Like the foolish Xiao Xiao.

"Is that so..."

A hint of confusion flickered in San Tu's eyes.

San Tu wasn't exactly an intellectual. Her primary talents were focused on combat, not puzzle-solving in dungeons.

This time, she was reluctantly pulled into the dungeon with a Phantom Flame even less capable than her, forcing her to take on both parental roles and work double shifts.

According to the previous plan outlined by San Tu, the optimal solution for exiting the instance dungeon was to expose everyone's secrets, then complete it unscathed.

However, Qin Fei had already dismissed this idea.

Kills were points that couldn't be ignored.

Each kill awarded four points. If they relied solely on kill points to clear the instance, they would need to eliminate six people in total.

This was indeed quite a challenging task.

Moreover...

After a moment of hesitation, San Tu said to Qin Fei, "If I share some information with you, would you be willing to open this door and let us in?"

"Certainly," Qin Fei replied casually, sitting with one leg crossed over the other.

San Tu was still somewhat skeptical.

Looking at Qin Fei now, she felt as if she were staring at a cult recruiter—how on earth did he manage to get the Ghost Fire to obey him so obediently?

She asked doubtfully, "Will repeating what you've already confessed still work?"

Qin Fei nodded. "Yes."

It was strange. Despite being thoroughly deceived by Qin Fei, the sincere nod still sparked an involuntary thought in San Tu's mind: 'This person can be trusted.'

San Tu gritted her teeth and finally divulged everything. "Before entering the instance dungeon, we had a discussion and analysis session within our guild."

The focus of that analysis wasn't San Tu or Ghost Fire but another group of players.

They were just passive listeners, yet they unexpectedly gained some valuable experience for their own dungeon run by chance.

However, there was also a four-person fixed team that entered the Orphanage of the Holy Infant.

These four had been discovered by Ghost Fire's scouting since their first entry into an experience world.

Since then, they had been teamed up together for every live broadcast, having entered and exited over a dozen instance dungeons as a unit. They had developed a strong rapport.

But on their last visit to the Orphanage of the Holy Infant, only two of them managed to escape successfully.

In the Rule-bound Central City, players were prohibited from discussing the contents of dungeons, thus many events that transpired within remained unknown to the guild members.

However, through veiled language, the two of them vaguely conveyed a piece of information:

One of them had obtained 24 points by both informing on others and killing, while the other was a healer in the team, providing support throughout without ever directly taking a life.

Moreover, at the time when that person reached 24 points, there were no less than eight other survivors in the dungeon.

Yet, only four ultimately made it out alive.

Since these two exited the dungeon together, it indicated that multiple players could complete the Saint's Orphanage.

So why were half of the players forcibly eliminated within?

Qin Fei grasped the situation: "Once you resort to killing, your only path forward is to accumulate 24 points and become a Saint's Child."

But if one could maintain their innocence, there was a chance to survive until the end.

No wonder.

No wonder Sanzu came to the Confessional first.

Under such hidden rules, one could only claim the Head Points at the very end.

Otherwise, any mishap would leave them with no escape route.

In that case...

Qin Fei's lips curved up, revealing his neat and dazzling white teeth.

That standard smile, however, sent chills down the spines of the duo when they saw it.

"Perhaps, we can become partners."

"After all, a kind soul like me, just like you two, doesn't want to get blood on our hands at all."

The young man spoke leisurely, enunciating each word clearly.

Sanzu and Ghostfire were covered in goosebumps.

Forget it, everyone knows you well enough!

It's just a wasted face of an innocent person.

Sanzu suppressed the twitching corner of her mouth. "Let's rely on our own abilities then. I promise not to cause you trouble unless it's absolutely necessary."

Gehenna had secretly told her that this fool had revealed their alternate personalities' traits to the other two players.

Player 12 could now easily gain two more points – and that would be on top of any deductions they might incur.

All Sanzu wanted now was to rush into the next box, finish her confession, and get as far away from that smiling fox as possible.

Otherwise, she might fall victim to his cunning again without even realizing it.

...

"Congratulations to Player 9, Holy Infant, for earning: 7 points! Current score: 7 points!"

In the end, Gehenna successfully entered the confessional, deducting one point each from Players 1-4 and 7, 8, and 15.

In the dimly lit and narrow stairwell, the air was stale and chilling.

Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao descended the steps, one after the other, threading their way through the darkness.

The system's announcement rang out, and Xiao Xiao took one last glance behind him. The confessional was now deserted.

Those two individuals had left, presumably to seek out other players and continue uncovering their secrets.

Daddy Qin, however, had stayed behind under the pretense of "continuing to deceive people in the confessional." After the duo left, he promptly locked the door and turned to enter the priest's compartment.

There, on the floor, was a wooden door that could be lifted upward, akin to a cellar entrance.

Behind it lay a flight of stairs leading to an unknown destination.

The damp stone steps were slippery, coated with a slick layer of moisture and moss. From the distant darkness, eerie sounds echoed faintly, making every step Xiao Xiao took a nerve-wracking experience.

As they descended further, the peculiar smell in the air grew stronger, accompanied by a burnt odor, as if some animal was roasting over a fire.

Xiao Xiao quickened his pace, closely following Qin Fei.

"Wonder where we're heading..."

He whispered softly.

Just now, he had flipped through the Bible again, and Rule 2 clearly stated:

This church has no basement.

If you come across steps leading underground, immediately move away, or bear the consequences.

Bear the consequences.

Those four words alone sent shivers down his spine.

Qin Fei held a spirit candle in his hand, its faint light illuminating only a small area less than half a meter around their feet.

"I suppose we might end up in the staff's service area, don't you think?"

Despite the tense situation, he found the leisure to crack a joke.

Xiao Xiao found it impossible to force a smile.

The long flight of stairs flashed beneath their feet.

After an indeterminate period, the incline gradually leveled out, revealing a narrow corridor before the pair.

Unaware of what lay ahead, Qin Fei stowed the Spirit Candle back into his backpack and proceeded forward into the darkness.

Silence enveloped them.

With almost no visibility, Xiao Xiao could barely see the path ahead. He had to brace himself against the wall with one hand to maintain his balance.

During their advance, his foot kicked something, producing a short, muffled sound.

Startled, Xiao Xiao instinctively paused in his steps.

It was eerily quiet here, so quiet that it stirred a sense of dread within them.

In this stark contrast, the sound of his kick stood out prominently, impossible to ignore.

The object was still beside his foot.

For some inexplicable reason, he bent down and reached out to pick it up.

The floor tiles were cold, and when his fingertips touched it, he almost sensed a chill of death.

Xiao Xiao's heartbeat grew louder with each passing moment.

He spread his fingers wide and blindly searched the ground. After a moment, he finally found what he had kicked away earlier.

It was...

Upon close examination, Xiao Xiao was horrified to realize that it was an entire human finger bone!

"Damn..."

He almost shouted out loud. He quickly threw the object away, jumped up, and dashed towards Qin Fei.

What the hell kind of place was this?!

Strangely enough, the time it took for him to bend down and pick something up was no more than five seconds, yet Qin Fei's footsteps that had been echoing in his ears seemed to have vanished without a trace.

What... What's going on? Has Big Shot Qin disappeared?

Xiao Xiao's pace quickened.

He could no longer afford to worry about the slippery ground as he stumbled forward, almost breaking into a jog.

No one!

No one!

Still no one!

The howling wind filled his ears, while an increasingly pungent smell permeated the air, as if something was burning or decaying.

Where on earth is Qin Fei? !

Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears. He closed his eyes, unwilling to look around anymore. With his head down, he pushed forward blindly.

Bang!

He collided with something solid, almost crushing the bridge of his nose.

Has it... reached the end?

Xiao Xiao had no choice but to open his eyes, gazing blankly at the scene before him.

In front of the field of vision.

A massive door, painted in hues of black and red, materialized before them.

Swinging inward from the force of the impact, the door revealed a face contorted by flames. Xiao Xiao saw a countenance where the skin had split, exposing raw flesh beneath. His features were marred by square, black scars, resembling burn marks from a branding iron. Oozing fat trickled from the crevices of these scars.

Upon noticing Xiao Xiao's arrival, the figure's lips peeled back into a grotesque smile, revealing stained yellow teeth and crimson gums. Between those teeth, fragments of what seemed to be shredded flesh were discernible.

A voice, cold and eerie, emerged from behind him.

"You've finally arrived," he said.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, my dear child."