Chapter 54: The Orphanage 21

Chapter 54: The Orphanage 21

Prisoner Zero stood on the other side of the railing, silently locking eyes with Qin Fei.

The not-so-deep wound was slowly healing, leaving a crust of dried blood on his cheek.

He reached out and grasped the railing, leaving a visible bloody palm print behind.

"Deal," said Prisoner Zero.

Then, he lifted his head and gazed into the dimly lit corridor on the opposite side. "The person you're waiting for is here."

Soft footsteps echoed from afar, and a faint white figure emerged at the end of the hallway.

Gradually, the figure became clearer.

It was a tall, slender man dressed in a high-collared white robe. He carried a medicine chest with one hand and a long wooden staff with the other. A bird-beak-like mask adorned his face as he stepped steadily towards Qin Fei's direction.

On the second floor of the E-Class Live Broadcast Hall, the high-ranking Spirit Beings rose to their feet in excitement.

The first floor was already abuzz with excitement, the atmosphere unusually fervent, almost transcending the boundaries of a typical live broadcast and resembling some kind of celebration.

"The Doctor has appeared!"

"A new NPC! How incredible, the Holy Infirmary has had over 200 broadcasts, and this is the NPC's first appearance!"

Some veteran players who had followed from the previous broadcast laughed with a sense of superiority upon hearing this.

"You see, uncovering new storylines and NPCs is where our streamer truly excels. In his last broadcast, he discovered several brand new characters."

"Exactly, exactly, there are even NPCs who stay with the players during every live broadcast, yet no one has ever uncovered their true identity. Only the streamer did, and this revelation spun off numerous new storylines."

Unbeknownst to him, Qin Fei's loyal fan base had unexpectedly grown to such an extent.

The spirit found it highly intriguing, "Seems like I'll have to spend some gold coins to check out the replay."

It's unforeseen that an F-rated instance could hold so many intriguing elements.

"Indeed, indeed." The spirit beside him nodded eagerly. "I used to complain that these scenarios were uninteresting, but now I realize it's not the design of the scenarios; it's the streamer's lack of skill."

They hadn't even scratched the surface of the most thrilling aspects of the scenarios.

Unlike their gorgeous spouse, who had an array of tactics and could manipulate both scenarios and NPCs effortlessly.

"If only all new streamers from now on could match this level!" the spirit exclaimed sincerely.

How much more joy would that bring to his existence!

He lifted his head, his gaze burning with enthusiasm as he gazed at the screen hovering in the void.

On the screen, the Plague Doctor strode confidently toward Cell 0, brushing past Qin Fei, who stood at the end of the corridor.

Qin Fei observed the doctor's distinctive bird-like mask with great interest.

As far as Qin Fei knew, such a unique piece of medical equipment originated in medieval Europe.

Back then, in certain regions plagued by the Black Death, doctors had conducted research on protective measures to prevent infection.

They wore long shirts made from linen or canvas soaked in wax to isolate viruses, donning bird-beak masks that filtered the air. The masks were perforated, with the eyes protected by transparent glass.

Most of these bird-beak masks were silver, but this one appeared to be made of copper or iron, giving the doctor an austere appearance.

However, despite his silence, Qin Fei could still discern that the doctor had a gentle temperament.

Behind the reflective glass of the mask, his eyes radiated a soft and weary glow.

His steps were light, and when he reached for Cell 0's door, his movements were restrained as if he was afraid that the aged hinges would creak too loudly, disturbing those nearby.

Up close, the doctor's mask emitted a faint metallic rust scent, accompanied by a barely perceptible herbal aroma.

The priest had mentioned that the doctor was often absent from the church.

Yet, upon his return from outside, he was dressed in protective attire, as if he had just attended to a patient.

The doctor had a clear objective. He seemed to completely disregard Qin Fei, focusing his gaze solely on the injured Cell 0.

He placed his medical chest on the ground in front of Cell 1 and bent slightly to search through its contents.

Behind a fence, Prisoner 0 lounged lazily against the grimy wall of his cell.

"Don't worry about me, Doctor."

"If you'd come any later, my wounds might have healed on their own."

The doctor didn't seem to appreciate 0's attempt at humor.

He examined 0's injuries closely and, finding them as 0 had described, shot him a cold glance.

Without hesitation, he picked up his case and moved to leave.

Was he really that aloof?

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Of course, he couldn't let the doctor just walk away. With long strides, Qin Fei positioned himself in the doctor's path. "Wait."

To his surprise, the doctor actually did stop.

The dim candlelight in the corridor cast his face into a chiaroscuro, with the rusted mask adhering closely to his features.

Fixing Qin Fei with a gaze that held blatant scrutiny, he asked, "What do you want?"

Although the doctor posed the question, it was clear that he was well aware of Qin Fei's intentions.

His resistance was too obvious, completely unmasked.

This person was fiercely protective of Lamb and harbored strong hostility towards him, Qin Fei deduced.

Lowering his gaze, Qin Fei softened his expression and tone to their utmost, exuding an air of meekness. "I'm looking for Lamb."

He didn't hide his purpose.

The doctor seemed sharp-witted. If he were to be seen through, the consequences would only worsen.

"Both Father and Aila told me that if I want to find Lamb, I need to come to you first," Qin Fei revealed.

The doctor's brows knitted tightly together. "Why do you need to find Lamb?"

Qin Fei blinked and said, "I have some questions to ask him."

After a long moment, the doctor let out a soft sigh.

His gaze was filled with a tranquil melancholy, as if he were telling Qin Fei: I know, it was inevitable that we would come to this.

"Follow me," the doctor turned and walked deeper into the corridor.

The two of them proceeded forward until they reached the infirmary.

"Have a seat."

Pointing to a chair in the corner, the doctor sat down at his desk.

In this instance where all NPCs were strangely peculiar, the doctor's normalcy was particularly commendable.

Qin Fei sat down as instructed.

"To find Lamb, it won't be an easy task."

The doctor didn't beat around the bush and delved straight into the matter.

"Lamb is no longer within the church."

"No, or rather, he's hiding deep within it."

The doctor retrieved a pipe from his pocket and lit it.

The tobacco's aroma was so subtle that it almost blended into the air. "To reach that place, you'll first have to navigate through a maze."

"A maze?"

Qin Fei recalled the labyrinthine corridors above his head. "Is it the one between the church and the resting area?"

But the doctor shook his head. "No."

"Lamb gave that maze a name - the Labyrinth of the Heart. It lies in the misty region between two worlds."

He emphasized the words "two worlds."

It seemed the doctor was well aware of the inversion between the two worlds.

"The end of the labyrinth is where Lamb resides."

"That labyrinth is intricate. No one has attempted to enter it before you," the doctor said, his gaze sweeping from Qin Fei's head to his ankles, seemingly assessing whether this young man had the potential to pass the labyrinth's test.

"You must prevent this place from being enveloped by 'that world' until you reach the end," the bird-beaked doctor stated.

By "that world," he undoubtedly meant the Surface World.

"Once that world appears, the Labyrinth of the Heart will begin to dissipate, with about a ten-minute time difference."

Qin Fei furrowed his brow and asked, "If the two worlds invert and then flip back within ten minutes, would that still be effective?"

The bird-beaked doctor nodded. "Yes."

"As long as the world returns to stability before the labyrinth completely dissolves, there's still time to save everything."

"When the labyrinth vanishes, those within it will also dissipate like smoke."

"However, this is something you need to be aware of only when you're inside the Labyrinth of the Mind," the doctor said while rummaging through items on the desk.

"After you leave the labyrinth and successfully reach your destination, its existence or nonexistence won't matter much anymore."

"Hmm..."

Qin Fei drew in a soft breath.

It sounded rather perilous.

Fortunately, they were in the Inner World now, and with Sister Della's assistance, navigating these challenges wouldn't be overly difficult.

But if anything unexpected happened—

Qin Fei's gaze subtly swept over the desk behind the bird-nosed doctor.

The doctor was unaware that someone had already gone through his notes and replicated them precisely.

It didn't matter, though; the Sanzu River and the Will-o'-the-Wisp would come in handy.

"Just when can I proceed?" Qin Fei asked, maintaining his politeness and composure despite having gained some information.

The doctor replied, "After midnight."

"You must wait until after midnight to set off. The path to the Labyrinth only materializes then."

If one were to head in that direction now, all they'd see is a wall.

That was why Qin Fei hadn't discovered it during his previous two visits to the dungeon.

Qin Fei nodded slightly and stood up.

"Thank you for telling me all this. I'll be leaving now and will return after midnight."

The doctor nodded.

A hint of hesitation flickered across the face marked by the iron beak's grip. He was about to speak when, in the next instant, the entire world began to tremble violently.

"Oh no," the doctor's expression shifted abruptly.

Qin Fei's brows instantly knitted together.

This damned instance dungeon seems to be deliberately out to make his life miserable.

No more than a minute ago, he was relieved that he was currently in the Inner World.

A minute later, the instance mercilessly slapped his face.

Yet, all the players were clearly locked up in cells.

Has someone escaped?

Soon, the system's voice resolved Qin Fei's perplexity.

"Infant Saint No. 1 has withdrawn from this selection!"

No additional sounds followed.

No one gained any points.

Number 1 was killed by an NPC.

Qin Fei suddenly grasped the situation.

The image of the nun muttering before leaving flashed before his eyes.

Apparently, the nun could no longer tolerate the despised Player 1 wandering around the church, so she had summoned the guard to eliminate him.

In the blink of an eye, the scene before Qin Fei's eyes transformed dramatically.

He found himself once again standing in that familiar corridor, where the lights were bright, the walls were pristine white, and the wooden floor gleamed without a speck of dust.

He had returned to the Surface World.

Standing alongside Qin Fei in the corridor were Sanzu, Ghost Fire, and Xiao Xiao, whose face was filled with confusion.

Only the four of them were standing, while the other players lay sprawled across the floor in various positions.

They had just been disciplined by the Black Nun. Some were clumsily trying to get up, while others remained unconscious.

Especially Player 6.

Qin Fei hadn't noticed in the Inner World, but after arriving in the Surface World, he realized that Player 6 had suffered significantly.

The nun seemed to have targeted him with an electric prod, leaving burns of varying severity on his arms and legs.

His face was pale, and even in his unconscious state, his brows were knitted tightly together, with cold sweat continuously trickling down his forehead.

Qin Fei couldn't help but worry about this guy.

...Could he have been electrocuted to death?

Naturally, given Qin Fei's perpetually low luck, such an opportunity for him to secretly revel in joy wouldn't come easily.

Though Condition 6 was dire, his vital signs remained stable.

Staring at him for a moment, Qin Fei turned to Xiao Xiao and the other two. "Follow me."

For some unknown reason, as they passed by Condition 6, Ghost Fire viciously kicked him.

Xiao Xiao witnessed this, involuntarily shuddering at the sight.

Indeed, strength was the ultimate principle within the dungeons. The weak would always be subjected to violence!

...

The moment Qin Fei opened the room door, the ghost infant eagerly lunged into his arms.

Last time Qin Fei returned to the Surface World, with someone constantly occupying the room, the ghost infant had stayed hidden in a corner.

Before it could even touch Qin Fei, he had returned to the Inner World.

This time, the Ghost Infant let loose and didn't bother about what San Tu or Phantom Flame might think; it simply rushed out.

The sudden appearance of this little creature indeed gave the two quite a shock.

Phantom Flame stood with his mouth agape, glancing alternately at Qin Fei and the Ghost Infant.

He wanted to ask if this thing was an NPC or some other entity that Qin Fei had brought into the instance dungeon, but he was afraid of sounding foolish, so he hesitated for a while before daring to speak.

Meanwhile, San Tu's attention was focused on Qin Fei's bed.

With her arms crossed, she stood by the bedside, her gaze sharp and her eyebrows knitted tightly together.

Sure enough, what Number 12 had just told everyone was pure nonsense.

—Saying that Number 8 had hit his head on the table and cracked it open by himself.

Look at all the blood on his bed!

Would someone who died from hitting their head on a table have their blood splatter all over the bed?

This fabrication was utterly preposterous.

But San Tu no longer had the energy to argue with Qin Fei about such matters.

Anyway, he could come up with a logical explanation for anything with just a flick of his lips.

" Why did you call us over?" San Tu inquired.

"I have a favor I'd like to ask of you," Qin Fei glanced at the still-dazed Ghost Fire and spoke with a grin.

It wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't said anything, but the moment he spoke, the audience on the other side of the screen collectively shuddered.

How odd.

His face was undeniably attractive, so why did they feel a chill down their spines every time they saw him smile now?

He even said the same words he had spoken to Zero in the dungeon just now.

Could it be that this guy was about to slice off Phantom Flame's ears with a knife right away? !

As it turned out, the audience had overthought the situation.

Qin Fei had no interest whatsoever in Phantom Flame's ears.

He sat down at the desk and tapped his fingers lightly on its surface.

"I've just received a piece of information that at midnight, the gates leading to the Inner World's dungeon will open up throughout the church."

Dressed in a priest's robe that set him apart from everyone else, the ghostly infant with its ashen complexion clung to his head with both hands and feet.

This surreal and eerie scene gave him an aura that blended seamlessly with the entire dungeon environment.

It was as if he was born to be in this dungeon, as if he was an integral part of it.

"At that time, the prisoners will also be let out for some fresh air."

Qin Fei didn't disclose the full details of his deal with Prisoner 0 to Ghost Fire and San Tu.

He simply hinted at it, "I had a chat with Prisoner 0 in the dungeon. He has his sights set on Player 6."

San Tu and Ghost Fire exchanged glances, quickly understanding Qin Fei's thoughts.

They could exploit the wandering prisoners to deal with the other players with malicious intentions.

If not for the constraints of the Holy Mother pendant, San Tu might have attempted to brute force their way through the dungeon by collecting kill points.

But under the current circumstances, that plan was clearly unfeasible.

Player 6 currently held the highest kill points.

It was only a matter of two points, but he had already drawn the nun's intense attention.

Moreover, San Tu observed that Player 6's Holy Mother pendant was almost filled; it could only sustain one more kill at most.

This was clearly a ploy of the instance dungeon.

Misleading players through its rules.

If anyone were to believe that they could shortcut their way to victory through brute force and bloodshed, they would inevitably plunge into an abyss from which there's no escape.

San Tu concealed her deep contemplation behind lowered eyes and said to Qin Fei, "Thank you for telling us all this."

San Tu had entered this instance dungeon with a mission in mind.

Her primary task was to protect Ghost Fire and try her best to help him become the MVP of this round.

Ghost Fire's talent was incredibly rare and precious. He wasn't combat-oriented, and his own strength was average. Thus, the guild had made great efforts to help him level up quickly.

However, with Player 6 in the instance dungeon, it was almost impossible for San Tu to focus on guiding Ghost Fire. He was like a troublemaker, stirring up chaos within the dungeon.

Dealing with Player 6 was now an urgent matter.

Yet, San Tu didn't understand why Qin Fei had taken the initiative to come and share all this with her.

To Number 12, there seemed to be no distinction between the two of them and Number 6; they were all rivals.

Did Number 12 not want to clear the level himself?

Or was he avoiding contributing in the chaotic battle after midnight, thus luring them into being bait to have Number 0 eliminate Number 6 on his behalf?

If that were the case, then his plan was indeed well-conceived.

It would be a win-win situation.

Still, San Tu felt a lingering sense of unease.

The caution she had honed from her experiences in the instances prompted her to extend an invitation to Qin Fei:

"What are your plans after midnight? Why don't we...?"

She gestured as if wielding a blade.

In terms of physical combat, Qin Fei's professional skills clearly surpassed Ghost Fire's by leaps and bounds.

If Qin Fei were willing to team up with her, their chances of securing Room 6 would certainly skyrocket.

Moreover, despite Qin Fei's innocent and harmless appearance, his actions were genuinely unpredictable and enigmatic.

Sanzu felt uneasy not having him under constant surveillance.

Qin Fei firmly declined, "No, I have other matters to attend to after midnight."

Not only did he reject Sanzu, but he also presented them with a new request, "This matter is very important to me, and I need your assistance."

His gentle smile was sincere and earnest.

For Qin Fei, there was actually the simplest way to achieve the goal of "keeping the Inner World unchanged."

That was to directly approach the Nun.

As long as the Nun locked all players in the Inner World's prison, they would be powerless to cause any significant disturbance.

However, the players had suffered three setbacks in the Inner World already. They weren't fools and couldn't be expected to lie down obediently each time they entered the Inner World to be beaten.

This was a matter of life and death; Qin Fei had to be prepared for all possibilities.

...

Ten minutes later.

The notebook that Qin Fei had meticulously transcribed from the doctor was placed neatly on the table.

Qin Fei carefully explained his needs to Sanzu and Ghostfire.

In truth, the two still found many aspects puzzling up until this moment.

But that didn't matter.

What Qin Fei chose to do was his own business.

All they needed to understand was what Qin Fei wanted them to do.

"Are you saying that the task you have to accomplish can only be done in the Inner World, and you want our help to maintain the state of flipping between the Inner and Outer Worlds?" Ghostfire summarized.

His expression didn't seem relaxed at all.

To keep the Inner World existing, they had to ensure no loss of Holy Infants.

But if Qin Fei himself wasn't there, they would only have three people in total.

They were up against more than ten adversaries.

The Labyrinth Corridor was so vast that it was impossible for them to monitor every corner constantly.

At that time, conflicts leading to death might arise between NPCs and players. According to No. 12's request, the flip time between the Inner and Outer Worlds couldn't exceed ten minutes.

That meant that once the system announcement appeared in the Inner World, they would have to kill another person in the Outer World within ten minutes.

...This was too difficult.

San Tou fell silent.

After a long while, she finally agreed, "No more than an hour."

If Qin Fei's words were true, it would undoubtedly be an unprecedented and unparalleled grand battle.

San Tu had reached this conclusion after carefully assessing her own strength, the strength of Ghost Fire, and the ratio of their investment to potential gain.

Of course, she could refuse, but the offer Number 12 had made was simply too tempting.

—He actually had such an item!

San Tu was genuinely astonished.

Then why didn't he use it himself?

He only needed to walk into the Confessional and read the contents of the notebook from top to bottom, and he would almost certainly secure the MVP and clear the level.

San Tu even began to doubt her previous assessment. She thought that perhaps Qin Fei wasn't truly focused on clearing the level.

Maybe he had some other mission?

Just like how San Tu's primary objective in this level was to help Ghost Fire increase his ranking.

Qin Fei might also have more pressing matters to attend to than simply clearing the levels.

They had already informed Qin Fei that as long as his hands remained unsoiled by blood, he could leave the instance dungeon alongside the full-score players.

That was why he had given away all his points and turned to handle more important affairs.

But then again, that didn't make sense either.

Hadn't he already taken a life?

San Tu's mind was in disarray.

Contemplation wasn't this player's forte; she sat there with her head buzzing.

Eventually, San Tu couldn't bear it anymore.

She raised her head and looked straight at Qin Fei. "Aren't you afraid that we'll both score 24 points and clear the game?"

Wasn't he afraid of death?

How could there be someone in this world who isn't afraid of death?

Qin Fei didn't show any signs of irritation or evasion in response to San Tu's doubt, which significantly increased the credibility of his upcoming words.

With a gentle smile in his eyes, the young man replied calmly, "I'm not afraid."

"I won't die."

He stated this with conviction.

It was strange; what he said was a sentence devoid of any tangible meaning, as ephemeral as the air around them.

Yet, San Tu perceived an underlying message within his words.

She seemed to grasp something.

The person before her must have grasped some other method, allowing him to survive and complete the live broadcast even after taking a life without achieving full marks.

—What was so implausible about that?

Look, isn't he already dressed in a priest's robe, mingling with the NPCs in this instance?

He's practically an insider; it's only fair that he enjoys some employee benefits, right?

Yes, that's it! It must be!

Sanmu convinced herself without any logical basis.

She even began assigning tasks to herself in her mind:

After the instance ends and they enter the settlement space, she would ask Qin Fei, Number 12, just how much he knew about this instance.

While communication was challenging in Central City, large guilds had their own means of conveying some information.

Sanmu resolved to work hard for the others in the guild.

Her gaze grew increasingly resolute.

Finally, she nodded, officially agreeing to Qin Fei's request: "Within one hour, we will ensure that the worlds remain in their original states."

"But you must finish your task as soon as possible," she emphasized.

"If it drags on for too long, I can't guarantee that nothing untoward will happen."

Qin Fei readily agreed, "No problem at all."

With that, all arrangements were settled.

The three of them left, and the room returned to its tranquility.

Qin Fei sat alone on the bed.

To avoid the bloodstains covering the bed, he had to sit quite close to the edge, causing his slender back to stand unnaturally straight. Tall and lanky, with broad shoulders, he wore the priest's robe elegantly, accentuating its graceful lines.

"Alright, come out now."

In the stillness, the young man suddenly spoke.

He looked at an empty point in the air:

"Stop hiding."