Chapter 55: The Holy Infirmary 22

Chapter 55: The Holy Infirmary 22

"Step out?"

Upon Qin Fei's words, the audience in the live broadcast hall fell into a collective astonishment.

To whom is the host speaking?

They gazed at the screen in confusion, its clarity revealing every nook and cranny of the room in meticulous detail.

There was indeed no place in this room that could conceal a person.

No closet, no partition, not even a curtain was distanced from the wall.

Surely it wasn't hidden under the bed, was it? How did that live streamer manage to spot it?

Within the live broadcast, the air, seemingly empty, began to twist gradually, and an indistinct silhouette materialized in mid-air.

Gradually, the outline became increasingly distinct.

It was a man with the same face as Qin Fei. Behind him, a pair of enormous black wings spread out, and his sharp jawline was accentuated by a high-collared black robe. His dark red demonic horns exuded an eerie charm.

It was Satan.

Aside from a brief appearance in the mirror at the start of the live broadcast, this NPC had remained absent since.

The ghostly audience members were almost on the verge of forgetting him.

However, despite Satan's lack of presence, the cheers that erupted upon his sudden reappearance were significant.

"Oh oh oh, it's Mr. Fool!"

"Mr. Fool's face is fantastic! Who could resist a twin version of a wife like that?!"

"How many gorgeous wives I have, I won't complain!"

In the Rule-based Live Stream, all species were equally objectified, even the mighty devil, who could only become a decorative vase for others' amusement.

Unbeknownst to Satan, who was now filled with intense curiosity, he had already become the object of someone else's desire.

He tilted his head to look at Qin Fei, "…How did you know I came out?"

He was absolutely certain that he had concealed himself well in the room, blending seamlessly with the air, leaving no trace of vulnerability.

Could it be that Number 12 had X-ray vision?

Qin Fei's expression was indifferent. "The mirror."

He pointed to the opposite side of the bed.

The black velvet curtain still hung down, covering the mirror.

However, right beneath it on the ground, there were scattered bits of reflective glass fragments quietly lying there.

The mirror was broken.

Somewhere in a moment they weren't aware of.

Qin Fei lifted his hand as if unconsciously, touching the pendant around his chest.

The pendant remained ominously empty.

Satan was momentarily taken aback.

Not to mention that Number 12 had guessed his departure solely based on the shattered mirror.

Merely being able to spot the fragments of the mirror in the first instance was astonishing enough.

One must know, Number 12 hadn't thoroughly searched any corners of the room after returning.

He had merely moved about, sat down, and engaged in conversation with his teammates in the most ordinary manner.

Where did he find the extra observance to notice such subtle changes in the crevices?

A subtle premonition of ill omen stirred within Satan, a foreboding instinct as a demon for an impending crisis.

But at this moment, the sensation was too faint for him to take it too seriously.

Adjusting his facial expression, Satan spoke in a captivating and enigmatic tone, "I know what you're planning to do."

"You wish to find Lamb, your dominant self, and replace him."

His voice was low and soothing, like a parent narrating a bedtime story, painting a series of idyllic visions with his tone.

"But why go through all that trouble?"

Qin Fei shot him a sidelong glance. "What do you mean by that?"

His demeanor was too calm, showing no trace of anger or embarrassment at having his secrets exposed. This only intensified Satan's unease.

But with the conversation already at this point, Satan had no choice but to press on. "Would you be willing to become my follower?"

"As my follower, I can help you achieve anything you desire."

Satan recited this phrase he'd spoken countless times before, but there was an inexplicable awkwardness and oddity in his expression this time.

In the past, whenever he spoke these words, his posture was always one of superiority.

Though it was Satan who initiated the question, it was always the other person, tears streaming down their face, desperately clinging to his legs, begging for him to bestow this privilege upon them.

Yet, this Number 12 before him not only didn't react earlier, but he still showed no response after hearing him out. He appeared entirely uninterested.

It was as if Qin Fei was the one begging him, putting himself in an inferior position.

...It was just plain weird.

Satan's expression contorted slightly.

Qin Fei, on the other hand, remained seated and silent. Raising his eyelids, he gazed at Satan as if he were examining some intriguing trinket.

Satan: "?"

"Hey?" He knitted his brows.

Would he or wouldn't he? Just give a straightforward answer.

Qin Fei sighed.

He couldn't understand what was going on with the NPCs in this instance. Why did they all seem to want to deceive him one by one?

Satan was no exception.

Prisoner Zero was the same.

Even when the priest first laid eyes on him, it had been like this.

Why?

Did he have a face that was easy to deceive?

Beside him, Satan, seeing Qin Fei remain silent for a long time, assumed he had convinced him: "This is our best chance."

"Don't hesitate any longer. You should know that I'm your alternate personality, I won't deceive you."

"Promise me, cooperate with me, and your wish will be fulfilled soon."

Satan kept on talking nonstop.

Qin Fei suddenly spoke up, "Can I ask you a question?"

Satan was interrupted, instantly falling silent.

He had been using that enchanted mouth of his to speak nonstop for quite some time.

Why wasn't this guy affected at all?

Shouldn't he have already been swayed by Satan's sweet talk, ready to soar into action at any moment?

Confused, Satan furrowed his brows.

The live-stream chat was filled with laughter and jests.

"Uh-oh, why do I feel like this dashing Satan is in for a rough ride?"

"I've been conditioned now. Whenever the host flashes that enigmatic smile, I get goosebumps all over."

"Not to mention... wait a minute! How can you all still discuss the plot so seriously? Two wives!! Two gorgeous, large wives right there on the screen!"

"Seriously, just one glance at the screen and I nearly stop breathing."

"Please send in some skilled editors to compile the highlights of the streamer's performance. Sell the footage as a video, I'll definitely buy it with my gold coins."

...

In the light screen, Qin Fei looked at Satan with a warm smile.

As an NPC who hadn't had many interactions with Qin Fei, even though he was an evil devil, it was genuinely difficult for him to associate the pure and clean face before him with words like "sly," "crafty," or "treacherous."

Satan nodded and lifted his chin at Qin Fei. "Go on."

He was curious to hear what astonishing words this person would utter.

Qin Fei didn't reply immediately. He reached out and held the pendant around his neck, gently rubbing its slender bone-shaped charm with his beautiful fingers.

For some reason, as Satan watched his actions, his heart skipped a beat. "...Exactly what do you want to ask?"

"The question I have," the young man said, slowly curving his lips into a smile, "is why other people's pendants fill up gradually, at varying speeds."

"And my pendant seems to be malfunctioning, not moving at all?"

As this question was asked, most of the viewers behind their screens were still in disbelief. However, Satan's expression instantly changed.

He suddenly realized that Number 12 might have already been aware of the issue.

In Satan's view, the young man before him, dressed as a priest, was staring intently at him.

But from the audience's perspective, Qin Fei had already opened the live chat interface and was swiftly scanning through the spirits' comments.

Faced with the continuous flood of question marks from the viewers, Qin Fei patiently explained.

"We already knew that the amount of liquid in the Virgin Mary pendant is closely related to whether a player will undergo metamorphosis."

"When a player commits an act of betrayal against the divine, the pendant gradually fills up."

"And once the heart in the Virgin's embrace turns completely crimson, players will undergo complete metamorphosis within the Inner World, their bodies taken over by their inner selves, turning into mindless monsters—like what happened to Number 14, transforming into an entirely different person."

In fact, this so-called "inner self" should refer to the persona that Lamb himself possessed.

Players entered the instances and took their positions, which resulted in the delicate duality of personalities seen in each alternate self now.

Strangely enough, despite the passage of so much time within the instances, other players' pendants had shown some signs of change, while Qin Fei's remained as it was originally.

How many wicked deeds had he committed in those instances?

Not to mention his killing of Player Number 8.

Even before that, he had broken the priest's hand, made disrespectful remarks about the divine, and deceived others with lies.

In just the hour before the instance began, Player Number 5's pendant had already taken on a thin red tinge from his mere arrogance in commanding others.

Before Qin Fei killed Number 8, he could still rationalize it; perhaps the growth rate of the liquid in the pendants was related to the players' mental resistance.

Qin Fei's mental resistance had always been an enigma.

Though the exact number was unknown, it was clearly off the charts. Thus, it made sense that his actions within the instances were unaffected.

Until just now.

He saw the shattered mirror fragments.

His "inner self" had actually walked out from the mirror.

How could this be possible?

In all previous instances with players, their outer and inner personalities had never appeared simultaneously. The two were adversaries, enemies; if one existed, the other would inevitably dissipate.

This sudden realization made Qin Fei associate it with a possibility.

Perhaps his pendant's unchanging state wasn't due to his stronger mental immunity compared to others.

But rather, because he didn't have an inner self at all.

What exactly was Satan?

"Allow me to speculate on what you're planning."

In the Bible, the devil often revealed himself in alluring forms, deceiving those with weak wills into descending into the abyss of corruption.

"You're not my alternate personality, nor Lamb's secondary one."

As Qin Fei spoke, he traced circles on the tabletop with his finger, a gesture that made Satan uneasy.

"Are you the genuine devil, then?"

"You claimed to be Satan, and it seems you weren't lying. Undoubtedly, you are."

"In that case."

"Are you trying to take over my body?"

"Or perhaps consume my soul?"

"Or could it be that after luring me into becoming your follower, you plan to summon your true form into this world through some means?"

Qin Fei enumerated the typical scenarios of an unlucky supporting character in dramas.

Satan: "..."

Satan gritted his teeth in frustration.

Fine, fine, I know you get it.

You're great! Happy now?

But knowing is one thing, why articulate it so clearly as if explaining to a primary school student?

Satan glared fiercely at Number 12 before him. This damned handsome youth was the most despised person he had ever encountered!

In reality, Qin Fei hadn't done anything particularly offensive.

He had merely rejected Satan's proposal just now and stated some facts.

Yet, for some reason, Satan felt deeply humiliated by him.

The experience was like being pinned to the ground by four burly men while someone sat in front of him, extending their foot for him to lick their shoe with his tongue.

It didn't hurt, but it was utterly humiliating.

Indeed, Satan was also deeply frustrated.

Number 12 wasn't wrong. He wasn't Number 12's alter ego.

Although the alter egos of the other Holy Infants were vastly different from their primary personas, they were ultimately derived from the same source, intertwined like parasitic plants, inseparable.

But not Satan.

He had no connection to Number 12 at all.

One day, while the deity was at rest, the devil secretly descended upon this world.

He found a gloomy soul and seized the opportunity to infiltrate its body.

He bound his being with the soul, intending to devour it bit by bit, but to his surprise, it was Number 12's persona that held sway over Lamb's body at that time.

When Number 12's persona returned to Lamb's consciousness, and the main personality reasserted control over Lamb's mind, Satan lost his grip on that body as well.

Now, Satan was nothing.

The accident transformed him into a wraith parasitizing within Lamb's body, rendering him an incapable good-for-nothing.

To gain control over this body, he first needed to seize control of Number 12.

He intended to seduce Number 12, turning them into a devotee of the devil.

Then, he could replace Number 12 and become one of Lamb's genuine alternate personalities.

As long as he successfully supplanted Number 12, with his devilish powers, wouldn't eliminating the other 23 Holy Infants be a piece of cake?

Who knew that Number 12 would be so difficult to deal with!

Satan's face turned every shade of color.

Why was this happening?

Despite the irresistible offer he'd made, Number 12 seemed to see through his lies, completely immune to his enticements.

Qin Fei propped his chin on one hand, his handsome brows slightly knitted as he looked at Satan with concern. "Hey, listen. Since you're not my alter ego, can you stop using my face?"

"It does seem rather peculiar."

Satan: "? : @%##!!!"

You're really being too picky!

What, you even have complaints about this??

He is Satan, the great Devil!

What's wrong with borrowing his face?

This face is merely a shade paler than most people's, with more striking features, a more streamlined jawline, and slightly more abundant hair...

Are there any other exceptionally remarkable aspects? Why can't he even use it??

A layer of black smoke began to swirl around Satan, forming a vortex in the air like a tornado.

As the smoke dissipated, he had transformed into an entirely different appearance.

"Woah! Woah! Woah!"

A wave of exhilaration swept through the live streaming square.

"How impressive! This is my first time seeing Satan's true appearance!"

In every previous live stream, Satan had presented himself with the face of the current 12th participant.

This time, the audience was finally treated to a rare sight.

As a fallen angel who had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, and a demon who thrived amidst the fiery torments of Hell, Satan's original form was just as strikingly handsome.

He possessed a face with deep, Western features, his crimson eyes glowing with the intensity of burning flames.

His wings, now more immense than before, almost consumed the entire bedroom. With every breath he took, they trembled gently, releasing black feathers that floated through the air before slowly settling on the ground.

It was eerie, magnificent, and exquisitely beautiful.

On the other side of the screen, the spectators were frenziedly spending their gold coins to capture screenshots.

Qin Fei, however, offered an incomprehensibly insensitive remark.

"I must say, you're shedding quite a bit," he commented.

Satan: ????

If Satan were an ordinary person, they might have needed a respirator by now.

He was truly on the verge of being driven mad!

Who gave this guy the permission to speak to the noble Devil as if he were a domesticated cat? !

Satan felt his demonic persona splintering.

Half of his brain was urging him to roll his eyes and storm off, while the other half was fiercely determined to conquer this damn creature before him.

Unbeknownst to him, a man who had always made a living by beguiling others had, since meeting Qin Fei, been inadvertently led along by the latter without even realizing it.

How could someone so easily provoked and quick to fly into a rage still charm anyone?

Satan didn't have the time to ponder such intricacies; he was consumed by rage.

His left and right brains seemed to manifest as two miniature figures engaged in a fierce battle.

In the end, the right brain emerged victorious.

With all his might, Satan dashed furiously towards Qin Fei!

Amidst the flurry of falling black feathers, he roared in fury, "Insignificant human, I hope you will come to understand a lesson in the days to come!"

"That means, do not casually challenge the devil's bottom line!"

Despite the severe backlash it would entail, Satan could no longer endure it.

Even if it meant engaging in a direct confrontation, he would intervene today to teach the other party a lesson!

Yet what unfolded next undeniably shattered Satan's worldview once more.

The moment he touched the man before him, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

He failed to devour that fragile soul successfully.

He didn't witness it dissipate before his eyes, transforming into black, feathered fragments that scattered across the ground.

Bang!

With a violent crash, the winged man seemed to have collided fiercely with an unyielding wall.

He was forcefully rebounded.

In the next instant, another bang echoed.

This time, Satan truly struck the wall.

Pain surged from the back of his head and his back, leaving Satan sitting dazed amidst the fallen feathers. He lowered his head, his body trembling slightly.

This sudden turn of events also took Qin Fei by surprise. He froze for a moment before looking at Satan with concern, "Hey...

"Why are you trembling?

"Did you get so angry that you're about to cry...?"

Satan lifted his head.

His gaze on Qin Fei was as if he had seen some horrifying monster.

"You... You..."

"What's your relationship with It?!" Satan's lips quivered.

Qin Fei didn't understand, "Who?"

But Satan was no longer willing to speak another word.

He hastily flapped his wings, stood up from the ground, and rushed towards the mirror.

His undisguised anxiety was like having his posterior set ablaze.

After stepping one leg through the mirror, he seemed to have suddenly remembered something. He turned around and waved in the direction under Qin Fei's bed.

The black lacquered box containing the goat skull flew out right before their eyes.

With a sweeping motion of Satan's hand, the box burst into flames, suspended mid-air, and was soon consumed entirely.

Satan let out a sigh of relief. He gave Qin Fei a complicated glance before silently retreating back into the mirror.

From his expression, it seemed he had no intention of ever seeing Qin Fei again in this lifetime.

Qin Fei blinked, lost.

So, who could tell him what on earth had just happened?

...

Despite the chiming of the night clock seven times, Qin Fei still couldn't fully grasp what had driven Satan mad.

One thing he was certain of was that in Satan's final glance at him before entering the mirror, there was genuine fear etched in those eyes.

What could possibly frighten him?

He was a devil, after all.

The entire Saint Baby Orphanage instance dungeon was constructed from Lamb's mental world, with a very limited perspective. The monsters within were all derived from people Lamb had encountered in his life.

Amongst these individuals, Qin Fei truly couldn't imagine who Satan would be afraid of.

And then there was that box he had burned.

A goat skull, a snake, a crucifix.

These were all sacrificial items used to summon malevolent spirits.

It seemed that Satan was terrified of Qin Fei finding him again.

Qin Fei's gaze gradually cleared, and a voice echoed in his ears – it was something the Ghost Lady had said to him in the previous instance dungeon.

"There's His aura on you," the ghostly woman stated.

In short,

Everything connected to Him.

Qin Fei could only gain further insight after encountering the source of corruption.

The sound of the nun's voice echoed from outside, signaling the start of dinner. The dazed players finally regained some clarity.

In twos and threes, they stumbled from their bedrooms into the dining area, no longer capable of any mischief.

Weakly, they recited their pre-meal prayers, tracing uneven crosses in the air with their fingers before burying their heads in the food on the table.

Despite the serene and harmonious atmosphere, Qin Fei sensed an underlying tension in the air.

Many players seemed to wear overly grim expressions, contorting their bodies now and then as if in great discomfort.

"Their alternate personalities are exerting more influence over them," Qin Fei observed.

After dinner, Qin Fei, Xiao Xiao, San Tu, and Phantom Flame once again gathered in Qin Fei's bedroom.

Xiao Xiao explained the situation to Qin Fei.

He had a private conversation with Phantom Flame in the evening. It seemed that Phantom Flame was trying to gather information about Qin Fei from Xiao Xiao, but unfortunately, Xiao Xiao himself only had a superficial understanding and couldn't provide any substantial details.

On the other hand, as their chat progressed, Phantom Flame began to pour out his grievances.

Both he and San Tu had been assigned inner personality missions of "theft" and "massacre," neither of which they could accomplish. As a result, they had ignored the rule in the resting area since yesterday.

After all, they wouldn't die.

However, they didn't expect that although death was avoided, the suffering they had to endure remained unchanged. With time passing, images of their inner personalities involuntarily surfaced in their minds.

They even experienced auditory and visual hallucinations. No matter if their eyes were open or closed, whether they were walking or sitting, Phantom Flame kept hearing a voice in his ear, urging him to steal from the nuns...

"Slap!" Phantom Flame raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

Damn it, this instance really made one want to die.

Qin Fei's lips twitched uncontrollably.

He genuinely thanked the System for assigning him such an adorable parasitic devil like Satan.

"It's already past eight. When do you plan on returning to the Inner World?"

San To had bloodshot eyes.

She wasn't in much better condition than Phantom Flame; every vein in her body seemed to be filled with burning blood, ready to erupt like a volcano at any moment.

According to the decision they had made before dinner, they needed to initiate another inversion between the Surface and Inner Worlds before midnight tonight.

That meant more players would have to sacrifice themselves.

Qin Fei nodded. "If someone dies before midnight, that would be the best outcome for us."

If death didn't occur naturally, then they would have to create it themselves.

Qin Fei asked Three Paths calmly, "If we must choose one person to kill, who do you think would be the most suitable?"

Three Paths furrowed her brows.

This question was indeed rather difficult to answer.

She pondered for a moment. "Number 6, Number 19, and Number 21."

These three had their metal pendants almost full. Even if they didn't take action, they wouldn't last much longer.

She picked up a pen and paper from Qin Fei's desk, jotting down her thoughts as she continued to ponder.

"Next would be Number 3, Number 5, and Number 23."

They were of the next tier down.

She put down her pen after finishing the writing.

Qin Fei couldn't help curving his lips as he watched San Tu sketch and scribble on the paper.

If it weren't for this damned instance dungeon live broadcast, with San Tu's straightforward mindset, she would undoubtedly be a model citizen in a lawful society throughout her life.

Even during such a perilous moment as planning a murder, her first instinct was still to minimize harm to everyone involved.

But in reality,

Qin Fei said, "You don't need to consider anyone else."

Perhaps due to her lack of familiarity with the act of "killing," San Tu's line of thought had veered severely off course.

She seemed to think that taking the life of someone who was already close to death was more reasonable than ending the life of someone who was thriving.

In truth, no one truly wished to die.

"You don't have to think about who is close to death or who has a long way to go, nor do you need to consider who deserves to die or who doesn't."

Such an arrangement serves no purpose and would only weigh unnecessarily on their actions.

"All you need to do is make up your mind clearly."

"Whose death would benefit you the most and entail the least subsequent complications, that is all that matters."

The youth's fingertips tapped gently against the tabletop, his nonchalant and languid tone carrying an air of detached judgment, as if he and the unfortunate souls he mentioned were entirely different species.

Those light amber eyes, at this moment, seemed to have darkened slightly, creating a stark contrast with his usual gentle and smiling appearance.

"So, in your opinion, whom should we choose?"