Chapter 58: The Orphanage 25

Chapter 58: The Orphanage 25

Xiao Xiao could not fathom how things had spiraled to this point.

When the Dual Realms flipped, he was sound asleep in his room.

He was oblivious to the Inner Realm's arrival; it wasn't until several panicked players rushed over with thudding footsteps that Xiao Xiao was startled awake.

Dazed, he watched as the player dashed into a room, suddenly realizing that he had somehow found himself in the Inner Realm.

More importantly, he couldn't locate his companions.

It didn't matter if he couldn't find Qin Fei—

Xiao Xiao knew what Qin Fei was up to.

But why were San Tu and Gui Huo also missing? !

Recalling Qin Fei's warnings, Xiao Xiao grew anxious.

The Labyrinth Corridor was vast, and it was utterly impossible for Ghost Fire and San Tu to oversee every corner on their own.

Xiao Xiao immediately grew concerned about Qin Fei's situation and hastily left the cell, dashing into the Labyrinth Corridor.

His panicked appearance left Player 16, who had just managed to escape back to the cell, utterly confused.

The Corridor was perilous, and everyone else was desperately trying to find an exit while running outward.

Why would Player 10 rush in voluntarily?

In truth, Xiao Xiao's decision to dash into the Corridor could hardly be considered wise.

He had only considered that Ghost Fire and San Tu couldn't handle over ten players and prisoner NPCs but neglected to ponder one crucial point.

That was, he might not necessarily be of assistance.

On the contrary, there was a high likelihood that he would become one more person for Ghost Fire and San Tu to "handle."

Ever since entering the Holy Infant Orphanage dungeon, Xiao Xiao hadn't encountered much luck, and tonight was no exception.

Hardly had he dashed into the corridor when he unfortunately encountered Player No. 6.

Perhaps misfortune was contagious.

For Player No. 6, meeting Xiao Xiao was also the greatest misfortune he had encountered tonight.

Initially, after the inversion of the Surface and Inner Worlds, he had been teleported to the edge of the corridor.

The prisoners were chasing the players around in the corridor, but after over ten minutes, none of them had come close to Player No. 6.

Player No. 6 was well aware of the strength of the prisoners. He oscillated between the ideas of "taking advantage of the chaos to stab more people" and "hoping not to be discovered by the prisoners, so he should find a place to hide." As a result, he wandered aimlessly in the corridor.

He was almost about to cross the corridor and enter the prison cell in the Inner World's resting area.

If he had truly reached there, Player No. 6 might have abandoned the idea of joining the melee and focused on survival.

But it was precisely at that moment that he caught sight of Xiao Xiao fleeting by not too far away.

Who was Xiao Xiao?

Xiao Xiao was Number 10, an apparent airhead who relied on attaching himself to the powerful to ascend, a type of player that was easiest to bully.

Most importantly, he was the companion of the one person Number 6 despised the most: Number 12!

And now, he had somehow become separated from Number 12!

Number 6's heart pounded with excitement!

This excitement could be likened to a person who had been suppressed and beaten by their arch-nemesis for years, accumulating resentment that slowly twisted their psyche.

Until one day, they spotted their enemy's lone dog happily strolling along the sidewalk.

All that hatred found an outlet as they instinctively kicked the dog without hesitation!

Xiao Xiao was walking earnestly forward.

He hoped that the Goddess of Fortune would grace him with her presence for a moment, allowing him to reunite with Ghost Fire and San Tu soon.

Suddenly, he was kicked from behind, nearly face-planting into the ground like a dog.

He turned in shock, only to see Number 6's magnified face.

Xiao Xiao's blood rushed to his head in an instant!

Of course, he couldn't engage in a fight with Number 6.

Whether he won or lost, the end result would be someone's death, and it would also waste precious time – both of which went against his intentions.

Xiao Xiao could only run for his life!

Number 6 naturally pursued relentlessly.

This was the first misfortune Xiao Xiao encountered that night.

But this was just the beginning; worse was yet to come.

When someone is down on their luck, even drinking cold water can get stuck between their teeth – this adage seemed tailor-made for Xiao Xiao's situation.

As Xiao Xiao ran and Number 6 chased, they created a thrilling atmosphere of life and death within the silent, dimly lit corridor.

Until Xiao Xiao turned the corner.

...

Phantom Flame still couldn't bring himself to believe that he and San Tu had actually fallen victim to someone else's scheme.

Not long after the reversal of the Surface and Underworld, Phantom Flame and San Tu managed to rendezvous in the corridor using the items provided by their guild.

In the span of nearly twenty minutes, they indeed succeeded in preventing two conflicts between players and NPCs.

However, San Tu remained deeply uneasy.

This was because they hadn't found the most dangerous Prisoner 0.

Nor did they encounter Prisoner 6.

Most importantly,

the two prisoners they came across seemed almost too easy to deal with.

During the prisoners' recreation time, although they could roam freely in the corridor, their feet were shackled with iron chains.

The chains weren't too long or short, not excessively restricting the prisoners' movements, but they still hindered their agility to some extent.

This made it rather effortless for players to escape.

San Tuo had witnessed the prowess of Prisoner 0. It was imaginable that, despite being bound by chains, Prisoner 0 would still be at least ten times more challenging to deal with than the two prisoners she had encountered.

So were all the other prisoners in this instance this weak?

Qin Fei had informed them that there were a total of eight prisoners.

Disregarding Prisoner 0 and the two who posed no real threat, there were still five others remaining.

Suppressing her inexplicable anxiety, San Tuo walked in front, followed closely by Phantom Fire, along the straight corridor.

After assisting Player 19 earlier, they hadn't heard any other sounds for the past five or six minutes.

This was peculiar.

The arcade was intricately structured, but it didn't provide good sound insulation.

Even the din from afar could still pierce through the layers of walls and spaces, reaching every corner.

Sanzu's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

"Stay vigilant," she warned the Will-o'-the-Wisp, also reminding herself.

Sanzu was entirely focused on observing their surroundings. She didn't open the bullet-screen interface, and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to see the warnings from the viewers in the live stream.

"Run quickly!"

"Hurry up, don't stay here!!"

In Sanzu and the Will-o'-the-Wisp's live stream, countless messages conveyed the same warning:

This place is dangerous!!

Perhaps among all the live streams Sanzu had done, this was the one where her audience least wished for her demise.

While the spectators in the Rule Stream channel usually relished watching the diverse ways their host met their ends, today was different.

Today, whether it was San Tu, Ghostfire, or Xiao Xiao's channel, the majority of viewers had migrated from Qin Fei's stream.

The spirits were constantly switching between the various perspectives of these hosts, attempting to keep track of everyone's movements.

They didn't want any of them to die.

This was because they were eagerly anticipating Qin Fei's discovery of the source of corruption!

It was the source of corruption!

Even if it was just an E-class world's source, it would be a novelty that no spirit had ever witnessed before!

Moreover, even if Host 12 couldn't actually eliminate the source, as long as he could navigate the Labyrinth of Hearts and locate Lamb's dominant persona, adding a new, complete storyline to this dull and monotonous instance, that would be satisfying enough!

The long journey was now just a few steps away from its conclusion.

None of the spectators wished to see Qin Fei fall here.

Falling just one step away from the truth.

"Hurry up! Move faster, your Sanity Points are almost depleted!!"

Viewers exclaimed in the live stream.

Every minor, insignificant setback could potentially deal a devastating blow to Qin Fei.

It was incredibly nerve-wracking!

Ordinarily, streamers were highly sensitive to the real-time fluctuations of their Sanity Points.

For as Sanity Points decreased, it would induce physical reactions such as dizziness and blurred vision, which were extremely noticeable.

This time, however, was bizarre.

No matter how loudly the viewers screamed, Sanzu and Ghost Fire showed not the slightest reaction.

They walked steadily along the corridor with vigilant expressions, as usual, completely oblivious to the danger creeping up behind them.

Untill that long rope unexpectedly coiled around Sanzhu's shoulder without any warning!

Sanzhu suddenly felt weak all over, collapsing to the ground as if her tendons had been severed, leaving her limp.

Black and red, symbols of impending death, flashed before her eyes.

Only at this moment did she abruptly realize that her sanity had plummeted to its critical point!

What was happening?!

She turned her head in horror, her slender neck barely able to support the weight of her skull.

The act of turning her head became an excruciating struggle. Through her blurred vision, she saw a man in a black robe approaching steadily.

"You've finally fallen into my trap... my long-awaited prey," he said.

Not far from Sanzhu, Ghost Fire was also leaning helplessly against the wall, unable even to move a finger.

The clinking of chains against the ground revealed the identity of the hooded figure.

It was also an NPC prisoner.

He approached San Tu and bent down, reaching out to caress her face. "Not bad, good quality."

He spoke in a detached yet appreciative tone, as if evaluating a piece of raw pork on a cutting board.

San Tu was bound tightly by the rope in his hand.

It was just an ordinary rope, but when wrapped around a person, it felt as if it were lined with thorns.

Pain seared through San Tu's bones, emanating from her shoulder blades, collarbones, back, and every inch of skin where the rope touched.

She gritted her teeth, barely able to control her body, yet still striving to break free.

Focusing all her mental strength, she forcibly summoned her innate weapon.

It was a whip, its black leather body shimmering with power, resembling a living, slithering serpent.

Due to his low Sanity points, it took San almost a minute to materialize the whip.

Then, as if it had a will of its own, the whip wriggled with extreme dexterity between San and the ropes.

It coiled around them, pulling outward with force.

"Hmm?"

The captured prey still had the strength to struggle.

Though this struggle was insignificant to the point of being negligible, it was utterly incapable of altering the prey's current predicament.

Yet, this still piqued the interest of the NPC in black robes.

He raised his hand to stroke his chin, making a decision with keen interest, "I'll go back and bring some new torture devices this time."

"It would be immensely intriguing when applied to you."

He muttered to himself.

That insignificant yet resilient creature, who never ceased to resist until the very moment of death, was truly captivating.

The scent of her vibrant lifeblood was utterly mesmerizing...

As Sanzu watched the NPC in black robes disappear from sight, the ropes binding her were finally torn away by the whip, leaving her gasping in agony from the searing pain of torn flesh.

Though Phantom Fire was unharmed, his condition wasn't much better. With almost no strength left, he crawled to Sanzu's side on all fours.

The air was thick with the stench of blood. The whip flung the ropes to the ground, splattering warm liquid across Phantom Fire's face.

He saw Sanzu's black waist protector soak through with blood, transforming into an eerie hue between black and red, a sight that made one's eyes ache just looking at it.

...So much, so much blood.

Phantom Fire's lips began to tremble uncontrollably.

Sanzu's face was deathly pale. Her voice was sharper than usual, but still calm and solemn, "Why are you wailing like I'm dead? I'm not gone yet!"

She reprimanded in this manner.

The fact that she could still speak calmly indicated that her injuries weren't fatal yet.

Ghost Fire calmed down slightly, panting heavily. "Then, what should we do now…?"

To be honest, Sanzu had no idea what they should do at this point.

Both of them were unable to move, making escape an almost impossible task.

She took out several bottles of sanity-replenishing potions from her personal space and drank them down, then passed a few to Ghost Fire—though this was merely a temporary solution.

As long as they remained here, their sanity would continue to plummet without end.

Eventually, they'd be drained to death.

Sanzu sighed. "Let's try moving outward first."

In reality, it wasn't until an hour later, when the dungeon had fully concluded and the group gathered to review the experience, that Ghost Fire learned from Qin Fei that the black-robed man they had encountered was Prisoner Number Two.

Carter.

Imprisoned for mind control and the spread of sorcery.

In his dungeon cell, four striking red characters were prominently displayed on the wall:

"EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!"

Little did they know that even those lines in the dungeon corridors were meant for Carter.

Do not listen.

Do not speak.

Do not look directly into their eyes.

Prisoner Zero did indeed possess some hypnotic and mesmerizing abilities.

However, compared to Carter, it was mere child's play.

As the seconds ticked by, the two weakened individuals struggled to move along the corridor with great difficulty.

Their efforts were in vain.

No matter how hard they tried, any moment of distraction would cruelly send them back to where they started.

It was a corridor from which there seemed to be no escape.

...

It was at this precise moment that Xiao Xiao burst into the periphery of Sanzu and Ghostflame's vision.

In a mere five seconds, Ghostflame experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.

Upon hearing footsteps ahead, he initially assumed that the NPC had returned, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat in panic.

However, he quickly realized that the newcomer was not the robed man.

In an instant, as he caught sight of Xiao Xiao's face, Ghostflame initially felt a surge of excitement, only to suddenly realize that it didn't matter who came – it would make no difference.

The path was shrouded in a haze of illusions, and anyone who inhaled it would experience hallucinations and witness their sanity rapidly plummeting.

Ghoul Fire had no idea how high Xiao Xiao's mental immunity was, but judging from his performance in this instance, he didn't have much hope for him.

Once he came over, they would be like mice trapped on a sticky board, marching one by one towards their demise.

Not to mention—

As Ghoul Fire watched Xiao Xiao charge closer and closer, a glimmer of despair flashed through his eyes.

Number 10 wasn't alone.

He even had a tail tagging along!

Ghoul Fire's usually rusty mind suddenly sparked with an idea:

Both he and Sanzu were in terrible shape, practically powerless.

Any passerby could effortlessly dispose of them.

There was still roughly one to two minutes between inhaling the mist and its effects taking hold.

In this period, it would be more than enough for Number 6 to slice through them like vegetables!

Despite Qin Fei's theory about the pendant causing instability in Number 6's mental state, it was of little comfort.

Even if Number 6 were to mutate right after eliminating both of them, what difference would it make?

They couldn't come back to life just because of that!

Although Number 6 was currently chasing after Number 10, there was no doubt that his primary goal was the points.

Between the agile Number 10 and the incapacitated duo, Number 6 would inevitably switch his target.

And Number 10...

Though a bit slow-witted, Number 10 seemed like a decent person and would likely stop to assist them.

In that case, all four of them would meet their end here together!

By the will-o'-the-wisp's side, San Tu's condition had worsened than before.

Whatever the black-robed NPC had used on her was so potent that her bleeding wouldn't stop. She could only rely on continuous use of blood-replenishing potions to buy time.

In the blink of an eye, the will-o'-the-wisp conceived a less-than-ideal but only viable plan to save them.

"This place is incredibly perilous! Don't ever stop!"

He yelled at Xiao Xiao, who was running closer and staring at them in surprise, with all his might.

"Run!"

"Run!!! Get as far away from here as possible!"

When Player 10 reached them, the will-o'-the-wisp had nearly exhausted all his strength to tell him this.

He wasn't sure if he had frightened Player 10, but it was evident that Player 6 reacted much quicker.

Seeing the two collapsed against the wall and hearing the will-o'-the-wisp's words to Xiao Xiao, Player 6 was instantly alarmed.

This also completely dispelled his intention of stopping to deal with the two individuals.

Unknown dangers were always the most terrifying. Those two weren't weak, and whatever had done this to them must be something truly horrifying!

Number 6 didn't dare to pause for even a moment.

Xiao Xiao naturally wouldn't stop either, and soon, they were running far away from each other, one in front, one behind.

"Find Number 12!"

That was the last hope that the Will-o'-the-Wisp could cling to.

If there was anyone in this instance who might still be able to save them,

it could only be Number 12.

Poor Xiao Xiao, still confused about the situation, dared not ask under the Will-o'-the-Wisp's frantic cries, and could only continue to sprint without looking back.

...

Prisoner Zero moved unhappily between intersections, his expression darkening.

He began to suspect that he might have been deceived by that man in the priest's robe they had met earlier.

During their afternoon discussion, everything seemed to be agreed upon.

The man promised to bring him the prey that he desired.

But now?

Neither he nor the companions he mentioned could be found anywhere.

At the beginning of the recreation period, Zero encountered someone.

He had planned to satisfy his appetite with this person, but to his surprise, the individual had vanished in the blink of an eye, seemingly using some unknown method.

Losing his prey only worsened Zero's mood, his brows drawing together tightly as the axe in his hand grated against the ground with a teeth-clenching creak.

It wasn't until he passed several more intersections that his mood didn't show any sign of improving.

Just as his dissatisfaction was escalating into anger.

He finally caught sight of the person he had been longing for!

That young man rushing towards him – oh, it was the companion of that priest! They had once visited the dungeon together; Prisoner 0 could never mistake him.

And right behind that man, whom he had brought along...

Upon recognizing who was chasing after Xiao Xiao, Prisoner 0's gloomy mood instantly lifted like a cloud breaking to reveal sunshine.

Oh, he knew it!

Though that priest was somewhat wicked and shameless, with a handsome face yet cunning as a fox.

But at least, there were times when his words held some weight.

Prisoner 0 joyfully dashed towards his takeaway.

When Prisoner 6 noticed Prisoner 0 charging towards them, he felt a bit alarmed but didn't lose his composure.

Not far ahead, Number 10 was still blocking for him, leaving him ample space to escape.

However, in the next moment, Number 6 was horrified to find that Prisoner 0 seemed to completely ignore Number 10 as he strode past him, bolting straight towards Number 6!

Number 6: ????

Confused by this sudden shift in circumstances, Number 6 wore a baffled expression.

He couldn't fathom why, with both he and Number 10 dashing past Prisoner 0 simultaneously, this individual would single him out?

Surely he hadn't offended Prisoner 0 in any way??

With a sly grin, Prisoner 0 fixed his gaze on Number 6.

Of course, he wouldn't touch Number 10.

That was something he and his little priest had agreed upon long ago.

After all, everyone relied on takeout.

Who in their right mind would resort to devouring a food delivery person?

...

Qin Fei was oblivious to his companions' miserable and chaotic situation.

He forged ahead in the dim Labyrinth of the Heart.

After witnessing the maze's walls consume the NPC who attempted to interfere with him, he made no further pause, resuming his journey forward.

Nearly forty minutes had passed since he entered the labyrinth.

Time was running out for him.

As Qin Fei progressed, a more detailed map unfolded in his mind, yet it proved futile in guiding him.

From the discernible structure, the labyrinth seemed to be genuinely random, lacking any discernible pattern.

If a pattern could only be discovered from a broader perspective, Qin Fei lacked the time to explore such possibilities.

Qin Fei's brows knitted tightly.

Certainly.

There must be some detail he had overlooked.

Something crucial.

You could not escape Its gaze.

The exit lay in a place It could not see.

These two rules reverberated within Qin Fei's mind.

How exactly was It watching him?

The pronoun "It" was always used to describe something non-human.

So, was It like those mythical deities, all-knowing and omnipotent, with knowledge of everything?

Would it be that as long as He remained in His own domain, distant yet reachable with a mere flick of a finger, He had total control over everything that transpired within the labyrinth?

No, it couldn't be so.

If He were omniscient, then the subsequent rule wouldn't hold any ground.

Or perhaps, was He monitoring Qin Fei through some sort of medium?

If such a medium permeated the entire labyrinth...

Qin Fei came to a halt.

What existed within this labyrinth?

It was utterly barren.

Aside from the endless swarms of insects, snakes, rats, and ants, there were only unyielding walls and ground that seemed to stretch on indefinitely, twisting and turning without end.

...Wait!

Qin Fei's eyes suddenly narrowed, his sharp gaze piercing straight towards a spot beside him.

In the live broadcast hall, countless viewers' hearts hung in suspense alongside Qin Fei's actions.

As Qin Fei abruptly halted his steps, even the air in the hall seemed to freeze for an instant.

Immediately following, a tidal wave of discussion erupted with a deafening uproar.

"F**k f**k f**k, why did the host suddenly get so close to the wall? I'm really scared he'll sacrifice himself there!"

"Exactly, didn't Rule 3 say not to approach ■■? It probably means not to get close to the walls, right?"

"Yeah, that NPC just got swallowed!"

"Why did the host suddenly stop? I'm so anxious!! Look up at the upper levels, if you don't hurry, your teammates will be doomed!"

Some viewers, in their anxiety, pushed their way out of the crowd, pacing nervously on the side.

And many more frantically spammed the chat with messages.

Qin Fei couldn't see those bullet screens.

The dark live broadcast camera had swallowed too many visual details.

To the viewers, Qin Fei appeared to be earnestly daydreaming beside an empty wall corner.

In reality, he was fixated on something in that corner.

It was a tiny, inconspicuous object, something that could easily be overlooked.

After a long while,

it was as if a line of text materialized in the air, revealing the answer.

Qin Fei suddenly let out a soft "hum," as if he had suddenly grasped some profound truth out of thin air.

He didn't lift his head, his gaze still locked onto a particular spot on the ground.