Infinite Peculiar Games

Shortly after Ye arrived, Zou Yan heard the commotion and also went over.

Several people gathered around the body in the pit, a haunting echo of their gathering around Shen Ming’s lifeless form on the second floor earlier in the day.

After the warning they received during this morning’s incident, the players remained relatively calm.

“This body should be the most crucial clue in the garden,” Zou Yan analysed. “If what Chang Xu said is true, that Miss Anna needs bodies as nourishment for the roses, then we might all become her prey.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Qi Si, deliberate or not, as if she were certain that the young man would be the primary target of Miss Anna’s attention.

Qi Si smiled, unperturbed, as his gaze passed through the empty space and landed on the second-to-last rule on the system interface.

【8. If you must break some rules in an emergency, ensure you break as few as possible. She might… spare you.】

Yesterday, all players violated the rule of staying away from Miss Anna in black, yet only Shen Ming had a mishap, which essentially confirmed Qi Si’s speculation.

The number of people NPCs can kill each day is limited; to survive, one only needs to ensure they violate fewer rules than the others.

“Based on last night’s situation, it seems that only those who violate more rules are at risk of death,” Qi Si paused, implying something. “I’m curious: what would happen if all of us violated the same number of rules?”

Ye smirked mischievously: “Either we find some way to make another player break one more rule, or we randomly pick a lucky one to get killed. Maybe Miss Anna won’t even need to lift a finger; one of us might soon betray a fellow player.”

Zou Yan shook her head. “Things have yet to be unfolded; there’s no need for us to turn on each other. In any case, this is a team instance. As long as we cooperate to decipher the worldview, none of us will be in trouble.”

Ye sneered back at her. “What act are you putting on now? People have died, and you’re still pretending everything is fine and acting nice?”

A pointless argument arose without any apparent reason, and Qi Si watched with interest as his gaze swept over the two.

Chang Xu, holding a shovel, had no intention of getting involved and continued to dig pits in the garden.

The metallic farming tool heaved shovels of soil one after another, splattering mud in all directions, transforming the serene garden environment into a mire unsuitable for lingering.

“I’m going first,” Qi Si said and turned back to the castle, ascending the steps.

The second-floor corridor was silent. The bodies and pools of blood on the ground were long gone, leaving only a few remnants embedded in the floor cracks, as if the floor had devoured the bodies completely.

Qi Si walked along the edge of the bloodstain based on his memory, avoiding the filth on the ground and returning to the guest room.

Lin Chen was already waiting inside.

His face was pale, yet his eyes gleamed brightly, filled with an unusual excitement like someone who had survived a calamity.

Before Qi Si could speak, Lin Chen quickly reported the results in a fast-paced manner: “All the doors on the third floor are locked; I’m not sure what’s inside; and I came across an old lady who looked like a ghost…”

Qi Si listened attentively to his narration, then smiled and said, “You’ve worked hard. This information is very useful. I think I have an idea now.”

After the completion of a task, appropriate affirmation should be given by establishing a reward feedback mechanism—even if it is just verbal.

Taking care of these details is what makes relationships more stable.

As expected, Lin Chen grinned foolishly, continuing: “The layout on the third floor is similar to the second, but the spacing between the first two rooms is larger…”

Qi Si approached the desk to pick up a pen and paper and began sketching based on Lin Chen’s description, creating a floor plan for the third floor. The lines were not perfectly straight, but they were clear enough to reflect the general layout.

While adding some details to the paper, he suddenly looked up at Lin Chen—as if he suddenly remembered something—and asked, “Was that old woman you saw on the third floor wearing a red dress?”

Lin Chen nodded in confusion. “Yeah, a red princess gown. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me…”

As he spoke, he noticed Qi Si’s expression turning serious, mixed with visible concern. “I think I did remind you about the issue of addressing her. How did you address her?”

Lin Chen did not understand. “I just called her ‘Miss Anna,’ what’s wrong?”

All of this was within Qi Si’s expectations, even the result of his intentional verbal influence.

But now, he pretended as if he had heard some terrible news, his expression suddenly grim: “Didn’t I tell you not to use specific titles lightly? …Look at rule number nine.”

Though Lin Chen did not understand what was happening, Qi Si’s expression still made him uneasy.

He subconsciously glanced at the system interface.

【9. Please avoid going to the third floor. If you do go, make sure not to be caught by Miss Anna.】

Not to be caught by Miss Anna…

It is known that there may be two Miss Annas, and the identity of the old woman in red clothes, who appeared on the third floor, is unknown. What if she is the other Miss Anna?

Wouldn’t he have violated the rules then?

Often, when thoughts are stuck, it only takes a little nudge from others to shed light on the crucial point.

In just a split second, Lin Chen’s face turned ashen: “No… it can’t be? Wasn’t Miss Anna supposed to be very beautiful? How could someone who looks like that possibly be Miss Anna?”

Qi Si flipped through the notes on the table, his finger resting on a line of text on one of the pages: “Read.”

【We’ve both survived, while she’s still withering, but there’s still a way… I’ll love her forever and cherish her perfection more than she does herself.】

“Withering, meaning ugliness. It’s almost certain that the old woman you met on the third floor is Miss Anna.” Qi Si brushed off rose petals that had fallen on Lin Chen’s shoulder and coldly stated, “If you hadn’t called her that, ignorance might have been bliss, and perhaps there would have been a chance for you… But now, ha.”

Lin Chen’s mind went completely blank.

He remembered Qi Si’s advice when they parted, he remembered his heated reaction after encountering the old woman… Yes, it was like he was possessed.

Why did I try to be a smarty-pants? I could have just said “I don’t know”…

Regret, or despair? Perhaps both?

Lin Chen did not know what expression to make; out of instinct, he grabbed Qi Si’s sleeve tightly, as if it were his last lifeline.

“Brother Qi, save me… I don’t want to die…”

He did not want to die. It was precisely his strong survival instinct that led him into the Peculiar Games, giving him a chance at a new life.

But he had not expected this chance to slip through his fingers so easily; only deeper despair came after hope.

If only I had been more careful, just a little more…

Lin Chen hoped desperately, while Qi Si looked at him coldly as if looking at a corpse.

His heart sank inch by inch into the abyss, plummeting into a cold abyss.

They were right; no one was obliged to save him.

Just like when he was pinned down and beaten by those thugs, shouting for help, passersby only hastened their steps, as if afraid of catching a plague.

By the time a kind soul went to call the police, he could not open his eyes anymore. As soon as he was brought to the hospital, he lost consciousness…

That was reality. What more in the instance of the Peculiar Games?

Lin Chen released his grip, letting Qi Si’s clothing slip through his fingers, his eyes dimming gradually.

Step by step, he retreated to the window, slumping down with resignation, only to hear the young man at the table sigh softly, “Let me see if I can save you.”

“The consequences of breaking the rules won’t be settled until night. There are still nearly ten hours left. As long as someone else breaks more rules during this time, you’ll be saved.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen initially felt a flicker of hope in his heart, but as he grasped the implications of the words, he stood frozen in place.

What does that mean? Does it mean I have to harm others in order to save myself?

Lin Chen swallowed hard, shaking his head, “Brother Qi, let’s not do this… It’s my own fault; how could I drag others down with me?”

He still held on to a sense of righteousness and had always scorned selfish acts. Otherwise, he would not have unexpectedly died while trying to do the right thing and entered the Peculiar Games.

Qi Si did not have much goodwill himself, but he did not dislike Lin Chen’s “good” nature.

The reason was simple: it is convenient to use, and a little favour would easily evoke gratitude, making it much easier to deal with than rationalists.

He lowered his gaze, his voice calm and gentle. “Ultimately, I am also partly responsible for this. If I had explained it clearer to you, you wouldn’t have made such a mistake. I’ll go to the third floor next; that way, the number of rules broken by both of us will be equal.”

Lin Chen was stunned, at a loss for words for a moment. “B…Brother Qi, this isn’t your fault. It was my carelessness! Please don’t worry about me; I’m not afraid to die…”

“Who said I’m going to die in your place?” Qi Si chuckled, his eyes and brows curving. “I’m an experienced player; I’ve cleared an instance before, and I still have some lifesaving tricks up my sleeve, unlike a newcomer like yourself.”

Lin Chen was not entirely convinced by this explanation.

If experienced players had lifesaving tricks, then how did Shen Ming die?

This explanation was probably just to comfort him. But why would Qi Si go to such lengths for him? They only knew each other not long ago…

In his hesitation, Qi Si had already reached the door, pushing it open and stepping halfway out of the room.

He paused, turning his head to look back. “There’s no need to thank me either. I was planning to go to the third floor anyway. Stay in the room and wait for me to return.”

A smile played at the corners of the young man’s mouth, his arm casually resting on the door frame, giving off a reassuring vibe.

Lin Chen watched Qi Si’s departing figure, opening his mouth but ultimately not knowing what to say.

All he knew was that after today, if he truly managed to survive, he would owe Qi Si his life.

(End of chapter)

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