Infinite Peculiar Games

The butler meticulously arranged the tableware in front of each seat, pouring ruby-red wine into tall glasses, and placing them before the players.

The fruit basket contained vibrant red apples, while the plates boasted meats streaked with crimson threads, all neatly aligned along the long table.

Having completed his tasks, the butler nodded mechanically and disappeared around the corner of the staircase without a backward glance.

With the departure of this eerie presence, the tension that had gripped the players dissipated slightly.

Except for Chang Xu, who grabbed an apple and began to gnaw on it, no one else showed immediate interest in the food laid out on the table.

Shen Ming sighed lightly, scanning the group. “This instance resembles an eccentric rules-based game. You’ve all seen those rules; just adhere to them strictly, and we should be fine. Therefore, I hope everyone will bring up any thoughts or ideas for discussion openly, without attempting to be clever or making their own decisions.”

Qi Si had heard of eccentric rules-based games—a recent trend on the internet involving reasoning texts, usually stating counterintuitive and contradictory rules in a solemn tone, designed to arouse human curiosity and subconscious fears.

I didn’t expect the Peculiar Games to be quite up to date.

“What are your thoughts on the second rule?” Zou Yan was the first to speak up. “Neither my watch nor my phone made it here, and I believe your situations are similar. Mechanical clocks only chime on the hour, so how can we determine the exact time?”

She paused, then gave a bitter smile. “The game wouldn’t provide useless information. Since the rule is specifically mentioned, I think something will happen at night, causing us to wake up uncontrollably.”

Lin Chen cautiously asked, “So if we all wake up at night and don’t know the exact time, are we all completely doomed?”

“Not completely,” Shen Ming reassured. “Based on my past experiences, rule-based instances tend to be highly subjective. Generally, as long as you’re unaware of violating the rules, nothing will happen at the moment. If you wake up at night, don’t think about anything; just go back to sleep.”

Lin Chen nodded earnestly.

After a few seconds of silence, before anyone else could speak, he raised another question: “I noticed the main quest mentions ‘deciphering the rules.’ Besides the ones we already know, could there be other rules we need to discover?”

This was also Qi Si’s question, but considering he was on his “second time into the instance,” he had not planned to ask it himself.

Before Shen Ming could explain, Zou Yan smiled and said, “The basic rules are usually the ones initially provided to us. The so-called ‘deciphering rules’ typically involve exploring and interpreting those basic rules.”

“For example, the second rule says ‘time is crucial,’ so we need to understand why time is important and its relevance to the instance’s worldview.”

“Completing the main quest is just the baseline; to earn more points and rewards, we need to gather more clues and decipher the scenario’s worldview.”

Lin Chen nervously grasped the edge of his shirt. “I’m not expecting any rewards. I’ve already died once and I just want to survive…”

Ye chuckled disdainfully. “You’re already in the game; you might as well try to earn more points. Otherwise, you’ll end up being killed by others in the instance sooner or later.”

Chang Xu, who had been silent, suddenly looked up. “Second time in the instance, you seem to know quite a bit.”

Ye squinted teasingly, “What’s this, Officer? Are you going to interrogate me?”

Chang Xu fell silent, and Shen Ming quickly changed the subject: “Let’s each share our views on the rules for now, so we can be prepared…”

Qi Si had no intention of participating in the conversation; with limited information, it was best to say less to avoid mistakes.

He casually picked up an apple and meticulously wiped it with a clean napkin. When Shen Ming glanced at him for input, he innocently brought the apple to his lips, quietly munching away, displaying an attitude of disinterest in engaging with the others.

Amidst the players’ discussion, a muffled chime suddenly sounded in the hall without warning. The pendulum of the wall clock swung slowly, striking six times at the same frequency.

It was dinnertime.

Light footsteps emerged from the shadows, resembling the delicate steps of a woman tiptoeing, yet also akin to the stealthy movements of a crouched animal.

Qi Si promptly set down the apple core and looked over.

A slender, tall woman emerged from the staircase, her black gown trailing on the ground, enveloping her in a thin, elongated shadow.

Her fair face appeared almost ghostly, contrasting with her dark brown hair and the lifeless, dark eyes beneath. Her lips, however, were a vivid red—like blood.

Her gaze swept over each player in turn as she spoke in a melodious, operatic tone: “My dear guests, welcome to my rose garden!”

The woman gracefully approached the main seat, trailing a rich, intoxicating fragrance mingled with a damp, fishy odour, as if she had just emerged from the rain.

Seated, she covered her mouth and giggled softly, her voice tinkling like a bell. “You may call me Miss Anna.”

Miss Anna? Qi Si immediately locked onto the corresponding rule on the system interface.

【If you see her in black, please keep your distance.】

Leaving the seat now was undoubtedly too late, and whether it was an illusion or not, Qi Si could not shake the feeling that Miss Anna’s gaze lingered on him longer than usual, sticking to him like mud after rain.

It made him uncomfortable.

Miss Anna suddenly turned to Qi Si, and asked, “Sir, have we met somewhere before?”

She smiled, gracefully raising her hand in a gesture reminiscent of a mediaeval noble awaiting a kiss.

For a moment, the other players looked at Qi Si with a touch of sympathy.

Qi Si, being the last to arrive, could only sit beside the main seat, and was now receiving special treatment. Being the trigger for the unfolding plot was truly an unwarranted disaster.

Qi Si, unperturbed, responded with the same tone: “Perhaps in a past life, in hell. Who knows?”

He cracked a joke only he could understand, seizing Miss Anna’s hand and giving it a quick shake.

It felt warm, with no indentation after applying pressure. According to basic knowledge, the owner of the hand should be alive.

Boring. Qi Si withdrew his hand disinterestedly, resting it on the napkin.

Miss Anna seemed to have anticipated this development, showing no surprise.

She maintained a faint smile, her well-defined fingers picking up a knife and fork from the plate closest to her, slicing off a piece of meat.

Her large black sleeves covered her wrists, revealing nails painted in a deep red, accentuating the paleness and thinness of her hands, just like the talons of a bird-like creature.

With a fork, she brought the meat, streaked with blood, to her lips, chewing delicately. Finally, she extended her crimson tongue to lick her lips, evoking images of indulgence in blood and flesh.

Apart from Chang Xu, who was visibly engrossed in eating, the others dared not move their cutlery at this moment.

They watched, mesmerised, as the woman at the main seat dined, various bizarre speculations sprouting in their minds, brewing deeper layers of fear.

Miss Anna halted her movements, lifting her eyes with a smirk. “Why aren’t you all eating? Are the dishes not to your taste?”

Qi Si, complying without hesitation, lowered his head and picked up a gleaming fork, skewering a piece of meat and popping it into his mouth.

To his surprise, the dish, made of unknown ingredients, tasted quite good. The meat was tender and well-seasoned, comparable to that of many restaurants.

Moreover, the texture did not suggest it was the kind of meat that would carry prion diseases*.

Qi Si squinted with satisfaction, scooping another large piece of meat onto his plate.

With someone leading, the others soon followed suit.

After all, the rule 【Do not refuse any requests from Miss Anna】was clearly stated in the system interface.

Dinner ended quickly in silence, with all the dishes on the long table cleared.

Miss Anna set down her utensils and wiped her lips with a napkin, her gaze sweeping over the players once more, lingering on Qi Si for a few extra seconds.

She rose gracefully, bowed to the players, and slowly retreated into the shadows of the staircase.

Lin Chen, who had been holding his breath, finally exhaled and tugged at Qi Si’s sleeve. “Brother Qi, Miss Anna was wearing a black dress…”

A black-dressed Miss Anna was explicitly mentioned in the rules as someone to stay away from…

Qi Si smiled lightly. “Yes, I saw. A solemn formal black dress.”

“Then why did you…”

Then why did you shake her hand? Are you asking for death?

“The moment she sat down, we all broke the rule. Sitting at the same table doesn’t count as ‘keeping your distance’.” Qi Si tucked the napkin into his pocket, his tone laid-back. “Since it’s already happened, we might as well use the opportunity to gather some clues.”

There was one thing he did not mention.

He suspected Miss Anna had already taken a particular interest in him, possibly due to his proximity or some shared characteristic—humans are good at recognising their kind in a crowd, are they not?

With the situation as it was, there was no need for caution. He might as well act without restraint.

Lin Chen seemed to understand partially. “So, Brother Qi, did you discover anything just now?”

“Dicover? Of course.”

“What did you find?”

Qi Si smiled mysteriously and pressed his finger to his lips. “Want to know? Take a guess.”

(End of Chapter)

——

*TL’s note: Prion disease is a type of protein that can trigger normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally.

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