Who Told You to Play Infinity Like This - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Chu Zhao spent some time exploring the details of [Writing]. She discovered that it currently had limited functionality; aside from piggybacking on her predecessor’s clipboard, she couldn’t directly add annotations to the entire academy. She could only leave words on the surfaces of certain objects or in the air.

There were only four possible settings for [Writing]: 1. Visible only to self; 2. Visible only to designated targets; 3. Invisible only to designated targets; 4. Visible to all.

Though there were only four options, they were sufficient for her needs.

At the very least, she was certain her roommates couldn’t see the text.

Chu Zhao had hoped for some unexpected occurrences, but unfortunately, things didn’t go her way. Under her roommate’s escort, she reached the cafeteria smoothly. Nothing happened.

[Edict]

[1. The cafeteria is a place for eating; noise is prohibited.

2. Respect the fruits of the chefs’ labor; wasting food is not allowed.

3. No one is permitted to enter the kitchen.

4. Gifts from the chefs must be finished.

5. Feeding animals inside the cafeteria is prohibited.

6. You will not eat pork today.

7. You are not allowed to take your food out of the cafeteria.]

“What are you looking at? Keep moving.”

“I’m just taking a look, ha…”

Clamorous voices snapped Chu Zhao out of her thoughts. She gave a puzzled glance at the two men scuffling ahead of her.

Oh, so there were male dorms and male players too. It seemed the casualties weren’t necessarily limited to the players from Building 13.

A frail young man with dark circles under his eyes and trembling shoulders was being forcibly dragged into the cafeteria by his tall roommate. He was unsteady on his feet and looked utterly terrified.

He clearly hadn’t finished reading the rules.

Tsk.

What exactly was the relationship between roommates and players?

Were they friends or foes? Or did every dormitory have a different objective?

At the very least, the roommates in Room 605 were definitely hostile, considering that player had died almost immediately at the start.

Chu Zhao merely glanced at the light screen before walking inside with her hands in her pockets, acting as if nothing was wrong.

Turning her head, she noticed Lin Qiu watching her.

Lin Qiu seemed genuinely curious about her, stealing glances every now and then.

Though her eyes remained dead and dark, Chu Zhao could now discern a hint of emotion within them-something called “inquiry.”

Chu Zhao let out a deliberate, low sigh. Meeting Lin Qiu’s puzzled gaze, she said, “His roommate is so mean.”

Lin Qiu knew immediately that nothing good would follow and tried to look away.

Chu Zhao continued, “Qiuqiu is much better. Qiuqiu is gentle.”

Lin Qiu’s expression darkened as she quickened her pace.

She was truly sick of this person.

Why was she the one being singled out? Were Li Qingyin and Zhu Qing’an not on good terms with Qinghe?

Chu Zhao caught up to Lin Qiu. As she did, she casually cast [Reading] on a Wraith passing by.

The Wraith targeted by [Reading] stopped and looked around with a confused expression, unable to detect who was spying on it.

[???

Identity: Classmate (Temporary)

Category: Aberrant

Rank: Yellow

Abilities: Unknown

Evaluation: C

An ordinary Aberrant, but still possesses unparalleled lethality toward you.]

The cafeteria was ultimately a gathering place for students. It was bustling with the sounds of ‘people,’ with groups of students coming and going.

However, the front hall acted as a watershed. Within just a few steps, all the background noise vanished from her ears.

Aside from the sparse footsteps of humans, the air inside the cafeteria was silent-eerily silent.

Chu Zhao didn’t bother to quiet her footsteps; her roommate already knew exactly what was going on anyway.

As she stepped into the cafeteria, a scene of decay met her eyes.

The chandeliers overhead were dull and dusty, and the white walls were covered in charred grease stains. Rows of dilapidated metal tables were packed tightly together. The floor was paved with cracked, grayish-black marble tiles, but deep black moss could be seen growing near the corners of some tables. A stench of rot and scorched meat assaulted her nose; with her second breath, she caught a hint of a strange, fishy, greasy dampness that was utterly revolting.

No wonder Lin Qiu and the others used to bring food back to the dorm. Compared to this place, the dormitory was practically sunny, bright, and clean.

Chu Zhao walked forward a few more steps, clearing the wall of people, and finally saw the food service windows.

There were eighteen windows in total, but only the first six were lit. The remaining twelve were pitch black. Even when Chu Zhao squinted, she couldn’t see anything inside the dark windows; they were as profound and bottomless as an abyss.

The first six windows, however, were clearly visible. Behind each one stood a man in a pristine white chef’s uniform. Each held a meat cleaver and wore a smile, appearing exceptionally friendly.
Although they varied in height and build, Chu Zhao had a faint feeling that there was something similar about them.

The food at each window was different as well. At the first and second windows, two broken, mold-covered corpses were laid out.

The bodies had already been sliced open, but Chu Zhao didn’t look too closely at the details.

At the third and fourth windows, there were basins of ingredients-mostly meat, it seemed, colored either a vivid crimson or a dull, greenish-gray.

The fifth and sixth windows were finally somewhat normal, displaying bland-looking dishes like cabbage and tofu, though they looked of poor quality.

Despite the silence, the area in front of each window was a mess. Even though this was Edict’s territory, there wasn’t a shred of discipline.

Voices, ranging from young to old, droned out names at a steady pace. Whoever was called had to quickly squeeze through the crowd to the window to collect their meal.

Indeed, the calling and the meal selection were random, yet one still had to pay.

“Zhao Qinghe, Window Number One.”

Lin Qiu and Zhu Qing’an, who were standing by Chu Zhao, suddenly paled. Even Li Qingyin frowned deeply.

This was exactly why they hadn’t wanted Zhao Qinghe to leave the room.

Out here, the rules were beyond their control. They couldn’t protect Zhao Qinghe.

Chu Zhao frowned, took out her meal card, and walked forward with steady steps.

She had already realized what was off.

Every chef had an identical scar on their temple. It was just that their ages, physiques, and hairstyles were different, so it wasn’t obvious at first glance.

Chu Zhao used Erudition to verify her discovery.

[Your keen observation reveals that the men behind these windows share identical facial contours and temple scars. They are actually the same person in different states. But how does this help you while you’re trying to eat?]

Though she moved quickly, she hadn’t reached the window yet.

Abruptly, a shrill cell phone ringtone pierced the silence of the cafeteria. In that instant, everyone-including the chefs behind the windows-instinctively looked toward the sound.

Chu Zhao took the opportunity to brush past Window Number Two and cast Reading.

The man in the chef’s hat behind Window Number Two didn’t react; perhaps they had encountered a more urgent situation.

Chu Zhao reached Window Number One and followed the gaze of the others toward the source of the ringing.

It was the young man who hadn’t had time to read the rules. His roommate had already moved three meters away, his cold expression tinged with mockery.

The young man realized with horror that in this silent environment, his was the only phone vibrating in his pocket.

Everyone was watching him, including the chefs who maintained their constant smiles.

[Window Number Two Staff Member]
[1. You cannot punish a student unless they have no money.]
[2. Once the dishes are sold out, you must close the window until you obtain more food.]
[3. You can give a student an extra serving of ‘love,’ unless it happens to be their birthday today.]
[4. You are willing to accept a student’s request to change windows for one hundred yuan.]

At this moment, the chef at Window Number One was still smiling pleasantly. He didn’t even rush Chu Zhao, instead staring at the young man’s feet as if expecting something.

Chu Zhao’s expression remained calm. She had set her phone to silent on the first day, fearing exactly this kind of mishap.

She also feigned curiosity, tilting her head slightly to see the young man’s fate.

The floor… was cracking open?

Like a giant, moss-covered mouth, the crack revealed a pinkish-brown mucous membrane. Lined up along the membrane were rows of steel blades stained with flesh and blood. A foul, stench-filled odor instantly flooded the cafeteria, but the young man seemed oblivious, still staring at the crowd in terror.

It wasn’t until he noticed that everyone else was getting taller and his own perspective was getting lower that he realized something was wrong.

He looked down and saw that his lower body had already been shredded by the rows of steel blades, leaving only his torso from the waist up.

He let out an earth-shattering scream. “Save me! Save me! I don’t want to die!!! Aaaaaah…”

His agony seemed to find full release in that moment, and the chefs’ smiles widened significantly.

They enjoyed this kind of drama. They enjoyed it very much.

Chu Zhao took the opportunity to cast Reading on the staff member at Window Number One.

While enjoying the spectacle, the man in the chef’s outfit behind Window Number One subconsciously frowned.

His eyes actually bulged out of his head for a moment, swiveling around in confusion.

But soon, he retracted his eyes and went back to enthusiastically enjoying the young man’s screams.
Chu Zhao also received the rules for ‘Window Number One Staff.’ The first three rules were identical to Window Number Two, but the fourth was different.

[4. You are unwilling to accept a student’s request to switch windows for 100 yuan, unless they truly love your dishes.]

At a certain moment, the screams stopped abruptly, and the cracked ground sealed shut.

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, who would have thought that beneath the floor…

Some of the remaining people looked on with wooden, indifferent expressions, while others were as quiet as cicadas in winter, their legs trembling.

The man in the pristine white chef’s uniform wore a friendly smile. “Which piece would you like to eat?”

His knife pointed toward the rotting corpse in front of him.

Chu Zhao pretended to select carefully. She even saw the chest of the corpse, which was covered in spots and mold, still rising and falling.

It spoke in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “Don’t eat me… Don’t eat me… Please don’t eat me…”

Chu Zhao pointed randomly.

The chef smiled and moved his knife, neatly slicing off a piece of meat.

The corpse’s eyes instantly filled with malice as it cursed, “You’ll die a horrible death, you’ll die a horrible death… You’ll end up lying here just like me… You’ll…”

Chu Zhao interrupted the chef with a shy smile. “I love your food so much, but I really can’t bear to eat it. Can I add a hundred yuan to switch to another window?”

The chef’s movements jammed.

It instinctively felt like something was wrong, but it couldn’t remember what.

It soon stopped thinking about it, took Chu Zhao’s meal card, and pointed randomly.

Under everyone’s strange looks, Chu Zhao backed out and returned to her roommates.

Zhu Qing’an stared at her with her mouth open, as if she couldn’t believe it.

Windows Number One and Number Two were the most disgusting; she hadn’t expected it could be solved like this.

It only took extra money?

“Lin Qiu, Window Three.”

“Zhao Qinghe, Window Four.”

[Side Quest: Sudden Expectations]

[Many people want to know how you managed to avoid that disgusting Window Number One. If you can tell them, they are willing to pay a small reward.]

[Reward: Points +100, Money +2000]

Chu Zhao’s eyes suddenly lit up.

She had been worrying about how to make money when a single meal cost one or two hundred yuan.

Talk about a pillow being delivered just as she was getting sleepy.

Walking side-by-side with Lin Qiu toward Windows Three and Four, Chu Zhao pointed to the smallest portion. Then, she attempted to use Writing on the chef’s face.

With Writing, she could specify who could not see the text. She set the designated targets to the six window staff members, making the text visible to everyone else.

She succeeded. Writing didn’t seem to provoke as much of a reaction from them as Reading did; they remained completely oblivious.

[Number One accepts a request to switch windows for an extra hundred if you ‘love their food’]

Chu Zhao discovered that her Writing had a character limit. She ran out of space on the face of the staff at Window Four. After paying, she pretended to wait for Lin Qiu and left more words on the face of the staff at Window Three.

[Number Two accepts a request to switch windows for an extra hundred]

[Quest Completed]

[You have gained Points +100, Money +2000]

Although Chu Zhao’s phone didn’t ring, she took it out to check anyway. Sure enough, she had received a text message.

[Your card ending in 6235 has received a deposit of 2000 yuan. Current available balance: 2400 yuan.]

Lin Qiu walked back with her, her steps dazed as if her soul were wandering. She was still reeling from the words she’d seen on the chefs’ faces; her whole being was in a state of shock.

Seeing Chu Zhao pull out her phone, she instinctively looked over.

Chu Zhao turned back alertly, gave her a sharp glare, and tucked the phone away.

What are you looking at? This is my money!

Lin Qiu: “…”

Coincidentally, they heard the voices again a second later.

“Zhu Qing’an, Window Number One.”

“Li Qingyin, Window Number Two.”

Zhu Qing’an’s expression soured with disgust, but her eyes involuntarily drifted toward Windows Three and Four.

She looked at Chu Zhao with an inquiring gaze.

Chu Zhao gave a firm nod.

Li Qingyin: “…” So it really was your doing…

Watching her roommates go up to get their meals, Chu Zhao stared at their backs. Lin Qiu was just like her, waiting for the results.

Zhu Qing’an had short legs but walked quickly, reaching Window Number One first.