Who Told You to Play Infinity Like This - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Lin Qiu’s words trailed off as she spoke.

Chu Zhao wore a face of pure sincerity. “I’ll be a good girl and watch the house. You two go on out and hunt.”

Zhu Qing’an remained calm. “Don’t go through my wardrobe.”

Chu Zhao: “…” You really know me too well.

She gave a fake smile. “How could I? How could I possibly go through An’an’s things without her permission?”

Lin Qiu had already walked to the table and pulled a notebook from a cabinet. Hearing this, she snapped back to reality and said coldly, “Don’t go through mine either.”

“And don’t go through Qingyin’s.”

Chu Zhao: “…” Jiu Jiu, you really are the most annoying one.

Just leave already!

Only after finishing her warning did Lin Qiu coldly hand over the item in her hand. “Don’t leave the room. Wait for us to come back.”

Chu Zhao focused her gaze on the object.

It was a very ordinary-looking notebook. The name ‘Lin Qiu’ was written neatly in the name slot.

The only difference was that the cover was mottled with bloodstains that had now turned a dark brownish-maroon.

Judging by the shape of the stains, it looked as if someone had been struggling to write their name while suffering a nosebleed… or perhaps it was more than just a nosebleed.

Chu Zhao only had to stare at it for a moment to feel Lin Qiu’s aura grow several degrees colder.

She took the notebook and smiled. “Don’t worry, Qiuqiu. I have plenty of confidence in my ability to protect myself.”

Lin Qiu’s cold aura dissipated. She simply shoved her hands into her pockets and turned to leave.

“You’d better.”

By the time her voice faded, she was already out the door.

Zhu Qing’an came out of the bathroom, closing the window and the bathroom door as she went. “I’ve shut everything tight.”

She looked up, saw Lin Qiu’s icy expression, and quickened her pace. “Alright, don’t go out. I’ll lock the door behind me. Ordinary people won’t go out of their way to come in.”

“And if they do come in, we’ll know…”

Under Lin Qiu’s cold glare, she rambled a few more words before following close on Lin Qiu’s heels.

Chu Zhao stared at the door for a while before finally sitting down.

The group chat was still exploding with messages. Chu Zhao flipped open the soft-cover notebook.

She focused her gaze, her eyes reflecting a hint of memory.

The Sea of Stars was vast. Not every planet was developed and prosperous; there were always corners the Sea of Stars failed to reach-places that were backward and filthy.

Coincidentally, Chu Zhao’s hometown was just such a dilapidated, barren planet.

She didn’t know much about the childhood of the New Humans, but she was intimately familiar with the educational conditions of such impoverished little places.

The formulas in the notebook were exactly the ones Chu Zhao had seen and studied. For a moment, she even suspected that Lin Qiu might have come from the same hometown.

Looking at the handwriting, she corrected her thought: Lin Qiu might have come from an even earlier timeline, a time that was perhaps even poorer. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been using a pencil for her homework.

This was high school level knowledge. What high schooler used a pencil for their assignments?

Similar to the cover, almost every page had varying amounts of bloodstains, making one seriously doubt the owner’s health.

But if she was really that sick, why bother laboring over homework?

The notebook was about half-finished. The handwriting cut off on a certain page, and after that page, the bloodstains had glued the remaining half of the notebook together into a single block.

Just holding it now, it emitted a thick, ominous aura-a bone-chilling cold that made anyone who looked at it feel a sense of dread.

Chu Zhao first considered how to sew herself a heart-protecting mirror, but ultimately gave up on the idea due to a lack of materials. Then she thought about how to convince Qiuqiu, let her give her some parting gifts.

Checking the group chat, she saw that 611 was indeed steering the conversation. Almost everyone else’s information had been exposed. Someone had even typed out all their details word for word, without missing a single character.

Chu Zhao accepted the information with a smile but didn’t show her face in the chat.

The rules were mostly the same. The only thing that caught Chu Zhao’s attention was-

None of them had hidden their identities, or at least, they hadn’t posted them in the group.

Furthermore, while they had all done side quests, not everyone had obtained a profession. Some had been rejected by the gods and received a prompt saying they could forcibly unlock a profession by ‘obtaining 1,000 Points’.

Their side quests were mostly from that trip to the cafeteria, similar to 611’s.

In the end, Chu Zhao summarized the situation: of the seven survivors from Class 1(3), one male and one female had been rejected by the gods and had no profession.

The other five, including Chu Zhao herself, consisted of a Scholar (Chu Zhao), an Apprentice Lawbringer (611), a Singer (606), a Thief (male), and a Recruit (622).

Among them, the Scholar belonged to ‘Truth’ and the Apprentice Lawbringer belonged to ‘Edict’-both part of the Ordo Faction. The other three were part of the Chaos Faction: the Singer belonged to ‘Luxuriance’, the Thief to ‘Fraud’, and the Recruit to ‘War’.

Clearly, they were quite useful.

Chu Zhao organized her Money and items, then joined the chat. She casually dropped some bits of knowledge she had read, quickly establishing herself as a professional in the group.

The Scholar profession seemed to make it very easy to gain the trust of others, Chu Zhao noted thoughtfully.

Chu Zhao didn’t ask for their names; she simply changed their group nicknames to their professions.

[Thief]: [How much longer do we have to stay here? To be honest, I’ve been afraid of ghosts since I was a kid. I’ve only survived this long because my roommates are merciful! Folded_Hands.jpg]

[Apprentice Lawbringer]: [Who isn’t?]

[Singer]: [There’s only one difference between me and that unlucky soul in 605: my roommates aren’t that violent.]

[But I heard from my roommate that the relationships in that dorm were bad to begin with. The person she’s playing had a conflict with the other roommates, which is why she was torn apart so quickly. The sounds outside the door almost scared me to death at the time. Luckily, my roommates are tolerant…]

Chu Zhao was thoughtful.

605 relationships were bad to begin with?

[Recruit]: [My roommates are okay, and I’m not completely defenseless. Surviving for seven days shouldn’t be hard.]
As the only one with a class possessing two attack skills, her tone was brimming with confidence.

Chu Zhao, however, was wondering what kind of personality one would need to be compatible with ‘War’.

The Aberrants here are B-rank at the very least; what kind of counterattack do you have? I’m all ears.

After chatting idly in the group for a bit longer, they agreed to seize the opportunity to gather tomorrow, where they would discuss the dungeon’s mission in detail.

Clearly, while everyone seemed to be opening up, not a single person proactively revealed their skills.

She didn’t know the logic behind the Hunting Ground’s selection process, but at least she hadn’t encountered anyone particularly stupid yet.

Once they finished chatting, Chu Zhao checked the time. Only five minutes had passed.

Based on the speed at which Lin Qiu and the others usually brought back food, it would take at least twenty minutes for them to return. She had to hurry.

She couldn’t rummage through drawers or cabinets, which indeed imposed many restrictions on Chu Zhao, but she had the skill Reading.

Chu Zhao used Reading as she went along and actually discovered some strange little things.

Lin Qiu’s books, pens, and all her stationery carried her aura. Under Reading, they were classified as Cursed Objects tainted with an Aberrant’s aura, while everything else was just a blank slate.

She even managed to read how much money was in Lin Qiu’s drawer… Hm, only five hundred. What a poor girl.

If Lin Qiu had lost during PE class, she would probably be even more broke than Yu Ge.

Zhu Qing’an’s Cursed Objects were all personal items, especially those that came into contact with her skin.

As for Li Qingyin…

Chu Zhao stared at the drawer, lost in thought.

Li Qingyin only had one item tainted with her curse, and that item was…

[Room 612]

Zhao Qinghe: [Qingyin, Qingyin, are you there?]

Zhu Qing’an: [?]

Li Qingyin quickly popped up. [What’s wrong?]

Zhao Qinghe: [I feel like the dorm is really dangerous. Do you have anything left in the dorm that I can use to scare people?]

Li Qingyin replied almost immediately, [There’s a mirror in my drawer. You can take it out and use it.]

[If you run into something you can’t dodge, stand in front of the bathroom mirror and call me. If all else fails, you can show them my photo.]

Chu Zhao paused, subconsciously clicking on Li Qingyin’s personal profile in the group chat. She stared at the photo in a daze.

Li Qingyin: “Mm, that’s right.”

The photo nodded at Chu Zhao and then became still once more.

Chu Zhao: “…”

She finally had a rough idea of why she had been attacked by Zhu Qing’an on the first day.

She had thought the attack was because of that illusion, but looking at it now, it was clearly because she had covered the eyes of Li Qingyin’s photo.

As a roommate, how could Zhao Qinghe not know that Li Qingyin’s curse was related to photos?

It was truly thanks to her roommates’ mercy that she was still alive.

“Qingyin, you’re so kind,” Chu Zhao said with genuine sincerity.

Li Qingyin’s photo visibly showed a hint of speechlessness before pretending she hadn’t heard.

Having received Li Qingyin’s permission, Chu Zhao immediately opened the drawer and took out the mirror.

[Li Qingyin’s Mirror]

[Attribute: Cursed Object]

[Rank: B-rank]

[Function: None (Perhaps it really is just an ordinary mirror)]

[Note: From the moment people become aware of her existence, their instinct is to smash it and stay far away!]

[However, instincts can be deceiving. Unless you can guarantee you’ll never encounter a reflective surface for the rest of your life, you’d better pretend you haven’t noticed it. Perhaps then, she won’t set her sights on you.]

Chu Zhao sat back in her seat and calmly looked into the mirror.

Feeling a certain cold aura lingering, she said nonchalantly, “You’re here. Please, have a seat.”

In the mirror, Zhao Qinghe’s face looked as if it were under a spotlight, fair as jade.

However, she couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination, but she felt this face had become much paler compared to the first day. Her eyelids were slightly dark, and her pupil color had deepened significantly.

Chu Zhao touched her wrist and found that her body was still warm, but the texture was uneven-those were the scars on her wrist.

She was very curious whether she would undergo further changes tomorrow.

No one responded to her words. Chu Zhao sat with Lin Qiu’s notebook on one leg and the mirror in one hand, tilting it this way and that to look at herself. Even when she caught sight of a figure suddenly appearing in the mirror, she didn’t show the slightest sign of abnormality.

She simply said in a calm tone, “Student Li Su, An’an went downstairs to get food. If you have something urgent, you can message her yourself.”

Li Su stared into the mirror for a while before silently pulling her head back.

Her tone softened slightly. “She’s gone, so be it. But she specifically left something at the door. Who is she trying to keep out?”

She pushed the door to Room 612 wide open and said with ill intent, “It’s not like we’re going to eat you.”

The moment the door opened, the sensation of being watched intensified abruptly.

Chu Zhao’s tone remained flat. “They just went out. They aren’t dead.”

Li Su: “…”

The various ‘people’ who had gathered to peek: “…”

What you said makes so much sense that it’s impossible to argue.

Li Su said fiercely, “So what? Do you think they would actually… for your sake…”

Chu Zhao looked at her with a very subtle expression and mocked, “Didn’t she just kick you out last time?”

Li Su: “…”

Suddenly, her self-esteem felt very wounded.

She wanted to leave even less now and even pulled the door open to its widest extent.

The door to 611 suddenly opened. Wang Zhuo lay across the threshold, peering into Room 612. Behind her, the prying eyes of the other three could be seen.

Chu Zhao stood up crossly and went straight to close the door of Room 612.

She opened the photo gallery on her phone and said to Li Qingyin’s photo, “Qingyin, Li Su keeps opening our door.”

Li Qingyin’s voice rang out faintly. “Li Su.”

Li Su: “…”

Her voice became incredibly fawning. “Oh, Senior, I was just dropping by for a visit, ahaha. Since An’an isn’t here, I was just about to leave. Really.”

Li Qingyin: “I’m coming back tomorrow.”

Chu Zhao: “Hey, don’t leave yet.”

She reached out into thin air and, by some miracle, managed to grab Li Su just as she was about to slip out the door.
Li Qingyin: “…”

What are you trying to do now?

Chu Zhao tucked away the photo of the nuclear weapon and grabbed Li Su, not letting her leave. “An’an isn’t here. Stay and talk to me for a bit.”

Li Su had just opened the door when she was pulled back, and the prying eyes from the corridor fixed on Chu Zhao once again.

In that moment, Chu Zhao was once again the center of attention.

She asked Li Su in a warm and friendly tone, “Who’s the richest person on our floor?”

Li Su: “?”

Though confused, she still answered, “Probably Room 601. They all work for the Autonomous Council, so they definitely have money.”

Chu Zhao asked again, “Who’s the one who likes to drop by uninvited like you do?”

Li Su was puzzled. “Who?”

Chu Zhao glanced toward the bathroom.

Realization dawned on Li Su, followed by a look of disdain. “That thing? It’s nothing like me.”

Her tone became somewhat complex as she continued, “She died a long time ago. Now, she’s just a lingering resentment.”

“In two months at most, she’ll probably be gone for good.”

She yanked herself free from Chu Zhao’s grip and added maliciously, “If you want to play with her, go ahead and try.”

Li Su left. The door to Room 612 remained open, and Chu Zhao stuck her head out to look around for a while, but no new friends appeared.

With great regret, she closed the door and posted in the group chat: [Is the popularity of our Room 612 really that bad? No one comes to play except Li Su.]

Li Qingyin: […]

Lin Qiu: […]

Zhu Qing’an: […]

Lin Qiu: [Shut up and keep the door closed.]

[I brought test papers. You’d better get a perfect score.]

Chu Zhao: “…”

She finally began to sort through the loot she had gained from making others “drop coins.”

Strictly speaking, all she had right now were Points.

Her windbreaker had been snatched away by Li Qingyin.

[Detected that Points exceed 1,000. Would you like to request a Divine Talent from He?]

Chu Zhao: Hmm? Request it! Why wouldn’t I?

[Requesting-]

In a trance, Chu Zhao seemed to see an infinite, silver-white space. Within it, bookshelves stretched endlessly, and at the end of the void, a pair of silver-white eyes cast a single glance toward her.

That look was cold, magnificent, and heartless.

[You have obtained the Divine Talent ‘Words as Meeting (S)’]

Chu Zhao’s Points were instantly deducted by one thousand.

Chu Zhao: “…”

Wait, a Divine Talent costs Points too?

She used Reading on the talent.

[Words as Meeting]

[Source: Divine (Truth)]

[Rank: S]

[Function: Words as Meeting]

[Note: “Literally what it says. Dullard.”]

Chu Zhao: “…”

Fine.

She had 4,650 Points left, all of which had dropped from NoGiggles, but her Inventory was about to be full…

[Would you like to expand your Inventory?]

Is that even a choice?!

[Yes]

Fifth Inventory slot: -1,000 Points.

Sixth Inventory slot: -2,000 Points.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Zhao only had 1,650 Points left.

Since the Points had come easily, Chu Zhao didn’t blink while spending them.

She poked around for a bit and found the gacha section.

Previously, every section except for ‘Inventory’ had been locked, but now, another section had quietly unlocked.

[Skill List]

Each draw cost 1,000 Points.

Chu Zhao’s eyes narrowed instantly.

Draw!

[Points Balance: 650.]

[You have obtained the skill ‘Air Finger’.]

[Air Finger]

[Current Rank: E]

[Attack Intensity: Weak]

[Attack Interval: None]

[Evaluation: Better than nothing]

[Note: Upgradable]

Chu Zhao: “…”

Was it because she was too lucky with items that her skill luck was so abysmal?

‘Air Finger’ was immediately absorbed by Chu Zhao, becoming one of her abilities.

The good news: She could finally fight.

The bad news: She could only kill ants.

Looking at her remaining Points, Chu Zhao expressionlessly spun the wheel again.

[You have obtained the item ‘If You Can Talk, Talk More’]

[You have obtained Currency +2,500], Balance: 2,800.

[You have obtained the item ‘Help Me, They’ll Do Anything’]

Once the items filled up the remaining Inventory slots, Chu Zhao stopped drawing. She had 350 Points left.

She checked the item descriptions.

[If You Can Talk, Talk More (3/3)]

[Because of loneliness, you have learned to persuade others to speak.

Causes a designated target to have a strong desire to confide. Can be resisted; please use at the right opportunity.

(Method of use: Say ‘If You Can Talk, Talk More’.)]

[Help Me, They’ll Do Anything (3/3)]

[Though you seek help, your greedy self does not want to pay any price.

Force a target to help you and designate another target to bear the cost of that help. Remember to act within your capabilities.

Note: They will all hate you. Seriously, trust me.

(Method of use: Shout ‘Help Me, They’ll Do Anything’, hee~)]

Chu Zhao’s mood recovered.

She felt that items were clearly more useful than skills.

At the very least, she enjoyed making others “drop coins.”

She took a moment to glance at the group chat.

[Room 612] was still dead silent, but the players were still chatting enthusiastically.

[Thief]: [Speaking of which, have you guys noticed anything strange? For example…]

[Apprentice Lawbringer]: [Feel free to speak plainly.]

[Thief]: [There’s a terrifying scar on my waist, like I was once cut in half. It’s creepy as hell, but I don’t remember ever getting an injury like that. Do any of you…]

Before Chu Zhao could finish reading, she heard the sound of the door opening.

“What are you looking at?” Lin Qiu’s cold voice drifted over.