Who Told You to Play Infinity Like This - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chu Zhao lay in bed, listening to the Dorm Supervisor’s voice as it approached from a distance and then faded away again.

A few unpleasant, rather piercing sounds echoed through the hallway.

Chu Zhao focused her hearing.

She remembered that danger didn’t just come from the outside; it also came from within.

For example, her roommates.

Would Zhu Qing’an make a move?

What about Lin Qiu? What were her instant-death triggers?

And Li Qingyin?

As everyone knew, roommates in these situations always sleepwalked.

Chu Zhao waited.

After an indeterminate amount of time, her eyelids were practically glued shut, yet the Dorm Supervisor never entered Room 612, let alone any roommates sleepwalking.

Chu Zhao fell asleep.

When the first light of dawn filtered into the dormitory, the white-clad woman on the bed rolled over. Her thick eyelashes fluttered slowly, revealing eyes bleary with sleep.

Chu Zhao tossed and turned a few more times before remembering her situation and bolting upright.

Last night, the Dorm Supervisor had actually passed by Room 612 without entering, and she hadn’t encountered any nighttime raids from her roommates. She had waited so long she’d simply passed out.

Ruffling her hair, Chu Zhao looked down.

Good. Her roommates were all awake; even Zhu Qing’an was out of bed.

It seemed players really did have physical stamina requirements and needed to sleep every night, or else their condition would be affected.

Perhaps because Chu Zhao had performed well yesterday, Li Qingyin even greeted her when she woke up. “Good morning, Qinghe.”

Lin Qiu was rinsing her mouth and only paused briefly at the words. Zhu Qing’an, who was currently pouring water, looked up.

Chu Zhao saw her holding the thermos she had borrowed, nonchalantly pouring water into a cup.

Tsk.

Didn’t you refuse to drink it yesterday?!

As if sensing Chu Zhao’s gaze, Zhu Qing’an turned her back to her and didn’t offer a greeting.

Chu Zhao, of course, forgave their lack of manners. As she climbed down, she said, “Morning, Qingyin. Morning, Qiuqiu. Morning, An’an.”

Lin Qiu remained true to her character, ignoring her completely.

Zhu Qing’an, however, was silent for a moment before replying, “…Morning.”

Chu Zhao gave her a brilliant smile.

She naturally picked up her toiletries and ran over to squeeze in next to Lin Qiu at the sink.

Standing near the window, she finally heard the pitter-patter of rain.

Today’s forecast was light rain turning to heavy rain; there wouldn’t be any sun all day.

The dormitory curtains were drawn from morning till night, so Chu Zhao hadn’t had a chance to look outside yesterday.

Were her roommates afraid of the sun, the rain, or neither?

Chu Zhao took the opportunity to look out while brushing her teeth.

Under the dark clouds, the dormitory area looked misty. Between the buildings were asphalt roads lined with lush greenery. The roads were currently being washed by the rain, making the plants on both sides look vibrant and dripping with moisture. Old streetlights and wooden benches with peeling paint stood silently in the rain.

Further away, several semi-dilapidated dormitory buildings were hidden in the misty drizzle, their forms indistinct.

Everything seemed perfectly normal and peaceful.

But when Chu Zhao looked closer, she could see students walking to and fro near the distant dorms, their voices faint and sparse.

It was only then that Chu Zhao realized the dormitory building she was in seemed a bit too quiet.

Or rather, this entire cluster of buildings was far too silent, as if separated from the distant scene by an entire world.

At this thought, Chu Zhao grew pensive. When she finished rinsing her mouth and looked up at the mirror, she saw a terrifying sight.

Lin Qiu had stopped washing at some point and was currently tilting her head, staring at her without blinking. As Chu Zhao moved, that pale face also turned toward the mirror, her pitch-black pupils devoid of any luster, as silent as ever.

Chu Zhao patted her on the shoulder. Lin Qiu turned her head to look at her again, expressionless.

“Qiuqiu, next time you look at me like that, could you give me a heads-up?” Chu Zhao said with a profound expression. “I’m afraid you’ll scare me so much that you’ll have to carry me to the infirmary in tears.”

Lin Qiu: “?”

Care to guess if I’d actually take you to the infirmary?

Lin Qiu looked away coldly.

Since she had to stay in the dorm all day, Chu Zhao started looking for things to do.

Rummaging through her roommates’ desks and cabinets? She… still didn’t dare.

She poured the remaining hot water into her cup, took a photo, and posted it to her Zone.

[Hot water my roommate helped me borrow. My first cup of hot water today~]

[Image] * 9

She only had five friends now: her three roommates, Teacher Yun, and 611.

Her roommates went without saying, but she could probably try communicating with 611 and this Teacher Yun.

Li Qingyin suddenly stood up and muttered to herself, “Almost forgot, it’s my turn for duty today.”

Chu Zhao only looked up for a second before she saw Li Qingyin finish her “cheating” and walk back.

With just a wave of her hand, the entire dormitory was brand new and spotless, as if it had just undergone a hundred high-definition spa treatments.

Chu Zhao: “…”

The way she had worked so hard to clean yesterday must have looked incredibly humorous…
Noticing Chu Zhao’s gaze, Li Qingyin looked over with a smile. “Qinghe, why don’t we play a game?”

Chu Zhao hesitated. “No, I want to read today.”

Li Qingyin said, “Haven’t you always wanted to play the Spirit of the Pen Game? Why don’t we give it a try?”

Chu Zhao blinked. “?”

She thought for a moment. “Is the Spirit of the Pen omnipotent?”

Li Qingyin replied, “More or less.”

Chu Zhao pondered for a beat. “I’ve been single since birth. Can it give me a boyfriend?”

The other three: “?”

Li Qingyin: “…It can’t create something out of thin air.”

Chu Zhao asked, “Then can it draw a portrait of me with perfect atmosphere, flawless anatomy, and vibrant, striking colors?”

Li Qingyin: “…”

Lin Qiu: “…”

Zhu Qing’an: “…”

Li Qingyin sighed. “Forget it. Today isn’t a good day for games.”

Chu Zhao, however, looked thoughtful. “Even if we don’t play, I want to learn. Qingyin, why don’t you teach me?”

“By the way, can the Spirit of the Pen summon anyone you want? Can you specify a target?”

Li Qingyin arched an eyebrow and studied Chu Zhao for a while before letting out a soft hum of affirmation. “Yeah.”

She added, “I’ll teach you, then.”

It was a small ritual, and the style seemed normal enough-at least, Chu Zhao thought it was.

Chu Zhao sat in her chair while Li Qingyin leaned down to explain, her tone natural. “If you want to target someone specific, you don’t just need a large amount of the summoner’s blood as a medium; you also need some small materials from the person being summoned…”

Chu Zhao was an eager student. “Like what?”

Li Qingyin thought about it, plucked a strand of her own hair, and handed it to Chu Zhao. “Like hair, or skin, or even something with a weaker connection, like clothing…”

Chu Zhao immediately tucked it away and asked innocently, “Can I have some more?”

Li Qingyin fell silent, then straightened her back expressionlessly. “Alright, it’s just a little game. Don’t take it too seriously.”

If she wouldn’t give any more, she wouldn’t give any more. Chu Zhao remembered that her roommates all liked to shower.

Li Qingyin seemed afraid that Chu Zhao would ask for more hair, so she immediately sat back down at her own desk and acted busy.

Chu Zhao didn’t mind and sat in her seat playing with her phone.

Since she was destined to be unable to go out, she could only harass people online.

She took a moment to ask, “Can I go to another dorm to borrow something?”

Lin Qiu, who was sitting at her desk reading and Writing, actually freed up a hand to press against the door.

Silence spoke louder than words.

Chu Zhao: “…”

She lowered her head again.

Zhao Qinghe: [Teacher, look at the hot water my roommates helped me borrow.] [Image]

She remembered that Yun Shuang’s social feed was full of these kinds of updates, so she should be able to handle this style of conversation.

It was just that the real Zhao Qinghe might be more reserved, as she herself had no profile information, much like Lin Qiu and Zhu Qing’an.

While waiting for Yun Shuang to reply, she casually messaged 611: [Did you sleep well last night?]

Receiving no immediate reply, she could only take out yesterday’s history book and continue reading.

Li Qingyin passed by after finishing her chores, pulled a book from her shelf, and handed it to her. “Read this.”

Chu Zhao looked closely: “Hymn to the Deity.”

Huh?

Li Qingyin left after handing over the book and was now tidying her desk as if nothing had happened. Looking at her expression, she likely wasn’t willing to give Chu Zhao any explanation.

Chu Zhao temporarily set aside the history book and opened this strange volume.

The races in the sea of stars were as numerous as the stars themselves, with countless religions and regimes, but no deity had ever caught Chu Zhao’s favor.

She had never believed in gods.

“Hymn to the Deity”

[…Offering ‘Edict’ is essential knowledge for all living beings. We must prepare an altar, then use human blood to carve the sigil of ‘Edict’ and recite the divine name of ‘Edict’…]

Chu Zhao: …Wow.

She had guessed many meanings for ‘Edict’-rules, perhaps, or a novice guide-but she truly never expected that it was actually a god.

‘Edict’ was the name of a god?!

There was actually a god here?

Just as she was thinking this, a notification flashed.

Chu Zhao looked down.

aaa Wang Tun: [Didn’t sleep well. I’m very tired now.]

[Yesterday, the Dorm Supervisor went crazy. She crouched by the head of my bed for a long time.]

[My roommates are also… hard to describe. How about you?]

aaa Lin Xia: [Same here. My roommates are totally crazy.]

aaa Wang Tun: [I’ll try my best to leave the group ID in the cafeteria when I go downstairs today, but I can’t guarantee it will work.]

aaa Lin Xia: [Just do your best. Even if it doesn’t work, we’re bound to meet tomorrow afternoon when class starts.]

Another notification popped up. Chu Zhao took one look and immediately sent: [Gotta go.]

Teacher Yun: [Come find me. Teaching Building A3, B-412.]

Chu Zhao’s eyes flickered as she typed: [Teacher, you work so hard. Working overtime in such heavy rain… my heart aches for you.]

She wanted to test the other party’s attitude regarding the ‘rain,’ but she remembered the prompt: [You trust Yun Shuang completely and believe her words without a doubt.] Thus, she could only probe indirectly.
Besides, despite the fact that Teacher Yun shared the same surname, it was still a question mark whether she was actually Yun Shuang.

Teacher Yun: [I wouldn’t call you if it wasn’t raining. Hurry up, don’t keep me waiting.]

After that, she went silent.

What surprised Chu Zhao even more was that a quest actually popped up-

[Side Quest: Teacher’s Task]

[Head to Academic Building A3, B-412, and await the teacher’s instructions.]

[Reward: Points +100, Class Selection]

Chu Zhao steadied herself and looked at her roommates. “Qiuqiu, Teacher Yun told me to go to the academic building.”

In that instant, Lin Qiu’s eyes narrowed.

A deathly silence filled the dorm for a moment before Li Qingyin’s voice rang out. “Teacher Yun? You mean Yun Shuang?”

Chu Zhao gave an ambiguous reply. “Is there a second Teacher Yun?”

Li Qingyin asked, “She’s calling for you at a time like this?”

Chu Zhao understood then-it seemed she only had one Teacher Yun, and Yun Shuang was that teacher.

Lin Qiu said coldly, “You’re not allowed to go down.”

Li Qingyin also frowned, appearing to weigh her options.

This time, however, Chu Zhao didn’t seem to fear her anymore. She argued her case. “I’ve always been obedient to Teacher Yun. I have to listen to what she says.”

*Can you take a hint, Qiuqiu?*

Chu Zhao looked like she was standing her ground with great momentum, but in reality, her eyes were full of amusement and a sense of impatience.

She could finally go out!

Lin Qiu looked at her coldly. “I’ll take you there.”

With that, she set down her book and stood up.

Li Qingyin stopped her. “Don’t do anything reckless.”

She pressed Lin Qiu back into her seat. “I’ll accompany Qinghe downstairs. You stay and watch the room.”

She then looked at Chu Zhao with a smile. “Since the teacher is looking for you, we should hurry. Teacher Yun has a terrible temper; we can’t keep her waiting.”

Recalling Yun Shuang’s social media updates, Chu Zhao vaguely replied, “Teacher Yun is actually quite nice…”

Li Qingyin said, “Then I must have remembered wrong.”

She took an umbrella from Zhu Qing’an’s locker. “Let’s go. Stay close to me; the rain is fierce.”

*Rain? Fierce?*

Recalling what ‘Teacher Yun’ had just said, Chu Zhao seemed to catch onto something.

After letting her rest for half a day, something exciting was finally happening.

Carrying the black umbrella, Chu Zhao finally truly stepped out of the dormitory door.

Walking down the dilapidated, decaying corridor, Chu Zhao actually felt like she was standing in the center of a stage.

She was the goddamn center of attention.

In reality, however, as she followed Li Qingyin all the way to the stairwell, not a single other person appeared. It was as if those prying eyes were merely watching them out of respect.

Was Li Qingyin… very powerful?

Chu Zhao recalled her social media post again.

[His Kin are nothing more than this.]

Who was “He”? What was “Kin”?

What had Li Qingyin done?

Lost in thought, Chu Zhao followed Li Qingyin downstairs.

The stairwell remained empty and desolate. There were dried brown stains on the steps, which were mottled and worn. A rotten, fishy stench followed them like a shadow, yet Li Qingyin seemed accustomed to it, appearing perfectly composed.

Passing the fifth floor, they saw it was locked behind an iron gate, hiding the corridor from view.

The fourth floor was a different scene entirely; viscous blood covered the hallway, and every dorm door stood wide open.

The door to the third-floor corridor was flung open, but the hallway was pitch black, like a bottomless abyss.

The second floor returned to looking like a normal corridor, but every dorm door was shut, and there were no lights.

When they reached the first floor, there was a wall where the corridor should have been.

She saw the shadow of the Dorm Supervisor. Seeing Li Qingyin and Chu Zhao approach, the Dorm Supervisor seemed quite surprised. “You’re going out even though it’s raining?”

Li Qingyin smiled. “I’m seeing my roommate off.”

They quickly left the foyer and stood outside.

Li Qingyin handed the umbrella to Chu Zhao, and she took it.

“Qinghe, I’ll only take you this far. You should know the way to the academic building, right?”

Chu Zhao: *No, I don’t.*

Li Qingyin seemed to just be speaking casually as she pointed toward a vermilion building. “That’s Academic Building A3. We usually have classes there.”

“Go on. Don’t keep the teacher waiting.”

Chu Zhao stared at her for a moment before giving a slight nod. “Wait for me to come back. Do you want me to bring you food?”

Li Qingyin only offered a small smile.

From the look in her eyes, Chu Zhao knew she didn’t seem to expect her to return in one piece.

Chu Zhao shook the umbrella and snapped it open. “Then I’m off. Will you come down to pick me up when I get back?”

This time, Li Qingyin nodded without hesitation. “Sure.”

Chu Zhao walked into the rain with her umbrella, heading toward the vermilion building.