Infinite Weird Game

In the ruins of sunset, the orange-red color of dusk spread over the gold-plated emblem of the [Unnamed Guild] on Lin Chen’s chest, and the emblem of the [Tingfeng Guild] on Fu Jue’s black suit glowed coldly.

The two stood opposite each other, and neither of them spoke at the first moment.

After the "Be Careful with the Rabbit" copy ended, Lin Chen received a notification that his betting points had been returned multiple times, and knew that Qis had successfully passed the level with TE.

He immediately inquired about the situation through the soul leaf, but received no response, and couldn't help feeling worried.

In the "Colosseum" copy, he almost became a "god" and stayed in the copy forever. It was Qis who made a deal with the evil god named "Li" to rescue him.

Now Qis is facing a similar situation as him. He will become the Rabbit God in the grand Rabbit God Festival. I wonder if he can leave the copy smoothly in the end?

The bad thing is that "Beware the Rabbit" is a single-player puzzle game, and a second person cannot be involved. No matter how anxious you are, you can only wait for the ending outside the copy in vain.

Lin Chen returned to reality and was planning to send a text message to Qi Si. Unexpectedly, as soon as he unlocked his phone, the weird game forum popped up and pushed several hot posts about the changes in the list stele.

After reading those posts, he felt relieved: Qis was still alive and was still a player of the weird game. The dead, ghosts, and people who got lost in the dungeon would be removed from the list of the weird game.

On the other hand, he also had a rough judgment: the final copy was about to start, and he and Qis, as the holders of the identity cards, had the qualifications to compete for the winner of the game.

Lin Chen had already learned from Qi Si the second-hand news that the final copy would be opened on May 5. He had collected a lot of information online and offline, and had already made a judgment on the role of the identity card. Therefore, he was not surprised at this moment, but was able to calmly analyze the existing information.

He quickly noticed that he and Qi Si were the only two players on the list known to have multiple identity cards.

He was fine, as there was no evidence to prove that "Lin Crow" and "Lin Chen" were the same person. Most of the initial attempts were resisted, and many people put aside their original doubts and came to the wrong conclusion.

But Qisi's two identities, "Qisi" and "Siqi", have almost become a known fact after the "Colosseum" copy, and have been the subject of considerable discussion to this day.

The Unnamed Guild has undoubtedly been pushed to the forefront, and someone must step forward as soon as possible to respond to inquiries from all parties, express their attitude, and maintain the situation.

Lin Chen knew that as the nominal president, it was his responsibility to respond to public opinion, so he immediately entered the strange game again and headed straight for the Sunset Ruins.

His original intention was to further understand the details of the changes in the list, and then find a response plan based on the specific situation. However, he met Fu Jue before he even reached the stone tablet.

The leader recognized by the players of Weird Game, Fu Shen, who is known as the Savior, the former vice president of Jiuzhou Guild, now a senior member of Tingfeng Guild, and the holder of the [Fallen Savior] identity card...

Countless glorious titles were bestowed upon him. When he first entered the strange game a month ago, Lin Chen, like all the players who supported unity and cooperation, worshipped him like a god. He never thought that one day he would be able to stand in front of a person of this level.

I never thought that I would compete with such a person and become an opponent.

Players gathered around to watch the fun, peeking in and whispering. A few members of small guilds even came to the front, watching the two intently, determined to get first-hand information.

After a long silence, Fu Jue spoke first: "President Lin, I have heard a lot about you. I was looking forward to meeting you at the Guild Conference, but unfortunately I was unable to attend due to some unexpected circumstances. Today I happened to meet you at the Ruins of Sunset, and I wonder if it would be convenient for us to move over and talk about the matters concerning the final instance."

He raised his right hand and made a gesture of waiting for a handshake, as if he wanted to express a friendly attitude and convey in public the symbol of a mainstream guild extending an olive branch to an emerging force.

Is this considering the momentum of the Unnamed Guild and is it time for peace talks?
Lin Chen guessed secretly, knowing that it was not wise to quarrel with a person like Fu Jue in person, so he also extended his right hand to Fu Jue.

The "Bird-beak Doctor" card in the upper right corner of the sight began to tremble violently, and black crow feathers flourished from under the cloak, accompanied by white angel feathers that fell to the ground, bringing some ominous omen.

Lin Chen looked directly into Fu Jue's emotionless light grey eyes. For a moment he felt horrified as if he was looking directly at a corpse that had been dead for a long time. All the things that happened in the "Frog Hospital" copy unconsciously emerged in his mind. His hand froze in mid-air for a moment, and he withdrew it very unceremoniously after a second.

He silently recited the negotiation words he had learned in the past few days, and said as calmly as possible: "I have heard of Master Fu's name for a long time, and I had planned to visit him, but unfortunately I never had the chance. What a coincidence that I met you here. I was planning to go and see the changes in the list stone tablet. If Master Fu is on his way, you might as well come with me."

This was a tactful rejection of Fu Jue's invitation to "move over and have a chat".

It is always necessary to be on guard against others. Lin Chen has recently become more aware of the wickedness of people in strange games. He feels that it is safer to negotiate with players who are much stronger than himself in a crowded place to avoid encountering a Hongmen Banquet.

"Okay." Fu Jue nodded and stood beside Lin Chen, his tone unchanged, "I'm sorry that Chang Xu acted rashly in the Colosseum dungeon. He has received the punishment he deserves, and there won't be a next time in Jiuzhou."

"Really? I wonder if Master Fu is telling me this on behalf of Jiuzhou or Tingfeng?" Lin Chen suppressed the discomfort of walking side by side with Fu Jue, and forced himself to fit in with the role of Lin Wuya, with the corners of his lips slightly raised, "I heard that Master Fu withdrew from Jiuzhou Guild after the "Mountain God Festival" dungeon. I didn't expect that he is still shouldering the responsibility for Jiuzhou."

The two had already walked to the huge stone tablet with twenty-two identity card entries engraved on it, and the names "Lin Wuya" and "Fu Jue" were clearly visible.

Fu Jue said: "It is the duty of all knowledgeable people who are willing to take responsibility for the fate of mankind to end the internal conflicts among players before the final dungeon arrives. It is unprecedented for one person to have multiple identity cards bound to him. It may be a necessary condition for clearing the final dungeon. Based on this, I hope to reach a cooperation with the Unnamed Guild."

When he said this, his eyes looked at Lin Chen through the reflection of the lenses, like a laboratory researcher observing an abnormal creature.

Lin Chen knew that he was testing the relationship between "Lin Crow" and "Lin Chen", so he replied indifferently: "Our Unnamed Guild does not have a strict hierarchical relationship like Jiuzhou. I cannot ask Qis to put aside his grudges and cooperate with the force that almost killed him."

"I will go to see Qi Si in person." Fu Jue extended his hand again, this time more solemnly and seriously, "The final instance requires a stable alliance. Two forces running in opposite directions will only tear the chessboard apart and make the situation develop in an uncontrollable direction. Before clearing all obstacles and threats, the best option must be to share the throne."

The setting sun just sank below the horizon at this moment, and the last ray of afterglow cast the shadows of the two people on the blood-red stele. The twisted shadows were entangled like giant snakes.

In the distance, someone was taking pictures here and there with a photo prop. Lin Chen knew that tomorrow the hot list of the game forum would definitely have titles like "Fu Jue represents Jiuzhou in a dialogue with the Unnamed Guild".

It has come to this point, and it would be impolite not to give in. Lin Chen grabbed the hand that Fu Jue extended, shook it politely, and said, "If Qi Si is willing to accept Jiuzhou's apology, I believe we can cooperate happily."

His words were so sonorous that all nearby players could hear them. The crowd burst into discussion, as if they knew they were witnessing history and couldn't help themselves.

An intelligence officer from a small guild was typing away on his communication tool frantically: "President, Jiuzhou and Unnamed have made peace! It looks like there may be some changes in the final instance..."

Some people also said to the players around them: "This unnamed guild looks really good. It respects the choice of every member. I just don't know if it will still accept people?"

Lin Chen had no intention of saying more or making any more mistakes. He said to Fu Jue, "Let's go first," and turned and left amid the noise. However, the vibration of the [Doctor Bird's Beak] card in his field of vision did not subside for a long time.

He walked a distance and suddenly felt that his right hand, which had just been shaken by Fu Jue, was a little stiff, as if it was restrained by an invisible object. He lowered his head and saw a blood-colored thread extending from the void, sometimes appearing and sometimes disappearing and wrapping around his little finger.

Qi Si's sneer echoed from deep within his soul: [My dear president, remember to wear gloves when shaking hands with dangerous people in the future.]

Lin Chen instinctively knew what had happened and asked hurriedly, but he didn't get a reply for a long time. Even the blood-colored leaf that symbolized the connection between the two did not respond.

——What I just heard and saw seemed to be just an illusion deep in a nightmare.

……

In Shuangxi Town, Li Yao curled up under the altar of the Temple of Joy, digging her nails deeply into her palms.

After receiving the main mission of [Slay the Evil God], everything became a mess. Everyone except her seemed to be in a state of mass hysteria, wandering around Shuangxi Town in a daze, their minds visibly not clear.

No matter how hard she screamed, the other four did not wake up. She could only hide in the territory of the Temple of Joy and watch the golden and red beams of light dancing between the threads connecting the players, as if two forces were fighting for control of the copy.

After an unknown amount of time, the competition came to an end. Outside the temple, blood-red vines and leaves hung from the sky, reflecting the fluttering paper money in a scarlet glow, and the sharp cries of ghosts became louder and louder.

Li Yao heard the screams of the players one after another, and then fell silent at a certain moment. The last figure fell down like a broken stone tablet, and Chen Hao's head rolled to her feet, his hideous face with eyes wide open as if he had died.

She was horrified and quickly reached for the [White Blade] at her waist, but she touched nothing. A small piece of suppressed memory flickered in and out, bringing a bitter feeling.

"Li Yao, long time no see." The young man's smiling voice sounded close to her ear, stirring up inexplicable fear.

Li Yao turned his head suddenly and saw a cluster of green flames bursting out from the shrine where the statue of the God of Joy was enshrined. The flames licked the faded wood carvings, illuminating the entire temple with a dark green.

Gray mist seeped out from the gaps between the floor tiles, and a figure in red walked out of the flames. His face was as pale as a ghost under his black hair, and his drooping brows hid his scarlet eyes.

It was a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Li Yao was sure that she had seen it before, but the related memories were distant and distorted, as if hidden deep in her dreams, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake.

She stared blankly at the person in front of her. The remaining impression was clear for a moment, and she couldn't help but mutter: "Qi Wen? Are you still alive?"

Qis leaned against the base of the shrine, playing with a golden-red leaf with his fingertips, a sea of ​​blood and a mountain of corpses surging at the bottom of his scarlet pupils.

Hearing the name "Qi Wen", he laughed and tilted his head slightly: "Yes, I'm still alive. Have you seen my finger bones?"

His tone was like a ghost crawling out of hell asking about his belongings. Li Yao's breathing paused for a moment, and a scene that should have been forgotten appeared before his eyes.

The pale corpse of the young man lay in the coffin, as quiet and lifeless as a sculpture. She took advantage of the last moments of the copy to sit beside him and whisper to him. Her lowered hand unconsciously touched the tip of the little finger of the corpse's right hand.

Then she saw the system prompt that she hadn't seen for many years, about an item called [Evil God Finger Bone]...

"I've seen it..." Li Yao answered subconsciously, and the next second she felt her neck being strangled by a force, unable to utter another word.

Qisi watched her patiently, waiting for her to give a complete answer.

She opened her mouth, wanting to tell her former teammate what she knew, but suddenly she realized that the face in front of her overlapped with another face in her memory.

At that time, the god in red came unexpectedly and said to her: "Your soul is imprisoned in the game. From now on, you will be an NPC in this copy, repeating the process of the game over and over again.

"If it were in the past, I might have ordered you to provide false clues to lure the foolish lambs astray; but now, I have thought of an interesting way to play.

"I will seal your memory of death, preserve your emotions when you were killed, and grant you the knowledge to control the life and death of others. I am curious, will you choose to be a human or a ghost?"

She had looked directly into the face of the god, and had never noticed before that this young man who called himself "Qi Wen" was so similar to the evil god...

No, they are more than similar, they are the same person, the same God...

Qi Si waited for a while, but nothing came of it. He sighed and said, "I guess you are restricted by the rules and cannot tell me the answer you know, right?"

Li Yao nodded and shook her head. She didn't understand what "rules" meant. In her intuition, what restricted her was not the so-called "rules" but something called "contract".

At that time, she was sitting beside the coffin, and suddenly she heard the voice of God again.

God said, "You saw my missing finger bone. I need you to keep it secret until the pointer of fate reaches the destined anchor point."

She didn't understand what he meant, but she had no choice but to agree. Now she still doesn't understand why one of them asked her to hide the finger bone, while the other asked her where the finger bone was...

"Will you kill me?" Li Yao asked in a hoarse voice.

Qi Si's five fingers grasped the leaves, and he didn't know when he would crush them. Hearing this question, he chuckled and said, "I would have thought so, but I suddenly changed my mind. Your experience as a human being is very interesting. It is more valuable to continue living in pain than to die immediately."

He loosened his hand, and the leaves in his palm fluttered like butterflies: "I always keep my promises. What's more, you are the most beautiful sacrifice in this first game of chess."

The malice behind the words and the mockery of higher-dimensional creatures towards lower life forms are so obvious, just like humans don't have to look down to see the patterns on the shells when crushing ants.

Li Yao suddenly remembered the first transaction with God many years ago, which was the same vicious attitude.

She was stunned for a long time, and when she came to her senses again, the evil god had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a mess of blood.

(End of this chapter)