Old Uncle, even in his final moments, refused to reveal any clues related to the Game.
He also didn’t want Lu Qingjia to get caught in an endless struggle for revenge, knowing his nephew’s personality—once he latched onto a clue, he would pursue it relentlessly.
As a result, Lu Qingjia couldn’t obtain any details about the circumstances of Old Uncle’s death from the man himself, making it incredibly difficult to identify the target.
But Lu Qingjia was the kind of person who didn’t necessarily need the other party’s cooperation to uncover what he wanted to know.
Even though Old Uncle had desperately tried to conceal the truth for the sake of Lu Qingjia’s future peace and stability, Lu Qingjia had still managed to deduce many subtle clues.
Moreover, Lu Qingjia had meticulously examined Old Uncle’s remains—his injuries, the clothes he wore before his death, his personal belongings, whether anything was damaged or missing. Years had passed, but the summary of these details remained etched in Lu Qingjia’s mind, constantly revisited and scrutinized. Not a single detail had faded with time.
After entering the Game, Lu Qingjia gradually discovered some minor rules that began to clarify these seemingly insignificant details.
Players entering the Game, unless in special instances, generally entered with their physical bodies, and their clothing would be adjusted depending on the situation.
For example, when Lu Qingjia had previously entered an instance as a student, his entire body had been adjusted to a younger age, and he was dressed in a school uniform. Or in this instance, where he appeared wearing a Hero’s battle suit with a scruffy beard.
These were special cases where clothing and appearance were related to information hints or rule adjustments. However, in unnecessary situations, the Game wouldn’t deliberately make such changes.
This was also why the Game usually announced the Game time in advance, allowing Players to prepare.
The instance Old Uncle had entered before his death likely didn’t require any identity or environmental adjustments that would necessitate a system-based costume change, because when he came out, one of the buttons on his clothes was missing.
If there had been a costume change, the clothes would have been returned to the Player exactly as they were upon returning to reality, with no damage.
At that time, Lu Qingjia had been pestering Old Uncle for a long time, trying to get him to take him into the Game.
But he had never succeeded, so he did everything he could to improve Old Uncle’s survival chances. Although, as an ordinary person, the things he could obtain weren’t particularly significant, Old Uncle had appreciated his efforts.
Before entering the Game, Old Uncle would always change into clothes made of durable, fire-resistant, and hard-to-penetrate fabric, shoes with hidden blades and small tools in the soles, and various utility packs and medicines.
How could Lu Qingjia not be clear about the things he had personally handled? Old Uncle treasured every item, and even if they inevitably got damaged during a mission, he would carefully store and preserve them afterward.
Lu Qingjia could never forget what was missing from the last jacket Old Uncle wore.
And one of the buttons on the bracelet the God Envoy had taken out was unmistakably the one missing from Old Uncle’s clothes at the time.
“Where did you get this?” Lu Qingjia’s killing intent instantly filled the room, and his demeanor visibly changed.
Even though he had been repeatedly overpowered by the God Envoy, even to the point of life-threatening danger, his state of mind had remained calm. Although he had been deliberately provoking the God Envoy, he hadn’t harbored much killing intent.
It was as if, to him, such a powerful opponent’s life or death didn’t matter at all, and his actions could be entirely based on the situation and benefits, not treating the God Envoy as a living being.
This was why the God Envoy had been so easily provoked. How dare such an insignificant ant act this way? How was he worthy?
But now it was different. The God Envoy could feel that Lu Qingjia was now completely dominated by some kind of hatred and loathing.
The God Envoy sneered, “Want to know? Kneel down and beg me—”
Before he could finish the last word, it turned into a scream.
Lu Qingjia stepped on his ankle, directly crushing the joint. Without the protection of muscles, it was far less resilient than other parts of the body.
Amidst the excruciating pain, the God Envoy was in disbelief. He glared at Lu Qingjia, “Are you fucking crazy? Do you know who I am?”
“I’m telling you, I’m from the Horror Game. Don’t think that just because you got an exchange student spot, you’re destined for greatness or have extraordinary talent. Drain the water from your fucking brain and open your dog eyes to see where you are.”
He grinned, “This is an Infinite Game instance. After the mission ends, all survivors will be teleported back to Infinite City. I’ve heard about the freedom of you Horror Game Players—after the mission ends, you can return to reality without being trapped in a virtual city. It’s enviable, really.”
“But freedom also means giving up the convenience of building a faction. You might not have understood the rules of our Infinite Game before, but now you should know. If you dare touch me, I guarantee someone will come for your dog life as soon as you enter Infinite City.”
“If you don’t want to be crushed like an ant in another Game after all your hard work leveling up, you’d better weigh my words carefully.”
After finishing, the God Envoy saw that Mudslide’s aura had noticeably relaxed, and the impulsive emotions had faded.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that he knew when to back down, but at the same time, he was even more furious at himself for momentarily letting his guard down and being subdued by such a person.
However, what he saw next was Mudslide turning around, pulling over a sofa, and leisurely sitting down, calmly looking at him.
It seemed there was no intention of backing down.
The other man smiled, “I lost my composure earlier. That’s not good. Being so easily swayed by small clues and losing my cool isn’t a good sign. I’ll have to reflect on this thoroughly when I get back.”
After all, if the enemy appeared before he reached a certain height, even if he wanted to tear the other person to shreds in his heart, he should be able to smile and chat with them on the surface. That was the mark of true qualification.
He had gone to great lengths to find his enemy, not to seek momentary satisfaction, but to kill the other person without any chance of failure.
Lu Qingjia looked down at the God Envoy, “It’s my fault. I didn’t need to ask you such a question. You’d answer it yourself.”
“What are you talking about? Didn’t you hear what I said?”
Lu Qingjia smiled, “Your bloodline is powerful, and your Abilities and Items are almost unparalleled among Players of your level. But whether it’s intelligence, combat skills, or even mission experience, you’re a complete mess.”
“Strip away the glory you’ve gained through external means, and you’re nothing but a useless fool.”
The God Envoy’s face showed a mix of rage and humiliation.
Lu Qingjia continued, “But despite that, you managed to survive the particularly brutal newcomer phase of the Infinite Game and shot ahead, possessing a bloodline that most Players couldn’t possibly afford, as well as enviable weapons and Items.”
“Is it because you have unwavering courage? Or unparalleled wisdom? Or perhaps exceptional survival experience? Or maybe you’ve gathered the luck of the heavens?”
“No. Strip away everything you’ve gained in the Game, and you’re just an arrogant, foolish, self-absorbed, short-sighted, nouveau riche loser.”
“My speculation is that you’ve probably experienced fewer than ten instances so far, and yet you’re already quite proficient with your bloodline, even overly reliant on it. You must have obtained the bloodline very early on.”
“Low-level instances couldn’t possibly have such a precious bloodline. Given the Infinite Game’s convenience in purchasing high-damage weapons, the Points calculation must be even stricter. A brainless, cowardly, unlucky fool like you would struggle to survive in the early stages, let alone afford a god-tier bloodline that’s exorbitantly expensive even for Intermediate Players now.”
Lu Qingjia leaned forward, looking at the God Envoy with a teasing smile, “Considering how eagerly you just flaunted your background and connections, relying on them and believing someone would avenge you if you died, combined with my earlier speculation—”
“You didn’t join a major faction and become a person of considerable status after entering the Infinite Game, did you?”
“It’s more likely that you’re already a relative or close friend of some big shot in reality. Or, to take a bolder guess, your very entry into the Infinite Game was orchestrated by that person.”
The God Envoy’s expression immediately changed. Although his identity wasn’t a secret in Infinite City, it was unnerving that a Player from another Game could, based on mere details, eliminate so many possibilities and directly pinpoint the truth.
Even when he was being subdued, the God Envoy hadn’t shown much concern, but now he felt an uncontrollable fear toward Lu Qingjia, though it was fleeting.
Seeing how the other man could, with just a few words, unravel the information he wanted, made him see a shadow of another person he deeply respected in this guy.
Such people were naturally sharp and extraordinary. With a bit of luck and opportunity, as long as they survived, they would always reach heights that others could only sigh at.
The God Envoy, unwilling to accept this, sneered, “So what? My luck is just that good. I’ve seen plenty of people driven mad with envy and jealousy. If you’re so unhappy, why don’t you find a good backer too?”
Lu Qingjia smiled, “So my speculations are all correct? Thanks for the confirmation. Let’s continue then.”
The God Envoy’s expression changed, feeling like he’d been played. Although he suspected that the other man already had his conclusions without needing his answers.
But he still had a sense of foreboding, “Continue what?”
Lu Qingjia raised the bracelet in his hand, “About the origin of this bracelet.”
The God Envoy’s face darkened, “What exactly are you trying to say?”
Mudslide’s interest in the bracelet was perplexing to the God Envoy. Although it had only been in his possession for a little over half a year, it had existed for several years.
Mudslide was now only an Intermediate Player. Since he had been selected as an exchange student for this term, he must be one of the top Players in the Horror Game this term, indicating that he hadn’t been in the Game for long.
Could there be some connection?
Lu Qingjia touched the button on the bracelet, then looked at the God Envoy, “Even a fool like you wouldn’t do something unnecessary during a fight.”
“The moment you took out the bracelet, I sensed that it clearly carried the aura of our Horror Game.”
“And the Ability you were about to activate is absolutely characteristic of the Horror Game. As a Player, I could sense it, just like how you could sense I was a Horror Player and not an Infinite Player who purchased a mutant bloodline when I released the Sludge.”
“You—forgive my bluntness—though your combat power is almost overwhelming among your peers, your actual talent is mediocre, and your aptitude is poor. No matter how foolish our Horror Game is, we wouldn’t let a fool who relies on resource stacking and cheating come to our Game to harvest Abilities. I’m sure your Infinite Game wouldn’t be shameless enough to select someone like you as an exchange student either.”
“Who the hell are you calling a fool?” the God Envoy roared.
But the next second, his eyes bulged, and he struggled to breathe, as if he were on the verge of death. The sense of impending doom was so palpable that extreme fear instantly shattered his bravado.
The God Envoy looked up to see Mudslide looking down at him, his eyes filled with a hint of impatience, as if he were looking at garbage—
“When I speak, you listen. Don’t interrupt unless I let you, understand?”
The God Envoy was drenched in sweat, and his heart rate returned to normal, the rapid thumping bringing him some comfort.
Then he heard Mudslide continue, “Since a fool like you couldn’t possibly have entered the Horror Game on your own and obtained these Abilities characteristic of the Horror Game, you must have gotten them from someone else.”
Lu Qingjia lifted his foot, hooking the God Envoy’s chin with his toe, forcing him to look up and meet his gaze—
“So where did this come from? Did it make its way to you, or was it a treasure your backer found for you? Or perhaps—it was an Item your backer used in the past?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the God Envoy began to panic, unable to hide it. “Item trading happens all the time in the Infinite Game. It’s been so long, how would I know where it came from?”
“Maybe I can ask for you when I go back after the mission ends?”
After saying this, he looked at Lu Qingjia with some trepidation.
Lu Qingjia looked at him expressionlessly for a moment.
Then he smiled, as if he were satisfied with the answer.
Before the God Envoy could feel relieved, Lu Qingjia spoke, “So it was something your backer used in the past.”
The God Envoy’s scalp tightened, “What the hell? When did I say that?”
Lu Qingjia ignored him, lowering his head to rub the button for a while, then put the bracelet on his own wrist.
The God Envoy’s face immediately showed a pained expression.
Sure enough, as soon as the bracelet was on, Lu Qingjia felt nothing. If he tried to sense it forcefully, he even felt like he was being attacked.
He sighed, “Forcing a change of ownership on an already bound Item is something only a small number of Advanced Players can do.”
“At first, I was so concerned that I thought it might be some perverse hobby, collecting personal items of victims as mementos or trophies. Or perhaps the resentment on it had been specially processed to serve as a powerful cursed attack Item.”
“But I dismissed that idea the next moment. Your god-tier bloodline, being impervious to all filth, means that even if you could use cursed Items, it would be half as effective.”
“When you were about to use the bracelet’s power to counterattack earlier, only the ring was glowing, while the other items showed no special reaction. And since the bracelet was your lifeline in a critical moment, it clearly holds immense power.”
“So why not take a bolder guess? Could each item represent an Ability stolen from someone else?”
The God Envoy’s face turned pale.
But Lu Qingjia didn’t seek confirmation from him. Instead, he lengthened his hair, cut off a small strand, and manipulated it to weave into a tight braid, forming a ring the size of a finger.
Lu Qingjia took the bracelet apart and threaded the hair ring onto the chain. Instantly, he could feel his Ability being split off, and when he tried to manipulate the hair strands again, there was no response.
Only after he removed the hair ring did his Ability return.
Lu Qingjia couldn’t help but marvel, “What an incredible Item. As long as you obtain a significant personal item, you can steal at least one Ability from a Player, and the Ability doesn’t disappear even if the Player dies.”
“The only flaw is probably that the stolen Ability can’t level up with the bracelet’s owner, so it eventually ended up in your hands.”
The God Envoy, seeing Lu Qingjia’s expression—calm and unreadable, but even more terrifying than when he was being tortured—didn’t dare to speak.
But Lu Qingjia continued, “An Item that can carry over a dozen Intermediate Abilities at once, and from the looks of it, can continue to harvest others’ Abilities, is an exceptionally rare special Item in the Intermediate Level Game. There are probably very few Items in the three major Games’ Intermediate Levels that can match its value.”
“Even in the Advanced Zone, even though the Abilities can’t level up, an Item with such a wide variety of freely switchable Abilities would still hold significant value. Even Advanced Players would likely be reluctant to trade or sell it.”
“Such a rare and convenient Item couldn’t possibly have been traded frequently in the market. When you were in the Low-Level Game, you wouldn’t have been able to activate it, so you must have obtained it after entering the Intermediate Level, probably less than half a year ago.”
“Such a useful Item, even serving as one of your trump cards, and yet you’ve already forgotten its origins in such a short time? That’s hard to believe.”
“And you clearly know my strength. Although I’ve managed to control you by chance, in front of your faction in Infinite City, I’m nothing.”
“Judging by your flamboyant and boastful demeanor, you probably don’t keep a low profile normally. So here’s the question: Why would someone you think I can’t possibly shake be afraid to tell me the truth, instead lying and being evasive?”
“What are you worried about? What are you trying to divert?”
The God Envoy’s face was drenched in sweat, feeling completely exposed and shrinking back.
He thought of the recent instructions he’d received and instinctively felt he couldn’t let the other man continue guessing.
He quickly said, “If you’re so confident in your own judgment, then just treat it as the truth.”
Lu Qingjia smiled, “Such clumsy rhetoric can’t shake my own conclusions, especially when it comes from a fool’s mouth.”
“What’s wrong? It seems the situation is more serious than I thought. Your backer must have given you some hints recently.”
Lu Qingjia stood up, walked over to the God Envoy, and grabbed his hair.
He whispered, “I know some top-tier experts can peer into the heavens’ secrets. They must have sensed something.”
Indeed, Lu Qingjia’s current strength might be nothing more than an ant in front of such a person, but the two Administrator-level Players he knew—Zhong Liyu and Ouyang Bai—had both been involved in his investigation into Old Uncle’s death.
With the interference of Players of that level, if the other party truly had the power to even affect the efficiency of Zhong Liyu’s investigations, they couldn’t possibly be unaware.
Moreover, he had long heard that the relationship between the Infinite Game and its Administrator Players was tense, existing in a state of controlled balance.
With internal strife and external threats, the Player in question would naturally have to be more restrained.
Even if they couldn’t calculate the specifics like Zhong Liyu, they could at least sense that the threat came from another Game. Therefore, they would likely leak some attitudes to their confidants.
Seeing the God Envoy’s increasingly pale face, Lu Qingjia showed a sinister smile, “Don’t worry. Although I don’t know what your backer predicted, the prophecy will come true.”
With that, he directly reached out, grabbed the God Envoy’s front tooth, and yanked it out.
“Ah—” The God Envoy was caught off guard by the sudden attack, feeling intense pain from the gap where his tooth had been.
He was filled with humiliation, “My tooth! I’ll fucking kill you.”
“Stop whining,” Lu Qingjia said indifferently. “Your bracelet has someone else’s tooth on it. Why are you acting like you’ve never seen the world?”
If you couldn’t find a cherished personal item as a medium, a part of the human body would work just as well. Teeth, being small, portable, and easy to preserve, were naturally the most suitable. However, obtaining teeth was much more difficult than getting other things.
Lu Qingjia used his hair to drill a hole in the God Envoy’s tooth and threaded it onto the bracelet. The God Envoy’s expression immediately changed drastically.
Lu Qingjia tried using the Sludge to control him, and this time there was no obstruction. It seemed the bracelet could not only steal Abilities but also bloodlines.
What a truly rare and precious Item.
“You motherf—, give my bloodline back—Hey, you’re not planning to kill me, are you?”
If he had still held some hope before, the God Envoy now didn’t dare to take this psychopathic lunatic lightly.
The other man clearly knew who the enemy was, yet he still pressed forward relentlessly. It wasn’t impossible that he might kill him just to vent his anger.
The God Envoy’s voice was panicked, no longer maintaining the dignity of a strong man. He urgently said, “I have a mark on me. If I die, someone will immediately enter the Game to avenge me.”
“You can’t possibly not know that, right? And I’m very valuable. You can take me back to Infinite City and exchange me for whatever you want.”
“Although I don’t know what’s going on, at your current level, you can’t seriously think you can stand against us, can you?”
Lu Qingjia smiled: “How could I? Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”
Before the God Envoy could even breathe a sigh of relief, his entire body was torn into pieces.
Lu Qingjia directly opened a door in his torso and used his hair to bind it, preventing his body from closing back up.
He then stripped the God Envoy of all his Items. Unlike in a Horror Game, Players in the Infinite Game don’t start with a backpack that expands as their strength grows.
Unless they acquire spatial Abilities later on, they initially rely on spatial Items, such as spatial rings, necklaces, and bracelets.
The God Envoy’s spatial ring, despite being marked and impossible for anyone but him to retrieve, seemed to contain quite a few valuable things, judging by his pained expression.
Lu Qingjia gladly accepted them.
As the stripped and Ability-sealed God Envoy was about to be thrown into Lu Qingjia’s Sludge space, a commotion was heard from outside.
The God Envoy smirked, a triumphant look on his face as if he had been waiting for this moment.
The next second, the door to the reception room was violently kicked open, revealing a muscular man with bronze skin.
Upon seeing Lu Qingjia, he swung a punch with such force that even the previous God Envoy paled in comparison.
But Lu Qingjia reacted faster, pulling the God Envoy over and using his face to block the blow.
Amidst the distorted screams, Lu Qingjia whispered in his ear: “The president called these people for you, didn’t he?”
“If you could speak about Players in front of him, why wouldn’t I be on guard? Otherwise, why didn’t I ask him to leave from the very beginning?”
