Chapter 111: Infinite Cannon Fodder (1)

“Lingling, Lingling, please don’t break up with me,” pleaded a man’s desperate voice by her ear. “Tell me what I’ve done wrong; I’ll definitely change. We’ve only been dating for three days - don’t leave me!”

“Give me another chance, at least wait until this trip is over…”

Tong Ling opened her eyes and saw nothing but the top of a man’s head in front of her. He had his face lowered, one hand tightly gripping her wrist. The pressure on her wrist caused slight pain, making her frown involuntarily as she said, “You’re hurting me.”

Realizing his mistake, the man swiftly released his hold and lifted his head, revealing a face starkly pale. “Please don’t leave me.”

He had delicate features, boasting a fair complexion that many women would envy, along with downcast puppy-dog eyes that looked pitiful and vulnerable.

Upon entering this body, Tong Ling received a burst of memories. It seemed like the God might have held some grudge against her, as her assigned role in this infinite survival world was riddled with complications.

In this small world, her name was Tong Ling—a spoiled and impulsive woman with insatiable curiosity, constantly causing trouble or seeking it out. On a whim, she would make her newly acquired boyfriend quit his job to accompany her on trips, only to throw tantrums midway due to minor inconveniences, demanding a breakup.

Her boyfriend, Bei Bo, could be considered the epitome of a doting partner. He had been pursuing her for several years, but due to her extensive dating history, she never paid him much attention initially. It wasn’t until recently, during a relationship hiatus, that she remembered having a persistent admirer who had been infatuated with her for years. She decided to start dating him, seemingly more as amusement than genuine interest.

However, her fascination waned quickly. Soon, she grew bored with this overly accommodating man. Just moments ago, she formally broke up with him, choosing the remote halfway point up a mountain to do so…

What does “infinite flow” signify? It means this world is filled with unpredictable, dangerous, and eerie phenomena. Here, ghosts might appear, or serial killers could lurk around any corner—there’s no telling what actions the man before her might take. Her behavior essentially equates to courting disaster voluntarily.

A normal person would have calmly tried to soothe their partner and find ways to reach safety, but Tong Ling didn’t do that. Since God had crafted her with this personality, refraining from causing trouble would betray His expectations.

“Bei Bo, aren’t you pathetic?” Tong Ling said, her face filled with disgust. “I’ve already told you we’re breaking up, and I don’t like clingy men!”

Upon hearing these words, Bei Bo’s complexion turned not just pale, but his entire body began trembling.

His skin was unnaturally fair, and his eyes were darker than most people’s. Usually, they appeared gentle when looking at others, giving no hint of anything amiss. However, as those somber black eyes now fixed directly on Tong Ling, they conveyed an eerie chill.

“What kind of look is that?” Tong Ling crossed her arms, speaking arrogantly. “It was you who pursued me, and it was you who declared your love. Can’t you handle a simple breakup?”

Bei Bo lowered his head again, stammering, “N-no.”

“Tsk, this trip is absolutely terrible.” Tong Ling glanced around irritably. “Why did you choose such a desolate place? Where will we stay tonight? Don’t tell me we’re camping on this mountain; I want a soft, comfortable bed!”

In a soft voice, Bei Bo replied, “It was you who said you wanted to go hiking…”

Tong Ling glared at him. “Now that we’ve broken up, do you feel brave enough to talk back?”

For some reason, despite harboring a simmering anger within, Bei Bo suddenly burst out laughing upon hearing this.

“You dare to laugh?” Tong Ling smacked her “ex-boyfriend’s” arm. “I don’t want to walk anymore; carry me.”

Bei Bo hesitated momentarily before mumbling, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want me anymore…?”

“Heh heh, even after breaking up, I can still boss you around—make it for a lifetime!” As Tong Ling spoke, she nudged Bei Bo’s body. When he turned away, she swiftly jumped onto his slightly slender back, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck.

Bei Bo stumbled a step but quickly regained his balance, instinctively gripping the woman’s thighs. Feeling the smoothness of her skin beneath his touch, his heart couldn’t help but race faster. He had pursued Tong Ling for so long and only managed to be her boyfriend for three days, yet prior to this moment, Tong Ling had never been this intimate with him, aside from constantly finding fault.

Although this could still be seen as tormenting him, nonetheless…

“You shouldn’t have been so disobedient!” The woman’s warm breath caressed his ear, her voice soft and coquettish—even when angry, it sounded almost flirtatious. “Now carry me up the mountain on your back; serve you right if you get exhausted!”

The tips of Bei Bo’s ears turned slightly red, and all traces of his previous anger and resentment vanished instantly.

Despite being the one who should feel heartbroken over the breakup, he unexpectedly thought this wasn’t so bad, even finding it sweeter than their time together as a couple…

How utterly pathetic of him!

Tong Ling leaned her head against Bei Bo’s shoulder, subtly pressing her fingers against his neck artery while gently stroking it. Bei Bo’s pulse raced rapidly, and she could feel that his body remained warm—there were no immediate signs of any transformation…

After only a few steps, Bei Bo felt a tingling sensation spreading through half of his body. He shrank his neck and stammered, “L-Lingling, stop… don’t touch anymore.”

“Don’t you like it?” Tong Ling’s lips lightly brushed against his cheek, smiling as she said, “From what I see, you seem to be enjoying it quite a bit.”

Bei Bo’s neck flushed completely red.

“Forget it, it’s not worth my time.” Tong Ling withdrew her hand with a cold snort. “Hurry up, don’t dawdle.”

Bei Bo bit his lower lip, already regretting those extra words. He knew well that Tong Ling’s enthusiasm rarely lasted long; why had he stopped her when she was finally willing to be close to him?

The remainder of their journey was marked by a tense silence, exacerbated when a sudden downpour soaked them halfway through. Tong Ling, drenched from head to toe, grew even more irritable towards Bei Bo.

“Can’t you check the weather before going out? My hair, my dress! Ahh, it’s all ruined!” As she complained, Tong Ling grabbed Bei Bo’s disheveled hair aggressively and snarled, “Just wait, I’ll show you how I’ll deal with you later!”

Mid-rant, she sneezed again and clung tightly to Bei Bo, shivering uncontrollably. “Achoo, freezing, so cold—it’s all your fault! Now I’m going to catch a cold!”

Despite the rain pelting relentlessly on him and his hair being pulled into disorder by Tong Ling, Bei Bo didn’t feel discomfort at all. Instead, he felt like laughing. He could sense the curves of her body pressed closely against him, soft and delicate. Her face nestled against his neck, icy droplets streaming down her wet hair onto his skin. With each sneeze, her body would tremble slightly, causing her slender arms to tighten around him, as if completely relying on his warmth.

Regardless of Tong Ling’s bad temper at that moment, she resembled a rain-soaked kitten, eliciting an irresistible surge of affection from Bei Bo.

If not for genuine concern about Tong Ling getting sick, Bei Bo would have wished this path could stretch even longer.

Blinking amidst the blurred vision caused by the downpour, Bei Bo finally spotted a place to take shelter.

“Okay, okay,” Bei Bo reassured his girlfriend, carefully lowering her from his back. “We’re here.”

As soon as Tong Ling saw the castle-like structure before them, she thought to herself: Here it is—the classic horror scenario opening with a storm, desolate mountains, and an ancient castle!

Being a notorious cannon fodder character, Tong Ling’s natural choice was…

“You go open the door,” Tong Ling instructed Bei Bo. “Regardless of whether anyone’s inside, we’re staying here tonight!”

Bei Bo promptly walked up to the castle entrance and knocked on the door, which swiftly opened.

The one who answered was a young man dressed in a white shirt, wearing black-framed glasses, giving off a refined and scholarly demeanor. Upon seeing them, he greeted them with concern, “Are you also seeking shelter from the rain?”

Tong Ling noticed the young man’s gaze discreetly flickering towards her and Bei Bo’s wrists. She glanced at his wrist as well, spotting a black bracelet hidden subtly beneath his sleeve cuff.

With arms crossed, Tong Ling rolled her eyes at the white-shirted youth, “What more is there to observe given our current situation?”

The young man smiled, unfazed by Tong Ling’s attitude, and stepped aside to let them enter through the door.

As the castle gates closed behind them, Tong Ling received a message simultaneously.

【Ding—】

【Instance scenario loading…】

【This is an abandoned castle. Due to the severe weather, tourists have been seeking shelter from the rain intermittently. Among ten individuals, one secret murderer has stealthily assumed the identity of a visitor.】

【Shh, can you guess who among those around you truly is?】

【Instance Scenario Difficulty: B】

【Main Quest: Survive for 7 days within the instance scenario. Side Quest: Identify the murderer. Each night, players may vote in the main hall to accuse someone as the murderer. If successful, the instance scenario will conclude; if unsuccessful, the murderer’s killings will be unrestricted.】

[Eliminating the murderer will grant additional rewards. Players are encouraged to attempt this for higher evaluation scores.]

[Instance scenario loading complete. Wishing players a fun game, xd]

As soon as this message ended, Tong Ling noticed several individuals in the room displaying uneasy expressions. It seemed they had received similar information like herself, indicating that they must be the so-called “players” in this infinite survival setting.

Tong Ling carefully observed the young man in the white shirt nearby; his demeanor remained unchanged, but he unconsciously scanned the room again.

It was no surprise their expressions shifted. Including Tong Ling, there were eleven people in the castle’s main hall—a discrepancy from the system’s reported count. With such erroneous data, how could the players feel at ease?

m577 popped up with a message: [Bell Sister, the information you received is intelligence I intercepted from the player system.]

“I’m not a player?” Tong Ling asked, surprised.

m577 cleared its throat: [With me here, why would I let any other system bind to you…]

[The players are those wearing bracelets, while the rest are NPCs of the instance scenario.]

Tong Ling understood, “So, I’m an NPC?”

m577 shook its head: [No, you’re not an NPC either. In this instance scenario, you were meant to be cannon fodder who should have met her demise right from the start. According to God’s design, you weren’t supposed to reach this castle. As Bei Bo’s remembered lover, during this trip, you accidentally fell off a cliff. Bereft and distraught, Bei Bo entered the castle and recounted your story when questioned by others.]

Tong Ling was momentarily speechless.

Ah, so indeed she narrowly escaped being killed off immediately upon entering the scenario—just barely made it.

Instantly directing her frustration at her ex-boyfriend Bei Bo, Tong Ling said, “Bei Bo, go check if there’s any place here where we can bathe, and find me some clean clothes.”

Looking awkward, Bei Bo replied, “I don’t know who the owner of this castle is; I’ll go ask…”

“You have five minutes to find a solution!” Tong Ling swept her drenched long hair over her shoulder, “Hurry up!”

Seeing his delicate girlfriend shivering with cold, her face pale and her soaked dress revealing her slender figure unmistakably, Bei Bo hastily took off his jacket and draped it around her. “I’ll look for options right away, just wait…”

Suddenly, m577 exclaimed: [Oh no, God has altered the settings—the original plot of this instance scenario is gone!]

Tong Ling didn’t care about the original plot; knowing it beforehand would make infinite scenarios dreadfully dull.

In response to m577’s cry, the information for this instance scenario updated.

[Ding—]

[Repairing bugs…]

[Bug repair completed.]

[The Abandoned Castle instance scenario has been upgraded.]

[Scenario Difficulty Level: S]

[Within this castle, among eleven tourists lurk unknown monstrous entities. You cannot discern who among them might be such creatures. Beware all suspicious individuals! Note: Do not trust █████‘s words…]

[Main Quest: Survive! Side Quest: Identify and kill █████ (him/her)!]

m577 burst out in curses: [God is shameless, tampering with the scenario just to directly eliminate you!]

Tong Ling chuckled softly. “This shows that It’s getting desperate, trying to use NPCs to kill me. Unfortunately, the NPCs within the instance scenarios aren’t under Its control.”

If God could control everyone within the small worlds, there would be no need to dispatch numerous systems for “plot maintenance” tasks. Compared to controlling NPCs, it is easier for God to manipulate the “players” under His command who have signed contracts with Him. By issuing quests, players obediently follow instructions, making it the most efficient and effortless approach.

[Good thing I promptly censored that, preventing Him from using you as a pawn.] From m577’s fuzzy body, data tentacles extended, exploring this world, [This instance scenario has been perfected now; neither He nor I can make further modifications…]

“It’s alright, go attend to your work. I’ll handle this instance scenario myself,” Tong Ling said.

[I discovered something else…] m577’s fur bristled in anger, [He dug a massive pit for you!]

Tong Ling watched as several individuals approached her in the grand hall, instantly grasping how God was targeting her.

In this isolated castle, where the true nature of surrounding beings remained unknown, she encountered…

“Lingling!”

“Lingling!”

A few distinctive-looking men called out to her, their eyes shimmering with a peculiar icy gleam.

The memories from Tong Ling’s current body revealed that the people before her were all ex-boyfriends she had previously dumped.

Great, with Bei Bo—the ex-boyfriend she just ditched—added to the mix, all the “people” within this instance scenario now naturally harbored hostility towards her.