And Then the Skeleton Laughed Out Loud [Infinite] - Chapter 2

◎ Through the peephole, she saw that eerie masked face. ◎

Even though they were reluctant, no one dared to refuse the woman’s request.

Everyone present understood that the woman’s identity was different from theirs. Her existence was likely similar to an NPC in a game—providing information, advancing the plot, and issuing tasks. Perhaps ignoring her suggestions would be harmless, and nothing bad would happen, but for now, no one dared to risk it, fearing they might accidentally lose their lives with one wrong move.

After a few seconds of stalemate, Liu Ge took the first step, walking straight to the table and sitting down.

Nothing happened.

Seeing this, the crowd relaxed slightly and chose their seats. Qi Qiuxue chose a spot exactly in the middle of the long table, with Liu Ge to her left and a petite blonde woman to her right.

The blonde woman was one of the four “experienced” players mentioned earlier. She glanced at Qi Qiuxue with a cold side-eye as she sat down, showing no intention of interacting. Liu Ge, however, leaned over warmly and took the initiative to greet her.

“Hi, let’s get to know each other? My name is Liu Ge. What’s yours?” Her tone was brisk, a smile on her lips, showing no sign of fear whatsoever.

This further confirmed to Qi Qiuxue that unless this woman was born with a heart of stone, she must be a veteran.

Qi Qiuxue didn’t believe such a person would be foolish enough to reveal her real name to a stranger. She shook hands with her, also using a pseudonym: “Zhang Xue.”

“Zhang Xue.” Liu Ge blinked, then laughed a moment later, revealing a cute snaggletooth. “Then how about I call you Ah Xue?”

It’s not like we’re that close yet.

Qi Qiuxue was slightly speechless but didn’t want to waste breath on the matter. “Whatever.”

As they spoke, the masked man behind them had already set out their knives, forks, and chopsticks.

The innkeeper, sitting at the head of the table, spoke again: “Please, help yourselves. You’ve all had a long day of travel. Eating early means you can go upstairs to rest sooner.”

“I hope tonight’s meal suits your tastes.” She curled her red lips into a slow chuckle. As if sensing the players were afraid to move their utensils, she proactively picked up a knife and fork, cut a piece of meat, and put it in her mouth to chew.

The meat had been prepared with unknown methods; although the color was fresh and the aroma fragrant, it was clearly undercooked. It might have been medium-rare, or perhaps not even rare—the cut surface was even oozing blood.

The woman seemed entirely unbothered, elegantly placing the meat in her mouth and chewing briefly. Then, she gradually frowned and muttered something under her breath.

Based on her lip movements, Qi Qiuxue read her words: As expected, it still can’t compare to the fresh stuff.

Fresh stuff? What does that mean?

According to the plot setting, the sixteen players had come here as an exploration team. This place was extremely remote; after transferring through high-speed rails, subways, buses, and boats, the group had spent a massive amount of time to finally arrive. They hadn’t eaten much all day and were already famished.

Influenced by the plot, Qi Qiuxue felt her stomach churning with hunger, and she believed the others were the same.

The innkeeper said no more, enjoying her meal. The sound of people swallowing saliva gradually rose from the crowd. Finally, someone couldn’t hold back anymore.

A middle-aged man spoke up boldly: “Excuse me, what kind of meat is this?”

“It’s beef,” the woman replied, putting down her utensils and answering generously. “This kind of beef is only found locally. We use a very special breeding method, and the cooking style is unique. When made into a dish, it tastes exceptionally delicious.”

Her tone was steady and slow, sounding highly enticing: “Since you’re curious, why not try it for yourself?”

The man was clearly swayed. Hunger surged up in that moment. He lowered his eyes and picked up his fork, encouraging himself: It’s just a taste. One small bite shouldn’t hurt. It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll just eat one small bite.

Under the watchful eyes of the other players, he cautiously cut a small piece and chewed it. The steak was tender and aromatic. Though it was “beef,” it surprisingly didn’t taste much like ordinary beef; instead, it had a strange texture and a unique flavor. He had never tasted meat this delicious!

“Is it good?” the innkeeper asked him.

“It’s good, really good!” Hunger and appetite took over. The man instantly threw his previous worries to the wind, cutting another piece without hesitation and stuffing it into his mouth to savor.

His behavior gradually influenced the other players. One by one, people picked up their utensils to cut, chew, and whisper in amazement.

“Delicious!”

“How can it be this good?”

“I’ve never eaten meat this tasty…”

Liu Ge didn’t move. She glanced sideways at Qi Qiuxue and saw that she, too, had not acted rashly.

“Ah Xue, why aren’t you trying it?” she asked.

Qi Qiuxue clearly felt there was something wrong with the meat. No matter how hungry she was, she wouldn’t try it. She looked toward the other vegetable dishes. “I’m a vegetarian tonight.”

Tonight?

Liu Ge nodded and followed her lead by pushing the meat aside. “Then I’m a vegetarian tonight, too.”

Qi Qiuxue: “…”

She said nothing more and tentatively picked up a piece of bok choy. It tasted no different from what she usually ate, and the food itself seemed fine. This allowed her to relax slightly.

The rain outside seemed to have worsened, and the cold night wind seeped through the window cracks, feeling bone-chilling.

Halfway through dinner, everyone’s food portions were fixed. The meat on the plates had looked like a lot, but once they started eating, it disappeared quickly.

Influenced by the innkeeper and the middle-aged man, nearly half the people had tasted the beef. At first, they were afraid there was something wrong with it, but they truly couldn’t resist the temptation of the aroma. After realizing they felt no discomfort after tasting it, they gradually let their guard down.

After dinner, it was time to rest. The hour hand on the wall clock moved toward nine. The innkeeper looked up at the clock and gently wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“It’s getting late. You’ve traveled hard all day. If there’s nothing else, please return to your rooms and rest well.”

“It’s rare for guests to visit the island. The islanders are very welcoming. At six tomorrow morning, someone will come specifically to act as your guide and show you the island’s scenery. Please don’t be late.”

She emphasized the words “don’t be late” very heavily.

Qi Qiuxue understood that this was likely a “taboo” or a rule that every player needed to note and follow.

“Oh, and one more thing.” The innkeeper smiled, her beautiful eyes slowly sweeping over everyone present. “You’ve come at a good time. It happens to be the island’s annual sacrifice festival. The festival lasts for five days and is held every night at 1:00 AM. Participants must wear masks day and night and must not take them off except in special circumstances to show their sincerity—just like the ones you saw tonight.”

“As our local tradition, the sacrifice festival has always been kept secret from outsiders. Therefore, I hope you won’t go out unless necessary and stay in your rooms.”

“Well then, goodnight.” With that, the innkeeper stood up and left, her blood-red skirt swaying in a graceful arc.

The clock on the wall chimed just as she completely disappeared behind that hidden door.

—It was 9:00 PM.

“…”

The inn had two floors with rooms distributed evenly. Half the players were assigned to the first floor, and the other half to the second. Qi Qiuxue followed the crowd upstairs and found that Liu Ge’s room was also on the second floor.

Qi Qiuxue was in Room 203, while Liu Ge was in 205. Between them was the room of the middle-aged man who had been the first to eat the beef.

“Girls, let’s introduce ourselves.” Before returning to his room, the man took the initiative to talk to them. “My name is Liu Dawei. I was a truck driver before I came here. I just got back from a long haul this morning and was waiting in my truck to change shifts. Who knew that after a little nap, I’d suddenly wake up here.”

“Is this really not some prank show?” This was Liu Dawei’s first encounter with something supernatural. He still didn’t quite believe he was caught in a horror game and hoped it was just a prank. “Who is it? Who went through all this trouble to bring us all here!”

“I don’t know,” Qi Qiuxue said honestly.

Liu Ge also shrugged, indicating she didn’t know either.

The man sighed and grumbled a few more sentences before remembering to ask for their names before entering his room.

“Liu Ge.”

“Zhang Xue,” Qi Qiuxue said, still using her fake name.

The rain outside continued to pitter-patter without stop. Qi Qiuxue returned to her room, opened the bathroom door, and found some toiletries had appeared at some point. She picked them up one by one and checked them carefully. Only after ensuring there were no issues did she dare to use them.

After washing up, she prepared to go to bed early. Before figuring out the rules of the game, saving her strength and nurturing her spirit was the best choice.

But before she could get into bed, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Who is it?

Qi Qiuxue froze. She didn’t speak immediately but walked slowly to the door and looked out through the peephole.

“Good evening.” At the same time, a distorted voice rang out. It was an unpleasant sound, raspy and sharp, as if the air in the throat had been sucked dry and forced out.

The person was also pressed against the peephole, looking in. Qi Qiuxue first saw a pair of eyes so dark they had almost no whites. The eyes didn’t move; they stared unblinkingly at Qi Qiuxue’s movements inside the room. Realizing she had come to the door, the owner of the eyes began to back away slowly, gradually revealing their entire face.

A bright red mask with two intersecting black patterns—it was one of the masked people who had suddenly appeared earlier that evening.

Qi Qiuxue’s heart raced, and her throat felt a bit dry.

She remained silent for a long time and did not open the door. Standing there, she confirmed he didn’t seem to intend to break in before finally speaking. She asked in a low voice, “Is something the matter?”

The masked person raised both hands high, holding them up to the peephole so Qi Qiuxue could see what was in them.

“I’ve come to bring the guest some fruit.”

He spoke again in that raspy, sharp voice.