Infinite: Dawn Game

On the Eve of Chapter 901

The five people exchanged glances with their backs to Thumbelina.

It seems the old field mouse has already started making preparations for the mole's arrival.

On her way back to her room after leaving the storage room, Yu Shijiu felt that the feeling of being secretly watched had almost reached its peak.

The candlelight in the underground passage seemed much dimmer than usual, and the shadows cast by their movements twisted and stretched on the walls, giving the illusion that they might materialize and leap out at any moment.

The contaminated Yu Shijiu could even "hear" some "claws" moving slowly in the soil just inches below their feet, following their every step forward.

"..."

Yu Shijiu was so annoyed by what he heard that he couldn't help but rub his fingertips together.

He felt a bit itchy to touch the axe, thinking that maybe touching it would make him feel better—but in the end, Yu Shijiu didn't take the axe out.

Thumbelina is still here, so let's not upset her.

When the group returned to the door of the room that the old field mouse had assigned them, Thumbelina, who had led the way, said she had to go prepare dinner and left alone.

As soon as Thumbelina's figure disappeared around the corner, He Lingling immediately whispered, "Come in together."

The group immediately understood her meaning, quickly entered the same room, and swiftly closed the door—although they knew the wooden door might be useless against those who could see into the room, it was at least a psychological comfort.

Maybe it can stop some of the commotion?

"It can't be delayed any longer."

He Lingling spoke immediately after the door was closed.

She lowered her voice, her tone resolute, "We must talk to Thumbelina as soon as possible. The contamination on Shi Jiu's arm is getting worse, Old Field Mouse's 'blind date speed' is also accelerating, and Fang Youhua is plotting something... while we know almost nothing about the Mole right now."

He Lingling spoke faster and faster, and at the end she even gasped for breath, clearly choked.

"Lingling, don't worry," Chen Yi comforted her, then said, "How about we act tonight? Just like you said before, Lingling, try to make contact with... 'them'?"

"Collective action."

Anjie added, looking at Yu Shijiu with a stern yet helpless gaze, "No one can act alone this time, especially you, Shijiu. Your condition is too unstable, we need to look after each other."

Upon hearing this, Yu Shijiu touched his nose. He wanted to say no, but the itchy feeling from the dense hair on his left arm made him swallow his words.

Yu Shijiu understood Anjie's worries. He nodded and said weakly:

"Okay, let's act as a group."

He unusually didn't argue that he could manage on his own, but instead added, "But I think we might be able to... make a little use of my 'condition'."

"Those things reacted to me, maybe I can be used as 'bait'?"

This suggestion made Anjie and the others frown.

Using pollution? That's tantamount to risking your life to provoke those monsters that haven't yet fully emerged.

Anjie, Chen Yi, and Xu Han were about to shake their heads when they suddenly remembered something and turned to look at He Lingling.

He Lingling, who was being stared at: "..."

"...It's too dangerous."

He Lingling shook her head, "We don't know what the ultimate consequences of worsening pollution will be, what if you..."

He Lingling didn't quite want to say what came next, which was rather obvious.

Call her superstitious or old-fashioned—anyway, she felt it was best to avoid such unpleasant speculations.

"What if I get completely assimilated and become a brainless field mouse paw in a burrow?"

Yu Shijiu smiled slightly, seemingly unconcerned, as if he wanted to make a joke, but there was little joy in his eyes.

“Sister Lingling, I know you care about me and are worried that I will be completely assimilated by the pollution, but we can’t keep waiting like this.”

He paused for a moment and then said, "At least before I am truly 'assimilated,' I can still clearly sense where they are, and maybe I can even slightly influence their vague tendencies? Sister An, Brother Chen, Sister Lingling, Brother Han, this is the only informational advantage we might have at the moment, Fang Youhua and the others definitely don't have this."

"..."

Several people were silent.

They knew that what Yu Shijiu said was true and they couldn't refute it.

After all, the difference between "being alive" and "the all-seeing eye" is not that great now.

He Lingling lowered her eyes silently, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Reason told her that Yu Shijiu was right, but emotionally she couldn't accept letting her teammates take such a risk.

...But the path to victory does indeed require teammates to explore.

"Let's not talk about this yet."

Anjie suddenly interrupted their argument, looking at He Lingling and saying in a deep voice:

"Lingling, do you think Thumbelina might... be willing to talk to us tonight? Just the two of us."

Upon hearing this, He Lingling recalled Thumbelina's subtle reaction when she saw the old straw bracelet, and her expression when she hummed the same song that originated from the late-night female voice.

"It's possible, but it needs a catalyst."

He Lingling analyzed rationally, "She is afraid of the old field mouse and the mole who is about to be married. The only thing we have right now is that this Thumbelina on the surface doesn't seem to have any ill intentions towards us... at least she hasn't shown any direct malice."

"There might even be some deeply hidden expectations, perhaps even she herself is unaware of them? In my opinion, we can try to make her believe that we have the ability to help her fight against what she fears, even if it's just a small possibility."

He Lingling quickly finished speaking and waited for the four people's reaction.

"Should we let her see the stain on Shi Jiu's arm?"

Chen Yi suddenly said, "The hair on Shi Jiu's arms and the pollution from her 'claws' are from the same source, and Thumbelina is related to 'them'... Maybe after seeing Shi Jiu's condition, she can connect it to our ability to fight the old field mouse... Could this break down her psychological defenses a little?"

Chen Yi's idea was somewhat cruel, but it was indeed somewhat tempting.

Yu Shijiu shrugged indifferently (the movement moved his left arm, causing another irritating itch).

"I have no objection at all. In the end, it will be impossible to hide it anyway, and the hair grows pretty fast."

As he spoke, he slightly loosened the strip of cloth binding his wrist, revealing the area above his wrist. There, the black and yellow hair had grown quite thick, and the skin beneath the hair, which should have been fair, had become much darker and rougher.

Xu Han gasped, looking away uncomfortably.

"Oh my god, Shi Jiu, this... this looks way too serious..."

Xu Han muttered worriedly.

"There's nothing we can do about it," Yu Shijiu said, not caring much about it at all. "As long as we win soon, we don't need to worry about anything else."

"..."