Infinite Metaverse

Chapter 27: The Swiss Army Knife

A classic red Swiss Army knife. Fu Qinghai was certain he hadn't mistaken it—the Victorinox cross logo was unmistakable. His expression turned complicated as he gently picked up the knife from the drawer. The small, foldable tool looked like a toothpick in his massive palm.

"Damn, you almost fooled me…" Fu Qinghai muttered, twirling the Swiss Army knife in his hand.

The natives of Moradigan had features reminiscent of Middle Eastern people from his past life—Arabs, Kurds, Iranians. The "princess" he had captured earlier fit that description as well, just a particularly beautiful Middle Eastern woman. So, Fu Qinghai hadn't thought much of it.

But now, it was clear. This "princess" was no princess.

She was a Reincarnator.

Women really are born actors. Her earlier performance of grief and anger had almost made Fu Qinghai sympathize with her. But now, it was clear she wasn't seeking revenge—she was trying to kill an Astartes to earn Assimilation Points.

Fu Qinghai clicked his tongue. After being in the Warhammer 40K universe for so long, he had almost forgotten he was a Reincarnator himself. The sheer scale of the Warhammer 40K setting was so vast that even thousands of Reincarnators thrown into it would barely make a ripple.

But then, Fu Qinghai's expression tightened.

If that woman had tried to kill Taral, she was likely a Reincarnator from an opposing faction. Reincarnators could bring items or abilities from other worlds using Assimilation Points, and their methods were unpredictable. Who knew what other tricks she had up her sleeve? If she managed to harm his comrades…

Fu Qinghai quickly made his way back to the palace's main hall.

Upon entering the hall, he saw the woman, the old man, and a few officials being guarded by the Astartes. Taral was busy giving orders to his warriors about contacting the frigate in orbit.

Fu Qinghai gave the woman a deep, scrutinizing look before approaching Taral.

Seeing Fu Qinghai, Taral casually instructed, "The auxiliary forces will land in the square in twenty minutes. Go assist them in opening the Expeditionary Fleet's supply depot. The locals will help with the transport. Get it done quickly—we don't want to waste too much time on this planet."

With that, Taral walked over to the woman and the old man, saying, "You see? As long as you cooperate, we won't resort to unnecessary bloodshed."

The woman, still immersed in her act, didn't notice Fu Qinghai's hidden gaze. She looked up at Taral with a mix of fragility, resilience, and resentment in her eyes.

Still acting even after everything's settled? She's really committed to the role… Fu Qinghai thought, exasperated. Seeing that the Reincarnator didn't seem to have any more tricks up her sleeve, Fu Qinghai left to carry out his orders.

After securing key points in the city, more landing craft touched down on Moradigan's surface. Servitors and auxiliary troops began transporting supplies back and forth between the planet and the frigate.

Not having a spaceport was such a hassle.

Once he finished overseeing the supplies from the depot he was responsible for, Fu Qinghai returned to the palace. He found Taral on the top floor and approached him, speaking in a low voice.

"Taral, there's something off about that woman. I need to interrogate her."

Taral gave Fu Qinghai a puzzled look. "She's just a native, Qingshan. Ignorant natives doing strange things to Astartes isn't unusual. I've even been worshipped as a god before."

Taral was quite magnanimous, not holding the woman's attempted assassination against her. But he misunderstood Fu Qinghai's intentions, thinking he wanted to punish her for daring to attack Imperial forces.

"No, it's not that. I've found something else. I promise I won't harm her, and it won't affect our progress on Moradigan," Fu Qinghai explained.

Taral nodded. "Do as you see fit."

Fu Qinghai led the woman, who had been under the Astartes' watch, to an empty reception room.

He gestured to the sofa. "Have a seat."

The woman sat down, confused.

Fu Qinghai sat across from her and removed his helmet, placing it beside him.

The sight of Fu Qinghai's youthful, handsome face surprised the woman, and Fu Qinghai caught her reaction.

While Astartes didn't age physically, their faces did. Most veteran Space Marines had rugged, mature features due to centuries of service and the hormones coursing through their bodies. It was rare to see one as young-looking as Fu Qinghai.

She might have seen other Astartes besides Taral—likely the Night Lords. Or perhaps she knew about Warhammer 40K before entering the Reincarnation World, though that was less likely… Fu Qinghai silently assessed.

"Ahem…" Fu Qinghai cleared his throat and asked, "What's your name?"

"Afaf. Afaf Fioris," the woman replied calmly.

Then Fu Qinghai's next question threw her off balance.

"How long have you been in the Warhammer 40K universe?"

As he asked this softly, Fu Qinghai kept his eyes locked on Afaf's. What he saw wasn't confusion but shock and panic. She was definitely a Reincarnator.

"I… I don't understand what you mean…" she stammered.

"It's no big deal. You've been found out, so just answer a few questions, and I'll make sure you live," Fu Qinghai said.

Afaf swallowed hard and forced herself to stay calm. "And if I refuse?"

Fu Qinghai drew the power dagger, activated its power field, and placed it on the coffee table with a 'clack'.

"I know you might have more than one life, but trust me, this will hurt."

Afaf stared at the softly humming dagger, its blue glow and tiny arcs of electricity making her flinch. She tried to stand her ground. "You won't touch me. You still need our cooperation to transport supplies. If I die…"

"The supply transport is almost done," Fu Qinghai cut her off mercilessly.

He looked at her calmly.

Afaf, wrapped in layers of thin, hemp robes that hinted at her long, tanned legs, found it hard to focus on the interrogation.

"How… how did you know I'm a Reincarnator?" Afaf finally broke, indirectly admitting it.

"Never mind that. I ask, you answer. If you're slow, I'll cut your face. If I think you're lying, I'll cut your face. Understood?"

Afaf bit her lip, glaring at Fu Qinghai, but eventually nodded.

"When did you enter this world?"

"Two years ago."

Fu Qinghai roughly calculated—it was around the same time he had arrived, give or take.

"You've been on this planet the whole time?"

"Yes."

Fu Qinghai wasn't trained in interrogation, so he just asked whatever came to mind.

"Did the Reincarnation World give you the identity of a princess when you arrived?"

"No, I wasn't a princess. I was just an ordinary girl from the slums."

"Oh?" Fu Qinghai's interest was piqued.

Afaf explained calmly, "Falatán, the prime minister, is the last surviving member of the Fioris royal family. When I arrived, the Imperium had already ruled this planet for some time. The Imperial officials were cracking down hard on remnants of the old regime. The Fioris family was reduced to just Falatán, but he's too old. A frail old man can't inspire hope in people. So, he found me in the slums. He thought I looked like the late princess, and I saw it as an opportunity…"

"So, he had me play the role of the princess, while he, the true royal, acted as the prime minister."

She gave a self-deprecating smile. "I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"

As Fu Qinghai was about to ask more, Afaf suddenly opened up, as if a floodgate had been released.

"I know what you're after. You want more information, but you might be disappointed."

Seeing Fu Qinghai's slightly puzzled look, Afaf explained, "Before coming here, I was just an ordinary person. I wasn't a movie buff or an anime fan. If the Reincarnation World hadn't told me, I wouldn't even know this world was called Warhammer 40K. You're much stronger than most Reincarnators I've met, and I'm still just an ordinary person… So, the information I have might not mean much to you."

Her expression was bitter.

"But…" Fu Qinghai tossed the Swiss Army knife in his hand. "You've been through at least a Reincarnation Worlds, haven't you?"

Seeing the knife, Afaf finally understood how she had been exposed.

"What was your previous Reincarnation World?" Fu Qinghai asked.

"Zombieland, the first one," Afaf replied honestly.

Fu Qinghai thought for a moment. "The zombie movie starring Woody Harrelson? The one with the four main characters?"

"Yes, but I was just surviving in Missouri, USA, in the movie. I never met the main characters."

"And then?"

"I killed a few zombies and earned some Assimilation Points, but I got infected in the end. Before I completely turned into a zombie, I heard the Reincarnation World's prompt, asking me to choose an item or ability to assimilate. But I didn't have enough points to assimilate a rifle or a pistol… So, I took a Swiss Army knife from a convenience store," Afaf said, her head lowered.

With limited Assimilation Points, a multi-functional knife could indeed increase survival chances, especially in movies about wilderness survival or being stranded on an island.

Fu Qinghai nodded, acknowledging her choice.

Zombieland was a low-budget zombie comedy. It might have done well at the box office, given that it spawned several sequels, but it didn't have a grand world-building or complex setting. Woody Harrelson, one of the leads, was a distinctive actor Fu Qinghai quite liked, so he remembered the movie.

"Tell me about the Reincarnation World. What are the other Reincarnators like?"

"All kinds of people—timid, cowardly, recklessly brave, hysterical. They scheme, betray each other… what else is there to say?" Afaf's lips curled into a disdainful smile.

Zombie movies always have that vibe… Fu Qinghai thought, but that wasn't what he was interested in. He asked, "Did they enter Zombieland the same way you did?"

Afaf understood what he was getting at. She straightened up and said seriously, "No, not the same. From what I know, only those who died in their previous Reincarnation World are given a new identity in the next one. Those who survive and complete their previous world are directly transported to the next world with their original identity and race."

'Transported…' Fu Qinghai pondered the word.

"What's the condition for completing a world?" Fu Qinghai pressed.

"I've never survived to the end, but other Reincarnators told me that survival is the only condition."

"Just surviving? That simple?" Fu Qinghai was surprised.

"Yes. Even if you fail the mission given by the Reincarnation World—meaning your chosen faction loses—as long as you're alive, you can continue living in that world. But failing deducts a lot of Assimilation Points, and once the world's storyline ends, the Reincarnation World immediately sends you to the next one. You have no idea what you'll face next—it could be a zombie apocalypse, a natural disaster… And without enough Assimilation Points from the previous world, just surviving becomes harder and harder."

Fu Qinghai understood. It was a vicious cycle. If you failed in the previous world, you'd start the next one from scratch, while opposing Reincarnators brought weapons or abilities from their previous worlds. The difficulty would only increase.

Having grasped the general rules of the Reincarnation World, Fu Qinghai continued, "By the way, do Reincarnators have any code words or secret phrases to identify each other?"

Fu Qinghai asked this because he realized that, unlike NPCs who died permanently, Reincarnators often had multiple lives. There was no need to fight to the death. They could identify each other, exchange code words, and negotiate the distribution of benefits.

"Hmm…" Afaf thought carefully. "I've heard many Reincarnators call themselves 'players.'"

"Players? Do they think the Reincarnation World is a game?"

"No, I think it's more self-deprecating. Not players of a game, but players being played by the game."

Perhaps it was the rare encounter with a fellow Earthling in a strange, alien world that made Afaf open up. She didn't need much prompting to spill everything she knew.

Once Fu Qinghai felt he had gotten all the information he could from Afaf, he sheathed the power dagger on the table and reattached it to his leg armor.

Then he drew his bolter, calmly checked the ammunition, racked the slide, and aimed it at Afaf.

"Alright, the interrogation is over. It's about time to send you on your way."

Afaf's gray-blue eyes widened in panic as she scrambled back on the sofa. "You said you'd let me live!"

"I never said I'd keep my word," Fu Qinghai replied coolly.

Afaf was stunned by Fu Qinghai's shamelessness, momentarily speechless.

"Actually, there's one last question I didn't ask, and you didn't bring it up," Fu Qinghai said, his gaze piercing. "Do Reincarnators from opposing factions earn Assimilation Points for killing each other?"

Under Fu Qinghai's intense stare and the imposing presence of his power armor and bolter, Afaf wanted to shake her head and say "no," but she eventually swallowed hard, tears welling in her eyes, and nodded.

"Exactly. You chose to attack an Astartes, and I am an Astartes. That makes us enemies. To me, you're just a walking pile of Assimilation Points. Why wouldn't I kill you?"

"No, we… we might actually be on the same side. I don't know about Astartes, but when I entered, I chose a faction called the 'Emperor.' I thought anyone in that armor was an enemy. I earned Assimilation Points when I killed those butchers. You said you're not with them, so the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That means we're on the same side, right? And… and just like killing enemies earns points, killing allies deducts points!"

In her panic, Afaf quickly pieced together the logic, despite not knowing much about Warhammer 40K.

So, Afaf had already killed members of the Night Lords, likely using the same assassination methods she tried on Taral. It was unclear whether she had killed mortal auxiliaries or Astartes, but this was probably the real reason the Night Lords had gone on a killing spree in the city.

"Hmm… very logical," Fu Qinghai nodded but remained noncommittal. In the next second, he pointed the bolter at Afaf's head and said, "But there's no proof! And all I need to do is pull the trigger to find out, right?"

"But… but…" Afaf stared at the dark muzzle, her voice trembling. "I don't want to die…"

Seeing the woman's tear-streaked face, her black eyeliner smudged, her long lashes wet and clumped together, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness, Fu Qinghai smiled.

He holstered the bolter, patted Afaf on the shoulder, and said, "Alright, let's leave it at that."

He picked up his helmet, put it on, and walked away.

'Leave it at that? What does that mean?' Afaf was stunned, still processing her narrow escape.

Afaf stared blankly at the towering figure of the Space Marine walking away, his parting words echoing in her ears.

"Keep playing the princess on this planet. Survive."

*****

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