Infinite Terror: Infinite Reversal

Chapter 130 Overcharging Customers
Mu Xiang wasn't sure if this worldview had any so-called SAN value rules in effect, but if explained using the infinite multiverse approach, SAN value was indeed related to spirit and will.

Before coming to the Main God Space, Mu Xiang searched for some items at the Main God's location. However, even there, there were no items that could quantify and measure SAN values. Therefore, Mu Xiang could only deal with it qualitatively, having Zhan Lan use purifying psionic energy to interfere with the mind of the corrupted.

Upon hearing this, Zhan Lan nodded, then connected with Liu Xi and transferred some purifying phantom energy to her.

Why isn't Zhang Heng reacting either? Could it be that he's now immune to this kind of erosion? That doesn't make sense.

Mu Xiang reached out and handed a metal box out the car window, and then twenty-four drones took off. These were Chu Xuan's Bee-Eye mapping drones; perhaps they would be of some use.

Hobbs Town isn't very big, much smaller than the city in Ju-on. But Mu Xiang advised Zhan Lan not to use her mental scanning ability…

While purifying psionic energy has a purifying effect on the mind, those who control mental power are inherently more susceptible to the inexplicable infections. In the Primordial Era, those who control mental power were known as "moving low-dimensional erosion anchors." Zhan Lan hasn't awakened her inner light yet, so Mu Xiang won't let her take too much risk.

Therefore, Zhan Lan focused all her mental energy on caring for her team members.

The drone quickly drew a map of Hobbes Town for Mu Xiang, and then returned to base. Mu Xiang looked at the main unit screen, then headed towards the hotel.

He used to follow the road signs, but now it seems the road signs are pointing in a roundabout way.

The destination is the only hotel in Hobbs town, the Pickman Hotel. Clearly, *The Black Hole* is paying homage to *Pickman's Model* here, but Mu Xiang isn't sure if there are any other Easter eggs, like props or something similar.

Upon entering the town of Hobbes, the men who had chatted the entire way before falling asleep were still listless. Perhaps they too sensed that something was amiss in the town.

Qi Tengyi was naturally quite reserved. Although he wasn't quite as reserved as Lingdian, he was even less likely to engage in casual conversation in this kind of atmosphere.

Therefore, in a rather somber atmosphere, the bus stopped outside a courtyard.

Mu Xiang opened the car door, shrugged, and said, "The gate is too small to drive in... let's just park the car outside."

After getting off the bus, everyone walked into the courtyard in a group, like ordinary travelers. After walking along a winding dirt road and turning over a hill, a hotel with a somewhat Gothic style came into view.

"This place is now deserted..."

“Once upon a time, the bizarre took root and grew here.”

"One night, people saw something strange crawling up here..."

"A huge body with snake-like tentacles."

Mu Xiang stood in front of the door and read the description from the novel, but he read it without any emotion, as if he were just going through the motions of an actor reciting lines.

"You remember the lines from the movie so clearly?" Liu Xi asked the boy in front of her.

“Strictly speaking, it’s not from the movie, but from the novel.” Mu Xiang smiled and then pushed open the hotel door.

As people entered one after another, Zhan Lan touched her forehead and said, "Well, we're already quite used to this feeling... If the two people from the movie walked in, they'd probably be really surprised."

“Yes, things from novels have come to life…” Mu Xiang nodded, then reached out to stop Liu Xi from stepping on the floor. “You’d better not try it yourself…”

As he spoke, he blew a breath, which instantly turned into a torrent, blowing a loose floorboard down the ground.

Liu Xi turned to look at him, then smiled slightly: "So concerned about the newcomer?"

Mu Xiang pushed up his glasses: "I just don't want any unnecessary casualties."

"Or perhaps you don't want any burdens? You're letting them fend for themselves at the hotel by making a voluntary choice." Liu Xi stared at Mu Xiang. "But don't worry, since I've chosen to come with you, I won't hold you back."

Mu Xiang forced a smile, but it was devoid of any real mirth: "You can rest assured, now that you've made your choices, I won't abandon you. However, the prerequisite is that you don't harm the team... Also, I should remind you that with our hearing, we can clearly hear this kind of conversation."

He glanced at Zheng Zha as he spoke, "He won't be happy about it then." But Zheng Zha seemed not to have heard the conversation, and was just staring blankly at the glass door behind the counter. The next moment, the glass door was pushed open by an old lady. Those who had seen the movie would recognize her; she was Mrs. Pickman, who ran the hotel.

Mrs. Pickman also turned into a monster in later episodes... but Mu Xiang had already decided to prevent that from happening.

Mu Xiang smiled and asked Mrs. Pickman, "How many rooms are left? We'll take them all."

After Mrs. Pickman assigned the rooms and brought the keys, Mu Xiang knocked on the counter: "How do I pay? By credit card?"

“Heh heh, city folks…” Mrs. Pickman chuckled, just like in the movies.

Mu Xiang said casually, "We're looking for a man named Sutter Kane... He lives nearby. We're huge fans, we even brought his books."

"Sartre what?" Mrs. Pickman asked in surprise, her expression seemingly genuine.

But before she could finish her lines, her head exploded and she collapsed to the ground.

Mu Xiang had no interest in playing any games with her, like Ma Dongmei. After confirming that Mrs. Pickman also denied the existence of Sutter Kane, he simply used his heat vision to send her to the afterlife.

Liu Xi frowned slightly upon seeing this, but said nothing. Having seen the movie, she naturally knew that something was wrong with Mrs. Pickman; perhaps she was already a monster by now.

Zhan Lan and Qi Tengyi were both taken aback. They hadn't seen much bloodshed before, and although they knew something was wrong, they were still terrified by what they saw.

As for Zhang Jie, Lingdian, Bawang, Zhao Yingkong, and well, including Zhang Heng, they are all worldly people. Their expressions didn't change, so they probably weren't surprised.

Long Taobing was startled by this scene, but he held back from screaming.

Zheng Zha's reaction was quite calm. He watched this scene without saying anything, but silently watched Mu Xiang take the key.

"See this painting over there?" Mu Xiang gestured with his chin toward a painting on the other side of the counter. "If you see any changes in this painting, let me know. This might be useful as a self-assessment scale for mental state."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xi looked at the painting behind her. She didn't see any changes in the man and woman in the painting... It seemed that Zhan Lan had already resolved some of the corruption she had suffered.

Zhan Lan touched her forehead and laughed, "I'll have to handle it from now on, right? I didn't know I was actually the team doctor."

“That’s true, but you’re not immune to all poisons…” Mu Xiang led the group upstairs.

When Zheng Zha woke up, he had already fallen onto the highway at night.

He felt no pain, but when Zheng Zha woke up, he was lying on the ground in a very strange position, as if he had been thrown out by a moving car.

"Damn, what's going on?" A sense of foreboding rose in Zheng Zha's heart, and then he heard a wolf howl behind him, full of vigilance.

Zheng Zha immediately flipped himself up: "Overlord?"

He was about to rush back when a familiar voice came from the opposite direction: "Zheng Zha, wait for me!"

The loud voice belonged to Zhang Jie. Zheng Zha immediately spread his wings, grabbed Zhang Jie in one swift motion, and charged towards the direction of the Overlord.

"Damn it, what's going on? We're not..." Zhang Jie was about to say "at the hotel" when he suddenly choked up, as if he sensed something was wrong.

Zheng Zha hesitated for a moment: "Is it at the hotel? Where did you put it for us?"

When he searched his memory, he could only recall that the veterans took Zhang Heng and decided to go to Hobbs Town... but why were they abandoned on the street?
As Zheng Zha flew towards Ba Wang, he said with a strange expression, "Zhang Jie... do you think we were ripped off by the bus driver? Did he drop us off halfway through the journey while we were asleep?"

Okay, now we're officially getting to the difficult part (laughs)
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(End of this chapter)