Swiss Army Knife

A classic red Swiss Army knife; Fu Qinghai was absolutely certain he hadn't misidentified it, complete with the Victorinox cross logo.

Fu Qinghai's expression was complex as he gently lifted the Swiss Army knife from the drawer; the small folding tool looked like a toothpick in his palm.

"Damn it, I almost got played by you..." Fu Qinghai muttered to himself, fiddling with the Swiss Army knife.

The indigenous people of this Moradigan planet possessed physical features similar to Middle Easterners, Arabs, Kurds, or Iranians from his past life, and the "princess" he had just captured looked the same—at most, she was just a rather pretty Middle Eastern beauty—so Fu Qinghai hadn't thought much of it.

Now it seemed, she was no "princess" at all.

She was clearly a Reincarnator!

Women really are natural-born actors; that display of grief and indignation earlier had even made Fu Qinghai feel a bit of sympathy for her... Now it appeared she wasn't seeking revenge at all, but was clearly trying to kill an Astartes to earn Assimilation Points!

Fu Qinghai clicked his tongue twice, thinking: after being in the Warhammer 40K universe for so long, he had finally encountered his first Reincarnator; he had almost forgotten the fact that he was one himself.

If one had to blame something, it was that the setting of the Warhammer 40K universe was simply too vast; even if you threw in tens of thousands of Reincarnators, they probably wouldn't even make a ripple.

Thinking of this, Fu Qinghai's brow tightened.

Since that woman wanted to kill Talal, she was in all likelihood a Reincarnator from a hostile faction. Reincarnators could bring items from other worlds into this one using Assimilation Points, and their methods were treacherous and varied. Heaven knows what other trump cards she might be hiding; what if she actually managed to hurt his comrades...

Fu Qinghai hurried toward the main hall of the palace.

As soon as he entered the main hall, he saw the woman, the old man, and several officials being guarded by armed Astartes, while Talal was busy briefing the warriors around him on matters regarding the frigates in orbit.

Fu Qinghai took a deep look at the woman before walking over to Talal's side.

Seeing Fu Qinghai arrive, Talal casually instructed: "The mortal auxiliary troops will land at the plaza in twenty minutes. Go assist them in opening the expedition fleet's supply depot. The local natives will also come to help with transport. Get it done quickly; don't waste too much time on this planet."

After saying this, he walked over to the woman and the old man and said: "You see, as long as you are willing to cooperate, we will not resort to unnecessary slaughter."

The woman did not notice the gaze Fu Qinghai had hidden behind his helmet and remained immersed in her performance, looking up and staring directly at Talal with an expression of weakness mixed with stubbornness and resentment.

Everything is settled and she's still acting? She's too deep into the role... Fu Qinghai was speechless. Seeing that this Reincarnator seemingly had no more cards to play, he accepted the order and left.

After securing the key points in the city, more landing craft descended onto the soil of Moradigan. Servitors and auxiliary troops moved supplies, traveling back and forth between the frigates and the planet.

Not having a spaceport was such a hassle.

After finishing the supply work he was responsible for, Fu Qinghai returned to the palace. Finding Talal on the top floor, Fu Qinghai leaned in and whispered:

"Talal, there is something wrong with that woman. I want to interrogate her."

Talal looked at Fu Qinghai strangely and said: "She is just a native, Qingshan. It is not strange for ignorant natives to do anything to an Astartes; I have even been worshipped as a god before."

Talal was quite magnanimous and didn't hold the woman's shot against her, but he had also misunderstood Fu Qinghai's intent, thinking Fu Qinghai wanted to deal with someone who dared to assassinate Imperial troops.

"No, that's not the reason. I discovered something else. I promise you I won't hurt her, nor will I affect the progress on Moradigan," Fu Qinghai explained.

Talal nodded and said: "Suit yourself."

Fu Qinghai led the woman, who had been under the guard of the Astartes, into an empty reception room.

Fu Qinghai pointed to the sofa and said: "Please, sit."

The woman sat down, looking somewhat puzzled.

Fu Qinghai sat opposite her and removed his helmet, setting it aside.

The young, handsome face Fu Qinghai revealed surprised the woman, and this expression was captured by Fu Qinghai.

The physical functions of a Space Marine do not age, but their faces can. Due to centuries of service and the secretion of various hormones in amounts far exceeding those of ordinary humans, the image of most veteran Space Marines is that of a middle-aged man with a resolute face and a thick jaw; it was rare to see a face as young as Fu Qinghai's.

Aside from Talal, she might have seen other Space Marines—most likely Night Lords—or perhaps she knew about Warhammer 40K before entering the Reincarnation World, though that was unlikely... Fu Qinghai made a silent judgment.

"Ahem..." Fu Qinghai coughed twice and asked: "What is your name?"

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

Then, Fu Qinghai's next question threw her into a state of disarray.

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

When he asked this question in a low voice, Fu Qinghai kept his eyes fixed on Afaf's, and then he saw exactly what he wanted to see.

Not confusion, but shock and panic.

She was indeed a Reincarnator.

"No... I, I don't understand what you mean..." the woman replied, stuttering.

"Alright, it's not a big deal. If you've been recognized, you've been recognized. Answer a few questions, and I guarantee you won't die," Fu Qinghai said.

The woman swallowed hard and forced herself to stay calm: "And what if I refuse?"

Fu Qinghai drew the power dagger from his calf and activated its disruption field, placing it on the coffee table in front of him with a "clack."

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

Afaf looked at the dagger on the coffee table, which was humming softly and emitting a faint blue glow and tiny electric arcs, and said stubbornly:

"You wouldn't dare touch me. You still need us to cooperate with your supply transport. If I die..."

"The supply transport is almost finished." Before Afaf could finish her sentence, Fu Qinghai interrupted her mercilessly.

Fu Qinghai looked at Afaf with a calm expression.

At this moment, Afaf was wrapped in layers of linen-colored robes. This local style of robe was somewhat thin and translucent, causing Fu Qinghai's attention to be constantly drawn to the pair of light brown, long legs pressed together that were faintly visible beneath the fabric, making it impossible for him to focus on the interrogation.

"How... how did you know I was a Reincarnator?" A panicked Afaf could no longer hold it together, finally offering a tacit admission.

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

The woman gritted her teeth, shot Fu Qinghai a hateful glare, and nodded.

"When did you enter this world?"

"Two years ago."

Fu Qinghai made a rough estimate. Without considering the precision of the local calendar, it was about the same time he had entered.

"Have you stayed on this planet the whole time?"

"Yes."

Fu Qinghai wasn't trained in criminal investigation and didn't know any interrogation techniques; he just asked whatever came to mind.

"When you first entered, did the Reincarnation World give you the identity of that princess?"

"No, I'm not a princess. I was just an ordinary girl in the slums."

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

Afaf narrated calmly: "Faratan, the Prime Minister, he is the only remaining bloodline of the Feoris royal family. By the time I arrived here, the Empire had already ruled this planet for quite some time. Imperial officials were very aggressive in suppressing restorationist forces. Only Faratan was left of the Feoris royal family, but he was too old. Such a decrepit old man couldn't give the people hope, so he picked me out in the slums. He thought I looked a lot like the late princess, and I also felt this was an opportunity..."

"So he had me play the princess, while he, the true royal bloodline, acted as the Prime Minister."

Having said that, she gave a self-deprecating smile and added: "I didn't have a choice, did I?"

Hearing this, Fu Qinghai was just about to continue his questioning, but Afaf seemed to have had the floodgates opened, speaking up on her own:

"I know what you want to ask. I know you want to get more information and intelligence from me, but you might be disappointed."

Meeting Fu Qinghai's slightly puzzled gaze, Afaf explained:

"I was just an ordinary person before I came here. I'm not some hardcore movie buff or an ACG fan. If the Reincarnation World hadn't told me, I wouldn't even know that the world I'm in is called Warhammer 40K. You are stronger than many Reincarnators I've met, and I am still just an ordinary person... so, the information I have might be meaningless to you."

At this point, Afaf wore a bitter expression.

"However..." Fu Qinghai opened his palm and tossed the Swiss Army knife in his hand, saying: "You've at least been through two Reincarnation Worlds, haven't you?"

Seeing the Swiss Army knife in Fu Qinghai's hand, Afaf suddenly realized how she had been exposed.

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

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

Fu Qinghai thought carefully and asked: "The zombie movie starring Woody Harrelson? The one with the four main characters?"

"That's right, but I was always fleeing and surviving in the Missouri area of the United States in the movie; I never encountered the four main characters."

"And then?"

"I killed a few zombies and earned some Assimilation Points, but in the end, I was still infected. While my consciousness was still clear and I hadn't fully turned into a zombie, I heard the prompt from the Reincarnation World, asking me to choose an item or ability to assimilate. But I had earned very few Assimilation Points, not nearly enough to assimilate an assault rifle or a handgun... In the end, I grabbed a Swiss Army knife at a convenience store," Afaf said with her head bowed.

When Assimilation Points are scarce, a multi-functional knife can indeed increase one's chances of survival, especially in movies involving wilderness survival or being stranded on an island.

Fu Qinghai nodded, acknowledging Afaf's choice.

Zombieland was a low-budget zombie comedy. It might have had decent box office numbers, hence the sequels, but the movie didn't have a grand worldview or complex setting. The lead actor, Woody Harrelson, was a fairly recognizable and distinct actor, and one Fu Qinghai quite liked, so he had some impression of it. The other male lead had also acted in David Fincher's The Social Network and as Lex Luthor in the DC Extended Universe, though he couldn't recall the actor's name.

"Let's talk about the Reincarnation World. What were the other Reincarnators you've encountered like?"

"All kinds of people. Timid, cowardly, ignorantly fearless, hysterical. They scheme against each other, betray one another—what else could they be like..." Afaf's mouth curled into a look of disdain.

Isn't that the rhythm of every zombie movie... Fu Qinghai thought to himself, but he clearly wasn't focused on that. He asked:

"Was the way they arrived in the Zombieland world the same as yours?"

Afaf understood what Fu Qinghai wanted to ask. She sat up straight and said seriously:

"No, it's not the same. As far as I know, only those who die in the previous Reincarnation World are assigned a new identity in the next one. Those who survive and clear the previous Reincarnation World arrive in the next one directly with the identity and race they had in the previous world."

Arrive... Fu Qinghai savored the word Afaf used.

"Then what are the conditions for clearing a world?" Fu Qinghai asked immediately.

"I have never cleared a world while alive, but according to other Reincarnators, staying alive is the only condition for clearing."

"Just staying alive? It's that simple?" Fu Qinghai asked, surprised.

"Yes. Even if the mission given by the Reincarnation World fails—that is, the faction you chose fails—as long as you are still alive, you can still survive normally in the Reincarnation World. However, failure will deduct a large number of Assimilation Points. And once the plot line of that world ends, the Reincarnation World will immediately make you enter the next world. You don't know what you will face in the next world; it could be a zombie horde, it could be a natural disaster. And if you haven't acquired enough Assimilation Points in the previous world, just staying alive—will become increasingly difficult."

Fu Qinghai understood. This was a vicious cycle: the plot line of the previous Reincarnation World ends, your faction fails, you have no Assimilation Points, you start from scratch in the next world, while other Reincarnators on the opposing plot line have brought various weapons or abilities from the previous world... The result can only be that it gets harder and harder.

Having figured out the general rules of the Reincarnation World, Fu Qinghai continued his questioning:

"By the way, do Reincarnators have any slang, jargon, or code words to identify each other?"

Fu Qinghai's purpose in asking this was that he realized, compared to plot characters who died for good, Reincarnators who had at least three lives often didn't need to fight to the death. Once everyone identified each other, they could use code words or signals and sit down to slowly discuss the distribution of benefits.

"Hmm..." Afaf thought carefully and said: "I've heard many Reincarnators refer to themselves as players."

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

"No, I feel that this term carries a sense of self-mockery. Not players who play games, but guys who are toyed with by the game."

"Alright, anything else?"

"I've also heard it called something else, it seems to come from the reincarnators from China—the Main God."

"The Main God?" Fu Qinghai savored the half-Chinese, half-foreign term.

"Yes, do you remember that voice in your head when you first entered the Reincarnation World?"

"I remember."

"The Chinese players call that voice the Main God."

A name with a very Infinite Flow style... Fu Qinghai nodded, signaling his understanding.

Perhaps it was the rarity of meeting a fellow countryman from Earth in this strange, alien world that opened the floodgates of her desire to confide, but Afaf didn't need much prodding from Fu Qinghai before she spilled everything she knew like beans from a bamboo tube.

Feeling that he could extract no more information from Afaf, Fu Qinghai sheathed the Power Dagger on the table back into his leg armor.

He then drew the Bolter from his waist, checked the ammunition with practiced ease, pulled the bolt, chambered a round, and said to Afaf:

"Alright, the questioning is over, so it's about time I sent you on your way."

Afaf widened her beautiful grey-blue eyes, retreating repeatedly on the sofa, terrified: "Didn't we agree that you would spare my life?"

"But I never said I would keep my word," Fu Qinghai replied indifferently.

Afaf was shocked by Fu Qinghai's shamelessness, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Actually, there is one last question. I didn't ask, and you didn't volunteer it," Fu Qinghai stared intently into Afaf's eyes and asked:

"Killing reincarnators from opposing factions grants Assimilation Points, doesn't it?"

Under the pressure of Fu Qinghai's sharp gaze, and the imposing presence of his Power Armor and the massive muzzle of the Bolter, although Afaf desperately wanted to shake her head and say "no," she eventually swallowed hard, tears welling in her eyes, and gave a slight nod.

"There you have it. You chose to attack an Astartes, and I am an Astartes, so we are in opposing factions. In my eyes, you are just a pile of walking Assimilation Points. What reason would I have not to kill you?"

"No, I, we... actually, we are very likely in the same faction. I don't know what an Astartes is. I only know that when I came in, I chose a faction called 'The Emperor.' I thought everyone wearing that kind of armor was an enemy. I received Assimilation Points when I killed those executioners. You said you weren't with them, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so we are actually in the same faction, aren't we? And, and... just like killing reincarnators from opposing factions grants points, killing teammates from the same faction deducts points!"

In her desperation, Afaf's quick thinking kicked in. She rattled off an analysis, managing to piece together the situation despite never having seen the Warhammer 40K IP.

So, Afaf had already killed members of the Night Lords Legion, likely using the same assassination methods she had intended for Talal. It was unclear whether she had killed mortal Imperial Army soldiers or Space Marines, but this was likely the real reason the bats were slaughtering people in the city.

"Hmm... very reasonable, and very logical," Fu Qinghai nodded, but remained noncommittal. The next second, he brazenly pointed the checked and loaded Bolter at Afaf's head and said: "But there is no proof! And I only need to pull the trigger gently to get the answer, don't I?"

"But... but..." Afaf looked at the pitch-black muzzle before her, choking out, "But I don't want to die..."

Looking at the woman before him with her face streaked with tears, black eyeliner running down the tear tracks on her cheeks and nose, her long eyelashes wet and clumped together, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness.

Fu Qinghai smiled, holstered the Bolter back at his waist, patted Afaf on the shoulder, and said: "Fine, let's leave it at that."

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

Leave it at that... what does that mean?

Afaf was stunned. She was still immersed in the daze of having survived, her mind unable to keep up.

If he wanted to complete this act, Fu Qinghai should have dropped a thread-bound, simplified Chinese copy of An Actor Prepares before walking away, but he didn't have such a prop on hand.

As for Afaf, she stared blankly at the tall, retreating back of the Space Marine, her ears still ringing with the words he had left behind:

"Continue being your princess on this planet, and try your best to survive."