7: Chapter 7 A French Feast in a Thriller World

That scream came too suddenly, as if someone had shoved a loudspeaker into everyone present's brain, instantly causing it to explode.

Lin Sa reacted the fastest. She drew her dagger in a backhand motion and sharply turned around, shouting, "Who?!"

But everything happened too quickly.

The Scoundrel Zhao looked like a skin bag emptied by a high-pressure water pump. The flesh on his body was ridiculously and frantically pouring into that black jade pendant!

This wasn't a jade pendant at all; it was clearly a black hole operating at full power! A living person weighing one hundred and fifty catties was sucked dry into a desiccated corpse in under two seconds, with even the skin and bones shrinking!

"Bang!"

The black jade pendant seemed to let out a satisfied burp. Finding the flesh insufficient to even get stuck between its teeth, an invisible, immense force erupted, blasting the dried corpse away.

The shriveled corpse traced a tragic parabola in the air, hitting the side of the fireplace with a 'thud,' shattering into pieces, and turning to ash upon landing.

Everyone was stunned silent by this sudden turn of events.

The room was deathly quiet, with only wisps of black smoke rising from the pile of ashes to prove that a living person had been there moments ago.

Pei Duo was startled awake by the scream and almost dropped the jade pendant in her trembling hand. She looked in horror at the pile of smoking remains in the corner, her face turning deathly pale: "This... this is..."

Xu Mo took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the surging tidal waves in his heart.

His back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

This damned jade pendant wasn't just sentient; it had a fierce temperament! It was bound, it recognized its master!

Xu Mo quickly adjusted his expression, concealing the terror in his eyes. He strode to the pile of ashes, glanced at it, then pushed up his glasses and sneered:

"A thing that doesn't know its place. A divine artifact with a spirit makes even an S-rank Anomaly kneel and kowtow; how dare you try to snatch it? Did you really think this was some broken stone from the roadside?"

This act of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys had an outstanding effect.

The newcomers, whose eyes had been flickering earlier, now looked at the jade pendant in Pei Duo's hand as if it were a nuclear bomb about to explode at any moment. They didn't dare harbor any wicked thoughts, not even daring to look at it for too long.

Pei Duo gripped the jade pendant tighter.

"Brother..." Her heart was filled with mixed emotions—longing for her brother, and a sliver of awe toward this unknown power.

In the deathly silence filled with the smell of blood and ash...

"Tok, tok, tok."

A crisp, rhythmic knocking suddenly sounded, striking everyone's heart like a drum.

From outside the door came the butler's perfectly level voice:

"Esteemed guest, and your few... attendants, dinner is ready."

The heavy oak door was slowly pushed open with a muffled sound.

The butler stood at the doorway, his white-gloved hands clasped over his abdomen, his eyes quickly sweeping the room.

Xu Mo’s muscles instantly tensed, his hand moving subtly to the dagger at his waist.

There was a dead body, and worse, the floor in this noble manor, which prized order, had been soiled.

According to the logic of an S-rank Anomaly, this was absolutely a capital offense.

As expected, the butler's gaze paused for a second on the pile of still-smoking ashes near the fireplace.

But there was no anger in his eyes, only a sense of disdain.

It was like seeing a mud stain left on a floor that had just been mopped.

"I apologize that the attendant's foolish actions have disturbed the esteemed guest."

The butler bowed slightly, his tone carrying a trace of professional apology. "Although such unruly trash deserves to die, this burnt stench is truly unpleasant. I will arrange for servants to clean it up shortly."

Xu Mo's hand on his dagger froze.

He glanced at Lin Sa; a flash of absurdity crossed both their eyes.

In an s-rank instance, players' lives were usually bargaining chips, food, or toys.

But for Pei Duo, The Scoundrel Zhao, after his death, was less significant than a bag of dry garbage needing to be sorted.

Was this the legendary double standard?

"Dinner is prepared, please."

The butler stepped aside to let them pass.

...

The corridor was deep and dark, with oil paintings of past manor owners hanging on both walls.

As the group walked past, the faces in those oil paintings seemed to turn their eyeballs, staring intently at these uninvited guests.

In the live broadcast room, the comments were going wild because of the earlier 'differential treatment.'

[ (IP: USA) Oh God, this is too absurd! It must be cheating! That jade pendant is definitely a system bug! Just wait, after the bug is fixed, these Dragon Country people will die even more miserably! ]

[ (IP: Japan) Heh heh, don't celebrate too soon. This is just the last supper, the execution meal. According to big data analysis, those who start off smoothly usually end up with the most bizarre deaths. ]

[ (IP: Sun Never Sets) Elegant butlers are often the most bloodthirsty butchers. Just watch, once they reach the dining table, they will be the dish. ]

[ (IP: Dragon Country) Sigh... Although that was satisfying just now, this is an s-rank instance, after all. I also feel like this is the calm before the storm. ]

[ (IP: Dragon Country) Can you stop tempting fate? Duo Duo is already having a hard time! But this treatment is indeed a bit too weird; I don't even dare to watch... ]

Lin Sa quickly walked a few steps and approached Pei Duo, her expression grave.

"Pei Duo, listen carefully. Be mentally prepared for whatever happens."

Lin Sa lowered her voice and spoke rapidly. "The Anomaly's concept of food is different from ours. No matter what is served in a moment, you must eat it.

Even if it's moldy rotten meat on the plate, or eyeball soup... close your eyes and force it down! Absolutely do not vomit! Vomiting is an insult to the host and will trigger a death rule!"

Xu Mo, standing nearby, though silent, nodded with a pale face. His throat bobbed as if he were practicing suppressing nausea in advance.

Pei Duo's small face was also frightened pale, and she tightly clutched the jade pendant: "Do we... really have to eat eyeballs?"

Xu Mo pushed up his glasses, his eyes filled with tragic resolve. "Believe us, this is the bloody lesson learned from the lives of countless predecessors."

As they spoke, the group arrived before a large door made of black and gold.

The butler stopped, elegantly adjusted his bow tie, and then used both hands to push open the two heavy doors.

"Whoosh—"

There was no expected nauseating smell of blood and decay.

In that instant, the mellow and rich aroma of red wine, mixed with the unique fragrance of black truffles, gently caressed everyone's nostrils like a soft hand.

Inside the dining room, a massive crystal chandelier cast a warm yellow glow. The long dining table was covered with snow-white linen tablecloths, and the silver cutlery reflected the candlelight. Every detail was so luxurious it made one want to kneel.

Xu Mo and Lin Sa froze at the doorway in defensive postures, their expressions like they had seen a ghost—no, this was more shattering to their worldview than seeing a ghost.

"Esteemed guests, please be seated."

The butler pulled out the high-backed chair at the head of the table and respectfully invited Pei Duo to sit, even thoughtfully placing a soft cushion for her.

The rest cautiously sat on either side, not daring to breathe loudly.

Exquisite silver cloches were placed before them.

Xu Mo took a deep breath, frantically hypnotizing himself: It's all an illusion! This must be high-level illusion magic! Beneath the cover must be wriggling maggots! I'm not afraid! For the sake of survival!

"Enjoy your meal."

The butler smiled and lifted the cloche in front of Pei Duo.

Steam rose from the plate.

It was a perfectly seared steak, drizzled with a dark brown Périgord sauce, garnished with two thick slices of black truffle and golden foie gras.

The texture of the meat was clear, the color tender pink. Just one look allowed one to imagine the sensation of it melting on the tongue.

This was an authentic French Tournedos Rossini!