158: Upside-down pyramid

Seeing a handful of black gold coins, the waiter's eyes lit up.

The professional smile on his face became more sincere: "Of course, distinguished sir. This way, please; the best view is reserved for you."

Sitting by the window, the entire view of Blackgold Harbor unfolded before them as the restaurant slowly rotated.

On one side was the brightly lit Upper City District, and on the other was the dark, sunken Lower City District.

That intense sense of fragmentation gave one the illusion of sitting in the clouds, looking down at ants.

Chen Du ordered a bottle of '82 Lafite, said to be from a certain player's private collection, along with two servings of Wellington steak.

"This place is quite interesting."

"What's interesting about it? I find it disgusting."

Xia Mo took off her leather jacket, revealing the elegant lines of her collarbones and shoulders.

She rested her chin on one hand, looking out the window.

Her voice was cold and clear. "Don't you think the people here... are all very strange?"

"Oh? What did Teacher Xia discover?" Chen Du cut a small piece of steak and looked at her with interest.

Xia Mo pointed her fork at the neighboring table.

It was a couple who appeared to be very much in love.

The man was dressed in a sharp suit, and the woman was draped in jewels.

The two were having their meal.

"Look at their expressions," Xia Mo whispered. "They're too perfect."

Chen Du followed her gaze.

The smiles on their faces were as standard as if they had been measured by a ruler.

Their movements while cutting the meat, the angle at which they raised their glasses... even their chewing frequency were all strikingly consistent.

Although the steak on the table was drizzled with sauce, Chen Du could keenly smell a sour, putrid scent hidden beneath the spices.

Yet the two were eating with great relish, as if it were the most delicious delicacy in the world.

"Darling, this meat is so tender," the woman said in a sweet, coquettish voice.

"Yes, as long as we are in this position, we can enjoy this kind of life forever," the man responded, swallowing mechanically.

"The Uncanny Valley effect."

Chen Du calmly uttered the phrase. "They're like NPCs following a set program, playing the role of a happy couple in this high-society script."

"This Blackgold Harbor is more like a mental asylum."

Chen Du withdrew his gaze, skewered a piece of the beef he had carefully selected, and held it to Xia Mo's lips.

"Come, open wide."

Xia Mo was stunned for a moment.

A look of surprise flashed across her pretty face, followed by a blush.

"What are you... doing? I have my own hands."

"I want to feed you." Chen Du's eyes burned with intensity. "I need to confirm that my woman is alive and real."

Xia Mo bit her lower lip.

Ultimately, she couldn't resist that look in his eyes.

She slightly opened her red lips and took in the beef.

Her tongue inadvertently brushed against the silver fork, her gaze smoldering.

"Is it good?" Chen Du smiled brightly.

"It's alright... at least it hasn't gone bad!"

Xia Mo swallowed the beef.

To hide her embarrassment, she gave Chen Du a provocative look.

"However, more than the meat, I want to see if '82 Lafite is really as good as the legends say."

Chen Du saw through Xia Mo's act.

He picked up the wine glass and took a sip himself.

Then, under Xia Mo's surprised gaze, he grabbed the back of her head.

And kissed her.

The cool wine passed between their lips and teeth.

This wasn't just a kiss; it was an aggressive conquest.

Xia Mo's body tensed instantly, and she subconsciously wanted to use her Ice-type Ability to retaliate.

Just as a thin layer of frost began to form on her fingertips, Chen Du's large hand gripped them.

"Shh... this is interest."

After a long moment, their lips parted.

Xia Mo panted slightly, her eyes filled with a seductive charm.

The cool, mature persona she had worked so hard to maintain had completely vanished.

She glared fiercely at Chen Du. "You rogue... we're in public."

"In a world of madmen, normal people are the outliers. We're just playing along with the performance."

Chen Du licked the corner of his mouth, savoring the moment.

Just then.

The young waiter approached with dessert.

"You two, this is a compliment from the house..."

Perfect timing!

Before he could finish, Chen Du's finger lightly tapped the table.

Tap, tap, tap.

"Look at me!"

The waiter subconsciously looked up.

In an instant, his gaze collided with a pair of golden eyes that looked like flowing lava!

What kind of eyes were those?

Majestic, tyrannical, and impossible to look at directly, as if an ancient tyrant resided within!

[Tyrants Gaze] — Activated!

Only this time, Chen Du didn't just use pure pressure; he infused it with mental suggestion.

At that moment.

The waiter's pupils constricted violently.

Then they quickly dilated, becoming vacant and lifeless.

"Tell me, what exactly is the grand finale of this auction?"

Chen Du's voice seemed to ring directly in the depths of the waiter's mind.

The waiter opened his mouth blankly, his voice flat and emotionless:

"I... am just a waiter... but I heard the manager mention..."

"Everyone is here for that thing..."

"Also... there's a potion called 'blood of god'..."

"'blood of god'?" Chen Du frowned slightly. "What is that?"

The waiter began to tremble all over, as if mentioning the name itself brought immense terror.

"It's said... to be extracted from that place... it's the only substance that can allow one to break the Genetic Lock and become a 'god'..."

"That place... where is it?" Xia Mo also sensed something was wrong and immediately pressed for more.

"It's... the Inverted Pyramid..."

After saying those words, the waiter suddenly gasped violently, and two streaks of black blood flowed from his nostrils.

He had likely triggered some kind of mental restriction.

"The Inverted Pyramid?"

Chen Du's eyes narrowed sharply.

Just then.

The [sacrifice notebook] that had been silent in the depths of his mind suddenly began to tremble like crazy!

Flip, flip, flip!

The pages turned on their own without any wind!

A line of bloody, twisted handwriting danced across his retina as if it were alive:

[High-purity godhead fragment reaction detected!]

[This scent is too fragrant... like a soul being roasted over a fire!]

[Location locked: Due north, 1.5 kilometers away!]

Chen Du suddenly turned his head.

Through the massive floor-to-ceiling window, he looked toward the deepest part of Blackgold Harbor.

At the end of the darkness that even the countless neon lights couldn't illuminate, an extremely bizarre-looking building stood silently.

It was actually a black pyramid thrust upside down into the ground!

The tip was buried deep underground, with only the vast and magnificent base exposed.

Like a giant wedge, it pinned down the earth.

Even from this distance, the Shadow Power within Chen Du's body was restlessly surging!

It was the excitement of encountering one of its own, or perhaps... encountering prey!

"Interesting..."

Chen Du drained the remaining wine in his glass, a golden flame burning in his pupils.

Snap!

He snapped his fingers, releasing his control over the waiter.

The waiter's body went limp, completely unable to remember what had just happened.

Chen Du picked up the walkie-talkie on the table, a wild and arrogant smile curling his lips. "Hey, girls."

"Stop being so picky and gather in the Upper City District."

He looked at the Inverted Pyramid. "We're going to strip this place completely bare!"

"Chen Du, are you going to that pyramid?" Xia Mo looked at his profile and tightened her grip on the dinner knife.

"Are you afraid?"

"Hmph, as long as you're there, I'd even dare to venture into hell."

Chen Du laughed.

He stood up, took her hand, and strode toward the exit.

"Then let's go and see what kind of treasures are inside!"

However.

The moment the two stepped out of the restaurant, the waiter behind them suddenly looked up.

The previously confused look was gone.

In its place was a perfect smile, as if measured by a ruler.

It was exactly the same as the couple from earlier!

The next second.

The waiter's lips moved soundlessly, slowly uttering a few words:

"Wel...come..."