Chapter 375: Hijacking the Airship

In the banquet hall, glasses and goblets clinked, Ying Duo stood at the edge of the crowd watching the figures in fine dress wander under the lights; he was only busy packing up tasty food.

Although the shelf lives differ, some of the delicious pastries could be taken in larger quantities to go.

Before he had no sense of taste; Ying Duo was fine drinking nutrient solution daily, but now after two consecutive days of it, everything he eats tastes delicious.

Indeed, the pastries from this other world really taste great.

He glanced at the time; by now, had his brother already gone to kill?

Just then, a crisp ringing sound rang out.

"Ding— Ding— Ding—"

Everyone's gaze turned toward the source of the sound.

A waiter pushed a massive wheel onto the center of the banquet hall; the wheel's surface was divided into countless fan‑shaped sections, each marked with a number.

The music gradually faded, and the waiter stopped, cleared his throat, and wore the standard professional smile.

"Good evening, esteemed guests."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the banquet hall.

"You have probably all noticed that each invitation in your hands bears a unique number."

Someone looked down at their invitation; indeed, a gold‑embossed number sat in the lower right corner, but it was unremarkable, since many had received consecutive numbers and paid it no mind.

"We are now about to begin tonight's special raffle; each number on this wheel corresponds to a guest's invitation number."

He patted the massive wheel.

"When the wheel stops, the guest whose number the pointer lands on will receive tonight's mysterious grand prize!"

A low murmur rose in the banquet hall.

"A raffle? The Wen Sha family even prepared such an entertainment program?"

"Interesting, I wonder what the prize is."

"When the Wen Sha family makes a move, it certainly won't be subpar."

Many people showed interested expressions and gathered around the wheel.

"Miss Mei Weisi is really thoughtful."

Mei Weisi still stood in place; hearing those around her say that, she kept a courteous smile, but her beautiful eyes turned cold.

An entertainment program?

She hadn't arranged any program; her gaze swept quickly across the banquet hall, yet she saw no familiar figure.

Finally her eyes landed on the waiter pushing the wheel; he looked unfamiliar, as she had never seen him before.

She looked again at the surrounding waiters carrying trays and the security staff in the corner—

none that she recognized.

Mei Weisi's fingertips tightened slightly, yet her smile remained perfect.

"Come, come, everyone, please make way and let the wheel spin!" another waiter stepped forward, livening the atmosphere, "Let's see who the lucky one tonight will be."

He gave it a strong spin.

The wheel began to spin rapidly, golden light flashing under the lamps; everyone's gaze fixed on it, and as its speed gradually slowed, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

"Stop—!"

The wheel slowed to a halt.

The pointer landed on a number.

【47】

"Number 47!" the host announced loudly, "Who is guest number 47?"

The banquet hall erupted in a stir; some looked down at their invitations, and those who realized it wasn't theirs began scanning around for the lucky one.

"It's me! It's me!"

A plump middle‑aged man pushed his way through the crowd, his face beaming with smiles; he wore a finely tailored suit, a meticulously knotted tie, several massive gemstone rings, exuding the aura of a newly rich man.

"Number 47, my invitation is number 47!"

He held up his invitation; the gold‑embossed number glittered under the lights, and envious sighs rose around him.

"It's Steward Qian, congratulations~"

"Steward Qian is really lucky."

"Hurry up and claim your prize; let us see what the mysterious grand prize is!"

Qian Fugui grinned so wide his eyes became slits, and he hurried toward the central wheel; the host smiled and met him, continuing to liven the mood as they walked.

"Let us congratulate this gentleman! Number 47! Tonight's lucky one!"

"Come, come, sir, please stand here, and let us reveal tonight's mysterious grand prize." He paused, his face bearing a mysterious smile.

"This prize has been meticulously prepared; it will surely be unforgettable—forever."

Qian Fugui rubbed his hands, his face full of anticipation.

"What is it? What is it?"

The host looked at him, smile unchanged.

Then he lifted his hand and gently placed it on Qian Fugui's shoulder.

"Uh—!"

Qian Fugui's eyes widened sharply, his body froze.

The smile on his face hadn't time to fade, and he stood there like a statue, unmoving.

His skin began changing from its normal hue to a gray‑white.

In just a few seconds, a living person turned into a stone statue.

The banquet hall fell into death‑like silence; everyone froze, their expressions shifting from anticipation to bewilderment, then to terror.

Ah—!!!

Finally, a scream pierced the silence.

Murder—!!!

The banquet hall instantly erupted into chaos; they merely occupied high positions and wielded a bit of power, most of them were still ordinary people, and no one understood the horror of a Special Ability Practitioner better than they did.

People screamed as they tried to flee the banquet hall, but the servers who had been carrying trays and smiling had already blocked every exit.

Someone among them tried to force their way in, only to be shoved back by a towering, hulking man; these folks who couldn't disguise themselves as servers were evidently hiding nearby in advance.

The host kicked aside the statue of Qian Fugui, which had already turned to stone; the statue fell to the ground with a deep thud and shattered into several large pieces.

He looked at the terrified faces, and his smile deepened.

Everyone, please be quiet.

From now on, we have taken control of this airship.

Someone tried to resist; a man in a suit found the hulking man's blind spot, and a glow of newly gathered energy formed in his hand.

His body froze there, just like Qian Fugui moments ago, petrifying from the soles of his feet upward.

No... no!

He lowered his head, looked at his hands turning to stone, and let out a desperate plea.

The next second, he too became a stone statue, frozen in place.

The host withdrew his gaze, scanning the room coldly.

Is there anyone else who wants to try?

No one dared to move; evidently the sudden petrification of two people in a row was enough to intimidate everyone present.

Seeing that they only dared to stand trembling in place, the host finally nodded with satisfaction.

Very well, now, everyone, look at the backs of your hands.

Instinctively, people lowered their heads, and on the backs of their hands, a pattern had appeared at some unknown time—a black, twisted Rune.