Chapter 377: Eat It

「Wuya Dalao……」 a voice as faint as a mosquito's wing came from Hao Hao, her smile worse than crying, the fingers gripping the knife and fork turned white from force, 「We… really have to eat? 」

Cheng Shuili shook her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the entire scene.

The Rock Squad members were clearly well-trained; although their faces turned pale, they kept their smiles relatively natural, and their movements remained fairly composed.

Players from other regions showed varied reactions—some broke out in cold sweat, some had darting eyes—all desperately trying to control their panic.

But no matter how you say it, the current situation isn't too bad.

The rules are relative; while they restrict the players, they also restrict this instance's boss. For the Faceless Smiling Joker to kill someone, the players must first break the rules.

Cheng Shuili thought of this and sighed inwardly again.

The Faceless Smiling Joker's slick voice sounded again, breaking this suffocating silence:

「It seems the guests are a bit reserved. Such delicious food—if you don't taste it, wouldn't that be wasting my kindness? 」

It raised its white-gloved hand and lightly snapped its fingers.

In an instant, the plates before every player seemed to come alive; the food inside gave off an even more tempting aroma, as if the scent had magic, shooting straight up the nose and stirring humanity's most primal appetite.

Several players' throats involuntarily bobbed, and their eyes glazed for a moment.

「Eat…… eat it……」 a tempting whisper echoed directly in everyone's mind, 「This is the master's kindness; refusing would be impolite…… eat it, and you'll gain strength…… the strength to survive……」

What's going on?

Cheng Shuili's eyes narrowed; she immediately sensed something wrong with the aroma.

Though her will was firm, she still felt somewhat agitated—let alone the other players.

A white player from another region kept swallowing saliva, his arm constantly trembling, as if unable to control himself, continually reaching toward the plate before him.

This is food……

Food bursting with fragrance!

Since entering this world, he hasn't had a decent meal.

These things smell so good he could almost taste the flavor they'd bring to his tongue once they entered his mouth.

Despite his best efforts to restrain himself, his willpower couldn't match the lure of desire.

The knife fell onto the meat chunk; in that instant, the person completely turned into someone else.

His expression was relaxed and satisfied, a natural smile on his face, the trembling and swallowing struggle gone; his hands gently applied force, elegantly and cleanly slicing a small piece of meat and lifting it to his mouth.

He chewed lightly, then swallowed.

He seemed to have tasted some supreme delicacy, his eyes slightly brightening, his arms reaching out again and again.

But everyone could see clearly.

At the moment this person touched the food…

…he was no longer a player.

His expression was numb yet natural, indistinguishable from the other guests at the table.

Eating the meat, or being tempted to touch it, would turn one into that.

Cheng Shuili's gaze fell on the table; she stared at a side dish, lost in thought.

「I… I don't…」

The female player seated beside Cheng Shuili's eyes struggled; her fork trembled as she slowly reached toward the meat slice, the smile on her face completely collapsed, leaving only fear.

Her teammate wanted to stop her, but constrained by the rules "keep smiling" and "do not refuse kindness," he dared not make a big move, only able to desperately signal with his eyes.

That was a member of the Rock Squad.

The Faceless Smiling Joker's smile seemed to widen; all the players held their breath, even the music from the phonograph quickened.

Everything, everything, was urging the players to eat the food!

Not eating would be defying the "Faceless Master's kindness," while eating would turn one into the "Faceless Master's puppet."

It seemed… truly a dilemma with no good way out.

Moreover…

Cheng Shuili's gaze swept across the table; this time the Faceless Smiling Joker started applying pressure randomly from a player—namely that white player. Then it turned clockwise, the second victim being that female Rock Squad member, followed by all the Rock Squad members, and finally Cheng Shuili and the other two.

We need to find a way to break the deadlock.

Cheng Shuili's gaze fell on the guests at the other tables; after observing for a moment, she finally made a decision.

At the moment the female player's fork was about to touch the meat slice.

「Pa-da. 」

A slight crisp sound.

Everyone's gaze, including the Faceless Smiling Joker's intangible stare, was drawn over.

Only then did one see Cheng Shuili, at some point, having used her knife to cut the roasted mushroom garnishing beside the meat slice into two halves, then spearing one half with her fork, naturally dipping the mushroom's edge into a lump of solidified sauce on the plate.

Immediately, she brought it to her mouth.

She chewed twice, and the smile on her face, which had been somewhat perfunctory, seemed to become… a little more sincere?

「Not bad. 」

Cheng Shuili swallowed the mushroom, even adding a comment, her voice calm, with nothing unusual detectable.

The entire hall fell dead silent.

Hao Hao stared open‑mouthed at Cheng Shuili, barely able to keep his smile, and the Rock Squad members also looked stunned.

She ate it?! She actually really ate it?!

The Faceless Smiling Joker's red‑tinged smile arc seemed to stiffen for an imperceptible instant, but it quickly recovered its elegant tone: 「It seems this honored guest knows how to appreciate fine cuisine. 」

Cheng Shuili didn't look at it; instead she turned her gaze to the female player who had almost lost control, speaking with a hint of casualness, as if chatting: 「The garnish mushroom is cooked just right, the sauce is well‑balanced—you should try it too. 」

That female player jolted, instantly grasping Cheng Shuili's hint.

One cannot refuse the master's "kindness"; although one must eat something, it never said one had to eat the main dish!

We can start with the irrelevant, absolutely safe "decorations"!

No one knows whether the meat is safe, but these vegetables—these mushrooms, parsley, broccoli, and rosemary—how could they not recognize them?

Even if they don't taste good, it's far better than throwing our lives away here!

The woman from the Rock Squad, almost with a post‑disaster sense of relief, immediately mimicked Cheng Shuili, cut a small piece of decorative broccoli, shoved it into her mouth, forced a smile and said, "Y‑yes, very delicious!"

With Cheng Shuili leading, the other players instantly found a breakthrough.

For a moment, the long table rang with successive "praises" of the decorative side dishes.

"These bread crisps are fragrant!"

"The fruit is fresh!"

"Hmm, this sauce has a unique flavor…"

The Faceless Jester silently "watched" it all; the red smile on the mask remained, but the surrounding atmosphere inexplicably grew a few degrees colder.

Its meticulous preparation was actually defused by this person in such a casual manner.

Haohao lowered his voice, full of admiration, "Boss! You're amazing! How dare you…"

Cheng Shuili lifted the cup before her, took a sip, and replied softly, "The rules only say we may enjoy the food; they don't specify which part we must eat. Making these foods tasty to hint that we should eat the main course is itself a form of guidance. And look…"

Cheng Shuili picked up her knife and fork again, a natural smile appearing, "The guests at the other tables ignore these vegetables; they're monsters. What they won't eat is exactly what we can eat, isn't it?"

Haohao couldn't resist secretly giving her a thumbs‑up, still feeling that post‑disaster relief, and kept pretendedly slicing the food, occasionally spearing vegetables with the fork and bringing them to his mouth.

Second by second, the banquet's atmosphere remained eerie.

The Faceless Jester spoke again, "The guests seem to have doubts about the main course? That's truly sad. Perhaps… I should give you some free time?"

After speaking, it turned its head to glance at all the guests, then gracefully bowed and said warmly, "Everyone, see you in a moment."

When the words faded, it vanished like it had entered, turning into a shadow that merged with the darkness.

The players' table was quiet; the guests at the other tables continued eating, but their voices were noticeably softer.

A burly black man suddenly tossed his knife and fork aside, leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh, "Finally, it's over. What a nightmare."

"Kai Er!" a teammate beside him whispered sharply, apparently trying to stop him.

But the Faceless Jester had indeed left.

Seeing that he wasn't punished, the others gradually set down their knives and forks and began whispering.

The most eye‑catching was the white player; at the whole table, only he kept his knife and fork raised, still observing perfect dining etiquette, his face bearing the same standard, hollow smile as the surrounding "guests", taking bite after bite, cutting and eating slowly and resolutely.

His plate's steak was already half‑gone, sauce smeared at the corner of his mouth, yet he seemed completely unaware, or rather, didn't care at all.

He ate in that quiet way, as if the whole world consisted only of him and the food before him.

That bizarre scene made the previously relaxed atmosphere solidify again.

"He… he's beyond saving, isn't he?"

Haohao's voice trembled, he averted his eyes, daring not to look again.

The teammate beside him pressed his lips tightly, yet didn't dare let his gaze fall on the white player.

"We must seize the time," Cheng Shuili said calmly, "and figure out our own faction."

The Rock Squad members chatted briefly, then gathered around Cheng Shuili to thank her: "Thanks to Ms. Wu Ya just now! If you hadn't spoken up at the crucial moment, our squad might not have survived."

The woman rescued by Cheng Shuili also looked over, her face showing gratitude.

After this incident, the Rock Squad members seemed to have changed their view of Cheng Shuili considerably, though Cheng Shuili didn't mind.

Panshi knew exactly what should be done now, inhaled deeply and said, "Although we come from different regions, we now share a common enemy. Before we figure out this Instance's mechanics, I hope everyone can temporarily set aside hostility toward each other and share information."

"Share information?" the player who first set down his knife and fork snorted coldly; Cheng Shuili remembered his name was Kai Er.

Kai Er's gaze circled the few members of the Rock Squad, then suddenly landed on Cheng Shuili, saying, "I only respect the strong; only the strong have a voice. This… old gentleman? In my eyes, you have no right to speak."

Panshi's complexion darkened instantly, and the teammate beside him sprang to his feet, hand already on the weapon at his waist.

The atmosphere at the table tightened abruptly, the tentative cooperation evaporating.

"Kai Er!"

His teammate whispered another warning, but Kai Er paid no heed; he grinned, showing his white teeth, and looked at Cheng Shuili provocatively, "How about it? Mysterious Eastern lady, I find you far more interesting than that old man. Want to join us? We only recognize fists, not those pretentious, brain‑dead alliances."

The people on the Rock side all turned to look, but Cheng Shuili didn't even lift an eyelid, "Your strong‑person theory—does it refer to the first one who puts down the knife and fork, eager to show how relaxed they are?"

Kai Er's smile froze on his face.

Cheng Shuili finally looked up at him; her gaze held no emotion, yet it made Kai Er feel a strange contempt.

"That monster only left temporarily; the rules still stand. Does your recent action count as rude? Does it ruin the pleasant dining atmosphere? Tell me, if it returns now, who would it target first?"

Kai Er's temple instantly broke into cold sweat.

He snapped his gaze around; the "guests" who had been quietly eating had all stopped at some point, their hollow eyes collectively fixing on him, mouths twisted into identical, eerie smiles.

The silent pressure surged like a tide.

"I…"

Kai Er opened his mouth to retort, but realized his earlier behavior had indeed been reckless.

He instinctively lifted his knife and fork again, his movements stiff.

Cheng Shuili no longer looked at him, turned to the Rock Squad leader, and gave a slight nod, "Information sharing is indeed necessary; before we discover our identities, I think we should be allies."

The atmosphere at the table warmed again as everyone introduced themselves to each other.

This Instance had a total of thirty‑two people, forming six teams.

Surprisingly, the Long Guo region contributed two teams: Cheng Shuili's duo and six members of the Rock Squad.

The remaining players, though their regions weren't introduced, could be identified by skin tone and other features as not belonging to the same region, and there was palpable tension between them.

"Sitting here won't uncover any clues; we should stand up and explore the surroundings."

"What were you doing before the banquet began?"

The speaker, from the latest‑arriving team, wore a scornful expression and said, "Those who arrived early didn't work hard, which is why we now have to risk ourselves to find clues!"

The first to arrive were a white squad, all elites from each major region—who could stand this blatant criticism?

What we're doing has nothing to do with you!

Mind your own business.

If you spent the time you spend blaming others on exploring, we would have found clues by now!

This temporary alliance of ours is really laughable; the most reliable ones turn out to be the Long Guo people.

These people were arguing back and forth, not knowing which remark had caused the problem, when the white player who had been quietly eating suddenly stopped moving.