Obeying the Rules

Being inside a dungeon, would it even be strange if it felt weird?

Cheng Shuili nodded, hesitated for a moment, and lifted her feet to walk toward the source of the sound.

“Big shot… big shot! Big shot Crow! Are we really just going over there like this?”

Hao Hao was clearly incredulous. After all, the situation was completely unclear, and they didn’t even know which faction they belonged to. Going to a banquet like this wasn’t that just walking to their deaths?

Cheng Shuili explained kindly: “Look around carefully. Aside from these sounds, where else are there any prompts?”

Hao Hao paused, and then it dawned on her as well.

Crow wasn’t being reckless! She had already discovered where the problem lay.

In every previous dungeon, a prompt page would pop up the moment they entered, but this one had absolutely nothing.

“Does big shot think we haven’t met the conditions yet?” Hao Hao followed closely behind Cheng Shuili and asked.

Cheng Shuili nodded, raised her hand to push aside a few scattered branches, and crouched down to walk out.

Hao Hao followed right behind her.

Their field of vision widened instantly, revealing a spacious clearing before them.

And just as the dungeon description stated, this was a grand banquet!

Over a dozen gorgeous dining tables were arranged here, with a round table in the center holding a phonograph, which was where the music was coming from.

The tables were laden with all kinds of food. Delicious roasted meats sizzled, golden pastries exuded an alluring sweet fragrance, and crystal-clear fruits were stacked into towers. Silver cutlery shimmered with a cold, luxurious glow under an unknown light source.

The whole table could be described in two words: opulent!

Compared to this, the Black Feather banquet was nothing more than low-class.

Cheng Shuili quickly looked away. Even though the food looked tempting, what Wanyi cooked was definitely not inferior.

She was someone who had eaten good food, so looking at these now, it didn’t matter to her.

But Hao Hao was different. Her luck wasn’t as good as Cheng Shuili’s, and she hadn’t encountered such a perfect chef.

Looking at the food now, she was truly on the verge of drooling.

Fortunately, she knew they were in a dungeon. The food looked fresh, but who knew what it was actually made of? She wiped her mouth and shifted her gaze away.

The dining tables were almost full. Only one table had only four people sitting at it, looking like a small team, all with the same skin tone.

At this very moment, when these people saw Cheng Shuili and the others emerge from the bushes, they all cast their gazes over.

Some were curious, some probing, and others suspicious.

They were likely players, but clearly not from the Dragon Country. After exchanging glances with each other, they looked away.

But judging by their expressions, these people were clearly not friendly.

Cheng Shuili remained calm. Noticing the bushes swaying on the other side, she simply stopped in her tracks.

Before long, a group of six emerged from there. They were yellow-skinned, and the leader had a square face, looking full of integrity.

After he clearly saw the situation, his gaze landed on Cheng Shuili, and he asked tentatively: “Players?”

Chinese! It was definitely someone from the Dragon Country.

Cheng Shuili nodded. Before she could say anything, a smile instantly blossomed on that square face. He stepped forward and tightly gripped Cheng Shuili’s hand: “Compatriots! That’s great! We were prepared to fight alone. I didn’t expect to meet you!”

The other party was so enthusiastic that Cheng Shuili naturally wouldn’t slight him. She reached out and took the initiative to introduce herself: “Crow. This is my teammate.”

The square-faced man gripped her hand. “Nice to meet you! I’m Panshi, and these are my teammates.” Immediately after, his gaze fell on Hao Hao, and he asked Cheng Shuili tentatively: “Did you two enter the dungeon as a pair?”

As soon as these words were out, the people behind Panshi looked over immediately, probably finding it unbelievable.

Cheng Shuili didn’t mind and nodded: “We are a two-person team.”

Panshi and the others had already been speculating, and hearing this made them even more distrustful of Cheng Shuili and her companion.

Are you kidding?

This was the first full-server dungeon!

Even if you were confident enough in yourself, wouldn’t you subconsciously bring a few more people when facing such a completely unknown environment?

Entering as a duo? Who are you trying to fool?

Panshi’s expression remained decent. He was older and well-versed in the ways of the world. He didn’t want to fall out with Cheng Shuili right now, so naturally, he wouldn’t question her statement.

Although some of his teammates showed obvious anger at being “deceived,” no one spoke up.

In terms of discipline, this team was absolutely elite!

Panshi said warmly: “Since we are all from the same grand region, coming here, I assume we are all here for the same goal.”

His gaze flicked toward the people sitting at the tables, clearly implying something.

Cheng Shuili was also a sharp person and nodded immediately.

Seeing that she was reasonable, the other party immediately smiled and said: “Then, before the mission is clear, why don’t we cooperate temporarily?”

Panshi’s smile was sincere, but his gaze carried an unmistakable scrutiny. “Information sharing, mutual support, how about it?”

Cheng Shuili met his gaze and replied calmly: “Sure. But let’s get this straight: if there is a conflict of interest, the cooperation will automatically terminate.”

“Straightforward!” Panshi seemed to have been waiting for those words and nodded immediately. “As it should be.”

The teammates behind him had different expressions, but no one voiced an objection.

With the cooperation reached, Panshi pointed a finger: “Shall we take our seats too?”

Cheng Shuili nodded and took Hao Hao to sit at the end of the long table. The two of them sat together, followed by Panshi’s people.

Cheng Shuili leaned back slightly, resting her body against the chair.

This long table was much larger than she had imagined, likely able to seat over thirty people. Cheng Shuili had only ever seen tables like this in conference rooms; it was the first time she had seen one set with so much food and candelabras.

The seated players were very quiet, with only the faint sound of music drifting lazily from the phonograph on the round table to the side.

Cheng Shuili didn’t know how much time had passed, only seeing players arrive one after another until the entire long table was filled.

Every seat was occupied by a person, without a single one missing.

The moment the last person sat down, the thick shadow behind the main seat at the head of the table suddenly rippled like water.

A figure wearing an intricate black formal suit and a top hat appeared silently.

It had no face. On its smooth leather mask, only an upward-curving red smiling mouth was outlined.

It looked just like a character from a horror movie.

The “master” wearing the smiling mask raised both hands slightly, its movements elegant yet carrying an inhuman stiffness.

“Welcome… my esteemed guests.”

A voice as slick as oil drilled directly into everyone’s mind. “May a smile always accompany you and me.”

【Ding!】

【The dungeon has officially begun!】

【Mission objective: Find your faction and win!】

【Current banquet rule hints:】

【1. Please keep smiling.】

【2. Do not refuse the good intentions of the faceless master.】

【3. The food is delicious, please be sure to enjoy it.】

The moment the system prompt fell, except for the long table where the players were, everyone sitting at the other tables instantly broke into smiles, their movements neatly cutting the food before them.

The clinking of knives and forks against porcelain plates made a subtle, crisp sound, which seemed particularly jarring in this dead silence.

These people mechanically lifted their hands, delivered the food into their mouths, and expressions of happiness followed on their faces.

This horrifying scene made everyone’s hair stand on end. They tried their best to force out smiles, gripped their knives and forks, and began to cut the food before them.

These players were indeed elites from various grand regions.

But staying calm in the face of danger was inherently difficult, and added to that, the posture, movements, and even expressions of the guests sitting at the other tables were particularly terrifying.

The hand of a foreign man sitting at the head of the table was trembling. His cheeks were stiff; clearly, he couldn’t manage the expression of a smile.

The faceless master tilted its head slightly. That exaggerated red smile seemed to be watching him. Its smile widened, and only after a long while did it offer comfort: “Please don’t be restrained, enjoy the delicacies I have prepared for you all to your heart’s content. This will be… an unforgettable feast.”

Its voice carried a cold sense of urging.

Cheng Shuili didn’t put on that stupidly foolish smile either, but instead stared at the faceless master.

How strange.

There were so many people at the table who hadn’t reacted according to its requirements, so why was it staring specifically at the person sitting at the head of the table?

Could it be that punishing players followed a specific order?

Hao Hao was originally at a loss, but seeing that Cheng Shuili wasn’t making any moves, she followed suit and waited patiently.

Panshi’s group, along with a few flexible foreign players, had already fully followed the “faceless master’s” requirements: wearing smiles and gripping knives and forks to cut the food.

The atmosphere was truly eerie, causing psychological pressure to accumulate rapidly, especially for the foreign man at the head of the table. Stared at by the faceless master, his face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

Before long, seemingly unable to bear the eerie pressure, he slammed his fork onto his plate with a loud “clatter.” The smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by terror and rage. He roared in English: “What kind of hellhole is this! Let me out! I’m not playing this damn game anymore!”

Cheng Shuili shouldn’t have been able to understand.

Although she had passed her English proficiency tests, it had been a long time since she worked, and combined with her experiences since entering this world, she had basically forgotten everything.

But the moment she heard the sound, the meaning of those words simply appeared in her mind.

Hao Hao also had a strange look in her eyes; apparently, it was the same for her.

Almost the moment his roar ended, the movements of the guests at the other tables stopped in unison. Their knives and forks hovered in mid-air, and their pitch-black eyes seemed to have been drawn by something; all eyes fell on the man simultaneously.

A few guests who happened to have their backs to the man turned their heads a full one hundred and eighty degrees, their faces cold and terrifying.

The faceless master turned its head stiffly, slowly pivoting toward that player.

“It seems… a guest is not very satisfied with my hospitality.”

The slick voice carried a hint of regret, yet it was bone-chillingly cold.

The air around that player distorted suddenly. He seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand around his throat, and his whole body was lifted from his seat, his feet kicking helplessly in the air.

His face was filled with pain and disbelief; his mouth was wide open, but he couldn’t make a sound.

The next moment, under everyone’s gaze, his body began to distort and shrink unnaturally, like dough being kneaded by an invisible giant hand.

The bones under his skin made a teeth-grinding “clacking” sound, and his flesh and blood were compressed and reshaped in an instant.

In less than two seconds, a living person was forcibly compressed and twisted right before everyone’s eyes… into a “main course” on the dining table.

A vessel covered by a silver platter lid appeared out of thin air on the table in front of his original seat.

The faceless master waved its hand elegantly, and the platter lid automatically flipped open a corner, revealing what was inside—

It was a perfectly cooked, exquisitely plated humanoid torso, adorned with vibrant fruit and vegetable carvings.

“I hope this special selection of the day will be to everyone’s taste.” The faceless master’s slick voice sounded again, carrying a hint of pleasure. “Please continue to enjoy, my guests. Remember… keep smiling.”

The entire banquet hall was dead silent.

Only the phonograph continued to play that eerie, upbeat dance tune.

All the players, regardless of which grand region they were from, felt a chill shoot from their spines to the tops of their heads at this moment.

If this new dish was made this way, then these old dishes…

Everyone at the long table gasped in horror.

One player’s face was stiff, but in the next second, he suddenly pulled out a smile, picked up the knife and fork he had just put down, and raised his hand to cut the food before him.

Seeing this, other players also squeezed out smiles one after another, gripping their knives and forks to cut the food, but as for putting the food into their mouths…

Nobody had that courage right now.

Cheng Shuili did the same, but before picking up the knife and fork, she cast a glance at the faceless master with her peripheral vision.

【Insight successful!】

The Abyss Ring’s ring spirit was already asleep, but Insight could still be used.

【Faceless Jester】

【Description: A ritual monster born from the intertwining of extreme fear and hypocritical pleasure among guests during forgotten feasts! It was not born to devour flesh and blood, but to maintain the twisted rules of the perfect banquet. It enjoys the trembling of guests beneath their forced smiles and uses absolute elegance to transform any uninvited guest who disturbs the harmonious atmosphere into a part of the feast, becoming a special delicacy to warn those who come after. Remember, at its banquet, rules are above all else; a smile is both your armor and your shackle.】

【Weakness: Rule monsters cannot be killed by players, but when they violate their own rules, they will also be erased by the rules!】

A rule monster… cannot be killed, but can be erased by its own rules.

This meant that going head-to-head was a dead end; the only path to survival lay in utilizing the rules to make the rules backfire against their master.

“Keep smiling” and “enjoy the food” were the two currently clear rules, while “do not refuse the good intentions of the faceless master” was even broader and more dangerous.

But the description clearly stated there were three chances to make a mistake, so why was that player erased directly?

Cheng Shuili couldn’t understand, and naturally, the other players couldn’t understand either.

Everyone maintained stiff smiles, mechanically cutting the food on their plates, but no one dared to put the food into their mouths.

Cheng Shuili’s movements didn’t stop, but she couldn’t help but think about how this dungeon differed from the previous ones.

Previous dungeons required exploration and defeating monsters, but in this one, up until now, she only knew one thing, and that was…

Obeying the rules.