A few minutes later,
The silver-haired maid, Lisa, stopped in front of a large door. She opened it and spoke, "Guest, please wait a moment. I will fetch shoes and clothes that fit your size."
"Thank you," the office lady, Linlin, expressed her gratitude.
The silver-haired maid walked in alone.
Cold Frost stood at the doorway, looking into the spacious storage room. Rows of cabinets were arranged neatly, and the shelves were stocked with all sorts of items; everything one could need was there.
The young girl in the black and white maid uniform walked over and stopped at a shelf, checked the sizes, and took out some casual clothes and shoes.
From entering to exiting, there was nothing unusual.
"Guest, would you like to try them on?"
"I'll try the shoes!"
The office lady took them and tried the shoes first. Feeling the comfort from her soles, her expression relaxed considerably. "Thank you, they fit very well."
"I am glad they fit. I do not know where the two guests plan to go next, but I need to go to the fourth floor to fetch the guest room keys."
The office lady looked at Cold Frost. As an old player, she undoubtedly held the decision-making power.
"We will just return to the parlor."
"I understand."
Cold Frost and the office lady walked toward the parlor. She didn't retract her gaze until the silver-haired maid's figure was no longer visible in her peripheral vision.
From beginning to end, the maid had respectfully watched them leave.
"Miss Cold, does the Strange Game require us to be so wary of people like them?"
She felt it might be a bit excessive.
She felt she couldn't achieve the level of caution Cold Frost displayed.
"In this villa, any single item could become a Strange entity that takes your life, and the possibility is even higher for living, moving creatures."
Cold Frost looked at this rookie. "If you want to live, vigilance is indispensable. Calm analysis and judgment are especially important."
The office lady nodded as if she understood.
Under Cold Frost's lead, the two returned to the parlor.
However, she deliberately took a detour to observe the layout of the first floor and the situation of the other rooms.
Click...
Cold Frost and the office lady entered.
"Congratulations, congratulations on Miss Cold's safe return," Passerby offered his blessings with a face full of smiles.
But these words made Cold Frost huff.
"Did you discover any anomalies?"
Cold Frost looked at the questioner, Lin Ye. "No. The only point to note is that the maid went to the fourth floor to get the guest room keys. I suspect the keys to the other rooms should also be on the fourth floor, including the key to the basement."
Because the maid had mentioned the basement, Cold Frost was very concerned about it.
After all, such prohibited areas often involved important clues for clearing the instance.
The fourth floor was also a place the maid had warned them not to visit. That was Miss Carter's resting floor, and guests were unwelcome. However, as players, it was impossible for them to ignore it.
Unless touching it meant instant death, they would definitely think of ways to go to the fourth floor to find more clues.
Cold Frost pulled out a chair and sat down.
The office lady had already taken her seat.
"Three rooms. How should we allocate them for the night? According to the maid's request, each room requires at least two guests."
Three men and three women.
Grouped in pairs, there would inevitably be a combination of a man and a woman spending the night together.
"Ahem, I think it's more appropriate for Brother Zero and me to share a room."
Passerby immediately proposed.
It wasn't that sharing a room with a female player was impossible, but he knew his proposal wouldn't pass. Therefore, choosing a room with Lin Ye was the choice that best fit his own interests.
As soon as this was said,
The high school student suddenly realized that luck had fallen from the sky. No matter who he paired with afterward, it seemed he would be able to share a room with a girl!
However, if it was the office lady Linlin, would it be... too unsafe?
Amidst his joy, the high school student Ueno's mind cleared up a bit. Compared to girls, his life was obviously more important!
Should it be the aloof big sister, or...
"I hope to share a room with Miss Cold."
The office lady spoke up.
She didn't want to share a room with the high school student, who was also a rookie. If two rookies shared a room, they probably wouldn't even survive tonight.
She knew very well that to survive and return to reality alive, she had to cling to an old player's thigh.
Asuna frowned slightly. She didn't want to share a room with a man. Sharing a room with Cold Frost, an old player, would be the best choice.
But if the two rookies were put in one room, it would be no different from abandoning the two newcomers. Rookies without any experience dealing with the Strange basically wouldn't live past tonight.
"Miss Asuna, what do you think?"
Asuna pursed her lips and didn't answer immediately. Lin Ye continued speaking, "How about this? I am Level 2, and Miss Asuna is Level 1; let's share a room. The powerful Level 3 Passerby will share a room with the high school student, and Miss Cold will share a room with Miss Linlin."
"Hey, hey, hey, Brother Zero, that's not appropriate, is it!"
Passerby spoke up, coughing twice. "Brother Zero, being so impatient isn't good. It will leave a bad impression on the girl!"
He seemed to be considering Lin Ye, but in reality, he was considering himself.
The probability of being pitted to death while spending the night with a rookie was too high.
"Miss Asuna definitely won't agree! If Miss Asuna agrees, I suppose I could accept it."
But a single sentence stiffened Passerby's expression.
"I have no problem. I can accept it."
Asuna accepted. In terms of level, Lin Ye wasn't the highest, but based on his current performance, Lin Ye's strength couldn't be underestimated. Perhaps his combat power wasn't enough, but clearing Strange instance missions didn't rely solely on strength; intelligence-related factors like analytical skills and judgment also played important roles.
Moreover, players had many special items.
Two players, even if their levels were only 1 and 2, would have absolutely no problem cooperating to deal with potential attacks at night.
As for the genders not being suitable for spending the night together?
Given the current situation, it wasn't the time to consider that.
Passerby secretly cursed his big mouth. Why did he have to add that last sentence?
He subconsciously looked at Cold Frost, but this aloof old player ignored him completely, leaving him to helplessly accept this reality.
"High school student, I remind you that you must obey my instructions. Otherwise, if you die without knowing when, don't blame me."
"Yes, yes, yes, please rest assured, Uncle. I will definitely be obedient."
Passerby's eyelid twitched. He pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "At my age, how did I get called 'Uncle' by a high school student! I'm clearly very young."
He lamented a couple of sentences.
The room allocation for the three groups was thus confirmed.
Consequently, everyone began a new round of discussion regarding the 'rules' and made arrangements for the afternoon.
Familiarize themselves with the villa, master the layout, search for suspicious clues, and look for potentially existing supplementary rules.
Knock, knock, knock...
A series of knocks sounded on the parlor door again.
Click...
The parlor door slowly opened.
The silver-haired maid, Lisa, appeared. She walked into the parlor carrying a tray and poured tea for everyone.
"Guests, please taste this. This is the Master's favorite tea. We use these tea leaves to entertain honored guests."
Splash...
A faint fragrance of tea leaves filled the air.
Even the high school student, who didn't understand tea, felt the preciousness of these tea leaves.
"Lisa, is this okay?"
One sentence stunned the silver-haired maid; she didn't understand the purpose of Lin Ye's inquiry.
"Guest, what do you mean?"
"Master Carter isn't at the villa. Is it not bad to use his tea leaves without his permission?"
The silver-haired maid blinked in astonishment but soon revealed a brilliant smile. "It won't be like that. The Master won't be angry. If we used ordinary tea leaves to entertain guests, the Master would actually be the one to get angry."
"So that's how it is."
Lin Ye nodded as he spoke.
"These are the keys to the second-floor rooms. Distinguished guests, please distribute them among yourselves."
Lisa placed three keys on the tabletop. Hands hanging at her sides, holding the tray, she bowed respectfully and spoke again, "Lisa will take her leave for now. You can call me anytime if there is anything. Lisa will definitely try her best to satisfy the requests of the honored guests. I hope the honored guests spend a pleasant three days here."
After speaking, seeing that no one said anything else, she took her leave.
After the figure of the maid in the black and white uniform disappeared from the parlor, silence filled the scene once again.
"Did you analyze any information?"
Cold Frost didn't think Lin Ye failed to obtain useful information.
"Currently, the possibility that something happened to the 'Master' mentioned in the rules and by the characters is very high. The maid likely knows about this matter."
The eyes of several old players focused on Lin Ye, waiting for his further explanation.
"Just a guess. Even if honored guests visit, if the Master didn't leave instructions beforehand, the maid shouldn't presumptuously use the precious tea leaves the Master likes. Unless the Master uses these precious tea leaves to entertain guests daily, or similar situations have occurred more than once and the maid is already used to this operation."
It made some sense, but it wasn't enough to make a complete judgment.
However, for Strange Players, having this possibility was enough.
"The black shadow we encountered in the forest couldn't be this Master, right?"
Asuna associated something and immediately raised this conjecture.
"That is actually possible."
Passerby, who had just wiped his glasses, echoed, "The Master who left according to the maid, and the black shadow that appeared in the forest to attack us—it is entirely possible they are the same existence."
"If that's the case, how should we resolve the Strange entity that this 'Master' has transformed into?"
If they relied purely on martial force, Cold Frost had already fought it. It was very troublesome, and the means she had used so far couldn't cause effective damage.
If they couldn't find a method, they wouldn't be able to resolve that 'Strange' efficiently.
This topic was temporarily set aside. With insufficient clues and information, discussing it further had little meaning.
"In the afternoon, let's split up and act separately! Team up in pairs; the teams will follow the room allocation arrangements!"
Cold Frost spoke up.
The others had no objections, only Passerby let out a sigh. "Sigh, I clearly wanted to act together with Brother Zero. I believe Brother Zero could definitely bring me more surprises."
Hearing this, Lin Ye couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
Is this guy's orientation abnormal? Or is this a disguise by this player? Using this to confuse others and achieve the goal of protecting himself?
Lin Ye thought of himself. He would also perform some exaggerated behaviors during instances to prevent other Strange Players from connecting him to his real self.
This probability was small, but he had to guard against it.
"Miss Asuna, do we want to switch?"
Passerby proactively proposed, but was ruthlessly rejected by Asuna. "No interest."
"Zero and I will confirm the situation outside the villa!" she continued.
"Leave the first floor to me," Passerby said immediately. "Then the 2nd and 3rd floors..."
"I'll handle the 2nd floor. The 3rd floor depends on our search situation. As for the 4th floor, we'll plan it later," Cold Frost answered.
The 4th floor and the basement were dangerous areas. Going to explore them required ample preparation; otherwise, it would be easy to attract danger.
The tasks were fully assigned.
The six people exchanged thoughts and information a bit more in the parlor, then began their actions.
Lin Ye and Asuna left the villa first to confirm the situation around the villa.
In the afternoon,
Under the azure sky, the sun hung high, sprinkling down warm sunlight. A gentle, balmy breeze blew past, making one feel comfortable and relaxed.
Lin Ye and Asuna walked shoulder to shoulder in the garden in front of the villa.
Red and yellow fresh flowers competed in bloom. The beautiful colors gladdened the heart.
Being here, admiring the fresh flowers in this garden, Asuna's expression gradually softened and relaxed a lot.
From the start until now, her nerves had been constantly taut. In a prolonged state of vigilance, even the best spirits couldn't avoid a trace of fatigue.
"The flowers here are quite nice; very beautiful."
Lin Ye walked closer and squatted down, looking at the chrysanthemums swaying slightly in the breeze.
"You like flowers?"
"I wouldn't say I like them! But I definitely don't hate them. Seeing beautiful things always makes the mood better."
Lin Ye took a sniff; a faint floral fragrance lingered.
"How many instance missions has Mr. Zero participated in?"
Lin Ye looked out of the corner of his eye at the blue-haired girl beside him. "If we're talking about Invitation Missions, this should count as the second time!"
This matched his level.
"It's my second time too."
Asuna also squatted down, admiring the swaying flowers from a close distance.
"I have a question, out of curiosity. Miss Asuna doesn't have to answer."
The girl didn't answer, which indicated she was willing to listen to Lin Ye's inquiry.
"Why did Miss Asuna choose to accept the invitation of the Strange Game and become a Strange Player?"
The girl's peripheral vision turned toward Lin Ye. Their eyes met, and time seemed to stagnate at this moment.
"And you? Why did you choose to accept?"
"Compared to the Strange Game, reality seems a bit boring. Strange events will only increase in the future, and their impact on reality will only get bigger. I don't want to encounter a Strange event again someday in the future and be able to do nothing but accept it passively."
Asuna suddenly felt a trace of agreement with Lin Ye. "I want to experience a different life."
She didn't want to be passively controlled by her mother anymore, listening to her mother's arrangements and steadily continuing her future life like a robot.
She didn't want that. She wanted to live out her own appearance and embrace a future that belonged to her.
This was probably why, knowing clearly that the 'Strange Game' was extremely dangerous and she could die at any time, she chose to accept the invitation after clearing the 'Trial Game' and became a formal Strange Player.
"The worries of a famous, rich young lady. Hahaha."
Asuna almost thought Lin Ye had recognized her real identity, but thinking that this kind of worry indeed appeared most often among rich young ladies, she understood.
"Alright."
Asuna stood up and brushed off her clothes. "Where to next?"
"Let's check the situation around the villa first, and then go check over by the forest!"
"Uh!"
Asuna completely hadn't expected that Lin Ye still had thoughts of entering that forest.
"Don't dare to?"
"I just didn't expect you to still attempt to enter the forest. That black shadow is dangerous."
"With the flashing Miss Asuna here, I'm very reassured."
"Please don't casually give girls nicknames."
But she surprisingly felt the title 'Asuna the Flash' wasn't bad.
...
Ten minutes later,
Lin Ye and Asuna arrived at the backyard of the villa. The environment was similar to the front yard, but there was a small pond here. The German Shepherd named 'John' was currently drinking water by the pond.
A moment later,
The German Shepherd finished drinking. It turned around and saw Lin Ye and Asuna. Its robust body started running fast, galloping toward them on all fours.
Asuna immediately recalled the German Shepherd's behavior the moment they first arrived.
The German Shepherd at that time wouldn't listen to calls.
But now, the German Shepherd stopped three meters away from them and didn't bark.
"It stopped barking."
"Mm."
Lin Ye didn't relax his vigilance either.
He couldn't be sure if this German Shepherd would suddenly attack.
The burly German Shepherd circled the two, sticking out its big tongue, seeming to express its friendliness.
Lin Ye and Asuna's eyes met, exchanging meanings. Then Lin Ye took the initiative to reach out affectionately toward the German Shepherd, signaling it to come over.
The moment Lin Ye signaled, the German Shepherd ran over quickly, revealing a clingy side.
Lin Ye rubbed the German Shepherd's head. Its tail wagged even more vigorously, swishing back and forth very powerfully.
"It's quite close to people. Completely different from its attitude toward us when we first met."
However, compared to gentle breeds like Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds shouldn't be this intimate with strangers.
"Go play!"
Patting the German Shepherd's back, Lin Ye said.
The German Shepherd rubbed against him and left, its figure disappearing at the end of the villa's corner.
"Zero, when we first arrived at the villa, the German Shepherd barked at us. Reminder 7 mentioned 'If the German Shepherd suddenly barks'."
If any of them had run away at that time, would that have counted as violating the rules?
Lin Ye didn't answer. With little information and insufficient clues now, analyzing and guessing too much would only confuse their thinking and add unnecessary trouble.
"Let's go look by the pond!"
The two soon arrived at this small pond.
A few golden-red koi fish were swimming.
Lin Ye threw in a small pebble. The moment the pebble entered the water, the koi immediately scattered and swam away.
"Let's go!"
Rubbing his eyes, Lin Ye signaled the girl to follow him to continue forward.
After spending more than an hour,
Lin Ye and Asuna walked around the villa twice, but they didn't search out any useful information outside. Everything was very normal, without a single trace of anything unusual.
If they didn't know this was a Strange Instance Mission world,
Asuna would have felt this was a very good place for a vacation and relaxation.
Lin Ye pointed in the direction of the forest; the meaning was self-evident.
Asuna nodded.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder in the direction they came from.
After walking about fifty meters, a shouting voice rang out.
"Guests, guests..."
A female voice came from behind.
It was the maid's voice.
The two turned to look and saw the silver-haired maid lifting the hem of her skirt, running quickly toward them. "Huff, huff huff..."
The silver-haired maid was panting heavily. "Two guests, are... are you leaving the villa to go home?"
She seemed worried that the two were leaving.
"No, we just wanted to stroll around nearby."
"So that's how it is."
The maid nodded as if understanding. "Guests, please don't go far. Actually, I'm a bit embarrassed to say, but it's not particularly safe on our side, especially over by the forest where accidents have happened. There are wild beasts, so I don't recommend guests getting too close to the forest. It's a bit dangerous for two people."
This was hoping they wouldn't go to the forest.
"We came from the forest and didn't discover any dangerous wild beasts."
The silver-haired maid smiled bitterly. "That also depends on luck. Wild beasts won't appear in broad daylight, but it's different at night."
"Thank you, we understand. We won't go."
Lin Ye expressed his thanks. "By the way, Lisa, I wonder what the 'accident in the forest' you mentioned was? I'm a bit curious."
Under the silver-haired maid's gaze, Lin Ye continued, "I'm actually a novelist. I usually collect novel material through things encountered in life and the experiences of people around me. I feel the 'forest accident' you mentioned, Lisa, could definitely provide me with very good novel material."
Asuna listened and expressed that she didn't believe a word, but she admired Lin Ye's acting ability.
"I see. Actually... the one who had the accident wasn't someone else, but me."
The silver-haired maid revealed an awkward smile.
Lin Ye and Asuna looked at each other, smelling the scent of a new clue.
"Please continue."
Under the gaze of the two, the silver-haired maid spoke again.
"One morning I woke up, only to suddenly discover I was sleeping in the forest. I didn't know how I appeared in the forest at all; I didn't have any memory whatsoever."
"Then suddenly, a rustling sound rang out, scaring me into running back toward the villa immediately. I was very scared. I clearly remembered something was chasing me from behind. I ran with all my might, and even endured the fear to glance back, but I didn't see the form of the figure chasing me."
"I think it was a wolf or a black bear!"
When Lisa explained, her body still had a slight trembling reaction. Even now, recalling it, that trace of fear still lingered in her heart.
"It's already passed. Don't think too much about it."
"Thank you."
Lisa thanked him. "So unless the guests are preparing to leave the villa and go home, please try not to go to the forest!"
"Okay."
Thus, the group of three returned to the villa.
"I will take my leave first."
The silver-haired maid took her leave. The burly German Shepherd looked at Lin Ye and Asuna but didn't come over proactively.
Asuna waved affectionately, but the German Shepherd turned and left, leaving only a view of its back.
"This is..."
"It seems Asuna doesn't appeal to it."
Lin Ye watched the direction the German Shepherd disappeared, involuntarily pondering the possible reasons for this change.
Passing through the garden, the two re-entered the villa.
The six people gathered in the parlor again.
"Yo, the two of you returned from your date?"
Asuna was already used to Passerby's teasing and didn't actively pay attention to him. "Miss Cold, any discoveries?"
"The study on the third floor is locked. I tried to enter by force, but failed."
The high school student heard this and spoke immediately, "I... my strength is relatively great. Should I try to ram it open next time?" He also knew he had to display his value.
"Haha," Passerby laughed. "This isn't something that can be rammed open by relying on strength, but a rule restriction. Unless you have the key or master other methods of opening the door, attempting to break the door by pure violence is impossible."
"S-So that's how it is." The high school student was embarrassed.
"No other special things were found in the other rooms on the second and third floors. I've also checked the three rooms we are residing in; the layouts are almost identical."
Speaking of this, Cold Frost slid two keys in front of Passerby and Lin Ye.
"Keep the keys safe." She reminded them.
"There's nothing to note on the first floor either. The dining room is very large, fully capable of accommodating twenty or thirty people eating together. The kitchen is also very large. I found quite a few fresh ingredients. I didn't eat them, but tonight's dinner should be very rich!"
Up to now, the old players hadn't eaten the tea or fruits provided by the maid.
Among the rookies, the high school student had tasted the tea himself when the maid served it. As for the office lady Linlin, she originally planned to drink it too, but seeing the old players didn't start, she silently put down the cup and maintained silence.
Following the old players' lead was absolutely never wrong.
Actually, Asuna wanted to warn the high school student when she saw it, but he had already drunk it, so she swallowed back her persuasion.
That there was a problem with the tea and fruits was merely a possibility, and honestly, the probability wasn't actually that high.
Since it already happened, there was naturally no need to say more.
"Brother Zero, what discoveries do you guys have? Don't be busy with romance under the moon and ignore our important business."
Passerby teased.
Asuna looked around and spoke, "We discovered two points. First, the German Shepherd John is relatively friendly to guests. When it encountered us the second time, the barking situation from the first time didn't occur."
"But when we returned from outside the villa and saw the German Shepherd again, it was neither enthusiastic nor did it bark. We can't determine if this is the German Shepherd's normal reaction, or if its attitude changed because we touched upon some unknown rule."
The German Shepherd John was an existence that appeared in the 'Reminders'.
Its behavioral changes were, to some extent, reflecting the rules.
As players, they definitely needed to pay attention.
"What about the other point!"
"When we left the villa preparing to go to the forest, the maid appeared, caught up to us, and persuaded us to return to the villa," Lin Ye said.
"Therefore, I have a suggestion. Afterward, Asuna and I will find the maid and chat with her, while Miss Cold and Passerby, you two team up to leave the villa and head to the forest."
At this point, everyone understood Lin Ye's purpose.
"No problem."
Information exchange complete.
The four players sprang into action. The high school student was grabbed to act as a messenger.
Lin Ye and Asuna found the silver-haired maid Lisa, who was busy processing ingredients, in the kitchen on the first floor.
Splash...
Splash...
Running water rinsed the potatoes.
"Need help?" Asuna inquired.
"No no no, no need. How could there be a reason to let guests help?"
"But you can't handle so many ingredients alone, right!"
"I can do it."
Lisa said firmly.
"But we still want to help you. Give us a chance!"
Under Lin Ye's request, Lisa finally relented. "Then please help me peel the potato skins, you two! I'll go process the other ingredients."
"Okay."
At the kitchen door, under the reminder of Lin Ye's eyes, the high school student immediately set off to signal Cold Frost and Passerby.
The two old players immediately set off and walked out of the villa's main gate, heading toward the forest.
But they unexpectedly discovered a tall, blond figure standing with her back to them ahead.
Aiqi Carter.
The Eldest Miss of this villa.
The young girl who hadn't appeared again since the first meeting in the afternoon, suspected to be staying in her room on the fourth floor, was now appearing in the wild outside the villa.
Illogical, very abnormal.
Cold Frost had already raised her vigilance.
"Miss Carter, out for a walk?"
"Yes, I stayed in my room all afternoon today, so now I came out to take a walk and relax. Are the two guests also here to walk and relax?"
"Yes."
"Then shall we walk together?"
Cold Frost and Passerby looked at each other and accepted the invitation.
Perhaps,
They could obtain some new clues and information from this blond Eldest Miss.
As for the test on the maid?
Actually, their testing goal had already been achieved. When they left the villa but couldn't continue to the forest because of the blond Eldest Miss's appearance, it indicated that an invisible force was preventing them from moving far from the villa and going to the forest.
They could attempt to forcibly go to the forest, but it would absolutely attract a greater backlash.
Now, with insufficient information and an unclear situation, they didn't need to take a huge risk to continue going out.
"What kind of men does Miss Carter like?"
Unlike Cold Frost, Passerby took on the heavy responsibility of active chatting. Relying on his trait of being shameless, he talked a lot, asking many questions that would easily cause resentment in normal people.
"Definitely not a frivolous man like you, Guest."
"Ah! I... I'm actually not frivolous. I'm very shy."
"Hahaha..."
The blond Eldest Miss covered her mouth and laughed, her smile brilliant.
Honestly, even Cold Frost had to admit that this blond Eldest Miss was truly naturally beautiful with outstanding looks. If this were in real society, she would have unknown numbers of suitors.
Noticing Passerby's embarrassed reaction, she just felt this player's acting talent was strong.
If she didn't know this was a Level 3 player, she would have thought this guy was a pure-hearted boy.
Evening.
The sun set in the west, rendering the sky with a layer of beautiful red flush.
6:00 PM.
The dinner dining time.
All six people appeared in the dining room.
The maid served six identical dinners for the six people.
Beef stew with potatoes, salad, roasted pumpkin, fried noodles, and a small bowl of sweet soup.
"If guests feel the amount of food isn't enough, you can contact me. I will add the necessary dishes and staple food for the guests."
"Lisa, my appetite is a bit small. I might not be able to finish it."
Asuna spoke, feigning embarrassment.
"This... wasting food is not good. How about you let Mr. Zero help?"
The silver-haired maid thought for a moment and looked at Lin Ye.
Lin Ye shrugged and said, "Since you can't finish it, give me some!"
"Thank you."
"Is Miss Carter not dining with us?" It was Cold Frost who asked.
After they returned to the villa with the blond Eldest Miss, she went upstairs first. Facing her invitation to eat together, Aiqi Carter didn't refuse, but didn't positively accept either.
"Miss will come down later. Please dine first, guests. The quality of our ingredients is guaranteed; Miss Asuna and Mr. Zero can testify."
Lin Ye nodded. "Indeed not bad. The vegetables are all very fresh. Asuna and I both contributed. Everyone should eat well."
Is this letting them eat with peace of mind?
Cold Frost couldn't help but think.
"Distinguished guests, please enjoy your meal. Call me if there is anything."
Lisa took her leave first.
After confirming the maid had left, Passerby spoke up. "Is this food definitely okay? How about we don't eat it and eat the food we brought ourselves?"
Because there was preparation time, the old players had brought dry rations.
For three days, just eating a little to get by wasn't a problem at all.
Cold Frost also leaned toward not eating.
But if they didn't eat, they would waste food. What would the maid do then?
This was another problem.
"Asuna and I participated in the entire process of ingredient handling. We basically watched the cooking process too. The possibility of problems with the dishes themselves isn't high. And the rules explicitly mention 'We need to prepare to go to the dining room to dine', so... I lean toward eating."
Lin Ye looked at everyone and continued, "My thought is, rather than worrying about what damage eating will cause, it's better to consider what not eating will attract."
To eat or not to eat?
Both carried the possibility of inviting mutations.
What to choose?
With that said, the players had to decide for themselves.
Lin Ye moved his fork and started eating.
"The taste is quite good. That maid's skills are not bad."
Lin Ye ate with relish, making the high school student watch with envious eyes. Finally, he gritted his teeth and started eating too.
He had long been starving.
"I won't eat. It fits as a separate test anyway." Passerby made a decision. He thought about it and decided not to touch the food.
Cold Frost thought for a moment, looked at the food in front of her, and finally moved her fork.
Asuna didn't hesitate anymore and started. Enjoying delicious cuisine was also a segment of relaxation.
The office lady Linlin wavered, but finally thought about it and started eating along with Cold Frost. In the end, only Passerby didn't eat dinner.
"I'll trouble you with my portion."
Passerby pushed his tray in front of Lin Ye.
Lin Ye wasn't polite either.
"What do you want?" He asked Asuna and Cold Frost.
"Potato beef stew."
He quickly finished distributing the staple food and dishes from the tray.
Until dinner ended, no mutations occurred.
But all players knew that the night was the key.
Tonight, the Strange would inevitably visit.
________________________________________
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