Lin Yu opened his eyes and looked around.
The icy wind was several times stronger than before, and below was a vast expanse of pitch-black, churning ocean.
Falling alongside him were six other figures—likely the other players.
"What's the deal with this dungeon?"
Lin Yu thought rapidly.
Just as he was pondering...
The descent abruptly stopped!
The soft leather-cushioned wooden chair miraculously absorbed almost all the impact of the fall, leaving Lin Yu feeling no pain whatsoever!
Then, he surveyed his surroundings once more.
They were still suspended hundreds of meters in the air—besides him, the other six figures were also seated on different chairs.
These chairs swayed mid-air, each tied at its four corners with ropes that extended upward, seemingly reaching the heavens.
A white round table tied with seven ropes descended from the sky, coming to a steady halt before the group.
On the table were porcelain bone plates, and...
In the central pool on the table stood a massive red octopus emerging from the water.
The red octopus wore a chef's hat, its eight tentacles spread out.
"Welcome! Welcome—welcome, honored guests! Welcome, visitors and players from other worlds!"
"Welcome to this banquet hosted by my supreme master, the 'God of Banquets, Wine, and Revelry'!"
The red octopus spoke in a cheerful yet solemn voice, its deep tone resembling a resonant bass, like a radio host delivering holiday greetings.
"I am the host of this banquet, the head chef, the banquet manager, and the security chief—Ka!"
"Honored guests, dear guests, I hope you all enjoy this banquet, and..."
One of the octopus's tentacles lifted its tall white chef's hat, while the remaining seven tentacles grabbed utensils from beneath the hat and flung them toward the seven!
The sharp knives and forks embedded precisely into the table before each person, mere centimeters away from them.
Lin Yu examined the still-quivering utensils before him and realized one thing.
"This cooked-looking octopus is pretty strong..."
Then, the red octopus "Ka" adjusted its chef's hat.
"...and I also hope you can survive until the banquet's end."
After saying this, its tentacles reached beneath the pool and retrieved a piece of cardboard.
"Anyway, to help you all survive this revelrous banquet, I have some small banquet rules I hope you'll follow!"
At this point, Lin Yu straightened his posture.
The main event was here.
This was the game's rule segment.
The octopus then began reciting the rules.
"First—you are all here as honored guests chosen by my master. Unless permitted by my master, no attacks are allowed between you."
Hearing this rule, Lin Yu nodded slightly.
No attacks allowed? That likely meant this wasn't a 'Competition'-type dungeon.
Even if it were a 'Competition' type, it probably didn't involve direct player slaughter.
After the octopus finished this rule, Lin Yu heard a soft "Tch" from beside him.
Lin Yu glanced sideways and saw a gaunt man in a Tang suit with tortoiseshell-framed glasses wearing a displeased expression.
Not just him—directly across from Lin Yu, a girl with light yellow hair, adorned with bright accessories and dressed flamboyantly, also muttered in disappointment.
Judging by her lips, it was probably "What a shame."
After "Ka" finished speaking, it paused briefly before continuing.
"Second... since this is a banquet, though some dishes might not suit your tastes, I hope you won't waste food and will finish each course seriously. Otherwise—you might face some penalties."
Hearing this, Lin Yu narrowed his eyes.
"Seems like a 'Survival'-type dungeon. Probably some dishes will be challenging to eat or something."
"Finally, the most important rule—please follow the dining etiquette I remind you of while enjoying the food and banquet, doing what's required at each stage... otherwise, I'll have to do things none of you will enjoy."
"Of course, as the banquet host, aside from punishing impolite guests, I'll also provide timely assistance and rewards to those who perform well."
By the time "Ka" finished, Lin Yu had already pieced together the dungeon's premise.
Basically, eating various challenging foods under bizarre requirements.
Whether those foods were extremely hard, scalding hot, or disgustingly awful...
Lin Yu didn't know yet.
And "Ka" showed no intention of revealing that yet.
It tossed the cardboard back into the pool, rotated its head 360 degrees to observe each player's face, then said:
"Alright, everyone... I must go prepare the ingredients now—next is your self-introduction and mingling session."
"I hope you all get along!"
"Ka" gathered its eight tentacles and sprang like a coil from the pool at the table's center, soaring into the sky.
The gaunt thirty-something man in the Tang suit and tortoiseshell glasses to Lin Yu's left spoke.
"Well, everyone... though I know some of you, since the octopus said no attacks and wants us to introduce ourselves... let's maintain peace for now."
"Shall we introduce ourselves in order, starting from me and going clockwise?"
As the man spoke, the light-haired girl across from Lin Yu propped her feet on the table: "Whatever."
Ignoring her prickly tone, the Tang-suited man adjusted his glasses with his middle finger: "Let me introduce myself. I'm a member of 'Order' from Haicheng, also Haicheng's Game Master—codename 'Gambler' Li Hua, profession also 'Gambler'."
Hearing this, Lin Yu was surprised.
Normally, people wouldn't reveal their city or real name.
But this man had the right to!
Haicheng's Game Master, 'Gambler' Li Hua...
Even within 'Order', he was top-tier!
'Gambler' wasn't a Unique Class, just rare.
To use a non-Unique Class as his codename and boldly reveal his real name...
Li Hua's strength spoke for itself!
After speaking, Li Hua gestured to the man on his left.
The man beside Li Hua had the simple, honest appearance of a farmer—dark-skinned with some wrinkles.
He spoke unhurriedly: "My profession is 'Farmer', from the 'Player Mutual Aid Association'. You can call me 'Radish'."
Lin Yu was shocked again.
This "Radish" said he was "from" the 'Player Mutual Aid Association', but in truth—he was one of its founders.
Next, a fair-complexioned man with peach-blossom eyes, resembling a Peking opera female lead but dressed in a tailcoat, smiled.
"Pardon my intrusion..."
He snapped his fingers, and a top hat appeared in his hand, which he placed lightly on his head.
"My humble profession is 'Magician', codename also 'Magician', but you may call me 'Phantom'..."
"From the 'Free Alliance'."