After explaining the rules, Bullhorse ignored Liu Zheng completely, lying down on the floor to sleep soundly.
Liu Zheng looked around but found nothing to pass the time, so he started playing with his phone.
It was an old-fashioned phone that couldn't access the internet or install apps, with only a built-in Snake game.
Liu Zheng stared at the long snake composed of black-and-white pixels, lost in thought.
A single delivery guy's combat power could instantly kill him, and with all those bizarre rules, this dungeon clearly favored puzzle-solving over brute force.
Though he wasn't passionate about reasoning games, he knew everything in such games usually had a purpose.
The best way to understand a game's function was to play it first.
Pressing the confirm button, the game began.
The bottom left showed the score, while the right had a timer bar.
Periodically, a large flashing dot would appear while the timer bar shortened.
Regular dots were worth 5 points, while large dots gave up to 25 points - their value decreasing as the timer shrank.
Upon reaching the score threshold, a square pixel would appear.
Guiding the snake's head into this square advanced to the next level.
Simple rules meant simple strategy: eat large dots quickly to minimize snake length.
Of course, this carried risks - longer snakes could easily crash into their own tails while chasing big dots.
Still, it remained an easy game, and Liu Zheng soon reached level 10.
Level 10 drastically increased difficulty - faster snake speed and numerous obstacles appeared.
Just as he focused on eating a large dot, he felt warm breath by his ear.
Pausing the game, he turned to see Bullhorse's massive head.
"I knew you'd play it eventually," Bullhorse said with an I-told-you-so expression.
"Is this game forbidden?"
"Doesn't matter. Humans can't resist games anyway," Bullhorse shook its head.
"Once started, don't stop. And you can't lose."
"Must I complete it?"
"You can quit after level 20. But if you reopen the game later, you must finish it."
"By the way, the highest record I've seen is level 24."
Liu Zheng checked the top display: 10/25.
"How many people kept playing?" he asked.
Bullhorse didn't answer, just glanced at the densely packed cabinets lining the wall.
They'd each had multiple owners before.
"Fine." Liu Zheng shrugged and resumed playing, with Bullhorse now watching beside him.
Level after level, he adopted a steady strategy until reaching level 20.
Level 20 spiked difficulty again - snake speed doubled from level 1, obstacle placement became tricky, and large dots spawned unpredictably, making high scores extremely difficult.
Worst were the spiked pixels that appeared - likely representing mines.
After a grueling battle, Liu Zheng was drenched in sweat.
"Impressive. No wonder your massages are so good," Bullhorse praised.
It probably couldn't pass level 1 if it tried.
Fortunately, this curse only affected humans - Bullhorses were immune.
"What's the completion reward?" Liu Zheng wiped his sweat.
"Unclear. Some say huge bonuses, others promotion opportunities, or... a ticket."
"Yes. A ticket to leave Bloody Restaurant, to leave this city." Bullhorse's tone carried longing.
Liu Zheng silently exited the game.
Though intensely curious, he wasn't suicidal.
After all, he wasn't a cat.
Suddenly, Bullhorse stood up. Check latest chapters at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Liu Zheng looked toward the door where the bottom panel slowly opened.
A skeletal hand slid in, dropped a note, then quickly retracted.
Bullhorse sauntered over and glanced at it.
"Lucky human." It nodded toward the note.
Liu Zheng picked it up and read:
"Dish: Aberrant-eyed Salmon Head Pizza (1)
Address: Apartment 503, Building 3, Merlin Residential Area
"Why am I lucky?" Liu Zheng asked.
"You'll see. Now deliver your first order." Bullhorse urged.
Under its supervision, Liu Zheng donned the uniform, taking his phone and map.
The wooden door silently closed behind him as he stepped out, sending chills down his neck from the lurking unknown dangers.
"Between the devil and the deep blue sea," Liu Zheng thought resignedly.
The food cart held a sealed package.
Opening it revealed a square box with a blood-red iris painted on the lid.
After brief hesitation, he lifted the lid - and froze in horror.
Dozens of fish heads with varying numbers of eyes crowded a 9-inch crust, their black, juicy eyeballs staring at him as if alive.
Their gaze felt so profound it threatened to swallow his soul whole.
A sharp self-inflicted slap brought him back.
The fish eyes had turned milky-white and lifeless, the eerie sensation replaced by overwhelming nausea.
"Name: Aberrant-eyed Salmon Head Pizza
Effect: Temporarily boosts perception. Small chance to gain 'Spiritual Vision' status. Permanently reduces sanity.
Note: When you gaze at the stars, you may see heaven... or hell.
Removable from Dungeon: Yes"
An exportable dungeon item?
Liu Zheng's mind raced with possibilities, but now wasn't the time.
He slammed the lid shut, blocking those lingering stares.
"Merlin Residential Area."
The map showed about 6km from Bloody Restaurant.
Previously, this distance meant nothing - Liu Zheng could easily run half-marathons.
Now, it posed serious difficulty.
Even if his will held, his lungs wouldn't.
"Ghk..." Liu Zheng clutched his throat, feeling leaden weights inside.
He'd endured the discomfort to avoid showing weakness before Bullhorse.
The physical battle was lost, but the battle of wills had just begun.