Chapter 15: Gourmet Paradise
The group crossed the large open area on the first floor and headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor. The seals here had already been lifted.
Following the wolf butler, Su Xiao had just stepped onto the stairs when he felt as if he had passed through a thin membrane.
After passing through this membrane, a strange fragrance assailed his nostrils. This exotic scent stirred his appetite, and his stomach growled with hunger.
“The second floor isn’t going to be about food, is it? I like that.”
Pi Pang was chewing on some meat-based food, but it didn’t alleviate his hunger.
“So fragrant. Just smelling this gives me an appetite.”
The catgirl licked the pads of her paws, also beginning to feel ravenous.
“This is bad.”
The gold-rimmed glasses man adjusted his glasses.
As the group passed through the staircase, the scene on the second floor came into view.
Compared to the first floor, the second floor was much smaller, only a few hundred square meters or so. The room was lined with rows of long dining tables, and on the tables were foods Su Xiao had never seen before. Although he hadn’t seen these foods, they were incredibly enticing.
If he weren’t inside the Demon Castle, Su Xiao would have suspected he had walked into a buffet restaurant.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second floor of the Demon Castle: Gourmet Paradise.”
The wolf butler made a gesture of invitation, very much like the butler of some great noble from the Middle Ages. However, he wasn’t inviting Su Xiao and the others into the second floor; he was inviting someone else.
A golden door on the inner side of the second floor swung open, and a woman in a white dress stepped out. She had long, wavy golden hair, a tall, slender figure, and fair skin so delicate it seemed it might break at a touch.
The moment this woman appeared, everyone, including Su Xiao, turned their gazes toward her.
The instant he saw this woman, Su Xiao’s mind became somewhat dazed. An uncontrollable thought arose in his heart: to abduct this woman.
Beside him, the gold-rimmed glasses man’s gaze was intoxicated, his expression clearly one of kneeling to welcome his queen.
The thoughts of the two men were worlds apart.
Not to mention the men present, even the catgirl and the detective loli subconsciously wanted to get close to this woman.
A few seconds later, Su Xiao’s gaze returned to normal. Not long after, the other contractors also regained their composure.
This woman was far too special. She came with her own aura, and this wasn’t a metaphor—it actually existed.
A faint, shimmering golden light emanated from her skin, and every move she made gave off a sense of gentleness and comfort.
“Everyone, welcome to my castle.”
The woman spoke, her voice soft.
Hearing her words, Su Xiao’s body tensed. This woman was Alice. Setting aside her other abilities, her charm was such that even his Mind Blade couldn’t resist it.
Was the queen of the Demon Castle, Alice, only capable of charm? Of course not. She was the ruler within the castle.
Alice’s appearance surprised Su Xiao. He hadn’t expected her to show up so early.
“Your Majesty, the Queen.”
The wolf butler knelt on one knee, his expression respectful.
“I’m just an illusion now, Wolf Butler. No need for such formality.”
Alice remained as gentle as ever.
“Yes.”
The wolf butler rose and quickly walked behind Alice. This wasn’t Alice’s true body, but her clone or illusion.
“Brave warriors, no need to be so wary. The castle’s existence isn’t for my personal amusement. This is a place where the strong are born. Alice may need your help in the future. Outside the castle, Alice is just a weak woman. So, for the second game, Alice will preside over it for you brave warriors. You won’t have any objections, will you?”
Alice clasped her hands in front of her chest, her gaze clearly one of… anticipation?
From the meaning of her words, Alice appeared to be a gentle, kind beauty. But was that really the case?
As for Alice presiding over the second game, it seemed impossible to refuse. The wolf butler behind her had already taken out the Fate Dominator revolver, the implication clear: anyone who refused would be treated to a bullet.
“Having Queen Alice personally preside over the game is my honor. As a gentleman, of course, I wouldn’t refuse a lady’s request, especially one as stunning as Lady Alice.”
The gold-rimmed glasses man smoothly flattered her with several compliments.
Alice smiled and stepped forward, linking her arm with the gold-rimmed glasses man’s. His bones seemed to melt.
“Sycophant.”
When Alice turned her back to the others, her smile suddenly vanished.
“Huh?”
The gold-rimmed glasses man’s face turned green.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, gentleman?”
Alice looked puzzled, her expression pitiful as she gazed at the gold-rimmed glasses man.
“N-nothing. I think I just heard things.”
Was it really nothing? If it were nothing, the gold-rimmed glasses man’s legs wouldn’t be trembling.
“Quite the lucky fellow.”
A smile appeared on Su Xiao’s face. He could tell something was off.
“Indeed. Brother, want to give it a try?”
Pi Pang beside him let out a lecherous grin.
“Compared to a beauty, my life is more important.”
“Great minds think alike.”
Their conversation reached the detective loli’s ears. She was a bit puzzled. Seeing the gold-rimmed glasses man’s expression, it seemed his soul was about to float away, blissfully happy. That didn’t seem related to his life.
Under Alice’s guidance, the group arrived at a round dining table in the center of the room. The table was laden with various foods, with nine seats in total.
Alice sat at the head of the table, and the others, under the wolf butler’s ‘hospitality,’ took their seats one by one.
“Everyone has been busy on the first floor for three days. You must be hungry. The second game is for you to taste these delicacies. Wolf Butler.”
Alice waved at the wolf butler, who understood and began dividing the sumptuous food on the table into nine portions. Including Alice, each person at the table received one.
A few minutes later, a steak, a dessert, and a goblet were placed on the plate in front of Su Xiao.
Alice stood up, picked up a bottle of wine from the table—a red wine—and surprisingly, she poured a glass for each person in turn.
Soon, Alice returned to her seat at the head of the table and picked up a knife and fork.
“Don’t be shy. Please, eat.”
Alice cut a small piece of steak, parted her red lips slightly, brought the steak to her mouth, chewed slowly, and her smile never wavered.
[Prompt: The second round of the game has begun.]
Receiving the notification from Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao looked at the food before him: a steak, a dessert, and half a glass of red wine. Could it be that the second game was simply to eat these things?
Someone always had to be the first to try the ‘crab,’ and that person was Pi Pang.
Pi Pang was very calm. From the smell and color, he judged that the food was non-toxic and didn’t sense any other anomalies. So, he picked up his knife and fork, cut a piece of steak, and brought it to his mouth, chewing carefully.
Suddenly, Pi Pang’s eyes widened. Everyone else looked at him.
“This is freaking delicious.”
Pi Pang swallowed the steak with a gulp, his expression clearly one of lingering satisfaction.
“You scared me. I thought you were going to drop dead.”
The detective loli muttered, then also picked up her knife and fork.
However, just as Pi Pang was about to cut another piece of steak, his expression changed drastically. He quickly pulled out a glass bottle and chugged the liquid inside. That stuff was a recovery potion…