Chapter 1383: The Room Isn't Safe Either
The aroma of food permeated every corner of the restaurant, clinging to both the people and objects within, making it an agonizing ordeal for those present, especially those in the midst of evolution.
At least thirty ordinary people had entered today, around a dozen of whom had just begun their evolution. Resisting the urge to gorge was already extremely difficult, and in this environment, it was nearly impossible. After losing control, these dozen individuals attacked other players.
The outcome was, of course, predictable. The restaurant's waitstaff, unfazed by the scene, quickly cleaned up the corpses and the mess before leaving.
"What are you looking at?" Marris suddenly called out to Xu Huo, who had been watching the waitstaff clean the dining area.
Xu Huo withdrew his gaze. "Too many players have entered the restaurant."
Marris chuckled. "Zone 023 naturally wouldn't have this many players. This instance must have appeared simultaneously in different districts or cities. That's how random instances work—they can open wherever the medium goes. There are quite a few instances that can be activated in multiple places at once."
In other words, they were unlucky. Xu Huo's initial method of clearing the instance was feasible, especially since many people only ordered one dish, which significantly lowered the difficulty. But now that the number of people had increased, even after excluding those who only chose one dish, repeated voters, and cheaters, there were still plenty left. With free voting, it was hard to predict which dish would ultimately be selected.
"Even seemingly ordinary instances can be this hard to clear if the rules are hidden," Marris said meaningfully.
By the time the restaurant closed at eight o'clock, the number of players who had entered had reached one hundred and eighty. After subtracting those who had been killed, there were still one hundred and seventy people left. The restaurant had also expanded from one floor to two. The number of waitstaff hadn't increased, but after the lights were turned off, four passageways appeared on both the upper and lower floors.
With more passageways and a larger dining area, the lighting was far worse than the previous day. The distance between the wall sconces seemed to stretch infinitely. Once someone stepped into the shadows, they had to adapt like an ordinary person for a few seconds before they could barely make out the outlines of objects, severely limiting the players' vision.
Xu Huo manipulated space rays to form a barrier, sealing off the room closest to a passageway. However, as he approached, the gentlemanly man from the daytime had already broken through the barrier ahead of him. As he opened the door, he turned back and smiled at Xu Huo in greeting.
Xu Huo walked past him without pausing, instantly appearing behind a player who had just opened the next room. He grabbed the player's shoulder and pulled him back, securing the room with minimal effort.
The displaced player only cursed once before quickly rushing to the next spot.
Because the players were dispersed, finding a room tonight ended earlier than last night. In less than ten minutes, there was no sound outside the rooms. After waiting another ten minutes or so, the raincoat cleaner began moving around the restaurant. Not long after, the limping butcher must have appeared, as sounds of hammering and banging came from the storage room.
"I'm at your door," Dai Song suddenly sent a message.
Xu Huo opened the door and found both him and Li Kun standing outside. Before the restaurant staff could notice them, they quickly slipped into the room. Li Kun said, "Brother Xu, what's your plan? Want to check out the restaurant tonight? Maybe we can clear the instance at night too."
The daytime voting was over, and they were still in the restaurant, which meant the grilled meat they had chosen hadn't become the dish of the day.
Dai Song didn't want any more trouble and hinted to Xu Huo, "The longer we stay in this instance, the more dangerous it probably gets."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "You mentioning that reminds me."
He took out the picture frame and released Dr. Duo Er, who had been hidden inside the painting.
Dai Song's face changed color instantly, and he tried to stop him but was too late. After steadying the doctor, he suppressed his anger and asked, "What if the doctor gets trapped in the instance?"
Dr. Duo Er quickly stopped him. "I came out last night. It's fine."
Only then did Dai Song fall silent.
Li Kun looked back and forth between them and chuckled. "Brother Xu, I didn't expect you to be carrying an ordinary person. Is this Dr. Duo Er from the New Hope instance? Why did you bring him out?"
"Just giving them a ride," Xu Huo said without further explanation. He turned his attention to the footage from the surveillance device. It wasn't convenient to go out, but the raincoat cleaner was busy elsewhere and wouldn't come to clean up these props for a while. They still had some time.
The passageway they had come from had indeed disappeared. In its place, at the end of a newly appeared corridor on the other side, there was a staircase leading to the second floor. However, before the instrument could ascend the stairs, a blurry shadow appeared on the ground at the edge of the screen. Before the surveillance device could turn around, the screen went dark again.
The surveillance device had been destroyed.
"Is that a restaurant employee or a player?" Li Kun had also seen it.
"Not sure," Xu Huo replied, turning back. "We'll find out when we go out later."
Dai Song stared at them in shock, wanting to say something but hesitating. Finally, it was Dr. Duo Er who spoke. "It must be very dangerous outside the room. Is it necessary to go out to clear the instance?"
Li Kun grinned and slung an arm around his shoulder. "No risk, no reward. How can you clear an instance without taking any risks?"
Dai Song looked at them as if they were madmen. After a moment, he said, "I don't want the doctor to take risks."
"You mean you want to stay in the room?" Li Kun spoke before Xu Huo, feigning shock. "Can you clear the instance with the doctor on your own? If you don't follow Brother Xu, what if he clears it and you're left behind?"
Dai Song was at a loss for words. He couldn't possibly demand that Xu Huo guarantee their safety. Although they had paid a reward, it wasn't much. Judging by the RV he had taken out, Xu Huo clearly wasn't short of good props. Picking a fight now would be like cutting off his own lifeline.
"The room isn't safe either," Xu Huo said, swapping out some of his equipped props. "The raincoat cleaner and the limping butcher won't bother people in the rooms, but there's also a restaurant employee in high heels who checks the rooms. Multi-person rooms have a chance of being attacked."
"Also, the restaurant has expanded again tonight. There might be more active employees. It's safer for the doctor to go back into the painting."
"As for you," he looked at Dai Song, "do as you please."
With that, he ignored him and turned to Li Kun. "Sounds, vibrations, and light can all attract the restaurant employees. The employees who came out last night had a pattern of movement. It's best not to touch any dropped props, and definitely don't knock on doors."
"We went over all this during the day," Li Kun cracked his knuckles. "I know the basic rules. I'm just not sure if we can find the restaurant smoothly."
(Chapter End)