Chapter 1388: Owe the Boss a Favor
Looking mentally unstable like this didn't seem too bright, but when it came to using items, he was anything but sloppy. After the first attack failed, he quickly distanced himself from Xu Huo again, launching over a dozen strikes within a few breaths. Though only a few of these attacks could break through a single petal barrier, this cannibal player's combat was still quite fierce—an ordinary defense item really couldn't withstand his assault.
However, the problem arose: after a series of attacks, the defense item "Flower Bloom" remained unbreached. The layer the cannibal player had focused on still had four overlapping petals left.
Many good defense items had time limits; the higher the defensive power, the greater the restrictions usually were. An item with such strong defense that wouldn't disappear in a short time could be considered perfect—at least for a C-level player.
An A-level item would certainly overwhelm a C-level player, but if it were a B-level or A-level player, "Flower Bloom" wouldn't be enough, so it only made low-level players envious.
The envious cannibal player, realizing he couldn't even break through a single defense item, stopped his erratic eye movements. His form then began to blur, as if he was about to vanish from the spot.
Xu Huo didn't let him escape. He used a space barrier to force the man back while simultaneously releasing the "Snow Dagger," made of overlapping paper pieces. The moment the dagger left his hand, the paper pieces automatically separated, splitting into hundreds of thin blades that began indiscriminately sweeping through the corridor.
Both the cannibal player and Zhou Donghe, caught in the midst of it, couldn't escape. As they deployed their defense items and ran out of the corridor, this B-level item's attack range reached fifty meters. As long as they hadn't teleported out of this area, they would have to endure the assault.
Their defense barriers were continuously broken. Without looking back, both used long-distance teleportation items.
Long-distance teleportation items could be ordinary items or space items. Ordinary items were easy to block—using a space ray barrier could stop them. Space items depended on the situation, which in turn depended on the strength of the space ray barrier Xu Huo could create... In any case, the two ended up fleeing in different directions.
Xu Huo chose the cannibal player. Crossing two corridors, he entered another ingredient processing warehouse, and it was clear they weren't the only ones there.
Ahead, someone was suspended—Guest 198.
Several lines adorned with musical notes bound Guest 198 from head to toe. Though the lines weren't dense, the trapped player seemed frozen, completely unable to move. He was hanging upside down, with a hole pierced in his neck. A soft tube was connected to the wound, ensuring his blood flowed slowly and cleanly into a bottle placed below.
Beside him sat another person. Without diverting his attention to Xu Huo and the newcomer, he picked up a glass filled with crimson liquid and took a sip. Then he squinted slightly, his expression not quite one of intoxication. After a moment, he said, "Barely passable."
Then, this person turned his head and raised his glass to Xu Huo. "Want a taste?"
"Kind of you," Xu Huo said with a slight smile. "I'm eating vegetarian tonight."
The gentleman player curled his lips. "Hmm... The appearance and taste aren't great. If made into a dish, it wouldn't be worth savoring. I wonder how the others taste."
Though the two were conversing, the cannibal player who had been chased over by Xu Huo realized the gentleman player was talking about him. Just as he prepared to flee, five thin lines extending from the ground quickly coiled around his legs. As the notes attached to the lines emitted a low hum, his entire body stiffened as if electrocuted!
A musical staff?
Xu Huo looked closely. The notes following the lines vibrated differently several times; the higher the pitch, the stronger the intensity. The last one pressed against the back of the cannibal player's head, and after the hum ended, the man lost consciousness.
"Very interesting," Xu Huo commented. "Are you a musician?"
"Something like that," the gentleman player said. "I enjoy singing."
The attack items were all musical staffs. Under normal circumstances, one wouldn't think this "singing" was ordinary. Many people used musical instruments as items, but this was the first time encountering someone using sheet music. In that case, "singing" was likely a form of sound wave attack.
"Do you want this prey?" the gentleman player asked.
Xu Huo gestured for him to go ahead and was interested in chatting a bit more. "Are you friends with the head chef of the Bauhinia Restaurant?"
"Not exactly," the gentleman player said. "I owe the boss here a favor. This time, I'm here to help him out."
He drained the liquid in his glass, poured himself another, and then asked, "Are you very interested in the boss of the Bauhinia Restaurant?"
Without waiting for Xu Huo's answer, he continued, "I don't know much about him. Why not go ask the head chef? The head chef's room is at the end of the hall to the right, around the corner."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow slightly, but saw the other stand up. "See you at the restaurant later."
With that, he straightened his coat and strolled out of the blood-soaked warehouse like it was a leisurely walk.
The Lame Butcher would soon come to collect the "ingredients." Xu Huo quickly stepped past the two suspended cannibal players and followed the direction the gentleman player had indicated to find the head chef's room.
It was indeed the head chef's room. There was a character "Feng" on the door, likely referring to the chef cooking tonight. At this hour, the person probably wasn't inside.
To be safe, Xu Huo first checked if any items were set up outside the room, then used an item for defense, layered it with spiritual power and cube space, before gently pushing the door open.
The light in the room was on, casting a warm yellow glow over the cozy space. It instantly made one relax, even tempting one to lie down on the sofa, and within seconds, a drowsy feeling set in.
The curved space rays in his vision snapped Xu Huo awake. The feeling of his spiritual power unconsciously slipping out of control made him instinctively sense danger. So he didn't enter, instead standing at the doorway to observe the room's interior.
Chef Feng's room was clean, tidy, and simple. Aside from basic living necessities, neither the decorations on the walls nor the carpet on the floor showed any strong personal preferences. Some furniture seemed to be purchased uniformly by the restaurant, with similar pieces visible in certain guest rooms and the daytime dining area. The only difference was the material of the items.
The furniture and decorations in this room were of a higher grade than those in the guest rooms.
Xu Huo used telekinesis to retrieve a crystal glass from a low cabinet. Upon closer inspection, he found a string of numbers at the bottom. He took a photo and put it back, then checked other items in the room, including two small paintings on the wall.
Most things in this room had similar numbers, suggesting they were custom-made. But the items were too ordinary, making it hard to trace their origins.
His gaze lingered on the two other doors in the room. Just as he hesitated about whether to enter, a hand suddenly covered his back from behind and gently pushed him through the doorway.
(Chapter End)