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| Descend from the Stars (STARS) |
The feast was set to begin at noon. After daybreak, Xu Rongchuan received a friendly reminder from the staff: "If you'd like a companion for the holiday, you may attend the dance after breakfast to select a beauty of your choice. The rental fee is 100,000 per day."
Xu Rongchuan said, "Take me there."
The attendant leading the way was the same one from last night. In natural light, he looked even more like a human-skin robot. Xu Rongchuan had no real interest in the dance but used the opportunity to leave his room, fully activating his intuition in an attempt to uncover clues about Wen Shu on the top floor.
To achieve the effect where all guests could see "01 Muse," the space where Wen Shu was located was most likely at the center of the top floor, with the layout probably arranged in a circle around him.
This had been Xu Rongchuan's theory the previous night.
Now, as he followed the attendant through the entire top-floor corridor, he was surprised to find no turns at all—just a straight, seemingly endless hallway where everything was visible at a glance.
If that were the case, how had multiple people been able to gaze at Wen Shu simultaneously last night?
Lost in thought, Xu Rongchuan's footsteps were absorbed by the thick carpet. The floor was eerily silent, as if only he and the attendant were alive—and even that was questionable.
His intuition had failed him the moment he left his room. Having spent years with Wen Shu, he knew his aura intimately, especially after it had been amplified by the Eye of Doom. If Wen Shu were truly on the same floor, he should have sensed him by now.
This hotel was far more dangerous and bizarre than he'd imagined: attendants indistinguishable from real humans, the ability to block signals even from Pangu's powerful Superhumans, and even the suppression of human intuition... Could any Superhuman truly achieve such feats?
He even wondered if the hotel might be nothing more than a false coordinate connecting to another world—a sealed-off space they'd entered upon arrival.
"Ding." The elevator arrived.
Having discovered nothing, Xu Rongchuan turned to the uncanny attendant beside him and said, "I really enjoyed the artwork displayed in my room last night. I'm willing to pay double to savor the taste of Muse."
The attendant maintained his mechanical smile and replied flatly, "Apologies, but Muse has been fully booked."
"Triple."
"It's not a matter of money."
"Ten times."
"You jest, sir."
"Twenty times."
Finally, the attendant showed a flicker of reaction. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Xu Rongchuan.
In that moment, Xu Rongchuan distinctly felt a change—as if something had possessed the robot-like attendant.
The attendant's expression became animated. He grinned, revealing rows of unnaturally white, fine teeth. "I'm delighted you appreciate 'Muse' so much. It's my favorite creation as well. But, as you know, business requires integrity... So, I'm afraid Muse is fully booked."
Xu Rongchuan was silent for several seconds. Even with his renowned mental stability, the half-minute of eye contact with the attendant sent a sharp pang of dread through him—reminiscent of the moment before Xu Dan had hatched in the pot.
But soon, the unease subsided, and the attendant's strangeness vanished.
"Fine," Xu Rongchuan pretended to concede. "I have a fondness for Snake-Human Hybrids. Does your boss share that preference? I feel our tastes align—the hotel's decor speaks for itself."
The waiter said, "Stubborn, beautiful, soft yet strong... the Snake-Human Hybrid is the most marvelous thing in the world. Isn't it?"
Xu Rongchuan: "..."
Talking to a pervert was exhausting.
The elevator stopped at the 27th floor, the middle level of the hotel.
The waiter handed him a half-mask with intricate patterns: "The ball will begin in five minutes. May you find your desired companion."
Xu Rongchuan put on the mask and entered the grand banquet hall with ceilings over three meters high. Two people were already inside, also wearing masks, enjoying a lavish breakfast at the buffet table.
For the first time, Xu Rongchuan realized that an overabundance of food could also be unsettling.
In a banquet hall with only three people present, there were ten rows of dining tables, each nearly a hundred meters long, piled high with all kinds of food and drinks. Despite the absence of any waitstaff, the dishes on the tables still steamed with enticing aromas, as if they had just been served moments ago.
Xu Rongchuan instantly lost his appetite.
Ah, yes—appetite.
Every desire here seemed amplified to the extreme. The hotel seemed designed for indulgence—appetite, lust, cruelty... every dark facet of the human heart could be fulfilled here.
Was this the personal interest of the hotel's owner, or was there another purpose?
As he pondered, the time arrived. Three more guests entered one after another, bringing the total to six, including Xu Rongchuan.
The doors at the other end of the banquet hall opened. Everyone set down their utensils and turned to look at the figure approaching from the other side...
Xu Rongchuan froze in place and his pupils shaking, nearly cursing aloud.
If not for the mask, everyone would have seen his expression twist in an instant.
Who did he see?!
Behind the slowly opening doors, hotel staff in uniform bowed and smiled at the guests, while gently guiding a strikingly handsome yet bloodstained Snake-Human Hybrid.
The most angelic face, the most gruesome attire.
That angelic face smiled. Everyone except Xu Rongchuan held their breath, and then the sound of swallowing filling the air. The gazes from behind the masks burned with undisguised desire, so intense it seemed they wanted to devour the Snake-Human Hybrid whole.
And the Snake-Human Hybrid's eyes locked directly onto Xu Rongchuan, smiling contentedly under his stunned gaze. The staff announced, "Today's star of the ball—our jewel, the 'Fallen Angel'! Due to the number of guests, the 'Angel' will have the right to choose their direction. If you fancy our jewel, please—"
Before they could finish, the freshly minted "Fallen Angel" elegantly slithered forward on its Serpent tail, heading straight for Xu Rongchuan. Then, it stopped before him, wearing a faint expression of pride and restraint, as if awaiting praise, before collapsing into his arms, smearing blood all over his expensive suit as it nuzzled against him.
Every eye in the room fixed on Xu Rongchuan.
Xu Rongchuan: "..."
Help, was this what having teammates felt like?!
Suddenly, he thought working solo all these years wasn't so bad after all. Really.
Under the weight of five envious glares, Xu Rongchuan looked up at the banquet hall's luxurious chandelier, desperately craving a cigarette...
"It seems our angel has made a choice. Congratulations, sir," the staff member clapped. "With that, today's ball program concludes. We apologize and will offer complimentary gifts tomorrow for guests who didn't select partners."
The word "complimentary" slightly soothed the remaining attendees. Xu Rongchuan was already striding toward the exit, moving swiftly to be the first into the elevator. Xu Dan's scales rustled against the carpet as he clung closely to Xu Rongchuan's side like a pet afraid of being abandoned.
"Brother," he whispered.
Xu Rongchuan's cheek twitched as he glanced at the elevator camera. "Shh—"
Xu Dan's eyes lit up with understanding. Nodding eagerly, he began fully embodying his role. Mimicking the "guests" and "staff" he'd observed at the bar, he wrapped his arms around Xu Rongchuan's waist and pressing his chest flush against his back. Resting his chin on Xu Rongchuan's shoulder, he inhaled deeply—that familiar, sweet scent—and couldn't suppress a blissful smile before instinctively licking his cheek like an affectionate puppy.
Xu Rongchuan: ...Why do I feel more like the one being paid for here?!
The elevator finally arrived. If this performance continued, Xu Dan might start undressing him.
Xu Rongchuan abandoned any thought of searching for clues and hurriedly ushered Xu Dan into his room before shutting the door.
After minutes of being embraced, even Xu Rongchuan's clothes carried the heavy metallic tang of blood—blood laced with the faint aura of Anomalous Objects.
Did he just slaughter his way through the bar, eliminating every Anomalous Object and Superhuman?
The more Xu Rongchuan considered it, the more plausible it seemed. Unsure if the room was monitored, he hesitated on how to phrase his question when Xu Dan spoke: "No one's watching us. Brother, we're safe here."
Xu Rongchuan: "You're certain?"
Xu Dan nodded. "Not anymore."
Dispensing with caution, Xu Rongchuan used his sleeve to wipe the blood smeared across Xu Dan's beautiful face. "Why so much blood? Why didn't you come to the hotel with a guest? Did you kill them?"
Xu Dan basked in the attention, radiating restrained pride as he nodded. "I ate the interviewer, killed the Butcher, then let all the other ball attendees escape—so only I remained. That way, brother had to pick me!"
Xu Rongchuan: ...
After years of fieldwork, this was the first mission where he genuinely needed emergency heart medication.
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