The Head Chef carefully watched Zhu Yan’s expression.
The player before him raised an eyebrow, offering a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes, a grin that was all teeth and no warmth, sending terror rising like a tide from the chef’s chest.
Instinctively, the Head Chef lifted a hand to grip the blade and shouted toward the intercom on the tile wall.
“What’s the rush, huh?”
“I’m pickling vegetables—don’t you know a chef’s work can’t be interrupted? If you slip up, the flavor of the dish changes!”
Its trembling eyes widened as the palm was sliced open, deep red ooze dripping from the wound drop by drop.
Outside the door.
Corpse Stick twisted its head stiffly.
“Hard to please, that Head Chef,” it muttered under its breath, before quickly adjusting its tone.
“Sir, time is short. Could you tell us when you or one of your subordinates will be coming?”
“You wouldn’t want to defy the boss’s orders, would you?”
Inside the kitchen.
Shhh—
The blade pushed forward with force. As the knife fully pierced the Head Chef’s body, Zhu Yan stepped closer until he stood right before it.
“Ask them for me,” Zhu Yan said in a low voice. “What items do those things outside have?”
The Head Chef’s eyes rolled downward, catching sight of the army knife buried entirely in its chest and the bloody handle exposed outside.
Fear made its lips quiver uncontrollably.
After a few seconds, the Head Chef suppressed its intense emotions and twisted its face into a fawning smile.
“Coming right up. But I ought to warn you.”
Its voice still trembled.
“The boss said earlier that a ‘Hunter’ is in here. Do you have any items on you?”
Corpse Stick didn’t catch the connection between the two sentences.
It felt something off about the comment, but since a higher-ranked horror creature like the Head Chef had requested it, reporting some items didn’t seem odd.
Corpse Stick replied, “We have weapons. A long-range Bone Spike Gun, Grade Eight. Why?”
Nice haul.
Zhu Yan’s appetite was whetted.
If all those items were his instead of being used against him... that would be satisfying, wouldn't it?
“Tell them you’ll send a subordinate soon,” Zhu Yan whispered. “Two minutes.”
He had asked everything he needed.
Leaving the Head Chef alive was still too risky.
The Head Chef saw Zhu Yan’s smile and its body froze again.
But it had no choice but to obey. Facing the tile, it forced its tone steady.
“I’ve already sent a subordinate. He’ll be there in two minutes.”
Corpse Stick pressed relentlessly. “What kind of subordinate? What will they be wearing?”
“We wouldn’t want to make a mistake, sir.”
“A high-level demon,” Zhu Yan murmured. “And stress this again—tell them to watch out for the ‘Hunter.’ Say it’s very cunning.”
Those things outside would easily see through his ‘role-playing.’
Only the ‘Demon Cloak’ and his ‘Mist’ form would work here.
Anyway, those things were as good as dead.
Zhu Yan planned to use misdirection to trick them into wasting all their long-range Bone Spikes.
“A high-level demon!” the Head Chef repeated hastily.
Its blackened eyes fixed on Zhu Yan. Once it confirmed he wanted the warning about watching out for the ‘Hunter’ included, it added the clarification.
“Let me repeat: be careful of the ‘Hunter.’ It’s high-level, very cunning, and our boss has confirmed it’s already inside.”
“Understood.”
Outside, Corpse Stick replied politely.
“Tell them,” Zhu Yan continued, smiling as he threatened the Head Chef, “that when the door opens, anything that doesn’t look like a ‘high-level demon’ should be hit with items immediately. Don’t hold back.”
His body could scatter into pieces, and he had puppets he could control—that made things very convenient.
Open the door with a thick fog first, let these fools fire their Bone Spikes into the mist, then he’d collect them.
At the same time, he’d use his puppets—since the enemy couldn’t see but the fog was his vision—to slaughter them in the haze.
Two birds with one stone.
The Head Chef had no idea what Zhu Yan was plotting.
Was this player telling it to say those things because it made him sound more upright, more like one of their own?
Either way, maybe it could survive now!
Trembling and servile, it repeated Zhu Yan’s words back to the tile intercom in the sternest tone it could muster.
Outside.
Not only was the Head Chef baffled by Zhu Yan’s moves, but Dragonfly was too.
This was clearly the Hunter’s idea, but what was the actual plan?
This Hunter had even specifically told them to use their items immediately.
It seemed meant to make him look more like a horror-creature ally...
But... but...
Wasn’t the part about using items a bit too much?
Still, that didn’t stop Dragonfly from showing its loyalty to the Hunter.
Who cared if it was overkill? As long as it didn’t mean trouble for Little Dragonfly, everything was fine!
“I’ve seen the Hunter!”
Dragonfly quickly shoved Corpse Stick aside and howled at the tile.
“I know what items he has. I know him very well.”
On the other end, Zhu Yan fell silent.
Dragonfly’s words reached him clearly, stirring a flicker of tension.
What was this supposed to mean at such a tense moment?
The mention of “what items” was obviously pointing at the Demon Cloak.
Those words clearly indicated it knew who the Hunter was.
But Dragonfly’s tone was overly excited—like a child begging for candy. Zhu Yan couldn’t detect any threat in it.
If anything, there was a hint of... flattery?
“However!” Dragonfly ignored the surrounding Corpse Sticks, puffing out its chest.
“Head Chef, if you think I’m going to spill the Hunter’s details to these things outside, you’d be sorely mistaken.”
Huh?
Zhu Yan was a bit stunned.
So that was it? It was just openly declaring its allegiance?
He remembered Dragonfly had a grievance with him.
Was Dragonfly really sucking up, or was it brewing something bigger?
“As I said, ‘The Lazy Man’s Artifact Shop’ never gets involved in factional or sect disputes.”
“So, no matter what happens, I won’t interfere. And I won’t say a single word!”
Dragonfly’s frantic explanation left the surrounding Corpse Sticks staring in shock.
This wasn’t right.
The lead Corpse Stick scratched its own head, a flicker of confusion passing over its stiff face.
This Dragonfly usually kept out of conflict—that was well known across all of ‘Carnival Paradise.’
Why did it have to shout that out loud at a time like this? What was its deal?
Baffled, Corpse Stick answered the Head Chef as usual.
“Rest assured, sir. Please have your subordinate hurry—time is tight.”
“When the door opens, we’ll follow your instructions to the letter.”
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
