Eerie moonlight, a dilapidated factory, and a rusty iron gate.
A scene straight out of a classic horror movie lay before Brussels.
Years of competing had left him with little interest in watching movies, though he had occasionally seen a horror film or two. To be honest, when a scene so common in movies appeared in real life, most people really couldn't stay calm.
Brussels swallowed and tried to muster his courage.
Seeing that the chef had already gone ahead with a spring in his step, he cautiously looked around.
Insects chirped intermittently in the weed-choked yard, and every so often, something leaped out of the darkness when he took a step.
Brussels was eager to get inside the farm as quickly as possible and find some light.
Xie Qi had reached the door and was about to take out his keys to unlock it.
He was a little surprised to see Brussels come toward him of his own accord, and his voice was tinged with delight. "There's no need to hurry, guest. You'll see him in just a moment."
With that, he unlocked the door, and bright light hit Brussels in the face, accompanied by a cloud of foul air.
Standing behind Xie Qi, Brussels grew dizzy from the smell.
He narrowed his eyes, only to see the chef acting as if he smelled nothing at all. Still wearing that same punchable smile, Xie Qi gestured for him to go in first.
After a while, once Brussels had grown accustomed to the smell, he picked out the scent of blood.
It wasn't his imagination; after all, he had come into close contact with it not long ago.
Xie Qi noticed every change in Brussels's expression.
Seeing that he seemed inclined to back out, Xie Qi tilted his head, touched a finger to his lips, and curled them into a mocking smile.
"If you're scared, guest, you can tell me~ I'll escort you out."
"Who's scared?"
Brussels gave a start, and anger welled up in him.
More than anything, he hated being called a coward. He immediately stopped fearing the eerie scene, shoved Xie Qi aside with one hand, and went through the door.
Xie Qi stumbled and grabbed the door to steady himself.
"My, my~ You're awfully rude, guest, but I like it~"
His smile widening, he followed him into the farm, and a hand slowly closed the door behind him.
From outside, it looked as though a giant mouth had swallowed someone into its stomach before gradually falling quiet again.
The sound of the door closing made Brussels pause.
Pale light illuminated the interior clearly.
Unlike the filthy, messy farm he had imagined, there was nothing here that belonged on a farm. Instead, it looked like a prison.
Just inside was a spacious, empty hall, with a corridor on either side.
Standing at the center of the corridors, Brussels could see more than a dozen rooms on each side.
Only then did he give it serious thought.
The chef had said he would take him to find Stock, but why had he brought him to a farm? Could anyone really live here?
As he pondered, a series of thuds rang out in the previously quiet building.
Smack—bang—
Besides the knocking, sounds resembling the roars of wild beasts echoed from time to time.
"Honestly, they're so excited to see someone arrive."
Brussels suddenly heard the chef's voice right behind him.
He swiftly and deftly dodged to one side, staring warily at Xie Qi.
"What are those things behind the doors? Where's Stock? Weren't you bringing me to find him?"
As he spoke, Brussels tried to move around Xie Qi toward the main door.
"Well, since this is a farm, naturally, the things kept here are all ingredients."
Xie Qi gave him the explanation with a perfectly straight face.
Then, as if he hadn't noticed Brussels trying to escape, he walked off toward a room on the right.
"Don't you want to see that guest? He's right inside~"
As he spoke, Xie Qi opened the door and warmly invited Brussels to reunite with him after so long.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Brussels couldn't make sense of what the chef was saying. What ingredients? Was Stock really here?
To give him a better view, Xie Qi politely stepped back and extended his right hand in invitation.
Curiosity made Brussels stop backing away. Keeping a wary eye on Xie Qi, he edged along the wall to the room.
But it was pitch-dark inside, and he couldn't see a thing.
"Stock? Are you in there? Say something, damn it!"
Seeing that his guest was having some trouble, Xie Qi obligingly handed him the kerosene lamp.
Its two-meter range of illumination was enough for Brussels to see what was in the room.
It was a chair, but no one was sitting on it. Only a round object rested on top.
Alarm bells kept ringing in his head. One of Brussels's hands trembled as the kerosene lamp fully illuminated the object's face.
The moment he realized the head was Stock's, Brussels instinctively turned and hurled the kerosene lamp in his hand.
A rush of wind also swept past his ear.
If he hadn't reacted so quickly, the long blade would probably have split half his head off on the spot.
"Oh my~ Such quick reactions~ You're quite lively, guest~"
The tip of the chef's scarlet tongue swept over his lips. He held a knife as long as an arm, and the kerosene lamp Brussels had just thrown at him lay at his feet.
Perhaps because his true nature had already been exposed, the chef no longer acted like a gentleman. His long, narrow eyes narrowed, and he swept the loose strands of hair on his head back with one hand.
"Why aren't you happy to see your friend, guest? Haven't you wanted to see him all along? How wonderful. If he knew his friends cared so much about him, I'm sure he'd be happy too."
"What's this? Aren't you happy, guest? Why not?"
The chef tilted his head, seeming to think of something.
"Ah, I know. You seem to be very fond of women, guest. Is it that blonde lady?"
The chef had blocked Brussels inside the room. Though shocked by what he had done, Brussels was also looking around for a weapon to defend himself.
Hearing Xie Qi mention Sofina, his expression darkened.
"Wow~ I didn't expect you to like her so much, guest. Don't worry, she'll be joining you soon~"