Reward Instance, Side Dish, and Main Dish

In his daily life, Lin Yu's tolerance for pain is actually not very high.

Burning his hand while cooking or bumping his leg on the corner of the table could make Lin Yu gasp in pain and even shed tears.

Even as a child, Lin Yu's biggest fear was getting injections.

To avoid getting injections, he would even pretend to be perfectly healthy with his sister, despite having a fever of 39 degrees Celsius.

But that only applies to Lin Yu in his "daily" state— Lin Yu in his "performance" is unmoved by physical pain.

At this moment, feeling a sharp pain comparable to torture, Lin Yu's heart had already screamed out.

But...

On the surface, Lin Yu remained unmoved.

Because "Fluoxetine" is definitely not for people who are moved by this level of pain.

Even though this pain led Li Hua to take large amounts of drugs and made Robin tremble in agony...

Lin Yu was still able to remain calm.

His obsession with "performance" almost surpassed everything else.

Lin Yu clearly felt the pain in his body, let out a soft breath, and opened his arms.

"Oh dear, what an interesting sensation," he said, maintaining the light and easy tone of Fluoxetine. "And this is a weakened version... If an ordinary person were to be poisoned with this toxin, they would probably die in excruciating pain!"

Lin Yu commented.

Upon hearing this, Li Hua, who had taken painkillers and was barely maintaining her composure, instantly understood...

Sitting beside him, Lin Yu did not alleviate the pain in any way, but rather endured it by sheer willpower after experiencing the raw, visceral pain.

"What a monster... No wonder he's S-Rank of the 'Psychology Society'!"

"That's downright insane!"

Hearing Li Hua's words, Lin Yu chuckled and said, "What are you saying? A 'Gambler'... isn't that old man over there the same?"

Carrot, who had been singled out by Lin Yu, coughed lightly twice.

"Cough cough, I don't have that ability... This old man just has a certain degree of immunity to toxins..."

He said kindly.

Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye during the conversation.

The remaining few who chose foie gras also finished their portions.

After looking at everyone who had finished their meal, Ka spoke again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems you've finished your appetizers..."

"Now, please enjoy today's soup."

"Mist Island Berry Flavored Clam Soup from the Tranquil Sea"

As he spoke, Ka pulled a soup pot and seven shallow bowls from the pool beneath it, poured the deep red soup into them, and handed them to everyone.

Please enjoy.

"Ka said again."

Lin Yu was very wary after receiving the soup bowl, as were the other Player.

Since the card did not specify the meal time this time...

So Lin Yu first tentatively took a small sip.

It's sweet and sour with a hint of umami.

Surprisingly, it tastes pretty good.

Moreover, I didn't experience any discomfort after drinking it.

Li Hua, who was standing next to him, looked at the soup and seemed to realize something. He picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.

Lin Yu caught a glimpse of Li Hua's actions out of the corner of his eye and understood what was going on.

The "Gambler's" ability has a 30-minute cooldown...

So, Li Hua may have used his abilities to confirm the soup's harmlessness?

Having considered this possibility, Lin Yu no longer hesitated and drank the soup in one gulp.

After finishing the soup in the bowl, Lin Yu suddenly realized...

Both the pain in my limbs and the feeling of being overly full in my stomach miraculously disappeared.

"So... is this Reward Instance?"

Lin Yu pondered this in his heart.

Seeing Lin Yu and Li Hua's actions, the others followed suit.

Everyone's face showed surprise.

Everyone realized that the soup in this stage didn't present any "test" in the way they expected.

It's a pure reward.

However, once this was confirmed, no one took it lightly.

Anyone who has played Game knows that this kind of full recovery "reward" usually only occurs in two situations.

After defeating the final boss...

Or, before you meet the final boss!

Considering that the upcoming banquet will likely consist of "Side Dish" and "Main Dish,"...

Clearly, they are likely about to face the most formidable boss!

After everyone had finished their soup.

Octopus Ka did indeed speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, after enjoying the raspberry clam chowder, we will now move on to the climax of this dinner—"

"Next, you will taste my unique cooking techniques and my newly developed menu!"

"The Side Dish is titled, '[A Gift from the End of the World to the Pioneers]'!"

"The Main Dish is... [The Blood of the Victor is Always Sweet]!"

After he finished speaking, a lever rose from the pool where Octopus Ka was.

"Come on, dear guests!"

"Both my 'Side Dish' and 'Main Dish' require you to personally select the ingredients... Let's start by choosing the ingredients for your 'Side Dish'!"

As he spoke, the Octopus Ka the lever, and the sound of a winch echoed from the sky.

"Crackling sound--"

The table rose along with all the chairs, and then the speed of the rise increased.

At first glance, it resembled an old-fashioned factory freight elevator.

But soon the speed increased, and it became an elevator in a high-rise office building.

Later, the intense feeling of weightlessness made Lin Yu unable to help but complain...

"Isn't this almost like a space elevator?"

The wind whistled past my ears, and a dark, rumbling cloud rapidly approached overhead.

"Whoosh--"

The dining table and chairs quickly disappeared into the dark clouds, and the damp air made visibility extremely low and breathing difficult.

The upward trend then gradually came to a halt.

Amidst the damp, cold clouds around him, Lin Yu saw many faint "shadows".

Those were unidentified creatures that moved through the clouds like swimming fish.

Octopus Ka twirled the spatula in his hand:

"Dear guests and Player, you have three opportunities to choose your Side Dish."

"Choose creatures from the surrounding 'Empty Sea' to serve as your next 'food'."

"Some of these are not suitable as food, while others have many amazing health benefits when consumed..."

Please use your own judgment to verify.

"However, as a hint—I'll give you a list that's 100% 'edible'."

"The creatures on the list are all absolutely 'safe' and 'harmless,' but they also don't offer any special benefits."

In conclusion, in conclusion!

The sound of the spatula suddenly increased in volume as it struck the pot in front of it.

"When--"

With a metallic clang, a new rope fell from the sky and dangled in front of the person.

"Please bring back the ingredients for the Side Dish within half an hour!"

"Grab the rope, and it will be in sync with your will, allowing you to move freely through the air."