The Blood Moon Banquet Hall, the Last Stamp!

[Those who fail to qualify for an invitation before the deadline-]

[Will lose the right to check out.]

The announcement ended.

The second floor fell silent.

Of the seven remaining players,

only four had obtained the first two stamps.

Of the other three,

one had not entered the Blood Banquet Restaurant the previous night.

Another had entered, but fled early when the employee in red appeared.

The last had not dared open the door during midnight room service.

It was now less than thirteen hours

until eight that evening.

Zhou Hai looked at their room cards, his expression grave.

"There's one more chance to make up the stamps today."

"You can challenge the Blood Banquet Restaurant again at noon for the dining stamp. The room service stamp will be available to make up at four in the afternoon."

Only then did the three players missing stamps breathe a little easier.

But Zhou Hai's next words immediately put them on edge again.

"Don't celebrate too soon."

"Yesterday's rules won't necessarily be exactly the same today."

In an A-rank instance, the worst mistake was applying yesterday's experience directly to today.

Since the hotel had specifically offered a chance to make up the stamps,

it would only be harder.

The livestream viewers began discussing it too.

"Those three are under a lot of pressure."

"Shen Niannian already has two stamps. All she has to do today is wait for the banquet."

"The gap just got a lot wider."

"Don't forget, the banquet is the final stage. The first two stamps are just tickets to get in."

On the seventh floor,

Shen Niannian had just washed her face.

Her long silver-white hair was loosely tied back.

She still looked a little sleepy.

Her reaction to the announcement was much simpler than the players' on the second floor.

The third stamp.

Eight tonight.

Get it.

Check out tomorrow.

The goal was perfectly clear.

As for the daytime...

Don't wander around.

Don't court death.

Rest up.

(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

That was the survival experience she had gathered in A-rank instances.

If there was a clear task, do it.

If there wasn't, don't go looking for trouble.

Just as she was about to lie back down on the bed,

knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Niannian, are you up?"

Bai Feiyue.

Shen Niannian fell silent for two seconds.

(￣ー￣)

She had almost forgotten.

Even if she didn't go looking for trouble,

trouble would come knocking.

She opened the door.

Bai Feiyue had changed into a long black-and-red dress and was carrying an elegant box.

"This is for you."

"What is it?"

"A dress."

Shen Niannian gave her a wary look.

"Why are you suddenly giving me a dress?"

Bai Feiyue answered as if it were obvious.

"For the banquet tonight."

"Can't I wear what I have on?"

Bai Feiyue glanced at the casual white clothes she was wearing.

A very obvious look of disdain appeared in her eyes.

"The Blood Moon Banquet has a dress code."

Shen Niannian froze.

"A rule?"

"It's more like banquet etiquette."

That woke her right up.

Banquet etiquette.

It was very likely part of the final round of rules.

"What other requirements are there?"

Bai Feiyue was just about to speak

when Gu Changsheng's voice came from nearby.

"Miss Bai."

Bai Feiyue turned around.

Gu Changsheng pushed up his glasses.

"The banquet rules will be officially announced tonight. Under the hotel's core rules, you may not disclose the details to players in advance."

Bai Feiyue: "..."

She was visibly displeased.

Shen Niannian, however, quickly picked up on the key point.

She couldn't disclose the specific rules.

Then could she disclose things that weren't rules?

Her eyes shifted.

"Then I'll ask a question that doesn't involve the rules."

Gu Changsheng looked at her.

"Please go ahead."

"Who else will be attending the banquet tonight besides us players?"

Gu Changsheng paused.

"Hotel guests."

"Are they all horrors?"

"Yes."

"What ranks?"

"The lowest is C-rank."

Shen Niannian: "..."

(°ー°〃)

Great.

A big dinner party for ghosts and monsters.

And she, a human, would be going in alone.

No matter how she looked at it, she was like the only little dessert on the buffet that could walk.

The livestream viewers stopped laughing when they heard that.

"C-rank at minimum?"

"Wouldn't that mean the place will be full of B-ranks and A-ranks?"

"The final stage really is no joke."

Shen Niannian continued, "Do they know we're players?"

"Yes."

"Will they attack players on their own initiative?"

This time, Gu Changsheng did not answer directly.

"During the banquet, all guests must obey the banquet rules."

Shen Niannian's gaze flickered.

That was enough.

In other words,

the horror guests themselves were also a source of danger.

But the rules would restrict them.

To survive,

the key still wasn't fighting.

It was figuring out the rules.

"I understand."

Shen Niannian took the box from Bai Feiyue.

"I'll take the dress."

Bai Feiyue immediately smiled.

"Want me to help you change?"

"Out."

"I used to help you-"

"Out."

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

The livestream viewers burst out laughing.

The daytime passed quickly.

At noon,

three players missing the dining stamp reentered the Blood Banquet Restaurant.

Only two came out.

At four in the afternoon,

the room service make-up opportunity opened.

Another player lost the protection of his room on the spot after answering an extra question from a staff member.

[Players currently alive: 5]

At 7:50 p.m.,

only four players

had actually qualified for the banquet.

Zhou Hai.

Wang Jianguo.

Another veteran player named Song Qiming.

And Shen Niannian.

A dark red glow appeared on all four room cards at once.

[Blood Moon Banquet invitation generated.]

[Please proceed to the Blood Moon Banquet Hall on the first floor within ten minutes.]

Seventh floor.

Shen Niannian had changed into the dress Bai Feiyue had brought her.

A black, knee-length evening dress.

Dark red ribbons adorned the neckline and cuffs.

Her long, silver-white hair fell down her back.

Paired with her ruby-like eyes,

it made her look a little more elegant than usual.

Shen Niannian stood before the mirror for two seconds.

(.・ω・.)

"Have to admit, it looks pretty good."

The next second,

she patted her cheeks.

Wake up.

She was going to tackle the final mission.

Not walk the red carpet.

Room card.

Bring it.

Identity Archive.

Keep it ready.

Read the rules three times once they appeared.

Make sure everything was clear before acting.

At eight o'clock sharp,

the four players arrived on the first floor.

The banquet hall's previously closed doors slowly opened.

Beyond them,

scarlet light spilled out.

Dozens of eerie guests were already seated on either side of a long table.

There was an old woman with a noose around her neck.

A man with no head who was still holding up a wineglass.

And a monster covered in sewn-on eyes.

The aura of every one of them made people's scalps tingle.

Zhou Hai's face instantly tightened.

Wang Jianguo didn't even dare lift his head and look around.

The livestream chat was flooding the screen.

"Now that's a Blood Moon Banquet!"

"Are there any A-ranks in there?"

"There definitely are!"

"Where's Shen Niannian?"

The view switched.

Shen Niannian had just stepped through the door.

Dozens of eerie gazes swept toward her almost simultaneously.

The livestream chat fell silent at once.

"It's over."

"All those ghosts are looking at her."

But the next second,

the atmosphere in the banquet hall changed noticeably.

Some froze.

Others stopped with their wineglasses halfway to their lips.

One B-rank eerie being who had been leaning back in his chair even sat bolt upright.

The Identity Archive frantically flashed a string of notifications.

[Shock]

[Confusion]

[Terror]

[Disbelief]

Shen Niannian paused.

(⊙_⊙)

Wait.

Why is this happening again?

She suddenly had a very bad feeling.

In this room...

There couldn't be someone else who knows me, could there?

Just then,

a large expanse of blood-red text appeared above the banquet hall.

[Blood Moon Banquet Rules]

[1. During the banquet, please observe basic etiquette. Do not refuse reasonable invitations from other guests without cause.]

[2. Every player must propose a toast and accept a toast from another guest.]

[3. If a guest asks about your identity, please answer truthfully.]

[4. Fifteen minutes after the banquet begins, one guest will be randomly selected as tonight's "banquet host."]

[5. Gain the banquet host's approval to obtain the third service stamp.]

Shen Niannian quickly read through them.

Her gaze finally settled on the fifth rule.

Gain the banquet host's approval,

and she could get the third stamp.

The mission was simpler than she had imagined.

But the question was-

Who was the banquet host?

The next second,

the lights throughout the banquet hall abruptly went out.

Scarlet moonlight streamed down from the dome.

The candles in front of every seat lit up at once.

A cold notification followed.

[The banquet host is being randomly selected...]

A streak of blood-red light flickered rapidly over the dozens of eerie guests.

Zhou Hai held his breath.

The livestream chat was so tense that almost no one posted a message.

Finally,

the blood-red light slowly came to a stop.

It landed on-

Shen Niannian.

[Host of this Blood Moon Banquet: Guest No. 701, Shen Niannian.]

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Shen Niannian:

"?"

(⊙▽⊙")

Wait.

Didn't it say I had to gain the banquet host's approval?

Now...

I'm the banquet host myself?

The next second,

the fifth rule slowly warped.

It reformed.

[All participants, please gain the approval of the banquet host-Shen Niannian.]

Zhou Hai: "..."

The livestream chat:

"???????"