Steam human brains, reward with a red dragon

Nick's words were perhaps meant to ease the tension, but Jason and Ada, their nerves on edge, ignored him.

The guests outside the door entered.

Vague, indefinite shadows took their seats at the dining tables one after another. It seemed... not that scary.

Both Jason and Ada let out a sigh of relief.

 "Rats, blocking the way," a muffled voice came from behind, making their hairs stand on end.

Ada turned around and almost fainted.

Standing before them was a figure that seemed to have been cut into pieces and then sewn back together with thread.

 Its neck was stitched with two human heads—one with its skin peeled off, leaving a bloody mess, and the other with half of its skull missing, exposing its brain, with blood vessels clearly visible.

The three of them quickly moved aside, their hearts pounding.

 "Rats" was how they referred to humans, a metaphor for their low status, like vermin that everyone wanted to beat and kill.

More terrifying ghosts entered one after another, some with their stomachs hollowed out and intestines hanging out, others with no facial features except for mouths...

"You have been assigned to serve at Table 4. Complete the customers' requests with at least a satisfactory rating and serve three dishes to complete the F-level task!"

In the game, tasks were classified into five levels: A, B, C, D, and F.

Upon completion, there were five possible ratings: terrible, dissatisfied, satisfactory, pleased, and very pleased.

Achieving pleased or very pleased would earn random rewards, while terrible or dissatisfied would result in punishment.

Seeing the dazed expressions on Jason and Ada's faces, Nick knew they had also received their tasks.

 Jason said, "I've been assigned to Table 10." Ada said, "I've been assigned to Table 6."

Nick touched his nose and said, "Table 4 for me. Good luck, everyone."

At the table in the corner sat a single guest, wrapped in bandages with dark blood seeping through.

On the table was a bouquet of roses, and tea was set on the opposite empty seat, as if waiting for another guest.

 "May I help you, sir?" Nick approached and asked politely.

The rotting restaurant uniform, though dirty and stinking, was a lifesaver. Wearing it meant you were an employee of the restaurant, and ghosts generally wouldn't harm you.

The bandaged ghost didn't speak, pushing the menu over. On it, a dish was circled. "Steamed Human Brain with Curse."

 "Certainly, just a moment," Nick said, taking the menu and nodding before leaving.

Ada, watching Nick's service attitude from the next table, was shocked and widened her eyes.

Her guest was a ghost with its chest split open, its ribs sticking out like a yawning abyss, and its internal organs visibly pulsating, making her face turn pale.

Following the instructions, Nick went to the kitchen. It was more like a slaughterhouse than a kitchen.

Bloody corpses were thrown onto cutting boards, and the sound of chopping meat made one's scalp tingle.

He approached a chef, a ghost with twisted facial features like twisted dough, and handed over the menu. "Table 4 guest, one order of Steamed Human Brain with Curse."

The chef stared at the menu, then at Nick, and hissed, "No more human brains. I'll take yours!"

Nick remained calm.

Seeing that he wasn't scared, the chef was surprised and snatched the menu back, his eyes turning venomous.

Nick appeared calm, but his heart was racing.

Some of the ghosts who were also employees at the restaurant harbored malice towards human temps.

However, due to restaurant rules, they couldn't harm humans directly and could only derive pleasure from intimidating them. This reaction displeased the chef ghost.

Nick remembered one thing: as long as he did his job honestly, he would be safe.

The dish was soon ready. "It's done," the chef said, placing the black clay pot on the counter.

Nick picked it up and left quickly to avoid any trouble from the chef ghost.

But halfway through, for safety's sake, he opened the pot and looked inside, suppressing his nausea.

"Ding! Skill 'Analytical Eye' triggered." "Analytical Eye: Tragically, he didn't survive until his girlfriend returned.

He was skinned alive by criminals, dying in agony." "Human skin is what he hates most, reminding him of that painful memory."

"Why add pieces of human skin? For better flavor, or some other purpose?"

Reading the Analytical Eye's prompt, Nick's face darkened.

The chef had deliberately added human skin to the dish to frame him! What should he do?

If he delivered it, the bandaged ghost would surely tear him apart upon seeing the human skin!

 If he didn't, he wasn't a match for the chef ghost!

After a moment of silence, Nick decisively closed the pot and walked back. "Is there something else in the dish?"

In the kitchen, Nick placed the pot back on the counter.

The chef looked up, his face grotesque and terrifying. "You pathetic rat, daring to doubt my cooking? Are you tired of living?"

"I am pathetic, but if the guest sees this dish and gets furious, he'll give you one last chance. If you can't make a satisfactory dish, he'll eat you!" Seeing the chef's twisted face, Nick continued, "That's the honorable Bandage Lord. The manager personally greeted him. Can you afford to offend him?"

The chef was surprised. Why was he being blamed? Shouldn't he eat this rat first?

But he didn't dare to think too much.

In the Horror Realm, on the surface, there were various rules and mechanisms, making it seem like a civilized and law-abiding place.

But in reality, these rules were as fragile as paper in front of truly powerful ghosts.

Once, a restaurant's dishes didn't meet a ghost's taste, and that ghost devoured every ghost in the restaurant.

If the Bandage Ghost wanted to eat him, the manager wouldn't stop it. The chef's dish was the problem.

"Wait," the chef said, taking the pot back.

Soon, he brought out another dish.

Nick held it in his hands and coldly warned, "If there's a next time, I'll put you on the menu!"

"What did you say?" The chef's face twisted almost upside down, as if wanting to swallow Nick whole and chew him up.

"Those are the Bandage Lord's words too!" Nick said before leaving.

The chef trembled in rage but didn't dare to attack.

He wasn't sure if it was Nick's words or if the Bandage Ghost had spoken through him.

"That was exciting. I actually insulted a ghost," On the way back, Nick's heart was still pounding.

That last sentence was to vent his frustration, but now that he thought about it, it was too risky.

What if the chef ghost couldn't control itself and pounced on him to eat him?

[Devil's Eye triggered: You successfully enraged the chef ghost and obtained 3 Red Dragon items!]

"So that's how the Devil's Eye works," Nick's eyes lit up.

He didn't know what the Red Dragon was, but it sounded powerful.

"Extract Red Dragon item." A warm, heavy object landed in his palm.

Nick looked down and was almost grossed out enough to throw it away.

Damn it! It was actually a sanitary pad, and it was the kind with blood on it. How disgusting!