Chapter 2352: Chapter 2352: Drawing Lots for the Mermaid

It seems an emergency chip was installed inside the body, these chips can be mounted on the brain and heart. Besides for locating, they are mainly for controlling people, similar to Xu Huo using Psychic Power to interfere with this person. Unlike ordinary props, mental interference might lead this person to divulge information about the Fish Banquet, so the owner of the Fish Banquet will proactively find ways to respond.

The person was thoroughly dead, Xu Huo took off the jellyfish mask that lost its luster from the person’s head and wore it himself, the jellyfish mask did not emit a faint glow like before, indicating it failed.

He crushed the mask, discovering some miniature devices inside, likely used for identity verification.

He then brought out his invitation and exchanged it with the Girl in the painting. Afterward, the mask on his head turned back into a clownfish, while the Girl in the painting’s head transformed into a Piranha.

An invitation symbolizes identity, to acquire someone else’s identity, one must obtain another’s invitation.

Xu Huo switched the invitations back and told the Girl in the painting rummaging through things: "Stop looking, there won’t be anything valuable here, someone will arrive soon, let’s leave first."

Ordinary waitstaff being killed here might not trigger a swift reaction, but this person came out specifically to pick someone up, so someone should notice his commotion.

Indeed, just as the two left the corridor, several people wearing shark masks hurriedly came rushing in.

Xu Huo no longer paid attention, instead mingling with the other guests together with the Girl in the painting.

This place, hearing the name, might be perceived as a grand banquet hall, but from the layout they’ve seen upon entering it resembles a very luxurious hotel. There are numbered rooms on both sides of the corridor, however, very few people come out of the rooms, and those outside cannot peek at the situation inside the rooms.

Xu Huo did not rashly open any doors; instead, he followed along with two other guests who reportedly were going to the banquet hall "to scout for prey."

While passing through a side corridor with them, they glimpsed the outside scenery through windows.

It seemed like a structure built at a high location, fog permeated everywhere with low visibility. However, one could faintly sense there were no other buildings nearby, and looking further down, the howling wind sounds could determine this structure was independently erected on a very high platform, disconnected from the surroundings, entirely isolated.

After bypassing several corridors, Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting quickly arrived at a gigantic banquet hall — different from what he saw in the previous video, the guests’ masks varied.

The currently visible masks in the banquet hall include jellyfish, sharks, clownfish, piranha, mermaid, octopus, whale, and several unknown but seemingly very aggressive mutated fish species.

These people drank wine, ate food, and chatted, everyone discreetly scrutinizing those entering the banquet hall, with only a select few gazes being blatantly brazen, making the words "seeking prey" starkly explicit.

While a minority might stay vigilant and tense in such situations, the majority remained composed, for everyone here is both prey and hunter.

Xu Huo can currently confirm jellyfish are Fish Banquet staff, sharks are security personnel, and other fish types are mostly guests. Compared to his invitation, the previous waitstaff was more concerned about his Piranha mask, indicating those who obtained the Piranha mask either have strong abilities or possess certain privileges in this game.

Of course, it’s impossible to directly ask information from these people in the banquet hall.

When the number of people in the banquet hall gradually increased, a whale mask came to the front. After everyone calmed down, it smiled and said, "I believe many of you here are new friends visiting for the first time, unfamiliar with the Fish Banquet, but once you spend a day here, every new friend will involuntarily come to love it."

"Because every inch of air here permeates the essence of freedom, and whatever cannot be obtained outside, once you’re here, as long as you have the skills, you can have it! Even replace my position!"

Applause resonated throughout the banquet hall, and some even cheered.

Nobody explained the rules, the ones familiar with the rules all seemed to harbor malice towards newcomers.

"Next, let’s choose today’s Lucky Guy!" The whale mask took out a draw box, "To show fairness in the draw, we’ll use the most primitive method, writing notes. Here, I guarantee there won’t be any high-intelligent interference with the text on these papers!"

Laughter rose and fell, while the whale mask pinched out a note from the box with two fingers, after taking a glance, displayed it in front of the crowd, "Today’s Lucky Guy... is the mermaid!"

The crowd in the hall shouted, and some whistled.

Afterward, the whale retreated from the stage, and remarkably, nobody explained what this draw meant exactly, but immediately, everyone in the hall unanimously focused their attention on the person wearing the mermaid mask.

The Girl in the painting beside Xu Huo was among them.

The Girl in the painting continued picking food at the table, seemingly oblivious to any crisis. Xu Huo took him along to leave the banquet hall.

Surprisingly, those wolf-like and tiger-like people from the banquet hall didn’t chase after them, but instead another female player wearing a mermaid mask followed along.

"Stop!" Xu Huo commanded her from a few meters away, "Come any closer and I won’t be polite!"

To show sincerity, the opponent spread her hands open where he could see them, explaining, "I bear no malice, just wish to collaborate with you guys; there are two of you, and I’m alone. Solo fighting, I might not survive tonight."

Xu Huo hesitated without speaking.

"You guys are new here, right?" The female player said, "You probably don’t know the rules here yet, not knowing could be very dangerous. As long as we cooperate, I can inform you."

Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting exchanged a glance, then gestured for her to approach.

The other party joyfully moved forwards, "Let’s talk while walking."

"Actually, you don’t have to worry about people wearing the same mermaid masks. Once chosen by the whale, those wearing the same mask are mostly in the same camp. Only when others survive can the attention of other fish masks be dispersed. One would be safer."

"I noticed there weren’t many mermaid masks in the hall." Xu Huo said.

"Mermaid, as the name implies, will only be issued to players who look relatively attractive." The female player said, "Not many meet the criteria, so there are very few people."

"What does selecting a mermaid signify?" Xu Huo asked, "Is the mermaid tonight’s prey?"

"Sort of." The female player replied, "Do you know how many floors the Fish Banquet has?"

"Dozens of floors?" Xu Huo unsurely said.

"One hundred floors." The female player stated, "We are currently on the first floor, considered the lowest end of the food chain."