Aside from a banquet hall on the first floor, most other spaces are occupied by rooms with no recreational areas. Players who want to ensure their safety typically move in groups, and they hold a strong interest in opening rooms. Many players even forego pursuing the Mermaid Mask, instead focusing their attention on the rooms.

Xu Huo wore an Octopus Mask on his face, so when he appeared on the first floor, other clustered players usually avoided him. By nightfall, the Rank-B players still lingering on the first floor were few, with mostly Rank-C players remaining. Some were clearly aware of the origin of the Octopus Mask, and were quite wary and cautious, only relaxing when Xu Huo left or showed a lack of interest in them.

The clustered players would cause a commotion if they were to hypnotize anyone, so Xu Huo didn’t approach anyone directly. Instead, he intermittently listened to other players discussing the Fish Banquet while observing the building’s situation.

This was mostly experienced players giving advice to newcomers on the rules.

First is the matter of drawing lots. Those who draw lots can indeed avoid risky rooms, but the chance of finding space is only fifty percent. For players with a Mermaid Mask, who are the lowest tier of all fish types, even a fifty percent risk is substantial. Therefore, leaving the banquet hall early doesn’t guarantee safety.

Secondly, opening rooms. Though occupied by players, there’s a chance that rooms might be empty. Already occupied rooms present a life-and-death battle the moment the door is opened—winning yields great rewards, losing might cost one’s life, and sometimes the room is clear.

An empty room is preferable; such rooms are not only safe but may also contain unclaimed props—bait given by the Fish Banquet to players. Furthermore, props in the room are updated instantaneously like the carpet in the corridor after being looted, so every player might access props.

Thirdly is the floor issue. Generally, higher floors are assumed to be more dangerous. Regardless of motive or symbolism, stronger players also venture upwards. Of course, this is mere speculation; players hypothesize that better props or devices might be found in higher floors’ rooms. Those of weaker strength tend to cautiously ascend, while players who’ve visited higher floors might occasionally return for easier hunting.

Additionally, there’s the mask issue. Players still wandering between the first and second floors remain clueless about the origin of uncommon masks like the Octopus Mask or Giant Eye Fish Mask, only deducing they relate to the number of players killed, hence avoiding unusual masks like the Octopus.

Clownfish and Piranha are the most usual and abundant masks in Fish Banquet, yet masks reflect players’ strength to a degree. Mermaid Masks, like those of other fish types, are rarer, with players noting that mermaids, regardless of gender, possess outstanding appearance and are the most sought-after fish type masks.

These are insights shared by players roaming low floors; here, Clownfish and Piranha are plenty, but higher floors are uncertain.

"Shall we open the door?" the Girl in the painting was curious about empty rooms.

Xu Huo remained concealed in the corridor’s corner, not responding, and instead directed her attention to the players ahead.

Five players in the corridor chose a room, deciding to open the door after assessing risk using props, yet as the door opened, several black shadows akin to tentacles shot out from within, dragging the unsuspecting players inside. The last-standing player seized an escape, using props to transfer. The other four went into the room, and accompanied by the door’s closure, silence returned.

The player who escaped only transferred to the corridor’s end, and still in post-crisis shock encountered Xu Huo, abruptly fleeing in terror.

Xu Huo and the Girl in the painting paid him no heed.

"Seems there are not just players inside rooms, but perhaps some special props," Xu Huo remarked. Though players possess peculiar props, the high fatality rate upon opening doors exceeds regular player capabilities. Before opening a door, players prepared for escape; swift enough, they could flee, whereas room players mostly wouldn’t dare chase.

Returning after departure is uncertain.

The Girl in the painting was curious, "Is there really an octopus in that room?"

"Why don’t you go see?" Xu Huo advanced.

The pair arrived at the previous door, and the Girl in the painting eagerly opened it; yet, upon turning the knob, no tentacles flew out. Inside was a brightly lit, luxuriously decorated, empty room.

The room was large, comparable to a small villa for vacation, despite being only one level; outside was a swimming pool and garden. The swimming pool was open-air, with fog visible outside.

The venue of Fish Banquet is vast, and the density of doors makes fitting so many rooms unsurprising. From the room arrangement, apparently, Xu Huo’s group couldn’t view the opposite windows, indicating no fixed rooms behind the door, but each door opening leads to a different room.

Consequently, preemptive risk-assessment props hold little utility.

"Can’t see either side," the Girl in the painting glanced left and right from the terrace, "No rooms on either side?"

"This should be a venue prop, with spatial limitations." This isn’t surprising; so long as personal panels aren’t blocked, it’s manageable.

Xu Huo immediately began inspecting the room, casually touching a lamp, a masterless prop, followed by wall hangings, decorative yet unusable antique radios, toxin-measuring cups, automatically readable books, and portable mirrors...

Little props facilitating daily life were plentiful.

The Girl in the painting mimicked him, searching the room, suddenly crawled under the bed, lifting a floorboard beneath.

Xu Huo took it and found it to be a special floating prop, capable of shrinking and enlarging, ensuring it remained upright on any water surface.

"What’s its use?" the Girl in the painting promptly inquired, losing interest upon hearing its function, "It stays upright, but I’ll fall off, isn’t that useless?"

"Valid point," Xu Huo stashed the board, "Keep looking, then."

She continued finding unexpected props which neither satisfied her nor Xu Huo.

Until after Xu Huo spent half an hour drinking tea, the Girl in the painting extracted a one-meter-long black shadow from the wall cracks.

It appeared as merely a shadow, with the tactile feel of thin rubbery cloth, yet it was a special prop named "Ground Fall."