With the snapping of two ropes.
The chairs of Fish and Radish shook even more violently than before.
Both broken ropes were the front left ropes of their chairs.
Among them, Fish was not affected much.
Radish, however, nervously shifted backward and to the right, adjusting his center of gravity.
But it wasn’t particularly troublesome.
After all, the other three ropes were still intact.
If one more rope snapped, it might be a different story.
“Four ropes… in other words, four chances?”
Lin Yu pondered silently.
“No, maybe later on, there will be punishments where multiple ropes break at once, so we shouldn’t be too optimistic.”
“Also, if balance isn’t good, breaking two or three ropes could already be very risky for falling.”
But no matter what…
The “first stage” should be over.
Except for Fish and Radish, no one else was punished.
Of course…
Though no one was punished, it was obvious that except for Lin Yu, everyone’s mood was rather grim.
The octopus “Ka” was indifferent to all this.
The octopus spoke to itself.
“Anyway… after enjoying a delightful and delicious aperitif, I will prepare the appetizer for everyone!”
Ka said, and mechanical noises sounded from the circle of tables around the pool.
Immediately, the tables opened and a ring of iron griddles rose up.
Ka took out a spatula and a set of paper and pen from the water, then began to ask the group: “For the appetizer, we have seared foie gras with blueberry sauce on an iron plate, and cheese-sautéed snails with chopped parsley… Dear guests, which would you like to choose?”
When Ka said this, the seven players all understood a little.
“I’m afraid this choice will determine the next trial.”
With that thought, Li Hua politely asked, “Respected head chef, may we know the difference between these two dishes? Could you please introduce them to us?”
“Of course,” Ka bowed his head slightly as if paying respect, “That is my duty.”
“The seared foie gras with blueberry sauce on the iron plate has a rich, mellow taste with a sweet and sour flavor. It is an excellent appetizer, made from the meat of the well-trained, fast, and strong Giant Wild Goose from the Wasteland. Its liver is relatively firm and the portion is quite generous.”
“The cheese-sautéed snails with parsley have a rich milky flavor and are saltier, which can also stimulate appetite. They use the highly poisonous patterned snails from the Night Valley. Their movement speed is just like typical snails, but their shells are extremely hard and they can spray poisonous mist—however, don’t worry, during cooking they undergo a detoxification process that greatly reduces their toxicity, and their shells won’t appear on the dining table.”
“The tasting time for the appetizer is limited—I hope you finish eating quickly!”
After Ka finished the introduction, Li Hua nodded thoughtfully.
“I see… one has a larger portion, and the other has some toxicity.”
“The foie gras probably requires longer eating time, and the snails might cause toxic reactions after eating.”
Radish thought for a moment and was the first to speak: “Then I choose the snails.”
Li Hua adjusted his glasses and was the second to choose: “I also choose the snails.”
He had already exhausted three uses of his abilities, and although the cooldown was short, it had not yet fully refreshed.
So Li Hua made his choice based on the known information.
Obviously, the two were somewhat confident in detoxification.
“Then I’ll choose the foie gras.”
Fish crossed her arms and crossed one leg over the other as she spoke.
From her demeanor, it was clear she was deliberately opposing Li Hua.
“I also choose the foie gras.”
Mosin-Nagant said after him, explaining: “I used to be a hunter, often eating wild game… I have good teeth and eat quickly.”
He grinned, showing a set of neat, strong teeth.
Robin thought for a moment and gave her answer: “I choose the snails.”
Phantom stroked his chin: “Is that so? Then I’ll choose the foie gras—I hate the feeling of stomach upset.”
Lin Yu, who had deliberately remained silent until the end, looked at Ka and asked sincerely: “Um, can we change our choice after selecting?”
“Certainly not,” Ka raised the paper and pen in his hand, “I have already recorded each person’s choice.”
Lin Yu nodded and smiled: “Well, I have a bigger appetite… can I have two portions?”
Ka was momentarily stunned.
Then it nodded: “Of course!”
Li Hua looked at Lin Yu in surprise.
Although they were enemies in reality, he couldn’t help but ask.
“Why are you doing that?”
Lin Yu propped his chin on his hand, giving a mischievous smile.
“Oh, silly… do you think that choosing the ‘dish’ means choosing the direction of the trial?”
“If not?”
Li Hua furrowed his brows slightly and asked back.
The others also showed curious expressions looking at Lin Yu.
Leaning back, Lin Yu said: “If it was just because of the ‘ingredients,’ would it be necessary to explain the habits of these two animals?”
Li Hua’s expression turned serious.
“You mean…”
“The aperitif test had ‘two parts.’ I don’t think the appetizer only has one test,” Lin Yu said as he looked at the octopus Ka. “Besides… the ingredients should be prepared in seven portions.”
“I saw earlier… several of the bags it brought down had moving creatures inside.”
Fish had already realized.
“Damn, I get what you mean now!”
“You mean, in this stage, each of us will have to deal with two animals—but we will choose to have one cooked into a dish?”
Ka heard Fish’s words and swung two huge burlap sacks out of the pool.
“That’s exactly right—”
The octopus declared loudly as the two sacks were opened.
Inside were seven cages and seven transparent boxes.
The cages held giant geese over a person tall, with fierce horns and sharp teeth, while the boxes contained fist-sized snails with shells shining metallically.
“To ensure every guest has a choice, I prepared seven portions of each ingredient!”
“And to adhere to the principle of no waste… I will give you the ‘ingredients’ you do not choose as a gift!”
“But please, take care of harmless disposal of the remaining ingredients yourselves!”
As Ka spoke, he casually killed four snails and four giant geese with the spatula.
The octopus’s actions were extremely casual. Whether the geese or the snails, he simply opened the cage doors and lids, lightly tapped their heads and shells once, and immediately the animals lost activity and collapsed limply!