[Congratulations on clearing the game "Banquet in the Skies"!]
[Calculating your rewards for this game session!]
[You have received the basic reward: 7 days of survival time.]
[Based on your performance in this game, you have earned the evaluation "Master of Control," granting an additional reward.]
[Additional reward: Randomly obtain one "non-exclusive item" reward.]
[Obtained non-exclusive item reward: Reusable Flavor Papers.]
[During this game session, you acquired 'Reward Vouchers,' which are now being exchanged for additional rewards...]
[Additional reward: Obtain two "item rewards."]
[Item: Banquet Pendant, now bound.]
[Item: Bliss Immortal Pot, now bound.][During this game session, you gained the favor of a god and received a special item bestowed by the deity.]
[Item: Pocket-Sized Chef Apprentice, now bound.]
Opening his eyes in the Settlement Space, Lin Yu didn't rush to check his rewards. Instead, he looked around. Observing the other Players examining their newly acquired items, Lin Yu could tell from their expressions that the Banquet God had been quite generous. Even Li Hua and Mosin-Nagant, who had only two ropes, seemed satisfied with what they'd obtained.
However, Lin Yu had no intention of reviewing his rewards here in the Settlement Space—nor did he plan to let others see them. He wasn't about to waste these final moments. Clapping his hands, the crisp sound drew everyone's attention.
"Hey, hey, ha~"
All eyes turned to Lin Yu as he smiled and spoke again.
"Everyone, everyone—while the god's invitation has concluded, don't forget about mine! Whether you want to kill me or bring however many people... I'll show up 'alone' for our appointment! You all remember the 'riddle' about the time and place, right? Well then... until we meet again!"
Lin Yu timed his final line perfectly, leaving no room for anyone to react before the Settlement Space's time limit expired. This was an actor's fundamental skill—mastering dialogue timing.
Upon reopening his eyes, the question that had troubled Lin Yu before jumping was suddenly answered. He found himself back on the rooftop's edge where he'd started.
"Oh, so the game really does have a 'Rewind' function," Lin Yu mused, climbing back from the ledge. The time was still just past midnight. Removing his False Face disguise, he casually strolled back down the fire escape, making sure to relock the door behind him.
Only then did Lin Yu begin examining his rewards. The Revelry God, as the deity presiding over banquets, proved exceptionally hospitable and generous—far surpassing a certain crow's stinginess. At the very least, unlike the Deadly Quiz dungeon personally designed by that crow god, this one actually offered extra reward evaluations. Lin Yu was certain his performance had met the Master of Control standard back then too! Not receiving rewards was purely due to that crow skimming off the top.
Though the Teeth of Prophecy and Tongue of Deceit were quite useful... Lin Yu had to work extremely hard to obtain them by unraveling lies and setting traps himself. Unlike this Banquet God, who practically threw items at him, even inventing reasons like "divine favor" to give more.
Thinking this, Lin Yu glanced at the crow mark on his wrist. "You supposedly favor me too—where's the actual support? I'm telling you, it's not too late to compensate me with eight or ten powerful items!" The mark remained unmoved. Shrugging without much disappointment, Lin Yu began cataloging his gains.
[Reusable Flavor Papers: Can be used in every dungeon. Simply hold them while making a request to randomly receive 1-57 falling Flavor Papers worth of food. Higher value foods have lower appearance probabilities.]
Having used Flavor Papers before, Lin Yu knew their value. Though he already had Chate's Supplies, that stuff was barely edible—clearwater crackers were mere sustenance rations. Even a single Flavor Paper guaranteed hot, delicious food. And the upper limit here was 57! Not that Chate's Supplies were useless—they could feed teammates, and had the hidden function of detecting others' fear.
But the Reusable Flavor Papers were the most ordinary reward this time. The real prizes came next.
[Banquet Pendant: Greatly increases the wearer's appetite, with chances to gain random buffs from eating. Can upgrade existing food buffs when consumed.]
[Bliss Immortal Pot: Allows the wearer to temporarily suspend active buffs and convert them into "Immortal Brew" stored in the pot. Drinking the brew reactivates the suspended buffs. Maximum three brews stored simultaneously.]
For Lin Yu, these two items were incredibly useful. Finally, he had means to enhance direct combat ability beyond deception! Gaining buffs from eating, then storing them—combined with Heavenly Artisan's hammers, the ready-to-use Syringe from Counterfeit, the Fear Torch and Guaranteed-Hit Revolver...
"I should have some decent combat power now, right?" Lin Yu pondered. Against First-Tier Players like Heavenly Artisan or Red Fuji, he might win straightforwardly without deception or ambushes.
That said, having just returned from Banquet in the Skies, Lin Yu dared not grow overconfident. Witnessing high-level Players' combat prowess—like Fish's single Piercing Sacred Might attack—left him acutely aware of his own limitations. So despite acquiring this excellent item set, Lin Yu remained grounded.
He dutifully examined the final reward—the one from "divine favor."
"Pocket-Sized Chef Apprentice—what a strange name. What is this thing?" At Lin Yu's thought, the last item appeared.
*Plop!*
A wet sound accompanied the arrival of a palm-sized pink octopus wearing a miniature white chef's uniform, landing in Lin Yu's hand. It waved tiny chopstick-sized spatulas excitedly.
"Gwah gwah! The human world! I've reached the human world! Gwah, are you the future proxy lord my master sent me to serve?"