There was no doubt that the three doctors and the head of the West Asia branch had once been people pampered by life.
Which is why, when faced with this plate full of cockroaches…
"Everyone, please remain calm and composed."
Ling Ke smiled and kindly reminded them, "There are still two more dishes. Don't rush until you've seen them all."
Obviously, his words offered not the slightest comfort.
Because for people like Edwig, it was all too clear:
If the first dish was already this grotesque, the next ones… could only be worse.
"Second dish!"
Ling Ke announced calmly, and the maids simultaneously lifted the lid of the second platter.
.
Indeed, even more grotesque.
That pinkish-white mess—everyone present recognized it instantly.
It was body tissue from a Honkai Beast.
Perhaps because they had already mentally prepared themselves...
When this "second dish" was revealed, Edwig and the others weren't too shocked.
They even began to wonder: What exactly could the "third dish" be?
Could it be even more repulsive than Honkai Beast tissue?
Ling Ke continued to smile.
He didn't keep them waiting long.
"Third dish!"
The maids obeyed, lifting the covers in front of the "guests" one last time.
In that instant…
"???"
All along the table, everyone—including Edwig—showed the same confused expression.
For one simple reason.
The "third dish" looked… perfectly normal.
Thin slices of meat laid neatly over green leaves.
A completely ordinary dish.
Something one might find at any Western-style restaurant.
Presented, of course, with Dubai's elegant knife technique.
Edwig and the others were clearly puzzled.
Then, they all turned their gaze to Ling Ke.
But he… kept smiling.
And extended a hand.
"Please, feel free to choose for yourselves."
"I won't interfere."
Clearly, he was hiding something.
He even added, quite deliberately:
"For today's 'dinner,' I'm treating you with courtesy."
"So long as the 'guests' aren't rude… you'll naturally be allowed to leave unharmed."
"I hope you can appreciate my kindness."
At that moment…
.
Dr. Antonio, seated to Ling Ke's right, gulped hard.
He had no idea what the hell to choose.
Ling Ke clearly had twisted intentions.
First dish: cockroaches… sourced from human legs.
Second dish: tissue from a Honkai Beast.
Both increasingly shocking.
So how could this third, perfectly "normal" dish not hide something?
But…
Choosing the cockroach openly—essentially eating feces—he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.
And spitting it out would be seen as "disrespectful."
And from what Ling Ke had said, even one wrong step meant…
...death.
As for the Honkai Beast tissue…
That stuff would kill you the moment you ate it.
So…
"Time is money."
Ling Ke suddenly spoke.
Everyone jumped.
He fixed his gaze on one of the "guests." "I believe Dr. Moniz must feel a special connection to that famous phrase."
Just as he finished speaking, his face abruptly changed to a chilling expression.
That shift alone was terrifying.
But what followed was even more frightening.
"Swish, swish!"
Ling Ke gently flicked the tip of his right finger, and five ultra-thin invisible threads shot out, wrapping precisely around the necks of each "guest."
As if he'd put dog collars on them.
And to make sure they understood, he tugged gently several times—deliberately—so that everyone would realize:
He could slit their throats at any moment.
"Last 30 seconds."
Ling Ke declared in a deep voice: "Choose one of the three. Or all three, if you wish."
"Time starts now!"
With that, he pulled out a pocket watch and held it in front of him.
"Tick… tock… tick… tock…"
In the grand dining hall, each tick echoed clearly.
The sound of that mechanical clock grew more and more unsettling.
Combined with the cold sensation of the threads on their necks, it jolted the nerves of Edwig and the others, paralyzing them.
So, just ten seconds in…
"Ding!"
Dr. Egas was the first.
With trembling hands, he picked up the knife and fork already laid out before him, cut a piece of the "third dish," and brought it to his mouth.
But just before it touched his lips, he hesitated.
Paused for a second.
Yet when he saw the half-smile on Ling Ke's face—an expression full of implication…
He finally opened his mouth and ate it.
Swallowed it.
And breathed a sigh of relief.
With him as precedent, the others followed suit.
All chose the "third dish."
Upon seeing that…
"Eh~!"
Ling Ke's smile deepened.
And with that smile, Edwig and the others nearly had a heart attack.
Then, they heard him say:
"I wonder… how did the 'third dish' taste to you all?"
"I prepared it with special care."
The corners of his lips slowly curved upward.
"And I must give a special thanks to Miss Edwig."
He looked meaningfully at the blonde young woman.
"After all, it was thanks to her generous offering that I obtained the most… special ingredient."
"!!!"
Edwig froze.
She looked at the slices of meat on the plate before her.
"Uuuh!"
She immediately covered her mouth.
Terrified.
Tears filled her eyes.
She didn't want to die!
She really didn't want to die!
But thinking that those meat slices… were that...
"Bleh!"
Her body's reflexes overwhelmed her.
She vomited.
"What a shame."
Ling Ke gently loosened the threads around the other four guests, leaving only one—Edwig's.
Then he walked over slowly.
One finger raised—the thread still tied to it.
He leaned in close to her ear and whispered:
"Miss Edwig, why so upset?"
He smiled, and said word for word, just low enough that only the two of them could hear:
"In truth… it was just regular sliced meat."
"I got it from the cafeteria."
"You."
She had been tricked.
The person before her…
With just one sentence…
Had made her believe she'd eaten…
"Don't worry, I'm very mindful of etiquette these days."
"I'd never serve 'dog food' on the table!"
"!!!"
Edwig choked.
Besides her… unique tastes, she loved dogs.
She had two in her dorm.
Even used to sleep with them in her arms.
And now she understood Ling Ke's implication.
"You, you're not human! You're a monster!"
"You—!"
"Ah!"
Her hysterical scream was abruptly cut off.
Edwig's head flew through the air.
Blood gushed from her severed neck.
And, whether from cruelty or sarcasm…
Her head landed squarely on the plate in front of her.
She died peacefully.