Chapter 685: The Dinner
Chapter 685: The Dinner
You were chosen by all five Zodiac Palaces as well?!?!?!
Looking at the patterns on Lyon's arm, identical to hers... No! Clearly larger and brighter than hers, and even attacking each other, the Quintessence Selection patterns left the female cleaner stunned, her mouth gaping wider and wider as she stammered:
"Y-Your..."
"My sorcery talent is also quite good. I was fortunate to receive recognition from all five Zodiac Palaces."
After a brief moment of feigned modesty, Lyon chuckled and said:
"But although I got the chance to learn the secrets of the five palaces, my situation is a bit special, as you saw with the Archer Director. I haven't mastered the secrets of the Archer and Taurus Palaces very well, so in that regard, I'm not as good as you."
Ah... That's right!
After hearing Lyon's self-deprecating words and recalling the Archer Director's evaluation of him, the female cleaner's bruised pride was slightly boosted.
The Bureau Chief had said that she was the most talented cleaner he knew, and there was no one else who could compare to her... Hmm... Mr. Lyon is also very capable, but perhaps... maybe... her talent might still be better.
Glancing at Lyon with a lack of confidence, the little female cleaner clenched her small fist tightly and encouraged herself. Then, straightening her back, she responded:
"No, no, you're already very capable!
Besides, the selection process isn't over yet. Even if the Archer, Twin Fish, and Taurus Palaces aren't suitable for you, there's still the Crab Palace and the Aquarius Palace. With the talent you've demonstrated, you'll surely gain recognition."
"..."
This kid... seems to have a kind heart.
As Lyon was about to take the opportunity to build a closer relationship and gather some additional information, a giant hand suddenly reached down from above, like catching loaches in a pond, and firmly grabbed the two fish.
"Don't worry, it's me."
After greeting Lyon, who was full of vigilance, the Crab Director, with a kind and benevolent appearance, scooped up Lyon and the two fish in one motion and placed them on the chairs prepared nearby. Then, with a cheerful smile, he invited them to sit down:
"Quickly, take a seat. This banquet only needs the two of you!"
Huh? What do you mean just the two of us?
The female cleaner, who was seated on a wooden chair, was about to ask a question when she suddenly stiffened in fear and looked at the Crab Director not far away.
After bringing up Lyon and the two fish, the Crab Director, wearing a chef's hat, swung the two large fish and knocked them unconscious. He then casually tossed them onto the wooden cutting board nearby.
As the female cleaner watched in shock, the Crab Director, with empty eye sockets, adjusted his apron to cover his greasy belly. Then, with his pinky finger, he lightly picked up a sharp filleting knife from the nearby knife rack.
Immediately after, the Crab Director's expression turned serious. With the filleting knife in hand, he skillfully made two knife flowers and gently wiped them along the fish's belly. The two large fish that had carried them here, willingly opened up their "chests."
Moreover, not content with just offering their hearts and lungs, the fish went a step further. They voluntarily discarded the most "bony" parts of their bodies, then split along the muscle fibers and evenly distributed themselves on the cutting board.
"How's my knife skills?"
After casually placing the filleting knife back on the rack, the Crab Director looked at Lyon and the female cleaner, who were stunned by his skills, and said with a smile:
"Before joining the Purification Bureau, I was an excellent chef, the kind that could be called a master. And in the more than a hundred years since joining the Bureau, I've not only worked as a cleaner but also maintained my culinary skills."
Since the death of Master Charles in the Aurelon Kingdom thirty years ago, I am undoubtedly the best chef among the living humans in the world today. You're in for a treat."
The best chef in the human world... It's quite fitting with the Crab Palace's Anomaly Devouring.
After listening to the Crab Director's words and seeing the two plates of sashimi he pushed towards him, Lyon couldn't help but eagerly pick up his knife and fork.
"Whoosh!"
As Lyon's fork pierced a piece of sashimi, sliced as thin as a cicada's wing, with its flesh still trembling, the sound of metal cutlery cutting through the flesh suddenly echoed from various parts of his body, following his bones and flesh, directly entering his ears.
Immediately, Lyon's hands holding the knife and fork seemed to bloom like a flower of flesh and blood, suddenly "blooming" open.
First, the skin on the back of his hand quickly peeled away along the edges of his ten fingernails, then the muscle bundles and nerves spread out to the left and right along the invisible incisions, revealing the white, eerie knuckles below. Finally, they even started to rapidly extend to other parts of his body.
As if the scene of filleting the fish was replaying, when Lyon forked the fish meat and put it into his mouth, all the places on his body closest to the bones had already opened up extremely thin and fine incisions.
The originally intact skin and flesh all quickly spread along the traces, and the whole person literally became extremely "revealing," with a hideous and terrifying appearance. But Lyon seemed completely unaware, still forking the fish meat into his mouth...
"Stop! Don't eat it!"
Although she knew this was likely part of the selection process, seeing Lyon's increasingly "bony" figure, the little female cleaner couldn't help but scream, reaching out to grab his arm, her face turning deathly pale as she dissuaded him:
"Wait! Look at the others first!"
Look at the others?
Lyon, interrupted by the little female cleaner, couldn't help but pause slightly. After glancing around at the situation, he couldn't help but ask in surprise:
"What about the others? Aren't they all happy?"
No... How can you tell they're happy!
Surprised by Lyon's response, the female cleaner mustered up the courage to point at the red beet soup on the table across from her, her face filled with terror:
"That person has been split in half and is swimming in the red beet soup! Can't you see it? And the salt-baked snail, that writhing meat shell in the potato lamb stew... And those white bone potatoes, they... they... You're the dish yourselves!"
...
Hmm? She's completely unaffected by the Feast of the Body?
After hearing the little female cleaner's shout, the Crab Director, who was cleaning the cutting board, couldn't help but glance at her curiously.
Even Lyon, whom he had previously favored the most, failed to see through the anomaly of the Feast of the Body and started eating the dishes made from human flesh without any precautions. But Barto's little girl wasn't fooled at all and immediately noticed something was wrong.
This was getting interesting.
Opening his hollow eye sockets, the Crab Director stared at Lyon, who was eating the fish meat despite Meli's attempts to stop him. He shook his head, a hint of regret appearing on his face.
What a pity... Although this child's talent is also quite good, compared to the little girl Barto sent, it's slightly lacking. I estimate that the position of the next Crab Director will have nothing to do with him.
(End of Chapter)
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