Chapter 4

A young woman burst into tears.

“What do we do now? We made the same wish as Pete. That means we’re all going to die too!”

The room went dead silent. Everyone clearly had the same thought and none of their faces looked good.

The red-haired woman lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly.

“Not necessarily,” she said. “Remember what the system said? During these three days, it’ll issue random side quests. Each time we complete one, we get to make another wish. As long as someone figures out the right one, they’ll live. We still have a chance.”

Her calm tone worked like a shot of adrenaline for the group.

“I’m Cheryl,” she went on. “Before I ended up in this game, I was an executive at a multinational company. I know how to make decisions and handle pressure. If you trust me, I can lead us to victory.”

When people are terrified, they’ll always look for someone to rely on.

With her confidence and authority, Cheryl naturally became the group’s anchor.

After claiming leadership, she gave a few motivational lines—standard pep-talk stuff.

Then, the system’s cold voice echoed through the air again:

[Side Quest: “The Boss’s Banquet” has been issued.]

[All players are invited to join the feast!]

[Quest time: Tonight, 8:00 PM.]

[Participants: All surviving players.]

[Hint: The banquet offers a wide variety of dishes. Each player must choose one dish to present to the Boss.]

[Hint: No dish can be chosen twice.]

[Hint: The player who offers the Boss’s favorite dish will earn His favor and receive another wish.]

[Hint: The player who offers His least favorite dish… dies.]

Cheryl’s lips curved into a confident smile.

“Well,” she said, “looks like our chance just showed up.”

There were still more than half a day left before the banquet.

Under Cheryl’s direction, everyone split up to explore the mansion, hoping to uncover clues about the Boss’s preferences.

An hour before dinner, the group gathered in the living room to share what they’d found.

Cheryl spoke first.

“I found tonight’s menu in the kitchen. There are six dishes total, one for each of us.”

She unfolded the paper and read aloud,

“Baked escargot, Caesar salad, grilled lamb chops, seared cod, creamy vegetable stew, and fruit cake. Any of these ring a bell?”

A tall, thin guy raised his hand immediately.

“I found a notebook in the maid’s room,” he said. “It mentioned something like, ‘The young master only eats vegetables and barely touches meat. His diet’s a mess.’ I’m guessing that ‘young master’ refers to the Boss.”

A girl’s eyes lit up.

“I saw the fridge, it’s full of milk and dairy stuff. So the Boss must really like creamy food. Milk and vegetables… that has to be the creamy stew!”

Everyone’s faces brightened. The discovery seemed almost too easy, and for the first time, hope flickered.

Cheryl tapped her long, polished nails lightly on the table.

“Good work, everyone. We’ve figured out what the Boss likes. Now the question is… Who should be the one to offer the dish?”

The system had made it clear: no dish could be chosen twice. Which meant only one person could win the Boss’s favor.

Cheryl cleared her throat delicately.

“I actually think I’ve already guessed the correct wish. If things go well, I might be able to get us all out of this dungeon alive. So, if you trust me, I’ll be the one to present the creamy stew.”

The group exchanged uncertain glances. After a long hesitation, they eventually nodded in agreement.

Then the girl who had first guessed the dish spoke up in a small voice…