When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 502: Mad Hatter’s Special Concoction

Chapter 502: Mad Hatter’s Special Concoction

Question marks floated above the players’ heads, their confusion palpable. Fun? What kind of theme was that? Wasn’t this supposed to be an elimination game? So why were they having a tea party instead?!

Meanwhile, the skeleton guests collectively showed a look of relief mixed with excitement. "The moment I’ve been waiting for the longest time—!"

"Ah, it’s my luck to receive the invitation to tonight’s tea party. I can finally rest in peace in my graveyard later!"

"Excellent choice of theme, Mad Hatter!"

"Thank you, thank you for your compliment," Mad Hatter gave a theatrical bow. "Your joy is my utmost priority!"

But then, among the players, there was one who matched the skeletons’ excitement with equal fervor, if not more.

"Fun? I love fun!" Jin Jiuchi exclaimed, unable to tear his gaze away from the tantalizing array of sweets before him. His mouth literally watered at the sight. After hours of trekking through the forest, a feast was just what he needed! Who could have guessed that the Nightmare would be so generous as to serve him just as he was getting hungry? Swallowing the saliva pooling in his mouth, he asked eagerly, "So, when can we start? Do you have rules for that, or can I directly dive in? I am eyeing that strawberry shortcake over there..."

The other players gaped at him, utterly flabbergasted. What the hell was wrong with that person? He was thinking of eating strawberry shortcake at a time like this? Was this some sort of strategy, by any chance???

Meanwhile, Gu Luoxin was covering one side of his face, not wanting to be associated with the man beside him, and Shen Nianzu was cosplaying as a real doll, hearing and seeing nothing.

Mad Hatter’s movements paused for a second, his head slowly tilting toward Jin Jiuchi with an eerie creak.

In return, Jin Jiuchi met his empty eye sockets with a puzzled look on his own. What was it? Had he said something wrong? It wasn’t like he had secretly stolen the desserts; he was just asking! So he shouldn’t have violated any rules, right?

Just as the tension seemed to stretch to its limit, Mad Hatter suddenly burst into a loud guffaw, his jaws clicking in a rapid rhythm. "What an enthusiastic guest we have here!"

Following him, all the skeleton guests laughed along, and the one seated opposite Jin Jiuchi, dressed in a faded tosca dress and fancy-looking hat in a similar shade of green, even commented with a giggle, "I like him already!"

"Thank you," Jin Jiuchi chirped happily. "I like the shape of your skull too!"

"Oh my..." the skeleton lady covered her cheeks, just like a bashful maiden upon receiving a compliment from a gentleman.

"Of course, we have no such thing as rules here, but..." the Mad Hatter quickly added just as Jin Jiuchi was about to swoop in and seize the cake for himself. "Where’s the fun if we dive straight to the main course? Remember tonight’s theme?"

"What do you propose, Mad Hatter?" one skeleton in a formal suit inquired curiously.

"Let’s see..." Mad Hatter tapped his fingers on his chin, producing a crisp sound. With a sudden ’aha!’, he suggested, "Why don’t we play a game first?"

"Oh, sounds interesting!"

"What game do you have in mind?"

"Count me in!"

In stark contrast to the skeletons who appeared to be having the best time of their skeletal lives, the players gulped nervously, their bodies tensing with anticipation. Finally, the elimination game was here! They must not lower their guard down!

"Actually, among all the desserts here, there are some which contain my... secret concoction," Mad Hatter revealed mysteriously, eliciting various reactions from the skeletons and humans alike. While one or two skeletons groaned with an expression of boredom, most expressed genuine excitement.

"Oh, I love Mad Hatter’s concoctions!"

"For real, I still dream about it once in a while since the last time!"

"It’s such a unique taste that makes you get addicted to it!"

The players’ expression turned inscrutable upon hearing those words. A taste so unforgettable that it was seared into the skeletons’ nonexistent brains and tongues... it shouldn’t be edible to humans, right? No matter from which angle one suspected it, it sounded like bad news!

"Um..." a player braced herself to speak up, and it was none other than the bespectacled woman who had initiated the first conversation earlier. "What exactly is in this concoction? I mean, what would happen if we were to ingest it?" She voiced the question everyone wanted to know the most.

The one who answered her wasn’t Mad Hatter himself, however, but a chorus of ’testimonies’ from the skeletons.

"What would happen? Hahaha, at most you will be acting a bit funny for a while!"

"That’s called being drunk, silly!"

"Please do not make a scene like last time, alright?"

With each remark from the skeletons, the situation seemed to take a turn for the worse. A concoction that could even make them drunk? Shouldn’t it be more accurate to call it ’poison’?!

Mad Hatter clapped his hands to regain control of the situation, drawing everyone’s attention. "Now, now, I’m sure you have all been eagerly waiting for the tea party to start. Without further delay, let us select our first challengers! Any volunteers, ladies and gentlemen?" he inquired, prompting several skeletons to raise their bony hands.

"Me, me! I’ve been dying to taste it again!"

"Over here! I’ve yet to experience it!"

Jin Jiuchi looked left and right, and seeing how there were no volunteers from the players’ side, he excitedly offered himself, "Me too! I want—"

"Da Shen!" Both Gu Luoxin and Shen Nianzu exclaimed in horror. For fuck’s sake, they should have seen this coming!

"What? Either way, this is something we will have to face sooner or later, right?" Jin Jiuchi retorted with a righteous tone, choking both of them speechless because his point was undeniably valid! No one could possibly avoid being part of the elimination game, but... who would be foolish or crazy enough to set an example for others? Wouldn’t people usually want to observe first?! But knowing Jin Jiuchi, it must be because he could no longer wait to stuff his greedy mouth with delicious cakes!

His confident declaration, however, took on a different meaning when heard by the other players.

Upon seeing how he so valiantly offered to be the first volunteer, the first thing that crossed their minds was — holy shit, where’s this big shot come from?! Is he so fearless because he’s immune to poison? Or is it because he has a revival potion at his disposal?!

As such, the players’ gazes toward Jin Jiuchi changed subtly. There was curiosity and admiration, but the ones that dominated were wariness and greed. Jin Jiuchi himself paid them no need, of course. He was too busy choosing which dessert he wanted to sink his claws into first.

Mad Hatter selected a random skeleton as the first volunteer. After that, he declared, "Very well, we have our first two challengers here! Will they eat the ordinary desserts or will they be lucky enough to taste my special concoction?" A fiery glow flashed in his empty eye sockets, looking both captivating and eerie in equal measure. "Please, help yourselves to whatever suits your palate and share your thoughts with us!"

"Yesss!" Jin Jiuchi rubbed his hands excitedly before picking up a small and delicate shortcake topped with a fresh, round, and juicy strawberry. Grinning from ear to ear, he shouted, ’Thank you for the food!" and stuffed it into his mouth, his eyes going wide in surprise.

"Hmmm... sho yummy!" he remarked in utter bliss.