The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Felix stroked his chin and began walking slowly in one direction. As he observed from this street, Corpse Town was clearly vast. He could not even see where it ended.

"What exactly are the dangers here?"

Ophelia had only mentioned the correct order to enter the Three Forbidden Lands, saying nothing about what lay within. Perhaps she didn't know herself or believed following the sequence would keep Felix safe.

But that didn't matter now. He was already inside.

As he walked, a young waiter emerged from a building with a tavern sign, greeting Felix by asking, "Sir, would you like a room or a meal?"

Felix studied him carefully with a frown before answering, "A meal."

An ordinary person would have been terrified. That was because the waiter's feet hovered slightly off the ground, which was barely noticeable unless one looked closely. "Right this way, sir."

Inside, the tavern buzzed with activity. Every table except one was filled with people laughing, drinking, and chatting merrily. The strange part was that none of these sounds had been audible from outside.

"What would you like to eat, sir? Our beef stew and house spirits are our specialties. Would you like to try them?"

Sensing no immediate danger, Felix played along. "Sure. I'll have those."

As one of the Three Forbidden Lands, where did Corpse Town's dangers lie? Back at Echo Cavern, there were immediate strange sounds that left no room for thought. But here, everything seemed normal except the waiter's unnatural walking pattern.

When the food arrived, the waiter smiled. "Please try it. If you're satisfied, a small tip would be appreciated."

One glance at the food had already unsettled Felix. Only his familiarity with death kept him from retching.

The house spirits looked like swamp water. It was thick, filled with unknown particles, and unbearably foul-smelling.

The beef stew was even worse. It was just rotting meat piled high with intestines. Felix even spotted a tongue mixed in.

"Sir?"

Felix forced a smile. "How do I give the tip? I'll eat later."

At these words, the waiter's smile vanished his gaze turning sinister as he stared at Felix. "By not eating, are you disrespecting me? Or do you think there's something wrong with our ingredients?"

Felix sighed. It seemed this was the moment of truth. Corpse Town's danger apparently required playing along with this scene. He wondered what would happen if he ate the

food, though the outcome probablynoveldrama

would not differ much.

Besides, only a fool would put this in their mouth. "You're right. There is something

wrong with your ingredients."

With a buzz, strange energy pulsed

through the tavern. The waiter's eyes bulged, bursting from their sockets with tendons dangling,

side his nose.

Simultaneously, all the customers transformed, surrounding Felix while speaking

in unison, "Welcome to Corpse Town."