The Mayor''s oppressive presence loomed over CEO and Shock as they sat, nerves taut like wires, around the grand table in his ominous chamber.


    Facing a level-600 Moonscorchedmander was more than enough to keep their pulses racing.


    And even though the Mayor wasn''t on par with Father Hugo or the Altered Ones, his aura alone was enough to chill them to the bone.


    "Eat your dish, fools," the Mayormanded, pping his hands together with a sinister gleam in his eyes. "Butler, bring our dinner."


    CEO''s face went pale: didn''t he kill the butler?


    ''You fucking idiot...'' Shock shot a re at CEO, his expression filled with anxiety.


    They both knew that if the Mayor discovered his servant was dead—and worse, that they were responsible—they''d be as good as corpses.


    The Mayor wouldn''t just punish them; he''d make sure they suffered.


    They both tensed, bracing to either fight or flee.


    Then, with an echoing SLAM, the chamber doors swung open.


    Three butlers entered the room, each carrying massive covered dishes.


    CEO''s brows knit in confusion.


    He could have sworn—


    The truth hit him as he used his eyes to scan the neers.


    [Mini-Boss: Butler Trio]


    [Level: 590]


    [Skills: Loyal Regeneration, Moonscorched, Butler Swing, Random te, Mayor''s Servant…]


    CEO focused on [Loyal Regeneration] for a split second:


    [Loyal Regeneration: As long as the Mayor is alive, they will regenerate indefinitely, unable to leave his side as their loyalty transcends life itself.]


    "Damn…" he muttered, realization dawning.


    They couldn''t kill these things, not with the Mayor around.


    Even the notion of an ambush was out of the question.


    The butlers ced their dishes on the table, each one heavier and more ominous than thest.


    Then, without a word, they bowed and exited the room as silently as they hade.


    "Let''s y a game," the Mayor said, his grin widening as he uncovered the dishes with a flourish. "These," he announced proudly, "are the specialties of Termina."


    The sight was grotesque: a bubbling ck slime, a mangled Moonscorched creature that looked half-digested, and a pile of unidentifiable, rotting remnants.


    Shock scowled. "Specialties, my ass."


    The Mayor''s eyes narrowed, and an unsettling aura filled the room. "What did you say?"


    Shock stiffened instantly. "…Nothing. Looks delicious."


    "Good!" the Mayorughed, his mood shifting back to dark amusement. "Because each of you will take a bite from every one of these marvelous dishes."


    The silence stretched painfully as CEO and Shock exchanged looks.


    Each dish seemed to be worse than thest.


    But the Mayor was waiting, and they were running out of options.


    The Mayor snapped his fingers, and a distant metallic click reverberated from downstairs.


    [The manor is locked.]


    [Find the key, obtain the Mayor''s permission, or defeat themander to escape.]


    CEO clenched his jaw. "If we eat this… we can leave, right?"


    The Mayor grinned wider. "Perhaps."


    [You have received an additional secret task: Eat the disgusting food.]


    [Reward: Key to the Basement.]


    Shock''s eyes widened as he saw the notification.


    Eating this stuff would be their ticket to the basement—and, potentially, a way to an exit.


    The Mayor picked up a chunk of the Moonscorched beast and swallowed it whole, smacking his lips in satisfaction. "Come on. It''s delicious!"


    The ck slime-like liquid was literally moving.


    And he expected them to eat it?


    It wasn''t the disgust that was the problem either, as if it was only that, CEO would have begun eating it all.


    But...


    [Moonscorched food: Every bite will add 50% to your infection rate.]


    There was quite literally no way to escape this without being transformed


    Shock didn''t need the specifics to feel the dread creeping in as well.


    He eyed the shifting ck goo, visibly recoiling.


    "Businessman Analysis," CEO whispered, scanning the room in desperation.


    His gaze settled on a glint of metal around the Mayor''s neck—the Basement Key.


    It dangled from a chain, just within reach if they dared to act.


    With a decisive breath, CEO stood up, drawing the Mayor''s attention.


    "All right," he said, clenching his fists as his aura red around him.


    Chapter Enjoy:


    "Oh?" the Mayor tilted his head, amusement glinting in his eyes. "You''re so eager to enjoy the meal that you can''t even sit still?"


    Shock, who had frozen in ce, gave CEO a panicked look, signaling for him to sit back down.


    But CEO''s mind was made up.


    "Hey, Mayor." He let his energy gather, his beam charging in his hand. "You''ve got terrible taste in food."


    Then, without another word, he fired a focused beam at the Mayor''s chest.


    The Mayor''s smile didn''t falter.


    He flicked his knife to intercept the st, but it disintegrated in his hand, leaving him with only a fork.


    His expression turned cold. "Oh, I see. I suppose dinner''s over, then."


    "That''s right," CEO replied, dropping into a ready stance. "Let''s end this."


    The Mayor raised his arm, but just as he began to move—


    "Ion Pulse (Godly Skill)," Shock''s dagger glowed with electric energy, and he teleported with [Lightning sh] to the Mayor''s side.


    He plunged the weapon into the Mayor''s knee, releasing all his pent-up energy.


    ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!


    Electricity coursed through the Mayor, temporarily locking him in ce.


    Lines of damage numbers floated over the Mayor''s body:


    -13,934! -12,952! -11,431!


    [Mayor has been stunned.]


    "GRAB IT, IDIOT!" Shock yelled, feeling the Mayor''s menacing gaze on him despite the stun effect.


    The Mayor''s eyes held a twisted glee, even as he growled, "Another bad guest."


    Even stunned, the Mayor managed to speak and move slightly.


    Shock had never encountered such resistance against his stun before; it wasn''t supposed to happen.


    CEO sprang forward, seizing the key from around the Mayor''s neck.


    Not willing to waste a moment, he fired another beam at the Mayor''s arm to prevent him from retaliating.


    The Mayor instinctively blocked with his fork, barely holding off the st.


    Shock ceased his Ion Pulse, stumbling back with fatigue.


    The two exchanged a look, and without a word, bolted for the door.


    As they sprinted through the dark hallways, the Mayor''sughter echoed after them. "So it''s a game of cat and mouse, then?" He flicked his wrist, summoning another knife to his hand.


    They dashed through the corridor, twisting around corners in a frantic bid to escape.


    CEO held the basement key tightly, his mind racing through potential escape routes.


    There was no time to formte a solid n—the Mayor would be right behind them any second.


    "We need to find a way to trap him," CEO muttered as they reached a flight of stairs.


    Shock nced back nervously. "Do you see the size of this ce? Trapping him won''t be easy."


    "Then we''ll settle for dying him," CEO replied, his voice grim. "He''s toying with us, but he won''t take us lightly if we put some distance."


    On the way down, they met up with the [Butlers Trio], which tried to stop them.


    "Escaping Master M is useless."


    "Master M will catch you."


    "He is toying with you."


    They keptughing, pointing at CEO and Shock.


    "WELL, FUCK YOU," CEO shouted as he unleashed [Triple Beam], shooting one at every butler, exploding their bodies before they could even say anything else.


    The two men then dashed forward, noticing that the butlers were already starting to form back, their exploded bodies merging back.


    They could also hear the footsteps of the Mayoring for them.


    There was only one ce they could go to at this point: the basement.