Chapter 38: Eternal Day (Part 2) Attendant
"Wait a minute."
Wen Yin repeated it again, with a hint of deliberately elevated reserve in her voice, and her eyes scanned the silver tray the other person was holding with a critical look.
The tray was covered with a shiny hemispherical metal cover, blocking the view, but the cloyingly sweet smell with a hint of rust was escaping from the gaps in the cover.
It subtly overlaps with the smell of the sea breeze blowing from the shore.
The attendant leading the way immediately took half a step forward, the smile on his face still elegant and decent.
"Dear Madam, how may I help you?"
Wen Yin ignored him, her slender lace-gloved fingers pointing directly at the tray in the waiter's hand, her red lips slightly parted.
"What are you serving? Why does it taste so greasy?"
The waiter's body paused very slightly, and his face, which also had a standard smile on it, turned to Wen Yin. His dark brown pupils appeared unusually deep under the light.
"Madam, these are appetizers specially prepared for guests in the VIP cabins."
His voice was very steady as he patiently explained to Wen Yin.
"We use deep-sea delicacies with a unique flavor. It may not suit your olfactory preferences. We apologize."
"Delicious food from the deep sea?"
Wen Yin spoke with doubt, her eyes falling on the tray in the other person's hand, as if she was thinking about something. After a few seconds, she nodded thoughtfully.
"Then give me one too. I'm a little hungry too."
Wen Yin finished speaking and raised her chin towards the attendant leading the way: "I am a VIP guest, right?"
"Yes, ma'am," the attendant who led the way bowed respectfully to Wen Yin. "I'll make arrangements for you later. I'll take you to your room to rest first."
Wen Yin nodded in satisfaction, turned around and continued forward with the leading servant, ignoring the waiter who was serving food and had been stopped by her.
The skirt, like a fishtail, rises in a flowing arc as she turns around, and you can vaguely see her white ankles submerged in it.
The servant who was standing still had his Adam's apple rolling. When he swallowed, the skin on his neck seemed to be pushed up from the inside, forming a brief raised outline that quickly flattened out.
A few seconds later, he turned around gracefully with the tray in his hand and knocked on a VIP room door respectfully.
"Hello sir, your appetizers have arrived."
"Enjoy your meal..."
-
The leading attendant took Wen Yin through a long corridor and finally stopped in front of a gorgeous door carved with intricate seaweed and shell patterns.
The carvings were so three-dimensional that the patterns on the shells shimmered like pearls under the light. If you looked at them for a long time, you would have the illusion that they would come alive.
"Ma'am, this is your room."
A pair of white gloves pressed the patterned brass doorknob and gently turned it. The door slid silently inwards, and the scene that came into view made Wen Yin's breath pause slightly.
A huge floor-to-ceiling window takes up the entire wall, and outside the window is the pure, heart-pounding, endless blue sea.
The sun pours down onto the sea without any obstruction, and the golden fragments dance, magnificent and tranquil.
Just looking at the sea view is indeed a priceless enjoyment.
"Your luggage and meals will be delivered to you later."
The attendant stepped back, bowed, and humbly lowered his gaze to the dark carpet.
"Please rest first. You can press the call bell if you need anything." He pointed to an exquisite little bell inlaid with pearls on the bedside table.
Wen Yin casually threw the small bag in her hand onto the small round table next to her, without even turning her head. She only let out a reserved "hmm" through her nose, and walked towards the window with an elegant posture, as if attracted by the beautiful sea view.
The servant remained bowed as she retreated silently. The heavy door closed behind her with an almost inaudible click.
Almost at the moment the door lock fell, the elegant figure by the window collapsed.
After taking off his top hat, he fell directly onto the soft sofa.
[Ah! Who invented high heels?]
Wen Yin let out a silent cry in her mind and threw the shiny high heels on her feet away.
[It is simply torture.]
All the shoes, bags and clothes that Wen Yin was wearing were exchanged with points in the system mall.
After all, the person she was replacing was a wealthy man's child who had lived in a top-tier luxury environment since childhood, so her clothes naturally couldn't be too cheap.
[Host, image…] 028's childish voice was filled with helplessness, [What if there's surveillance in the room… your image will be ruined.]
[Too. ]
Wen Yin leaned lazily on the sofa, rubbing her red ankle while looking around the room quickly.
The utmost in luxury.
The huge four-poster bed was hung with deep blue velvet hangings, intricately embroidered with silver thread with patterns of starfish and fish.
The furniture was of a dark, precious wood, carved with algae and shell patterns similar to those on the doors.
A huge crystal chandelier hung straight down from the ceiling, reflecting the sunlight coming in from the window and casting tiny spots of light on the walls and carpet.
The air was filled with a crisp fragrance, a mixture of seagull and fir.
Her eyes swept across the call bell on the bedside table, then across an antique-style nautical compass decoration in the corner of the wall, and finally fell back to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside the window, the sea is calm and peaceful under the sunshine.
[028, Scan the room. Focus: Unusual energy sources, listening devices, or… anything that looks wrong.]
[Received!] 028 responded immediately. The more points the host has, the more items it can buy!
[Energy scan initiated… Preliminary scans revealed no strong abnormal energy sources, but the entire room was filled with a very low concentration of a strange energy field, the same as the cruise ship's.]
[Monitoring surveillance equipment…] 028's voice was a little confused. [No electronic signals or optical devices were detected. But…]
[But what?]
[But those carvings.]
028 spoke with some uncertainty.
[Host, look at those seaweed and shell carvings. Their presence is a bit too active under the energy scan.]
[Although the energy intensity is low, the wooden structures throughout the room seem... like living extensions of the senses?]
Wen Yin's gaze immediately turned to the wooden wardrobe closest to her, the door of which was still carved with seaweed reliefs.
Under the guidance of 028, the twisted and swirling lines really seem to exude an indescribable...sense of being gazed at.
It was as if there were countless pairs of invisible eyes embedded deep in the wood grain, quietly observing everything in the room.
She subconsciously gathered the hem of her skirt to cover her bare feet.
At this moment, a clear and regular knock on the door, accompanied by a humble and polite familiar voice suddenly sounded outside.
"Hello ma'am, your appetizers have arrived."
Wen Yin immediately stood up from the sofa, adjusted her complicated skirt, and walked to the door barefoot.
She looked out through the peephole and saw that it was indeed the waiter she had just seen serving food.
The light in the corridor was still bright, and the other person's figure was clearly reflected in the field of vision.
He was still wearing the same neat uniform and snow-white gloves, holding the tray steadily in front of him, with that impeccable professional smile on his face.
Wen Yin breathed softly, adjusted the half-mask on her face, and with the pride and a hint of impatience that a young lady should have on her face, she reached out and turned the heavy brass handle.
The door opened silently.
“It’s not slow at all.”
There was a hint of lazy approval in Wen Yin's voice, but her eyes were sharply fixed on the tightly covered metal cover.
The familiar, sweet smell mixed with rust was several times stronger than the one she had smelled in the corridor before. At such a close distance, it rushed straight into her nostrils.
It made her stomach churn.
Wen Yin endured the discomfort and did not retreat.
"It is my honor to serve you, ma'am."
The waiter who served the food bowed slightly, his movements as standard as a textbook.
He held the tray forward, as if trying to get in.
Wen Yin, however, used her lace-gloved hands to hold the door frame lightly.
"Just give me the stuff."
Her tone was calm, an unquestionable command, and she seemed to be very concerned about the intrusion of strangers into her private territory.
"Ma'am, this is a bit heavy. It would be safer for me to place it on the table for you."
His actions were full of an irresistible persistence, as if this was the standard service procedure.
Wen Yin frowned slightly under the mask, but did not let go of the hand holding the door frame.
She keenly caught a flash of...stubbornness in the servant's deep pupils.
After a brief two-second stalemate, Wen Yin weighed the pros and cons and finally let go of his hand and moved sideways to make a slightly wider passage.
She couldn't be too unusual and stand out.
"Hurry up."
Wen Yin's tone carried a hint of displeasure at being interrupted. She turned and walked to the small round table in the middle of the room, sitting down elegantly, as if just making way for a servant.
The servant carried the tray and carefully put down the heavy silver tray. The metal base made a slight muffled sound when it touched the wooden table.
The sweet, greasy, and rotten smell instantly filled the room, even stronger than at the door.
The attendant stood up straight, but did not leave immediately. He gently placed his gloved hand on the shiny metal cover.
"Ma'am," he said, bowing slightly, his eyes downcast, his voice strangely, almost bewitchingly calm.
"This is one of our 'Eternal Day's' most precious gifts. Many distinguished guests come aboard just to taste it."
Wen Yin's heart tightened slightly, and her eyes were fixed on the metal cover.
The attendant's fingers clasped the ring on the hood buckle and gently lifted it.
“Click.”
The cover was lifted.
The expected disgusting thing did not appear.
On the tray was a goblet also made of sterling silver.
The cup was about two-thirds full of liquid. The liquid was an extremely viscous, dark red color, like coagulated blood. Under the light of the crystal chandelier in the room, the surface had an eerie, glossy sheen.
There are no bubbles, no shaking, it is as quiet as a dead object, but the sweet and rusty smell that is so strong that it is suffocating comes from it.
Wen Yin's stomach churned again. She suppressed the discomfort and asked in a cold voice, "What is this?"
"It's the 'Breath of Life', ma'am."
The attendant's voice was filled with an almost reverent solemnity. "Distilled from the most ancient gift of the deep sea, it contains the core 'vitality' of our Eternal Day."
He raised his head slightly, and his dark brown eyes looked at Wen Yin again. This time, Wen Yin clearly caught a trace of unconcealable... greed?
"Aboard the Everday, it is a priceless treasure. Drinking it cleanses the body and soul, bringing you a sense of peace and vitality never before experienced."
The attendant's voice slowed down, as if chanting an ancient spell.
"You've been tired from the journey, so why not enjoy it now? After a short rest, there will be a grand welcome dance in the Moonlight Hall tonight. You need to be at your best."
Wen Yin stared at the cup of dark red viscous liquid and was silent for a few seconds.
She slowly leaned back in her chair, her posture lazily reflecting a look of scrutiny. "It sounds... very special. Leave it there."
The servant seemed to want to say something, but Wen Yin had already closed his eyes slightly, raised his hand and gently pressed his temples, making a gesture of "I need quiet."
The servant paused, the perfect smile on his face remained unchanged, but the greed in his eyes quickly disappeared, turning back into the depth of a deep pool.
He bowed again. "Yes, ma'am. Please do enjoy it. I wish you... a sweet rest."
After saying this, he walked out of the room silently with precise steps and closed the door gently.
“Click.”
The sound of the door lock falling was particularly clear in the silent room.
Wen Yin opened her eyes immediately.
She stood up and walked quickly to the door to make sure it was locked. Then she returned to the table, held her breath, and carefully examined the glass of "Breath of Life".
The dark red liquid in the cup looked like solidified blood clots, emitting an unpleasant odor.
028's scan results also came in simultaneously: [This is mixed with the blood of some creature, but as to what kind, there is no result yet.]
Wen Yin stared at the cup of unknown substance in thought for a while, and finally picked up the goblet and poured it into the sink in the bathroom.
The water rushed by, gradually diluting the thick dark red until it completely disappeared.
After doing all this, Wen Yin did feel tired.
The torture of high heels and the tension just now consumed a lot of physical strength.
She walked to the huge four-poster bed, lifted the dark blue velvet curtains, and lay down on it fully dressed.
[028, I'm tired, let me rest for a while.]
Wen Yin gave orders calmly.
[Wake me up if there's any noise.]
[Good host.]
028 was hanging in the air, and saw Wen Yin took off the mask, and there was indeed fatigue in his eyes.
The host should have had a half-month vacation to rest, but he only slept for one day before returning to the mission world.
028 couldn't guess the host's thoughts, so he could only obey orders and wait on guard.
Time passes by every second.
The sun outside the window gradually set in the west, dyeing the sea surface a golden red. The light in the room also dimmed.
At this seemingly peaceful evening moment, 028 suddenly shouted anxiously.
[Host, something is climbing up the terrace!]
Wen Yin had been woken up, but her body remained in a sleeping position, even her breathing rhythm had not changed.
"Crash..." A very slight sound, like a wet object rubbing against glass, was heard.
Wen Yin's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly in the shadows.
She "saw" it, through 028's shared, room-covering energy-sensing vision.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, a huge, sticky, grayish-dark-green shadow was crawling against the glass.
It has no fixed shape, like a huge, rotting mass of octopus or squid carcass soaked in sea water, its surface covered with slippery mucus and constantly opening and closing, suction-cup-like depressions.
Several thick and slippery tentacles were extending from its main body, like disgusting vines, flexibly wrapping around the metal parts of the window frame.
Under the entanglement of these tentacles and the action of some highly corrosive mucus, the hard metal made a teeth-grinding "sizzling" sound and began to soften and deform.
Soon, a sturdy floor-to-ceiling window was corroded to create a hole large enough for a tentacle to pass through.
The sticky, slippery dark green tentacles, like poisonous snakes, silently entered the cave and slid onto the thick carpet, leaving behind a wet mark that smelled strongly of the sea.
Then comes the second, the third...
The disgusting mass also squirmed, trying to squeeze in through the hole.
In the room, strong malice was like a cold tide, instantly flooding the entire space.
It seemed to have no eyes, but Wen Yin could clearly feel a "gaze" full of primitive greed and hunger, firmly locked on her who was "sleeping" on the bed.
“Hiss…hiss…”
A sound like the rustling of a leaking bellows, thick with slime, filled the room with a creepy obsession.
"So... delicious... sweet... pure human scent... much more delicious than those 'feeds'..."
A thick, slimy tentacle slowly rose up, the tip trembling slightly like a poisonous snake's tongue, sniffing the air greedily.
"Ship Master... Rules... Dance..."
The monster's voice was intermittent and full of struggle, but was quickly drowned out by a stronger desire.
"I can't bear it anymore... I can't wait any longer..."
"Now... I will possess you... eat you... and integrate your flesh and blood... into my body... and become one..."
Several slippery and cold tentacles, like arrows shot from a bow, suddenly wrapped around Wen Yin who was "sleeping soundly" on the bed.
The speed was extremely fast, with a sound of breaking through the air.
Their targets were her limbs, neck, waist and abdomen, wanting to completely wrap around her, tighten her, and merge her into the rotten dark green mass.
Just as the wet and cold touch was about to touch Wen Yin's skin, her tightly closed eyes suddenly opened.
There was no trace of sleepiness in his eyes, only cold murderous intent.
A thought came to mind!
A bright white light suddenly flashed out from Wen Yin's hand. She used the bone spurs that she had prepared long ago for self-defense.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
Like a hot knife through butter.
The bone spur instantly turned into a streak of white light, and with a shrill scream, it pierced through several thick tentacles that were wrapped around it at a speed that was difficult to capture with the naked eye!
“Hiss!!!”
The monster let out a suppressed roar of pain, completely different from its previous obsessive mumbling.
Its huge body twisted and twitched wildly, and mucus splashed everywhere.
It instinctively wanted to retract its tentacles, but the cut parts had become fragile and broke one after another during the violent struggle.
The excruciating pain left only the instinct to survive.
It let out a wail of fear and suddenly retracted its body, no longer caring about the broken tentacles. Its dark green body, like a frightened slug, squirmed at an astonishing speed towards the window it had corroded.
"thump!"
There was a dull sound of something falling into the water, and the object crashed heavily into the deep blue sea outside the window.
Only a few severed tentacle remnants were left, falling on the carpet in the room like disgusting garbage, emitting a pungent and strong smell of the sea.
The room instantly became quiet.
Wen Yin stood there, her chest heaving slightly and her face pale.
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