"AAAGH!!!"
A shrill scream tore through the air, sharp enough to pierce the clouds.
Staring at the security guard's twisted, contorted face, Kanzaki Rei felt an inexplicable sense of comfort wash over him.
This instance world was filled with things that were almost real but not quite—falsehoods wearing familiar skins—pressing relentlessly against his sanity. The native inhabitants, half-human and half-something-else, gnawed at his nerves from the inside out.
Rei had been suppressing those feelings the entire time, forcing himself to stay rational until he'd gone numb.
But now, that familiar wail of pain was back.
For a moment, it felt like he wasn't inside a dungeon at all—but back in reality.
Get hit, you scream.Get killed, you die.
What a reassuring set of rules.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Rei burst into manic laughter as he tore open the guard's uniform.
A standard-issue dagger, still in its sheath, was strapped beneath it.
"Oh. So that's what you had."
He drew the dagger and reversed his grip—palm down, the blade jutting forward between his knuckles.
"You guys are really unlucky."
Rei ducked his head, narrowly avoiding a punch, then drove the blade upward in a clean thrust straight into the guard's throat.
He'd never formally trained in military combat, but he knew a bit about knife work—just enough.
The unlucky guard's eyes bulged. He grabbed at the dagger, trying desperately to stop Rei.
In the next instant, Rei yanked the blade free, slicing clean through two worm-like finger tendons as he did.
High-pressure arterial blood erupted from the ruptured vessel, spraying across Rei's face in a hot, crimson mist.
The sensation only made him more excited.
"BAM!"
A heavy punch smashed into his right cheek.
Rei staggered, shook his head, and looked at the guard who'd hit him.
The man's face was no longer smug—only grim and focused.
"Don't be so tense," Rei said gently. "How about a smile?"
The guard didn't answer. He simply threw another punch straight at Rei's face.
Rei pushed off with his right foot, sliding left in a textbook sidestep, then smashed the pommel of the dagger into the soft spot beneath the guard's ear.
The metal handle bit painfully into Rei's palm—but the guard had it far worse.
Reeling from the sudden vertigo, the guard swayed and collapsed forward.
Rei thoughtfully caught him, then slit open both corners of the guard's mouth.
Apparently dissatisfied with the size of the opening, he shoved his fingers in and pulled hard to either side, tearing until red gums and white molars were fully exposed.
"See?" Rei nodded in satisfaction, turning to the last remaining guard. "What a lovely smile."
The final guard let out an incoherent scream and charged, wildly swinging his rubber baton.
Rei could've dodged easily—
—but a violent spasm seized his trachea, stopping him cold.
The baton slammed squarely into his head.
Blood poured down from his forehead, flooding one eye and blotting out half his vision.
"Shit!"
Rei cursed, fighting desperately to focus.
But a concussion wasn't something willpower alone could overcome. His vision blurred, the world smearing into fog.
Through the haze, he saw the guard raise the baton again.
No time to think.
Rei threw himself forward, ramming his entire body into the guard's chest.
Caught off guard, the man could only swing the baton down onto Rei's back.
Once.Twice.Three times.
Then the blows stopped.
The guard slumped forward, resting his head on Rei's shoulder.
Rei shoved him away.
The dagger was buried in the man's chest, sunk all the way to the hilt.
"Hh… hhk…"
Rei collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
His throat burned. His back screamed with pain. His lungs throbbed with every breath.
After resting for half a minute, he pushed himself upright using the corpse as support.
He was badly injured.
But work was work—and it still had to be done.
Luckily, even though the elevator hadn't stopped at the first floor, One Pinnacle Residence was one unit per floor.
When the elevator doors opened, Rei staggered down the hallway and stopped in front of Room 301.
Ding-dong.
He pressed the doorbell.
"Please wait a moment."
A woman's voice came from inside.
"Hm?"
Rei frowned slightly.
Wasn't this order for Mr. Lee?
A dozen seconds later, the door opened.
A maid in a gothic dress and white stockings looked up at him.
Despite Rei's head being covered in blood, her expression didn't change at all.
"I'm a delivery courier from Bloody Restaurant," Rei said proactively. "This is the order placed by Mr. Lee."
"Thank you for your hard work. Please hand it to me," the maid replied calmly.
Her voice and posture were composed—like a butler who'd served the same household for generations.
"I'm sorry," Rei said. "Restaurant policy requires that I deliver the order directly to the customer."
"I understand. Please wait while I consult the master."
She didn't argue. Turning around, she returned inside and ascended the staircase.
A few minutes later, an elderly man with silver hair descended, supported by the maid.
He was thin, his face lined with wrinkles, yet he had surprisingly few age spots. His eyes were clearer than most young men's.
He wore pink silk pajamas embroidered with what looked like a spore-bearing plant.
"Is my sashimi here?" the old man asked loudly.
"Are you Mr. Lee?" Rei asked.
"Yes. That's me."
"Apologies, sir. I'm new. May I see something to verify your identity?"
It might offend him—but that was better than failing at the last step.
"No problem, young man."
The old man smiled generously and pulled out his phone.
"Kobato, call Ms. Si for me."
"Yes, Master."
The maid took the phone and dialed a number.
For reasons he couldn't explain, Rei memorized the digits.
When the call connected, the old man took the phone.
"Hello, Ms. Si? Sorry to bother you. Your employee is here delivering food and wants to confirm my identity. Could you tell him?"
He handed the phone to Rei.
Rei took it, holding the microphone close.
"Good evening, Boss. I'm the new courier, Kanzaki Rei."
"I know," came Ms. Si's emotionless voice. "The identity checks out. Hand him the food."
"Yes, Boss."
The line went dead.
"Well then," Mr. Lee chuckled, "you can give me the delivery now, right?"
"Of course."
Rei handed it over.
Mr. Lee glanced at the receipt and sighed.
"So it's this today… what a shame."
"Is there something wrong with the dish?" Rei asked.
"Nothing wrong at all. I love this dish," Mr. Lee said regretfully. "But I've been ill recently. My doctor advised me not to eat foods related to the five senses."
In common speech, the five senses meant eyebrows, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.In medicine, it meant eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and tongue.
Either way—
Eyeballs were included.
"I wish you a speedy recovery," Rei said politely, turning to leave.
"Wait, young man."
Mr. Lee stopped him.
"Such fine ingredients shouldn't go to waste. Why don't you eat it instead?"
"…Me?"
Rei turned around, staring in shock—like a stunned catfish demon.
So this was where the trap had been waiting for him all along.