Near the edge of the forest, a bright, warm flame rose.

Looking at the earthen pit smoke duct on the ground and the old tree stump burning like a torch, Lin Yu couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"You're quite skilled at making fire."

Fern looked at the masterpiece she had personally built, also quite satisfied.

"Ha, of course—I'm a born-and-bred old hunter. Smokeless stoves, pyramid-shaped fire stacks, I learned all those when I was a kid."

"If it weren't for my windproof lighter, I could even perform a hand-drill fire-starting for you. I know how to make a bow drill."

Fern spoke with a hint of pride, dragging over two relatively flat rocks from a distance to sit on, then gesturing with a "please" hand signal towards Lin Yu.

"Come on, Moro, didn't you say you could handle those two things?"

Naturally, she didn't make the fire just for warmth, but for a meal.

The Glory Festival lasted a full ten days, and players inside the dungeon needed to eat and drink.

And that giant bear and the saber-toothed beast naturally became the best choice for Fern and Lin Yu's first meal.

Hearing Fern's words, Lin Yu gave a slight nod.

He had indeed said he could handle these two things.

Of course, Lin Yu's confidence came from Hannah on his shoulder.

After all, this one was the niece of the Banquet God's agent, a genuine expert who had formally studied cooking under a Divine Agent whose authority included "delicacy," and a Chef Apprentice certified by the Death Game itself.

Although Hannah only knew how to make three dishes, this little octopus's culinary skills absolutely could not be called "ordinary."

Because she could quickly analyze the properties of almost any ingredient she encountered for the first time in any world and turn it into Roasted Meat, Salad, and Stew.

This ingredient identification and processing ability was precisely Hannah's most formidable strength as a "Chef Apprentice"!

So, when Lin Yu arrived before the corpses of the giant bear and the saber-toothed beast, Hannah began instructing from the side.

"Coo! Director, based on my judgment, the meat from near the horn of this one-horned bear all the way to the neck should be extremely delicious and rich."

"As for that giant saber-toothed beast, the flavor might be more ordinary. The hind leg meat might be firmer, but if marinated with spices, it could be very tasty."

"So, if we're making roasted meat dishes, I recommend choosing these two cuts."

"Also, these two giant beasts had very vigorous life energy. Eating them might even provide some kind of buff!"

Lin Yu always respected the opinions of professionals. Since Hannah was so clear, he directly used his spear to cut off these pieces of meat.

Despite having just learned this knowledge, when Lin Yu carried the meat over to Fern, he appeared as if he were quite knowledgeable.

"Tukam neck meat, Numenhak hind leg, both are excellent ingredients for roasting. And eating them might be beneficial for your body."

Lin Yu said calmly, beginning to cut the meat into large, thick slices, skewering them onto branches as hard as iron, and then placing them over the fire.

"It's just a shame there are no spices. The Numenhak hind leg meat won't taste as delicious without them."

Lin Yu's tone was filled with a sense of nostalgia and reminiscence.

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Fern stroked her chin. "You know the Black Marsh Realm far too well. It doesn't feel like you're here to tackle a dungeon, more like you've come home."

Lin Yu silently lowered his head.

"Home... is it?"

"What a strange thing to say."

He lowered his eyelids, an aura of stories and melancholy spontaneously arising around him.

Looking at Lin Yu, a vague, uncertain conjecture flickered in Fern's mind.

But she didn't voice it.

The leaping campfire licked at the thick slices of meat. The fat rendered out, dripping onto the firewood, producing crackling pops and a strange, enticing aroma.

Lin Yu lifted his head and spoke. "It should be ready to eat in a little while."

His words were very calm, but inwardly, he felt a bit of joy.

This, of course, wasn't because he was about to have roasted meat, but because Belief was surging in.

Not just from Fern before him, but even more Belief was pouring in from various places throughout the Glory Festival arena...

"Stiller, you've done well."

Lin Yu sighed sincerely.

Without even asking, he knew this must be the result of Stiller's arranged performances and "spreading rumors" achieving a phased success.

Of course... judging by the timing and the fact that the intensity and quantity of this Belief weren't that high, this was just the first wave.

Or perhaps, Stiller might still be in the "setup" phase for now.

"Let the rumors keep spreading."

Lin Yu exhaled, turning over those golden-brown pieces of roasted meat.

The timing was just right, everything was under control.

And...

"Since they are rumors about 'Rakshasas,' they certainly won't end with just shocking everyone."

"Even a single Rakshasa resuming activity should attract a certain amount of 'attention.'"

"Let me see what kind of interesting changes will happen in this 'Glory Festival.'"

"And that Fraudster and 'Twenty'... how will they react?"

...

On the other side of the arena, Stiller was inside a tent, sitting with four players, drinking canned meat soup from metal containers.

These four players consisted of three men and one woman, all around thirty years old—two men and the woman were teammates from a regional organization in the same city, who had entered the dungeon as a team.

Stiller, like the other remaining player, had also temporarily teamed up with them.

But as a temporary addition, Stiller had subtly become the central figure among these people!

The reason was simple. This team of three-plus-one was locked in a difficult battle with two Barbarian warriors, and they were at a disadvantage.

Stiller, who had just finished tricking a few Blood Rakshasas with the opening line "There's a really fierce guy hunting over there" under Old Zheng's guidance, happened to pass by, recognized their player identities, and then used a Fear Torch to bravely intervene, successfully driving off those two Barbarians.

Among the four players, two of the three teammates were relatively experienced First-Tier players. The remaining Second-Tier player's profession was the pitiful Student.

Stiller's combat power, comparable to high-end Second-Tier, and his leadership skills at the level of a Truth Corporation Security Department team leader, instantly made this latecomer the main pillar of support.

After all, players are pragmatic.

As long as you can help them survive, most players inside a dungeon don't mind following orders and leadership.

So, while drinking his meat soup, Stiller was also muttering internally.

"Hey... Old Zheng, do you think, given their current trust in me, if I now say those things as per the boss's instructions, they should immediately believe it deeply?"

Although he wasn't clear about Lin Yu's specific abilities, through working for Lin Yu long-term, Stiller could still deduce...

The lies woven by Lin Yu worked better the more deeply people believed them.

But Old Zheng didn't support Stiller's suggestion.

"Those three idiots are definitely no problem. The problem lies with that other lone wolf."

As Old Zheng spoke, Stiller also discreetly glanced at the ordinary-looking man in the corner holding his meat soup, continuing the internal communication. "His emotional energy shows no abnormalities, and his strength seems average too."

This guy was also First-Tier, self-reporting his profession as Postman.

"That's precisely the problem," Old Zheng said coldly. "Judging by the results, this guy doesn't have a single injury on him."

"If we say it's just good luck, I feel that's a bit of a stretch."

"So... I'm more inclined to think he's playing dumb."