Getting back inside the studio, the waiting room has turned into the party venue as expected. They have added many chairs of different shapes and sizes, and a DJ is already playing music.

There are a lot of people around—some dancing, some chatting, some just walking about. Most of them I recognize as workers here and some actors. The entire crew is present.

Looking across the room, I spot Lasawani talking to Shaba. She is wearing a different outfit now; a red gown embedded with stones from top to bottom, shining under the room’s lights.

Then my eyes fall on Erin. She is still in her same dress, worry etched on her face as she seems to be looking for me. Just then, she glances my way, her eyes widening, and power-walks toward me.

"Where the hell did you go?!" Erin questions, stopping right in front of me. Then her gaze shifts to Lola.

"Are you the one who’s been with my husband?" Erin asks with clear scrutiny. I pout inwardly at her behavior. It is only a matter of time before everyone here knows about our relationship.

"Y-Your husband?" Lola mutters, looking at me for answers.

"Look, I’m sorry. Erin is also my fiancee. We had issues a while back, which is why I didn’t tell you about our relationship," I say, quickly crafting a lie on the spot.

"He’s right. We had some misunderstandings before, which is why you don’t usually see us together. By the way, my husband seems pretty chill around you compared to the others. Why is that?" Erin asks, lowering her defenses and smiling at her.

I am seriously surprised. Maybe her instincts don’t view Lola as malicious, unlike Lasawani.

"Erin, be good friends with Lola. She’s going to be part of the team in the future," I say.

"I knew it. That’s why you’re so comfortable around her," Erin remarks, as if she has hit on something.

"Well, let’s go have fun with the girls and stop snooping around Jacob. Also, if we play our cards right, we might get to pour a drink on Lasawani’s dress," Erin says with an evil smirk.

"Tee-hee, you’re funny. A lot of people seem to dislike her even though she’s nice. I won’t join in the fray, but I’ll surely enjoy the show," Lola giggles. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Alright, you two seem chill. I’ll head over there," I say, walking away from the girls who are already gisting like they hadn’t just met.

I think back to what Lola said about Lasawani. To me, Lasawani isn’t a bad person—she is just a stray wild dog that needs a master. No one seems to understand her nature like I do. That’s why I will put a leash on her neck and become her master.

I move to the corner of the room and sit opposite one of the bartenders.

"What’s the strongest stuff you have?" I ask.

The bartender smiles wryly, looking at me like I am crazy.

"The strongest legal thing we have isn’t alcohol. If you mix it with alcohol, you get a much stronger kick. I wouldn’t advise you to take it though—it would knock you out cold," the bartender’s tone drips with mockery.

I look at him and chuckle. He is a young dwarf who looks around my age or slightly older. Of course, he is standing on something behind the platform.

"Tell me what it is. I’ll take full responsibility if anything happens," I say, but the dwarf doesn’t seem to believe me.

Suddenly, he waves his hand and a document with a silver pen magically appears.

I instantly realize this guy has the Bartender Class. A very strange Class.

I read through the contract. It is all about me taking responsibility for whatever happens if I take the DevilSkunk gummies. Seeing the name, my mind drifts back to that extremely potent strain I hit at Baron Halver’s house. This time it is in gummy form—a more potent high.

"What now? Crapping your pants?" the bartender says in a mocking tone.

I swallow and quickly sign the document. While I do, I notice the bartender’s smile widening as his fingers dig into the shelf.

"Yeah... sign it. Sign it."

After signing, it dawns on me that I might have just helped him complete some Class quest, because he suddenly becomes calm. His hands go under the shelf and he brings out a jelly-like gummy, swiftly chops it into about ten small pieces, and serves them on a small plate.

I take the plate and eat all the gummies until none are left.

"I wish you a lovely trip, sir. Kukuku," the bartender laughs mischievously as he takes the plate away. I walk off, wondering what the hell that was.

Naturally, it takes about thirty minutes to two hours for the gummies to kick in.

I go to another bartender and get a cocktail, which I sip in the corner while watching Lola and Erin hanging out with a group of girls, including the newly arrived cat-girl.

Surprisingly, there is another cat-girl in the room, seated away from everyone and not talking to anyone. She is strangely huge for a cat-woman, with a curvy wide ass and tits threatening to spill out. This is the first time I am seeing her.

Just when I am lost in thought, a dreadful feeling suddenly washes over me.

BA–DUM!

BA–DUM!

BA–DUM!

My heart starts beating very fast and my vision begins to blur. At the same time, my hearing starts to fade rapidly. This is the gummies kicking in. But this... this is on a level I couldn’t have imagined.

When I look over at the dwarven bartender, I can see his sinister mocking grin from afar. But I don’t feel any regret. It feels great to experience something this powerful. It is just a shame I have underestimated it at a party.

A smile graces my face as I lose consciousness. The last thing I see is the figure of a blonde-haired woman approaching me.