Chapter 395: Passed, Desire Candy

Chapter 395: Chapter 395: Passed, Desire Candy

Madame Spider’s gaze fell upon Seraphina Sullivan as she walked out carrying a cake.

The icy expression on her face seemed to melt ever so slightly upon seeing the cake Seraphina held.

It was replaced by a faint, scrutinizing smile.

"Ah... so you’re the last one, our little Pastry Chef."

Her voice had returned to its previous gentleness.

But no one dared to believe it was genuine anymore.

"I wonder, what sort of surprise will your cake bring me?"

Seraphina Sullivan’s expression was calm.

Holding the cake, she walked steadily to Madame Spider and presented it to her.

"Please, have a taste."

Seraphina’s voice was neither servile nor overbearing—just clear and steady.

The cake exuded an alluring yet strange, sweet fragrance.

When Madame Spider saw the cake in Seraphina’s hands, her gaze was immediately captivated.

The cake had the deep, shifting colors of a starry night sky.

It was as if a small piece of the tranquil night sky had been captured within it.

This gave the cake a dynamic, living quality.

Its appearance alone was breathtaking.

The imagination and artistry were a perfect match for the banquet’s theme.

Not to mention the pleasant, strange, sweet fragrance that was gently wafting from the cake.

The scent alone seemed enough to soothe one’s frayed nerves.

"Mmm..." Madame Spider let out a satisfied hum.

The scrutiny in her eyes had turned to pure appreciation.

"It’s beautiful and incredibly creative. Based on the design alone, I’m sure the Princess will adore it."

She gently scraped a small piece from the edge of the cake and brought it to her ruby lips.

The moment the cake entered her mouth, it lacked the dense texture of a typical dessert.

Instead, it melted instantly, like the softest foam in a dream.

It was a flavor that fused the precise harmony of ingredients from [Magic Cuisine] with the essence of "sweetness" and "wonder" from the [Pastry Chef] Talent.

That single, small bite of cake instantly overwhelmed Madame Spider’s palate.

What she tasted was not merely sweetness.

It was an experience of incredible depth and complexity.

This wasn’t just a cake; it was more like an exquisitely woven tapestry of tranquility and sweetness.

In the few short seconds she savored the cake, Madame Spider’s beautiful eyes, which were always so scrutinizing and distant, glazed over for a rare, fleeting moment.

It was immediately followed by an outburst of undisguised surprise and admiration.

"This is... absolutely marvelous!"

She couldn’t resist scraping another small piece and popping it into her mouth.

As she savored it, an almost ecstatic expression graced her features.

"Unbelievable! This texture, this complexity, the very essence this cake embodies... To think I’ve actually found such a promising talent!"

The way she looked at Seraphina was now filled with the sheer joy of discovering a treasure.

Her previous coldness and killing intent had vanished without a trace.

"You pass! Without a doubt, you pass!"

Madame Spider declared.

She even stepped forward and carefully took the starry-sky cake from Seraphina’s hands, treating it like a masterpiece.

"From this moment on, you are the lead dessert assistant for the Princess’s birthday banquet. You will assist the head chef with the creative direction and quality control for the entire dessert station.

Someone will show you to the kitchens shortly to get you acquainted with the environment and your team."

After speaking, she seemed impatient to enjoy the cake by herself.

She waved a hand at the others.

"Alright, the auditions are over for everyone.

The banquet is about to begin, and we are short on time!

You lot, follow the guards leading the way and get to your stations immediately!

Remember your duties, give it your all, and do not make a single mistake!"

The moment she finished speaking, several frog guards emerged from the corners, approaching those who had passed and gesturing for them to follow.

Meanwhile, Madame Spider carried the cake and, with a brisk scuttle of her spider legs, quickly vanished behind an ornate archway on the other side of the hall, disappearing from sight.

Only when her intimidating figure had completely vanished did the few remaining people in the hall let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Jeez!" Ironhide was the first to break the silence.

He wiped at the nonexistent cold sweat on his forehead.

"That woman... she’s terrifying! She kills people just like that, without even batting an eye!"

Seraphina looked at Ironhide and the others, a hint of confusion on her face.

She had been in the kitchen, so she wasn’t sure what had happened, especially why Vincent Vaughn had angered Madame Spider.

Joy Hughes, the white-haired girl, seemed to notice her confusion and let out a soft sigh.

Though a trace of nervousness and lingering fear remained on her face, she began to explain. "The guy with the glasses... he lied to Madame Spider."

Her voice was cool and crisp, but she spoke a little faster than usual.

"He claimed to be proficient in various classical and modern instruments, saying he could serve as the banquet’s Musician and play for the Princess and her guests.

Madame Spider seems to value Musicians highly, so she gave him a chance and had someone bring a Crystal Harp for him to demonstrate."

Joy paused, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

"Turns out... he couldn’t even pluck the strings properly. The sound he made was jarring and awful. He was a complete amateur.

Madame Spider’s expression changed instantly... and then... he just collapsed. He barely let out half a scream."

Seraphina was speechless after hearing the explanation.

’That guy, Vincent Vaughn... how could he dare claim to be a Musician when he knew nothing about dream instruments and had no relevant Skills?’

’He was basically tap-dancing on a landmine right in front of Madame Spider. No wonder he met such a fate.’

This served as another stark warning for Seraphina.

’This Divine Kingdom of Sweet Dreams instance might look like a beautiful fairytale, but its cruelty is on par with any zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic world.’

’The rules are bizarre, and one wrong step means instant death.’

’It seems the upcoming banquet, and the Nightmare Minions who are bound to cause trouble, are not going to be simple problems to deal with.’

Seraphina grew even more wary of the approaching "Main Quest Two."

Clayton Quinn remained silent, his gaze growing deeper, his thoughts unreadable.

Ironhide, however, nodded guilelessly. "Well, at least we passed the first quest safely. We’ve finally got a foothold in this hellhole."

Just then, a system notification sounded simultaneously in the minds of all the Players who had passed the audition and become "probationary employees" for the banquet:

[Ding! Congratulations, Player, on completing Main Quest One: Banquet Preparer! You have successfully obtained the status of Temporary Employee for the Peach Kingdom Princess’s Birthday Banquet! Distributing quest rewards...]

[Congratulations! You have received: Desire Candy x1!]

At almost the same instant, a piece of candy materialized in each of their minds.

Seraphina looked down at the object that had suddenly appeared in her hand.

It was a peculiar piece of candy, about the size of her thumb. It was a soft, golden color, its surface as smooth as polished glass. Inside, countless tiny points of light seemed to swirl and flow.