Chop House: A litRPG mystery novel by Adler I.O

Author:Adler, I.O.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lucas Ross Publishing
Published: 2024-01-17T00:00:00+00:00

THE SHRILL HOWL OF the alarm pierced Jack’s skull.

Fire? There was no smoke. Gas attack? He didn’t believe the game would throw that kind of twist their way, and he hadn’t heard any incoming artillery.

Byron came inside from the back deck. “What’s happening?”

“No clue.” Jack went through the upper floor to see who was where.

The judges and Arnold were inside the fitness room. All three judges were sitting on a workout bench next to a rack of hand weights. One had his glasses off and was rubbing the side of his head. Another sat with her arms crossed, while the third glared at Arnold.

Monitors on the walls played a cooking show where three chefs carried a giant mixing bowl overflowing with pancake batter while running a maze.

“There’s an alarm,” Arnold said to the judges. “It means we have to leave the house. The shuttle might be running again.”

Gold Glasses set his jaw. “This is a ploy to get us to cooperate. I speak for all of us. We’re done with the show. You can blast our ears, if you wish, but we won’t participate anymore. The simulation needs to let us log out!”

Arnold wiped his hair back before noticing Jack. “Get everyone outside.”

“What’s the emergency?” Jack asked.

“The emergency,” Gold Glasses said, “is we won’t play this twisted game anymore. This is supposed to be a cooking competition, not a survival show.”

“There’s been a few hangups, that’s all,” Arnold said. “The pizza oven explosion was an accident. I’ve been assured it’s all cleared up.”

“An ‘accident?’ If the simulation is experiencing design flaws, it’s not ready for public participation. One of your chefs was murdered, I have my joint pains from my arthritis, and Ken here has a headache. This is abnormal, and you know it. Why can’t we log out? Who provided you any assurances?”

“Look, everything will be explained. I—just a second.”

Mei, Evander, and Yorick gathered in the hallway behind Jack.

Arnold came to the doorway. “House alarm. Nothing’s on fire, but it means we’re going to have to leave. Take a minute and change into your uniforms.”

“Why?” Mei asked.

“Because I said so. We’re heading to the elimination round early.”

“I thought the train wasn’t running.”

“Well, that should be fixed by now.”

Jack heard the uncertainty in Arnold’s voice. “You don’t know anything, do you?”

“This isn’t the time to mess with me, Jack. I’ve got a lot to deal with. Wash up, change, do what you have to do to get ready. And stop drinking, everyone! You’re going to be cooking soon and I want everyone to be prepared.”

“Can someone turn that blasted noise off?” Gold Glasses shouted.

The cooking show on the screens inside the exercise room vanished. Mr. Smiley appeared. His eyes moved from player to player, then to Arnold, before settling on the three judges. The alarm grew softer until it was barely audible.

“Hello, friends! Sounds like the house is telling us all to get ready for the next round of Chop House. So what do you say we scamper on out to the train so we can go to the studio?”

“Are you the host program?” Gold Glasses asked.

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