The parachutes descended slowly, like jellyfish in the ocean, touching down on the ground. The light vanished, and the rope ladder was nearly swallowed by the darkness.
The group finally gathered on the lowest level of the stone platform—Damori was fine, but Sean's legs went soft on the swaying rope ladder, and he had to be pulled up by an Investigation Knight. When he climbed onto the platform, his entire face was pink, like a cooked shrimp.
The platform was nearly the size of a sports field, with only the ruins of a few huts on it. The peripheral area was piled with various items, like rusty components and rotten wooden boxes, emitting a faint smell of decay, their purpose unclear.
Black and red fleshy tendons clung to the edge of the platform, connecting to higher platforms, gently bouncing in the wind, looking almost alive. Nol didn't think "climbing them" would be a good idea. The whole manor gave him a very bad feeling, very similar to the atmosphere of the White Night.
The presence of Siren Fischer was just above. Nol strained to look up, only able to make out the vague outlines of the structures above. The siren was probably imprisoned somewhere, having only moved slightly within a small area recently.
While the knights took a break to regroup, Nol glanced at Eugene. If the Knight Commander demanded an immediate surprise attack on The Manor—assuming Mr. Eugene was really foolish enough to do so—Nol would definitely jump out to stop him.
Fortunately, Knight Eugene remained calm and composed.
"Drake gets an additional fifty gold wheels as a reward," Eugene said approvingly. "Well done, sir. Let us have a pleasant exploration."
Then, his gaze swept over the shivering Sean and Damori who was looking around. "Leave seven people with Sean and Damori to record the terrain. I, Dia, and Drake will go up to have a look."
"Can I come along?" Damori immediately chimed in, his eyes sparkling with a desire for money… Ah, no—a desire to be loyal to the Goddess. "I'm in good condition. I can definitely help!"
"It's dangerous up there. In case of an emergency, we may not be able to protect you," Eugene said gently.
Damori persistently applied to join. "That would be my fate then. If anything happens, I won't blame anyone."
Eugene's brows twitched slightly, and he stared at Damori for a long time. "The Goddess sees your loyalty. Marian, you come along too." The female knight beside him nodded, and the original trio thus expanded into a team of five.
Actually, six, as Nol pulled Teest, who was looking around. The latter quickly stuck back to Nol's side. [I feel the aura of monsters.]
[There are indeed quite a few above,] Nol replied. [We'll find a time to split from them and first look for the Lord of The Manor.]
The methods of The Manor in Eternal Day City were indeed outrageous, but Nol didn't want to attack a neighbor without understanding the situation first—The Manor was easy to defend but hard to attack, and the knights would surely investigate first. He wanted to clarify the situation himself before deciding on the next move.
[How do you know what I'm thinking?] Teest let up a long hum. [Coincidentally, I also don't want to play with the little dogs of the Goddess of Life.]
Eugene had no idea of this "Drake's" private conversation. He gathered the exploration team, distributing scent-masking ointment to everyone. The knights who weren't named established a simple base on the spot, began to visually measure The Manor's stronghold, and started drawing maps.
Sean sat on a folding chair at the edge of the platform, his lips pale. He sat with his back to the center of the platform, tilting his head up, silently staring at the sky.
The night sky was clear, the stars plentiful, with the four moons hung high in the sky. Together with the scattered lights from The Manor, the scene was almost beautiful.
He watched as the scouting team's figures disappeared higher up—once on the platform, the difference in height wasn't so absurd, and one could climb up with physical strength.
But he couldn't do it.
As a healer who usually stayed in the rear, even the physically fit Sean couldn't jump that high. On second thought, his presence seemed to bring nothing but trouble on this trip.
Sean hung his head in dejection, opening his empty palms. He had harbored a flame of vengeance, thinking of burning his last drop of blood for God. But now he realized that even "sacrifice" had its thresholds.
"Don't mind it. Your job is to 'witness', not to 'fight'."
A young knight noticed his gloominess and approached. "Someone like Drake is rare… Forget Drake, we couldn't even find someone like Damori when recruiting in the last city."
"Thank you. I was too naïve." Sean managed a wry smile. "I thought I could at least be of some help."
The knight laughed. "Of course, you can help! The captain might take a while, and when they come down, they will definitely need your help to recover their strength."
"Does Lord Eugene always lead from the front?" Sean asked curiously.
"Yes. In these unknown places that are a matter of life and death, the captain is always the first to go in and explore. He only lets everyone 'up' after he's sure the path is viable." Behind Sean, the knight was busy sorting through the debris while earnestly answering.
"But he wouldn't bring temporary knights on a previous occasion… After all, this is not official combat—it's a covert investigation, and temporary knights can easily cause trouble."
"Perhaps Drake and his group are too special. Even I can tell at a glance that they're not ordinary people."
Sean leaned forward from his chair back, forcing himself to look down at the chasm below the platform.
The knight didn't answer him again.
"How long does a typical investigation take?"
Sean brought up another topic. "Magic can't be used here, and I need to allocate time to prepare potions in advance. If the situation is serious, fresh potions are more effective."
Silence still reigned behind him.
A sinking feeling hit Shaun.
He suddenly realized that, at some point, all the footsteps of the knights and the friction sounds of moving debris had ceased, leaving only the whistling wind on the stone platform.
A few steps away was the swaying rope ladder. Just as Sean's gaze reached it, he saw one end of the ladder drifting down, falling towards the edge of the chasm.
…Who?
Sean didn't dare to look back. He didn't smell any blood—nothing at all. The platform became an isolated island again, and he felt an immense weight on his back, followed by emptiness.
He tried to stand, but his already weak legs failed to respond. Behind him, there was a soft rustling sound, and he could hear the clatter of his teeth.
A pair of hands gently rested on his back.
"I'm sorry."
Sean heard a soft voice, and at the same time, his body, along with the folding stool, fell from the stone platform, plunging into the chasm.
Darkness rushed towards him, and in his confusion, he suddenly remembered the day he parted with his family.
What did they eat that night?
In the shallow part of the chasm above the cliff, a huge rock caught him, and he didn't have time to remember the answer.
...
Nol suddenly sensed something was amiss.
He felt the presence of death from below, yet no unusual sounds were heard. The area was still under the influence of anti-magic crystals, rendering communication crystals useless, so he couldn't immediately confirm the situation underneath.
At this moment, they had moved from the lowest layer to near the middle layer. The stone platforms here were relatively intact, displaying statues wrapped in withered vines and buildings that were somewhat whole.
The more clearly Nol saw, the more questions arose in his mind.
From a distance, the castle was surrounded by clouds and mist, not very discernible. Now, viewed up close, the architectural style of The Manor was extremely peculiar.
Its stone bricks were too finely carved, and there were too many unidentified metal debris around. The style was a mishmash, without a trace of the culture from the Gemino region—not even the remnants from the "Era of Strife".
Moreover, they still hadn't figured out how this castle had flown up into the sky.
There were no magical fluctuations, no magical circuitry. The castle stood in the void against common sense, immobile as a mountain in the cold wind.
"There must be a gigantic magic circle in the uppermost building. Those flesh and ruins below were lifted by it." Eugene analyzed. "A little further up, and everyone will be able to use magic normally."
To the people of this world, this was an obvious thought.
Just as when still on Earth, no one would doubt gravity—apples fell downwards, and there could be no other possibility. Just as the castle could only stay afloat in the sky supported by magic.
Nol, however, had a vague sense of unease. This castle seemed not to be "his creation".
The group climbed up another layer, and finally, the effect of the anti-magic crystals weakened slightly. This should have been good news, but Teest, who was usually so confident, became quiet at this moment, sticking close to Nol's side.
[I don't like this place. Its aura is very… foreign.] Teest frowned, looking at those bricks and stones. [A Lich's home is warmer than this place.]
[I agree.] Nol looked towards the garden in front of him.
The stone platform was comparable in size to the Joy Garden community, resembling a dilapidated yet elegant garden.
Half-rotten metal gates stood at the edge of the platform; their fine wrought iron covered with black-red rust. In the moonlight, it had the texture of bones.
The flowerbeds were devoid of plants, with only dry roots remaining. The body of the beds was full of cracks—a rough texture that was eerily familiar. The fountain was dried up and dirty, and the angel-shaped stone figure had fallen to the ground, its cracked eyes filled with dry grass. Those stems were hard and dark, like the limbs of giant insects.
There were no guards, no magical artifacts in ready stance—nothing but the silence of the night and the cold wind at this place. Nol wanted to "accidentally get lost" but couldn't find the opportunity.
"Sir, should we just keep going like this? Let's go up. There's nothing here." The team had circled this ruined garden four or five times, and Damori couldn't help but speak up.
Eugene stopped by a clump of dry thorns, pinched the peeling rust, and tasted it with his tongue. His expression was serious, his usual smile gone.
"Let's go back tonight," he said. "Something's not right here."
Nol couldn't help but look up again—Siren Fischer wasn't far from them. Just a few more layers up, and he was confident he would find the siren.
But as the saying goes, haste makes waste. Especially in a game, greed for quick victory was a big taboo.
The place was truly eerie. With The Manor activities being so frequent, Nol thought he would see one or two guard monsters, but he didn't even see a single monster's hair. This dead silence didn't seem like a symbol of peace but more like the atmosphere before a boss battle.
"I agree to go back," Nol said in a steady voice. "We've investigated enough. Caution is the better part of valor."
[Forgive my bluntness, but your neighbor seems more like a Lich than you do.] Teest poked at a disfigured statue beside him. [Look at this atmosphere. Next time use this style for the illusion in the Lost Tower… Hey, don't twist my waist. It tickles!]
After consultation, everyone unanimously agreed to go back temporarily. Eugene quickly made his way back the way they had come, just about to lower the hook rope—
His hand bounced back.
Eugene's face stiffened, and after groping forcefully, he found the air rippling like water, trapping them firmly on this large stone platform.
The rope dangled just half a step away, yet they couldn't use it to escape. Eugene groped along the edge again. Without a doubt, they were trapped here, like little delicacies under a glass dessert cover.
Nol: "..."
This barrier seemed somewhat like an "air wall" that restricted character movement. His own "Tahe World" didn't feature such a design—what was going on here? Regardless of the wall's origins, since it was now activated, it meant only one thing—
Nol swiftly drew his longsword. "Prepare to fight!"
Eugene looked back in surprise. "There's nothing here—"
His words were cut short as a "monster aura" emerged. He saw a dark blue glow tangled into a cluster above the center of the stone platform and the old fountain, tearing open a black hole in the air.
A sticky black giant hand emerged, followed by an arm, and finally an almost mummified body—
The creature placed its claws on the edge of the fountain and let out a silent, skyward scream.
It was about four meters tall, resembling the skeleton of a giant canine, its bones covered in sludge-like Demon King's corruption. This corruption flowed over its body, forming new flesh and skin.
The beast's four legs ended in giant human hands, and from its chest sprouted two long, thin arms. They waved and scratched in the air, as if embracing their target.
It was indeed a mini boss battle. The Lord of The Manor seemed to have a taste for gaming, Nol thought, somewhat helplessly.
He was more concerned with the fact that this creature, no matter how you looked at it, was a "Thousand-Hands Nightmare" from the Black Forest.
Upon seeing the monster appear out of nowhere, Eugene gave Nol a meaningful look. "…A monster of the Demon King."
[It's your midnight snack,] Teest exclaimed at the same time.
Damori's brown skin paled at his first encounter with such a sinister creature. "A monster of the Demon King—how come it's here? Isn't it said that they are only on Desolation Island?!"
"The Manor is very likely working together with the Demon King." Eugene also drew his long sword. "Mr. Damori, cover our rear. Everyone else, attack!"
Nol, who was assigned to the Investigation Knight's camp: ".….."
Nol: [It might have intelligence. Teest, why don't you try talking to it?]
No sooner had he spoken than the creature bit off a marble statue beside it with a snap.
A thick metal wire went through its mouth, making it look comically as if it were smoking. However, the creature didn't move at all, not even reacting to the pain, just staring maliciously at everyone.
There was not a drop of blood from the wound. This thing was even drier than a Thousand-Hands Nightmare.
[Hey, what did you just say?] Teest cupped his hand to his ear, posing as if listening intently.
[…Nothing. Forget it.] Nol sighed.
The creature's movements were stiff, more like a machine left with only fixed behaviors than a living being.
The only relief was that the anti-magic crystal's power had weakened, and now they could use some simple magic.
Nol took a deep breath and launched into a flurry of game-like footwork and esoteric sword techniques, sweeping up to the monster.
Up close, the creature's "fur" was layers of protruding fingers constructed from the corruption. Used to being a fixed artillery, Nol felt awkward up close to such a disgusting enemy, nearly failing to connect his movements.
Eugene flashed to the side of the monster before Nol, his glowing longsword sweeping across the creature's head and neck.
But just as the head was about to fall, the fingers on the creature's body intertwined. Accompanied by the sickening sound of flesh and blood intertwining, the head instantly returned to its original state.
The creature leapt up in anger, charging at Eugene like a specter, nearly stepping on Nol beneath it. Nol dodged ungracefully. Luckily, the others were too busy dealing with the monster to notice.
Eugene kept a focused gaze on that bizarre carcass.
He leapt up, landing on the creature's head and driving his longsword fiercely into its skull. The other two Investigation Knights, one on each side, bombarded that wound.
The glow of holy magic shone within the creature's skull, the Demon King's corruption temporarily faded, and the dry bones cracked to the ground. But the creature's body was unaffected. Its neck's black fingers, like flowing blood, wrapped around that head, pushing it back into place.
Under the four moons, the creature's eyes flickered with a pale light, leaping at them again with movements that were unpredictably fast and slow, as if weightless.
This was a monster that the world had spawned on its own, and now they could only brace themselves to confront it.
Nol's fingers gently brushed the blade, and the sword instantly ignited in flames—since the flag of the magic swordsman had been raised, if physical damage wasn't enough, they would make up for it with magical damage!
Teest's small hunting knife spun in his hand, transforming into a long sword with the dim moonlight flowing along the blade.
Eugene was still attempting to destroy the monster's head, while Nol, raising his flaming longsword, struck at the monster's foreleg. In the shadow of the flames, the long sword "Betrayer" followed like a shadow.
The two stood back-to-back, their presence nearly touching, as they spun on the battlefield, close yet apart.
Both swords struck the monster's right forelimb simultaneously. The limb, like a tree trunk, instantly flew off, and the sound of searing flesh hissed from the wound. Fingers made of corruption tried to flow again to restore the monster's limb, but they curled up at the charred wound, hesitating to advance.
The corrupted monster lost its balance, falling to one side, not forgetting to open its mouth to bite at Nol. The latter narrowly dodged and lunged with another sword strike at the monster's remaining forelimb.
Teest gracefully carried Nol around his waist, elegantly moving back and forth amidst the monster's frenzied onslaught. Brought near the monster's hind legs, Nol intuitively thrust his sword—
With one of the monster's hind limbs severed, Eugene immediately switched from offense to support, diverting the monster's attention to allow "Drake" to strike easily.
Lastly were the double arms on the monster's chest.
The flaming longsword rose and fell, and the fractured bones quietly burned in the garden.
The monster could no longer leap to attack. It stood in place, mechanically stretching and retracting its head, trying to bite the closest person. Its movements were stiff and repetitive, making everyone uncomfortable to watch.
"Your purification abilities are indeed stronger than ours." Eugene took a long breath of relief. "Mr. Damori was right. Such a corrupted monster of this level should have appeared deep within Desolation Island… We can't proceed further. We must go back immediately!"
Nol ignored Eugene, reaching first for the edge of the stone platform—the wall of air trapping them was indeed slowly dissipating.
He couldn't help but look up again at the castle at the very top.
The Lord of The Manor… Could it be a colleague?
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