CHAPTER 1663: FLOOR 41, NOCTURNHALL

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Maria sensed an overwhelming surge of both Nightmare Energy and Phantasmal Essence emanating from the suspiciously familiar manor. It reminded her of the one she and her friends in Azure Star had explored within Sofia’s Nightmare Realm.

The presence was so intense that it radiated a powerful ghostly aura, constantly pulsing from within. It was an unnerving sight. Thankfully, the group was accustomed to the spectral energy Maria naturally emitted, so the haunted house wasn’t all that terrifying—at least not to them.

Ferleen and Melianna, however, weren’t as familiar with such energies. To them, the manor ranked among the most frightening places they had encountered in the tower, filled with horrors and eerie phenomena that could send even the bravest warriors fleeing in terror.

"So this is some kind of haunted manor? A living house? Is there a world inside it?" Maria asked, trying to make sense of the place. "Wait, is this world supposed to be a horror show?"

"I don’t know what a horror show is... but yes, this is the Haunted Manor World," Ferleen replied. "Aside from this old, lifeless garden surrounding the manor, there’s not much else. The manor itself is actually much larger than it appears. No wonder it became its own world."

"So how do you survive in a place like this? Just run from it?" Partner asked.

"There are clues scattered around, but the manor is nearly endless. It’s full of strange corridors and hundreds of doors. It’s not just scary—it’s painfully confusing!" Ferleen groaned. "I wish we could skip this floor..."

"So the doors shift around, and there are scary ghosts inside? Now that sounds like my kind of world!" Maria grinned mischievously, already scheming. "If it’s really just ghosts and spirits, it might be similar to Necroterra for me."

"We should explore it first before jumping to conclusions," Alma suggested. "Right?"

"As long as we stay bound as a party, the manor shouldn’t be able to separate us easily. But nothing is guaranteed, so we need to stay alert," Ferleen warned. "I’ve already experienced the horror of getting lost in here. I’d rather not go through that again."

"That makes sense. It does seem scary to get lost here..." Emeraldine said. "Or does it? I mean, we’ve faced far worse before, haven’t we? This shouldn’t be that bad."

"Mama, are there ghosts I can make friends with inside?" Nyx asked, bouncing excitedly as they approached the manor.

There was no welcoming party, no other Players—just a desolate garden. Maria scanned the area, noting how everything around the manor was being consumed by a black void. It was pure emptiness.

Like Carnavalis, this world seemed to be a fragment of another, or perhaps the materialized echo of a memory, as Maria had once theorized about Carnavalis.

"System? Any information about this world?" Maria asked, her eyes sweeping the eerie surroundings.

[Welcome to the {41st Floor: Nocturnhall}!]

[Nocturnhall: A cursed world consisting of an endless manor filled with ghosts, bizarre monsters, and cursed dolls. The manor appeared in the tower without explanation. It is rumored that a single entity is behind every creature and creation within, but no one has discovered the mastermind.]

[Shifting rooms and doors create a confusing labyrinth. Players can eventually navigate it by collecting clues and mapping the manor. Exorcism Items and Holy Light Magic are recommended, as most inhabitants are Ghosts and Demons.]

"Nocturnhall, huh? So that’s the name of this world..." Maria murmured. "The garden seems empty. No monsters or creepy crawlies?"

"They show up when you get closer to the manor. I suggest we rush inside," Ferleen advised.

"Nah, no need for that," Maria replied with a smile as the group approached the entrance.

Just as they neared the door, the garden trembled. Tombstones shattered without warning, and the ground split open as zombies and skeletons surged toward them.

"Graaaahhhh!"

That wasn’t all. The nearby pumpkin patch quaked, and a skeleton emerged, grabbing a pumpkin and placing it atop its neck. The pumpkin twisted into a grinning face as red flames burst from its hollow eyes.

"Gyahahahaha!"

Maria’s eyes lit up. This wasn’t just any Undead—it was a rare and impressive Jack-o-Lantern. Even better, it conjured a flaming scythe and flew toward her, cloaked in a blazing, ghostly aura.

"Oh wow! For a fan of Undead creatures, this is amazing!" Maria exclaimed, waving at the creature. "Hey! You’re a real Jack-o-Lantern?! Big fan!"

"Gyahahhaa! Die! Die! Die—Huh?"

The moment it got close, the Jack-o-Lantern froze, staring at Maria in awe. It hovered in midair, recognizing that a far more terrifying ruler of death had entered its world.

"Yeah, yeah, be a good boy and greet me properly. Can you talk?"

Her voice carried the primordial authority of death itself. The Jack-o-Lantern could only nod dumbly, compelled by her presence.

Maria’s dominion over the dead was as potent as ever—perhaps even stronger now that she ruled Necroterra. Even though these zombies, skeletons, and the pumpkin-headed specter weren’t from that world, they were instantly subdued by her black, fog-like aura.

"Wait, what?! You tamed them too?" Ferleen asked, stunned.

"Necroterra had more sci-fi-style zombies, but this world has the classic fantasy Undead we all know and love. Honestly, it’s even easier to tame them here," Maria laughed. "Now then, Pumpkin, what were you doing here? Who summoned you?"

"Gyeheh! Heheh! Gahahahahaaaa!"

Unfortunately, the Jack-o-Lantern couldn’t speak coherently. It only laughed or shouted "die" whenever Maria asked questions. She was mildly annoyed but accepted it—these Undead weren’t exactly intellectuals.

"Well, I appreciate the effort. Come into my shadows," she said, and the Undead obediently vanished into her aura.

Maria returned to the garden and rummaged through the graves, quickly gathering a dozen more zombies, skeletons, and Jack-o-Lanterns. They, too, joined her without resistance.

Apparently, Undead spawned here every few hours. She sensed a powerful summoning sigil or rune embedded in the soil. Deciding to take advantage of it, she left behind a small item of her own.

"This should do the trick."

She buried a black totem crafted from Qliphoth Tree Wood, etched with Death and Necromancy runes, and infused with a fragment of her Phantasmal Soul.

It was a creation born of her advanced crafting skills, particularly her newest abilities: [Abyssal Dreamforge: Lv2] and [Voidsculpt Dominion: Lv2].

"What are you doing now, Maria?" Emeraldine asked.

"Is it something special, Mama?" Nyx added.

"Yes," Maria nodded. "It’s an Abyssal Totem of Sorrow. It links to me and my aura. Any new Undead that spawn here will be mine instantly and can enter my shadows at will."

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