Chapter 1351: Chapter 1351: Nightfall

The gas light in the dining room grew dimmer, and the mood of the manor’s owners affected the entire estate, while Shard pretended not to notice anything amiss and indignantly said:

“Don’t look at me just because I’m a man, but I can still speak with the Emperor. You have been so generous in allowing me to rest; if needed, I can petition Emperor Violet to send a retinue to give that damned fellow you mentioned a lesson.”

Thus, the stagnant atmosphere returned to normal once again, the lighting brightened a bit, and the monsters at the table continued their meal. The monster covered in blubber said:

“That troublesome fellow also has backing, and he possesses immortality. Our family has found a rather nice relic that can deal with his immortality, so it’s unnecessary to trouble the ruler of Wydon, the Flower of Shacadi, Her Majesty, the great Violet.”

Its recounting of titles proved to be even more than Shard knew.

“So, the name of that fellow living on the other side of the city is…”

The Old Ghoul said through clenched teeth in a muffled voice:

“Of course it’s Ston Osenfort!”

No time was given for Shard to ask more questions, as this meal came to an end. The Old Ghoul had the ghoul butler, who was also a ghoul, arrange a guest room for Shard located at the corner on the third floor to let him rest. In the monsters’ perception of time at the manor, it was now nighttime, so the family eating at the table each dispersed within the large residence to do their own things.

Shard did not refuse the arrangement from the Old Ghoul, following the ghoul butler, stepping on the creaking stairs, carrying his suitcase, and came to the third floor from the side stairs on the first floor.

The condition of the third floor was slightly better than the ground floor but was also more corrupted by the demon power. The furniture within the corner guest room was quite complete, yet unfortunately all covered in cobwebs. This room even lacked window glass, and the snow blowing in covered nearly all the area below the window.

The ghoul butler left Shard at the doorway, and after ensuring the footsteps faded into the distance, Shard pointed a finger at the wooden door that could be kicked open with one foot, allowing Holy Silver Thorn Bushes to climb all over the door.

Subsequently, he turned to look inside the room, not sealing the window that let the cold wind through, but instead looking at the oil painting on the wall by the bed’s headboard.

It was a portrait, and Shard silently stared at the woman in the oil painting holding a parasol, not blinking once. After half a minute of staring, the woman in the painting couldn’t help but blink first.

“Apologies, madam, I prefer solitude during my rest.”

Shard said, to which the wraith in the oil painting gently nodded an apology and then vanished from the image. Thick cobwebs, appearing like a phantom, covered the frame of the painting, and Shard was certain he was now truly alone.

Despite the lack of window glass, the tattered dark red curtains remained, with the wind and snow causing them to flutter inward continuously. Shard walked straight to the bed, lifting the bed board, spotting a white object flying toward him.

He tilted his head, dodging the white object, noticing a mass of cobwebs appearing on the wall behind him. Looking back under the bed board, a hairy spider the size of a human head perched atop a corpse, its compound eyes glowed red, glaring fiercely as it crawled about.

“Even ordinary spiders have turned into this?”

The brilliant Moonlight Longsword pierced through the spider’s body, then the Moonlight Slash swiftly dissected it into four pieces. As the hairy spider’s body fell beside the corpse, countless small black spiders crawled out of its body, scattering rapidly along the floor’s cracks.

Shard remained silent, observing the corpse. It was wearing men’s pajamas, showing no sign of a fatal wound, as if falling into slumber to die directly under the bed boards.

And if a “guest” truly dared to rest on the bed, upon slumbering, they would likely be attacked by the corpse below the board.

“I know you can move.”

He murmured softly, seeing the corpse feign death as it remained unmoving, he then directly cast Binding Light. Afterward, opening his suitcase, he rummaged through it, and according to the label, took out a black Magic Potion.

“You’ll have to shake it after exposing it to moonlight for it to work.”

Shard checked the label’s content, placed his finger on the bottle’s bottom using Light Spell, causing bright silver moonlight to shine, transforming the black Magic Potion rapidly into a milky white. Shard then gently shook it, the milky color faded, turning the potion completely clear.

Uncorking the bottle, Shard poured half of the potion evenly over the unmoving corpse’s head, then donned gloves, poured the remaining half into its mouth.

Finally, with his Longsword, he drew a feather shape on the corpse’s forehead. Kissing the pendant on his chest, he grasped the sword with both hands, pointing it at the corpse’s forehead, softly chanting:

“Praise the First Angel, praise the True Death.”

Faint light traces flowed over the feather-shaped scar, Shard withdrew his Longsword, and then canceled the effect of Binding Light.

“How do you feel now?”

He stood by the bed and asked, while the corpse below the bed rubbed its head and climbed up, its voice sounding like phlegm was stuck in its throat:

“Like having experienced an endless nightmare.”

Yet, at least under the effect of the Magic Potion, he had returned to norm, the decaying eye sockets looked at Shard:

“Did you save me?”

“No, no, this magic potion only works on embodied undead like you who haven’t been severely corrupted by demons, and its effect doesn’t last long. Soon, I will destroy you, allowing you to truly return to death.”

“Thank you.”

The decayed corpse said, its murky and yellowing eyes looking down at its hands and then glancing at the blood blowing in from the window, unsure of what to say for a moment:

“So, it wasn’t a dream.”

“While you can still think, answer some of my questions. Who are you? Are you also a member of the Worsent Family?”

“No, I’m Mr. Worsent’s business partner. I came to settle accounts with him and stayed overnight.”

The corpse replied.

Shard sighed:

“Do you remember what happened that night?”

“I remember, but I don’t want to recall, or else I will surely lose my sanity immediately.”

The corpse said honestly, while Shard noticed that the glowing light on the feather-shaped wound on its forehead was rapidly diminishing.

“I can only say that it was a terrifying scene not recorded in any book. I am fortunate that I died early, just lying here and hearing the sounds from outside, rather than seeing it with my own eyes.”

“The Worsent Family anticipated such a situation, so they prepared some countermeasures in advance. Do you know what they prepared to deal with that detestable Osenfort?”

The decayed corpse thought for a moment, which further dimmed the light of the feather mark on its forehead:

“Old Worsent mentioned that the detestable Osenfort possesses power beyond ordinary people, but fortunately, he obtained something good from a tomb robber. I don’t know what it is, only that it’s stored in a box no bigger than a palm. The attack was very sudden, if that thing is still in this manor, I think you can check Old Worsent’s bedroom safe.”

Shard nodded, seeing the glow of the mark on its forehead had weakened to the extreme, allowing him to ask one last question:

“Who is the current ruler of the country?”

“The noble Witch Empress, I am not worthy to speak the great name.”

It seems that the method provided by Priest Augustus can only awaken the undead from confusion, unable to counter the effect of the relic.

Before Shard could thank it, the light from the feather-shaped scar completely vanished. The decayed corpse, uncontrolled by any means, immediately lunged at Shard, who kicked it back under the bed.

Without using Arcane Technique, Shard beckoned with his hand, and a Silver Cross forged from Holy Silver flew out from the open suitcase. He took the cross in his hand and bent down to stab it into the heart of the corpse, causing it to stop moving after convulsing.

This didn’t destroy it, but used Divine Arts to let it temporarily fall into slumber. Only by completely expelling the relic and purifying this land can these undead be freed.

Of course, Shard still had to return to retrieve the cross later. These items are not cheap at all, this is not a silver-plated cross, but a genuine Pure Silver Cross. Even though Priest Augustus barely charged him for labor, Shard invested a lot of money in it.

“Old Worsent’s bedroom safe, also the master bedroom’s safe…”

After tidying up and picking up the suitcase again, Shard glanced at the door sealed by a Thorn Bush, not planning to exit through there.

Crimson butterflies surrounded him until his entire being transformed into a Butterfly Swarm.

The Butterfly Swarm lifted the suitcase, flying out through the window without glass, heading towards the direction of the master bedroom in the windy and snowy night, clinging to the wall.

But oddly, the master bedroom on the third floor of the manor not only had glass, but that completely dark glass seemed to have protective functions against intrusion, even though Shard, having reverted to his body from the snow and wind and squatting on the windowsill, could not open the window.

Perhaps directly using force could break the glass, but Shard was certain that if he did so, he would likely face an onslaught from the monsters of the entire manor.

“Looks like I’ll have to enter through the front door.”

Thus the glowing red butterflies again lifted the suitcase, flying along the mansion’s outer wall through the snow. However, Shard did not fly back to the guest room he came from earlier but continued forward, entering through the next window without glass.

The room was evidently larger than a guest room, boasting a separate washroom and wardrobe. Unlike the guest room full of spider webs, this room seemed just barely habitable.

In addition to gas lamps, a dim gas table lamp illuminated the area on the desk. After flying into the room and returning to human form in the dark, Shard was initially surprised by the room’s condition. He assumed no one was inside, but then he heard faint snoring sounds.