A Core Ship From The Start

Although the director's decision was somewhat unreasonable, no one dared to oppose him. Fortunately, for the crew, they had encountered similar situations before. At least compared to camping in the uninhabited sea of trees, this Western-style house was a better place to shelter from the wind and rain, wasn't it?

Everyone then started to have dinner and rest, while Duanmu Huai stepped aside and dialed a phone call.

"How is it? Any discoveries?"

As he spoke, Duanmu Huai glanced at his chest, where there was a camera resembling a pin. This was part of Duanmu Huai's preparations before coming here since it would be impossible for him to cover everything alone. So Duanmu decided to use this method to communicate with the rear, allowing Yuko Shionji and Shajuye to share the footage Duanmu saw, enabling them to investigate the contents.

"So far? There is nothing particularly unusual."

Yuko Shionji's voice came from the phone.

"But this place is truly like an underworld; I would never go there."

Shortly after, Shajuye took over the conversation.

"Brother, what about those statues? Have you investigated them?"

"I've investigated them; they're merely statues, at least that's how it appears."

Duanmu Huai shook his head.

"Have you discovered anything on your end?"

"Oh... we did find something."

Yuko Shionji's voice arose once more.

"About those statues, I conducted some research online... hmm, these statues were actually sculpted by the people of that Western-style house."

"The Western-style house's?"

"Yes, the first owner's son was a talented sculptor, and he made those statues. Of course, as you can see, such things obviously had no market value, and back then, there were rumors that the son might have been possessed by an evil spirit, which led him to create these cursed items. The father initially planned to send his son to a temple to exorcise the spirit, but before departure, the son was found to have hanged himself in his studio."

"So, the owner's son was the first to commit suicide?"

"It appears so currently."

"Hmm..."

Hearing Yuko Shionji's report, Duanmu Huai began to ponder. Generally, those in the arts, due to high inspiration, are often the first victims. There are quite a few similar cases, like painters dreaming of Cthulhu and then painting a bunch of crazy stuff, or novelists dreaming of Cthulhu and penning some incomprehensible nonsense, or chefs dreaming of Cthulhu and creating bizarre cuisines...

"By the way, brother."

As Duanmu Huai was daydreaming, Shajuye suddenly spoke up again.

"What about that statue?"

"Statue?"

"The one you saw in the last room before... suddenly disappeared?"

"It's just a simple filming trick."

Before Duanmu Huai could respond, Yuko Shionji scoffed and explained.

"Such entertainment variety shows often use deliberate trickery. The staff must have arranged it beforehand and then retrieved it after they left. Otherwise, why would the director reshoot a scene? Just to deliberately scare these guests, allowing the audience to savor their terrified reactions on TV screens."

"Nice story, but it's useless."

Duanmu Huai directly interrupted Yuko Shionji's explanation.

"I can assure you, there was no one else present besides us."

Since Duanmu Huai was here as a bodyguard, it was only natural to perform his duties well. Although he seemed to lag behind lazily, his perception always enfolded the entire East Mansion. If it was truly as Yuko Shionji claimed, some tactic by the crew, it would definitely not escape Duanmu Huai's notice.

"Hmph..."

Having her explanation shot down by Duanmu Huai, Yuko Shionji was a bit displeased, letting out a snort and opting to say no more. Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Shajuye hastily changed the subject.

"Then, did brother discover anything?"

"No, strangely enough, at least currently, it seems like just an abandoned house. I haven't found anything odd. In any case, let's continue observing the situation."

"Got it, brother, please be careful."

"Yes, don't worry."

After a brief conversation, Duanmu Huai hung up the phone. He looked again at the hall before him, where about six or seven staff members were busy organizing material and supplies. The director, on the other hand, frowned at the computer, displeased for reasons unknown. Meanwhile, the old professor stood before a central statue, seemingly studying it.

The two actors were rehearsing their lines, and at first glance, everything appeared normal without any issues.

What a strange situation...

Duanmu Huai silently activated the system, scanning the system notifications, but it was futile. The system only displayed information on people affected by Duanmu Huai, meaning if anyone here got a sudden drop in Sanity (SAN) for some reason, the system wouldn't show it.

In essence, it was best to keep following the two actors and observe further.

Duanmu Huai deliberated briefly and made his decision. As previously mentioned, artists with high inspiration are most prone to losing Sanity during a creative burst. By observing when they lose their Sanity, Duanmu Huai hoped to unearth some clues.