NOVEL NEXT Ch. 83
Chapter 83: The Mysterious Butler
As usual, he appeared on that school bus, and as usual, entered the ancient castle.
The crying of the Little Boy and the loss of control of the Boar‑Head Monster, the bravery of the Pony‑tailed Girl who stepped forward, and the shattering of the head—all unfolded just as before.
The monsters each chose a child, and the process, even down to the smallest gestures, showed no variation.
The Withered Butler also appeared, as always, with his elegant and gentlemanly demeanor. A stiff, fake smile hung on his face, and his hands moved gently above the children’s heads like a symphony conductor.
He effortlessly selected five children, but after pointing to the fifth, his movements suddenly paused. His hands hovered in mid-air, as if in hesitation—「Is it because Meilan is missing?」
Han Su also abruptly snapped out of his wooden trance, realizing the crucial detail.
Meilan, or rather the one Special Assistant Xu called "Wei Lan," had already been rescued by him. She had escaped her fate of abduction forever.
There was also a difference inside the ancient castle.
Originally, after the seven monsters each selected a child, the Withered Butler would personally pick six more to be taken upstairs. Meilan had been one of the six chosen by him.
But now that she was gone, another had to take her place.
Yet now, the Withered Butler actually seemed hesitant.
Those pale blue eyes held not a trace of living vitality, sweeping over the children before him one by one.
No one dared to meet his gaze. They all looked down hurriedly.
At that moment, Han Su grew extraordinarily tense: the Withered Butler was the most terrifying monster of all.
He had previously attempted to escape before the school bus entered the ancient castle—either by crawling out the window or trying to seize control of the steering wheel from the already petrified driver.
But regardless of the method, any attempt would draw the attention of that Withered Butler, whose exterior was as porcelain-like as a doll.
As long as he hadn’t noticed Han Su, Han Su could blend in among the other children, pretend to be hypnotized, and look for a chance to escape.
But once the Withered Butler noticed him, there would be no evading the hypnosis.
With a simple clap of his hands, he could make Han Su freeze in one position, standing motionless for six or seven hours, as if every muscle in his body cramped simultaneously—his whole body so stiff it seemed almost completely broken.
Before, Han Su had never been chosen by the Withered Butler. But this time, he was so nervous his back stiffened slightly. He truly felt the Withered Butler’s gaze lingering on him for a moment.
But soon, the Withered Butler sighed and placed his palm on another boy, murmuring,「You then!」
Han Su instantly exhaled in relief, then refocused his attention, scanning the monsters in the hall, searching for traces of the "key."
In this current ancient castle, without acquiring the key, escape was no longer possible.
Yet because each monster’s figure varied greatly, and their robes were intricate and bizarre, he dared not move around carelessly. He could only rely on small details, carefully observing and searching.
He confirmed—the key was not on the Pale Monster, nor was it on Lady Meat Horns.
The key was...
When he finally caught sight of the key, his heart first lifted with joy. But then, realizing which monster held the key, his happiness faded, replaced by a sudden heaviness. The key was on the Worm Monk.
It hung beneath the hem of his black clerical robe, concealed by the drooping fabric, with only a yellow gleaming tip showing.
Damn it, why him?
Han Su sighed inwardly, feeling a formless pressure flood his chest.
This Worm Monk was the strangest and most low-key among the monsters at the table. Each time, he only appeared to choose a child and then ascended the stairs.
At other times, no matter which day, this monster always moved slowly and gracefully—there was even a trace of elegance.
He was never seen speaking, nor losing his temper. He always seemed lifeless and inert.
But Han Su knew how difficult he was to deal with.
With the other monsters, Han Su could attempt to distract them, or even, like with the Pale Giant, deliberately provoke their dolls to make them panic, then take advantage of the distraction to snatch the key.
But none of that worked on the Worm Monk.
Because his entire body was made of worms—those squirming, pink-skinned, nauseating creatures that covered every part of him.
Most crucially, these worms were extremely sensitive.
Each one seemed to function as his eyes. No matter the angle of approach, they would detect it immediately. Even watching him for too long or focusing too intently would instantly alert the worms.
With a monster like that, how could he possibly steal the key?
「Still, there’s no need to panic...」
Han Su comforted himself inwardly. No matter what, there would still be a chance during the later Night of Pleasure.
In addition—
With a trace of longing, he inconspicuously shifted his gaze away from the Worm Monk and began scanning the other monsters.
He still held onto a sliver of hope.
Previously, he had rescued Xu Ji, which led to the appearance of an extra key and a door that could manifest on any floor within the ancient castle. So then, what about this time?
Meilan had also been rescued by him. Would a second key now appear?
He eagerly hoped to catch a glimpse of the key on another monster—ideally the Pale Giant. After all, that creature had been his most cooperative companion in several past escape attempts.
But he kept observing, and kept observing. Until all the selections concluded and the remaining children were escorted into the Earth Cellar by the butler, he had still found nothing.
Then—who held the key?
「It couldn’t be on those monsters who never even came downstairs, right? If so, finding it would be like fishing for a needle in the ocean.」
Thinking this silently, Han Su quickly realized another issue: 『However, although in theory rescuing a second person should bring a second reward, is that reward really a key?』
It was only after saving Xu Ji that the door had appeared. But could it be that the reward for rescuing a second person wasn’t a door—but something else entirely?
He suddenly found himself confused. This ancient castle was so vast—how was he supposed to find it?
Yet amid his effort to forcibly command himself to remain calm, a few lines suddenly flashed through Han Su’s mind:
【When facing mysterious penetrations and grotesque phenomena, there is no such thing as a 100% safe situation.】
【Tension and rage only breed madness. Stay calm—resisting your own heart is the first step in resisting the grotesque.】
【When confronted with incomprehensible phenomena and the unknown, if you cannot devise effective plans or reasoning, act according to your human instincts. Execution is the first element in resisting the grotesque.】
【—.】
These were all regulations he had once been required to read and memorize in the Disaster Management Bureau’s safety manual.
Han Su was not the kind of genius who could memorize the entire manual word-for-word. No one at the Disaster Management Bureau had ever gone over the rules with them line-by-line, so at the time, Han Su had simply tried hard to memorize it just for the assessment, treating it like exam content.
But now, hiding in the shadowy corner of the eerie ancient castle, those rules he had once paid little attention to floated back into his mind, one by one.
Right—when was there ever such a thing as a 100% safe or clear plan?
At the very least, he had returned many times. He had the most basic understanding of these monsters. At least he knew—as long as he got the key, he could escape this ancient castle.
The advantage was his!」
……
He remained calm, then calculated silently in his heart:
「The best preparation I made for this return trip was learning that Invisibility Spell at the Disaster Management Bureau———」
And the best time to test that spell’s quality would be—
Eyes narrowing slightly: 『.——.—Now!『
It truly was now.
His gaze swept over the children in the Earth Cellar, currently submerged in fear and tension. He confirmed his plan—at this moment, the monsters had all gone upstairs, and the Withered Butler outside was absent.
「Then, sorry about this——」
Having made up his mind, Han Su looked toward the child of Secretary No. 2, who was currently going on about how he had once coveted the pretty maid’s nanny.
He stepped forward and patted the boy on the shoulder.「Your dad is Secretary No. 2? That bigshot nobody dares mess with, even if he beats someone to death?」
Then came a hard slap:「Let me show you the iron palm of the working people——」
「......」
The sudden beating sent the Earth Cellar into instant chaos. Especially the confused Crew‑Cut Boy, who burst into tears with a single wail.
Han Su hadn’t held back—he’d really hit him hard.
The crying inside the Earth Cellar immediately drew attention from outside. Soon after, the small door opened. The Hunch‑Backed Man growled hoarsely, threatening them as he stepped into the light to inspect the situation inside.
Han Su had been closely monitoring the sounds above. He immediately prepared to act—only to suddenly notice what the man had brought in.
His heart exploded with shock and fury.
Every time the Earth Cellar got noisy, the Hunch‑Backed Man would come check, bringing a Kerosene Lamp to observe what the children were up to. But this time, Han Su noticed—it wasn’t a Kerosene Lamp anymore.
It was a kind of crystal that emitted a bizarre glow?
Was this because he’d used the Kerosene Lamp last time to burn the carpet on the first floor?
Had that mysterious will within the ancient castle acted again?
Because he’d burned the carpet last time, had it quietly altered the lamp’s structure, replacing the flame with this crystal phalange?
「Bastard.」
「Really not even leaving me a sliver of a chance?」
Cursing inwardly, Han Su focused his gaze.
But his heart suddenly skipped a beat. The crystal inside that lamp—it looked just like the bones from the Crystal Plague incident he’d dealt with not long ago in the real world.