Beneath the Ancient Castle

Jiang Qiao wandered through the ancient castle.

The castle was deathly still. He encountered neither living people nor Evil Spirits along the way. It was empty, as though no one remained besides the three he had killed at the start.

But he didn't believe a building this vast was truly empty.

At the very least, the figures who had left their portraits in the hall were probably residents here too.

And then there was something else.

The castle's mysterious master, Durahan, might be watching him from some corner. Perhaps every fight so far had been nothing more than a game in his eyes.

It was entirely possible.

Once someone grew powerful enough, suffered too much Supernatural Erosion, or was simply an Evil Spirit to begin with, other people's lives could cease to matter to them.

A few underlings meant nothing. Even the deaths of their own family might not stir any emotion.

Long lives had taught them to kill time by any means they could.

Of course.

There was another possibility.

The castle's master really had left for the time being.

Either way, Jiang Qiao kept heading deeper inside.

"Judging by its style, this castle is nothing like a real medieval castle. It's closer to the villa-style castles popular two or three hundred years ago."

"If that's the case, it shouldn't be all that old."

Jiang Qiao pondered as he explored.

Buildings in Supernatural places came in all forms, but their styles often revealed the eras they came from.

"I've been to plenty of Supernatural areas."

"The underworld looks like it's pieced together from ruins of the living world. All of Nightmare City is one enormous ghost story. Yan City has the mysterious City God System, while Yi City is home to ordinary people who know little about the supernatural—and