"So that's how it is. We are honored to receive you. The snow truly is too heavy. Please, come in. The family members are having their meal; follow me. The master will be delighted to have you dine with us."
As he spoke, the Corpse Ghoul Old Butler and the maid led Shade toward the corridor on the left side of the 1st Floor. So far, the undead maid, like the butler, carried a heavy Whisper Element, undead power, the curse of Mad Earth, and the sensation of demonic corruption. With such a complicated mixture of powers, even Shade could not determine which one was the relic's main body merely by looking.
But at least Shade understood the nature of this encounter with Mad Earth. It was still different from in the past. This time, everything within the boundaries of Mad Earth had become a complete whole, causing any living being who entered the scene to forget that the outside world existed and believe this area was all there was to the world. They would then turn into dust under the curse, allowing its range to continuously expand.
This peculiar distortion was practically the perfect match for this relic. It was just unclear whether the appearance of the relic had induced the land's mutation, or whether the land's mutation had attracted this special relic.
The entire mansion was utterly dilapidated. Bloodstained red carpets had merged with the dust, and every step on the broken floorboards made Shade worry that the ground would collapse. It was normally still morning, but due to the relic's influence, it was perpetually nighttime here. The Gas Lamps in the mansion were almost entirely covered in dust, and their glass shades could barely illuminate a small patch beneath them in the dim corridor.
As he followed