Creak, creak.
The wooden staircase had long since fallen into disrepair, and stepping on it produced a harsh scraping sound.
Fortunately, the attic had windows too, allowing light to shine inside. Otherwise, Duke really wouldn't have dared go up into the pitch-black attic.
After climbing into the attic, the first thing that came into view was a fairly spacious area.
A large experiment table stood in the middle, covered with all kinds of experimental equipment. Near one of the pillars sat a chair, positioned to face the skylight in the attic's ceiling.
Duke walked over to the chair and craned his head over for a look, only to be startled again.
A human skeleton was lying there in plain sight.
The flesh had long since rotted and weathered away, leaving only a tattered set of clothes draped over the bones. Around it, the remnants of maggots' scattered cocoons and pupae could still vaguely be seen strewn across the floor.
"Could this be the Arcane Mage who researched human experimentation?" Duke calmed himself.
The remains of the completely weathered corpse were nowhere near as frightening as he had imagined.
He carefully went around the chair and looked toward the experiment table in the middle. It was covered with numerous instruments that had already decayed and rusted, along with some rusty tools and test tubes.
One section of the table looked like a dissection table.
Several spots had leather straps for restraints, perfectly suited to securing a person's neck, hands, feet, and waist.
"This scene would be perfect for shooting a horror movie."
Duke felt somewhat nervous, but fortunately Little Dou was still perched on his shoulder. As his contracted partner, she gave him a great deal of courage.
He did not touch the tools on the table. Instead, he noticed an