God was hungry

"What did you mean by that curse you mentioned?"

The old butler was briefly taken aback when he saw no trace of fear on Ye Qiyan's young face.

"You're not afraid?"

Ye Qiyan stood up and looked toward the solid wooden staircase leading to the castle's upper floors.

"I forgot to tell you, besides being a sheriff, I'm also a part-time priest. Since something like this has happened, of course I won't leave so easily."

He took the Mithril Holy Church Cross out of his coat.

Gentle holy light dispelled the surrounding darkness, and in its glow, Ye Qiyan seemed to become a spokesman for the divine.

The old butler's mouth fell open. He rubbed his eyes hard, staring at the young man before him in disbelief.

He remained stunned for quite some time. Only after the light faded and Ye Qiyan coughed twice did he finally come to his senses.

"Praise the heavens! We're saved!"

With his identity as a part-time priest, Ye Qiyan soon learned the manor's secret from the old butler.

The manor's first owner had secretly been a murderous lunatic. Once, when his prey escaped to the police station, the manor's owner had sent his own maid to prison as a scapegoat. The sheriff, who was in league with him, had tortured her for days, forced her to confess, and had her shot.

Over the next few days, stormy nights engulfed the manor, and all contact with the outside world was completely cut off. Only after the rainy nights passed did the man who delivered vegetables discover that everyone in the manor had died an unnatural death, including the sheriff, who had been having an affair with the manor owner's wife at the time.

Over the following thirty years, the manor changed hands more than a dozen times, and every owner died an unnatural death on a rainy night.

The current owner, Lavi, did not believe in gods or ghosts. Though wealthy, he was a miser. When he learned that such an enormous manor was available at an incredibly low price, with no taxes to pay, he bought it on the spot.

And then...

"As you can see, a rainy night, severed communications, death... The only difference is that we managed to contact the police station outside once and bring you here. Perhaps you really can break the curse."

"Where did that maid die? I mean the first owner's maid."

"It should have been the Clock Tower at the very top of the castle."

Ye Qiyan already knew what to do.

This so-called curse was probably something like an Earthbound Spirit.

Then, as long as his cross could defeat that Earthbound Spirit, this mission would be easily resolved.

He did not consider what would happen if it could not. There was no point.

Carrying an oil lamp, Ye Qiyan followed the old butler up the castle stairs.

An icy chill lingered through the castle, and the dripping of rainwater leaking inside made it all the more eerie.

By the time they reached the Clock Tower on the highest floor, the cross clutched in his palm had begun giving off waves of heat on its own.

"This is the place."

The old butler dared not enter. Ye Qiyan gritted his teeth and stepped into the Clock Tower alone.

The instant he entered the Clock Tower, he immediately sensed that something had locked on to him and was hurtling toward him.

"That fast? Flash!"

The Mithril Holy Church Cross released a gentle light, illuminating the Clock Tower.

A piercing scream rang through the night sky.

Clang-

Ye Qiyan lowered his head and saw a smooth, translucent skull fall beside his feet.

"...?"

That was it?

It all felt a little unreal to Ye Qiyan. He pinched his thigh. It hurt, so he was not dreaming. Or was this some kind of illusion? He searched the place for a while longer, but there was nothing besides that smooth skull.

In other words, it really was over.

Looking at the cross in his hand, Ye Qiyan suddenly wondered if he had underestimated it a little.

Without a doubt, exploring this mission platform would have been absolutely dangerous for anyone else.

But the person who came happened to be Ye Qiyan, and Ye Qiyan happened to have the Holy Church Cross that had undergone Ascension.

Thinking about it, if he had not possessed the ability of Ascension and turned the level 2 Mithril Cross into the Holy Church Cross it was now, he would have had no way to fight back against something this eerie.

"Phew..."

Ye Qiyan let out a deep breath. In any case, although this stop seemed about to end in such an abrupt fashion, what was wrong with that?

He picked up the smooth skull from the floor. Though he did not know what it was used for, since it had dropped as loot, there was no reason not to take it.

"Y-you're out?"

Waiting outside, the old butler wiped the cold sweat from his head. He had heard the noise in the Clock Tower, and the sight of the skull in Ye Qiyan's hand frightened him into retreating several steps.

"There's no need to be afraid. I've dealt with the curse on this manor. This skull is the physical embodiment of the curse."

"Heaven bless us, heaven bless us! Thank you for coming and saving us!"

He left the top floor with the old butler. The thunderstorm outside still showed no sign of weakening. That was normal. An Earthbound Spirit that could be killed instantly was not the culprit behind the thunderstorm.

Rather, it was precisely the arrival of this weather that had given rise to that Earthbound Spirit.

The manor's seal was lifted, but Ye Qiyan had no intention of heading back immediately.

How much time had passed? Less than an hour.

What sort of place was this?

A rich man's manor.

Although there were no weapons or Train Coins here, it had something important that the other platforms lacked.

Food.

Not compressed biscuits, but actual vegetables and meat.

Although Whiteforest Fruit was delicious, eating it every day would eventually get tiresome.

As a normal human being, Ye Qiyan also missed normal meals.

"Father, this is your reward for saving us."

The old butler took a flawless red gemstone from the safe.

"This is a treasure the master acquired in his youth. It's worth a fortune, and it's the most precious thing in this manor that I know of. Please don't refuse it, Father. Of course, if anything else in the manor catches your eye, you may take it as you please. After all, this place no longer has a master."

That last part was exactly what he had been waiting for.

Ye Qiyan accepted the gemstone and casually hefted it a few times.

It was smooth and cool, like a piece of ice.

"I'll be heading down the mountain soon, but before that, I need to replenish some supplies. Could I take some food and water?"

"Of course."

Entering their kitchen, Ye Qiyan found a large quantity of fresh meat, eggs, and vegetables in the refrigerator. After filling the backpack he had brought, he hurried off toward the train.

Each round trip took twenty minutes. As soon as he tossed the supplies into the train, he immediately headed back.

The old butler, who was tying up the crazed security guard with rope, was startled to see Ye Qiyan suddenly return.

"Father, is there still something wrong with the curse?"

"Nothing's wrong. God was just feeling hungry and asked me to bring back some food. That's all right, isn't it?"