Tip. Tip.
The soft sound of dripping water echoed through the hall, a rhythmic pulse amidst the shattered masonry and jagged fragments of cobblestone.
Broken pillars pointed toward the sky like teeth, as if straining to support the endless expanse above.
Snapped columns lay scattered, their ornate carvings worn smooth by time and violence.
Each step I took across the cracked tiles felt like treading upon the memory of a fall.
The floor bore dark stains that no weather could claim, long dried, soaked into the stone in layered histories of struggle and surrender.
Banners hung in tatters from the inner walls, their threads whispering as the wind moved through them. No emblem remained.
Whatever had ruled here had been erased with intent.
And yet, it was majestic.
The First Lord's castle still radiated a deliberate grace. Even in ruin, the geometry was precise, purposeful.
This was no fortress built in haste; it had been designed to endure. It was the only structure in all of Old Eisbourg that still deserved a name.
The rest of the city was merely rock, lying forgotten, erased from history.
Inside the majestic hall, however, the reality was a horror story.
Multiple bodies lay scattered across the floor, limbs torn and splattered against the ancient stone.
Tip. Tip.
The sound wasn't water. It was blood, dripping steadily from a severed head perched near the base of the staircase.
Hiding behind a jagged rock a few meters away, I sharpened my gaze. My black eyes narrowing, taking in the carnage.
"What the heck? Hugo, you said it was completely safe here!"
A few meters above the ground, a hawk circled, its sharp eyes inspecting the mess. A grave, masculine voice spoke from my bracelet.
[I swear, none of this was here yesterday.]
"Hmm. Did you find anything?"
[I am looking. There is nothing near the castle... are you sure you want to continue?]
I remained silent for a moment, then slowly approached the castle, my boots careful not to splash in the cooling red pools.
Ten... thirteen... sixteen. Sixteen bodies with pale, rotten skin and festering wounds.
They looked like ordinary grade-1 lesser rank undead, save for one: a ghoul, a grade-2.
From how scattered they were, this seemed to be the work of a beast. The question was what kind of beast was capable of doing this.
I stopped near the ghoul's body and inspected it carefully.
It had big hands with even bigger claws. No sign of eyes. A wide smile literally spread from ear to ear, revealing razor-sharp teeth.
Bones were visible throughout its body, the structure eerily resembling a human, only the skin had been turned inside out.
Overall, that thing was a nightmare. Even among the lesser ranks, I knew ghouls were said to be quite troublesome to deal with.
[Kai?]
"Don't you think something is strange about this body?" I asked, poking the ghoul with my short sword.
[What are you talking about?]
I stood up, taking a look around the ruins.
"I mean, there are no wounds on the ghoul's body... and the claw marks on the undead resemble those of the ghoul."
[...So it was the ghoul who killed its own minions? That's unusual. But then what killed the ghoul?]
"I don't know. I suspect—"
[Wait! Kai, something is coming out of the hole at 3 o'clock.]
My blood went cold. I sprinted back to my hiding spot, my heart hammering against my ribs.
I drew my revolver in one hand and my short sword in the other, sinking into a low, defensive crouch.
What is it?
[It's... It's a Ghoul! But something is strange about it.]
I took a deep breath and carefully peered over the rock. There, coming out of the shadows, was a hunched figure. It stumbled like a drunken man before collapsing on the ground.
"Argh!"
It let out a weak sound as its chest rose and fell with each breath. It was clear that it was breathing its last.
I remained still for a while. Despite the situation, I forced my breath to remain calm and measured.
[It's dying.]
"Haaa... Is there any more danger?"
[Not that I see.]
Only after making sure the coast was clear did I start to approach the creature.
Sensing something nearby, the ghoul tried to raise its body, but it collapsed again.
"AGRRHH!"
It let out a sharp shriek as I got closer. Regardless of its condition, its hunger was still there. Stopping a few meters away, I let out a heavy sigh.
"Haa... there are no wounds on this one, either."
[Well, let's give up and slowly back away. I co—]
"No, we talked about this before," I interrupted.
"If it's anything supernatural, then I need to check it out."
[...Whatever it is, it is dangerous enough to have killed two ghouls and sixteen undead, and there might be more. It is foolish to go any further. Let's retreat for now.]
"But we haven't found the spirit root yet."
[We can look for it later. Just reporting this can get us some reward.]
"...Alright."
Saying that, I turned toward the hole and started walking toward it.
[Where are you going?]
"I will just take a look, then we can call it a day."
[Agrh! I knew it! You damn psycho! Don't blame me if you die then.]
I continued to walk toward the pit. I knew it was dangerous; even with my unique ability, I wasn't sure I could handle whatever was down there.
I definitely didn't have a death wish, but I was desperate.
I could sense a large amount of energy coming from that hole. Whatever it was, I needed that to find out.
Loosening my tense shoulders, I looked over the edge of the dark void.
Letting out a shaky breath, I steadied my heart.
'It will be fine'
I told myself.
[Oye! Are you listening to me? Are you really doing this?]
For survival.