Chapter 86: Kaguya: In the World of Martial Arts, Only Speed Is Unbreakable
Having obtained the necessary clues, Xie Lin refilled the pit. The small group returned to the front yard, helping Miko and a player named Tong Yi finish a cursory search of the remaining areas before heading back inside the ancient castle.
At this point, every corner of the castle grounds had been thoroughly explored. As for the building itself, Lin Xuelao had already used her enhanced hearing to investigate every strange nook and cranny, confirming there were no more secret passages or hidden rooms left to find.
"So... do we just wait now?" Tong Yi broke the heavy silence that had fallen over the group.
"We can only wait," Xie Lin said, a note of helplessness in his voice. "Everything that could be done has been done. We won't find anything else, no matter how much we search."
"But what about the time?" Tong Yi pressed, her brow furrowed with worry. "We have no idea when the Lady will complete her transformation. If she succeeds, fine. But if she fails... according to the Butler, we have to be the ones to drive that long iron nail into her body and end it all."
Though she posed the question, she already knew the answer. There were no more clues to be found within the castle or its immediate surroundings.
It was only the third day. On the surface, it seemed they had plenty of time, but no one knew how much was actually left. The Lady of the Castle could reach her final stage on the seventh day, tomorrow, or even later today.
"Let's search again," Xie Lin proposed, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. "If we truly can't find anything, we'll post sentries at the basement entrance. The transformation is most likely happening there; we'll catch it sooner or later."
Just as everyone prepared to follow his suggestion and resume the search, Haruto suddenly spoke up.
"There's no need."
Everyone stopped, their heads turning in unison to look at him.
"The clue has been right in front of our faces all along," Haruto continued, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"You mean... the Butler?" Xie Lin's own furrowed brow suddenly relaxed as understanding dawned. The others, however, were still lost.
"But... but will he really tell us?" Tong Yi stammered, her confusion deepening. "What we're planning to do is kill his wife."
The rest of the players were equally puzzled. From the very beginning, it was clear that the Butler was deeply in love with his wife—so much so that he was willing to commit mass murder and refine medicine from human lives for her sake.
, they had already questioned him on the first night. The Butler had provided information, but every piece of it had been a misdirection, a decoy leading them down a dead end.
"He will," Haruto affirmed with a simple nod. "Our goal is consistent with his. He knows perfectly well that killing us now would be difficult, and..." He paused, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. "He regrets it. He's terrified that after all this slaughter, he'll be left with nothing but emptiness. Before, he could use his wife as an excuse, but if this is all destined to be in vain, that justification crumbles."
As his voice faded, he tilted his head back, his gaze rising to the second floor. "Am I right?" he called out with a grin.
Startled, the others quickly followed his gaze. There, standing by the second-floor railing at some unknown point, was the Butler. His hands gripped the polished wood as he stared down at them in silence.
A wave of apprehension washed over the group, and they instinctively took a step back, their bodies tensing for a sudden attack.
Neither side moved. The air in the grand hall seemed to freeze. After a long, drawn-out moment, the Butler's voice finally drifted down, slow and measured.
"I won't regret it."
Haruto let out a soft sneer. "If you don't regret it, why do you keep visiting the old butler's tombstone in the graveyard to talk to him? If you don't regret it, why do you burn incense and pray to the gods day and night, desperately seeking some kind of solace?"
The Butler offered no denial. After another moment of silence, he spoke again, his voice low but unyielding. "The method must be right. Wan'er will definitely become a god. As long as Wan'er can survive, then everything has meaning. Those who were killed... deserved to be killed."
"Stop deceiving yourself," Haruto said, his smile unwavering as he looked the man directly in the eye. "You should have gathered all the necessary components by now, right? If it fails... just end it. If this continues, aren't you afraid your wife will be damned to hell?"
"She won't be!" The Butler's composure finally cracked, his voice sharp with agitation. He took a deep, shuddering breath, his tone slowing once more, yet becoming exceptionally firm. "The one who should go to hell is me. But... even if I am damned, I will use the karmic fire of my sins to lift Wan'er high above, letting her be reborn like a phoenix and become an immortal god."
The players' expressions grew complicated. The man's goal had only ever been one thing: to save his terminally ill wife.
But sympathy? Perhaps for a fleeting second. They could understand his obsession, but they could never condone it. They were the players—the ones being stripped of everything, the sacrifices for his desperate ritual.
As a husband, he was devoted.
But as a human... he had long since lost his way, shedding his humanity piece by piece.
"I'm still missing one heart," the Butler stated, his composure regained. His heavy gaze fell upon the dying player, Zhang Katao, who was slumped against a nearby wall.
"What are you trying to do?!" Zhang Katao panicked completely as he felt every eye in the room fix upon him, as if they were genuinely considering the Butler's unspoken offer. The man, who had been barely breathing moments before, somehow found a surge of strength. He scrambled backward, his voice a hoarse, desperate roar. "Do you really think this guy will help you? That monster can't possibly become a god! She'll only become more twisted, more disgusting!"
"I think so too," Haruto said, nodding in casual agreement, completely unafraid of offending the Butler. "But there's always a 'what if.' What if it succeeds? At least for now, we don't have a better option."
His bold statement sent a fresh wave of tension through the air. The other players stole nervous glances at the Butler, watching his reaction. Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, they collectively let out a silent sigh of relief.
Haruto then gave Kaguya a subtle look.
She understood immediately. With measured steps, she began to walk toward Zhang Katao, who was now huddled in a corner.
With nowhere left to retreat, Zhang Katao's eyes turned bloodshot with feral desperation. He suddenly whipped a handgun from his sleeve, the barrel shaking as he pointed it directly at Kaguya.
"If I can't live, then we'll all die together!"
"Sister Kaguya, watch out!" Miko screamed at the top of her lungs. The others lurched forward, wanting to stop him, but it was already too late.
Bang—!
A tongue of fire erupted from the muzzle. The bullet tore through the air, streaking straight toward Kaguya. Yet she seemed completely unfazed, neither dodging nor making any move to avoid it.
Zheng—!
A sharp, metallic hum echoed through the hall. Everyone, save for Haruto, stared with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Kaguya stood perfectly still, calmly pinching the deformed head of the bullet between two slender fingers. She casually tossed the mangled piece of lead to the floor, her tone utterly flat.
"In the world of martial arts, nothing is indestructible. Only speed is unbreakable."
Zhang Katao's gaze went dull. His fingers went limp, and the pistol clattered to the ground as the last vestiges of color drained from his face, leaving it ashen.
"Cool!" Haruto was the first to break the silence, starting a slow clap. A flash of genuine envy crossed his eyes. He had to admit, that was a pretty slick way to show off. She had most likely used her power over Eternity and the Instantaneous to stop time for the bullet. While his own Boundary Power could achieve a similar effect, it was a feat that required a level of mastery he had yet to reach in his two and a half short years of experience.
Miko let out a shaky sigh of relief, her hand pressed to her chest now that she saw Kaguya was unharmed.
The eyes of the other players, however, were filled with sheer, unadulterated shock. They already knew Haruto and his companion were strong, but this wasn't just strong—it was monstrous. Having great physical strength was one thing, but catching a bullet with your bare hands?
Kaguya seemed to quite enjoy the stunned looks from the crowd. She lifted the limp man with one hand and, with a gentle flick of her fair wrist, effortlessly tossed the nearly two-hundred-pound Zhang Katao up to the second-floor landing.
The Butler caught him steadily and knocked him unconscious with a casual chop to the neck. His gaze, now laced with a complex mixture of emotions, swept over Haruto and Kaguya one last time. He then turned and walked toward the third floor, leaving behind only a single, cryptic sentence.
"Tomorrow at the Hour of the Rabbit, when the sun rises."
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