Volume 2 Chapter 15: Going Deeper

The Gargoyle had skin and muscles as hard as stone, and even the inside of its mouth was as tough as leather.

Thankfully, the Dagger of Sin was forged from meteorite iron, making it a superior and extremely sharp weapon. The added power of twelve Remnant Souls acted like a magical rule, allowing it to pierce the Gargoyle’s mouth in one strike.

Although the Gargoyle looked strange, the back of its head and its spine connected in a way similar to humans, with no skull covering. The Dagger of Sin stabbed into its mouth and came out through the back of its head, nailing it firmly to the tree trunk.

After this heavy blow, the monster did not die, but instead became more ferocious. Its originally thin muscles inflated to more than twice their size. Its body swelled up like a balloon, and its struggling strength grew stronger and stronger.

Even though its head was pinned to the tree trunk by the dagger, its limbs and claws tore the Hunchbacked Servant’s flesh open. Frank felt a burning pain on his back and had to press down on the Gargoyle with all his strength to limit the monster’s limb movements. If he hadn’t been exceptionally strong, any ordinary person probably wouldn’t have been able to hold on.

“Turn your head!” a cold voice said from behind Frank. The Hunchbacked Servant was startled and quickly tilted his neck, moving his head to the side.

“Thud!” A sharp gust of wind brushed past the Hunchbacked Servant’s ear, even leaving a small cut on his cheek.

When Frank collected himself, he noticed a shovel stuck in the tree next to his head.

The shovel chopped into the Gargoyle’s wide-open mouth like a strange meat cleaver, almost splitting the monster’s head in two. The fierce light in the Gargoyle’s eyes slowly faded, and it stopped struggling; this time, it was truly dead.

Frank leaned against the big tree, slumped to the ground, and gasped for breath. His shoulders and back had been roughly bandaged by Qin Lun, but he still looked somewhat dazed.

The red glow in Qin Lun’s eyes had already vanished. He observed the dead Gargoyle with great interest, only occasionally glancing at the numb-looking Hunchbacked Servant. Of course, he knew why Frank had that expression; Joey’s cold ruthlessness just now was a bit hard for the Hunchbacked Servant to accept.

Although Wellington and Frank had a master-servant relationship, they grew up together and could be considered brothers with a special bond. The ugly hunchback didn’t mind dying to save Wellington, but Qin Lun’s stabbing him from behind to kill the Gargoyle gave him a strange sense of unfamiliarity and distance.

Qin Lun truly admired Frank’s loyalty, which was why he kept his promise: before leaving this world, he would try to leave Frank some wealth so he could live independently.

However, Qin Lun wasn’t an ordinary person. The morals and ethics that normal humans possess were things he only read about in books, not something he truly embodied.

For Qin Lun, even if Joey had actually killed Frank just then, he wouldn’t have felt any guilt. The Hunchbacked Servant was a loyal servant, but his loyalty wasn’t to Qin Lun—it was to the long-dead Wellington Stan.

After circling the dead Gargoyle a few times, Qin Lun straightened up and looked toward the bushes where he had first seen the white figure. The ghostly white figure was gone, as if it had just been a fleeting illusion. But Qin Lun knew it wasn’t an illusion; at the very least, the Hunchbacked Servant probably saw it too.

“Dawn is approaching!” Qin Lun looked at the still-dazed Hunchbacked Servant and sighed. “Frank, time to get up!”

“Huh? Young… young master, are we going back?” The ugly hunchback stood up, supporting his shoulder, and lowered his head, not looking directly at Qin Lun.

“First, refill Stephen’s grave! Later, I’ll go back first, and you return to the castle after a while.” Qin Lun glanced at the hunchback’s shoulder and bloody back, pausing briefly. “If you can’t hold on, come back immediately!”

“Understood, young master!” Hearing Qin Lun’s words, the Hunchbacked Servant suddenly perked up, grinned widely, and showed a smile again. “What about this monster’s body?”

What a simple human! Qin Lun thought to himself, watching the revived Frank. A few light words of concern made him instantly forget Joey’s earlier cold ruthlessness.

“This Gargoyle…” Qin Lun’s eyes gleamed, and he narrowed them slightly as he began to give quiet instructions.

A while later, Qin Lun brushed the dirt off his clothes and headed out of the woods. The sky was growing light; he had to return to the castle immediately, or else he would arouse suspicion.

After walking only a few steps, something occurred to him, and he went toward the spot where the white figure had appeared earlier. After quickly circling the area, Qin Lun stopped in front of a nearby tombstone.

This hillside grove was the Albert Family cemetery, so this tombstone naturally belonged to a member of the Albert Family.

“Mary Albert”

“Fennet Calendar 1698-1732”

After seeing this tombstone, Qin Lun curled his lips slightly and rubbed his fingers. However, when he looked up at the sky, he sighed regretfully, turned, and ran toward the woods exit without stopping.

…

On the winding mountain path, a young man jogged at a steady pace toward the majestic ancient castle ahead.

By now, the sky was fully bright. Some early-rising servants were already in the castle courtyard, busily starting their day’s work. Seeing the young man running across the stone bridge into the castle, several servants put on eager, smiling faces.

This young man was now the only doctor in the Aodia Region who could cure that terrible epidemic disease. He was also an honored guest of the castle’s master. Whether for public or private reasons, they dared not show any disrespect.

Qin Lun wore a friendly smile as he entered the castle hall and ran right into Old Butler Jason, who was preparing morning tea.

“Doctor Stan, out for a run again? Huh? Your clothes…” The Old Butler looked at Qin Lun’s dusty appearance with mild surprise.

“Oh, I went running too early today. It was still dark, and I slipped on the mountain path!” Qin Lun glanced at himself and explained with a smile. “By the way, I need to wash up, so I won’t join for morning tea. Please apologize to the Baron for me!”

“Of course. I’ll have breakfast sent to your room!” The Old Butler nodded politely. With recent intermittent rain, the mountain paths were muddy, and the morning humidity was heavy; slipping on the path wasn’t unusual, so the Old Butler quickly dismissed it.

After returning to his room, a maid soon prepared bathwater for Qin Lun and brought breakfast. After washing up and eating, Qin Lun felt his fatigue vanish completely. He leaned back on the bed, picked up a medical book, and started reading. But though his eyes were on the book, his mind was elsewhere as he quietly waited for Frank’s return.

The absence of Stephen Albert’s body in the grave partially confirmed that the mission target might not be dead. But now that the mission had progressed this far, Qin Lun found himself stuck again.

It was unlikely that the Albert Family members would continue to reveal inside information to him. If he hadn’t found some clues last night, he might have had to resort to forceful methods next.

Qin Lun felt he was gradually nearing the core truth of a huge secret. Stephen Albert’s death was likely just the tip of the iceberg. The Albert Family was desperate to cover things up; the event over a year ago was probably just a key.

The truth behind it might trace back hundreds of years, to some connection between the first Baron Albert and the Aodia Region. Of course, for now, that was just Qin Lun’s speculation.

The danger he encountered last night ignited Qin Lun’s fighting spirit. Compared to the Otherworld Mission itself, he was more interested in the enormous secret hidden behind it.

The missing body, that white Ghost, the Gargoyle that belonged in myths and legends… Qin Lun put down the book, stood up, and paced the room. A faint flush colored his cheeks; his excitement was hard to contain. The endless stream of questions and curiosity made Qin Lun feel a thrilling excitement and anticipation.

After resting in his room for a while, Qin Lun opened a window and suddenly frowned.

Calculating the time, it had been nearly two hours since he returned to the castle. Why hadn’t Frank shown up yet? Although Joey’s stab had avoided important tendons and bones in the Hunchbacked Servant’s shoulder, a puncture wound like that couldn’t stop bleeding with simple bandaging. Combined with the mess the Gargoyle’s claws made of Frank’s back, he would lose blood even faster.

Qin Lun originally thought Frank would be back within half an hour at most, but the ugly hunchback still hadn’t appeared.

Could that idiot have bled to death? He was told not to push himself. If he really died from blood loss, wouldn’t all his preparations be wasted? That fool dying wasn’t important, but if all his hard work went to waste…

Qin Lun’s face twitched, and his nails dug slightly into his palms, but he felt an odd unease in his heart.

“Doctor Stan, Doctor Stan!” Just as Qin Lun was worrying, Old Butler Jason’s voice came from outside the door.

“What is it?” Qin Lun’s heart stirred, and he quickly opened the door.

“Doctor Stan, your attendant is back, but he’s not in good condition. Please come quickly and see!” The Old Butler said urgently.

“Where is he?” Qin Lun secretly relaxed, unclenching his tightly gripped hand to reveal a small blood mark on his palm.

In a spacious room, Frank lay pale on a flat wooden bed, eyes shut, chest slightly rising and falling, his upper body wrapped in white bandages. A maid nearby carried away a basin of bloody water and brought a fresh basin of warm water.

Qin Lun wiped sweat from his forehead, stood up from the bedside, and finished his work. Last night in the grove, the light was too dim. Now, upon careful examination, he realized the Hunchbacked Servant’s injuries were more severe than he had thought.

Aside from the shoulder puncture wound, Frank’s back had several deep gashes that nearly reached the bone. Enduring two hours outside before returning was almost a suicidal act, even for someone as strong as him.

Qin Lun needed the Hunchbacked Servant’s help for his later plans. Left with no choice, he used another half-drop of World Tree Dew to replenish Frank’s strength.

“How did he get injured? Can anyone tell me?” Qin Lun turned angrily to look at everyone in the room.

“Wellington, please come with me! Normally, those outside the Albert Family shouldn’t know these things. However, since it involves your attendant and happened near the castle, I think you have the right to know some hidden details now!” The old Baron sighed, hands behind his back as he walked out of the room, nodding for Qin Lun to follow him.