The second floor of this luxurious mansion had a style identical to the hall on the ground floor: gold and brown colors dominated it with extravagant and intricate wall decorations everywhere. If it weren't for the thick layer of dust and numerous cobwebs, it could pass off as a VIP area in some luxurious night club.
Blossoming Strokes approached the nearest room to the staircase and pushed the door open. With a slight creak of the hinges, a cobweb hanging from the door frame was torn apart, causing a fat spider to drop down, swaying from side to side in front of Blossoming Strokes.
Blossoming Strokes used a bony finger to cut the spider silk and casually swatted the fat spider away.
The window in this room was broken, letting in a howling wind that filled the room. The curtains, battered by the wind and rain, fluttered loudly. As soon as the door was opened, a strange wind carrying a damp and musty smell hit the players in the face.
The players remained unfazed, and after recognizing that this seemed to be the butler's living quarters from the clothes on the coat rack, they exited.
The weekly Inner Demon instances and frequent trips to Spider Cave had already toughened the veteran players' nerves to be as resilient as steel wires. Such a trifling scene wouldn't surprise them… Even Orange Cat, who entered the Inner Demon instance to be carried, didn't find the moldy strange wind particularly alarming.
"This house has bad Feng Shui. The orientation is all wrong, and if people live here, the northwest wind blows in every day, scattering all the wealth in the house," Orange Cat commented, taking the opportunity to express some superstitious beliefs.
"Feng Shui in a 'Cthulhu system'? Is there such a thing?" Yang Ying asked in bewilderment.
"No such thing, no such thing." Blossoming Strokes and Unceasing Entropy simultaneously waved their hands, dismissing the notion.
The adventurers proceeded, discovering a library with shelves filled with books and numerous exquisitely crafted wood carvings, a storage room cluttered with large pieces of furniture, a tea room for resting, and a dressing room draped in men's clothing.
It wasn't until they reached the furthest end of the corridor that they stumbled upon what appeared to be the master's living quarters.
This suite consisted of a living area and an even more extravagant bedroom, adorned with flamboyant decor, leading to a large bathroom with a balcony. The living area was filled with uniquely shaped wooden sculptures and a tall cabinet displaying an array of delicate carvings.
Given the library's emphasis on books and wood carvings, it was evident that the room's owner, presumably Young Master Wilhem, had a profound affection for woodcraft.
"This should be it. Start searching!" Blossoming Strokes commanded, rolling up her sleeves to get down to work.
"Remember to use the 'Identify' when it's off cooldown, and keep an eye out for any hidden compartments," Unceasing Entropy reminded everyone.
Simply rummaging through the room wouldn't be enough to uncover "quest items." However, with "Identify"—the versatile skill that players could use repeatedly for a minimal cost—locating items of special significance became much simpler.
Soon, one of the players detected a secret compartment beneath the large bed. After some effort, Yang Ying managed to unlock and pull open the hidden drawer, only to find… it completely empty.
"How can this be? Why hide a compartment so well if there's nothing inside?" Blossoming Strokes wondered, scratching her head in confusion.
"Hmm? Hold on!" Unceasing Entropy suddenly crouched down, pointing inside the now-vacant space under the bed, "There seems to be something in there. Who has 'Identify' ready?"
"Mine's ready. Let me do it," said Orange Cat, seizing the opportunity to showcase his ability after being looked down the whole day. He crouched next to Unceasing Entropy and cast Identify.
Then… Orange Cat suddenly cried out, "Ahh!" and turned into white light.
"What the—?!" Blossoming Strokes was flabbergasted.
Yang Ying was equally stunned. "What happened?"
Unceasing Entropy, staring blankly at the spot where Orange Cat had vanished, quickly came to her senses and gestured for everyone to step back. "Stay away from there! Don't recklessly cast Identify there!"
The bedroom was spacious enough for the players to retreat, and they obediently pressed themselves against the walls.
"What's going on? Did Boss Orange Cat just die from using Identify?" Study Obsessed was completely bamboozled.
"It's unclear for now. Does anyone have Boss Orange Cat's number? We should check with him offline," Unceasing Entropy suggested.
"Oh, I do," Yang Ying chimed in promptly. "I'll log out and ask."
After a few minutes of patiently waiting, Yang Ying returned online and hurriedly reported to the group without even gearing up, "Orange Cat said he saw his health bar deplete instantly after using Identify. It happened so fast, and he only made out the words 'Do not look directly' in the item's information."
"'Do not look directly'… Does that mean just seeing whatever is in there is lethal?" Blossoming Strokes was at a loss. "It's just a quest item. Does it need to be this dramatic?"
"What if we don't use our eyes to look? Would that be safe?" Zhao Zhenzhen quickly chimed in with a suggestion.
"Um… Any brave volunteer willing to give it a try?" Blossoming Strokes looked around at the group.
The players exchanged glances, but no one stepped up.
After all, dying would mean respawning in Weisshem. Besides being unable to participate in this quest, it would still require great effort and time to trek back to Indahl.
"How about I do it?" Yang Ying offered. "If I die, I'll just run back here with Orange Cat."
Weisshem wasn't that far off from Indahl, and with patience, players could make it via a one- or two-hour run.
Yang Ying blindfolded herself with a cloth strip, knelt beside the bed, and reached into the gap beneath the bed.
After a few moments of groping, Yang Ying shuddered.
"Damn…" She turned stiffly toward the group. "There's… there's a hand in there, and it's got a strong grip."
Runaway Goldfish gasped dramatically, and Blossoming Strokes couldn't help taking a step back.
"It's strong, but doesn't seem heavy. Maybe I can pull it out…" Yang Ying continued. "Blossom, Qingyue, should I try to pull it out?"
"Hold on," Unceasing Entropy quickly interjected. "Can you shake it off?"
"Let me try… Yeah, I think I can." After some effort, Yang Ying stood up abruptly. "I shook it off."
Unceasing Entropy heaved a sigh of relief and was just about to say something when a head suddenly squeezed through the narrow gap.
"Aaaaahhhh!"
The slower-reacting players could only scream, while the quicker ones instinctively turned their faces away.
Runaway Goldfish, having gotten a clear view of the entity emerging from under the bed, paused mid-scream. "Eh?"
"Hmm?" Curious, Study Obsessed turned to look at Runaway Goldfish, then what she was staring at— a figure emerging from under the bed. She froze for a moment, then quickly drew her knife and advanced.
The more cautious players finally looked back…
A ghostly figure, translucent and fluid-like, composed of black mist, was ferociously lunging at Yang Ying.
These sorts of ghostly monsters were nothing new to the players. They had slain numerous ones in the sewers of Indahl. Immediately, a number of players drew their weapons to aid in the fight.
"It's probably a ghost of someone who died here before," Unceasing Entropy said, exhaling sharply after the ghostly entity was slain. "Thankfully, it was just a false alarm. We'd be in real trouble if something lethal on sight started chasing us around."
"I'll try again." Yang Ying put on the cloth blindfold and knelt down once more.
This time, Yang Ying didn't encounter any disruptive spirits and instead felt an irregular object, like some sort of statue.
"It's only about the size of a palm and feels like wood. I reckon it's a wooden carving," Yang Ying said. "I can't just pull it out. We've got to first find a container."
The players rummaged around for something to hold this item…
Phantom emerged from the bathroom with a wooden box, likely meant for toiletries. "Will this do?"
"Wood should work. We weren't able to detect this thing when using 'Identify' on the bed, so wood should be able to shield it," Blossoming Strokes deduced.
Phantom removed the lid, aligning it with the gap, and Yang Ying carefully moved the object into the wooden box.
As soon as the "containment" was completed, several yellow system notifications popped up on the players' interfaces.
———
[System Announcement]: Unceasing Entropy's raid group has obtained Sealed Artifact: Unseeable Weeping Baby.
[System Announcement]: Unceasing Entropy's raid group has gained Worldview Breakthrough and unlocked the setting achievement: "Sealed Artifacts."
[System Announcement]: Lord of Taranthan, Black Mage Yang, is collecting sealed artifacts. Turning in a sealed artifact grants 3000 territory prestige to the player.
"Sealed Artifacts"
In this world, there are many mysterious, dangerous, and unimaginable sealed artifacts.
Sealed artifacts could be an object, a building, landscape, an inconspicuous stone, an ordinary key, a man-made clock, a printed book…
But when you become aware of its presence, it also becomes aware of you.
———
Phantom, who was holding the wooden box, immediately lost his composure. "Holy crap, this thing is worth 3000 territory prestige points?!"
Blossoming Strokes quickly turned to Zhao Zhenzhen. "Sis Zhao, do we have to hand this item over for the night watchmen's quest?"
Zhao Zhenzhen: "…"
Zhao Zhenzhen scrutinized the third line of the system announcement. As if she could feel Lord Yang's eager gaze from afar, she made a decision. "Of course not, we're just here to deal with the abnormal phenomena at this farm."
"This thing can kill just by being looked at. It's definitely the main culprit. If we take it away, doesn't that mean we've solved the issue?" Phantom asked eagerly.
"Possibly, but to be safe, we should also eliminate any potential ghost monsters in the area, so we don't have to make another trip back if the quest isn't complete," Blossoming Strokes suggested.
"Alright, so do we auction this now or after we complete the quest?" Phantom asked.
Unceasing Entropy glanced at Phantom, who was unwilling to let go of the wooden box, knowing the item's ownership needed to be settled for peace of mind. "We can auction it now."
"I bid 100 copper!" Phantom raised his voice.
"Uh… I'm interested too. I bid 150," Blossoming Strokes said.
"200!" Phantom countered.
"300." Blossoming Strokes didn't hesitate.
"Is it really appropriate to start the bidding so high?" The others were startled.
"This is with Boss Orange Cat not even here," Unceasing Entropy remarked with arms crossed and a shake of her head. "Winning this item and grinding hard for a bit could give a massive chance toward becoming a player mayor next month.
"That's fine, we'll get a bigger share of the money," Yang Ying said cheerfully.
Zhao Zhenzhen, the only one who knew the world's true nature, stood at the side, expressionless.
The phrase "When you become aware of its presence, it also becomes aware of you" from the sealed artifact's description was chillingly profound for Zhao Zhenzhen, even if it seemed trivial to the players.
Evidently, the mansion's original owner had no idea about the dangerous nature of this wooden carving and probably treated it as a mere artistic ornament, bringing it to Indahl.
As long as people were unaware of its anomaly, it remained harmless.
Later, perhaps Young Master Wilhem's personal manservant had other intentions, like theft…
Based on Zhao Zhenzhen's understanding of human nature, it wasn't hard to deduce the truth behind this bizarre catastrophe—
The manservant, harboring ulterior motives, likely hid the carving under the master's bed to see if the master would notice its absence. If the master realized something was missing, he would retrieve it; if not, the servant planned to sell it.
The palm-sized carving was easy to conceal, especially compared to the larger carvings.
However… As soon as the servant began paying special attention to the carving, the carving became aware of him.
And so, he was the first to hear a baby's laughter.