Chapter 1315: Chapter 1315

With the staircase gone, the group obviously couldn't get to the second floor. However, during a final inspection of the collapsed stairs, Hathaway's writer character rolled multiple consecutive successes on his investigation check, leading to a surprising discovery for the players. This update ıs available on noⅴelfire.net

"Although it looks like an accidental collapse, the writer carefully examined the rubble on the ground and found that the stone wasn't as decayed as he'd initially thought."

"So, this wasn't a natural collapse," Hathaway summarized. "Someone broke the stairs. Someone doesn't want us going up."

Given that this information was the result of her multiple successful dice rolls, it didn't seem like a trap meant to lure them upstairs.

Now that they knew this, the five of them were even more intrigued by the second floor. But with the staircase completely destroyed, the height was too great to overcome with a simple standing jump.

Eventually, the players had their explorers find some tall furniture and move it to the base of the staircase, creating a precarious way to climb to the second floor. But just as the party was about to act, the Corpse Gentleman delivered some bad news.

"The makeshift staircase you've built from furniture is too dangerous. The merchant's daughter and the noble girl cannot climb it. If you wish to continue exploring the second floor, you must leave them both on the first."

"Absolutely not!" Hathaway was the first to object, then quickly tried to reason with him.

"That's far too dangerous. Leaving two women with only pistols on the first floor in a situation is basically a death sentence. Maybe we can have more people stay on the first floor to protect them, while the rest explore the second."

After some discussion, because the writer's combat prowess was so exceptional, it was decided that he would explore the unknown territory of the second floor alone. The remaining viscountess and sailor would stay on the first floor to protect the two young ladies, who had limited fighting ability. If danger arose, they could at least hold out until the writer returned from the second floor.

Whether the Corpse Gentleman's decision to split the party was part of the story's design or a product of his own meddling was unclear. In any case, the moment the writer reached the second floor, he immediately encountered a new evil spirit. Simultaneously, the Corpse Gentleman announced that the group on the first floor had run into ghouls.

"Ghouls? But why would ghouls be here?" Hathaway questioned.

"This is an abandoned hospital. Isn't it the perfect hiding place for creatures like ghouls? You've simply disturbed the residents at a most inconvenient time."

"But that's not right," Jenkins immediately countered. "Ghouls are intelligent enough not to make their home in a cursed place , no matter how much they might adapt to the environment."

The five of them knew that ghouls did indeed exist in Nolan, as Mr. White Cat had mentioned it before.

"While I may be the host and narrator of this story, everything that happens within it has an internal logic," the Corpse Gentleman stated methodically. "Just as you can challenge and update your own character cards, even reversing certain events that have already occurred. I can tell you that since it has appeared, there is certainly a reason for it. This is not me deliberately targeting you."

"It has a reason?" Jenkins scoffed. "Ghouls that shouldn't be here suddenly appear. What's the reason? Did someone invite them to show up today?"

The Corpse Gentleman ignored the sarcasm and continued the story. "We now enter the combat phase. The evil spirit on the second floor is using its ethereal nature to confront the writer through a wall, so he cannot come to your rescue. Before the first round of action, the four of you on the first floor will roll dice for a constitution check. If you fail, your characters will be poisoned by the potent toxin ghouls emit and fall unconscious."

One by one, the four players rolled the two heavy metal dice. The results were far from optimistic. The viscountess, despite being an Enchanter, had a weaker constitution than even the sailor and was the first to fail. The sailor succeeded, but the merchant's daughter failed. Jenkins, however, rolled a 94 for Briny. This meant that even with the Corpse Gentleman's mandatory modifier, his roll for this round was a negative number, which would trigger an unexpected event.

"The ghoul lurked in the dark corners, watching the adventurers. After confirming that the most threatening member, the writer, had left, it eagerly revealed itself to the four of them. The toxins from the ghoul's body immediately affected the merchant's daughter and the viscountess, who collapsed unconscious. As for the noble girl, who stood closest to the ghoul, not only did she fall into a stupor, but her proximity to the inhuman creature caused her mind to touch something it should never have touched. In her unconscious state, she witnessed..."

"Hold on," Jenkins interrupted again, feeling he was starting to grasp the true nature of the game. "The noble girl I'm playing could not have witnessed any strange entity. That's absolutely impossible."

"Why impossible?" the Corpse Gentleman's voice was flat, the sarcastic undertone barely perceptible. "Don't tell me it's because the noble girl's faith is so devout and her will so firm that a god is protecting her from evil."

"Of course not," Jenkins said with complete confidence. "The noble girl is carrying a piece of jewelry directly related to a god. At least until that jewelry's power is exhausted, she absolutely cannot come into contact with any other strange entities."

He was certain, because he knew Briny would be wearing the little charm he had given her, the one inscribed with his true name.

"I don't know if what you say is true or not. And even if it is, that so-called god-related item may not actually work. Please update the character card, and let's see how the story proceeds."

As Jenkins retrieved the character card from its hidden slot, a small metal figurine representing the ghoul appeared on the set. The merchant's daughter, the viscountess, and Briny immediately collapsed. At the same time, a cloud of black mist descended from above, enveloping Briny, but a golden light instantly burst forth from her body, temporarily driving the mist away.

"Roll for luck," the Corpse Gentleman said.

Jenkins did as he was told and succeeded.

"Just as the noble girl was about to witness, in her comatose state, the object of the ghouls' faith—that great and unnamable devourer—a strange light flared from her wrist. The power of a god pulled her fragile soul back from the brink. However, the jewelry exhausted its power in the process and shattered into a mundane object. It can no longer be used... but the noble girl has regained consciousness. She can now fight."