Chapter 1317: Chapter 1317

Jenkins abruptly brought up the matter of the hospital's main gate.

"Perhaps he just forgot to mention it."

Hathaway replied, turning to look at the Corpse Gentleman, who gave a stiff shake of his head.

"That part of the story is over," he stated. "You can't get any more clues from me about it."

"We're outside the building now," Jenkins suggested. "Perhaps we can go back to the gate and check things out. We might be able to deduce something useful from the condition of the chain and padlock."

Jenkins made the proposal and looked to the others, none of whom objected.

It was clear the Corpse Gentleman wanted to veto Jenkins's idea, but he'd already used the 'sudden wolf attack' excuse once. Conjuring up another pack of aggressive wild animals would seem far too contrived.

So, the party of five adventurers returned to the iron gate, this time approaching from the inside. After using an "Investigation" skill, they concluded that both the padlock and the chain were brand new.

"It must have been someone from the Church. After all, intruders like us would have no reason to break a lock just to replace it with a new one."

"Perhaps the Church detected that someone was living here long-term, or they discovered signs of the curse reawakening."

White Cat Mr speculated.

He'd hit the nail on the head. The Church had come because Jenkins himself had reported people living in the morgue and holding secret monthly gatherings. Jenkins was delighted by his companions' cooperative spirit and decided to build on their line of reasoning.

"Since the Church was here," he said, "they might have left other traces in the courtyard. Before we look for the morgue, we could search the grounds. We might find something unexpected."

This so-called "unexpected discovery" involved Jenkins subtly leading the party toward a low wall at the rear of the hospital. Then, as if by chance, another "Investigation" check revealed that the wall bore marks of being frequently scaled.

These weren't the kind of marks a single ghoul would leave after climbing over once. They were the result of many people crossing the wall over a long period.

"According to the Corpse Gentleman's description, the marks are heavily concentrated, which means the people climbing over were skilled and came at regular intervals... I strongly suspect someone is using this place as a meeting point. There's no other way to explain it."

Hooded Man summarized their findings. Jenkins nodded, about to add something else, but the Corpse Gentleman cut their discussion short. Updates are released by novｅlfire.net

"The adventurers wasted too much time in the courtyard chasing unimportant clues," the Corpse Gentleman narrated. "Unbeknownst to them, the thick fog shrouding the hospital has crept in, enveloping them completely. This malevolent mist not only impairs their vision but robs them of their sense of direction. From now on, the difficulty for all abilities related to navigation and guidance is increased by twenty. Furthermore, if you do not enter a building after your next turn, you will be required to make an additional mental check."

As he finished speaking, white steam billowed from cracks at the base of the table, instantly shrouding the game board. The players could only vaguely make out the buildings being rearranged, unable to direct their adventurers to memorize the new layout.

"Moreover, this unnatural fog contains toxic elements that are affecting your adventurers' health. All five must now make a Constitution check. Failure will result in a lung-damage injury. If you choose to remain in the fog, you will have to repeat this check for every additional turn you take, until your adventurers either die or enter a building."

"You're forcing us into one of the buildings!"

Magic Miss exclaimed in her shrill voice.

"You can choose not to go in," the Corpse Gentleman replied coolly. "I won't force the story indoors. However, be aware that because the fog obscures your vision, any combat that occurs outside will treat your adventurers as surprised. Furthermore, all attacks will require a Luck check. If you fail, your opponent automatically dodges."

Remaining outside in the fog was tantamount to toying with the lives of their five adventurers. The players had no choice but to accept the situation. Before they could even choose the nearest building, all five had to roll. The result: everyone but the writer was injured.

"The cat needs to make a Constitution roll, too."

the Corpse Gentleman reminded them.

"The writer's cat has a habit of hiding inside his clothes. That would protect it from the fog, so it shouldn't have to make a Constitution check, at least not in the first round."

Hathaway, who knew Jenkins and his cat well, retorted. Surprisingly, the Corpse Gentleman conceded her point and let Chocolate off the hook.

"The four injured adventurers, led by the writer, hastily escaped the thick fog and fled into the nearest building. They had no idea where they were, but at least the interior was clear of the white mist, allowing the party to breathe a collective sigh of relief. What do you do now?"

the Corpse Gentleman asked.

"The writer heals the other four, and then we'll investigate."

"Not so fast," the Corpse Gentleman interjected. "One thing at a time, please. Let's have a roll for the healing. The writer's healing skill value is..."

The healing went off without a hitch; Hathaway's four rolls were all successful. Afterward, the five of them began investigating the building, gathering details about the entrance hall.

The more Jenkins listened, the more familiar the description became. He soon realized they were in the very building that housed the Corpse Gentleman's morgue.

"You find a mess of footprints on the floor, indicating that at least a dozen people have passed through here. Do you follow the tracks?"

the Corpse Gentleman asked again. Unsurprisingly, the footprints belonged to the Church's investigation team. Jenkins had mentioned the team to make his friends wary of entering places they'd already been, but now, ironically, those very tracks were leading them straight to the morgue.

"Of course. It's not safe to go back outside, so we don't have another choice."

White Cat Mr stated the obvious. Jenkins wanted to argue but couldn't think of a valid reason.

The footprints led toward the staircase Jenkins remembered, beyond which lay the large iron door to the basement. Just before they reached it, however, the adventurers encountered the fifth evil spirit. It made a rather uninspired appearance, simply materializing as they neared the stairwell, and was subsequently dispatched by two of the Enchanters.