Sitting inside the cargo container, Duanmu Huai was truly speechless.
The maid was driving. Lorena sat in the passenger seat.
And he, naturally, could only sit in the container.
That's right.
It was literally a shipping container.
It was completely empty—there wasn't even a chair! Duanmu Huai could only spread out a blanket and sit cross-legged on it. That alone would've been tolerable, but although there were two windows on either side of the container, who the hell knew what this thing had originally been used for—because thick, black iron bars had actually been embedded over the windows!
What the hell, is this meant for people to sit in? Isn't this something used by a circus to transport lions and tigers?!
Not to mention anything else—sitting inside, Duanmu Huai felt nothing but the system's pure, unfiltered malice toward him…
The background of this world was set in the year 2000. Technically modern—but only barely. Duanmu Huai did have a cellphone, and he had even called the host beforehand. However, for some reason, no one ever answered.
Alright then.
Standard development. Nothing strange about that.
By dusk, the maid finally drove the heavy truck to a villa located in the suburbs. Several cars were parked at the front gate, but the entire courtyard was empty. If the villa itself hadn't been brightly lit, Duanmu Huai might have thought he had come to the wrong place.
But according to the address on the envelope, this was definitely it.
After parking, Duanmu Huai climbed out of the container and regrouped with the maid and Lorena.
"So this is where the banquet is being held, Sir Knight? Why does it look like there's no one here?"
"That's normal. If there were people, I'd find it strange."
Hearing Lorena's curious question, Duanmu Huai answered casually. He adjusted his clothes, then strode toward the villa's front door.
The entire house was brightly illuminated. Lights were on everywhere. Faint music could even be heard drifting from inside.
And yet, in stark contrast, there was not a single person in sight.
The front door wasn't fully closed—it was slightly ajar. Duanmu Huai pushed it open without hesitation and stepped into the foyer.
"——————"
At that very moment, the music abruptly stopped.
Duanmu Huai entered with the maid and Lorena, closing the door behind him.
The villa was now deathly silent. Only the echo of their footsteps reverberated through the corridor.
"W-What's going on, Sir Knight?"
Although Duanmu Huai had warned her on the way, the scene still startled Lorena.
"Who knows. I think we'll find out if we investigate."
As he spoke, Duanmu Huai scanned his surroundings.
Inside the foyer, a table stood against the wall. A telephone and some notes were placed on top of it. On the opposite side hung a twisted, bizarre oil painting of a starry sky.
Duanmu Huai picked up the papers on the table. They were invitations—clearly belonging to guests who had arrived before him. As for whether they were still alive now… that was questionable.
The drawer beneath the table was locked tight.
Of course, that was no obstacle for Duanmu Huai.
He grabbed the handle and yanked hard.
With a sharp crack, the locked drawer was forcibly torn open.
"Sir Knight? Isn't rummaging through someone else's things like this… a bit inappropriate?"
Seeing this, Lorena asked uneasily.
"This is part of the investigation. Assuming the homeowner is still alive to complain about it."
As he spoke, Duanmu Huai rummaged through the drawer.
There was nothing particularly noteworthy inside.
"Meow————!!"
Suddenly, the black cat—Suzune—leapt onto Duanmu Huai's shoulder and turned toward a door on the left side of the entrance, letting out a low growl.
Noticing her reaction, Duanmu Huai immediately dropped what he was holding and approached the door.
He gestured for Lorena and the maid to follow behind him.
Then he reached out—
And flung the door open.
Before him lay a splendid dining hall.
A long table was covered with all sorts of delicious dishes.
But in one corner of the room, a grotesque, twisted creature was crouched with its back to them.
It wore tattered clothing. Its skin looked like dark rubber.
It made a disturbing, indistinct muttering sound.
The sound of the door drew its attention.
It turned its head.
What it revealed was a face stretched long like a wild dog's. The upper half resembled a human, but its mouth extended grotesquely outward like a dog's snout. Its elongated tongue and sharp, blood-stained teeth were clearly visible.
The moment they saw each other—
Both sides froze.
At the same time, a system notification appeared before Duanmu Huai.
[A Ghoul has seen you]
[Looking directly at you caused the Ghoul to lose 9 SAN]
[The Ghoul has entered a state of panic]
[The Ghoul has entered a frenzy state]
"…What the fuck!!!"
Duanmu Huai's face darkened instantly.
At the same time, the grotesque creature screamed and lunged at him, mouth wide open, shrieking as it slashed forward with sharp claws.
Duanmu Huai roared and charged forward instead.
He grabbed its head with one hand—
And tore.
The ghoul's rubbery skin split apart. Black, foul-smelling blood sprayed out.
Duanmu Huai ripped its head clean off its neck and tossed it aside.
Then he snorted and threw the corpse to the ground.
"What the hell is this bullshit?!"
Looking at the system notification, Duanmu Huai was furious.
What the fuck did it mean that the ghoul lost SAN from seeing him?
Did that mean he looked like some unspeakable existence to them?
This was slander!
Blatant insult!
He calmed himself slightly, then walked over to the corner to see what the ghoul had been doing.
What he saw was a mangled corpse.
The victim's abdomen had been torn open. Intestines were dragged all over the floor.
Clearly, the ghoul had been enjoying its meal.
Judging by the clothes, the victim appeared to be the villa's chef.
Though now, he himself had become food.
Around the chef's neck hung a ring of keys. Logically, they were meant for unlocking doors.
But Duanmu Huai didn't need that kind of trouble.
If a door was locked, he'd smash it open.
If the door wouldn't break, he'd smash the wall.
That's how he operated.
Who was he afraid of?
"You two search nearby. See if you can find anything."
He turned to the maid and Lorena.
They nodded and began searching the dining hall.
Meanwhile, the black cat leapt down from his shoulder and approached the ghoul's corpse. After pawing around briefly, she returned and placed a pocket watch in front of him.
"A pocket watch?"
Duanmu Huai picked it up, opened it, then closed it again.
No matter how he examined it, it seemed ordinary—except for the engraved initials "M.H."
If this were a normal event, Duanmu Huai wouldn't care.
He'd just charge in and kill whoever needed killing.
Unfortunately, this collaboration mission had clear requirements:
The player not only had to solve the problem, but also gather sufficient clues and evidence to convict the culprit.
The more clues and evidence, the higher the evaluation.
If you just rushed in and killed the demon king without thinking—
You probably wouldn't get shit.
So Duanmu Huai returned to the foyer and compared the initials to the invitations.
Sure enough—
One guest was named Morris White.
His initials were M.H.
So the ghoul he had just killed was likely him.
Which meant—
Before Duanmu Huai arrived, one of the guests had already been transformed into a ghoul.
Whether it was a curse or part of some ritual—
It definitely wasn't good.
Just then, Lorena and the maid returned.
They hadn't found anything noteworthy in the dining hall or kitchen.
However, when the maid opened the refrigerator, she discovered something strange—
Inside were several bizarre objects that looked like biological specimens.
Clearly, they didn't belong in a kitchen.
"Oh? Let me see."
Curious, Duanmu Huai walked to the kitchen fridge and opened it.
Inside the refrigerated compartment were several glass jars, about the size of canned goods.
The liquid inside was cloudy.
Suspended within were grotesque objects.
They looked like dead infants curled up inside.
However—
Each "infant" was only about the size of a cicada.
Miniature.
Compact.
Why the hell would something like this be stored in a kitchen fridge?
Was the chef planning to cook them like some kind of ginseng fruit?
Duanmu Huai fiddled with one of the jars.
Even the system gave him no explanation.
So he put it back.
"Alright. Let's check the other rooms. Maybe we'll find more."
(End of Chapter)