NOVPUBChapter 485: Chapter 425: The Butler Became Brave
As the fight intensified outside, Xu Shuo sipped his grape juice, watching the show unfold.
So far, everything was going as expected.
The only thing Xu Shuo hadn’t anticipated was that Steward Armand Ray, who had signed a soul contract with Cerys and devoted his heart and soul to Prague Castle, was actually not right.
When Xu Shuo previously investigated characters that might have been eroded by the Abyss, hollow shells, he naturally did not overlook Armand Ray, considering that the latter’s power came from Cerys, and the two shared an inextricable soul contract.
Thus with a mere flicker of thought, Xu Shuo could ascertain Armand Ray’s status.
Yep, no problem there.
The “Hunter” indeed turned out to be his own oversight.
...
Based on the example from “Five-star Hotel,” once hollow shell characters lose the guidance of players, during the period of script interpretation, they will operate according to the rules pre-set by the Script Space.
Perhaps only after the players have all exited the subspace will the Abyss seize the opportunity to burst out and then devour this bait that’s been thrown out!
In short, the incubation period is quite lengthy.
Yet there are ways to ferret it out.
After all, the Abyss is the Abyss; even if it dons an appearance, once the camouflage is torn away, that essence of madness and brutality cannot be hidden!
Then, while it’s still constrained by the rules during the script performance period, it can be nipped in the bud!
However, unexpectedly, Armand Ray the steward beat him to the punch in detecting the anomaly of the hunter.
And this steward had his own ideas – perhaps sensing Xu Shuo’s desire to replace the contract soul, so he struck first, absorbing the power of the Abyss!
Even Xu Shuo had to admit this move was brilliant!
No wonder Steward Armand Ray had the confidence to overthrow Cerys’s control and directly become the master himself.
But the power of the Abyss is not so easily controlled; it is a force of distortion, chaos, and utter disorder.
It obscures not only the physical objects it touches but more frightfully, it can affect a person’s thinking and rationality, directly altering your cognition!
Xu Shuo propped up his chin, lazily focusing on the scene unfolding outside the palace.
Confronted with the players’ myriad strategies, Steward Armand Ray had already fully unleashed the erosion of the Abyss within himself.
Countless bizarre tentacles extended from his body, and flesh-like tumours pulsed beneath his skin.
The steward’s originally dignified and elegant posture was now incredibly distorted, at a glance appearing to be an extremely ugly monster!
Behind him lay the dense Abyss Darkness, and in the darkness, numerous evil ghosts gnashed and howled!
Thus, even if Steward Armand Ray ultimately defeated the players, given his current state, it’s estimated his sanity wouldn’t last much longer.
However, one thing was for certain — Steward Armand Ray must have been a player in the past.
After all, this script is quite special.
To successfully extract a high-level Mutant Script, the current “director” must first subdue or outright destroy the mutant elements within, so the Night Witch must have undergone this process as well.
And when the Night Witch dealt with outsiders, she would usually drain them of their flesh and blood and utilize their souls.
So within the entire subspace script, aside from Cerys’s self-conscious soul, no other should exist.
In the end, the only ones who could enter this world were the players.
Therefore, the objects of the soul contracts could only be players!
Xu Shuo wasn’t quite sure how Steward Armand Ray was initially left behind, but from Cerys’s memory, after she seduced Armand Ray and sealed the contract, there had been one more in Prague Castle –
Subspace is like reincarnation; after a script is played out, the scenes, props, and NPCs within are reset to factory settings for continued deployment.
And in searching memories, Xu Shuo found that before the appearance of Steward Armand Ray, there actually was another steward in Prague Castle.
Given the characteristics of this subspace, one could pretty much guess the identity of the previous steward.
Unexpectedly, even with her memory gone, Cerys still insisted on her habit of changing stewards after each script.
Aside from her deep love for the Green Knight, she really did enjoy chasing the new and loathing the old.
Xu Shuo: “…” His thoughts suddenly jumped.
However, it was clear that Steward Armand Ray was not a traditional bewitched one.
Cerys couldn’t be bothered to manage the castle herself, but the soul contract was quite draining on her mind, so when a new steward appeared, the old one would be unhesitatingly thrown into the Blood Pool to become nourishment for Prague Castle.
Thinking this way, it’s somewhat understandable why Steward Armand Ray started a rebellion.
𝘯𝗈𝘷𝘨𝘰.co
He was far braver than the previous stewards!
Although, if it hadn’t been for the appearance of the Abyss, he probably wouldn’t have found a way to shield himself from the soul contract.
And the reason the Abyss had appeared…
At this point, Xu Shuo stopped his active train of thought.
What did the Abyss have to do with him?
It was all the damn Script Space’s fault!
…
Watching the battle outside grow increasingly intense, Xu Shuo stood up from the chair that bound him, his dark red dress instantly transforming into a black and white short dress that he donned.
The girl’s appearance didn’t change much, only losing some of her dazzling refinement and gaining a bit of vulnerability and pure beauty.
Qiuzi could probably be considered a type of delicate beauty that lay between innocence and maturity, with occasional flashes of stunning beauty in her eyes and brows, though not as aggressive as Cerys.
Xu Shuo’s figure disappeared into the darkness, but soon re-emerged quickly.
Xu Shuo: “…” The darkness of the Abyss teeming with monsters versus the darkness without them seemed to have a different taste indeed.
He felt like he was increasingly loathing the idea of sneaking into the Abyss Darkness.
The chaotic elements that filled it, woven with violence and corruption, were especially nauseating.
Forget it, remote control would be better.
…
Therefore, on the corridor outside the Tower Palace.
When the ubiquitous darkness was about to engulf the Traveling Poet, it suddenly halted as if restrained by something, and began to undulate strangely and violently.
The ferocious Armand Ray had seemed certain of his victory, but at that moment, even his expression was one of surprise.
What’s going on?
Why isn’t he controlling his power?!
Seeing this, the Traveling Poet seized the opportunity to flee swiftly, retreating tens of meters to the entrance of the passageway stairs.
He shook his hand, and immediately a pool of sticky black substance was flung off his body, hitting the ground with a splat that looked utterly disgusting.
“What’s wrong with him?” the Archeologist asked, looking puzzled at Armand Ray, who was struggling not far away.
The current steward, barely recognizable in human shape and features now.
“The power of the Abyss is uncontrollable.
He probably couldn’t maintain control for too long.
You see, none of those monsters have been summoned.” The Traveling Poet said calmly, glancing at the movement on the walls surrounding them.
Fortunately, the monsters behind the dark membrane only served as a terrifying backdrop, showing no signs of breaking free from their constraints for the time being.
Otherwise, that would be a real disaster!
The Archeologist still had a terrible complexion: “She has basically lost her combat capability by now.
My attacks have no effect on that guy either, so you’d better think of something.”
She was referring to the female student in front of her, An Lin, who was so weak she couldn’t even get up.
Upon hearing this, the Traveling Poet suddenly looked at the Archeologist seriously and said, “That explosion of yours, the way you practice is problematic.
Why focus on accumulating surface impact instead of refining the degree of damage of your abilities?”
The Archeologist: “…” Are you freaking holding a class now?!
“How about we study together in hell?”
“…”
Finally, under the Archeologist’s glare filled with gritted teeth, the Traveling Poet sheepishly averted his gaze and placed it on the cross-shaped heavy sword in his hand.
…
