Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Horror Mansion
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“Shwoosh!”
Blindly flying toward where Shwoong's tiny arms were pointing.
“Baby!”
A ghastly shriek echoed from behind.
It was obvious what would happen if it caught me.
Shwoong might not get it, but I sure as hell would die!
“Kraaak!”
I squeezed out every last bit of strength—even the energy I'd been saving for cracking acorns—and leaped forward at top speed.
“Babeeeeeee!”
But the Ghost Bride was faster than I'd anticipated.
The chill was closing in.
At this rate, she'd grab me for sure.
I dipped my head low, then snapped it up as fast as I could.
“Shwoooong!”
This flung Shwoong, whom I'd been holding in my beak, forward.
Shwoong soared through the air with a whoosh.
Now Shwoong was out of the Ghost Bride's reach.
But I was still right there.
Her hand was drawing closer by the second. She'd have me in seconds.
“Babeeeeek!”
Shriiiek.
The Ghost Bride swung her razor-sharp hand.
But she couldn't touch my body.
Tzzt.
No matter how ghostly she was, she couldn't grab a shadow.
The time I could hide in shadow form was a mere instant.
Tzzt.
I burst out of the shadow ahead and snatched Shwoong's scruff again.
“Kakak!”
Bam!
Good.
Now we'd opened some distance.
My speed was building, and she seemed stunned by my movements, frozen in place...
“Ah... Ah...”
Huh?
Why wasn't she really moving?
The Ghost Bride stood stock-still at the room's entrance, staring at me and Shwoong.
“Ah... Baby...”
I didn't know why, but this was my chance.
My chance to live!
Flap flap!
Seizing the moment while she was immobilized, I flew swiftly out of her line of sight.
It was still inside the mansion, but at least I'd evaded pursuit for now.
I glanced back just enough to confirm what I could.
Lower level than I'd thought.
But I couldn't let my guard down.
Level 20 didn't mean she was just twice as strong as a level 10 Lace.
This was a far superior variant of the regular Lace.
Ghost Bride
Born into misfortune, yet she gathered more without care.
On the day golden light arrived, she witnessed eternal night.
Pitiful bride, what lingering attachment keeps you here?
Why do you still remain in this place?
The status description was weird too.
Usually, it gave a plain, concise summary.
But this? What was it?
No real info, and the tone was completely different.
It wouldn't even show skills or traits, like it was refusing to reveal more.
Yeah.
Treat her as a boss of sorts.
This special treatment made sense.
A few things felt off, but that wasn't important now.
What mattered was that she oddly refused to leave that room I'd just been in.
Like they'd smeared honey inside or something. Whatever it was, great news for me.
Escaping this place might be easier than I thought.
“Kihihit!”
She wouldn't follow herself, but she could send her minions, huh?
“Kraaak!”
Still better than facing the Ghost Bride.
Come on, Laces.
I'll crunch you nice and good.
...One at a time!
Crash!
I took down a few ghost Laces as examples and kept fleeing.
Every kind of foe showed up.
Especially that freaky ghost pretending to be a painting—when it suddenly dropped down, I thought my heart would stop.
“Kek... Kk...”
Damn, my heart's still pounding.
Screeech!
I gave the fleeing portrait ghost a taste of crow beak.
Startled or not, I had to do what I had to do.
Tough opponent or not, all were equal before my beak.
Leaving the portrait ghost behind with its stunned expression—clearly not expecting to die to a crow beak—I slipped into a room at the end of the hall.
This should let me catch my breath a bit.
“Chirp...”
Good thing the Ghost Bride wasn't chasing personally, but she could change her mind anytime.
So, I needed to find a way out.
I looked up and scanned the room.
In the center: a grand piano.
Scattered around it: sheets of staff paper.
Since this mansion was like an orphanage, maybe kids practiced on it?
The place was big but rundown—yet here was an expensive instrument.
The room only had the piano, chair, and a few desks—no hiding spots.
“Kawk.”
My eyes turned to the window.
I'd checked windows before at the main door and they wouldn't open, but maybe this one was different.
If it opened, I'd bolt right out.
“Kaak.”
Shwoong, keep watch.
I'll try the window.
“Shwooo...”
Shwoong seemed to be pondering my words hard, but only half-got it.
Look at that determined face, standing tall at the entrance.
...Yeah, that'll do.
Just make noise if someone's coming.
Leaving the rear to Shwoong, I approached the window.
Clunk, clunk.
There was a handle, but no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't budge.
Even throwing my full weight did nothing.
Screeech!
Clang!
Even slamming my sturdy beak hard left no crack.
Not ordinary glass.
Dead end here, huh.
Too early to despair.
Plenty more rooms left.
One of them should have an opening window.
“Shwooo!”
The moment Shwoong called out, I rolled my body aside.
Boom!
A massive impact smashed where I'd stood.
“Kaak!”
Barely dodging, I spread my wings into combat stance.
What the—where'd that come from? Who?
Attack right as Shwoong made noise.
And the destructive power was insane.
A cacophony of discordant notes exploding at once.
And the attacker was...
“Kang! Kang!”
The grand piano.
“Kawk?”
So, that piano had thrown itself at me?
“Kang!”
The lid flailing wildly like a mad beast.
Each key looked like teeth.
What the hell was this?
Was the piano some kind of monster too?
Just now, it showed no info...
This guy, huh?
Now it clicked.
No sudden piano monster.
A Lace was inside the piano.
Yeah, that bit of cloth sticking out now that I look.
Explains why I hadn't spotted it.
I saw the piano, not the Lace.
“Kyung! Kyung!”
Thrilled to control the heavy piano instead of flimsy cloth, it gaped its maw and charged.
Keys clashing nonstop, blaring dissonance.
That noise had given away my position anyway, so let's fight without holding back.
Flash!
“Kieeeek!”
The piano ghost shrieked in surprise.
Of course, this light wouldn't banish it.
Not sunlight—just a brief flash.
But the point was to blind it momentarily.
“Kang! Kang!”
As the light faded, the enraged Lace spewed more cacophony.
But it wouldn't find me, no matter what.
Tzzt.
The flash had enlarged the shadow, and I'd slipped inside.
A new combo: flash and shadow form.
Effect: strike from behind.
And as a Shadow Crow, I could devour Laces whole.
Screeeeech!
“Kiaaaak!”
The Lace screamed.
It struggled, but its cloth core was already pierced by talons.
Followed by beak strikes—no escape.
Crunch crunch!
“Kiik, kiiiik...”
The Lace met its end to crow-style secret technique: Peck de Do Coqui.
Not really grand—just a cool name for peck and crush.
Great experience points.
“Shwoong...”
Shwoong, who'd been on lookout, scampered over.
Eyes on the Lace, licking its chops.
Not the time to feed leisurely, but no reason to waste food.
“Shwoooong!”
Ignoring the limp cloth in my beak, Shwoong climbed the piano.
Short arms stretched, struggling.
“Kaak?”
What, something there?
I followed Shwoong up to the piano lid.
“Woong woong...”
Familiar little guys huddled together.
“Kawk!”
Those Baby Laces from before—the ones I played with but hadn't ascended yet.
Figures. It was weird one Lace moved this huge piano alone. You were helping.
“Wooong...!”
Doesn't seem like they'd attacked me willingly—used by adult Laces.
Like receiving punishment.
Ghosts gonna ghost—they sensed I'd played with them.
“Kakak.”
“Shwoong.”
Shwoong and I caught them one by one, freeing them.
“Woong! Woong!”
“Owoong!”
The Baby Laces bobbed their heads like saying thanks.
These little ghosts were obedient and sweet—why were the adults so vicious?
And what grudge kept these kids here?
Half had ascended after playtime, but these hadn't.
Some other reason for lingering, but I couldn't figure it out.
Staying longer might get them exploited again.
“Woong...”
One Baby Lace looked back and forth between me and Shwoong.
Shwoong nodded at it silently.
Sorry, can't understand your ghost talk.
“Kawk kawk.”
The piano noise probably alerted more Laces anyway—better move fast.
No guarantee the Ghost Bride stays put.
...Wait, come to think of it, she reacted when I helped those Baby Laces before.
“Kraaak?”
Being with these guys won't make her charge me again, right?
I started edging away, but their big, shiny eyes stopped me.
“Wooong...”
What was it?
Looked like they had something to say.
“Woong!”
One stared hard, then hopped onto my head naturally.
Get down, kid.
Your guardian sees this, she'll kill me.
As I tried to shake it off and head to another room—
Flutter.
A faded paper slipped out from the Baby Lace's grasp.
Unfamiliar script from its lifetime scribbled on it.
“Woong...”
Instinct said it held the mansion's secrets—something crucial.
But I'm a crow; can't read this world's script.
I can parse human speech fine, but that's it.
How to read unknown letters?
Main Quest Updated
But the quest log could.
It updated right after meeting the Ghost Bride.
The paper before me was a diary.
Probably the Ghost Bride's from her living days.
And this would be the weapon to defeat her.