Circus of Horrors (4)
Nervousness and embarrassment intertwined in his heart.
Chen Li stood up, holding the soft, white goose-down pillow, and repeatedly asked, [Do I really have to go find them?]
The castle had already entered the night, and the world outside his room looked no different from a wolf’s den in his eyes.
System 001 showed no mercy: [For the sake of your persona, you must go.]
Chen Li hugged the goose-down pillow tightly to cover his face, which was only as big as a palm, leaving only his wet, glistening eyes exposed. He carefully opened the door and stepped outside.
The empty frame still hung in the corridor, and every five meters along the corridor, a candlestick with a white candle flickered, casting light that danced and shifted shapes.
At this moment, the entire castle was eerily silent, as if there were no one inside.
Only the sound of his slow footsteps could be heard.
As he passed by other floors, he didn’t have the courage to look at the black paintings in the corridor and kept his head down as he walked.
Naturally, he didn’t know that the paintings, which had been painted over in black, twisted strangely after he passed.
Black mist spiraled out from the paintings, and pairs of black hands tried to break free from the darkness.
But it seemed they were hesitant, unwilling to be discovered. They could only reveal their distorted, hateful forms after he had passed.
The guest rooms were on the second floor, while the servants’ rooms were on the third.
Chen Li ran straight up to the third floor without stopping and knocked on the butler’s door.
Though the castle was large, there were only three servants.
The butler, the maid Emily, and the cook.
So they each had their own personal room.
“Open the door!” The young master, with his arrogant temper, shouted, “Open it for me!”
But there was no response from inside.
System 001: [Something’s not right. Just open the door yourself.]
The young master had an odd temper and liked to mess with people, so the servants weren’t allowed to lock their doors.
Chen Li turned the doorknob, and sure enough, the door creaked open.
Candles were lit inside, and the furnishings of the room were clearly visible. There was only a simple bed, a set of table and chairs, and a wardrobe.
No one was there.
Chen Li looked confused. The moment he stepped in, he felt something lightly brush against the top of his head.
System 001 issued a sharp warning: [Don’t look!]
But it was too late—Chen Li had already instinctively looked up. In the next second, his pupils contracted sharply.
A pair of feet! What had just touched him was a pair of feet covered in bluish bruises!
The butler’s body was twisted unnaturally. His elbows were bent behind him at an impossible angle, tied in a knot. A thick hemp rope was tightly wrapped around his neck, digging into the skin and oozing beads of blood.
Dead?
He actually died just like that?
Can NPCs really die that easily?
Chen Li wore a dazed expression.
“Ahhh! A dead body!”
A high-pitched female voice suddenly screamed from behind him.
Chen Li’s already unsettled heart leapt into his throat. He jolted from fright, and his grip loosened—the pillow he was holding dropped to the floor.
The once-pristine white goose feather pillow landed with a soft thud, quickly soaked by blood dripping from the body above. One drop, then two, blooming on the fabric like crimson snow blossoms.
The scream came from the circus dancer—the female player in that couple.
She looked even more terrified than Chen Li, her face pale as a sheet as she stammered, “Don’t kill me! I was just passing by!”
She clearly thought she’d walked in on a murder, assuming the young noble had killed his own butler.
Her boyfriend, the other dancer, rushed over and pulled her into his arms. “S-sorry! Lingling didn’t mean to intrude. We’ll leave right away.”
Other players, hearing the commotion, soon arrived one after another.
Only then did Chen Li realize he must have interrupted them while they were searching for clues.
Even though the danger level of the instance increased at night, this group of players had no choice but to take the risk—they needed to prepare their first performance for him tomorrow.
At that moment, System 001 just had to pipe up again: [Fear level increased—now at 10.]
Seeing all the frightened, suspicious eyes staring at him, Chen Li felt too drained to explain. “I didn’t kill him.”
His voice was calm, almost emotionless, but with a hint of grievance.
Naturally, no one believed him. Those who had previously underestimated Chen Li were now secretly on guard.
Clearly, this guide NPC wasn’t someone to mess with—he even turned on his own companion!
Wasn’t this a textbook case of “killing the chicken to scare the monkey”?
“Yayayaya~”
Joker had somehow appeared at the back of the crowd. “Young Master Rum, what happened to your butler?”
His tone made it obvious he already knew, and his exaggerated, painted smile was full of mockery.
Could Joker have been the one who killed the butler?
Chen Li didn’t dare think too deeply. He kept a straight face and replied coldly, “Do you not have eyes?”
His retort was bold, and his heart raced with fear. Luckily, Joker didn’t seem angry—instead, he smiled even more brightly and asked, “So what will the young master do without his butler?”
What should he do?
Chen Li was stunned by the question. He actually forgot his fear for a moment and seriously considered it.
He looked out the window. “Get another one, I guess.”
After all, at times like this, there was never a shortage of people willing to serve the nobility.
But as soon as he spoke, a sudden crack of thunder exploded outside, followed by a torrential downpour.
It was as if the weather was deliberately going against him.
Now there was no way to recruit a new butler.
Amid the quiet crowd, a sudden voice rang out: “I’m willing to serve the young master as his butler.”
Even Joker was caught off guard. Everyone turned to look at the beast tamer who had spoken.
His dark green mask looked even more refined under the dim lights. He repeated himself: “I’m willing to serve the young master as his butler.”
Chen Li was dumbfounded.
And he wasn’t the only one—the players were stunned too.
Wait, you can do that!?
If he really became the butler, wouldn’t that mean he didn’t even have to perform?
The expressions on everyone’s faces were a mix of shock and amusement.
But none of them dared to be that bold.
Because Joker clearly didn’t look pleased.
The players thought silently to themselves: Of course he’s upset—that was his circus member, and now he’s switching sides right in front of everyone. That’s one less performer for the act.
No one had the guts to challenge Joker. They could only watch this “negotiation” with mixed feelings.
Some even sneered silently, thinking this arrogant beast tamer—who never fit in from the start—was about to get himself killed.
Just as they expected, Joker spoke: “Heh, and why should you be the butler instead of me?”
Players: ???
That’s not how the script goes! Weren’t you supposed to kill someone in a fit of rage? Why does that almost sound… jealous???
No, must be our imagination…
Under everyone’s gaze, the beast tamer didn’t look flustered at all. Calmly, he said, “Changing jobs is my right, isn’t it?”
A loud clap of thunder boomed again outside.
Lightning lit up his calm eyes.
Even with his face painted in thick stage makeup, it was clear Joker’s expression had darkened. He squeezed out two words through gritted teeth: “It is.”
He… actually didn’t go against the beast tamer.
Chen Li sensed something was wrong: [What’s going on with Joker?]
Looking closely, he noticed Joker’s clenched fists trembling slightly, as if he were trying to hold something back.
System 001 said gleefully: [He broke character just now. He’s being punished for it.]
Chen Li was confused: [But isn’t a player trying to replace an NPC even more out of line?]
System 001 explained: [Players are supposed to search for clues to clear the game, so they naturally have more freedom than NPCs. As long as they don’t go too far, it doesn’t count as breaking character. His choice is just one way of progressing.]
Was it really just to clear the game?
Chen Li’s sneaky glance was caught. Startled, he quickly looked away like a frightened little hamster.
The beast tamer curled his lips into a smile. “Young Master, may I?”
It was clearly a question, yet it carried an undeniable sense of finality.
Everyone’s gaze shifted back to Chen Li, who flustered and blurted out, “Do whatever you want.”
He quickly turned and walked toward his room.
The words he had initially planned to refuse with disappeared the moment he saw Joker’s pained expression after being punished.
He could only keep reassuring himself inside his mind.
I’m just a tool… I’m just a tool…
Even with the mask on, the beast tamer’s mood visibly lifted. He nodded to the stunned crowd and then briskly followed after.
Before the players could even envy him, they heard Joker’s ominous voice: “Even if you’ve become the new butler, you still have to fulfill the circus’s agreement and perform.”
With that, several small balls appeared on his fingertips, and after being thrown to the ground, they disappeared in a puff of pink smoke.
Some were startled by his clown tricks, while others found it amusing.
A juggler snorted, “Hmph, so what if you’ve changed identities? Aren’t you still going to perform like us?”
. . . . .
Hearing the footsteps following him closely, Chen Li felt a sense of despair. But he couldn’t let it show, he could only pretend to be indifferent as he walked toward the fifth floor.
The rain outside was getting heavier. Maybe it was just his imagination, but in the midst of the loud rain, he could swear he heard some unsettling crying. And it wasn’t coming from outside, but from within the castle—right next to him.
It was the paintings… they were crying!
The fear he had felt earlier from seeing the dead hadn’t fully subsided, and it quickly resurfaced.
The castle’s design was strange—if he wanted to go up to the fifth floor, he had to pass through the fourth floor corridor. But the paintings on that floor were now radiating a strong sense of malice.
Chen Li couldn’t bring himself to continue. He slowed his pace, his fear steadily growing…
No…
The twisted, eerie image of the butler’s body kept resurfacing in his mind.
And then, he was lifted off the ground.
Chen Li let out a small exclamation, instinctively wrapping his arms around the person in front of him: “You!”
He was being carried in a princess carry!?
But he was a man!
At 1.75 meters tall and with a slender frame, he looked especially small compared to the beast tamer’s towering figure.
He lowered his head, “Young Master, are you not feeling well? Let me carry you back to your room.”
Without waiting for a response, the beast tamer walked forward.
His arm was steady, as if carrying not a person, but a light, delicate kitten.
The fear was instantly dispelled by the princess carry. Chen Li, now only focused on his embarrassment, no longer cared about the paintings.
He struggled, “Let me go!”
The beast tamer remained silent, walking to the fifth floor room and ignoring the young master’s protests. Step by step, he moved toward the soft bed, carefully laying him down.
Chen Li’s face turned red, half from embarrassment, half from anger.
He threw a punch at the man’s shoulder: “You jerk!”
He’d been racking his brain for a curse, and this was the best he could come up with.
Whether it was his imagination or not, Chen Li thought the beast tamer’s expression under the mysterious mask seemed to be smiling.
Before Chen Li could get angry again, the beast tamer leaned down, closing the distance between them. “Young Master, it’s time for me to assist you with your bath and change…”
Author’s note:
Hurry up! Help him! With the bath! And change his clothes!!! (screaming)
My goodness so here’s FMY…