Chapter 25 Every Move Reveals Countless Flaws

Exiting the mansion's main gate, Ronald didn't even glance back as he hurried towards the garden.

Even though the black fog was already within an arm's reach, dark shadows spread directly beneath his feet, and the ear-piercing 'whistling of the wind' could be heard at all times, his eyes showed not a hint of hesitation or fear.

Just like the path he had taken before when he fetched the ladder, he arrived at the storeroom situated between the garden and the mansion.

"Phew—"

Taking a deep breath, Ronald looked at the black fog that had almost reached him.

This was a one-way trip—

Entering now, the black fog would soon engulf the entire garden, and naturally, the exterior entrance of the storeroom would be the first to be assaulted.

Once the entrance was enveloped by the black fog, without monstrous strength enough to destroy and tear down walls,

choosing this path would mean no turning back.

"Everything aligns."

"I can't be wrong."

Murmuring to himself as if to convince himself, Ronald stepped into the storeroom.

Entering this cramped space, the first thing he did was grab the firewood from the corner, which he had brought with him last time, and then he started to ignite it with his torch.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

The flames on the wood gradually spread, and the firewood in Ronald's hand quickly turned into a fully lit torch, capable of providing illumination.

Ensuring the most important aspect of lighting was not an issue, he moved two steps to the end of the storeroom.

Beneath his feet lay the previously covered cellar entrance.

Since the entrance sloped downwards against the wall, the manor's cellar was actually right underneath the main body of the mansion.

This was also what Ronald had deduced—

The actual hiding place of the Magic Book!

Click—

He lifted the trapdoor covering the cellar and tried lowering the burning torch down.

The flame burned normally; there was air to breathe below.

"..."

Standing still, Ronald suddenly stopped just one second before he was about to enter the cellar!

"Aren't you coming out yet?"

Looking around, Ronald smiled with a calm and composed demeanor,

"If you don't try to stop me now, you'll have no chance later."

"..."

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

Just as Ronald was about to doubt his judgment, a translucent figure suddenly emerged from the wall.

It was the boy who had greeted them at the beginning and then vanished into thin air!

At this moment, his gaze was dark and grim as he emerged from the wall of the villa.

As he watched Ronald, his face displayed a readiness for a life-or-death confrontation.

However, in reality—

He merely adopted such a posture.

After emerging from the wall, the boy simply stood one step away, as if there was some insurmountable chasm between him and Ronald.

While Ronald watched the 'boy,' who could only barely manifest in front of him with great effort, he couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Heh heh."

"It's a hit."

Completely disregarding the enemy in front of him, he walked into the cellar entrance with his torch.

Following closely behind.

Was the 'boy,' his complexion extremely ugly, keeping his distance from Ronald at all times.

————

The way to the cellar beneath the mansion was very easy to traverse.

This was no ordinary cellar that simply used a ladder for climbing up and down. Instead, the owner of the mansion had actually built complete steps underground, making it difficult to imagine a mere cellar requiring steps of such degree for assistance.

On the way, the 'boy' who had followed couldn't help but speak up:

"Hey, listen to me."

"The entire Black Mountain is doomed, if you want to survive now, you must..."

Before he could finish, Ronald interrupted the 'boy's insidious whisper.

"Just save it."

"If you hadn't come out just now, it might have been okay, but now everything is too late."

"You guys, aside from not being able to leave this house, seem to be really afraid of firelight."

"..."

Under the illumination of the torch in Ronald's hand, the 'boy's' expression gradually turned extremely ugly:

"How did you see through..."

"Anyone who is not a fool could see it, okay?" Ronald didn't even slow down his steps as he mocked the guy, "Do you remember when we first entered the mansion?"

"The main door opens to the left, and when welcoming guests into the room, anyone would subconsciously make way toward the more spacious direction."

"But you?"

"To avoid the lantern that my companion held in his right hand, you actually chose to put yourself in an awkward position to make way, which is more ridiculous than taking off your pants to fart!"

"After that, while hosting the three of us in the house, you never once approached the fireplace, staying away from the firelight on the right side of the room the entire time, how could that not arouse suspicion?"

Was this really my fault?

With an even more twisted expression, the 'boy' behind Ronald looked almost filled with question marks:

"That's a bit far-fetched, isn't it!"

"How could it be because of that..."

"Of course, that's not all." Ronald was more than happy to expose the enemy's mistakes, especially when they are beyond redemption.

Even though such behavior looked quite like the stance of a villain pushing the protagonist into a corner.

With a scornful arc of his lips, Ronald continued:

"Your dear old father, he's really something."

"Lying through his teeth is one thing, but he even disclosed to me the crucial information that 'that woman couldn't enter the living room'."

"Please?"

"Why couldn't that 'woman' enter the living room, just because he claimed to possess the Magic Book?"

Hearing this, the boy found it even harder to accept.

His distorted face turned a shade of agitated bluish-grey:

"Why not, when no one has told you the real whereabouts of the Magic Book, how can you just assume my father doesn't have it!"

Ronald glanced back unusually, giving the boy a pitying look reserved for the mentally challenged.

"Because the excuse he made up was just too stupid."

"Save his daughter and then destroy the Magic Book along with his wife, ending in mutual destruction, and afterwards have us escape from Black Mountain..."

"Heh—"

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

"If he had the ability, why didn't he just destroy the Magic Book and end it with his wife himself?"

"Did he really need our help?"

"The opportunity for middlemen to make a profit is indeed rare."

"..."

The boy's expression froze instantly.

Don't tell me—

He hadn't realized there was such a loophole in his father's words.

Under Ronald's successive taunts, he even began to doubt:

Was he really that stupid?

Looking at the boy in thought, Ronald turned his head to continue downstairs:

"So with such fundamental logical problems, don't embarrass yourself by bringing them to light."

"And as mentioned before, only the living room is safe?"

"With your previous awkward reaction, it's easy for someone to think of firelight, not to mention that only the living room had the fireplace lit."

"The candlesticks in the second-floor corridor are for watching plays?"

"While your 'mother' acted as though she was searching for someone, the candles upstairs were all snuffed out; does she really like groping in the dark that much?"

"I don't think her mind is that impaired either."

After Ronald finished speaking, the boy behind him was completely at a loss.

How could he have imagined that he had exposed himself so thoroughly?

Knowing that he couldn't leave the mansion, knowing that he couldn't approach firelight.

Did he have any chance...

To deal with the man in front of him!