BXBX NOVEL Chapter 511: Howlett Manor
Chapter 511: Howlett Manor
He had completely concealed himself such that even the werewolves nearby couldn\'t sense his presence despite having heightened senses.
Furthermore, it also helped that their attention was completely focused on Gore and his familiar.
However, Adam was not out of danger yet.
Last time when he had come here, he had astutely noticed that there was yet another presence deep inside the manor other than the four werewolves.
Thus, he was constantly on guard for any incoming attacks. Despite having planned
extensively for this mission, this was the most he could do given the time and resources at his disposal.
The horde of wolves was taken care of by the Magi and mercenaries, and the werewolves were taken care of by Gore.
Adam had to only take care of the last hidden danger inside the house and uncover the secrets that lay within.
The air grew colder and a lingering sense of dread washed over him as he stepped inside. He expanded his Sphere of Resonance to the maximum output and scanned the interior of the
house.
He found that there were no other lifeforms inside other than him. This caused him to squint his eyes, thinking to himself, I\'m sure I had sensed another presence last time...
Where did they go?
But there was one more thing that caught him by surprise. In the basement of the manor, there was a certain area beyond which he couldn\'t sense anything with his spiritual powers!
Impossible! This has never happened before! There\'s actually something that my Sphere of Resonance cannot see through?!
In his state of shock, he stepped on the floorboard, causing it to groan and send echoes throughout the hall.
Damn it! He cursed inwardly.
After waiting for a few moments and seeing no reactions, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
I need to focus, he thought.
Adam\'s eyes gradually adjusted to the light filtering through the broken windows. He saw the first sign of the manor\'s current inhabitants-the werewolves.
Deep claw marks could be seen on the walls, gouging the woods in strange and erratic patterns. They told a story of violence and of creatures driven by instincts far beyond human control.
The youth moved cautiously through the rooms, his breathing shallow. Every creak and whisper of the wind blowing through caused him to be on edge.
In one corner of the living room, he found a bundle of fur. It was coarse and gray. It carried the unmistakable scent of the wild werewolf that was fighting outside the very walls of the
manor.
Adam turned around and looked at the fireplace. It was cold and choked with ash. He crouched before it and inspected it closely, noticing deep groves at the bottom.
Something sharp has struck this place repeatedly, it seems, he thought.
Above the fireplace, hung a crooked mirror with cracked glasses, reflecting distorted images of the room.
For a moment, Adam thought he saw a shadow moving in the reflection! But when he turned around, the room was empty.
This is too nerve-racking... Damn it! He cursed inwardly, feeling nervous by the second.
He then walked toward the hallway where he discovered a shattered picture frame on the floor. The portrait inside was faded and slightly torn at the edges.
It depicted a family of seven, their faces blurred with age. But for some reason, Adam could sense something unsettling about their expressions.
A hint of fear, or perhaps, betrayal.
He kept the frame in his earring and ventured deeper into the house, all the while making sure to constantly scan his surroundings.
Adam began noticing more signs of the werewolves\' presence. Finally, he arrived at a door that was barely hanging on its hinges.
His expression turned extremely solemn as this was the door that led to the basement, the very area where his Sphere of Resonance couldn\'t see past.
The youth took a deep breath and encouraged himself.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
The smell of damp earth and rot intensified as he descended the stairs. The walls on both sides were lined with even more claw marks, some so deep that they seemed to have been made in a frenzy.
Could the werewolves have been summoned by the Howlett Patriarch from down here? Adam thought anxiously.
He finally arrived at the basement. The scene that greeted him caused his heart to pound wildly inside his chest.
Bones were littered all across the floor!
In a corner of the basement, he found a large makeshift den containing a pile of rags, leaves, and remnants of clothing, all piled up together, stained with dark patches of dried blood. There was a lingering warmth in the air that he could feel. It served as a faint reminder that this place had recently been alive with the presence of creatures that were neither fully human
nor beast.
Is this where those creatures sleep? He thought. Truly animalistic behavior!
On one side was a wooden table where all sorts of books, scrolls, and parchment papers were kept in a disorganized manner.
Finally, on the opposite side of the table was a red door.
Adam\'s gaze shifted to the door, and his breathing became ragged. After all, his Sphere of Resonance couldn\'t detect anything beyond this red door!
I\'m sure of it, he thought. The root of everything that is happening in the town... the answer lies beyond this door!
He walked toward the door with determined steps, knowing full well that the dangerous presence he had sensed on his last visit could very well be on the other side of this door.
Adam\'s eyes flashed with a cold light as he revolved the mana inside his body and reached out for the door knob.
But suddenly he paused in his footsteps as his gaze involuntarily landed on an open notebook on the wooden table.
With a sense of unease growing inside his chest, he lowered his reached-out hand, turned around, and walked toward the table instead.
He closely looked at the open book.
It was a journal.
A journal written by none other than the patriarch of the Howlett Family!