With the system's blessing, Zane's inner panic eased, and he felt noticeably more composed.
His top priorities, besides unlocking Talents to bolster his strength, were to familiarize himself with the full layout of Howling Castle—he didn't want an enemy at his doorstep and no idea which way to run.
So Zane rose from the stone chair and issued an order to Chunk of Flesh.
"Let's go. Show me around the castle."
"At once, my lord!"
Chunk of Flesh bowed respectfully and led Zane on a tour of the entire castle.
Howling Castle was even larger than Zane had imagined.
This Gothic fortress—its origins lost to time, its architect unknown—exuded a palpable, unspeakable darkness as he walked its corridors. It was clearly more than just a mere stronghold…
Chunk of Flesh guided Zane from the main hall into a shadowy chamber that looked like a slaughterhouse, its walls lined with an array of cruel implements whose purposes were as mysterious as they were gruesome.
Zane frowned, about to ask what this room was for, when a chime sounded inside his mind.
[Congratulations! Host has unlocked the castle feature: Slaughterhouse!]
[In the Slaughterhouse, the Host can disassemble various corpses and reforge the flesh into monsters of their own design!]
[Current Combat Power: 10. You may create up to 1 monster!]
[As Combat Power increases, the number—and strength—of monsters you can forge will grow!]
Zane's eyes lit up.
So that was the Slaughterhouse's purpose! No wonder this castle was more than just a residence.
Heart pounding with excitement, he urged Chunk of Flesh onward to the next room.
Obediently, Chunk of Flesh led him to what appeared to be a storeroom and pushed open the door.
A thick, inky mist swirled inside, blocking both entry and vision.
Before Zane could react, the system's voice chimed again.
[Combat Power too low: only 1 room may be unlocked.]
[Increase your Combat Power to unlock additional chambers!]
So that was the catch…
Understanding dawned on Zane, and he looked back to Chunk of Flesh.
"Anything else you need, my lord?" Chunk of Flesh asked with deference.
"I'm asking you—are there any usable corpses left in the castle?"
"Corpses?" Chunk of Flesh paused, then shook his head. "None at present, my lord. However, if you wish, I can kill any one of the seven women we captured…"
"No… that won't be necessary."
"It's seven beauties, each more radiant than the last—wasting them would be unforgivable."
Yet to leave the Slaughterhouse idle felt equally wasteful.
As Zane hesitated, Chunk of Flesh blinked and offered again,
"Of course, if you command it, my lord, I could snatch someone from the Duchy of Winterscar's vanguard at the mountain's base and turn them into a corpse!"
Right—how could he have forgotten that!
Don't let Chunk of Flesh's ugly appearance fool you; he was clearly powerful enough to abduct seven highborn beauties in one go.
"How long would it take?"
"Five hours, my lord—ample time."
"Very well." Zane nodded and commanded, "Bring me one, alive."
"As you wish!"
Chunk of Flesh was about to leave when Zane called after him,
"Wait!"
"At your command, my lord."
"Where is Princess Lila of the Duchy of Winterscar being held?"
"In the first cell of the dungeon, my lord. Follow this corridor down and you'll find her."
"Good—go, and don't return too soon!"
…
In the dark, damp dungeon of Howling Castle, Lila curled herself into a corner, trembling as she stared at the locked bars of her cell.
She couldn't recall how long she'd been kidnapped.
She only remembered the horrific creature of patched-together flesh delivering her meager meal five times.
If withered, moldy bread could even be called a meal…
As the Grand Duke's cherished daughter—the Duchy of Winterscar's proudest rose—Lila had never before endured such humiliation.
Sadness welled in her chest, and she couldn't help but sob quietly.
Before two tears could fall, a soft chuckle echoed from beyond the cell door.
Lila froze, craned her head toward the door, but the corridor remained cloaked in darkness.
"Wh-who's there?"
The young princess stifled her fear and asked, her voice trembling.
Only deathly silence answered her.
Just as she thought she'd imagined it, the soft laughter sounded again.
"Heh heh… how delightful."
At the unfamiliar voice, Lila's hairs stood on end; she drew herself tighter into her corner and stared fearfully toward the sound.
Moments later, a tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
It was none other than Zane!
He stood outside the cell, surveying Princess Lila—who watched him with wary, fearful eyes—with keen interest.
There was no denying she was a true beauty. Though disheveled in her stained white dress and trapped in a cell, her graceful poise still shone through.
Lila studied Zane in return, her eyes full of wariness and fear—but once she made out his features in the dim light, her terror eased only a little.
Maybe it was simply because Zane still looked more or less human.
That was exactly what Zane had intended; he didn't want to terrify the princess out of her wits the moment he arrived, even though he desperately needed Negative Emotion Points.
Besides, that would've been no fun.
They held each other's gaze in silence for a long moment, until finally Lila could no longer restrain herself.
"You… who are you?"
"I'm called Zane."
"Are you here to rescue me?" Lila's voice held a note of hopeful anticipation.
"If by 'rescue' you mean taking you out of this filthy cell, then yes—I'm here to rescue you."
"Really?!"
Lila sprang to her feet, clutching the iron bars with both hands, her eyes sparkling with hope.
She was so eager to escape this dreadful place that when Zane said he would lead her away, she was too overjoyed to notice any hidden trap in his words.
Zane watched her delight with a faint smile.
He remembered that in the original novel, Princess Lila had fallen head over heels for the protagonist at first sight—but because that hero had a feud with Grand Duke Lucas, he never returned her feelings, and poor Lila became a lovesick doormat.
Honestly, Zane had never liked the protagonist's indecisive, overly righteous nature. He always dragged his feet and hemmed and hawed—especially where Lila was concerned, which had always annoyed Zane when he read the book.
Now that he was face to face with Lila herself, his irritation only deepened!
How could anyone treat such an adorable beauty so badly?
A darling like her deserved nothing less than lavish affection!
"Let's go."
Without another word, Zane reached out, swung open the cell door, and made a polite gesture for Lila to follow.
"We'll talk once we're out of this place."
As Lord of Howling Castle, Zane naturally had free rein over the dungeon's locks.
"Thank you so much! I'll make sure my father repays you!"
Poor Lila, driven by the will to survive, didn't pause to question any of it. Brimming with excitement, she hurried after Zane and left the chill, terror-filled dungeon behind.
What she didn't know was that Zane wasn't leading her out of Howling Castle at all—but straight toward his own private chambers…