Shao Ci's feelings toward Kevin were indeed subtle, but he had a high tolerance for handsome young men (even though he was fooled every time). He saw Kevin as a kind of younger brother, and as a result, his attitude improved significantly.

"Young Master, greetings. I am..." Shao Ci approached, intending to introduce himself. He planned to casually use a common name to gloss over the details.

Using his real name was out of the question; imagine a servant named Shao Ci in a Western setting – it would be quite peculiar! Although game NPCs subconsciously ignored players' unscientific elements, Shao Ci couldn't bear it himself!

However, Kevin coldly looked over, eyes full of caution. He tightened the blanket in his hand, showing no intention of listening to Shao Ci. He simply lay down.

"..." Shao Ci quickly imagined scenarios where Kevin had been mistreated by previous servants. After all, he was still a young master. How miserable could his situation be?

In reality, it was quite similar to Shao Ci's imagination. A child neglected even by their biological parents – how much attention could servants spare for such a child?

Seems like every antagonist has a tragic past... although Shao Ci felt the first dungeon's antagonist, Duke Stuart, was psychotic from a young age.

Since Kevin's attitude was so aloof, Shao Ci thought he didn't need to force himself forward. He sat nearby, using his mental power to explore the castle.

Mental power was convenient because he didn't need to physically venture out for exploration, although many dungeons imposed limitations.

The layout of this castle was indeed identical to the previous dungeons Shao Ci had visited, down to the decorations. Of course, the most unsettling feature was the malevolent deity statue in the hall. Shao Ci sensed danger subconsciously and circumvented the hall to explore other areas.

Apart from the hall, the positions of the study on the second floor and the underground space seemed peculiar.

The study room on the second floor is where Shao Ci stayed at the end of that dungeon.

In this place, and underground... Shao Ci recalled the dungeon where he initially found himself upon entering the dungeon.

Initially, he thought it was constructed by Kevin for the convenient imprisonment of captured sacrifices. However, now it seemed that this dungeon had existed from the very beginning?

As Shao Ci was about to extend his mental power, he sensed that something was off with Kevin on the bed. Suddenly, Kevin opened his eyes.

The young man on the bed was curled up, his complexion growing paler. Cold sweat continuously trickled down his forehead, as if he were undergoing something extremely painful.

Using mental power, Shao Ci could see dark threads entwining around his body, especially both legs completely surrounded by black mist.

"Huh? What is this..." Shao Ci abruptly stood up, walked straight to the bedside, and touched Kevin. Instantly, Kevin tightly grabbed his arm.

"Save... save me..." Kevin struggled to utter these words.

Although Kevin appeared frail, his strength was substantial. Shao Ci couldn't free his arm and had no choice but to hold him—certainly not for any ulterior motive, just for the convenience of using mental power!

Shao Ci closed his eyes and extended his mental power, cautiously touching the black threads.

After the incident with Xavier, Shao Ci immediately recognized that these black threads were a manifestation of some kind of psychic power. However, whose power was it? Wasn't Kevin supposed to be the antagonist boss of this dungeon?

The moment he touched the black threads, a bone-chilling coldness penetrated to his core. Shao Ci shivered, seemingly hearing faint whispers and low laughter.

If it were the old Shao Ci, he would have been scared to death, but now he had slightly better psychological resilience. Gritting his teeth, he used mental power to disperse the black threads around him. However, he couldn't do anything about the black mist on Kevin's legs.

After the dispersion of the black threads, Kevin's body relaxed, and he directly fell asleep on Shao Ci.

Shao Ci: "!!" Hey!

Shao Ci couldn't shake off Kevin's hand and had to awkwardly lean against the headboard. Having expended some mental energy, he felt a bit weary and unintentionally fell asleep at the bedside.

He woke up after an unknown period, feeling sore and tired. Surprisingly, Kevin was still leaning on him.

As he glanced outside, it was already dark, indicating that a considerable amount of time had passed.

In the next moment, Kevin gently opened his eyes, noticed he was holding onto Shao Ci, and his body instantly stiffened. Then, he quickly loosened his grip and said with a somewhat flustered tone, "What... what are you doing?"

Shao Ci: "..."

If it weren't for Kevin insisting on holding onto him, how would things have ended up like this? It seemed as if he deliberately held onto the other person.

"I just noticed that Young Master seemed to be having a nightmare, so I wanted to wake you up. However, you ended up grabbing onto me..." Shao Ci explained, "And then it turned out like this..."

"How could I..." Kevin was somewhat astonished, but he vaguely remembered the previous events. He immediately swallowed the words he was about to say, awkwardly burying himself under the blanket.

Shao Ci: "..." Is he shy?!

To witness Kevin, who was usually like a maniac, acting shy was oddly satisfying for Shao Ci.

Speaking of which, it's quite late now. Although Shao Ci, as a player, doesn't get hungry, Kevin probably does.

So, Shao Ci lifted the blanket, indicating he was going to fetch food, then turned and left the room. In the process, he hoped to gather information about that sinister statue.

Yes, if the antagonist boss isn't Kevin, then it must be that damn malevolent god statue! He was quite concerned about that statue during the previous dungeon!

Shao Ci hurriedly left the room, while Kevin on the bed sat up, looking towards the door with a gaze that held a hint of confusion.

He seemed to feel the lingering warmth from the other person's embrace.

This warmth was something Kevin had never experienced before. In truth, he had awakened long ago but had been unwilling to let go of this warmth.

However... if the other person found out about his situation, would they still treat him kindly?

---

Kevin's parents and both brothers were dining in the restaurant, but he always ate in his room. This was a long-established arrangement, and no one questioned it.

Dinner was still a while away. In the kitchen, everyone looked at Shao Ci with a hint of pity in their eyes.

Due to Kevin's usual mistreatment, the kitchen staff simply reheated lunch, intending to prepare it for Shao Ci later.

While waiting, Shao Ci overheard others whispering.

No... the volume was just casual chatter. Even without paying much attention, he could clearly hear every word.

"Poor thing, assigned to take care of Young Master Kevin."

"Yeah, the unfortunate soul sent to care for Young Master Kevin last time still hasn't recovered from the leg injury."

"The steward initially wanted me to go. Fortunately, I found a way to refuse. Even if they asked me to tend the fire in the kitchen, I wouldn't go take care of Young Master Kevin."

...

Shao Ci gathered from their words that the previous caregivers for Kevin either got injured or disappeared, some even went mad and committed suicide.

Hence, these people considered Kevin a cursed being, with some claiming he was a monster possessed by a demon, and everyone close to him would be cursed.

Shao Ci: "..." Hey, isn't it strange to casually place an evil god statue in the hall? It would be more surprising if nothing happened. But the words of these servants made Shao Ci vigilant. After all, the previous caregivers for Kevin all met with accidents. This seemed to be the initial danger in this dungeon. He didn't think he was lucky enough to avoid danger.

However, Shao Ci also had some things to inquire about. He approached directly, causing others to step back a few paces the moment they saw him. Some even frowned, seemingly considering taking action.

Shao Ci secretly used his psychic power, and those few individuals sensed a mysterious oppressive force. Subconsciously, fear emerged within them, and when they looked at Shao Ci, a hint of apprehension appeared in their eyes. They dared not make any further moves, obediently answering whatever Shao Ci asked.

Shao Ci inquired and learned that the basement in this castle was treated as a restricted area, and no one was allowed to enter. They mentioned that a servant who had mistakenly entered was supposedly dismissed, but Shao Ci suspected the dismissal was a cover-up. That servant probably met an unfortunate end; after all, whatever was in the basement was unlikely to be ordinary.

As for the ominous statue in the hall, these people spoke of it with a touch of awe. They mentioned it as if it held a special significance.

The guardian deity of this region is worshipped by the people here, but when it comes to detailed information about this deity, they seem to be quite secretive.

Shao Ci: "..." It seems I'll have to check the second-floor study.

After asking these questions, Shao Ci subtly applied a bit of suggestion with his psychic power, causing them to forget what he asked. Psychic power is quite effective when dealing with ordinary NPCs.

As the food was almost ready, Shao Ci checked it. Though it was leftovers from lunch, it looked decent and not like the scraps he had imagined. Well, even if Kevin isn't well-treated, he's still a young master and deserves good food.

Hurrying back with the food, Shao Ci noticed Kevin's two brothers in a luxurious room, chatting and laughing by the fire, surrounded by servants. The treatment was vastly different from Kevin's. Shaking his head, Shao Ci quickly left.

However, someone inside noticed him and frowned, asking, "Who is that? Why have I never seen them before?"

A nearby servant promptly replied, "Master Richard, that's the new servant assigned to attend to Young Master Kevin."

"Oh?" Richard's eyes immediately showed some interest. "It's that cripples servant? How intriguing…" 

The surrounding servants couldn't help but feel pity for Shao Ci. Being noticed by Master Richard might bring some misfortune, but considering that those attending to Young Master Kevin usually end up in trouble sooner or later, it was just a matter of time.

------------------

Shao Ci returned to the room, carrying the food, planning to place it by the bedside.

Kevin grabbed the blanket and stared at him, seeming to want to say something but unable to find the words.

Shao Ci: "…Could it be, Young Master, you want me to feed you?"

This thought crossed Shao Ci's mind because of his previous experience with feeding Xavier.

Kevin awkwardly responded, “If you want, I won't refuse."

Shao Ci: "…!" He didn't expect Kevin to be so tsundere in the past. Kevin is way too adorable!

Although Jewett is also tsundere, Shao Ci tends to favor the younger ones.

Regardless, having gone through Xavier's ordeal, Shao Ci easily used a spoon to scoop up the food and offered it to Kevin's mouth.

Despite the initial awkwardness, Kevin obediently swallowed it down, quickly finishing the meal.

Kevin wasn't aware of how fast he ate. In the past, the servants either feared or despised him, and the delivered food often contained various unpleasant surprises, making it almost impossible for him to swallow.

In this household, no one ever cared for him... Kevin couldn't help but sneer. If he weren't still useful, he'd probably be dead by now.

As Shao Ci was about to take the plate away, he heard Kevin speak, "You heard about it too, right?"

"Heard about what?" Shao Ci was puzzled, then suddenly realized, "You mean the thing about the servants sent to take care of you going crazy or getting injured?"

Kevin's expression turned grim, saying calmly, "If you're afraid, you don't have take care of me."

As he said this, he appeared nonchalant, but his grip on the blanket tightened.

Even if he's considered selfish... Kevin didn't want Shao Ci to leave. For a moment, Kevin regretted saying that.

"I'm certainly not afraid," Shao Ci walked over and ruffled Kevin's hair, "I won't be like those people." After all, Shao Ci was strong.

Shao Ci speculated that those who went insane probably accidentally touched the black threads. Even he had trouble dealing with those black threads, let alone the ordinary NPCs.

As for the injured ones... Shao Ci wasn't sure, probably related to the final truth of this scenario.

Kevin's eyes brightened, and he quickly lowered his head, saying, "Well, it's up to you then."

Shao Ci left with the plate. In truth, he was curious about Kevin's legs, but it didn't feel right to bring it up so soon. Maybe he'd check later after building a better relationship.

At night, after making sure Kevin was asleep, Shao Ci returned to his room.

Servants lived in rooms near the kitchen, and someone like Shao Ci, the most neglected servant, shared a room with four or five others.

Normally, there should be some cliche plot about bullying newcomers, but with a subtle psychic suggestion from Shao Ci, everyone mysteriously avoided him. The night passed calmly.

When everyone was asleep, Shao Ci stood up.

Being inside a scenario, who has time for proper sleep? Finding clues was the priority; otherwise, he might end up dead without knowing anything.

Considering how peaceful this day had been, Shao Ci quietly left the room and headed towards the second-floor study. Compared to the basement, he was more interested in this place.

Of course, the door was locked, and Shao Ci's psychic powers weren't enough to directly open a locked door. In situations like this, solving puzzles and finding keys through various means was the way to go.

But does Shao Ci have the luxury for such leisurely activities at this time?

Shao Ci recently inquired and learned about the system's ability to automatically search for textual information within a ten-meter radius. In this world, it's undoubtedly the most useful function!

Shao Ci instructed the system to search and provide information. Even if he entered the study, just searching manually could take a long time.

After waiting for a while at the door, the system finally completed the search and delivered the information to Shao Ci's mind.

Indeed, the people in this area worshiped that so-called evil deity, although they didn't consider it evil.

The appearance of this deity was abrupt, seemingly revealing miracles when natural disasters occurred here several hundred years ago.

Compared to others, the family currently residing in the castle understands this deity better. They prospered by relying on this deity.

However, this deity requires a blood relative from the family as a sacrifice every few years. If not provided, the deity will no longer protect the family and will reclaim everything it bestowed upon them.

Seeing this, Shao Ci felt a sudden unease. Looking further into the information, it became evident that the sacrifices in this family were always individuals deemed useless to the family. The current master of the castle is from a branch of that family. They moved from a prosperous place to this remote castle not for recuperation but for the sacrificial ritual.

And this time, the chosen sacrifice is Kevin.

He was born frail, and his legs were sacrificed to the evil deity at birth, rendering him unable to stand.

The sacrificial ritual had several stages, with a part of the offering being sacrificed at intervals until adulthood, when the entire person would be offered.

The sacrificial location was naturally not in plain sight in the hall but was established in the basement.

Originally, Shao Ci wanted to go to the basement, but now he changed his mind. Going directly to the basement without proper preparation seemed like seeking death, especially as it might be where the antagonist, the evil deity, would appear. Kevin, being so young, didn't exhibit any villainous qualities.

Shao Ci: "..." Wait a minute, Kevin is only around thirteen or fourteen years old now. Is he going to stay in this scenario for a few more years? No, Shao Ci remembered that some scenarios have a significant time span, usually with time-jumping elements. He shouldn't be that unlucky...

Thinking about the peculiar young man embodied by the central computer, Shao Ci couldn't be certain.

Since Kevin was chosen as a sacrifice from birth, his parents rarely interacted with him to avoid developing emotions. Over time, they truly stopped seeing him as their child, viewing Kevin solely as a sacrifice.

The servants who took care of Kevin often met unfortunate ends due to witnessing things they shouldn't know. Those who went insane had an experience similar to what Shao Ci imagined – encountering the invisible black threads. These incidents contributed to the chaotic rumors circulating now.

The detailed records in this room made Shao Ci feel conflicted. However, as a game scenario, it's common for everything to be written as diaries or notes by NPCs.

From the information, Shao Ci could understand why Kevin's personality was so peculiar. It was only odd for now; when he grew up, it might... No, it would undoubtedly twist into something quite sinister.

Recalling the dozens of puppets he encountered in the dungeon's secret room, Shao Ci shuddered. Such actions were definitely not something a normal person would do.

Connecting the present situation with future events, Shao Ci could roughly speculate on what happened in between. Perhaps this family only met their end if they acted recklessly, and Kevin, the one who exploded inexplicably, caused their demise.

Wait a moment... Shao Ci suddenly thought, if he changes the past now, could he prevent future events from occurring? For example, taking Kevin away and letting him live a normal life?

Shao Ci briefly considered the feasibility but ultimately abandoned the idea. The family must have some means after so many years of sacrificial rituals, making it challenging to directly take Kevin away. Moreover, even if he could overpower these NPCs, the game system would likely intervene.

Shao Ci sighed. His best option was to help within his capabilities. If Kevin undergoes any changes and turns into an antagonist, he won't hesitate.

After leaving the study, Shao Ci walked back toward the room. Suddenly, he felt the castle was too quiet. Even in the dead of night when everyone was asleep, it shouldn't be this silent. The castle, usually patrolled by servants at night, now lacked any sign of them.

This atmosphere felt as if the antagonist boss would appear at any moment. Shao Ci shook his head; it was only the first day, it shouldn't be like this.

However, right after this thought, footsteps echoed from behind him.

Shao Ci: "Wait a minute, since my eyes can't see clearly, why not use telepathy?"

He quickly did so, releasing his telepathic ability, instantly clarifying his surroundings. He could even sense the appearance of the person approaching.

"That is... Kevin's brother?”