Furniture.
As the na suggests, It refers to items like chairs, tables, or sofas. However, there is a distinct category called Moving Furniture—objects capable of movent and performing tasks, much like servants.
Upon death, your Body (그릇) and Source (우주) would be transford into Furniture, dood to remain in the Abandoned House forever.
This was the penalty for failing to clear the Sixth Fable.
It was a fate far more terrifying than simply dying.
"Oh my, it seems this one has broken."
"Let's take her to the Housekeepers for repairs."
"Yes, yes, she'll be fixed and good as new."
The other servants quickly noticed the situation and hurried to carry the still-laughing, bleeding maid out of the dining room, disappearing to so unknown destination.
They didn't even acknowledge our existence.
It was as if we were invisible in their eyes.
The rest of the group could only stare at them in silence, uncomfortable. Soo Jinyoung remained motionless, showing no reaction.
Ryu Yeji spoke first. He looked at and asked:
"You referred to that woman as furniture. What did you an by that?"
"Exactly as I said. She beca furniture the mont she failed to clear the Fable. Didn't you see the penalty ssage on the Fable window?"
I replied, my tone flat.
"That's ridiculous. How can furniture walk and breathe? She's still alive, right?"
"No. To beco furniture, you have to die. At least, that's what I believe. Considering the system's ssage at the ti, I doubt this conclusion is wrong."
"So, if we fail... will we end up like that?"
His voice trembled slightly.
Moon Jiyeon interrupted. She spoke calmly:
"Calm down. Dwelling on thoughts like that will only weigh you down. Let it go for now."
"T-That..."
Ryu Yeji exhaled slowly, managing to regain so composure.
"Ah, sorry. How do you all stay so calm in a situation like this? Honestly, I'm envious."
"Good grief. How have you made it this far with such little restraint?"
"I guess I've just been lucky."
In this world, no one survives on luck alone. You're either a murderer, or you're already dead.
I turned my head and saw Soo Jinyoung already combing through the place, searching for that item. She really moves fast.
However, sotis, It wasn't good to be too fast.
I stepped forward, approached the large table, and crouched down. My gaze swept across the surface until it landed on a small, glimring object that resembled a shining ball.
It was a spiritual item that usually didn't take a physical form, but it wasn't completely unusual for it to do so.
As expected, it was here.
A satisfied smile tugged at my lips. The mont I grasped the small spiritual ball, a system notification appeared.
[Collected Shattered Fragnts: 1/???]
Shattered Fragnts.
The broken remnants of mories. The clear objective of the Sixth Fable was to collect all the shattered fragnts and unravel the mystery of the Abandoned House.
Those broken fragnts were scattered throughout the House for players to find and collect them. They weren't easy to spot, unless you knew exactly where to look.
I stood up, raised the spiritual item, and called out to capture the attention of the party mbers.
"Everyone, attention please!"
As their gazes turned toward , I began to explain.
"This item I'm holding is a Shattered Fragnt. The objective of the Fable is to gather these fragnts and examine them in order to solve the mysteries of this Abandoned House."
Moon Jiyeon asked, curious.
"What exactly are Shattered Fragnts?"
"I don't know the entire details, but but from what I understand, these fragnts are broken pieces of mories, scattered throughout the house. Collecting them is important if we want to clear the Fable."
"Interesting. So they're like clues to what happened here?"
"Exactly."
"So, we're investigating what happened here?"
"That's right. We'll begin the investigation. This broken shard is our first clue."
I focused, and then another system ssage appeared.
[Would you like to examine this shattered fragnt?]
[ Yes / No ]
[ Yes (Select) / No ]
[mory Examination will occur...]
I selected 'Yes', and the mont I did, sothing unnatural occurred.
Several shadows erged from the doorway, entering the dining room one by one.
Each had a distinct posture, height, build, and gait, along with unique attire. The male shadows were clad in classic suits, while the female shadows wore elegant gowns and dresses. Among them was a shadow whose height matched Miyuki's, perhaps it might be a child around her age.
Regardless, one thing was certain. Their forms were closely similar to those of humans.
"?!"
The party mbers imdiately dropped into battle stances.
However, the shadows showed no signs of hostility. Instead, they silently moved past and calmly made their way to the dining table. Perhaps they were sitting according to their hierarchy in the family, as the shadows seed to take their places with an unspoken order, each settling into a seat that reflected their status.
How could one move with such elegance and order? Noble families are not to be underestimated.
The party mbers exchanged confused glances, but they kept their guard up as if waiting for sothing to happen.
Ryu Yeji spoke first. He asked:
"What are those things? They look like human, but they're shadows?"
"Ah, I see. I think I understand what's happening."
Moon Jiyeon sighed, and lowered the Poison Dagger. She looked at and spoke, as if to confirm sothing.
"These people are the forr residents of this mansion, correct?"
"Yes."
"But why are they in the form of shadows?"
To be honest, I was wondering the sa thing. Could it be because it was a fragnted mory?
No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions at this point.
After settling into their seats and sitting in silence for a mont, the human-like shadows finally began to speak.
The First Shadow, a middle aged man with crimson hair, broke the silence. His voice was deep, carrying the weight of experience.
"Now then... how long has it been since we were last gathered like this?"
The Second Shadow, a composed and mature woman, answered thoughtfully with her finger on her mouth.
"I can't quite recall. Was it perhaps six years ago?"
The Third Shadow, a lively man radiating energy, chid in with enthusiasm. He was dressed in a classic black suit, and his hair was crimson as well.
"Ah, yes! Six years indeed! I was so overco with joy at the ti, I could have wept. Truly, this is wonderful!"
The Fourth Shadow, a woman with a soft, teasing tone, chuckled lightly, with her crimson dress resembling a Chinese cheongsam.
"You're as excitable as ever. It reminds of the old days when you'd stir up trouble, leaving behind a trail of teary-eyed girls."
The Fifth Shadow, another woman who spoke with quiet amusent, added.
"I agree, sister. Dante was rather reckless back then."
The Third Shadow, visibly flustered, widened his eyes and imdiately protested.
"Oh, co on! Are we really bringing up ancient history when we're supposed to be catching up on the present? That was ages ago! I'm not that guy anymore—I married an amazing woman, and my son has grown into quite the exceptional young man."
Straightening his tie with a proud grin, he basked in his own words, clearly savoring the mont.
The Fourth Shadow shifted her gaze to a younger figure seated near the grand table. Though her facial features were unclear, the slight tilt of her head and the air around her suggested she was smiling.
"Ah, Adrian!" she called out warmly. "How have you been? I heard you recently graduated from the Academy with a law degree. Not only that, but you've inherited your father's striking looks. Surely, you have many stories to share."
Adrian, the young shadow in question, laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.
"Ha ha ha! It's really not much of a story. And why do you always tease like this, Aunt?"
From his youthful build, upright posture, and confident deanor, Adrian appeared to be in his early twenties. His hair was a striking shade of blonde, and he wore an antique white suit layered over a black collared shirt, a golden tie elegantly draped around his neck, and matching antique white trousers. He radiated an air of tiless sophistication, as though he had stepped out of a portrait from another era.
Before he could say more, another voice cut through the room.
The Sixth Shadow, a young woman with smooth crimson hair and a playful voice, remarked.
"It's not uncommon for a child to resemble their parents, but don't you think Adrian bears an uncanny, almost unsettling, resemblance to Mr. Dante?"
The Seventh Shadow, a younger man, black haired, who had been quietly observing, added with a sly grin.
"That's very much true, indeed. Have you seen his baby pictures? It's downright scary."
Adrian's face twisted into a mock pout as he turned to retort.
"Oh, co on! Are we seriously bringing up my baby photos now? And for the record, I look nothing like my damn old man! Honestly, I don't see how anyone could even make that comparison."
No matter how I viewed the scene, this seed like nothing more than a typical family gathering.
There was nothing odd or out of the ordinary in this fragnted mory.
Could it truly be just a normal mory? But why were their faces concealed?
Perhaps we need to gather more mories before we can reach a conclusion.
How long was it now?
The shadows of the forr residents continued conversing among themselves, discussing various trivial matters, while the party mbers observed the scene in silent contemplation.
This was the first ti they had experienced a mory Examination, so it was understandable.
anwhile, Soo Jinyoung leaned against the wall, arms folded, and observed the scene with an expression filled with a mix of boredom and intense focus.
If I rembered correctly, this was her first ti encountering a Fable like this. She was more accustod to fighting through Stories, but her detective skills were far from lacking.
Her Dragon Demon Eyes would be useful in this Fable.
Deciding to ignore her for now, I turned my attention back to the mory, focusing on the scene that unfolded after a maid with mature features entered the room, carrying a silver tray laden with dishes, and carefully arranged the food on the large table before retreating quietly.
First, I morized all of their nas from their conservation. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l'e-
The First Shadow was Julian Valemont, the Next Family Head and the First Son of the Family Head.
The Second Shadow was his wife, Victoria Valemont.
The Third Shadow was Dante Vermillion, the Father of Adrian Valemont.
The Fourth Shadow was Elena Valemont, the mother of Victor.
The Fifth Shadow was Isabella Valemont, the mother of the child shadow, Beatrice.
The Sixth Shadow was Iris Valemont, the daughter of Julian Valemont, and Victoria Valemont.
The Seventh Shadow was Victor Valemont.
The Eighth Shadow was Adrian Valemont.
The Nineth Shadow was Luna Valemont, the mother of Adrian, and the wife of Dante Valemont.
The Tenth Shadow was Beatrice Valemont.
The Eleventh Shadow was Simon Valemont, the father of George.
The Twelveth Shadow was Dr. Riccardo Falcone, the Family Head's personal physician.
From what I gathered, it seed that not all of the individuals had lived in this house. The primary residents were the next Family Head, along with his wife and daughter, as well as the servants who maintained the household. Most of the others were based in different countries and cities. If I were to use Earth's tiline as a reference, this mory likely took place soti around the 1980s.
Based on their accents and attire, I concluded that the house was located sowhere in England.
Aside from that, there was little else of significance, except for the fact that these individuals had gathered for their annual family eting. However, the Family Head had refused to leave his chambers for so unknown reason.
At so point, the younger mbers—Adrian, Elena, Iris, and George—excused themselves from the dining room, leaving only the adults behind.
"?!"
The calm atmosphere suddenly grew tense, as if a heavy pressure had descended upon the room.
The adults' expressions shifted from calm to predatory in an instant, their eyes narrowing as they exchanged sharp, calculating glances.
It was as if the dining room had abruptly transford into a battlefield.
I see. The previous conversation was rely a tactic to buy ti. The real discussion was about to begin.
Julian Valemont scanned each person seated at the large table, with a sharp and calculated gaze, before leaning forward and finally speaking.
"Children these days... They grow up so quickly. It truly tugs at my heart."
"Indeed. They grow up so fast that I don't even recognise them anymore. Look at Adrian, I can't believe he had grown quite the remarkable young man."
Says Simon, while wiping a single tear.
"They have grown really fast, but I'm afraid we're not children anymore."
Says Elena.
"That's certainly true. Now that those little brats are out of the way, let's move on to the main topic of this eting."
Dante said in a half-serious tone, adjusting his tie once again.
"Main topic? Whatever do you an?"
"Don't act like you're unaware. Why drag this out any longer?"
Finally,
"Let's proceed with the intellectual discussion about the family inheritance."
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