The Eldritch Files

Han Su, of course, knew what to do at a critical moment like this.

Attacking the monster’s hand was out of the question. These creatures were bizarre in countless ways. Even if he swung his knife, there was no telling if he could even cut it, let alone sever it. Just angering the creature could lead to immense trouble.

Cutting his own hand required far less consideration. It would just hurt a bit.

Even if he couldn’t cut it clean off, he might be able to tear free or land another blow as the monster dragged him toward the Copper Coffin.

Sound logic.

SWISH!

All this calculation happened in an instant. Just as he instinctively brought the knife down on his own wrist, the monster’s hand, which had reached out of the Copper Coffin, seemed to sense something and abruptly retracted back inside.

The withdrawal was so sudden that its sharp nails instantly carved a vertical gash on the back of Han Su’s hand.

Together with the previous horizontal cut, it formed a cross-shaped wound that gushed blood.

Han Su reacted just as quickly. As he stumbled backward, he redirected his blade forward, striking the Copper Coffin and sending sparks flying.

He froze for a moment, then cast all caution to the wind. Clenching the key in his teeth, he bolted out of the room without a backward glance.

He thought frantically, ’The door, that door should be appearing now...’

And just as promised in every moment of despair, the door marked ”EXIT” appeared bizarrely at the end of the pitch-black corridor.

But at that same moment, a strange sound seemed to emanate from the Copper Coffin he had left behind. In the room, the flames of the two candles flickered as if influenced by an unseen force, scattering all the shadows into disarray.

Along the sides of the corridor, from the Copper Armor Statues that had been shaken loose from the walls, there suddenly came a dense scraping sound, like scales rubbing together.

Suddenly, a flat-headed snake, reeking of a foul stench, lunged at Han Su’s face.

In a flash, Han Su’s extraordinary reflexes allowed him to see it clearly: it was clearly cast from antique copper, yet it was a living snake, its fanged mouth gaping open as it tried to bite his face.

And it wasn’t just one. From the other suits of Copper Armor on both sides of the hallway, more snakes slithered out, one after another. With a flick of their tails, they launched themselves into the air.

They were so numerous they seemed to weave a net before him.

”Fucking hell!”

Han Su’s heart tightened. While frantically flailing his arms to bat away the snakes crawling onto him, he hesitated no longer and raised his palm.

He pressed it forward into the empty air and intoned in a low voice, ”Sic erat in abysso!”

He had long wanted to test if this Spell worked inside the Ancient Castle, but he hadn’t wanted to cause himself any unnecessary trouble. Only now, at this critical juncture, did he risk it all and chant it.

’Even better if it works.’

’If not, at least it’s a confidence booster.’

HUM!

The moment this ancient Fishing Song left his lips, Han Su once again felt the Spiritual Power in his mind surge and churn. It was like something that had been completely still was now ”alive” with fluctuations, becoming clearly perceptible.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, it instantly began to seep out from the area around his right eye.

Rippling waves suddenly spread out in all directions.

The stiff, grotesque copper snakes that had already leaped into the air were frozen in place before Han Su, as if bound by an invisible force.

Some of the copper snakes even twisted bizarrely, falling to the ground with a clatter.

’The Spell worked?’

A flicker of surprised joy even sparked within Han Su. ’I wasn’t wounded in the eye by a monster, so why can I still use this ability?’

He felt it was strange, as if he had touched upon some crucial secret, but his Spiritual Power was draining rapidly as he chanted the Spell. His head felt increasingly empty, leaving him no time for detailed thought.

While chanting the Spell, he also ran forward with large strides.

CRACKLE... CRACKLE... CRACKLE...

But as Han Su passed through the corridor, the distorted ripples in the air spread out, seeping like steam into the walls on either side.

The Copper Armor Statues embedded in the walls actually began to straighten up, dislodging sprays of mortar and dust. An eerie red light even began to glow faintly in their hollow eyes, as if they were mechanical monsters awakened from a deep slumber.

Those eerie eyes stared fixedly at Han Su. There were even signs that their arms were slowly beginning to rise.

It was just that they hadn’t moved in so long their joints were rusted, making them slow.

’What’s happening now?’

Han Su could clearly feel that the spiritual ripples seeping from around his right eye were being absorbed by these Copper Armor Statues.

’Are they using my Spiritual Power to revive?’

This made him even more nervous. Thankfully, by then he had managed to endure his dizzy head and nearly pass through the corridor littered with copper snakes, arriving before the door that represented hope.

The key was already in his hand, clutched tightly. He absolutely could not let it fall again.

However, since it hadn’t been taken from the Pale Giant this time, there was no slime on the key, and it didn’t seem to have the same will to escape his grasp.

With a few great strides, he rushed to the door. Han Su raised his hand, about to insert the key into the lock.

But just then, a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye made Han Su freeze in bewilderment.

Here on the fifth floor, near the end of the corridor, was a small, isolated room. It wasn’t large, and two candles were lit inside. He could see that it originally had an iron door, held shut by a complex metal mechanism.

But now, because of the Spell he had chanted—which had caused various things in the corridor to change, such as the awakening of the Copper Armor—this mechanism had also loosened.

It was now open a crack, and from within, half a face was staring at him in terror.

’Holy shit!’

’Whose kid is this?’

...

...

Han Su was stunned for a second before he snapped back to reality, his heart pounding wildly.

’There’s another chosen child on the fifth floor.’

’My chanting of the Spell triggered a Penetration of Spiritual Power, which in turn caused the revival of the Copper Armor in the walls... and also let me see this child imprisoned on the fifth floor?’

In his urgency, he couldn’t even remember which child had been sent to the fifth floor, as some of them had been taken upstairs directly by the butler.

’The child was locked in this room, and I accidentally opened the door by chanting the Spell?’

Time seemed to stand still.

Looking at those terrified yet desperate eyes, Han Su’s heart hammered in his chest. Blood seemed to surge into his brain, pumped by some frantic force.

Should he just insert the key and escape before the monsters behind him completely blocked the corridor, or...

”Get over here!”

Han Su didn’t have much time to think. He screeched to a halt, nearly stumbling, then quickly turned and glanced down the corridor.

The copper snakes on the ground were still writhing, even attempting to slither again. On either side, three to five of the Copper Armor Statues now had eerie red light glowing in their eyes, their stooped bodies straightening as they approached full revival.

’But there’s still time. Just a little time...’

Wasting no more time on thought, Han Su took a step and kicked the door open. Without a second thought, he grabbed the long-haired child’s hand and pulled her to his side.

He then tucked her under his arm, dodged the outstretched arms of the Copper Armor, and held his breath as he charged toward the exit door.

Clutching the small body tightly, he extended the key toward the lock that represented hope.

He ignored the reactivated copper snakes and reviving Copper Armor Statues behind him. Whether he lived or died, Han Su just held her tightly and reached out with the key.

CLICK.

The key slid into the lock. He turned it and heard that wonderful sound.

Han Su used all his strength to shoulder the door open, feeling a cold, sinister wind blow in and hit his face.

Without even looking at what was outside, he clutched the small, soft body in his arms and threw himself out with all his might.

Back in the Ancient Castle, the revived Copper Armor Statues had slowly, bit by bit, raised their hands. Their eyes, Flashing with an eerie red light, were fixed on the direction Han Su had fled.

Slowly, slowly, they brought their palms to their chests, then gradually bowed in a salute to the one who had awakened them.

Unfortunately, by then, Han Su was long gone.

The moment he was free of the iron door’s grip, a sense of weightlessness washed over him.

He felt as if he were falling from the fifth floor, about to be dashed to death on the stone-paved courtyard below. But then, his mind suddenly grew hazy.

White light flooded his vision. Han Su was silent for a few seconds before he could make out what was in front of him.

He was now in a room at the Disaster Management Bureau’s base, surrounded by huge, expensive speakers. The bizarre and chaotic sounds had stopped playing. Standing before him were Zhang Chiguo with a strange expression on his face, a sharp-looking agent in a black suit, and a staff member wearing glasses.

They were all looking at him with the same peculiar expression, as if they were looking at a monster:

”When we play the ruin whispers, some people can’t take it and go mad. Some are too receptive and hear too many effective Spells, and their brains just overload.”

”Some try to resist the whole time and end up catatonic. Others don’t know how to protect themselves and get contaminated on the spot...”

”...”

Beside Zhang Chiguo, the staff member with the glasses looked at Han Su in amazement. ”But you’re the first one I’ve ever seen who fucking falls asleep while listening, handsome...”