The Eldritch Files

”Gods...”

”Heir?”

As Han Su listened to the information pouring from Bai Shi’s lips, he felt his head swell as if it were about to burst.

He had wondered about the origins of the monsters in the Ancient Castle before, even connecting them to the legendary Gods.

But Han Su could never quite reconcile the idea of these monsters with the concept of Gods.

’It wasn’t just that they could be harmed. More importantly, what kind of gods would kidnap children?’

But Bai Shi clearly knew much more than he did, and he spoke with such certainty. So...

’...The Ancient Castle kidnappings... were the Gods choosing an Heir?’

’What... what was that supposed to mean?’

”Damn it, they all deserve to die!”

But when Bai Shi saw the confused look on Han Su’s face, he only felt mocked, a sense of the absurd.

His voice was filled with suppressed madness. ”Bai Senmang, those Gods, those Hidden Schools, those schemers...”

”What kidnapping? It was a sacrifice! I knew nothing, and he sent me into that Hell.”

”He lusted after the Gods’ power but made me go in to be tortured! Bai Senmang deserves to die!”

”And those Gods... they clearly chose me, but then they rejected me. They deserve to die, too...”

”Those Hidden Schools... they kept telling me I had obtained a high-level power and made me cooperate with their experiments. They said the title of Heir was mine, fed me so many pretty words, and put me through transformation after transformation... only to discover they’d made a mistake in the end! Haha, they deserve to die too!”

”And whoever came up with this idea deserves to die most of all!”

”...”

The more he spoke, the louder his voice became, until at last, he glared fiercely at Han Su. ”You deserve to die the most!”

”You’d already escaped that Hell! Why did you have to steal the most precious thing? Why didn’t you take me with you when you ran? Why did you beat me like a dog?! Why did you steal the ultimate code and not tell me...?”

”Die! Just die!”

At this, Bai Shi grew even more enraged, his voice turning into a raw, hoarse scream.

The copper-colored substance filling the air began to hum uncontrollably, then suddenly surged toward Han Su once more.

But that momentary respite was all Han Su needed to react. He fell back, simultaneously thrusting his palm forward in a grasping motion.

”CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!”

The ear-splitting shriek of metal grinding and shearing was agonizing, making him dizzy. The copper substance splattered around him, as if he were inside a giant meat grinder.

His fragile body could be shredded at any moment, torn to pieces. He was already using the Cross Copper Scar on the back of his left hand to influence the substance, but he couldn’t withstand the immense pressure.

And Bai Shi’s venting roars had also made Han Su understand a great deal.

For a moment, his memory plunged back into that gloomy, bizarre Ancient Castle. He thought of the monster that had left the cross-shaped scar on him.

And then, the Spell that had pursued him out of the Ancient Castle.

’At the time, I just thought the monsters in the Ancient Castle were attacking me. Those monsters were so unbelievable, it wouldn’t have been strange for them to have any kind of attack method.’

’But thinking about it now... the first time, I went to the Copper Coffin Monster to steal a key. So, the monster in the Copper Coffin leaving a cross-shaped wound on the back of my hand was indeed an attack.’

’But the second time, I didn’t even go to its floor, yet its Spell followed me out. It remained in my head for ten long years before being reawakened by the Ghost Truck.’

’So, was the second time... a gift?’

[Copper’s Will shall exist forever in the reflection of the world!]

’Was this Spell the so-called ultimate code the monster gave me? Or something related to being the Heir?’

’If that’s the case, then a lot of things would make sense.’

’The power of copper in my body only truly awakened after I recited the Spell I brought out of the Ancient Castle.’

’And at Dingxiang Mansion, I only controlled that Living Copper Puppet after subconsciously reciting the copper Spell.’

’By that logic, did I really bring something incredible out of the Ancient Castle?’

’And in the eyes of some, were these things supposed to have been brought out of the Ancient Castle by a chosen child, in the form of an inheritance?’

’And because he was sent in without his knowledge, Bai Shi hated his father even more than he hated me?’

”HSSSS...”

As his thoughts raced, the pressure around him became infinite. Han Su felt a tearing pain in his brain.

’I feel like I’ve grasped the key to the problem, but I have to face an even more brutal one right now.’

’Right now, I can easily feel the copper-colored blood floating in the air through the Cross Copper Scar on the back of my hand.’

’I can sense the Ghost Truck, and I can faintly sense the Living Copper Puppet hidden deep within Qinggang.’

’They all have a natural affinity for me, but something is still missing.’

’Bai Shi is powerful, yet he can’t hurt me. It’s because this ”copper” seems to hold me in reverence!’

’But likewise, I can’t truly control this copper at will.’

’It’s too heavy. I can touch it, even influence it, but I can’t summon it like I can the Ghost Truck.’

’I’m missing something crucial...’

’Is my Spiritual Activity insufficient?’

Han Su’s thoughts spun, and he instantly realized the problem:

’No, I’ve already stepped into the Divine Forbidden Area. My Spiritual Activity is sufficient, or else I wouldn’t be able to sense them...’

’Then it must be...’

’...the Life Code?’

”...”

His previous fight with the Drunkard had made Han Su aware of the gap between fellow Investigators.

That gap was the Life Code.

Increasing one’s Spiritual Activity is paramount, but using that Spiritual Activity for the Understanding of the ”Life Code” is the true key to Mysterious Power.

Without Understanding the Life Code, one is essentially still just an ordinary person.

All Mysterious Power one uses is merely bartered from the world in exchange for Spiritual Power.

By Understanding the Life Code, one can achieve true Stealing of those mysterious powers, making them genuinely one’s own.

The Life Code is the threshold to entering the Mysterious World.

’If I want to truly Master the power of copper now, I need to cross this threshold.’

’But...’

Han Su couldn’t help but clench his jaw. ’Even though I had Miss Ai’s hints and my Spiritual Activity is high enough, how could it be so simple to decipher the Life Code?’

’I was originally planning to decipher it after I got back from the Ancient Castle...’

’What am I supposed to do now, have a breakthrough in the middle of a fight?’

As these frantic thoughts raced through his mind, Han Su looked up. His gaze pierced through the floating copper substance and locked onto Bai Shi. He said in a low voice:

”I... have a lot of questions for you. Including about this... so-called ’copper’...”

”Ask me?”

Bai Shi stared coldly at Han Su. ”You stole what originally belonged to me, and now you have the gall to ask me?”

”Don’t think I don’t know. This is the method that machine told you about, isn’t it?”

”To use your Mastery of copper to kill me when I’m off guard?”

”What did you think I brought you here for?”

”This is my only chance...”

”A chance for those annoying things to not interfere, for me to meet you alone, and take back what should be mine...”

As he spoke, his form drifted backward. One hand, crackling with endless arcs of blue electricity, rose slowly and moved toward the Mother Divine Tree. His other hand formed the shape of a gun and aimed it at Han Su, his expression chilling.

”You’re a thief. It’s time to give back what’s mine!”

”...”

Facing that hand-gun, Han Su was suddenly struck by a powerful sense of danger. ”You...”

”BANG!”

But at this moment, Bai Shi had already pulled the ”trigger.”

Han Su was currently enveloped in the endless protection of the copper. He barely needed to expend any of his own Spiritual Power; the mere resonance was enough to activate the copper’s instinct to protect its master.

But as Bai Shi fired his shot, something seemed to explode in Han Su’s mind. An instant later, a sharp pain erupted in his chest. A ”bullet” hidden deep within his spirit had been detonated.

In less than a second, all of Han Su’s Spiritual Activity suddenly vanished.

He lost his Spiritual Activity, and with it, all protection from the ”copper.” The floating copper blood around him fell to the ground.

The next moment, countless buds on the Mother Divine Tree burst open. Spores drifted out, flying toward Han Su.

He had no time to react. His senses blurred as he fell into a red dreamscape.

Forced Contamination!

’Bai Shi’s own power system had no specialization in contamination, so he chose to use the Mother Divine Tree to contaminate me and break my mental barrier.’

’He must have guessed he would be no match for me in the domain of copper’s power. That’s why he shot me the moment we met, planting that ’Spiritual Bullet’ in advance. The entire purpose was to create a momentary vacuum, a window to contaminate me successfully.’

Against this enhanced contamination from the Mother Divine Tree, Han Su’s Spiritual Activity was completely powerless to resist.

He lost all control of his body and mind.

He soon felt endless illusions unfolding around him, as if he had fallen into a kaleidoscope.

Everything around him was bizarre, complex, and incomprehensible.

His will was still aware that he was being contaminated by the Mother Divine Tree, but his mind could find no escape, as if it had fallen into the bottomless Abyssal.

’This monster... or rather, ’Crew-cut’... is too powerful now...’

Even Han Su had to admit the fact. ’He and I aren’t even on the same level.’

’Theoretically, if this weren’t a struggle over the will and authority of ’copper,’ I wouldn’t even be qualified to fight him...’

’So, should I just kill him now?’

”...”

The thought couldn’t help but surface in Han Su’s mind.

Their meeting was an uneven match from the start. In terms of sheer power, he was not qualified to fight Bai Shi.

In terms of status, Bai Shi was not qualified to fight him.

Or rather, none of the children who had yet to be rescued from the Ancient Castle could fight him. They were naturally... suppressed by him.

’...No, that’s not right!’

’Besides power levels and status, there are also Miss Ai’s calculations to consider...’