The Eldritch Files

In Qinggang, the sound of Song Chushi’s gunshot seemed to shatter a long-held silence.

He stood perfectly still. He saw four figures emerge from the endless city lights in the distance. Three took positions on the periphery, while one stood in the center.

”Dr. Song, long time no see.”

The polite greeting rang out as the four figures revealed themselves: Zhang Chiguo, Zhao Fantian, King Buddha, and Li Moxi—the former Four Heavenly Kings, now comprised of three Qinggang Independent Investigators and one Deputy Director of the Disaster Management Bureau.

Any one of them was a big shot capable of making the anomalies lurking in the shadows tremble in fear.

In a way, their reputation in the world of shadows was so fearsome that they could resolve incidents with their names alone.

But now, all four had arrived together, with Zhang, Zhao, and Wang taking positions to cut off any escape.

”We’re on a mission, so you won’t mind, will you?”

Zhao Fantian, his clothes filthy and his hair a mess, was the first to speak with a smile. ”I suppose only a man like you, Dr. Song, could warrant this kind of treatment.”

”Secretary No. 5 personally signed the execution order. The Qinggang Empress set up the Mirror World. Abyssal Studio was used as bait, and the Four Heavenly Kings are here to carry it out in person. This has to be the first time Qinggang has treated a single person with the same protocol as an S-Class threat.”

”Even if you die here today, the entire global Mysterious Circle will surely remember your name!”

When he mentioned this treatment, and then the word ”name,” his voice held an unmistakable hint of envy.

King Buddha, however, said with a broad smile, ”Back when we all worked for the special operations team, we were the grunts charging to the front lines, while you were the precious technician with soft skin. We never had a chance to sit down for a drink, but in a way, we’re still old colleagues.”

”Now that we’ve met under these circumstances, tell me, will you surrender without a fight, or should we go through the motions?”

”...”

As they spoke, they were also slowly closing in.

With every step closer, the space around them seemed to compress, growing more solid.

The countless city lights around them also began to show faint signs of distortion.

The Mirror World!

A top-secret directive, activated only when a city faced its most perilous crisis.

Every city had a contract with the Queen’s Organization, allowing them to hold beauty pageants and operate semi-publicly within the city.

But if a city ever made the request, the Queen’s Organization was obligated to help create a reflection—a Mirror World parallel to the real one—to act as a buffer in a crisis. This was a highly classified protocol, part of the second line of real-world defense.

Of course, it could also be used as a trap and a cage.

Song Chushi naturally knew what kind of situation he was in. He could feel the air around him growing thicker as the Four Heavenly Kings approached. Yet, he didn’t seem the least bit anxious. Instead, he frowned and spoke to the approaching Li Moxi:

”Investigating the kidnapping case?”

”Heh, it’s just an act. Utterly useless.”

”There’s no need to investigate a conspiracy everyone is already aware of.”

”If the Qinggang Council truly feels any regret, then they should at least expose the so-called ’Silence Plan’.”

His voice grew colder. ”Let the public of Qinggang know that the kidnapping case was real. Let the abducted children come home. Let the world know the injustices they suffered, and make the people who signed off on it pay the price.”

”...”

Listening to him, the pale-faced Li Moxi slowly shook his head. ”You know as well as I do that this city’s civilians can never learn of the existence of these monsters.”

”It would turn them into anchors for the Gods.”

”With every additional person who knows, the Tide becomes that much more terrifying. So...”

”...”

”So what exactly did your so-called investigation uncover?”

Song Chushi’s gaze fell directly on Li Moxi’s face. ”Mr. Moses, others may not know about your Red Sea imagery, but I do. You borrowed the name of a figure from the pre-apocalypse era, styling yourself as a saint, trying to blaze an unprecedented path, but...”

”Other than sacrificing lives to ensure a mission’s success, what have you ever done?”

”...”

No one was qualified to accuse Independent Investigator Li Moxi like this, but somehow, Song Chushi was.

At his words, Li Moxi’s face grew even paler. His emotions churned violently, but he offered no rebuttal.

”And you, Zhang Chiguo!”

The three men holding the blocking positions had been steadily approaching, about to cross the threshold that maintained the delicate balance. But just then, Song Chushi suddenly called out a name.

Zhang Chiguo stopped short. His halt forced Zhao Fantian and King Buddha to stop as well.

The three men in the blocking positions needed to maintain a synchronized rhythm.

Song Chushi looked at him coldly. ”Since you accepted this mission, it means they must have at least told you the truth about the Silence Plan, right?”

Zhang Chiguo remained silent.

Song Chushi slowly withdrew his gaze and said, ”A good old boy like you is truly useless!”

Because Zhang Chiguo had stopped, the cordon didn’t continue to tighten. But as they spoke, several streets away at the former D7 Laboratory, waves of psychic energy erupted once more, as if space itself were collapsing.

Air rushed in, creating a roar like that of a colossal beast.

Song Chushi looked extremely worried. Without a word, he picked up his case and started to move forward, but in that instant, Li Moxi blocked his path. Li Moxi slowly raised his head, an unusual light shining in his eyes. ”I will investigate the matter of the kidnapping case myself.”

”However, Dr. Song, your threat to Qinggang ends here...”

”...”

As he spoke, he raised his palm.

His skin was deathly pale, and his hand was just as gaunt. But as he lifted it, a bizarre layer of red light coated his palm.

Suddenly, he swiped his hand toward the ground.

Although all four of them had accepted the mission, the other three were holding the blocking positions, so naturally, he was the only one to make a move.

At this moment, Song Chushi was inside Qinggang’s Mirror World, surrounded by endless lights.

But as Li Moxi made his move, all the lights vanished, leaving only a single, brilliant lamp shining behind Song Chushi.

This single light cast his shadow long, stretching all the way to Li Moxi’s feet.

Li Moxi grabbed the shadow right at the neck and yanked it upward.

The shadow seemed to be one with Song Chushi. As Li Moxi moved, Song Chushi’s entire body sank into the ground.

The next instant, he was yanked out from underground by Li Moxi, who, in the blink of an eye, had him by the neck, dangling in midair.

”Be careful...”

Seeing Li Moxi’s attack land successfully, Zhao Fantian and King Buddha, who were behind him, suddenly had a bad feeling and shouted a warning at the same time.

Each of the Four Heavenly Kings was extraordinarily powerful, but they also firmly believed that Song Chushi’s reputation was not undeserved. The Four Heavenly Kings were famous only in Qinggang, while Song Chushi was a dangerous man wanted by countless cities around the world.

No matter the circumstances, he couldn’t possibly be caught by Li Moxi in a single move.

Since such an abnormal scene had occurred, it could only mean one thing: it was a trick.

Sure enough, the Song Chushi that Li Moxi had lifted into the air instantly elongated and twisted, its form coiling together until it transformed into a bizarre tree.

The tree was covered in vines. The moment it shot up from the ground, they snaked up Li Moxi’s arm, wrapping around his body and legs to bind him completely. More vines even constricted his mouth, hands, and arms.

The situation was reversed in an instant. Li Moxi was not only restrained, but he couldn’t even struggle or recite an Encrypted Spell.

Meanwhile, Song Chushi’s figure had instantly appeared behind the bizarre tree. He raised his gun and aimed it at the back of Li Moxi’s head.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

He didn’t hesitate, firing three consecutive shots. Even the spot on the back of the head had been carefully chosen.

There are certain powerful Transcendent who cannot be harmed by any attack they see coming. That was why Song Chushi chose to attack from behind.

”A Wetland Tree-man?”

Seeing the sudden gunshot, everyone’s heart filled with terror. However, among the four, only the most erudite, King Buddha, recognized the Mysterious Power Song Chushi had just displayed.

Amidst his shock, his eyes were filled with admiration.

In the century before the Radiation Age, a Clan-Level variant species was born in the Siberian Pantanal Wetland. Its body was formed of vines, and it could root itself in swamps to absorb life Activity, possessing extremely strong regeneration and a long lifespan.

This Tree-man variant was limited by its dependence on a specific environment and region, so from the very beginning, it was destined never to become a world-spanning civilized species. However, the unique traits it displayed were still marvelous enough.

To fully acquire the knowledge and transformations of a Clan-Level Totem like this would require generations of a whole school of researchers to conduct endless studies and experiments.

Yet Song Chushi had deployed it with ease and minute precision. This meant that he might already possess the complete knowledge of this type of Totem.

To see a Clan-Level Totem demonstrated so perfectly by Song Chushi was simply mesmerizing.

”They say Song Chushi has traveled far and wide these past few years, collecting many good things...”

Watching such an exquisite manifestation of Mysterious Power, King Buddha’s heart pounded with excitement:

’A man like this... if he had stayed in Qinggang, couldn’t he have single-handedly forged an entire legacy?’

But the others’ minds tensed, their attention fixed on Li Moxi. They saw that he had taken three shots to the back of his head, and his eyes had turned blood-red. Immediately after, the invisible red ocean materialized around him, its giant waves surging one after another.

Although the three bullets hit his body, it was like they had struck the Red Sea itself; the damage was severely diluted.

Unlike those Transcendent who are immune to any attack they notice, Li Moxi’s Spiritual Activity was perpetually active, accompanying him in the form of a red ocean.

Therefore, he had reached a state where even attacks from outside his awareness would be diluted.

”What’s the use of mastering so many flashy tricks?”

Li Moxi’s furious voice rang out. Although a sneak attack like this wasn’t enough to injure him, being instantly countered filled him with intense displeasure. The churning red ocean emanated a world-shakingly dangerous aura as it surged forth to devour Song Chushi.

Li Moxi was indeed qualified to call Song Chushi’s methods flashy, because each of the Four Heavenly Kings possessed an anomalous power that defied common sense.

[One of the most dangerous powers in the world, Divine Level—Crimson]