The Eldritch Files

As the tall, slender woman drew closer step by step, she was on the verge of breaking their psychological safe distance.

Song Chushi’s gaze turned cold as he quietly uttered a string of barely perceptible Spells.

The entire city trembled slightly in response.

Bright runes of light appeared within the Ciphertext Arrays scattered across the city. One by one, they linked together, forming long chains. Using Qinggang itself as an anchor, they coiled around the laboratory, tightening relentlessly until the three-story building began to show signs of collapse.

The next moment, the dense chains even began to weave and coil towards the tall, slender woman and her female assistants.

Song Chushi’s intention was obvious: he meant to trap and kill them here, along with the building.

The tall, slender woman frowned slightly. Gazing at the Ciphertext chains filling the sky, she sighed softly. ”Even a young man like you fails to understand?”

Facing Song Chushi, she seemed much more rational than when she had faced Han Su, completely devoid of that hysterical madness.

”You’ve walked among historical ruins. You must have seen many things. You should know that this world has endured an exceedingly long period of chaos. The restoration of human civilization can almost be considered a fluke.”

”So many powerful, even unimaginable, peoples and civilizations have been but a fleeting presence in this world’s history. Wiped out by genocide, their very languages and writing were erased, as if they had never existed at all.”

”In that case, what meaning do you think the lives of their individuals held?”

She even sounded as if she were patiently trying to persuade him, her voice low. ”Compared to the long history of this world, every person is insignificant. Compared to the survival of the species, every individual is expendable. Your resistance is meaningless.”

”I have seen this world’s truth, and I know of the Tide that you fear, but...”

Song Chushi slowly looked up at her. ”For the adults who lost their children, it’s as if you’ve already destroyed their entire world.”

”Since their worlds have already been destroyed, why should they care what happens to your world?”

”...”

For some reason, that single sentence instantly enraged the tall, slender woman. The patience on her face rapidly faded.

”Angry adults, are they?”

As she spoke, she looked up at the night sky, sensing the vicious battles raging around Qinggang. A sneer spread across her face.

”A child’s defiance can be excused as naivete, but an adult’s defiance can only be called foolish!”

”Because they simply lack the power to do so!”

”...”

As she spoke, she gently raised a hand.

At that same instant, the pupils of the female assistants beside her turned menacing as they shot off in all directions.

With a flick of their slender wrists, each was now gripping a delicate scalpel. Fanning out to the left and right, they slashed at the Ciphertext chains in the air.

The scalpels in their hands looked like nothing more than ordinary blades.

But as they moved to strike, the blades displayed an extraordinary sharpness.

When they struck the Ciphertext chains, they instantly severed them, as if the chains were as fragile as hemp rope.

And the tall, slender woman—who had been speaking with Song Chushi while deliberately avoiding eye contact with Han Su—finally fixed her gaze upon him for the first time. There was not a shred of emotion in her eyes, only the chilling focus of a predator locked onto its prey.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The instant they sliced through the Ciphertext chains, the women lunged forward, moving like white Ghosts.

Surprisingly, they didn’t charge directly at Han Su. Instead, their figures fanned out, instantly forming a hexagonal blockade before closing in on the center simultaneously.

Surrounded, Han Su could feel sharp blades assailing him from all directions. An intense sense of crisis washed over him—the feeling that the slightest move would get him hacked to pieces.

Meanwhile, the tall, slender woman fixed her gaze on Song Chushi.

Her gaze seemed to possess an unnatural weight; as it fell upon Song Chushi, it bore down on him.

Even the Spiritual Activity emanating from Song Chushi began to dim, like a flame cut off from its source.

”You are a genius.”

The tall, slender woman spoke slowly. ”But you’ve never even had the chance to access truly secret knowledge.”

”And neither has Qinggang!”

”Your resistance is nothing more than a joke to me!”

”...”

”...”

It truly was a joke.

She hadn’t even made a move herself, yet the Ciphertext Array that Song Chushi had deployed was already torn to shreds with ease.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Qinggang, the Disaster Management Bureau had deployed all its forces. Investigators and Executioners confronted the invading City Slaughter Priests on all fronts.

Realizing that Abyssal Studio had been forcibly dragged into Qinggang, these City Slaughter Priests were clearly becoming agitated.

They had been the aggressors, the ones laying siege to Qinggang.

But now, their own forces had been divided, which gave rise to a feeling of unease.

In their haste, the City Slaughter Priests changed tactics, attempting to force a breakout and advance toward the city’s reality anchors.

This put the Four Heavenly Kings who were blocking their path under immense pressure.

Independent Investigator Mr. Buddha was facing the most powerful of them, the Silver-faced Priest. However, he also had the most support, accompanied by three other Investigators—Night Lamp, Red Windbreaker, and Green Hat—as well as veteran Executioners and the armed forces of the Disaster Management Bureau.

Yet, facing the Secret Curses that poured from the Silver-faced Priest’s mouth, they were forced into a constant retreat. They were like a dam holding back a surging Tide; it hadn’t collapsed yet, but it wouldn’t hold for long.