The Eldritch Files

This object, something he had only recently seen in the real world, had suddenly appeared in the Ancient Castle, giving Han Su the feeling that the boundary between reality and illusion had been broken.

Judging by its shape, it looked like a segment of a finger bone, placed inside a horse lamp. It radiated a crystalline, translucent glow, its light nearly as bright as a flame.

The Crystal Skull possessed the ability to infect any human who drew near. Those infected would undergo a crystallization of their skeleton, gaining uncanny strength and regenerative abilities while also emitting an unnatural luster.

But still, who in their right mind would think of using a crystal for illumination?

As he thought this, he confirmed that the one who had come to investigate was still just the hunchback, and that there were no other living creatures outside the cellar. Seizing the opportunity amid the chaos, he quietly took a step back.

He slowly raised his right hand, activated his Spiritual Power, and silently recited the Spell:

[I am Entering the Abyssal!]

[...]

The Spell left his lips, yet to his surprise, Han Su felt no Spiritual Power seeping from his right hand.

There seemed to be a faint change as he spoke, but he still felt no Spiritual Power seeping from his right hand.

He was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening. ’Is it because my right hand was helped by Miss Crow to achieve Penetration in the ”future”? So my current, ten-year-old self doesn’t have the ability to let my Spiritual Power penetrate reality through this ”opening” yet?’

But as he was thinking this, a slight pain pricked his right eye, followed by a cool sensation. It was the familiar feeling of Spiritual Power achieving Penetration.

’It seems only phenomena related to that Fishing Song can be brought back to the Ancient Castle...’

’...’

At that moment, the slicked-back-haired kid who had been hit was scrambling to his feet. Compared to the attack from behind, the light shining down from the hunchback above seemed to give him a sense of hope.

He was bawling his eyes out while tattling in a loud voice, ”He hit me! He hit me...”

But as he cried and turned to point at the audacious kid who had dared to hit him, in the instant he turned, his raised finger didn’t know where to point.

”He...”

”...Where’d he go?”

”...”

Meanwhile, Han Su, who had just recited the Spell, was already in the dark cellar. As the words left his lips, he felt the surrounding darkness gain a sort of Activity, gathering in front of him and concealing his form.

At first, only a faint shadow remained. But after he ducked behind another child and reemerged, even that faint shadow was gone.

He then moved nimbly to the front of the stairs and tentatively placed a foot on the first step.

Before him, the light swayed. The hunchback was vigorously holding up the Crystal Horse Lamp, trying to observe the situation below. The single point of light cast the children’s figures into a tangled mess, and he failed to notice an imperceptible shadow ascending toward him.

Step by step, Han Su climbed three stairs. He was now close enough to see the uneven, sandpaper-like skin on the hunchback’s face, and he held his breath.

But the hunchback still didn’t see him. He let out a guttural roar, as if scolding the children in the cellar to be quiet.

’It’s working...’

Encouraged, Han Su was about to try for another step when the hunchback suddenly seemed to feel something was off. He whipped his head around and looked directly at Han Su’s current position.

Immediately after, he swung the Crystal Horse Lamp over, shining it where Han Su was standing.

Han Su immediately took a step back, dodging the lamp’s beam by a hair’s breadth.

The hunchback saw nothing. A flicker of confusion crossed his face, and he barked out two more admonishments, scaring all the children into silence. Then he pulled the lamp back and slammed the small cellar door shut.

Only then did Han Su, who had retreated back into the crowd of children in the cellar, let out a slight sigh of relief and stop the Spell.

’The Invisibility Ability is effective.’

He silently calculated in his mind: ’But I need to maintain a certain safe distance. I can’t get too close. Damn it, if I can’t even get close to him, what about the others?’

’Compared to the other monsters, he’s just a servant, maybe even just a tool for the steward...’

’...’

But feeling dejected was useless now. He forced himself to continue his analysis. At least it was effective from a distance. It wasn’t as if he planned to stroll right in front of a monster anyway. Compared to before, this was already a significant advantage.

’Besides, if I recited the Divine Revelation first and then used this ability, wouldn’t the effect be much better?’

Unfortunately, he didn’t dare to try such a bold experiment. The last time, on the fifth floor, just reciting that Spell had caused every Copper Armor Statue on the entire floor to reanimate. The commotion had been far too great.

The Divine Revelation could only be saved for a critical moment.

Moreover, there was another limitation. While the Divine Revelation could enhance his Invisibility Ability, it also drastically increased the consumption of his Spiritual Power. He wouldn’t be able to maintain it for more than a few seconds before falling into a period of exhaustion.

’I’d need to change the batteries.’

’If that’s the case, then this Spell isn’t enough for me to devise a plan for Stealing the key, let alone saving anyone else.’

’Do I have no choice but to wait for another opportunity?’

He thought to himself silently. The moment he remembered the Worm Monk, the task of Stealing the key felt immensely difficult, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of yearning:

’If only a second key really existed.’

The first key, back then, had been discovered by chance on the Pig-Headed Butcher’s waist after he had rescued Xu Ji. He had noticed it because the Butcher didn’t have it on him earlier, so he had immediately paid close attention.

Later, during the Night of Revelry, the cunning and tricky Tuxedo had caused a commotion. Han Su had seized the opportunity to grab the key, found the door, and escaped.

This time, he had no clues at all. How was he supposed to find it?

Just as his thoughts were a tangled mess, annoyed by the incessant sobbing of the slicked-back-haired kid, and he was even considering whether to go and hit him again, a faint cry suddenly sounded from above.

”Meow...”

Han Su, lost in thought, felt his heart skip a beat. He looked up to see a black Cat Demon gracefully passing through the bars of the small, sealed cellar window.

’Oh, it’s just a cat...’

Han Su looked away, then suddenly froze and snapped his head back up. ’Wait, a cat?’

He shot to his feet, staring intently at the cat—its chubby body, its wise eyes... It was...

This black cat, appearing so unexpectedly, also caught the attention of the other children in the cellar. Even in their terrified state, the sight of a cat made them stare in a daze.

Only the slicked-back-haired kid glanced at it and said disdainfully, ”What’s so great about it? I’ve killed several of them, all more expensive than this one...”

The other children just watched the cat, but thinking of their own predicament, they weren’t in the mood to do anything.

Only Han Su, who was staring intently at the black cat, felt an overwhelming sense of the uncanny rise within him.

This cat had never appeared before.

’So, is this cat the new change in the Ancient Castle that appeared after I rescued Mei Lan last time?’

’I was wrong!’

Last time, after saving someone, the Ancient Castle had indeed changed in a way that was favorable to him, but it wasn’t by producing a second key.

Instead, a cat had appeared.

Most importantly, for some reason, looking at this cat felt incredibly familiar. He couldn’t remember where he had seen it, but the longer he looked, the stronger the feeling of familiarity grew.

He even subconsciously called out softly:

”Duke, you came...”

”...”

That single word, ”Duke,” seemed to stir something deep within Han Su’s memory.

He couldn’t recall any memories about this cat, but he had a strange intuition:

”This is my cat!”

”...”

This strange intuition made him instantly excited. His heart couldn’t help but tremble slightly as he looked at the cat with immense longing.

And then...

...he saw that the cat had absolutely no reaction.

It wiggled its chubby body, not even turning its head, leisurely circled past the bars, and then disappeared into the gap between the wooden planks. He had no idea how such a fat body could fit into such a narrow space.

’Uh... I guess this cat doesn’t know me after all...’

Han Su stood there, a little disappointed, and even felt a bit awkward.

’Was that strong intuition from before all fake?’

Disappointed, he sat down. After some calculation, he was certain that this cat had never appeared before and that its appearance must be something out of the ordinary.

But what good would it do?

’A key could let me open the door and leave, but a silly cat...’

CRASH! CLANG!

Just as he was thinking, a huge commotion suddenly erupted outside the cellar. It was a cacophony of something heavy crashing to the ground mixed with the hunchback’s furious, guttural roars.

All the children jerked their heads up, staring in fear at the small door at the top of the stairs.

Han Su didn’t know what was happening; there hadn’t been this kind of commotion upstairs before.

Then, as he watched with a mixture of surprise and uncertain expectation, after a few seconds, the small door suddenly swung open without a sound.

Outside, it was dead silent.

The hunchback’s roars had vanished, and the clattering sounds of objects had ceased. There was only a profound, heavy silence.

Then, a light-footed figure quietly appeared at the cellar entrance. It was the fat black cat.

It sat right at the entrance to the cellar, the faint glow of the Crystal Finger Bone shining from behind it, outlining a proud and lazy silhouette.

It looked down on them, its gaze seemingly filled with arrogant disdain.

”This...”

Down in the cellar, Han Su could no longer hide the joyous surprise in his heart.

He could keenly perceive that the black cat’s eyes were staring precisely at him, right through the crowd, as if impatiently asking why he hadn’t come over yet.

’It knows me!’

’So it wasn’t that it didn’t react when I called it just now, it just couldn’t be bothered to respond to me...’

’Now, is it calling me to come out?’