The Eldritch Files

Chapter 294: Chapter 254: Restarting the Future

“It’s here!”

The sound of the phone made Han Su snap his head up, just in time to see the small cellar door swing silently open.

The Black Cat Duke sat there proudly, quietly waiting for him to come up.

Seeing the black cat again also sparked Han Su’s curiosity.

His conversation with Ms. Shen this time had been too short, and he hadn’t had time to ask about many details—like the Duke, his own father, or those nobles, the legendary Knight Descendants. In theory, they wielded the greatest power, yet they had a strange air about them.

However, all that information was inside the Crystal Skull. He just needed a safe environment to review and understand those memories, so there was no rush.

And as for the black briefcase…

Han Su carefully recalled the sensation of the Flashing. He was certain the black briefcase had come back with him, it just hadn’t appeared directly in his hands. The first thing he had to do now was find it.

Letting out a soft sigh, he stood up. His body felt strangely exhausted.

As he rose, he recited Number 01, [I Will Enter the Abyssal], and transformed into a faint shadow.

He slipped past the children clustered around a bragging boy with a side-part haircut. He walked straight out of the cellar and stepped over the hunchbacked man the Duke had already taken down. His eyes landed on his black briefcase, and his heart settled. Then, he picked up the phone.

On the other end of the line was the usual old, hoarse voice. “Now, which night is it?”

He asked the exact same question as before, as if he, too, were caught in the Ancient Castle’s loop and this was his first time calling.

Han Su knew asking who he was would be pointless, and trying to get any other clues out of him would only lead to more deception.

So this time, he simply asked in a low, direct voice, “Can you get me out of here?”

The man on the other end was momentarily stunned, as if he hadn’t expected the ten-year-old boy on the phone to ask such a direct question.

‘Not very clever, is he…’

‘Shouldn’t a child with any cunning be trying to fish for more information right now?’

When he replied, a hint of amusement crept into his voice. “Only if you do as I say and help me with something.”

Han Su said, “Tell me!”

The person on the other end of the line was stunned again.

Then he slowed his pace, speaking deliberately. “I know you’re very scared right now, but you don’t actually have to be afraid of those…”

Han Su cut in, “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

The man on the other end seemed to lose his composure. After a pause, he let out a dry laugh.

“Heh. You’re impatient. I just want you to understand, even though the Ancient Castle is full of monsters, I have a way to protect you.”

“But for today, I need you to take a little risk. Go to the tenth floor, find a book, and hide it somewhere safe. Wait for my call tomorrow…”

“…”

Just like before, he described what the book looked like. Just like before, he told Han Su he only had fifteen minutes and that he had to hide the book somewhere until he called again.

Han Su glanced at his briefcase. He was tempted to tell the man he already had the book.

But not wanting to arouse suspicion, he restrained himself and asked, “Is that all?”

The man on the other end paused, then chuckled. “Heh, that’s all. You poor, unfortunate child, I wish you…”

BEEP! BEEP!

Han Su hung up and walked over to the main hall entrance. He carefully examined the black briefcase sitting by the main door. It was just placed there, quiet and unassuming, so natural-looking that it hadn’t drawn any attention.

It was a very strange feeling.

He felt like a traveler who had arrived at his destination early, and his luggage had been promptly delivered to meet him.

He lifted the case gently. A quick test of its weight confirmed that everything was inside: the Emperor’s Book, a Mechanical Fragment, the Crystal Skull he had just acquired, and Mechanical Fragment No. 2.

Even the jar of White Corpse Blood and the stun baton and short knife he’d received from the Disaster Management Bureau were there.

Now, he faced just one problem:

‘Where should I hide it?’

In fifteen minutes, the old butler would return to the Ancient Castle. Han Su wasn’t sure if he would notice the out-of-place briefcase.

In his previous loops, especially the more recent ones, he had often left the Ancient Castle on the very first night. That meant he never had to worry about hiding things. At worst, he would just carry the briefcase upstairs while searching for the key. But this time was different.

Using that key to summon a door and escape would only return him to a predetermined timeline, with only the details changing.

Returning to that timeline now was pointless.

After such a total rout, he wouldn’t have the power to turn the tide even if he did go back.

‘So, what would happen if I get out without using the key?’

He had escaped a few times before without the key, at different points in the loop. Each time, it had resulted in a completely different life path. Back then, those unanchored lives, so full of confusion, had terrified him.

But things were different now. Han Su needed a different path to reboot Qinggang’s future.

He knew in his heart that he stood no chance in a direct confrontation with terrifying opponents like the Knight Descendants.

But…

As he mulled over this problem, he looked toward the large black door before him.

His small body walked over. He reached out a hand to gently stroke the surface, feeling only how tall and heavy the black door was. It was covered in countless strange, intricate patterns that were both decorative and a series of impossibly exquisite cipher locks. There was no way to open it.