The Eldritch Files

Chapter 300: Chapter 255: Lifeline Number 02, Part 3

In the previous timeline, he was the reason Qinggang had suffered a devastating disaster. Therefore, in this current timeline where he had no involvement with Qinggang, everything there remained peaceful and normal.

Ms. Shen hadn’t discovered his Copper Will, so Abyssal Studio had no reason to invade Qinggang, and the Four Heavenly Kings probably hadn’t died…

‘Does this mean that everything—all the things in Qinggang that were once connected to me—remains unchanged?’

Following this line of thought, the more Han Su considered it, the more amazed he became.

Although he still needed to verify a few details, he already had a feeling this speculation was logical.

But beyond his surprise, what about the things that *hadn’t* changed?

He lightly activated his Spiritual Power to probe his senses, only to be met with another surprise: on a spiritual level, his Spiritual Activity, its amplitude, and his Mysterious Power were all unchanged.

His Divine Material, however, had reverted to its initial, unactivated state.

‘What’s going on?’

His heart sank for a moment, but Han Su quickly deduced the reason.

The fruits of his efforts—his Spiritual Activity, its amplitude, his Mysterious Power—were all gained on that anchored timeline. They existed on a spiritual level, so when he escaped the Ancient Castle, they followed his consciousness and came with him to this new timeline.

Physical changes, however, would not transfer over. And the Divine Material, despite seeming mysterious and bizarre, happened to possess “physical”—or rather, real-world—attributes.

His self in this timeline had never activated the Divine Material, so it was now in its initial, dormant state.

…

…

‘So, from this perspective, my spirit and will must also be something that transcends the properties of time and space?’

Han Su gradually came to understand the matter. The Fishing Song had once displayed properties that transcended time and space, which had astonished him. Now, he had finally identified another thing with those same properties.

Himself.

With the Ancient Castle as an anchor, escaping at different times and meeting different people would lead to vastly different lives and experiences.

But his consciousness, particularly the changes on the spiritual level, retained similar characteristics across different timelines.

Like a single seed sprouting different branches.

The life that began after his first escape from the Ancient Castle, when he was found by Zhang Chiguo, should be considered his true timeline. Using the key to summon the escape door would also return him to that same timeline.

Everything in that timeline was something he had personally experienced, giving it an irreplaceable sense of reality.

‘So, that should be considered the prime timeline?’

‘As for the timeline I’m in now, where the entire past is just inherited memories… maybe I can assign it a number? Like 02?’

Of course, there had been similar timelines before. Back then, however, these hazy and unfamiliar lifepaths held little meaning for Han Su, so he hadn’t bothered to organize or record them. It made more sense to start numbering them now.

He was already beginning to realize the usefulness of these different timelines.

In the prime timeline, he was too exposed. Bai Shi, Drunkard, Ms. Shen, and even those Knight Descendants…

They could all watch him whenever they wanted.

As the sole survivor, he was practically living under a spotlight. Joining the Disaster Management Bureau, obtaining his Investigator License, applying to reopen the kidnapping case—every move was a struggle. Each step he took was a baptism by the stares of countless eyes.

But now, things were different.

Before, the Knight Descendants were in the shadows while he was in the light. Now, he was in the shadows, and they were in the light…

‘In that case, wouldn’t it be much easier to get things done than before?’

As he considered this in detail, Han Su began to feel a sense of good fortune, and a thousand ideas flooded his mind in an instant.

‘Wait a minute…’

But as he was pondering these questions, his gaze shifted slightly and fell upon the time displayed on the computer screen below:

September 11, 2724.

A jolt went through him. ‘That’s not right…’

The last time he’d returned to the Ancient Castle, the date had been September 13, 2724. Based on past experience, whenever he returned to the Ancient Castle and escaped again, he would reappear at the corresponding point in time, with only a few seconds having passed, regardless of any changes to his life.

‘How could I have gone back two days this time?’

‘Did some other factor come into play?’

…

…

“Did you come on a little too strong? Maybe you scared the poor kid.”

While Han Su cradled the computer and searched through various news articles, Captain Akbar, now fully dressed, approached. He had resumed his usual sharp, cold, iceberg-like demeanor. He simply folded his arms and watched Han Su coolly, not interrupting him.

The technician, Lalei, however, shot Captain Akbar a look, his smiling eyes filled with a mixture of greed and caution.

“Remember your place!”

Captain Akbar shot him a look. He didn’t speak, but a strange presence arose between them, allowing for an instantaneous exchange of information. “You’re just a worker bee. You have no right to be jealous, and you certainly have no right to my bed!”

The technician Lalei flinched. “I know, of course I know. But does this young pup, codename Butcher, have a chance to become a drone?”

“If you find your thoughts are becoming too cluttered, I can find someone else for this role.”

Captain Akbar replied coolly, continuing the silent exchange. “Focus and wait for the signal. This war between the Giant Horn City Independent Investigators and the Skinning Farm has gone on for far too long. Our employer is worried that if it drags on any longer, it will attract the Circuit Knights.”

“If the negotiations down there break down, we need to eliminate those goat-worshippers in the shortest time possible and seize their Totem password.”