Michael walked in the cold tunnel, using the front flashlight on his modified phone. The phone, not only capable of 5G surfing and resistant to shocks and water, could also last for 72 hours on standby. The only downside was its size, resembling a brick and being too heavy for an average person. Fortunately, Michael was tall, and the large phone suited him perfectly.
Above the tunnel hung some tattered cloth strips and vines. Occasionally, dry fish carcasses, resembling firewood, could be seen on the ground. Logically, this should have been the third-floor cesarean section room, but Michael hadn't seen a trace of modern medicine throughout his journey.
At the end of the corridor was a door that looked like a study. Michael resorted to forceful demolition and found various specimens displayed in the study, along with shelves full of occult books. In the center, there was a stone platform surrounded by stones inscribed with crude runes in red paint, resembling some sort of altar.
A huge mural dominated the center of the study. The bizarre and surreal scene depicted what seemed to be a deep-sea monster, unsettling to the observer. Whether it was an illusion or not, Michael felt as if the eyes in the painting were watching him.
He forced himself not to dwell on it, slowly approaching the desk. The desk was messy, with a dried-up cup containing traces of water. The entire setup looked like someone could return at any moment.
Shining his flashlight on a red book cover on the desk, Michael read aloud, "Teach Yourself How to Summon an Evil God in Five Minutes." It seemed highly unreliable, but out of investigative curiosity, Michael flipped through it. The characters inside were unfamiliar, a combination of several scripts, accompanied by occasional simple illustrations.
All the text in the book was in a dark red color, emitting a faint scent of blood. Since the content was mostly incomprehensible, Michael flipped through it quickly. On the last page, a red moon was drawn, below which was a pregnant woman with a large gash in her belly, hands reaching out from within.
Sitting on the chair by the desk, Michael opened a drawer and found numerous business documents. At the bottom, he discovered a merchant's diary. Having studied psychology in college, Michael knew that keeping a diary was a form of stress relief.
The diary recounted the story of a middle-class accountant who seduced the chairman's daughter, taking over the family business after the boss's demise. To ensure his wife married him, the merchant even resorted to sabotaging contraceptives, leading to an unexpected miscarriage due to the state's strict abortion laws.
The merchant, with weak sperm, had difficulty impregnating his wife. Desperate to secure his business empire's succession, he sought the help of a mysterious group—the Truth Society.
As Michael continued reading, the entries became increasingly chaotic and illegible. The merchant, desiring an heir, again sought the Truth Society's assistance. The diary revealed disturbing details about forcing his mistress to ingest something and confining her in the basement.
The entries spoke of Jennifer, the mistress, undergoing a grotesque transformation. The diary concluded with a desperate tone, hinting at the merchant's realization of his impending demise, marked by a date close to Christmas.
The air in the room felt heavy, and Michael could almost taste the dampness in every breath. Closing the diary, he muttered, "Madman!"
Lu Yan casually closed the bedroom door, holding a small red flower in his palm. The petal's shape resembled wildflowers by the roadside, delicate and powerless, giving no indication that it could save someone's life.
[Usage: Oral. The red flower will wither after a day. Personally, I suggest you keep this flower. What may be lethal to you might not be the same for a small sapling. Better safe than sorry.]
[Inexperienced boys are like this, losing their souls at the sight of a good-looking face.]
The system spoke with emphasis and seriousness, [Good kid, you mustn't follow his lead. Be cautious of those long-tailed heart deceivers.]
Lu Yan had become accustomed to the system's occasional sarcastic remarks. He put the flower in his pocket, with no intention of using it. Since the path to the operating room was still blocked, Lu Yan took the keys and headed towards the stairs.
He asked the system, "Where's Michael?"
[There's a secret passage in the operating room. It's a bit dark, but if you go down the stairs, you'll reach the entrance to the basement. Michael is there studying how to forcefully unlock the door.]
In other words, as long as he went downstairs, Lu Yan could meet Michael at the entrance to the basement. The key in his hand, although shaped like a key, had many spikes on the round tube, resembling a movable mechanism.
[This key is quite useful.] The system ceased its commentary.
Lu Yan reached the first-floor hall, and the merchant's body had begun to emit a foul odor. Debris clung to the plaster statue in the corner, resembling sticky spider silk.
The red moon outside was completely obscured by dark clouds, and there was no trace of light even though Lu Yan could see in the dark.
In the center of the hall, Uriel's body still hung in place. However, at some point, he had lifted his head. Blood tears streamed from his eyes, pierced by the nails.
The scene was eerie and absurd, yet oddly fascinating.
Suddenly, the system said, [Hold onto Michael's feather and get close to Uriel. He has an item essential for defeating the boss. Very important.]
The system's tone was unusually solemn. Lu Yan was taken aback. He found the few remaining golden feathers.
Although there was no fire, the moment he held it, the feather spontaneously ignited.
He held the burning feather and approached Uriel. The lower half of the Archangel, resembling tree roots, had penetrated deep into the ground.
Only then did Lu Yan realize that the remaining flesh of the merchant might not have shrunk due to death but had been absorbed by Uriel's tendrils.
Uriel still had his eyes closed, but Lu Yan suspected he had begun to breathe.
The halo produced by the burning feather shrank by half when approaching Uriel. Lu Yan asked the system, "He won't suddenly play dead, right?"
Uriel made him uneasy, and the fish in his body seemed restless.
[Although you've always been a reverse lucky charm, I'm pleased to inform you that it won't happen now.]
"Will it happen in the future?"
[I don't know about the future. But if he resurrects, it's definitely related to the Gu technique.]
Lu Yan recalled that the system had previously mentioned that the Gu practitioner had followed his father abroad from a very young age.
[Alright, your time is running out. My treasure. The item is in Uriel's mouth.]
Unfortunately, Lu Yan couldn't fly, and Uriel was hanging high on the crucifix. To avoid disrespecting the predecessor's remains, he reluctantly relied on the giant fish.
The big fish spat out its long tongue, coiling it around the chandelier on the ceiling, pulling him up.
Thanks to several evolutions, the fish's tongue was long enough; otherwise, he would have had to climb up the crucifix.
The scene was bizarre, but fortunately, no one except the system could witness it.
Lu Yan shifted his position, and with his remaining hand, he touched Uriel's lips.
Although Uriel's face was deformed due to long-term death, from the bone structure, he should have been quite handsome.
Lu Yan pried open his pale lips. On Uriel's tongue was a small golden cross.
[In the West, a cross, like a peach-wood sword, is given additional symbolism of exorcising evil spirits. Of course, this is also superstition. But the cross in front of you can indeed suppress something.]
[It's a piece of hand bone. Many years ago, it was salvaged from the sea by a distant ship.]
"Whose hand bone?" Lu Yan asked.
The system attempted to force its way into scientific reasoning, [Who knows? Maybe it's an extraterrestrial.]
When the system didn't want to talk, Lu Yan knew he couldn't extract any information. He pulled out the small golden cross from Uriel's mouth. Black blood surged out, wetting his fingertips.
Lu Yan returned to the ground. The golden feather that Michael had given him had dimmed and, after a few flickers, extinguished completely.
Fortunately, the Uriel in front of him did not play dead.
Lu Yan placed the cross and the tranquilizer together, took a deep breath, and headed towards the basement.
Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For just $5, you'll receive:
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
- Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:
- You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
