Chapter 35: Relics
The lift descended rapidly, plunging into darkness, leaving only Gus's somewhat heavy breathing.
"Gus, are you scared?"
Old Hank's slightly teasing voice came through.
"Scared? Me scared?"
As the honey badger among the awakened, Gus naturally wouldn't back down, even if he was panicking inside.
"You might not be scared, but... I am."
Old Hank raised his arm; his hand was trembling. Having served in the Execution Agency for decades, Old Hank knew more or less what was in the basement.
"You can still back out now."
In the darkness, Su Xiao spoke.
"..."
Gus and the other two fell silent. The choice before them now would determine their survival.
"After using those things, you'll most likely die."
As Su Xiao finished speaking, the lift stopped. He pushed open the iron gate, and the flickering torchlight illuminated his profile.
Old Hank lowered his eyelids, let out a sinister laugh, and followed. Reinhardt lifted his foot, hesitated for a moment, then also stepped out of the lift.
Gus rubbed his fingers, spat heavily inside the lift, and then strode forward as well.
Su Xiao stood before an alloy door nearly five meters tall. The double doors had three keyholes in the lower middle section, and above them was an inscription in the empire's most ancient script:
*'We walk in the darkness, for those who yearn for peace—Hugh Losnanle.'*
Three keys were inserted into the keyholes. Click, click, click...
The keys rotated automatically. With a dull rumble, the metal door slowly creaked open, revealing pitch blackness beyond the crack.
Thump, thump, thump!
Muffled sounds came from the depths of the darkness. Even with Old Hank and the others' composure, their throats went dry as they stared intently at the blackness in the doorway.
"Is there... something alive in there?"
Gus's cheek twitched. From the dust on the door, he could tell it might not have been opened for several years.
"Of course there is, and more than one. This isn't just a storage room; the deepest part is also a prison."
As for the length of the prison sentences, Su Xiao didn't say. This prison had only one kind of sentence: imprisonment until death.
Su Xiao hooked his hand onto the edge of the metal door. The muscles on his back slightly bulged. After a harsh scraping sound, the gap in the metal door was wide enough for one person to pass through.
Su Xiao gestured with his hand, and Reinhardt handed him a package wrapped in oiled paper. Inside was a piece of bloody fresh meat.
Tearing open the oilcloth, Su Xiao tossed the fresh meat into the basement.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The thumping grew more violent, one after another, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
"No problem now."
Su Xiao reached his hand inside the door, fumbled around for a moment, then pressed a mechanism. The lights flickered unsteadily before illuminating the basement.
Su Xiao entered the basement first. It was oppressive, like a long corridor about six or seven meters wide. Metal shelves lined both sides, filled with all sorts of bizarre items.
About a dozen meters ahead, rows of metal pillars as thick as barrels blocked the way, with darkness beyond.
Su Xiao walked over to a metal shelf on one side. It was covered with various items, their quality ranging from Gold to Legendary rank. They were either equipment or one-time consumable items.
These things had two things in common: they couldn't be taken out of this world by any means, and using them came with massive side effects. The empire called these things "Relics," most of which were produced from Specters or Awakened individuals.
Pure "Relics" couldn't be used directly and didn't possess particularly special abilities. They needed "processing" to become storable, powerful relics.
The lives of 5,000 to 20,000 civilians roughly equaled the cost of making one Relic. For unknown reasons, Specters couldn't serve as filler for Relics. All Relics had been passed down from the Dark Age. The empire had since banned the creation of Relics. In that era, human life was cheap; the empire had used even more brutal methods to deal with Specters.
As civilization developed, the inhuman manufacturing process of Relics was strictly forbidden. Not only was manufacturing prohibited, but even inquiring about the method was punishable by death.
Su Xiao picked up a lump of rotten flesh-like Relic. This thing was called "Spore Gate." It contained a large number of unknown types of spores. When an Awakened inhaled them, it would stimulate the energy within their body, causing a controllable Awakened frenzy, temporarily unleashing combat power at 100% Awakening degree. After use, there was a small chance of death, and a high chance of the "Spore Gate" fusing into the body, causing the Awakening degree to increase several times faster, eventually turning into a Demon.
After a moment's hesitation, Su Xiao tossed the "Spore Gate" to Gus. This guy was more suited for this kind of short-term burst Relic.
After briefly explaining the use of the "Spore Gate" to Gus, Gus's eye twitched.
"Sir, if I use this thing... how strong will I be?"
"In the short term, you can fight a Twelve-Eyed Specter."
"That... useful?"
Gus's eyes widened. There was no fear, as if he had discovered a new continent.
"How do I use this thing?"
"Swallow it when you use it."
"Uh~," Gus was stunned. He thought there would be some kind of ritual. In reality, Relics were very down-to-earth, with simple and crude usage methods.
After searching the shelves, Su Xiao took down a finger-length vial containing a white powder. This Relic was called "Bone Ash." Actually, it wasn't bone ash at all, but pollen left by some kind of plant, mixed with the blood of a Demon.
The effect of "Bone Ash" was also simple and crude: apply a small amount to the skin, and for a period of time, it would ignore pain and greatly enhance recovery. The side effect was that overuse would permanently lose the sense of touch.
This thing was suitable for Reinhardt. His ability's strength didn't depend on how much stored electricity he had, but on his body's tolerance. If Reinhardt fully released his electric current, he could cause a blackout in a tenth of Zul City. Keep in mind, Zul City was a large city with a population of over six million.
As for Old Hank, the Relic he received was very special. It was a strangely shaped short knife, the handle resembling a human hand bone. From the yellowed hand bone, it seemed this thing had been burned.
This Relic was called "Grey Lady," made from the bones of a Specter and an Awakened. The sharpness of this bone blade depended on the user's Awakening degree, and its blade was coated with a deadly poison that would cause necrosis of the blood in the wounded. During use, the user would age at a rate hundreds of times faster. This thing was for Old Hank, and it was the Relic he chose himself.
It could be said that with the three of them using Relics, even Sin couldn't withstand their combined assault. That was the power of using Relics, but the price was even greater.
Su Xiao also took a Relic from the metal shelf, but he couldn't use it. Relics could only be used by Awakened individuals.
Amidst the deafening roar, the basement's iron door slowly closed.
"Last chance. Return the Relics now, take 10,000 Gold Le, and leave. After signing a confidentiality agreement, I'll provide you with new identities."
This was the second time Su Xiao had said something similar. He had asked the three of them the same question before entering the lift.
"..."
Silence. Still the same silence as before.
"Very well. Continue searching for the Eye Chamber. Kill anyone who blocks you without mercy."
With a clang, the lift descended. Su Xiao stepped into it. Since the Contractors in the shadows had already made their move, he would release three monsters. Among them, Reinhardt was the strongest. After using the Relic, even Su Xiao would have to avoid his edge to avoid being electrocuted. If there was a thunderstorm recently, Reinhardt might even be able to face a Fourteen-Eyed Specter without fear, but he would definitely die after the battle.