Chapter 1726: Relics

The elevator descended rapidly, and the surroundings plunged into darkness, leaving only the sound of Gus's slightly heavy breathing.

"Gus, are you scared?"

Old Hank's voice came through, tinged with mockery.

"Me? Scared? Would I be scared?"

As the "honey badger" among the Awakened, Gus certainly wouldn't admit to being cowardly, even if his heart was pounding wildly.

"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, he knew more or less what was inside this basement.

"You can still withdraw now."

Su Xiao spoke in the darkness.

"..."

The three of them fell silent. The choice they made now concerned their survival.

"If you use those things, you will likely die."

As soon as Su Xiao finished speaking, the elevator stopped. He pushed open the iron gate, and the flickering firelight illuminated his profile.

Old Hank lowered his eyelids and followed with a sinister laugh. Reinhardt hesitated for a moment before stepping out of the elevator.

Gus rubbed his fingers, spat on the floor of the elevator, and then took a step forward.

Su Xiao stood before an alloy door nearly five meters high. The door was double-leafed, with three keyholes in the middle-lower section, and a line of the Empire's most ancient script engraved above.

"We walk in the darkness, for those who yearn for peace. — Xiu Luosnanle."

Su Xiao inserted the three keys into the keyholes. *Click, click, click... *

The keys turned automatically, and with a muffled *boom*, the metal door slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black void behind the gap.

*Thud, thud, thud! *

Muffled impacts came from deep within the darkness. Even with the composure of Old Hank and the others, their throats felt dry as they stared fixedly into the blackness behind the door.

"Is there... something alive in there?"

Gus's cheek twitched. He could tell from the dust on the door that it hadn't been opened for years.

"Of course there is, and more than one. This isn't just a storage room; the deepest part is also a prison."

Su Xiao didn't mention the length of the sentences; this prison had only one term: until death.

Su Xiao placed one hand on the edge of the metal door. With a slight bulge of the muscles in his back and a harsh grinding sound, the gap in the metal door became wide enough for a person to pass through.

Su Xiao beckoned, and Reinhardt handed him a package wrapped in oil paper, which contained a piece of bloody raw meat.

Tearing open the oil paper, Su Xiao tossed the meat into the basement.

*Boom! Boom! Boom! *

The crashing sounds intensified, one after another, and the ground began to tremble slightly.

"It's fine now."

Su Xiao reached his hand into the door, fumbled for a mechanism, and pressed it. With a flicker of light, the basement illuminated.

Su Xiao entered the basement first. It was oppressive, resembling a long corridor about six or seven meters wide, with metal shelves on both sides laden with all sorts of bizarre items.

Ten meters ahead, thick metal pillars blocked the path, with darkness beyond them.

Su Xiao approached a metal shelf. It was filled with various items, mostly of Gold to Legendary quality—either equipment or one-time consumables.

These items shared two common traits: they could not be taken out of this world by any means, and they carried severe side effects when used. The Empire called these items "Relics," and most were produced from Ghouls or Awakened.

Pure "Relics" could not be used directly and lacked special abilities; they required "processing" to become storable and powerful.

The life of 5,000 to 20,000 civilians was roughly equivalent to the cost of manufacturing one Relic. For unknown reasons, Ghouls could not serve as "fillers" for Relics. All Relics were passed down from the Dark Age; the Empire had long since banned their manufacture. In that era, human life was worthless—as long as it could counter Ghouls, the Empire used even crueler methods.

With the development of civilization, the inhumane manufacturing process of Relics was strictly prohibited. Merely inquiring about the methods was punishable by death.

Su Xiao picked up a piece of "Relic" that looked like rotten meat. It was called "Spore Gate," containing a vast quantity of unknown spores. When inhaled by an Awakened, it stimulated the energy within their body, leading to controllable berserk awakening, allowing them to exert 100% awakening combat power for a short time. There was a small chance of death upon use, and a high chance that the "Spore Gate" would fuse into the body, causing the awakening level to skyrocket by several times, eventually turning the user into a Demon.

After a moment of hesitation, Su Xiao tossed the "Spore Gate" to Gus. He was well-suited for this kind of short-term explosive "Relic."

After briefly explaining the use of the "Spore Gate" to Gus, Gus's eye twitched.

"Sir, if I use this... how strong will I be?"

"You'll be able to fight a Twelve-Eye Ghoul for a short time."

"Is it... that easy to use?"

Gus's eyes widened, devoid of fear, as if he had discovered a new world.

"How do I use it?"

"Swallow it when you need to use it."

"Uh..." Gus was stunned. He had assumed some kind of ritual was required. In reality, Relics were very straightforward; their usage was simple and brutal.

Su Xiao searched the shelves and took down a finger-long vial containing a white powder. This Relic was called "Ash." In reality, it wasn't ash, but pollen from a certain plant mixed with the blood of a Demon.

The effect of "Ash" was also simple and brutal: apply a small amount to the skin to ignore pain and significantly enhance recovery for a period. The side effect was that excessive use would lead to the permanent loss of the sense of touch.

This was suitable for Reinhardt. How strong his ability was didn't depend on how much electricity he stored, but on his body's tolerance. If Reinhardt released his full power, he could cause a blackout in one-tenth of Zul City—a massive metropolis with over six million people.

As for Old Hank, the Relic he obtained was unique: a short blade with a bizarre shape, its hilt resembling a human hand bone. Judging by the charred yellow color of the bone, it seemed to have been burned.

This Relic was called "Gray Lady," manufactured from the bones of Ghouls and Awakened. Its sharpness depended on the user's awakening level, and its blade carried a potent toxin that caused necrosis in the victim's blood. During use, the user would age at a rate hundreds of times faster than normal. Old Hank chose this "Relic" himself.

It could be said that in a state of using these Relics, the three of them could withstand a siege by Sin, though the price paid would be even greater.

Su Xiao also took a Relic from the shelf, but he couldn't use it; Relics could only be used by the Awakened.

Amidst the deafening roar, the iron door of the basement slowly closed.

"One last chance. Return the Relics now, take 10,000 gold Le, sign a non-disclosure agreement, and I will provide you with new identities."

This was the second time Su Xiao had said something similar; he had asked the three of them before entering the elevator.

"..."

Silence, just like the last time.

"Very well. Continue searching for the Eye Chambers. Kill anyone who stands in your way."

*Clang. * The elevator descended. Su Xiao entered it. Since the contractor in the shadows had already made a move, he would unleash these three monsters. Reinhardt was the strongest among them; if he used his Relic, even Su Xiao would have to avoid his edge to avoid being electrocuted. If there were a thunderstorm nearby, Reinhardt might not even fear a Fourteen-Eye Ghoul, though he would certainly die after the battle.