Chapter 31: Spell Beyond Time and Space
“Of course.”
Seeing Han Suo looking thoughtful, Secretary Cui smiled again and said, “For Zhang Zhiguo’s sake, I still have to remind you: once you enter our place, you must be prepared.”
“You will undergo our special training here, and then be assigned to different operational groups.”
“We’ll help you get leave from school; if you have other matters, you’ll have to figure out how to handle them when you go out.”
Han Suo was a bit surprised by her words.
Looking at how Zhang Zhiguo in the Public Security Bureau acted as if he were facing a mortal enemy, Han had thought he would be locked away somewhere, never seeing daylight again!
Moved, he asked, “Exactly what kind of training is it, and will a few days be enough?”
“The focus isn’t really training.”
The secretary in a black suit glanced at Han Suo and said calmly, “We don’t have time to train suitable talent from scratch, so we prefer to recruit already mature elites from different sectors of society.”
“You can think of this period as training, because you will indeed be exposed to information inaccessible to the outside world. But the most important thing is…”
She paused, recalling the relationship between Zhang Zhiguo and this young man before continuing, “You must perform as well as possible, so that you can be assigned to the more advanced teams.”
“According to Zhang Zhiguo’s expectations, you’d best get into group D1 or D2.”
“I also know those two groups are especially hard to enter; you’ll need at least three A‑level evaluations to stand a chance. I won’t demand too much of you.”
“But even if you can’t get into D1 or D2, at least try to avoid ending up in D5 or D6!”
Han Suo asked, “Why?”
Secretary Cui said, “Because it’s easy to die.”
“Groups D1 and D2 are the trainee groups for reserve investigators.”
“They really have the opportunity to encounter supernatural powers, gain investigation rights for the bizarre, and have access to encrypted texts.”
“You said you were interested in encrypted texts? Only by joining D1 or D2 can you get permission to access those, and it will count as preparatory learning for an investigator’s work.”
“Groups D3 and D4 are just the ordinary workhorse teams: you come in to do the work, the pay is decent, risks are a bit higher, but it’s a good job.”
“As for D5 and D6, you can think of them as…”
“… cannon fodder teams!”
“…”
‘No wonder Zhang Zhiguo was trying to dissuade me from getting involved with this; it really is a dangerous field.’
‘I wonder if the young Master Zhang, who spent his family fortune and even risked his life, realized that what he was exchanging it for was such an uncanny path?’
Han Suo formed a rough impression of the Disaster Management Bureau.
Just as Zhang Zhiguo requested he join D1 or D2, if those really were that good, the competition must also be the fiercest.
But he had no other choice.
Those encrypted texts were something he definitely wanted to access.
And the hidden secrets within this bureau were extremely attractive to him.
That day, Han Suo was busy until very late, filling out many registrations—covering his educational background, strengths, athletic condition, and so on. Only after leaving sufficiently detailed information was he led by the secretary in black suit into a metal‑styled room.
Before entering, his belongings were searched, and after one night, not even his underwear was his own anymore.
He was scheduled to start training the next day. Now, Han Suo finally had time to calm down and think through his problems.
“On this life path, can I still use the ability in my right eye?”
He reached out and touched his right eye. It was intact now, with no scar; he didn’t feel strange.
Although the events in the old castle and the memories of this life path confirmed that the ability still existed, he still felt a bit uneasy.
As he thought this, he silently raised his left hand.
On the back of the hand was an ugly cross‑shaped scar.
The entire hand also seemed to have been affected: slightly shriveled, it could only perform simple opening, closing, and grasping motions—clumsy, as if stiff with rust.
Would a new monster‑like ability activate there, too?
Thinking of this time, it was by relying on the power of the spell that he escaped from the ancient castle, and even managed to save a girl. Han Su suddenly developed an insatiable thirst for this mysterious power.
Logically speaking, now that he was at the Disaster Management Bureau, he should act cautiously. But he was going to stay at the Disaster Management Bureau for several days—was he really not going to try anything during those days?
His life had already reached a critical point; let alone a few days, he didn’t want to waste even a few hours.
At most, he would just be a bit more careful.
He silently contemplated, then slowly raised his left hand.
‘Gods, descend with your oracle!’
Han Su didn’t recite it aloud; he only muttered it in his heart while observing his surroundings.
There weren’t any visible changes, yet the moment the spell echoed in Han Su’s heart, those unspoken syllables still stirred ripples in the calm ocean of his mind.
Han Su once again felt that sensation of spirit flowing.
Perhaps because he had only muttered it internally, the flow of Spiritual Power this time was remarkably gentle.
Han Su could clearly feel that in this gentler state, the Spiritual Power was far easier to control than when spoken aloud—as if wherever his attention focused, the Spiritual Power would flow accordingly.
What was even more astonishing was that even before he consciously tried to direct it, the Spiritual Power seemed to have a momentum of its own.
It had initially flowed toward his right eye, but suddenly, it was pulled by something and changed direction, approaching his left hand instead.
The familiar pain appeared immediately.
Perhaps because his attention was focused on the back of his left hand, this surge of Spiritual Power rushed toward it.
That cross-shaped scar—his flesh felt as though it was being torn open again, bringing a sharp and distinct pain.
Especially when Han Su stared at the back of his hand, he faintly experienced an illusion.
It was as if the cross-shaped scar on the back of his hand had subtly changed color, a bronze luster seemed to be faintly seeping from deep within the scar.
“Is this... a new mysterious power?”
Han Su suddenly clenched his left hand.
The sharp pain brought him an indescribable delight.
If following the theory Song Chu-shi had mentioned earlier, this spell only activated the mysterious power remaining in his body, then it was reasonable that with his injured left hand, a new mysterious power had now been retained.
But why did the Spiritual Power instinctively flow toward his right eye?
Trying again silently, Han Su found that with conscious control, the Spiritual Power could indeed flow smoothly toward his right eye.
He could even imagine that when his right eye opened, that Spiritual Power would “seep” out more smoothly than before.
He could now use the ability of his right eye more easily than before...
Could it be...
A vague idea surfaced in his mind. His heart subtly stirred with excitement. As he slowly analyzed and speculated, he faintly touched upon the truth:
‘When Spiritual Power is activated, it needs an outlet to seep into reality.’
‘If it seeps from the right eye, then it uses the melting ability of the Pale Monster.’
‘But if it seeps from the cross-shaped scar on the left hand, then it seems to utilize the power of the monster inside the coffin on the fifth floor...”
“No, it hasn’t yet reached the level of seeping, so the Spiritual Power instinctively flows to my right eye, unleashing the Pale Monster’s ability. Only when I focus my attention on the back of my left hand does it gather here...”
“Because the power in my left hand hasn’t yet opened, it can’t seep out, so all I feel is intense pain. But along with the pain, this hand also seems more agile, and the strength feels greater?”
“It’s just that without fully releasing the Spiritual Power, I can’t properly test it...”
‘……’
‘In any case, both abilities are present!’
‘Just reciting this spell again, or even merely muttering it, will activate the Spiritual Power, and depending on where it flows, I can use that ability?’
That vague and mystical sensation made Han Su hesitant to draw conclusions too quickly.
Instead, he keenly grasped a crucial point.
More important than the left hand or the right eye was this spell.
This spell was far more powerful than he had imagined!
In this life path, his right eye had not been injured, which meant that the Pale Monster hadn’t left its power in his right eye. Yet this spell could still allow him to use the “melting” ability.
Did that mean that in the previous life path, when he recited this spell, the “melting” power in his right eye had already been recorded by it?
Because in the previous life path, this spell had “recorded” the mysterious power in his right eye.
So even when he returned to the ancient castle, he was still able to use the power of his right eye.
And in this different life path, the spell also helped him repel the Ghost Freight Truck?
As bizarre as it sounded, this seemed to be the only answer.
Strangely, a line Black Rose had once said to him flashed through his mind, making Han Su’s heart race.
“Some mysterious powers can transcend time and space!”
“……”
This spell might possess the ability to follow his consciousness, travel between past and present, appear on different life paths, and record various effects.
Damn it, just what was Song Chu-shi’s background, and why was the spell he gave so damn powerful?
He called it a fisherman’s chant.
Are fishermen these days all this powerful?
More importantly, just what was Song Chu-shi’s origin? Where did he find this spell, and why did he so casually give it to him?
In fact, in this very life path, even the act of giving him the spell no longer existed?