ocean-life Chapter 185 - Threefold Gate
Chapter 185 - Threefold Gate
Chapter 185 - Threefold Gate
The bone-chilling cold surged for only a few seconds before the familiar bitterness filled his mouth. His brain turned cold seemingly out of nowhere, making his eyes tingle and swell.
In the top right corner, the indicator showed that 0.5 units of lingering attachment energy had been gained.
[Lingering Attachment: 3.0 → 3.5]
Before Cassius's third time-travel attempt, he had 5.4 units of lingering attachment energy. The bronze ring had consumed 2.4 units.
He opened his hand, and the green jade glowed faintly. Although the jade only contained half a unit of lingering attachment energy, Cassius didn't mind. It was a slow and cumulative process to gain lingering attachment energy.
He calmed himself, checked again, and realized this was just an antique with lingering attachment and not a legendary antique with a time-travel node. With that, Cassius returned the Jade of Misfortune to Yun.
Cassius only needed the lingering attachment energy within the jade. He wasn't particularly interested in its ability to sense misfortune because the Shadow Demons' influence had subtly mutated his own senses, making him highly sensitive to detecting abnormalities. Cassius knew the Jade of Misfortune was important to Yun, so he chose not to take it from him.
He had several other reasons for wanting to show goodwill toward Yun. Cassius was particularly intrigued by Yun's identity as a treasure hunter. A true adventurer among adventurers, Yun spent years searching for lost ruins and mysterious treasures around the world. Needless to say, inseparable from such ruins and treasures were antiques. The antiques treasure hunters acquired were typically of better quality and more likely to be of genuine origin, so there was a greater likelihood they possessed lingering attachment energy.
As a point of clarification, Yun's profession as a treasure hunter wasn't the same as a tomb raider, though there were overlaps. At its core, it was a high-risk, high-reward pursuit with the ultimate goal of acquiring valuable treasures. In the Hongli Federation, and even in most countries around the world, legal restrictions on the matter had blurry lines. The relevant laws were vague and lacked systematic guidelines. So, strictly speaking, what the treasure hunters were doing wasn't illegal. They could obtain treasures from all over the world without legal repercussions.
It was a niche and obscure profession. After hearing about Yun's previous adventures, Cassius could tell that he was undoubtedly one of the top treasure hunters in the field.
The two of them had no conflicts of interest. On the contrary, there was a chance for a deeper cooperation and Cassius already had some ideas. There was no need to rush; these relationships would deepen organically over time.
In the basement, besides Cassius, the other four were intently studying the Red Eye-level Shadow Demon. Yun, in particular, appeared quite professional with his small brown toolkit, magnifying glass, and various metal instruments. He knelt on the ground, methodically examining the demon.
The other three neo-humans gradually became cognizant of the aura emanating from the Shadow Demon, making them feel both a strange sense of pressure and attraction toward it. It was faint but undeniable, like a rope tied around their hearts.
"Cassius, I'm just about done with my research," Yun said, standing up and packing his tools away. He looked at Cassius. "How about we head upstairs to talk?"
"Sure," Cassius agreed. He understood that Yun wanted to chat privately.
They left the basement, climbing the stairs to the second-floor hall. Cassius casually flicked on the nearby light and gestured to the soft sofas. "Please, have a seat."
The area, formed by two or three sofas and a coffee table, was generally used for casual conversations between the host and guests or friends.
Yun shook his head. "No need, let's go to the balcony." He wore a somewhat unreadable expression.
"Alright." Cassius raised an eyebrow and walked with him to the crescent-shaped white balcony. There was a reclining chair for sunbathing off to the side, and three potted plants hanging off the railing.
"Cassius, the malevolent spirit you encountered this time might be something extraordinary," Yun said thoughtfully, his gaze serious. "Treasure hunters have a categorization that comes from the ancient Soma myths of the Blue Star Empire. According to the Soma myths, the essence of life originates from the Threefold Gate—"
Yun wasn't wrong. Shadow Demons were indeed extremely dangerous, with their eerie and unpredictable abilities. If a normal person were possessed, they would be as good as dead. Just like those poor, unfortunate members of the Shadowless Clan, who had banded together in a desperate attempt to save themselves.
Even that was nothing more than a brief delay. Many others who were possessed never even had the chance to join the Shadowless Clan as they died during the initial manifestation of the Shadow Demon. The survival rate was one in a thousand.
Cassius, however, wasn't among those unfortunate souls. The Shadow Demons had their strange and unpredictable abilities, but he possessed an even more mysterious power—his time-travel ability.
Cassius had proven twice now that the Shadow Demon couldn't harm him. As long as he continued to make progress in the time-travel era, there would always be risks, but it was a process he could control. Cassius’s fate was in his own hands.
If he failed to complete the mission tied to the original owner’s lingering attachment, that was his own fault. That set him apart from other possessed individuals fighting for their lives.
Additionally, a person could only host one Shadow Demon at a time. Since Cassius's body was already "occupied," leaving no room for another possession, it forced the other Shadow Demon to resort to physical attacks, bringing the situation back to a simple fight. When it came to battle, Cassius feared no one.
The cold moonlight bathed the balcony as a gentle evening breeze blew. Cassius's shadow stretched long across the courtyard below. Half an hour later, at the entrance of the house, Yun and Cassius bid farewell. They had discussed topics of mutual interest and Cassius had clearly expressed his enthusiasm for the profession of treasure hunting and the various antiques associated with it.
"There's a shop called Old Man's Antique Shop at 125 Yellow Rock Street. My uncle owns the place. I usually spend a couple of months there during the summer. If you need anything, you can find me there."
"Understood." Cassius nodded.
"Then, I'll get going," Yun said as he turned and began walking back the way he came.
As Yun reached the end of the dimly lit alley, the distant sound of an iron gate closing echoed. He remained expressionless as he continued walking. After walking about halfway down a street, Yun slipped into a side alley on the right, which was devoid of streetlights. It was exceptionally dark and no one was outside at that late hour.
Yun's expression grew serious as he reached into his jacket. After a bit of digging, he pulled out a stone from an inner pocket of his adventurer's outfit. The stone was flat and gray, resembling a hornet's nest. Its surface was covered in small, densely packed uneven holes.
"The Night Bugs are stirring... They're excited..." Yun muttered to himself.
Mumbling under his breath, Yun then pulled out a bone whistle from his coat. It looked as though it came from a treasure chest. The whistle was yellowing with age, covered in cracks, and looked ancient and badly damaged. Strangely, it resembled a whistle made from a human finger bone.
In the faint moonlight, Yun leaned against the wall and blew the whistle. A hoarse, hollow sound slowly echoed out. It wasn't sharp like a regular whistle, but rather low and quiet.
If one didn't listen carefully, they wouldn't notice it. However, as the whistle blew, the grayish stone in Yun's palm began to tremble like an agitated beehive. The vibrations continued for a few seconds before stopping.
"Hiss... hiss..."
There were skittering sounds coming from the stone's surface. One by one, transparent insects, much smaller than ants, crawled out of the holes. A twisted mist accompanied them, with each insect releasing a wisp of mysterious vapor.
"They've turned from white to completely transparent. There's something on Cassius that's attracting them and making them extremely excited." Yun's eyes gleamed. He had brought Cassius to the second floor not only to share information but to confirm something.
"How dangerous, but thankfully, the Night Bugs didn't fully emerge from their nest. Otherwise, aside from me, those other four..." Yun shook his head and blew the whistle again, recalling the highly dangerous little insects. He then began walking toward the Old Man's Antique Shop.