Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 268 Secret Prison
"What kind of monster did Skinning Manor send to cause such a commotion?"

Han Su, accompanied by the little lamb girl, walked through the Giant Horn City, silently marveling to himself, "It's almost like a city-slaughtering sacrifice!"

But he cherished this opportunity, taking advantage of the chaos to lead the little lamb girl through the alleys and shadows, observing the size of the city as they ventured deeper into it.

He was very careful. He was far from being able to move around the city fearlessly like he did in Song Chu. Although Miss Ai was not in Giant Horn City, there was an independent investigator who was stationed in the city year-round.

In addition, as a large city, Giant Horn City is also likely to have scholars of the Hidden School, who should not be underestimated.

However, the chaos in the city also provided him with excellent cover. Armored vehicles or squads of enforcers carrying boxes would frequently rush to the western part of the city from the streets and rooftops, and no one would pay any attention to him.

In one alley, Han Su even bumped into a person carrying a suitcase. The person was walking in a hurry, so Han Su smiled politely and moved aside.

Without a shred of suspicion, the investigator gently removed his hat to express his gratitude to Han Su.

Han Su's investigator-like demeanor and bearing didn't seem like an act, and he was carrying an old suitcase.

Those who carry old boxes are not simple; the older the box, the more senior they are.

As they navigated the chaotic city, Han Su quickly led the little lamb girl through the streets and alleys, approaching a region in the south of the city.

"here it is……"

As we approached our destination, a strange sense of desolation arose. There was no sign of human habitation in the surrounding area. There were still many buildings nearby, but the lights on these buildings were fading. In the end, only rows of dark buildings stood silently on both sides.

There was no light to be seen around, only the streetlights on both sides of the road, emitting a mysterious glow.

Han Su frowned slightly and slowly looked at the road sign not far away.

Three words were clearly written on it:
Camel Ridge!
Comparing the information Wei Lan had given him, Han Su immediately understood what this place was.

He turned to the little lamb girl and asked, "Are you trying to take me to the secret prison in Giant Horn City?"

He knew that every city had secret prisons used to detain unusual individuals, and of course, for observation and research purposes as well.

Qinggang also has them, and quite a few at that, but I really hadn't had the chance to come into contact with them before.

Furthermore, as far as he knew, secret prisons were usually built outside of cities, so why was Giant Horn City located inside a city?
Aren't you afraid that something unusual inside might escape?

The little lamb girl's gaze was somewhat vacant; she seemed not to understand what a secret prison was.

But looking at the road sign that Han Su was staring at, he seemed to recognize those familiar characters, and then nodded firmly.

She slowly stepped forward, stretching out her two small hands, as if to caress the endless darkness before her.

The next moment, the surrounding dark buildings suddenly seemed to freeze, just like the real world before her eyes, and suddenly turned into a photograph. Then, as she pushed with her two small hands, the huge photograph slowly split apart from the middle.

A hidden door was pushed open, revealing a pitch-black world.

In that instant, Han Su felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had returned to the ancient castle.

The surroundings had returned to reality, and lights appeared all around, but compared to real reality, the lights here always seemed to be shrouded in a layer of darkness.

There was still earth beneath our feet, and still wind in the air, but everything had a dreamlike, old-fashioned feel to it.

He could clearly feel the invisible spiritual force engulfing him, a sensation similar to every time he entered the castle.

"So this is what a secret prison looks like?"

Han Su slowly took a step forward, raised his hand, and felt everything, including the wind and darkness in the air.

My suspicions were increasingly confirmed.

"It's fake, but in my own perception, it's real!"

"This kind of sensory manifestation, once its activity exceeds a certain level, becomes more real than the real thing!"

"..."

The secret prison is not built in reality, but rather scans real-world objects and then materializes them with mental power, forming a subspace that exists between reality and illusion. It can trap some abnormal things without allowing them to directly contact reality.

Of course, the realization of this scale is far beyond what an individual can achieve.

If a person's mental strength is at most one hundred units, then the amount needed to build such a secret prison would be in the millions or even tens of millions.

This would certainly require the power of the entire city, or rather, the fertile ground of reality, to achieve.

If the cities where ordinary people live are a warm and comfortable environment, then these secret prisons can be described as an extraordinary nightmare.

This is likely why every secret prison is interdependent with the city and requires independent investigators to guard it.

In the Qinggang City Destruction Battle of the previous life storyline, Han Su witnessed the Abyss Studio descending from outside reality. At the time, he felt that everything was absurd and incomprehensible, completely contrary to common sense.

In retrospect, the reason is similar to that of secret prisons; both are manifestations of real-world models.

If we think about it this way, could the castle also be based on this principle?
After all, the mysterious man who called into the castle also said that the castle was actually a cage.

He was overwhelmed by the discovery, but remained calm as he reached out and grabbed the little lamb girl who was eager to walk forward.

Silently reciting number 01, he immediately concealed himself and the little lamb girl in the shadows.

Although the information Wei Lan provided stated that Camel Ridge was guarded by Vya, he was currently fighting with Skinning Manor outside the city.

However, we must also be wary of whether there are other experts stationed here.

Sure enough, just as Han Su pulled the little lamb girl over, several beams of light swept toward their location. As the beams of light drew closer, they were revealed to be two people wearing protective suits and holding flashlights.

The flashlights in their hands were exceptionally bright, illuminating the area as if it were daytime, easily piercing through the pervasive darkness.

"What's going on? I feel the prison entrance being opened."

The person who rushed over asked anxiously, "Could something have escaped?"

Han Su had only brought the little lamb girl with him, and she stood beside them, but when they looked around, they couldn't see anything.

Another person whispered, "We just received news that something outside is attacking the physical defenses. The impact must be too strong, affecting the structure of the secret prison..."

The first person immediately said, "Let's go, let's go back. Damn it, when I applied to be a prison guard, who knew it would be like this?"

"I've been working here for over a year, and I'm still scared..."

"..."

"..."

"The security at this secret prison seems rather weak..."

Han Su watched the two of them walk away, silently complaining to himself, and then led the little lamb girl deeper and deeper into the area.

At first glance, it just seems like an ordinary residential area, with nothing unusual to be seen. The buildings on both sides have lights on, and some doors are open, suggesting that many people live there...

...or rather, not human?
But at least on the surface, it's hard to see anything.

Even after staying here for a while, that sense of unreality fades, and you may even forget that you are not in reality.

"This search method won't work..."

Han Su frowned slightly.

Secret prisons don't just lock abnormal individuals in cages, give them one meal a day, and let them out for fresh air only every so often.

These secret prisons often also serve the function of observation and research, so it is necessary to provide these abnormal individuals with a certain area for activity, or even to construct a fictional living environment for them, so that they feel like they are living in an illusion and can unleash their true nature.

The secret prisons over Qinggang, and even an entire sea area, allow them to build their own towns and create their own culture.

Mr. Moses, who was in charge of guarding that area of ​​the sea, would sometimes attend the mating festival of the sea creatures, as if he were a guest, except that he had to reject many gentle dugongs' courtship each time.

"Shoot..."

Just as Han Su was thinking, the little lamb girl suddenly stopped in her tracks as if she had heard something.

She even suddenly turned around and pushed him backward forcefully.

Han Su placed the hand holding the suitcase forward to protect her slender back, and then suddenly reached up with his free left hand.

It was a street lamp next to them.

Throughout this secret prison, there are these slender streetlights standing on both sides of the road, emitting a faint, dim yellow light.

When he first came in, Han Su noticed that apart from the lighting, there was nothing else unusual.

But to everyone's surprise, there was a street lamp by the roadside that was actually a monster in disguise. It had a slender body and a head formed by a lampshade. When it noticed Han Su and the others coming, it suddenly lowered its head, bent its slender body, and tilted its head slightly.

It has no face, or rather, its face is a light bulb.

Suddenly, it reached out in front of Han Su and the little lamb girl, and the light abruptly dimmed. But it didn't go out; rather, the dim yellow light, like a living thing, suddenly emerged from the bulb and quickly passed through Han Su's eyes and into its body.

The little lamb girl seemed extremely familiar with this monster and hurriedly pushed Han Su back, but Han Su had already noticed the monster. While protecting the little lamb girl, his left hand suddenly grabbed the slender neck behind the lampshade head.

With a snap, it broke, but I still felt a living thing trying to crawl into my head; it was the eerie light emanating from inside the lampshade.

This light is actually a kind of life; the power of pollution is terrifying.

When the eyes see light, that light begins to penetrate into the mind.

But it comes quickly and goes quickly.

Han Su, who was carrying the box in his left hand the whole time, had no time to pay attention to anything else, and the Emperor's Book had already begun to take effect.

He digested the information in an instant and provided his own relevant data:

[Streetlight Head: Beast-level]

[A twisted and grotesque creature, with a slender body and a head like a streetlamp, habitually stands alone beside overgrown roads in the desolate and deathly nights of the radiation age, playing the role of someone for whom civilization still exists.]

[It has been confirmed that its true nature is an abnormal light-emitting life form, capable of detaching from its own body to hunt and contaminate any living creature it observes.]

[Living creatures contaminated by it will develop the same deformities, becoming elongated and growing heads like streetlights, standing by the roadside alongside it, playing the role of the twilight of civilization.]

[Its similar species include Siren Head, Chainsaw Head, House Head, etc.]

Analysis suggests that these monsters arise from the longing of the deceased for civilization; they possess civilized traits but lack the potential to establish one.

【…】

"A life form that emits light?"

Han Su looked at the little lamb girl who tried to push him away but failed, and just smiled at her slightly.

Now I finally understand why this secret prison doesn't seem heavily guarded. After all, it's still a prison, full of strange and bizarre creatures. Ordinary people would have a hard time surviving if they went in.

Even those with some strength would inevitably alert the guards during their battles with these monsters; there are almost no people like myself who can silently defeat the monsters.

His success was also due to the Emperor's book.

The Emperor's Book is incredibly convenient for dealing with something that isn't powerful but possesses a high degree of contamination. The faster it contaminates, the faster it dies. It even brings a small increase in divine matter, though the amount isn't particularly significant.

Currently, he is vaguely in a niche only slightly weaker than an independent investigator. Apart from the investigator Via coming in person, there are not many things in Giant Horn City that can threaten him.

However, there is also an awkward aspect: it is not easy to quickly improve to the point where one can confidently confront or even surpass those independent investigators.

He had already begun stealing the emperor's writings, and his strength had already entered a period of rapid growth.

Each day, my mental state and energy levels improve significantly.

This is actually a dream state, but to reach the level of a true independent investigator, it still requires a certain amount of time to accumulate experience, which may only take a few months, which is considered incredibly fast for ordinary people.

But I always felt it wasn't enough, that it was too slow.

But to increase that speed again, it would be necessary to continue "stealing".

Or rather, it was a sacrifice of the power of a mysterious source in exchange for more imperial writings to strengthen one's own divine essence.

Just like this lamppost.

It attempted to corrupt its own divine essence, but instead handed it over to the Book of the Emperor, gaining information and strengthening its own essence in the process.

However, these streetlights are only "Beast-level," so the enhancements they can provide are far too little.

Beast level, race level, faith level, civilization level, and finally, god level.

The higher the level of the mysterious source, the more divine material enhancement it can bring.

Unfortunately, high-level power is not everywhere. The most "valuable" thing I saw in the previous life storyline was the Four Heavenly Kings. They all had high-density scarlet matter, but they were my own people, and I couldn't just try to drain them dry.

As for what I have on hand, the most valuable things are the will of copper and the blood of the white corpse, but I'm not willing to part with them because I find them convenient to use.

So how can one improve quickly?

Looking up, he saw himself and the little lamb girl deep within. It wasn't just the streetlamp hiding by the roadside that was disturbed; more and more things in the shadows were beginning to stir. A thought flashed through his mind:
"Destroy these things?"

"..."

But the idea was quickly abandoned.

The emperor's writing gave him increased resistance to pollution, but it was only an increase, not immunity.

Having fought so many monsters in this secret prison, the corruption he has suffered may very well exceed his own limits.

Moreover, it's unknown which guards in the secret prison might be alerted.

Ants can kill an elephant if they bite in large numbers, so one must be careful.

"So……"

Han Su paused slightly, slowly raised his hand, and softly chanted: "With my power, I offer this devout sacrifice!"

Zero-sequence ciphertext spell number 10.
This is a spell to accurately locate and pinpoint the source of pollution in a chaotic area.

Judging from the words "devout" and "offering," it seems very polite, but in reality, the function of this spell is to spy and search, and after finding the mysterious source, it is often accompanied by merciless killing and destruction.

This is somewhat like coaxing the other person out of the shadows.

Something like, "Hey, come out here, I'll give you something delicious..."

"Hey!"

As Han Su recited the incantation, the shadows around him immediately became more tangible. He seemed to see wisps of eerie power, and even the ground beneath his feet seemed to distort.

Han Su felt the space in front of him constantly changing. Even though he hadn't moved, he suddenly found himself in front of a black building.

At first glance, he thought he had returned to the ancient castle. However, this black building, although equally old, seemed too unreal. Everything appeared dark, and the architectural style was almost identical to that of the second floor where the horned lady was located.

Once the little lamb girl arrived, she couldn't contain herself any longer and excitedly ran inside.

She has always been smart and never did anything to arouse Han Su's suspicion, but now she is too excited and can't control herself.

Han Su did not stop her, but slowly followed behind her into the building. There were tall corridors on both sides. On the right wall, he immediately saw a life-sized oil painting, and the second one caught his eye.

Wearing an elegant black dress, with a black veil covering her face, and sporting a fleshy horn, she was none other than Lady Fleshhorn.

He stopped and looked up at the lifelike portrait, as if he were truly facing her.

After a while, she slowly turned her eyes and saw a new portrait next to Lady Fleshhorn, only half completed.

But he could still recognize the other person from their facial features, posture, and the curved fleshy horns growing from their head...

...This is Song Yushi after he grew up!

Ponytail!
My younger sister during the Song-Chu period!

Why is her portrait also hung here, next to Madame de Flesh?
As you look inside, you see a series of portraits, all with similar features, only the portraits are getting older and more worn.

In Han Su's heart, an answer was already on the verge of being revealed.

"What..."

As Han Su watched all this, the little lamb girl rushed into the corridor, whimpering nervously. Because she had left Han Su's side, her invisibility ability had faded. After a rustling sound, footsteps could be heard in the dark rooms on both sides of the corridor.

A group of children with startled expressions ran out; there were boys and girls, the oldest of whom looked no more than ten years old.

They looked at the little lamb girl with surprise and disbelief, jumping and skipping around her, very happy.

However, Han Su's gaze sharpened slightly and fell on their backs.

Each of them had a huge syringe inserted into their back, containing a viscous black substance. This substance was controlled by an invisible force, either injecting it into their bodies or slightly withdrawing it.

This is actually a semi-intelligent pollution device.

Han Su's gaze locked onto these things, and he suddenly felt a slight tremor in his heart, standing there frozen in place.

These children are all normal people!
However, they were forced to inject pollutants, causing various deformities in their bodies...

They were even younger than us children who had been kidnapped and brought to the castle...

(End of this chapter)