Light Fortress-Chapter 32 - 30 Soul Interrogation
32: Chapter 30: Soul Interrogation
32 -30: Soul Interrogation
In the shadowy stairwell, two men stood quietly.
In the darkest corner of the hallway, an even quieter orange cat crouched.
Both men and the cat, motionless.
Like stone sculptures.
…
…
Gu Shen faintly remembered someone calling his name.
Then, against his will, he turned his head and made eye contact with that person.
When he came to again, he found himself here.
[“It’s so dark…”]
All around him was a chaotic abyss of darkness, visible was nothing.
Where was this?
There was a familiar feeling, somewhat similar to the Jingzhe Dream, yet not entirely the same.
He looked down at his hand, only to see a wisp of ghostly mist; his consciousness remained, but his physical body had lost its solidity…
“This place is Han Dang’s ‘Dream,'” said a voice.
A white light, faint and condensing, became the only strand of brightness in the darkness.
The so-called white light wasn’t Chu Ling herself, but an oil-paper lantern she held.
It had an ancient charm, resembling the exorcist girls from comic books.
The lantern’s flame burned, illuminating the surrounding darkness, dispelling the fog.
“Just now, Han Dang used the most direct way to pull you into the dream.
As Chu Ling lifted the lantern, it revealed the furthest end of the gloom—
Gu Shen saw another version of himself sitting on a narrow chair, bound by chains, head drooping.
This was the Dream World, where everything was created by spiritual power…
Clearly, Han Dang was this world’s ruler.
“Pulled into a dream…”
Gu Shen felt he could no longer clench his fists, the sense of strength within him gradually fading.
He was like a cluster of willow fluff, ready to scatter with the first breeze.
“Your spiritual power is not sufficient to resist the dream casting of powerful beings like Han Dang,” Chu Ling said.
“However, at the last moment, I established a ‘Spiritual Link’ with you, forcibly retaining a thread of your spirit.
So…
you’re not completely seated on that chair yet.”
She pursed her lips.
Looking at the chair, Gu Shen felt a growing sense of oppression.
Just by staring at the other self seated slumped, an intense feeling of powerlessness surged forward.
“What will happen if I sit down?”
“If you sit down, you’ll lose control of your own spirit,” Chu Ling whispered.
“In Han Dang’s dream world, your soul body can neither hide nor deceive.
He will extract every piece of information he wants to know…
Luo Er and Zhong Wei were protecting you so closely that he usually had no chance to get near you.
It’s ironic that leaving Da Teng City this time was instead playing right into his hands.”
Gu Shen pondered.
“That is to say…
I still retain the last bit of autonomy over my spirit.”
“Correct, he can neither detect nor sever my ‘Spiritual Link,'” Chu Ling slowly explained.
“The current situation is not good.
If Han Dang only intends to interrogate you, your spirit should not suffer too much damage.”
Gu Shen keenly picked up on the ominous undertones.
“What if…
it’s more than just interrogation?” His heart skipped a beat.
“What if he wants to torture me?”
“No matter who it is, getting hit hurts.
If he tortures you…” she paused, “then it will depend on whether you can withstand it or not.”
Chu Ling considered for a moment then said.
“Even if you can withstand it…
you’ll most likely be beaten to a pulp, your spirit severely damaged.”
“What if I can’t withstand it?”
Gu Shen’s right eyelid began to twitch uncontrollably.
“In the dream cast by Dream Casting…
it’s possible for someone to die, even in a shallow dream state, which does not guarantee absolute safety,” Chu Ling said, lowering her gaze.
“If your spirit collapses, you might become an out-of-control, or you might die outright.
It all depends on Han Dang’s intentions.”
Indeed…
it was as he had anticipated, interacting with Han Dang essentially equated to entering a dream.
One might avoid the inevitable for a while, but not forever.
Such a feeling was terrible.
He had no ability to fight back.
After being subjected to Han Dang’s Dream Casting and entering the dream, he was like a fish on the chopping block.
“Luckily, according to the records, Han Dang isn’t the type who likes to resort to violence…
and it can be inferred that he doesn’t want to expose himself just yet,” Chu Ling said.
“Do you remember that fragmentary video?
Han Dang deliberately erased the memories of the security staff at the fire scene.
His investigation in Da Teng City was conducted in secret, not wishing anyone to know.”
“So all I can hope for is…
that he will only interrogate me later, not torture me.” Gu Shen stared at the man in the suit, grinding his teeth.
“This son of a bitch isn’t going to disregard the rules of engagement, is he?”
Actually, if it were really torture, that might be preferable.
Gu Shen didn’t believe that Han Dang would dare to kill him here.
But what troubled Gu Shen even more was how to deal with the upcoming “interrogation”…
Interrogation!
Always interrogation!
In Han Dang’s dream, he was unable to lie.
He was sure to be asked about the details of the fire case, and might already suspect that his extraordinary ability no longer existed…
If he uncontrolledly told the truth, it would all be over.
…
…
Han Dang smoothed out his tie and brushed the wrinkles from his suit.
He looked down from above at the pitiful young man in the chair and snapped his fingers.
A burst of cold water appeared out of nowhere and poured down, drenching Gu Shen from head to toe.
The spiritual link broke at that moment—
Gu Shen suddenly awoke, enveloped in a bone-chilling cold, and he looked up at Han Dang with a face filled with “panic and disarray.”
“Gu Shen, the ‘S’ who is vested with great hope by Zhou Jiren.”
Han Dang spoke softly, “I’ve always been curious about the genius who is protected at all costs with a special pardon, just how gifted he could be…
But seeing you now, I am very disappointed.”
“Judging from the bloodstains on the rooftop, you must have awakened a spiritual extraordinary power, right?”
Han Dang crouched down, looked Gu Shen in the eye, and spoke indifferently, “But your spiritual power is too weak…
completely unable to resist my Dream Casting, not even a hint of resistance.”
“…”
Gu Shen opened his mouth to speak, but found he could not utter a single word.
“‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about,'” Han Dang said with a smile.
“That’s probably what you want to say…
but the words just won’t come out, no matter how hard you try.”
“How does that feel?”
Gu Shen looked at Han Dang in astonishment.
The man in the suit spread his arms, and his voice suddenly became as commanding as that of a god!
“My Dream World domain…
is named ‘Truth Domain’!”
Han Dang’s figure suddenly dispersed, his suit turning to flying sand, and his voice became the wind, with flying sand and wind sweeping through every corner of the dark dream world.
“Here, what I say is truth, and regardless of who enters the dream, no one can lie within the Truth Domain.”
The next moment he suddenly appeared beside Gu Shen, lifting a hand as if to touch something…
A dim white light shone in the darkness, casting its light on Gu Shen, making him look even more like a prisoner.
“We shall meet…
with our most genuine faces.”
Han Dang stepped back, as if stumbling by accident, his form dissipating into the boundless darkness.
The next moment, the flying sand reformed five steps opposite of Gu Shen, and the man settled comfortably into a high-backed seat without a trace of disarray, only elegance and composure.
He casually propped his elbows on his knees.
The dim white light revealed the object that lay between them.
It was a long, cold, black table.
This place had completely transformed into an interrogation room, with walls slowly becoming more distinct all around.
“What a pity, a boy who likes to act, you’ve met me,” Han Dang stared into Gu Shen’s eyes, expressionless.
“I’ve watched the interrogation video of Case A-009; you started playing the fool from then on, didn’t you?”
Gu Shen’s throat made a grating noise.
He couldn’t speak, couldn’t deny.
“Stop struggling, it’s useless.”
Seeing this scene, Han Dang smiled.
“Now…
I shall conduct an interrogation of your soul.”
