The Eldritch Files

”Why are they still assigning these?”

Han Su was a little surprised when he saw the mission.

In the past few days, he had solved a considerable number of high-difficulty missions, and his Spiritual Activity had taken a great leap forward.

69%. It could be said that he had reached the threshold of the Divine Forbidden Area, the absolute limit a mortal could touch.

Any higher, and he might be able to push the needle, to postpone the Flashing.

He could also make full use of the memory fragments from a previous era stored in his mind, immerse himself completely, and glimpse the Life Code.

It wasn’t that Han Su wasn’t anxious to take this next step. But he had already discovered that his Spiritual Activity was now increasing more and more slowly. Ordinary pollution and pressure were no longer enough to cause any change in his Spiritual Power.

It seemed to be a rule. Increasing one’s Spiritual Activity was simple at the beginning, but the difficulty increased exponentially later on.

Once it surpassed 70%, the so-called Divine Forbidden Area, every step was fraught with difficulty. Raising it even a little was nearly impossible.

Because of this, it was pointless for him to take on ordinary missions anymore.

Meanwhile, the time displayed on the Mechanical Fragment showed that there were less than two days until the next Flashing. He had already planned to hole up at home, clear his mind of all distractions, and focus on planning how to save people once he entered the Ancient Castle this time.

He never expected Miss Ai to recommend another mission to him.

Besides, this mission seemed different from the ones he usually took. It actually had options?

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to read the mission description first: [The red-eye sickness incident is related to the Magic Box Group. As the investigation by Mr. Bai Yang, who previously accepted the task, has progressed slowly, the exceptionally-performing Mr. Butcher is specially requested to assist in the investigation.]

”The Magic Box Group?”

’Manman’s father, Li Yiting... this incident is related to his company?’

To him, this man was a special figure.

Even though a long time had passed, Han Su still felt a sense of gratitude.

Ten years ago, he was kidnapped. He escaped on the same day and was found by Zhang Chiguo, who was leading a search party. Zhang Chiguo took him directly to the Public Security Bureau. After a series of investigations and interviews, he was sent to an orphanage. Zhang Chiguo visited him often, ensuring he survived.

Later, he studied his way out of the orphanage, got into Qinggang University, and his life became passably stable.

This was the path he had personally experienced, the life template he was most familiar with.

But there was another time, a timeline where Han Su only escaped on the third day after being kidnapped.

At that time, he was holding a token: the small, foldable toy he had gotten from Li Manman.

By then, the Public Security Bureau’s search and rescue team had already withdrawn. After escaping the Ancient Castle, he ran into Li Yiting, the chairman of the Magic Box Group, who refused to give up and was still searching.

He noticed the little toy, confirmed his connection to Li Manman, and then took him to the Public Security Bureau. Throughout the subsequent investigations and interviews, he always looked out for him.

The investigation naturally yielded no results, and Li Manman’s whereabouts were never found. But the man was very principled and never made things difficult for him. Later, as time dragged on, he even adopted Han Su to give him an identity.

In that timeline, he lived a very stable and unusually affluent life.

However, from the perspective of overlapping memories, that event was almost two hundred years ago.

When he recalled those events now, it was like a normal person trying to remember things from before they were two years old. He knew it happened, but the details were fuzzy.

There were a few other similar special timelines, all of which had upended his life experience, causing him to live a life completely different from his current one.

But they had all become just as blurry, having happened too long ago.

But such special timelines had stopped appearing ever since he rescued Xu Ji and the door began to manifest.

Every time he escaped the Ancient Castle through that door, he would always return to his current baseline timeline.

’Since it involves him, I’ll make a trip. I’ll see if there’s anything that interests me...’

Han Su made his decision. Miss Ai had indicated the mission was optional, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t push a mission to him for no reason.

He immediately called the Doctor and Black Tiger to go with him to the Magic Box Building.

His two assistants were now vastly different from when they first joined the Disaster Management Bureau, their morale high.

As Investigator Assistants, their official status was still that of Executioners, and they were evaluated by the same standards.

It was just that, in this short time, they had already reached the A+ Level.

In other words, if new Investigator Licenses were to be issued soon, both of them were now qualified to compete with the Senior Executors.

For newcomers who had joined the Disaster Management Bureau less than two months ago, their rate of improvement could be described as god-like.

They took a car to the Magic Box Group headquarters. From a distance, they could see a solitary skyscraper rising from the center of an avant-garde plaza. This was the Magic Box Building, once a landmark of Qinggang.

Ten years ago, the Magic Box Group was arguably one of a kind in Qinggang, a symbol of its founder’s meteoric rise that captured everyone’s attention.

But after Li Manman’s disappearance, the Magic Box Group seemed to languish.

Its business empire hadn’t shrunk much, purely because the foundation laid ten years ago was so solid.

Han Su, the Doctor, and Black Tiger entered the building, walked straight to the front desk, and said, ”I want to see Mr. Li Yiting.”

The receptionist immediately stood up and asked politely, ”Do you have an appointment, sir?”

Han Su frowned at the question. Seeing this, the Doctor at his side directly took out his credentials and showed them to the receptionist. ”We have questions for him. Have him come down immediately!”

The receptionist was startled and hurriedly picked up the phone to make a call.

Han Su, the Doctor, and Black Tiger didn’t bother waiting, heading straight for the elevators. Han Su shot the Doctor a strange look.

The Doctor, acting nonchalant, adjusted his glasses with his middle finger and said, ”Effectively using our status to increase efficiency is a required course for us. To this society, the authority granted to us by the Disaster Management Bureau is our greatest weapon—more useful than any Encrypted Spell.”

”...”

Han Su had to admire his ability to make showing off sound so eloquent.

The elevator went straight to the 38th floor. When Han Su, the Doctor, and Black Tiger stepped out, they saw Li Yiting approaching them. He was still in a sharp suit, the hair at his temples showing hints of white.

When he saw Han Su’s face, a hint of delight appeared in his expression. ”Xiaohan? It’s really you!”

”...”

”Mr. Li, I’m here on orders to investigate an incident related to one of your company’s projects.”

Han Su gave him a polite smile. ”The mass red-eye sickness incident in the West Suburb of Qinggang City... you were the one who reported it, right? What are the details?”

Li Yiting was visibly overjoyed to see Han Su and immediately invited him inside.

But just then, a harsh voice suddenly cut in, ”Young man, do you have any respect for procedure?”

”I’m already investigating this matter. What need is there for a newcomer like you to interfere?”

”...”

The voice startled everyone present. They turned to see a man emerging from Li Yiting’s spacious, bright office, leaning on a cane with a sullen expression. He was around forty, with a slender build, and wore a white suit.

A young man in his twenties followed him, carrying a briefcase. He appeared to be his assistant.

’So this is Investigator Bai Yang, the one who took this case before?’

While Han Su was thinking, Li Yiting spoke, looking a bit awkward. ”This is Mr. Bai Yang. He arrived three days ago. All the data related to the incident, as well as my subordinates, have been sealed and quarantined on his orders.”

”A senior from the Disaster Management Bureau?”

As the man in the white suit sized him up, Han Su frowned slightly, pulled up the mission Miss Ai had posted on the application, and said, ”Miss Ai thought your investigation was moving too slowly, so she asked me to help. If you have a problem, take it up with her. Right now, don’t interfere with my work.”

”Miss Ai?”

A flash of anger crossed the face of the Investigator codenamed Bai Yang.

”Investigations into abnormal events vary in difficulty and the time required. It’s only been three days, and she already thinks I’m too slow? Does that machine think she can solve every problem just by crunching numbers?”

”If that were the case, half the Disaster Management Bureau wouldn’t have been deployed for the Ghost Truck incident and still failed to handle it.”

”Besides, even if I really did need support, only the four masters of Red Light and Green Wine would be qualified to lend a hand. You’re a rookie who’s only been with the Disaster Management Bureau for two months. What help could you possibly be?”

”...”

He spoke with obvious anger, and his Investigator Assistant chose that moment to let out a disdainful sneer.

In terms of seniority, the combined experience of Han Su and his two assistants might not even match that of this one Investigator Assistant.

Hearing this, Han Su frowned slightly and suddenly asked, ”What’s your Level?”

Investigator Bai Yang was taken aback. ”You...”

”I am an A Level Investigator!”

Carrying the silver case, Han Su walked straight towards him, his voice cold and firm. ”And it only took me two months to break the Disaster Management Bureau’s records—both for promotions and for resolving abnormal incidents in a short time!”

”You’re trying to pull rank on me?”

”The Disaster Management Bureau has barely been established. What seniority is there to even pull?”

”If you have the ability to solve the problem, then do it. If you don’t, go to the hospital and get that leg of yours fixed!”

”...”

He walked forward as he spoke, not slowing down as he approached Investigator Bai Yang. His cold, hard attitude forced the other man to step aside.

Han Su walked directly into the office, then suddenly turned back to look at him.

”Oh, right. That Ghost Truck incident you mentioned, the one half the Disaster Management Bureau couldn’t solve? I’m the one who solved it.”