The Eldritch Files

BANG!

No matter what level his Mysterious Power reached, Han Su was a firm believer in the power of firearms.

He didn’t care what these three men intended by blocking his path or what schemes they were hatching. All he knew was that presenting your forehead to the barrel of his gun was the most foolish thing you could do.

A pull of the trigger, and the man in front of him collapsed backward, blood spurting from his head with a wet SPLAT. Fortunately, the man had just recited the Encrypted Spell, ”My Thoughts Are My Borders,” and erected a Spiritual Barrier around himself.

The barrier slowed the bullet, but it was impossible to block it completely at such close range. He toppled over. Even if the wound wasn’t fatal, he wouldn’t survive long enough to make it back to the city unless someone immediately gave him a Devil’s Kiss to heal him.

Han Su, however, didn’t hesitate. The instant he fired, he strode forward and barked coldly:

”I work for Miss Ai. Who dares to stop me?”

”...”

As he stepped forward, he recited Zero Sequence 01, ”I Shall Enter the Abyss,” and his figure blurred, turning faint.

But the other men beside him reacted in a flash. Their eyes wide with fury, they lunged at him.

Unexpectedly, before the man on the left could reach Han Su, he felt a small mountain slam into him.

Black Tiger had also used his move: My Limbs.

His entire body seemed to be shrouded in a black mist. With a savage charge, he sent the man flying. Black Tiger then lunged forward again, catching the man in mid-air and bringing an elbow down horizontally, smashing him to the ground and knocking him unconscious.

The third man, rushing in from the side, looked panicked and was about to utter a Spell when a bullet suddenly struck him in the back, sending him stumbling forward.

Not far away, the Doctor, who had fired the shot, shifted his aim to Investigator Bai Yang.

He said coolly, ”Investigator, you’d best not move.”

”My Mysterious Training isn’t officially complete, so I don’t know much. But I have excellent taste in ammunition.”

”At this distance, I can definitely put a bullet in your head before you can recite an Encrypted Spell.”

”...”

”You... you...”

Investigator Bai Yang’s face had turned deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

It wasn’t the Doctor’s gun that scared him, but the sheer ruthlessness of Han Su’s team. A single thought consumed his mind:

’How did it come to this?’

’Yes, Mr. Drunkard had given the order. Once the star Investigator left the city, they weren’t supposed to let him return. But there are supposed to be rules for these things! No matter what, you’re always supposed to leave some room for maneuver.’

’I have my own principles. Wars, Investigator interests, picking sides—I can get involved, I can help delay the release of the data, but I can’t be on the front lines.’

’I don’t actually have a grudge against this star Investigator. A few insults, a bit of arguing, that’s fine.’

’If he really has to die, I couldn’t care less. He just can’t die in front of me and get me implicated. But how did things escalate so severely all of a sudden?’

’I was just thinking that if he were a little smarter, he would have recognized the danger and obediently returned to the city...’

’But now, in less than two seconds, of the three people left specifically to stop him, two are critically injured and one is unconscious. The situation has spiraled out of control...’

A mix of shock and anger surged through him. He dashed forward a few steps, grabbed his walkie-talkie, and yelled:

”Investigator Butcher is disobeying orders! He’s killed a colleague and has deserted the mission site! Suspected treason!”

”The relic related to the Red-Eye Sickness incident has been moved! It is currently on Highway 013! I repeat, the related relic has been moved!”

As he shouted, his eyes were fixed on the sky, hoping the Drunkard Investigator would realize the gravity of the situation.

At the same time, the Executioners in the distance who had heard the gunshot rushed over.

Countless muzzles were aimed at the Doctor and Black Tiger.

Black Tiger’s gaze was cold and fearless. The Doctor, however, suddenly spun the gun in his hand, hooking it with his thumb and letting it swing back and forth. He smiled at the men before him. ”We had no choice. That man just now is our Investigator. We were just following orders.”

”As for now, we surrender...”

”...”

Black Tiger’s eyes went wide. He wanted to kill this well-dressed traitor on the spot.

But the Doctor immediately scolded him. ”What are you staring at? Surrender, quickly! This is all just an internal conflict within the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau. Besides, our actions were compliant. I’m sure none of our Disaster Management Bureau colleagues would do anything to us in front of Dr. Rong.”

It took all of Black Tiger’s effort to suppress his anger.

He remembered what Han Su had said: if he was present, follow his lead; if he wasn’t, listen to the Doctor. Sulkily, he lowered his gun.

But the malice around them still washed over them like a tide. A simple surrender, of course, wasn’t enough to appease the crowd.

Just then, Rong Qiyue suddenly roared, his voice cold, ”Qinggang is truly a mess! What an eye-opener!”

”You, watch these two for me. If there’s even a hint of them making any more dangerous moves, you will...”

”...knock them out!”

”Right, and that guy from Magic Box Group surnamed Li. He’s a dangerous element too. What’s he pondering over there?”

”Drag him over and detain him!”

”...”

The female secretary in black-rimmed glasses beside him nodded. She escorted the Doctor, Black Tiger, and Li Yiting together, watching them without moving an inch.

The Doctor not only cooperated fully but also restrained Black Tiger, who didn’t understand the situation. Behind his glasses, however, a glimmer of anticipation had appeared in his eyes.

Rong Qiyue, meanwhile, crouched down beside the black notebook, his eyes narrowed slightly.

’Shooting him directly... pretty ruthless...’

’This is more befitting of that unfathomable status...’

’I’ve known since I was a child that I couldn’t comprehend it. It seems the time for me to do something big has finally come...’

’...’

’...’

”He shot and killed someone?”

Aboard the helicopter, amidst the roar of the rotors, the Drunkard heard Investigator Bai Yang’s call loud and clear. His expression changed slightly. He remained outwardly calm about the foolish move of his target transferring the data just as he was about to land.

But when he heard that Han Su had shot and killed someone, his pupils darkened.

After a long moment, he slowly unbuckled his seatbelt and chuckled. ”Tell me, what kind of potion did Zhang Chiguo give him to make him so determined to walk into a dead end?”

There were three other people on the helicopter. Sitting opposite him was the frosty-faced Lady in the Red Windbreaker.

Another was a person in a black suit and a black fedora, their face hidden by large sunglasses. This was Night Lamp.

At the very back was a man in colorful beach shorts and flip-flops.

He was actually wearing a Green Hat and had a thick Cigar clamped in his mouth.

The other three heard the Drunkard’s words, but for a moment, no one spoke.

Only the Lady in the Red Windbreaker slowly opened her eyes. ”So, you’ve really made your decision this time?”

The Drunkard laughed. ”Zhang Chiguo forced my hand.”

”Besides, teaching Zhang Chiguo a lesson through him is better than confronting Zhang Chiguo directly, isn’t it?”

”After all, I’ve given him so many chances...”

”It’s time he learned what it feels like to go against the entire Disaster Management Bureau...”

”...”

Having said his piece, without waiting for a response from the Lady in the Red Windbreaker and the others, he abruptly slid open the cabin door. He narrowed his eyes against the rushing wind, then suddenly lunged forward, leaping straight out of the helicopter and plummeting toward the ground.

”Looks like he’s really determined this time...”

Inside the cabin, the other three watched his action and couldn’t help but smile.

”But this is good too.”

”The only one qualified to fight Zhang Chiguo is him, who’s about to be promoted to Independent Investigator, right?”

”...”

The Lady in the Red Windbreaker narrowed her eyes, lost in thought. She suddenly made a decision, unbuckled her seatbelt, and jumped out of the cabin.

Immediately after, two black figures appeared above her—Night Lamp and Green Hat had jumped out as well.

The fierce wind rushed into their mouths, making it difficult to speak. Before them, the ground approached with terrifying speed.

Below, countless Executioners and staff members looked up at the same time, their hearts pounding with a mixture of shock and excitement.

Four figures fell from the sky, stirring up an endless gale—it was like a miracle.

...

...

”The dog has been lured out, and the artist is in position. Now, I’m going to retrieve the meaty bone. Then, it’s time for a little team-building exercise for the kids.”

He first sent a message to Wei Lan, then looked back.

From his current position, he could also see the four figures who had jumped from the helicopter.

They were far away, appearing as small as flyspecks, indistinct.

But he could still feel the Spiritual Activity radiating from them as they fell from a helicopter hundreds of meters in the air. This gave him a rough benchmark for the strength of these four great Investigators.

’A direct confrontation with all four of them would be tough.’

’But if that’s the case, I’ll just have to see if these four really advance and retreat as one, just like the rumors say.’

DING...

A reply came from Wei Lan: ”Jerry, copy. Tom, please be careful!”

”?”

Han Su complained to himself, ’What kind of crappy code is this?’

’I’ll have to call a meeting later and tell Wei Lan to stop being so creative and just follow my aesthetic!’

Watching the sun sink in the west and twilight approach, he strode down the highway. At the same time, he pushed his Spiritual Activity to its limit, sensing a signal left by Rong Qiyue, and quickly locked onto a vehicle four kilometers away.

Then, he slowly clenched his left fist.

As his Spiritual Activity flared, a copper-colored cross-shaped scar began to appear on the back of his hand.

All around him, a thick fog began to rise. Suddenly, a pair of blindingly bright headlights pierced through from behind Han Su.

HONK HONK—

Along with the blare of a horn, a behemoth could be vaguely seen surging through the fog, its massive truck bed wagging happily.

Han Su continued to stride forward along the highway.

Only when the roaring truck finally caught up to him did he suddenly leap high into the air.

With a WHOOSH, the massive Ghost Truck rushed past beneath him. He landed on its front, slowly crouching down. The Ghost Truck wagged its bed joyfully, then let out another honk and sped forward.