The Eldritch Files

”If you’re all willing to trust my judgment, then it’s time we get to work.”

Meanwhile, Rong Qiyue led his people over to the black notebook and said with a smile, ”Of course, the contamination of the Mother Divine Tree is not to be underestimated.”

”You can also choose to open the notebook and see for yourselves, or you could ask an expert from the Disaster Management Bureau to come over and make their own assessment!”

...

Meeting Rong Qiyue’s arrogant gaze, the Drunkard Investigator simply nodded and smiled.

”We’re not so arrogant as to doubt Dr. Rong’s judgment!”

...

’This brainless, sheltered arrogance fits my stereotype of an Heir to the Hidden School’s knowledge perfectly.’

Although he spoke pleasantries, he still responsibly stepped forward and slowly opened the notebook. After scanning a few pages, his expression darkened slightly. He took a few steps back and said in a low voice, ”It is indeed contamination from the Mother Divine Tree. Dr. Rong’s judgment was correct!”

...

Everyone’s expression turned grave. The Lady in the Red Windbreaker, Night Lamp, and Green Hat each took seven steps back, securing three different positions.

Three to block, one to seal. This was the standard template for the Disaster Management Bureau’s procedures.

The most powerful person performs the seal, while the others are responsible for blocking.

The Drunkard naturally understood this arrangement, but despite his outwardly calm and composed demeanor, he felt a subtle unease in his heart.

He had already taken two steps forward, but he suddenly turned around and said to the Red Windbreaker, ”Mr. Hong, please perform the seal. I’ll take a blocking position for you. How about it?”

The Lady in the Red Windbreaker shot him a cold glance but said nothing.

Although stepping forward to perform the seal now would be a meritorious deed, the recent incident with her assistant had made her distrust the Drunkard.

The person in the primary sealing position could not stop once they started.

But those in blocking positions could be replaced at any time, as long as there was no risk of Penetration. They could even escape the moment things looked bad. The Drunkard was making this suggestion at a critical time. ’What could he be planning?’

At that moment, Green Hat suddenly chuckled and said, ”Are we really going to pass such a simple job back and forth? I’ll do it, then.”

He walked forward with a grin. The other three retreated to their blocking positions. Then, Green Hat stared at the notebook on the ground, a strange light coating his eyes as an almost inaudible Secret Spell escaped his lips.

It was Number 06: [All Things Respond to My Will].

As he uttered the Spell, the surrounding air grew dim and hazy. Faintly, a massive, black-robed figure seemed to appear behind Green Hat, mirroring his movements. It slowly extended a hand, pressing down on the notebook from above.

Nearby, Rong Qiyue raised an eyebrow slightly. A secretary came to his side, set up a folding chair for him, and then used a personal thermos from the car to brew him a cup of hot cocoa.

Rong Qiyue took a SLURP, a smug look on his face.

...

The sealing had begun. As Green Hat’s hand gently pressed down toward the black notebook, the notebook suddenly began to tremble violently.

The pages fluttered as if blown by a fierce wind, RUSTLING as they automatically turned to a specific page.

On this page was a record of a World-Destroying Level disaster that had once occurred in this era of radiation.

The record was very detailed. This Mother Divine Tree, which had once appeared in the world, had contaminated all living things. It had attempted to turn every lifeform with Activity into a single, unified being.

Not far away, the Doctor, who had been quiet for a long time, couldn’t help but be intrigued. He strained to read the contents of the page.

Rong Qiyue noticed the Doctor’s movement and said with a smile, ”Don’t look too closely. With some things, merely seeing them constitutes Penetration.”

The Doctor gently pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and asked in a low voice, ”What about you?”

”As a Doctor of Archaeology, you should naturally know about this kind of disaster. Otherwise, you couldn’t have identified it. Does your knowledge of these things count as Penetration?”

...

Rong Qiyue slowly sipped his hot cocoa and chuckled softly. ”Of course it does for us, too.”

”However, we possess enough Spiritual Activity to suppress these things from reawakening inside our minds. But if one’s Spiritual Activity is insufficient, it’s trouble. A single glance is enough to plant a seed in your head.”

”This kind of thing will feed on your Spiritual Power, grow within the illusory world, and eventually manifest in reality!”

”And then, another World-Destroying Level disaster occurs.”

...

He seemed to be in a good mood, so he was talking more than usual. The Doctor seized the opportunity and asked, puzzled, ”What if no one sees it, and no one knows about it?”

Rong Qiyue said, ”Then these things will disappear, as if they never existed.”

The Doctor frowned slightly. ”So, if one day, everyone stops researching these things and no longer knows about them, these abnormal Penetrations won’t happen again?”

”You could understand it that way.”

Rong Qiyue smiled. ”Or rather, we’ve come close to achieving that a few times before.”

The Doctor frowned. ”Then why...”

”There is no ’why’.”

Rong Qiyue turned to glance at the Doctor. ”The moment I saw you, I knew you were this type of person. That’s why I’m willing to tell you this.”

”Let me just ask you one thing: the knowledge is right there. Can you resist the urge to investigate it?”

...

The Doctor understood. He nodded gently and smiled. ”Humanity has never been one to obey!”

While they were talking, the sealing process deepened. From the temporary containment center not far away, shouts and yells rang out, mixed with the sound of gunfire, roars, and the sudden appearance of cold, bizarre ripples in the air.

As the Mother Divine Tree was being sealed, a certain percentage of the infected began to transform into Divine Tree Guards. But the moment they were born, they were eliminated by the Investigators and Executors stationed there.

The entire affair was proceeding according to Rong Qiyue’s calculations and was well under control.

But just then, the Drunkard Investigator’s phone rang, and the atmosphere at the scene instantly became strange.

He initially ignored it, pretending to be completely focused, but the phone kept buzzing, and he was gradually losing his composure.

Suddenly, he took a step back and spoke into his radio:

”Sea Seat Investigator, please come and fill my blocking position now!”

”I... have to leave for a moment!”

...

”Are you insane?”

Before a reply came from the other end of the radio, the Red Windbreaker had already turned around, her expression indescribable. ”The sealing isn’t complete yet!”

The Drunkard’s face betrayed no emotion as he said in a low voice, ”Something’s happened.”

”What could have happened?”

The Red Windbreaker’s expression changed slightly. ’Didn’t you send out so many people?’ she wanted to ask.

On second thought, she was suddenly alarmed. ”Did Zhang Chiguo leave the city?”

The Drunkard slowly shook his head, unable to explain at the moment. He could only glance at Green Hat, who was focused on sealing the black notebook, and whisper, ”We can’t delay any longer.”

The Red Windbreaker’s anxiety grew heavier. She immediately said, ”Call one more person over. I’ll go with you...”

As she spoke, she also prepared to leave her blocking position.

But nearby, Rong Qiyue suddenly looked up. ”Are Qinggang’s Investigators this unprofessional?”

Everyone froze. They heard Rong Qiyue continue, ”This is a contamination with the potential to develop into an S-Class threat. The blocking positions represent the final line of defense against this contamination entering reality if the seal fails.”

”Having three individuals who have entered the domain of the Divine Forbidden Area manning the blocking positions is the minimum standard. One of you leaving is acceptable; if it comes to a critical moment, I can step in to help. But if two of you leave at once, how will you resolve it if something truly goes wrong?”

...

After he said this, the Lady in the Red Windbreaker and Mr. Night Lamp fell silent.

”You stay here!”

The Drunkard said in a low voice. ”It’ll be enough if I go check on it myself.”

As if afraid the Lady in the Red Windbreaker would worry, he suddenly forced a relaxed smile and said, ”I’ve made preparations, too!”

After saying that, he spoke no more unnecessary words. He turned and left. With a few Flashes under the night sky, his figure arrived at the infected containment area.

This time, he didn’t hesitate. He went straight to the prison wagon and asked the person inside in a low voice, ”Why?”

There was silence from inside the prison wagon. After a moment, a voice replied faintly, ”What are you asking?”

The Drunkard glanced at the several D7s near the infected. They were huddled together in fear, but still alive. He frowned. ”As per our agreement, I prepared gifts for you.”

”But you didn’t accept these gifts, nor did you do what we agreed upon. Now, that guy is going crazy out there...”

The voice from inside the prison wagon suddenly cut him off, a hint of amusement in its tone.

”You don’t know why I didn’t accept the gifts you sent?”

...

The Drunkard was stunned for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

The voice inside the prison wagon let out a low laugh. ”Because your heart wasn’t sincere...”

”You promised me three gifts, but one of them was unqualified.”

The person inside the prison wagon spoke, their gaze seemingly piercing through the thick walls of the wagon to look at the D7s beside the infected. They sighed softly. ”Among those people, one of them was framed. So, I don’t really like him...”

”You...”

A flash of astonishment crossed the Drunkard’s face. ’He could actually tell!’

He didn’t deny or argue. Instead, he suddenly asked, ”What if I make up for this gift?”

”Or, how about I just find three more for you?”

...

”Then of course I’ll go look for that guy!”

The voice inside the prison wagon sounded very relaxed. ”In fact, I would’ve looked for him even if you didn’t give me any gifts. But since you were so generous as to promise me three gifts in exchange for the timing of my move, the nature of the matter has changed.”

”If the gifts don’t satisfy me, I can’t be bothered to act. In fact, I might even want to settle the score with you...”

...

Listening to his words, the Drunkard also felt a sense of unease. He paused, then said in a low voice, ”Since I promised you, I will definitely make sure you are satisfied!”

”But...”

His tone suddenly shifted. He sighed. ”I’ve been too unlucky recently, and many things haven’t gone my way. So, wouldn’t it be better if we settled the accounts between us a little more clearly?”

As he spoke, he walked to the back door of the prison wagon, extended his hand, and asked tentatively, ”Number 12?”

Zero Sequence Encrypted Spell Number 12 [In the Name of the Crimson Scroll]!

Completing a contract, making a mutual promise—the most common method of forging a private contract within the Mysterious Circle.

Mr. Drunkard wouldn’t normally make such a request. He was a straightforward man who believed a promise was worth its weight in gold. But now, he had taken the initiative, his gaze toward the inside of the prison wagon tinged with doubt.

But the person inside the prison wagon didn’t hesitate at all. A Pale hand slowly reached out and clasped the Drunkard’s.

As their hands clasped, a strange red light suddenly enveloped them.

A phantom SCRITCH-SCRATCH sound seemed to echo in their ears, as if a quill pen were writing rapidly on coarse paper.

Only when this contract was complete did the Drunkard Investigator finally relax. A rare smile appeared on his face as he said softly, ”Consider today’s gifts as on me. I’ll help you strictly select the next three gifts as well.”

”But tonight’s matter is very important to me. I trust that you are a person who keeps their promises. You will show up on time, won’t you?”

...

The voice from inside the prison wagon sounded equally happy and relaxed. ”Of course. I definitely will!”