The Eldritch Files

Weighed down by a deep sense of gloom, Han Su returned to the apartment where he no longer had to pay property management fees.

Before entering, he checked the hair he had wedged in the doorjamb, the slip of paper stuck to the bottom of the door, and the peanut jammed in the frame. They were all still in their original places. Only then did he feel relieved enough to open the door and go inside.

The windows were also fine, the dust undisturbed.

Only after he was inside the small apartment did he start to feel a little more at ease.

’Why exactly are Miss Crow and her tutor watching me? Is it just because they received some kind of order, or are they involved in that kidnapping case themselves?’

’...’

’During the Spiritual Penetration training earlier, I caught a glimpse of Miss Crow’s memories. She was worried I’d seen too much, but I managed to hide it from her, and she didn’t grow suspicious.’

’After all, it was my first time ever using Spiritual Penetration.’

’A novice, by any measure, wouldn’t become a Master of Memory Search.’

’However, by returning to the future time and again, I’ve already developed an instinctive memory-searching ability. I saw far more than she thinks.’

’She had returned on some kind of mission.’

’Then, when I think about how she’s been extremely interested in me from the moment she appeared, always sticking to my side despite her terrible acting, it’s not hard to guess...’

’Her mission is actually related to me?’

’In that case, the one who’s truly interested in me must be the one who gave her the order: the Red Windbreaker.’

During this round of Mysterious Power training, the Lady in the Red Windbreaker seemed far too invested in me. She was also too impatient. Without any basic ability training, she rushed straight into teaching me those Zero Sequence Spells.

’Was this all for the sake of observation?’

A person of her status actually accompanied me for more than ten days of training. During every session, she stared at me constantly, as if she were deeply concerned with my reactions.

This went far beyond the bounds of normal training.

’Thankfully, as long as I don’t use the Fishing Song, my performance seems normal. This is a secret that can’t be seen by others.’

But what about after the "he" that Song Chushi mentioned wakes up?

Han Su’s confidence wavered at the thought.

He didn’t know if it was a result of his recent Mysterious Power training, but his body in its normal state seemed to be adapting to Spiritual Activity. He was becoming more and more sensitive, as if he could instantly sense if someone was watching his back.

Because of this sensitivity, he felt an indescribable sense of oppression at the Disaster Management Bureau.

Every now and then, he would feel a mysterious gaze fall upon him, making him feel ill at ease all over.

And as the "half a month" mentioned by Song Chushi drew closer day by day, this feeling of oppression became more and more unbearable.

Thankfully, that gaze’s "attention" on him wasn’t constant. It was more like an occasional glance from a busy person who could only spare a moment to look over. That was the only reason he’d managed to complete his Mysterious Power training.

After standing silently by the door for a good while, Han Su finally set down his suitcase. He first turned and walked to the bathroom, poured a glass of water using a tumbler, and watched it quietly, observing the ripples on the surface.

Ripples and bubbles lingered, the surface of the water trembling faintly. Han Su didn’t dare to relax for a single moment. He waited until the bubbles had all vanished and the ripples on the water had completely settled. After several seconds passed with no further changes, he finally eased up a bit.

Then he looked up at the mirror. Facing his own gloomy-eyed reflection, he silently recited the Fishing Song in his mind:

THE GODS BESTOW THEIR DECREE!

In that instant, he felt the Sea of Spiritual inside his head come alive. He felt massive waves stirring up crests of spray.

Immediately after, he recited the first principle of the Disaster Management Bureau’s Zero Sequence: I WILL ENTER THE ABYSSAL!

Even Han Su himself didn’t realize that his recitation of the Fishing Song had changed. A new phrase had been added, linking it to the following Spell to become:

I, AS A GOD, BESTOW THIS DECREE—I WILL ENTER THE ABYSSAL!

...

In an instant, Han Su felt his Spiritual Power surge wildly. Everything around him seemed to resonate in that moment, and a cacophony of countless shattering glass sounds assaulted his ears.

He saw the world’s omnipresent shadows, and those shadows seemed to come alive, rushing toward him. Like a vast, bottomless cloak, they instantly enveloped him.

He shuddered at the transformation but forced himself to stand still with immense willpower, observing calmly.

As far as he could tell, he was still standing perfectly still in the bathroom, not having moved an inch.

But when he looked in the mirror, his body was still there, yet it felt separated from the world by a hazy, phantom-like layer.

’This is how I see myself... but what would others see?’

Sensing his Spiritual Power draining away, Han Su turned and left the bathroom.

He walked slowly to his computer desk, opened the surveillance software he had installed, and clearly saw his own figure entering the apartment, right up until he went into the bathroom.

And as the bathroom door opened in the footage, the screen seemed to flicker. At first glance, there was no one in the shot.

Only a faint figure crossed the living room and came to the computer, and then the computer screen lit up.

’I vanished?’

’I can even vanish from camera footage?’

Han Su felt a flicker of pleasant surprise, though it was mostly grounded in his wariness of this unknown power.

’I’ve only just completed the most basic part of the Mysterious Power training, and with the Fishing Song’s augmentation, I can already achieve this effect?’

’To some extent, it seems my Invisibility effect is even better than the Strange Bird Tutor’s.’

However, along with this surprise, he also felt his Spiritual Power draining rapidly, a feeling of depletion already spreading through his mind.

’Seven seconds?’

He glanced at the time and made a mental note of it.

He also wondered, ’I can last seven seconds when no one is paying attention to me. What if someone were watching?’

’Theoretically, the more people watching me, the faster my Spiritual Power will be consumed.’

’In that case, how long could I last?’

’Also, this Invisibility Spell is so useful for me. Could I teach it to others?’

’At the very least, if I held someone in my arms, could the effect extend to them too?’

He had already asked the Lady in the Red Windbreaker this question. The answer he received was yes, but he still needed to test it for himself.

He sat quietly for a moment, waiting for the feeling of depletion in his mind to fade.

Although draining his power to a certain level would activate another new memory, Han Su had no reason to push himself that far. He simply rested for a moment before opening his second-hand laptop.

I’m back!

Black Rose replied almost instantly: Can you not act like I’m supposed to emerge from the kitchen in your white shirt to welcome you home every time you pop up? Is that too much to ask?

It’s not like you’re coming home to me!

...

Han Su was caught off guard by the response: Have I been?

Without waiting for a reply, he typed another sentence: I have a question for you.

Black Rose’s reply seemed a bit resigned: Is it because we know each other too well? You don’t even care about foreplay anymore...

Han Su didn’t know how to handle that comment, so he just continued with his own topic: Ten years ago, on July 30th, Qinggang held a tech exhibition at the Midtown Science and Technology Museum. Do you remember it?

Black Rose replied: No. What kind of normal person remembers stuff like that?

Han Su typed: It’s related to our kidnapping case.

Black Rose: Sorry, I’m not making the connection.

Han Su typed: It’s fine. I just wanted to ask, since you’re so resourceful, could you find the report on that exhibition from back then? Maybe from the Public Security Bureau or some other place?

Black Rose replied: Wait.

A short while later, a link came through: See if this is it.

Suppressing his excitement, Han Su clicked the link. Sure enough, he saw a report about an ancient Mechanical Fragment excavated from some ruins that was about to be exhibited at the Midtown Science and Technology Museum, representing another step forward in the excavation of ruins, and so on.

Seeing the actual images now, he grew even more certain. The report included many photos, and one of them was the very same one he had glimpsed within the will of the Crystal Skull.

’Is this what the Crystal Skull is looking for?’

’But if this Mechanical Fragment was just at the Midtown Science and Technology Museum, why go to all this trouble?’

Just as he was thinking this, Black Rose sent several more links. These were reports about a theft at the Midtown Science and Technology Museum. Looking at the dates, it happened on the very night of the kidnapping he had been through?

For some reason, seeing this news didn’t feel surprising at all.

’A theft was the only logical outcome.’

’Was that invisible hand really trying to erase all information related to this incident?’

Black Rose: Look at this news. Back then, your kidnapping case threw the whole city into chaos. Everyone knew the child of some big shot was in trouble, so the Public Security Bureau, armed forces, and even gangsters from the criminal underworld were mobilized.

As a result, someone exploited the chaos to steal a machine on display at the museum. This one.

The whole thing was really bizarre, apparently. There was a ton of security, but no one knew what happened. They were all in a daze, and the thing was stolen just like that.

Originally, a lot of people thought this case was extremely bizarre, and it was considered one of the Public Security Bureau’s cold cases. It just got overshadowed by your kidnapping, so it never really caused much of a stir publicly.

...

’I’m convinced someone deliberately erased all this information, but the outside world thinks the item was stolen because of the chaos from our kidnapping case?’

After pondering for a long time, Han Su finally typed a message: So, what exactly is this mysterious machine used for?

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