The Eldritch Files

Half a day was, of course, not enough time to really learn anything, let alone train a rookie into a firearms expert.

They only had two magazines, which they needed for the mission, so there was no way to even practice.

Under the patient, sometimes repetitive, instruction of the girl in the black hood, Han Su only managed to learn the most basic actions: engaging the safety, changing a magazine, holding the gun, aiming, and so on.

Soon, it was five o’clock. A staff member came to notify them, and they all followed him to a room where a man was already sitting on a chair, waiting.

It was a chubby man wearing a small pair of glasses. He seemed to be around Han Su’s age, with a very boyish face. He was clearly trying to put on a professional and imposing air, but it wasn’t very effective. No matter how tense his expression, he still radiated an amateurish vibe.

Standing before him were the man in camouflage from the military and several other trainees assigned to the same mission as Han Su.

The camo-clad man, in particular, stood ramrod straight before him, firm as steel. His presence made Little Fatty look like some hapless bystander, while he looked like the real professional Executioner.

”Have you all brought your weapons and equipment?”

When the group arrived, Little Fatty’s slightly uncomfortable expression relaxed a bit. He kept his face taut and said, ”We move out in half an hour.”

”In this test, I am your referee, one of your examiners, and also your bodyguard, ready to handle any unexpected situations. Additionally, I am your captain, responsible for giving orders!”

”Understood?”

Han Su nodded instinctively, but the man in camo beside him had already shouted, ”Understood!”

Little Fatty dug a finger in his ear and shot the man a resentful look before his gaze fell on Han Su. ”Before the mission starts, if you have any questions, I will answer the ones I deem appropriate. But once the mission begins, no one is allowed to speak!”

”You will each be issued a walkie-talkie, but only I have the authority to use it to communicate with the outside. Understood?”

...

This time, Han Su joined in, answering loudly, ”Understood!”

”Good!”

Little Fatty waved his hand grandly. ”Full of spirit! Now, let’s move out!”

The trainees immediately followed Little Fatty out of the Disaster Management Bureau. Seeing the night sky outside, the past few days felt especially surreal.

Two black armored vehicles were already waiting at the entrance. Their bodies were devoid of any extra logos or names, painted completely black except for a twisted snake spray-painted on the right-side door.

They boarded the vehicles, which started up silently and carried them through the night-shrouded streets. The bustling neon lights and diverse crowds outside the windows formed a stark contrast with the silent, oppressive atmosphere inside the vehicle.

Although Little Fatty had said they could ask questions, they knew so little about the mission that they didn’t even know what to ask.

Little Fatty, however, was clearly used to this. He sat in the front passenger seat, frowning as he played a game on his phone. Han Su leaned over and asked, ”What level are you?”

Little Fatty jerked his head up, somewhat surprised by Han Su’s lack of professionalism. He stole a glance at the man in camo sitting bolt upright beside them before carefully replying:

”I suck. I’m only level 39.”

Han Su said, ”I know a pro who’s level 172. We could play together sometime.”

Little Fatty’s head shot up again. His eyes, now looking at Han Su, held a clear glint of pleasant surprise. However, with the overly serious camo-clad man right there, he seemed a bit too embarrassed to say anything more.

After this brief exchange, Han Su felt a strange sense of dissonance. ’This Little Fatty clearly gives off an extremely dangerous aura, but the innocence he’s showing now... it doesn’t seem fake?’

Around 9:30 PM, the group arrived at the mission destination and disembarked one by one.

Looking up, they saw a fifty-story skyscraper that seemed to pierce the night sky. All of the building’s windows were pitch-black, with only the ground-floor lobby emitting a dim light.

At this hour, when the city’s workhorses should have been most active, the building seemed completely empty. Not a single shadow could be seen in the darkness.

”Let’s go.”

Little Fatty had the driver park the car. Then he, Han Su, the camo-clad man, and the other trainees equipped their sidearms and walkie-talkies and entered the building.

The building’s elevators were already out of service, save for one that was still lit. Little Fatty led them into it and went straight to the thirty-ninth floor. Then, using his walkie-talkie, he ordered someone to shut down that elevator as well before leading them to Zone B.

It was pitch-black here. There were four elevators, but all were completely shut down. Not a soul was in sight.

Only a few chairs were placed here.

Little Fatty pulled out a chair and positioned it directly facing the leftmost elevator in Zone B. He then picked up his walkie-talkie to report that the temporary team members and Captain Zhao Da’er were in position, awaiting the start of the mission.

He then conducted a signal test, reported no anomalies in the surroundings, and checked his digital watch, waiting patiently.

And then... that was it.

According to both the mission envelope and Little Fatty’s instructions, this was their task: each person takes a chair, splits into two groups, and stares intently at the elevator before them.

It was a stupid mission. To sit in silence in a building that had been completely evacuated, just staring at an elevator that appeared to have no power. As per the requirements, they couldn’t let go of their guns, and not everyone could look away from the elevator at the same time.

From 10:00 PM until 3:00 AM.

If any living thing emerged from the elevator—no matter what it was—they were to open fire immediately.

Checking his digital watch, Han Su saw it wasn’t yet 10:00 PM. He finally couldn’t hold back any longer and asked in a low voice, ”Why are we waiting for an elevator here?”

Among the trainees, some were already tense. The camo-clad man, sitting ramrod straight, heard the whisper and immediately turned to look at Han Su. He said stiffly, ”Our duty is to execute the mission, not to ask a bunch of questions.”

His words not only admonished Han Su but also seemed to stun Little Fatty.

After a moment, he said softly, ”I don’t think I forgot to tell you that you could ask questions before the mission started, did I?”

”Right.”

Han Su said, ”The mission starts at ten. We still have thirty minutes.”

”There you go.”

Little Fatty sighed. ”This is our mission for tonight. In fact, this is what the vast majority of your missions will be like once you officially start working as personnel for the Disaster Management Bureau’s Execution Division.”

”It’s not just you who aren’t used to it.”

He sounded a bit wistful as he spoke, his voice tinged with resignation. ”A walkie-talkie, a pack of smokes, and you sit there all day. My family thought I’d made it big when they heard I joined this department. Who would’ve thought I’d be doing this kind of crappy work every day?”

Han Su asked tentatively, ”So, what’s so strange about this elevator? Why do we have to watch it?”

When he asked this, even the camo-clad man beside them clearly perked up his ears to listen.

Little Fatty hesitated, as if considering whether he could answer the question. Then he lowered his voice. ”Do you know how many people have gone missing in this building this month?”

Han Su immediately played the straight man. ”How many?”

Little Fatty said, ”Five!”

Han Su said, ”My god...”

”And what’s more...”

Little Fatty’s tone grew heavier, and he said mysteriously, ”Our department confirmed five people were missing only after we received a report and sent an Investigator to gather evidence. But before that report, who knows how many unrecorded people vanished here?”

”Of course, the missing people are just a number. For a city this size, it’s a drop in the bucket. The impact isn’t that great.”

”Do you know who we’re guarding against, standing here with guns?”

...

Han Su played along, showing a hint of nervousness. ”Who?”

Little Fatty lowered his voice, staring intently at the dark gap of the elevator doors. ”The people who come out of the elevator.”

”Come out?”

Han Su looked at the elevator.

On the outside, it looked no different from a typical office building elevator, perhaps even a bit old. It was set naturally into the wall, side-by-side with the other elevators.

The most crucial part was that this elevator clearly had no power. The floor indicator was completely dark.

Furthermore, the building was already under special watch by the security department; all staff were completely cleared out by 6:00 PM.

No people, no power... so who were they guarding against with their guns? Who were they supposed to shoot?

”Come out...”

One of the trainees, clearly creeped out, stammered, ”What kind of... people come out?”

”Grotesques.”

Little Fatty clearly enjoyed seeing the rookies’ fearful reactions. He smiled and said, ”They’re a type of thing that is constantly trying to achieve Penetration into our reality. Most of our work from now on will be dealing with them.”

”If monsters are going to come out of this elevator, why do we have to go through the trouble of posting a guard here?”

Hearing his explanation, everyone grew uneasy. But a different question surfaced in Han Su’s mind: ”Why not just seal the elevator with cement?”

”Or blow up the building and bury the whole thing!”

...

”Useless.”

Little Fatty said, ”If a powerless elevator can still operate at a specific time, and people can still emerge from it in an empty building and blend into the outside world, then sealing it with cement would be equally ineffective.”

”This thing has the ability to warp reality. It doesn’t follow logic.”

”All we can do is follow the Investigator’s recommendation: stand guard here at this specific time and open fire on any living thing that comes out of this elevator that shouldn’t be running.”

”Humans, among all the possible methods for dealing with Grotesques, are the most efficient and cost-effective consumable.”