The Eldritch Files

”Training is over! Get back here, now!”

Their unspoken pact to band together, cooperate, and look out for one another was communicated with a single glance before a gruff voice shattered the moment. ”Is this any place for you to be smoking?”

”You haven’t even become Investigators yet, so don’t act so damn lazy!”

...

Everyone hurriedly extinguished their cigarettes and returned to the training room. There, they saw staff members placing black briefcases one by one onto the tables. The instructor stood with his hands clasped behind his back, addressing the crowd in a cold voice:

”Your training is now complete, and your group assignments have been finalized!”

”From now on, you will report only to your respective Executioner captains or to the Investigator who has requisitioned you. You will be on standby for orders at all times.”

”The arrangements for each group are different.”

”D1 and D2 Groups have no Executioner captains. You will form your own teams and will not be required to remain at the base. After training, you will return to society and receive orders directly from the Disaster Management Bureau. Your performance will be evaluated independently based on the missions you complete.”

”D3 and D4 Groups will operate in two-person teams. You will be on duty at the Disaster Management Bureau for four days a week. You are not required to stay at the base during your off time, but you must remain on alert and respond immediately upon receiving a mission.”

”As for D5 and D6 Groups, you may not leave after training. You are required to remain at the base and await orders at all times.”

”But regardless of whether you are stationed at the base under direct supervision or are free to leave, you are forbidden from leaking any information about this facility.”

”Each violation of the regulations will result in a demotion. This will continue until you are demoted to D5 or D6 Group and confined to the base, or demoted directly to D7 Group, where you will lose your personal freedom forever.”

”Is that understood?”

...

The response from below was not nearly as enthusiastic as one might have expected.

A strange expression appeared on everyone’s face. ’Why is there such a huge difference in treatment between the groups?’

’Is there such a clear hierarchy right after joining the Disaster Management Bureau?’

Especially for D5 and D6, who had lost their freedom of movement right off the bat. How was that any different from being thrown in jail?

’So status in the Disaster Management Bureau is directly linked to your level of freedom?’

”Very good.”

The instructor nodded with satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the black briefcases on the tables. ”Executioners can be considered semi-Investigators. This is especially true for D1 and D2 Groups, who are essentially regarded as Investigators-in-training.”

”And now, I can also tell you this:”

”An Investigator is someone responsible for completely eliminating those ghostly things that shouldn’t exist in reality and stopping their spread. People who believe in the existence of those ghostly things are also considered part of the chain of transmission and must be eliminated as well.”

”As Investigators, you all possess two great weapons, which you must keep with you at all times.”

”These two great weapons are in these briefcases and are about to be issued to you. Consider them a graduation gift from the training facility!”

...

’Great weapons... could it be a gun?’

Han Su felt a flicker of anticipation, remembering the items that had been confiscated after the execution assessment.

Just then, the instructor casually opened one of the briefcases and turned it toward the crowd to display its contents. ”This... is a weapon used to protect yourselves and, when necessary, subdue enemies or whatever other ghostly things you encounter...”

As he spoke, he picked up a black object. He pressed a button, and the tip immediately erupted with a loud CRACKLE.

Even his voice held a hint of excitement. ”The Thunder-101 high-voltage stun baton! It can instantly paralyze a target with a 20,000 KV restricted-level electric shock, and it’s equipped with a 4-watt high-intensity flashlight and a 110-decibel deterrent alarm.”

”A three-in-one self-defense design, suitable for various scenarios, including community security guards, families in the slums, long-haul truckers in the wilderness, and paranormal investigators. The relic-metal composite structure weighs only 700g, making it easy to carry, and a full charge lasts for 36 hours.”

”From this day forward, I require you to carry it with you at all times!”

...

At his words, everyone’s expressions fell. ’Damn it, after all that talk, you’re telling us it’s just a stun baton?’

”I finally get to see one...”

Amidst the expressions of astonishment, however, Crow, who was standing nearby, murmured in awe, ”An Investigator’s exclusive weapon. A highly lethal weapon known as the Mysterious Sword.”

”This fucking thing is an Investigator’s exclusive weapon?”

Han Su glanced at her. They had walked back together, and she was standing right next to him. ”In the assessment mission, they at least gave us a gun. Now that we’re officially on board, we get a stun baton? Who are they trying to fool?”

”I don’t really get it either...”

Crow seemed a little embarrassed and explained in a low voice, ”My aunt told me that real Investigators disdain using guns. They consider guns to be an old-fashioned, crude, and low-logic weapon.”

”For one, using a gun makes too much noise. Even with a suppressor, the sound is still too conspicuous.”

”Secondly, when you use a gun against an enemy, it often means you’re exposing yourself to the enemy’s line of sight. In battles of the arcane, that’s considered a major vulnerability.”

”That’s why very few of the Investigators I know are specially issued firearms.”

”Of course, once you reach the Investigator Level, it’s very easy to apply for a firearm. It’s just that writing reports for the ammunition is too much of a hassle.”

...

’Is she actually serious?’

Han Su was slightly surprised. For now, at least, he still found it hard to understand how a stun baton could be more valuable than a gun.

However, if he put himself in that situation—imagining he was still in the Dark Castle—he could understand it a little. In a place like the Ancient Castle, facing so many monsters, the difference in effectiveness between a stun baton and a firearm might not be that great after all.

’Then again, I’ve never had the pleasure of blasting monsters with a machine gun.’

”So, what’s the second great weapon?”

The other trainees clearly looked just as bewildered and disappointed as Han Su, but someone still mustered up the energy to ask.

”That would be this ID!”

The instructor on the stage held up a black-covered ID for everyone to see and said in a grave voice, ”This ID bears the official seal of the Disaster Management Bureau. You need to carry it with you from now on, but be extremely careful not to let outsiders see it.”

”When the critical moment comes—I mean, when you receive an urgent mission or face an unexpected situation that requires you to act—that’s when you present this ID.”

”Once this ID is presented, you will be granted temporary legal immunity!”

...

Initially, seeing the ID, the crowd’s expressions were still a bit disappointed. It was only after hearing that last sentence that someone’s interest was piqued. ”Legal immunity... what does that cover, specifically?”

The instructor glanced at him and said, ”You can run red lights without getting a ticket!”

Everyone was stunned. ”Huh?”

”Which means...”

Down below, the man with the gold-rimmed glasses spoke up slowly, looking thoughtful. ”By that same logic, does that mean killing someone isn’t a crime either?”

The instructor slowly exhaled and nodded. ”Correct!”

Hearing this, the room erupted with a BUZZ of discussion. An expression of utter shock appeared on every face.

”However, it’s only immunity from the laws of normal society!”

The instructor raised his voice, his expression grave as he warned them, ”After you present this ID, you will be subject only to the internal rules of the Disaster Management Bureau. You can, of course, run red lights and even kill people out there.”

”However, everything you do out there must be explained in a report filed back at the Disaster Management Bureau. Only after it’s been approved by the Bureau’s upper management will your actions be considered legitimate.”

”If you exceed the upper management’s tolerance, even if you can escape legal punishment from the outside world, you will face even stricter punishment from within the Disaster Management Bureau!”

”So don’t think you’ve truly been granted supreme power. Quite the opposite—you’ll have many eyes watching you.”

...

...

The gravity of that last sentence was like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of those who had just gotten excited. But in the crowd below, Han Su’s spirits lifted slightly as a very logical question came to mind:

’So, you’re saying that if someone is good at writing reports, they really do have supreme power?’

Thinking about it that way, he suddenly understood why Young Master Zhang, who had been so successful in Qinggang’s underworld, had been so desperate to get into this department.

”So, pick up your briefcases, take your IDs and weapons, and prepare to walk out the main gates of this base!”

The instructor’s speech was nearing its end. ”Your mobile phones and communication devices will also be returned to you. Miss Ai’s encrypted communication software has already been installed on them. Just remember one thing: from this day forward, your lives will be different.”

”In principle, Miss Ai’s orders will take precedence over everything else.”

”Including your own lives!”

...

He spoke with great solemnity. And as if to create a suitably grave atmosphere, the moment his words fell, a soft notification chime suddenly sounded from everyone’s phones.

Han Su looked down and saw that the software had just sent him his first message:

”Greetings, esteemed Executioner. I am Miss Ai. Welcome to the First Execution Department of the Qinggang Abnormal Disaster Assessment and Management Bureau. You have been assigned to D2 Group.”

”Codename: Butcher.”

”Initial Rating: C+”

...

’I’m only in D2 Group?’

Han Su was slightly taken aback. He had known that getting an A would get him into D1 or D2. With five A’s, he’d thought getting into D1 was a sure thing.

But a quick sideways glance and a shared look with Doctor and Black Tiger made him realize they had also been assigned to D2 Group. The only difference was that he had entered with a commanding lead, while Black Tiger had just scraped by.

’Then D1 must be...’

He glanced at Miss Crow, who wasn’t far off, and the few others who had received an S-Class rating for Encrypted Spells. It seemed D1 was reserved for them.

Of course, this wasn’t particularly important to him. His gaze just subconsciously drifted elsewhere.

’What about Old Zhang?’

’Now that I’m a member of D2 Group, what new identity is he going to use to come chat with me?’