The Eldritch Files

”Abilities?”

Han Su, who was in the middle of tearing open a pack of instant noodles, paused and looked up at Cui Qiao. ”I’m actually a little curious...”

He paused, met her gaze, and said, ”I’ve studied a bit of Mysticism before, and I think I came across a similar theory. Abilities on the supernatural side often come with certain unknown risks...”

”When you use these abilities, is there a price to pay?”

”A price? Of course there is.”

Hearing Han Su’s question, Cui Qiao showed a surprising amount of approval and nodded lightly. ”Considering the price before understanding the Mysterious Power... I have to say, I admire your clear-headedness.”

”And speaking of the price, yes, there definitely is one.”

She paused for a moment before saying softly, ”Using an ability means over-consuming your Spiritual Power, which puts a strain on your brain and erodes your sanity. That’s why people who overuse their Spiritual Power often suffer from insomnia, dazes, and poor memory.”

”Also, in supernatural circles, there’s a strong tendency for severe hair loss after the age of forty...”

...

Han Su was stunned. ”Huh? That’s it?”

”Of course, there are more serious consequences...”

Secretary Cui smiled, but her expression suddenly turned serious. ”Using your abilities brings you closer and closer to those mysterious entities, until you can never escape!”

”It’s like you all. Just by coming into contact with the bizarre, you were forced to leave your normal lives and join this department.”

”But Spiritual Penetration... that’s directly breaking the boundary yourself...”

”You can think of it this way: the entire world is built on top of a vast swamp. All of humanity is walking on its surface. But in the depths of that swamp, countless monsters and shadows are waiting, constantly thinking about devouring the people above.”

”Even if you do nothing, some unlucky people will accidentally fall into the mire, or get caught by the monsters below and dragged down.”

”What those who use Spiritual Penetration are doing is recklessly sticking their feet into that mire again and again. They even deliberately approach and provoke the monsters within...”

”Ability users in the real world are the same. Every time you use your ability, you get a little closer to those monsters. The more powerful the ability you master, the easier it is for the monsters in the swamp’s depths to see you...”

”The ability itself is a way for the monsters in the swamp to achieve Penetration into reality.”

”Does that make sense to you?”

...

Han Su nodded. This time, he truly understood.

Having said all that, Cui Qiao suddenly smiled at Han Su. ”But you don’t need to be afraid.”

”The Disaster Management Bureau has been around for a few years now. Some very powerful and intelligent people have managed to lower the risks of Spiritual Penetration training to a very low level. Besides, spots for that kind of training are limited. Who knows when your turn would even come up!”

...

At this, she raised her hand to check her watch and turned to walk out the door. Han Su grew a little anxious. ”Uncle Zhang...”

The secretary walked out without looking back. ”Do not inquire about the whereabouts of important leaders of the Disaster Management Bureau.”

”...What the hell!”

Watching her leave so abruptly without giving a straight answer, Han Su felt a bit helpless. He could only slowly boil water for his noodles while silently mulling over her words.

’A world walking on a swamp?’

’If what she said is true, and the whole world is built on a swamp, then people who have achieved Spiritual Penetration are just guys who stick their feet in to provoke the monsters from time to time.’

’So what does that make me? I’ve been kidnapped by monsters since I was a child, and I still can’t escape.’

’Someone who drowned in the swamp long ago but keeps popping his head out for a breath of air?’

’But going by that theory, what exactly are the monsters that kidnapped me? And why is their Mysterious Power still lingering on my body?’

It wasn’t that he hadn’t let his imagination run wild, thinking these monsters were ”gods” or something else. But how could gods be on this level?

He’d never truly escaped, but he had tricked them, evaded them, and even hurt them...

...Those damn things were definitely not gods!

Shaking the strange thought from his mind, Han Su looked down at his left hand. On the back of it, the conspicuous cross-shaped scar was grim and distinct, carrying an ugly, eerie feeling.

His time at the Disaster Management Bureau had one major inconvenience: adapting to this ability. Although he’d gotten a general understanding during the assessment, he’d had no opportunity to familiarize himself with or develop the powers of either his right eye or his left hand.

Of course, if he really wanted to develop them without restraint, he definitely had to be clear on the price first.

He had to admit, Cui Qiao’s warning was necessary:

Hair loss really is terrifying!

But the rest of it—the more you use your abilities, the closer you get to the monsters in the swamp, the easier it is to sink in, and all that... for him, what kind of a price was that?

As he thought about this, Han Su put the instant noodles into a bowl.

He had a habit of eating instant noodles from a bowl, for two reasons.

First, the woman who took care of him before he was ten told him that when you’re at home, you don’t eat instant noodles out of a paper cup.

It was a matter of principle, a sign that you had a home.

The other reason was that Han Su had bought the kind that comes in a bag.

That guy Xu Ji was certainly generous, renting him a small apartment like this. The key issue was, while the rent was cheap, the property and management fees were not.

He was already taking advantage of Xu Ji’s kindness, and he couldn’t very well ask him to pay these fees too. So he paid them out of his own pocket. All in all, it wasn’t much different from when he was working odd jobs and living in a low-rent apartment.

He had been at the Disaster Management Bureau for a week, and the instant noodles he’d bought just in time were now about to expire.

Boiling water poured into the noodle bowl. It was scalding hot, and Han Su’s right hand was already about to let go. But in his mind, he silently recited the Spell. Instantly, his Spiritual Power began to ”flow,” concentrating in his left hand.

He had recited the Spell a few times now and had grown used to the sensation of his Spiritual Power turning into a tangible current.

The hand, usually a bit slow, suddenly turned ice-cold. It couldn’t feel the scalding water in the slightest. On the contrary, the feeling of strength became immense. He was barely holding it, yet the large bowl inexplicably cracked.

Han Su quickly swapped it for another bowl and withdrew the Spiritual Power concentrated in his left hand.

He thought to himself, ’If mere contact can let those monsters leave such powerful energy on my body, does that mean... next time I’m in the Ancient Castle, I could find a chance to grab one of those monsters? Maybe that would also leave some of its power behind, which I could activate once I’m back in reality?’

’Grab a monster?’

’Weird!’

As he pondered this, he cracked an egg into his bowl and added a sausage to celebrate his return—a small luxury.

But now that he was finally back in a familiar environment, why did it feel like something was missing?

Just then, a knock suddenly sounded at the door. Han Su had no choice but to go open it, chopsticks in hand. The moment the door opened, he froze on the spot.

Zhang Chiguo stood at the door, beaming, while behind him, Secretary Cui Qiao had a dark expression on her face, holding bags overflowing with groceries.

”Xiaohan, you...”

He started to say happily, but then he paused, catching the smell of instant noodles. ”You’re already eating?”

Han Su was still stunned. ”What are you doing here?”

Zhang Chiguo glanced back at Secretary Cui in confusion. ”I came to cook you a meal to celebrate you joining the Disaster Management Bureau, and to have a chat. Didn’t Xiaocui tell you?”

Han Su said, ”No.”

Behind Zhang Chiguo, the expressionless Secretary Cui said, ”Your whereabouts cannot be disclosed under any circumstances. Besides...”

”...How was I supposed to know that ’getting ready’ meant going to the wet market?”

”...And buying this much?”

...

It was indeed a lot of food. After helping Secretary Cui carry it all in, Zhang Chiguo cheerfully tied on an apron and went into the kitchen to cook.

The secretary in the black suit, Cui Qiao, was assigned to squat on a small stool and wash potatoes.

Unlike the Zhang Chiguo at the Disaster Management Bureau, the man in the kitchen looked just like a homey old man.

But Cui Qiao also seemed different from the polished, capable, and confident woman at the Bureau. She looked like she held a deep-seated grudge, scrubbing the potatoes so hard they squeaked.

Han Su thought he should be polite and sat down to help her, but she’d lost all of the friendliness she’d shown him earlier. Instead, she was cold and sharp. ”Go sit on the sofa. Zhang the Head said this is my mission!”

She bit out the word ”mission” with particular emphasis.

’Well, your attitude toward this mission is clearly a bit unprofessional...’

Han Su thought to himself but didn’t dare say it out loud, so he gave up on the idea of saving the potatoes.

From the smell, he could tell Zhang Chiguo was preparing hot oil-splashed fish and beef with tofu. The bowl of nearly expired instant noodles was pushed to the side.

His perpetually taut nerves began to relax a little.

These were all dishes he loved as a child.

He didn’t have many memories from before he was ten, and from the few fragments he did have, his life hadn’t exactly been good.

The single woman who took care of him had a bad temper; he was always covered in bruises. As for food, he didn’t remember anything delicious, but at least he never starved.

It was after the kidnapping, when Zhang Chiguo took care of him for a while under the pretext of protecting a witness, that things were different. This rough old man would often cook delicious food for him and occasionally make him laugh.

Of course, he was probably just trying to coax Han Su into remembering something back then, but that didn’t matter anymore.

Back then, facing the stern Public Security Bureau, the ravenous media, and the grieving families of the victims, if it hadn’t been for Zhang Chiguo’s tall, silent figure standing in front of him, he probably would have gone insane.

As he thought about this, he picked up a handful of green beans and slowly began to snap them.