The Eldritch Files

”I have to admit, we underestimated Zhang Chiguo!”

At that same moment, inside a bar, the Drunkard Investigator, who had furiously smashed a floor full of bottles, forced himself to calm down after his brief outburst.

He suddenly let out a loud laugh, a sound that vented his excess emotions and was filled with self-mockery.

’There’s no need to be angry,’ he thought.

He had to accept it. He’d underestimated Zhang Chiguo, thinking he was the same man from three years ago—stodgy, callous, and a stickler for the rules. But he also had to accept that the man had now become so insidious.

But since he had underestimated him, it wasn’t too late to adjust his strategy now.

His gaze fell on Han Su’s photo in the file. He slowly picked up the phone that had been ringing for a long time. By now, he had his emotions in check, and his voice was as relaxed as usual. ”You don’t need to remind me. I know what the situation is.”

”Zhang Chiguo made a ruthless move, turning our secret meeting into a joke.”

”But this also served as a reminder. It was our mistake to keep playing by the rules.”

”Fortunately, that monster in D7 is a great opportunity. No matter how clever Zhang Chiguo is, he can’t account for everything.”

”That monster is the one variable he can’t calculate.”

”...”

The person on the other end of the line seemed to sense something and said something nervously.

The Drunkard Investigator just laughed. ”Yes, the higher-ups only want me to persuade him, not silence him forever. That’s why I could only try to talk him around time and time again. But things have already reached this point, so what’s the point of hesitating?”

”I don’t know what methods he used, but from the moment he killed Sparrow, we had to face reality: the war has already begun.”

”You don’t need to worry about the other matters.”

”My promotion report has already been submitted. As long as nothing goes wrong in the next three days, it should be approved.”

”Have Investigator Bai Yang keep a close watch on that file. I don’t need him to risk destroying it; I just need to ensure it doesn’t enter Qinggang within the next three days. That’ll be enough.”

”Just three days. Three days is all it will take to solve all our problems!”

”Of course, we must make the necessary preparations!”

He paused here, silent for a long moment. He understood the attitude of the higher-ups, but he still enunciated each word clearly, ”If they covet that file and dare to come out of the city to get it...”

”...I want him dead!”

”Even if the one above expresses his displeasure, I’ll still have him killed. After all, I’ve already taken the fall for that man plenty of times!”

”This promotion... I have to get it!”

”...”

”...”

Just as a star Investigator was rising through the ranks within the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau, stirring up countless undercurrents, a different scene was unfolding outside Qinggang City. In a massive, unusually quiet manor perched in the wilderness, the thick, overpowering stench of blood filled the air.

This place had once been a palatial residence, the kind of life many truly powerful people chose for themselves, building vast, luxurious manors in the suburbs.

It had only two masters, but the butlers, servants, gardeners, drivers, and security staff numbered over a hundred. Now, all of them were dead. Their bodies were laid out in neat rows in the manor’s courtyard.

In front of all the corpses, a tall man with a golden wig and one blind eye sat in a chair under a parasol. A snakeskin briefcase rested beside him. He slowly extended a long tongue and licked the bloodstains from his face.

He held a head in his hand—the head of the manor’s master. But now, it had been stripped of all flesh and blood, leaving only a translucent skull that looked like a work of art.

”Sir, we’ve searched the entire premises. There are no clues about the Crystal Skull Female Priestess.”

Two Investigator Assistants emerged from his left and right to report:

”It seems that our previous operations against their peripheral members alerted them. They’ve already made preparations.”

”Not only have they severed their connection to the Crystal Pyramid, but they’ve also deleted information about that machine from their shared memories.”

”...”

”Heh...”

The man in the white suit looked down at the Crystal Skull in his hand and squeezed lightly. Cracks instantly spiderwebbed across its surface. The smile on his face, however, was sinister and nonchalant, tinged with mockery. ”It doesn’t matter if they deleted it.”

”Investigate the Crystal Skull’s movements during this period. We’ll naturally be able to find the trail of that Mechanical Fragment again.”

With that, he looked at the other Investigator Assistant and said, ”All the Crystal Skulls we could find have been killed. I’m bored. That guy... is there any news on him?”

”Yes!”

The assistant lowered his voice in response. ”His reputation is soaring right now. He’s become a star Investigator in the Disaster Management Bureau. Those people in the Bureau who were banding together to force out Zhang Chiguo are now in a state of hesitation and disarray.”

”A star Investigator?”

Upon hearing this, the man in the white suit suddenly grew agitated. His expression twisted into a savage grin, and he burst into wild laughter. ”Good, good! He’s finally stopped hiding...”

”Does this mean he’s finally stepped out of his comfortable little reality for good?”

”Hahaha! And I thought I’d have to wait, wait for a long, long time...”

”Back to the city!”

”...”

He was so excited that his one good eye gleamed with a feverish light. The expression on his face seemed to lose control, muscles twitching and rolling. For a moment, he wore a vicious expression like that of a malicious child as he impatiently shot to his feet.

The Investigator Assistant who had reported earlier hesitated slightly. ”Aren’t we going to keep looking for the Crystal Skull’s Priest?”

”I thought finding that Mechanical Fragment was the only way to eliminate future trouble...”

”Mechanical Fragment?”

The man in the white suit whipped his head around and shot him a glacial glare, nearly scaring the assistant’s heart into stopping.

Then, he gritted his teeth slightly and broke into a smile. ”That Mechanical Fragment... in my heart, it’s nothing compared to him...”

”However...”

He seemed to be pondering. Leaning back slightly, he slowly reached up to stroke the eyepatch he wore, as if considering some reservation. Then he whispered, ”To be safe, we have to find a way to lure him out of the city!”

...

...

[Congratulations, Mr. Butcher!]

Miss Ai’s tone seemed light and cheerful. [Everyone has seen the efforts you’ve made for the defense of reality these past few days. Your initial evaluation has been raised from C Level to A Level!]

[Friendly reminder: There are only five A Level Investigators in the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau to date, and you are the youngest one!]

[...]

After submitting the last report he was working on, Han Su promptly received another message from Miss Ai.

He had been truly exhausted these past few days.

From writing reports.

The reports for those B Level Tasks—the ones he completed without even arriving at the scene—were especially difficult to write.

Taking a deep breath, Han Su looked at Miss Ai’s message and slowly typed: [So do I have a chance to surpass them and become an Independent Investigator sooner?]

Miss Ai replied instantly: [Of course. But from this point on, it might require Mr. Butcher’s own efforts. I have seen your hard work over the past two months, and I believe that no matter what difficulties you face, you can successfully overcome them.]

”Hm?”

For some reason, Han Su got a strange premonition from her words, as if she were trying to tell him something.

He was silent for a long time, then tried typing: [Miss Ai, why are you helping me so much?]

But after typing it, he didn’t send it. He deleted it, hesitated, then typed another message: [Miss Ai, have you been the one protecting me all this time?]

Thinking of the suspicions surrounding Black Rose, and then of the path Miss Ai had so painstakingly laid out for him, he couldn’t help but wonder. At the same time, more and more doubts surfaced in his mind.

He hadn’t encountered any supernatural incidents for a long time. At first, he’d thought it was because that metamorphosing monster was watching him, but what if he was wrong, just like with the Nail of the Dead Sea?

He could tell that Miss Ai was extremely cautious. He might not get an answer to these questions.

[I am just a machine. I only execute commands!]

Unexpectedly, Miss Ai replied this time, though her response seemed a bit slow, as if even an entity like her needed to deliberate and consider:

[Reality is a comfortable cocoon. It can make Mr. Butcher feel lost and troubled, but it can also insulate you from most real dangers and offer a moment of respite.]

[The moment you leave this cocoon of reality, a lonely path will unfold before you. Your brilliance will be seen by others, which also means, Mr. Butcher, that you are ready to face your opponents head-on!]

[I can no longer guarantee that I have the ability to protect you at all times, but... do your best, Mr. Butcher!]

[I will always be by your side!]

[...]

Finally, accompanied by a smiling emoji, the messages Miss Ai had sent began to be deleted, one by one.

Han Su understood that this was another conversation that could never be known to others. But he couldn’t calm his racing heart. Rushing before all the messages disappeared, he quickly typed: [Miss Ai, when can I have a conversation with you without worrying?]

Miss Ai’s message deletion paused for a moment. Then, a new message appeared: [When I open the third lock.]

”Locks?”

Han Su’s gaze fell on the words ”the third lock.” He didn’t know what it meant, but an inexplicable feeling of unease, even anger, rose in his heart.

It was as if those locks imprisoned him, or one of the people closest to him.

He’d felt something similar when he saw the surgical scars on Pot Lid Head, only this time, the feeling was much stronger.

After a long while, he gently typed: [Thank you, Miss Ai!]

[No matter what’s coming, I’m ready for it!]

[Or rather, I can’t wait.]

[...]

Miss Ai didn’t reply for a long time. Just as all the messages above were about to disappear completely, one last message quietly appeared: [It’s been hard on you, Mr. Butcher!]

All the other messages were erased, leaving only this one, sitting forlornly in his chat window with Miss Ai.

”Hm?”

Han Su even thought he had misread it. When he focused his eyes to look again, all traces of the messages had been erased.

In their place was a new task notification: [Optional Task: The investigation into the B+ Level ”Red Eye” incident has stalled. Mr. Butcher’s assistance is requested!]

[Friendly Reminder: The wilderness is a lawless land. Stepping out of the city means completely leaving the cocoon of reality. Enemies in the shadows are already stirring!]

[Please make your decision carefully, Mr. Butcher!]