The Eldritch Files

’I thought I’d joined some incredible Mysterious Organization, the kind where every member is a total badass, destined to take on the world!’

’But now that I’m looking at them, this Mysterious Organization seems a little different from what I imagined...’

Rong Qiyue shifted from his earlier posture—hands resting on his knees—to leaning back casually, crossing one leg over the other. He sighed.

”I’m not trying to be difficult,” he said. ”I just think that compared to all this talk about direction and plans, we should really be paying more attention to our actual strength...”

”Investigate this, investigate that... it’s all useless if we can’t win a fight.”

”...”

Han Su actually found himself agreeing with him. When all irreconcilable conflicts are pushed to their limit, it’s brute force that ultimately decides the winner.

This was especially true now. Before, when he faced these situations, there was always someone to cover for him, even when he was completely lost.

But now, he had to face it himself.

After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Rong Qiyue. ”I have a rough idea of the other two’s abilities, but I’ve never seen you in action. As the youngest Doctor of the Hidden School, what’s your current level of Mysterious Power...?”

”Ahem!”

Rong Qiyue cleared his throat, his expression deliberately nonchalant. ”Well, I’m pretty average, really. But compared to everyone else here, I suppose I have a slight advantage. Of the three mysterious tiers, I’ve almost finished my ascent of the second one.”

”Tier Three?”

Han Su was taken aback. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of respect.

Tier One: Activity, Penetration, and Transformation.

Most Investigators from the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau operate at this level.

Tier Two: Understanding, Stealing, and Master.

That was already a level above a regular Investigator, one that only Independent Investigators could reach.

’I never would have thought... Rong Qiyue seems so average, but his power level is actually comparable to an Independent Investigator?’

Rong Qiyue noticed the shift in Han Su’s gaze and clearly enjoyed it.

But Wei Lan cut in, her voice tinged with doubt. ”You completed the process of Stealing and Mastering Mysterious Power at such a young age? Then what’s your Totem?”

At this question, Rong Qiyue seemed to deflate again. He cleared his throat and said, ”It’s a family Totem. I can’t discuss it with outsiders.”

”A family Totem?” Wei Lan repeated.

She merely emphasized the two words, saying nothing more, but Rong Qiyue already felt inexplicably flustered. He forced a casual smile. ”Of course, besides my Totem, I have other tricks up my sleeve. They’re powerful, but not to be used lightly.”

’He’s almost done with Tier Two and still has other powerful techniques?’

Awed, Han Su quickly asked, ”What kind of techniques?”

Rong Qiyue stammered, regretting he’d ever brought it up. But with everyone’s eyes on him, he steeled himself and blurted it out. ”...In a real crisis, I call my grandpa for help!”

’Well, then!’

It took Han Su a moment to process that. Then he had to admit that, in a pinch, the ”Grandpa Summoning Jutsu” was a type of strength in its own right.

”The Rong Family of Seawall City is certainly capable.”

Wei Lan, however, noticed Han Su’s confusion. A wisp of Spiritual Power flowed toward him. Since this entire space was a construct of her Mysterious Power, it was easy for her to transmit information.

”It’s just that regional Totems, while easier for certain families to Master and offering a quick path to higher power levels due to their secrets, also come with many limitations.”

”Before I obtained the true title of Empress, I was weaker than him.”

”Even in the early stages after obtaining the title, I was still no match for him. However, the advanced powers of an Empress far exceed what he can achieve later on.”

”...”

Han Su nodded thoughtfully. ’An organization like the Empress, which spans the entire globe, must have its unique advantages.’

’She has the right to be a little proud, but I’d better keep my head down.’

’After all, I’ve only just crossed the threshold into this mysterious world. Everyone looks like an expert to me.’

’But if I’m being honest, in terms of sheer strength, the one I trust most right now is still Pot Lid Head.’

’I always got the feeling he wasn’t going all out when he fought the Drunkard.’

’That guy is better suited for specific, assigned tasks, though.’

”It looks like we’ll be needing Dr. Rong to contribute more of his strength in the future.”

With that thought, Han Su gave Rong Qiyue a slight nod. ”You’re very knowledgeable, and you’re a Doctor of Archaeology. I expect I’ll have many things to consult you on in the future.”

*Phew...*

Seeing Han Su’s sincere expression, Rong Qiyue instantly felt relieved.

He cleared his throat and offered a reserved smile. ”It’s all about mutual support. I’ve only taken a couple more steps in the Mysterious Circle than the rest of you. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me.”

’Next time I see these guys,’ he thought, ’I can greet them while sitting down.’

Han Su smiled. ”Actually, I do have something to ask you about.”

”I have two mysterious items I need your help appraising, and some text I’d like you to identify.”

As he spoke, he made a few gentle gestures in the air.

His Spiritual Power left traces in the crystalline space, sketching out several strange characters.

It was the text from the cover of the black book. Han Su didn’t understand its meaning; he had simply copied it from memory.

”Do you recognize this script?”

”Hmm?”

Before Rong Qiyue could respond, Wei Lan, standing nearby, looked startled. A faint sound, like glass splintering, reached her ears. A hairline crack had appeared in their small, mirror-sealed meeting room.

Beside her, Rong Qiyue dropped his leg with a THUD and demanded urgently, ”This... this script! Where did you find it?”

Han Su frowned slightly. ”You recognize it?”

Rong Qiyue stared at the characters hanging in the air, not daring to answer immediately. He took a deep breath, his pupils flashing as he seemed to absorb the characters into his vision, as if using some kind of Secret Technique.

A long moment passed before he suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit.

When he looked up, the arrogant, self-satisfied expression from before was gone, replaced by a look of sheer bewilderment. ”This... This is real Golden Text, isn’t it?”

”Every single one of these... they’re incredibly precious! They could be sold at auction in the Mysterious Circle...”

”How many more do you have?”

”...”

Han Su hadn’t expected such a strong reaction, which made it difficult for him to respond.

’If every single character is valuable enough to be auctioned, should I tell them I have an entire book full of them?’

He just frowned slightly and said, ”Quite a few. Do you recognize them?”

”I need time to identify them...”

Rong Qiyue answered at once, his eyes glazed over. ”But more importantly, we need to determine the type of script this is...”

”This... this could be the script used by the Emperor...”

”If you really have a lot of it, this would be enough to shake the entire Relic Academic Community...”

”My god, how did you even manage to memorize this script?”

”A normal person’s mind would have fractured...”

He abruptly fell silent, shot a furtive glance at Han Su, and thought, ’This is, after all, a mysterious figure who can pluck a child out of the past. He said he’s just an Investigator, but how could I have been so quick to believe him?’

’Did he sense my arrogance and pull out this script just to knock me down a peg?’

’Next time we meet, I’d better stand up to greet him...’

As this thought crossed his mind, he quietly shifted back into the formal posture of resting his hands on his knees. Tentatively, he asked, ”And what was the other item you wanted me to appraise?”

Han Su was already prepared. He took out the pair of Glasses and placed them on the coffee table. Rong Qiyue’s eyes widened, but he looked as if he couldn’t see anything there at all.

He immediately understood. ”This thing... its level is too high. We’re all inside the model’s Spirit World right now. Her Spiritual Power can’t scan an item like this, so I can’t see it...”

Han Su hadn’t realized it would be so complicated. ”So I’d need to give it to you in person?”

”It’s not just a matter of giving it to me...”

Rong Qiyue’s voice was now filled with reverence. ”An item of this caliber isn’t like a common relic you can just glance at. It requires extensive spiritual experiments and can easily trigger spiritual resonance...”

”I need a safer, more private location. Can I take it back to my laboratory in Seawall City for appraisal?”

”...”

”Take it back?”

Han Su frowned slightly.

He did have some trust for Rong Qiyue. There was a strange sense of trust that came with people from the Ancient Castle, similar to what he felt with Miss Ai.

But the black book, the Glasses, and the Pocket Watch were all connected to the Ancient Castle. He couldn’t feel at ease letting these three items out of his sight, let alone allowing them to be taken to another city.

After a moment of deliberation, he asked, ”Isn’t there any way to appraise them here in Qinggang?”

”It might be, after some time.”

Rong Qiyue thought for a moment. ”To be blunt, I didn’t really come to Qinggang for that batch of relics developed with the Magic Box Group. I was authorized by my grandfather to use that as a pretext. My real purpose is to find an opportunity to establish an independent laboratory here in Qinggang.”

”If I can get it built, then doing this kind of work in my own lab would be no problem at all. The only issue is that getting a permit in Qinggang is difficult, so I can’t say for sure how long it will take...”

”...”

Hearing this, Han Su’s interest was piqued. ”An independent laboratory? The highly confidential kind?”

”Of course.”

At the mention of laboratories, Rong Qiyue grew excited. ”An independent laboratory is a prerequisite for advanced research in archaeology. Autonomy and secrecy are the top priorities.”

”With a lab like that, you can conduct deeper research on relics and Mysterious Power without having to worry about prying from certain mysterious items or your research being contaminated. Appraising the Golden Text would be a piece of cake.”

”Building it is actually an opportunity my grandfather has given me.”

”The thing is, many such labs already exist, all controlled by the Hidden School or Independent Investigators. To apply to build a new one, you need a permit from the Disaster Management Bureau or the Qinggang Council.”

”I’ve already met all the necessary conditions. The only obstacle is the old gentleman at Dingxiang Mansion.”

”If he doesn’t give the nod, my lab can’t be built.”

”...”

Listening to this, Han Su’s interest was stirred again. ’That old man?’