Chapter 29: The Investigator and the Ordinary Person

Chen Qing nodded slightly, and Karans continued to advise him. “Although I shouldn’t interfere with your decisions, I must offer you a word of caution.”

He paused, seeing that Chen Qing showed no sign of displeasure, before continuing, “Among the lower and middle ranks of the five factions, you might be able to kill them without consequence, or at a minimal price. They have no friends who would seek vengeance for them.

But when it comes to cadre-level members, nearly every one harbors terrifying depths. The legacies they’ve left behind in life, the treasures they’ve stashed away somewhere, all become death warrants, inciting headhunters to launch a full assault against you.

Unless there is absolutely no choice… it’s best not to make enemies of investigators at the cadre level.”

Chen Qing sighed and then asked, “This Church of Divine Grace… what are their ways?”

Karans tilted his head, pondering for a moment before replying with a question, “Do you mean their doctrines?”

“Their style of conduct is included as well,” Chen Qing clarified.

Karans nodded in understanding. “In fact, the conduct of most top organizations is closely tied to their strategic goals. Take the Club, for example—it’s known for neutrality, and so its people are usually smooth operators. To a large extent, they’d rather suffer minor losses than offend their own ‘clients.’

The Church of Divine Grace, though, is somewhat special. They believe the world should return to the embrace of the gods, that all should be treated equally…

To outsiders, they’re a group of madmen, fanatics who care nothing for their own lives or those around them.

Their doctrine holds that curses are trials set by the gods upon the chosen, and blessings are the rewards granted after passing those trials.

The Backrooms are seen as places where the divine watches over humanity. That’s what their doctrine teaches, and that’s how they behave.

They seek to spread both curses and divine grace to everyone, to propagate the Backrooms, anomalous relics, and even curses capable of turning beings into entities.

To be honest… even in a society of investigators filled with eccentrics, they are the strangest of all.”

Chen Qing pinched the bridge of his nose, looking rather beleaguered. “Wait… that’s a lot to take in…”

“Please, go on,” Karans said with a smile, quietly waiting for Chen Qing to catch up.

“Is it possible for living beings to become entities?”

“In extremely rare cases, yes. At least, there are those who claim to have witnessed such a transformation. As for the reliability of their testimony, that’s hard to say.”

Chen Qing nodded, sighed, and then returned to the main subject. “Let’s talk about the assignment.”

“Yes, you wish to submit a task, correct?”

Chen Qing nodded again, explaining, “Someone commissioned me to submit a task on their behalf. They also specified the window to use.”

“I’m aware—the third window, correct?”

Chen Qing was a little surprised. “How did you know?”

“The moment you came in, I received information about the assignment’s origin… Naturally, I also know the corresponding reception staff,” Karans replied with a faint, unconcerned smile. “But you needn’t go to the counter. The staff there are lower-ranked than me; I can handle it for you.”

Chen Qing frowned, his doubts growing. “Honestly, why are you treating a newcomer like me with such privileges? By your logic, I should be at the bar at best, or even out on the dance floor.”

Karans shook his head with a smile. “You’re joking. Even if you came in on your own, you would never end up in the dance hall. That area is for the lackeys and hounds of investigators. As an investigator yourself, the lowest you’d be placed is at the bar or in a booth.”

“Then why?” Chen Qing gazed at the man before him, his expression serious. “Why have I skipped two or three ranks and been received by you?”

“I don’t know.”

He looked at Chen Qing and bowed apologetically. “I’m sorry. As your steward, I can’t provide an answer. I truly apologize.”

Chen Qing frowned. “Are you serious? You really don’t know?”

Karans’ eyes darted, and he leaned in close. “I’ve heard… that an anomalous relic within the Club rated you very highly. But the higher-ups suppressed it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood respectfully at attention.

This left Chen Qing with a complicated expression and a tumult of emotions.

“I understand. You truly don’t know. I won’t press you further.” Chen Qing gave him a grateful smile, though he found the situation somewhat amusing.

“In that case, please help me submit the assignment. From what I understand, all I need to do is give you this ear, correct? Is there anything I should be aware of?”

He took the item from his pocket, but Karans’ demeanor became solemn at the sight.

Karans smoothed his clothing, took two steps back, returned behind his workbench, and bent down to retrieve a pair of twenty-centimeter-long forceps, three sets of medical-grade rubber gloves, and a storage box clearly prepared for special items.

With a grave expression, he donned the gloves, placed the box in a corner of the workbench, and only then approached Chen Qing, speaking with utmost seriousness and anxiety, “Please be careful… I’ll handle the assignment right away.”

Chen Qing was a bit perplexed. “I can put it in the box myself, you know. You do intend to store it there, right?”

Karans shook his head firmly. “No… absolutely not. I’m very sorry, but I cannot compromise on this. It’s my duty, my lifelong responsibility.”

He gripped the forceps, carefully grasped the very tip of the ear, and with his other hand supporting it, hurried to the workbench.

After just three or five seconds, he had placed the ear in the box, but in that brief time, sweat poured down his forehead, soaking through the innermost layer of his pristine white shirt.

All of this left Chen Qing baffled.

He frowned and asked, “You seem under a lot of pressure. Is it because of the assignment?”

Karans forced a sheepish smile, shaking his head. “No… not at all… It’s just that extraordinary items put immense pressure on us…”

After a moment’s silence, Karans managed a gentle smile. “It’s not everyone who has the talent you do, able to hold such things barehanded—even among those who deal with anomalous relics or the Backrooms all year round.”

Chen Qing frowned, glanced at his own hand, and looked somewhat bewildered.

“Is it really that difficult?” He asked as if questioning why someone couldn’t eat a meal.

“It really is,” Karans replied, as earnest as a grade-schooler hearing advanced calculus for the first time.

“What happens?” Chen Qing was still confused.

Karans let out an embarrassed chuckle, which quickly turned to a proud smile. “Perhaps it’s just talent. Your gift may allow me to walk a brighter path.

He looked at Chen Qing and continued, “Things tied to the extraordinary and forbidden place a huge mental burden on ordinary people. Brief contact might be fine, but prolonged exposure, or contact with highly dangerous anomalies, can cause irreparable damage to one’s sanity.

Some people are born with high resistance to the bizarre. Where others would collapse at the sight of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, some can chat and laugh as if nothing happened.

Dealing with anomalous relics or forbidden things is like constantly being surrounded by such horrors. Ordinary people may seem fine at first, but over time, the mental strain manifests in other ways.”

After a moment’s thought, Chen Qing asked, “With anomalous relics, at what level does this become a problem?”

“Roughly… from grade E onwards, users begin to feel a burden, and those nearby experience mental stress. It also instills a compulsion in bystanders to try to take the item.

This phenomenon intensifies as the relic or Backrooms increase in power.

To put it plainly, if you were to take out an A-level anomalous relic that you couldn’t control or contain, the entire Club would be rushing in right now.”

“Uncontrollable? Would satisfying its requirements prevent that?”

Karans shook his head. “Clearly not. It might help control or lessen the effect somewhat, but such information is mostly top secret within the five great organizations. What leaks out is hard to verify.”

Chen Qing nodded in understanding, but then asked curiously, “Since forbidden things are so harmful to ordinary people, why are there regular folks here at all?”

Karans gave a peculiar grin, pointing at the cigars on the table. “That’s a forbidden item. One of those things that ordinary people fear, yet can never encounter.

Just being near it brings hallucinations, terrifying experiences.

How could they not be curious? How could anyone resist the allure of a vision that comes from the very soul?

It’s far more effective than any synthetic drug.”

“Oh?” Chen Qing arched an eyebrow. “And you? Aren’t you an ordinary person as well, judging by your reaction just now?”

He nodded sheepishly, ashamed. “Yes… yes. Even though I’ve been around such things since childhood, I can barely manage an F-level relic. But that already puts me ahead of most.

Some people, even with F-level items, lose themselves—drowning in pleasure or illusions.”

Chen Qing squinted, recalling the times when he was exhausted or his sanity was low.

But for him, it was always possible to recover and pull away.

But others can’t?

He hesitated, then gave a sarcastic laugh. “So those people in the dance hall really are just there to be danced with?”

“Most of them, yes. Some families hope to meet a gracious investigator here, to receive a little blessing—even if that blessing means the most bitter, the most pitiable tasks.”