Chapter 131: Killing a House |
"The current owner of this house lives in the Capital. According to the records, they haven't returned in over twenty years. Before that, their parents lived here. After the two elders passed away, the house has been vacant until now."
Ma Cidi read the intelligence report while raising his Flashlight, scanning the two rooms on the first floor of the Small Building.
The entire building's footprint was not large. The staircase was situated in the center, flanked by a room on both the left and right sides, with just enough space left to squeeze in a cramped bathroom. Because the stairs and hallway were too narrow, they had to take responsibility for one side of the house each. However, there was no need to stick together in formation; the layout here was not complicated at all, and one could see from one end to the other at a single glance.
Shi Rang had also brought a Flashlight.
Past painful lessons had left him paranoid about nighttime operations. From now on, whenever he went out after dark, he absolutely had to carry a flashlight to feel at ease.
"Why would that Paranormal Blogger choose this place? It's not scary here at all," Shi Rang wondered aloud.
The interior had been completely emptied out. Only the mottled walls and the rather retro patterned floor tiles spoke of the era when the people who once lived here had stayed.
Other than being a bit dark and having the electricity cut off, the house didn't look frightening in the slightest.
"That guy was just a small-time streamer who came here alone. He probably passed by, saw the house was abandoned, and broke in to make up ghost stories." Ma Cidi walked through the room according to the job requirements, stopping for a few seconds in front of the windows. After confirming there was nothing to be found, he returned to the central staircase to regroup with Shi Rang. "Let's keep heading up."
Upon reaching the third floor, they gathered the Chalk and other miscellaneous items left behind by the Paranormal Blogger into a Trash Bag and set it aside.
The ghost still hadn't appeared.
"How much longer until you become a full-time employee?" Ma Cidi asked Shi Rang on the other side, backing out of a small cubicle that used to be a bathroom.
Shi Rang gave a vague answer to avoid blowing his cover, "Not anytime soon."
"I originally thought that if no one came to back me up, I would try my luck and see if I could handle this Distortion Phenomenon by myself. If I could complete the mission alone, it should be enough to pass my probation." Speaking of this, a look of anticipation surfaced on Ma Cidi's face.
"That would be very dangerous, wouldn't it? You didn't even bring a gun."
"I was originally only half a year away, but then the Captain ran off. Now that I don't have a supervisor, my internship will probably be extended again. I want to officially enter the Management Authority early and take up a post in the Research Department."
"You're a scientist?"
"A Biologist."
"Can Anomalies be analyzed with biology?" Shi Rang turned back to join him, and they continued their climb.
"Since nature has its laws, Anomalies must certainly have their laws too. It's just that we don't know the underlying principles yet, which is why we classify them as anomalies. Actually..." Ma Cidi, who was walking ahead of him, suddenly stopped on a step two tiers higher and looked back at Shi Rang. "I believe they were designed for some kind of purpose. If I can gain higher clearance, maybe I can use the data and research to find their creator, and the mystery of the Anomalies will be solved!"
This declaration was full of high spirits, carrying the unique courage and aspirations for the future that only the youth possessed.
In that moment, holding his flashlight, Ma Cidi's eyes seemed to sparkle, brimming with a dream that many others had already lost.
Shi Rang envied this mindset, but to these ambitious words, he could only offer a dry blessing.
"That sounds fascinating."
Before coming here, he had taken advantage of the fact that the AIC hadn't yet realized he was an intruder to carefully read Ma Cidi's employee file, studying the other party's personality in advance.
In Ma Cidi's file, his supervisor had left the following evaluation: [Honest and dutiful. Frugal with money to an almost obsessive-compulsive degree. A loyal supporter of Creationism, leaning more towards the Philosophical Theory that a Higher Being created everything. Has expressed negative opinions about the future of the Management Authority and is not loyal to the guiding ideology that "humanity has hope of constantly progressing until it can combat anomalies." Poses a loyalty risk. Recommendation: extend internship period for further observation.]
With such a harsh review, even if Ma Cidi survived the next half-year without any risks, his internship would probably still be extended due to other unforeseen circumstances.
Ma Cidi couldn't tell what Shi Rang was thinking and continued to lead the way with great enthusiasm.
The two cooperated with each other and soon searched all the way up to the Rooftop, then searched back down to the outside of the first floor.
It took nearly an hour, but the phenomenon simply did not appear.
"Why don't we pull out? The intelligence report is probably flawed. We've wandered around for ages without seeing a single ghost. If we head back now, we can still catch the free midnight snack at the cafeteria."
Seeing that Ma Cidi was thinking of retreating, Shi Rang, worried about the messy aftermath, hurriedly raised the employee manual and persuaded him, "Could it be a different time, or perhaps... an issue with the number of people? It could also be the wrong script—didn't that person see the phenomenon during a Live Stream?"
"Distortion Phenomenons don't have any specific patterns. They appear when they want to and permanently disappear when they want to. However, it doesn't hurt to check following the procedures." Ma Cidi took back the employee manual, flipped to the operational regulations, and went down a Screening Form from top to bottom, checking each item. "No territorial awareness, no defense mechanisms, and it doesn't create abnormal movements... It should be fine to make solo contact with it. I'll head up first?"
"Stay safe."
Ma Cidi entered the house with his flashlight raised.
There was a row of windows next to the staircase in this house facing the front door. Shi Rang tilted his head back, watching the beam of Ma Cidi's flashlight spiral upward.
When the beam of light reached the third floor, a sudden exclamation rang out from above: "It appeared!"
Shi Rang dashed upstairs, swiftly rushing to Ma Cidi's side.
Their flashlights focused on the window directly facing the stairs. Through the dust-covered glass, they could indeed see a blurry humanoid silhouette. Ma Cidi carefully adjusted the window pane and discovered that it didn't affect the ghost's position. It was as if an invisible person was truly standing on the stairs, right behind the two of them.
Ma Cidi stepped away from the staircase, used Chalk to draw a circle around the ghost's approximate physical location, and took a photo to mark it.
"You really guessed it right... Keep an eye on it while I submit the intel."
"Alright."
Ma Cidi lowered his head and typed rapidly on his Mobile Phone.
As a distortion that could be handed over to an intern, it was far simpler than the Visitor that Agent Kyle had encountered.
It didn't take long for Ma Cidi to finish compiling the intelligence report. He sent the information to his superior, who would then relay it to the Terminal Station.
The Terminal Station was conducting a rapid Analysis, expected to be resolved in a few minutes. Even factoring in the time the Intelligence Department took to compile the cleanup protocols, it would be extremely quick.
But Shi Rang was already waiting at the Terminal Station. As soon as the Analysis results appeared, they fell straight into his hands.
[...Upon arriving alone at the third floor of the building after dark, there is a probability of a Humanoid Phantom with no distinct identifying features appearing on the glass window directly facing the stairs. This phantom is low-level and harmless, likely attached to the surface of the glass (due to the lack of clear logical correlation and purpose of the phenomenon, this assessment may change).]
'Harmless. Excellent.'
After the official Records were finalized, Shi Rang made an insignificant Tampering to them.
[An image (that is highly familiar to the observer) will appear on the glass window directly facing the stairs]
The risk level of the Tampering was within an acceptable range.
[Save]
He didn't have much time to act. He had to complete the Tampering before Ma Cidi made a move.
What he wanted to Plunder from this Anomaly Project was an ability related to Mental Influence.
Since this phantom was attached to the glass or the house, Killing a House would become much easier.
"Destroy the glass, and if that doesn't work, demolish the house? That's quite easy," Ma Cidi muttered as he read from his Work Device.
Shi Rang's Tampering took effect instantly, so he remained highly vigilant of any changes in his surroundings.
However, Ma Cidi had already finished reading the intel and was eager to take action, yet the blurry silhouette on the glass window didn't shift in the slightest.
Amidst his confusion, Shi Rang realized he had to act himself. If the current anomalous Entity was indeed attached to the glass and Ma Cidi accidentally stole the kill, this trip would have been for nothing.
"Should we go downstairs and find a handier tool? Or I can do it—"
He hastily reached out to stop him. As he spoke, his eyes glanced in Ma Cidi's direction.
There was no one beside him.
Shi Rang looked up again and was shocked to find that the building was now over ten meters away.
The world outside the building was entirely blurred, bathed in a faintly glowing grayish-white, like faded scenery from a memory where outlines could no longer be distinguished.
'The Tampering is complete; it has become an Anomaly Project!'
The open front door of the Small Building directly faced Shi Rang. At some unknown point, a figure had appeared in front of the door.
Upon making out the person's appearance, Shi Rang immediately widened his eyes.
There was no smile or kindness on that aged face. Instead, it bore an indifference unique to the elderly in their twilight years. The cloudy eyes were slightly narrowed, straining to see Shi Rang's features clearly. The old man, like a silhouette from an antique photograph, stood quietly at the door gripping a walking stick. It was as if he were watching Shi Rang leave, yet also as if he were welcoming him back.
This scene was exactly the same as the last day he had seen his Grandfather.