Chapter 66

Chapter 66

The perspective shifts back to an hour earlier.

The elite investigation team from the Inspection Bureau acted with swift, thunderous efficiency. Once they decided to move against Karen, Edi, through his origin ability 'Cyber Ghost,' took control of all the cameras within Black Poker's territory. They found the moment when Karen's defenses were weakest. Then Job made the call, Diana led the team, and they swiftly initiated their action.

As for the team 'Destiny,' well, their role was akin to cannon fodder.

Realizing this as they were left behind to buy time for the investigators during the forceful breach, Destiny understood their fate.

But what could they do? For the mission, Destiny had to endure, thankful for the weapons supplied by their backing guild, without which they would've been without even a fighting chance at this moment.

"Destiny" began to doubt his strategy: was siding with the Inspection Bureau really profitable? Or was the correct choice in this game to join Lan's faction, with the Bureau's camp being a better choice only later in the game?

He couldn't figure it out. His past gaming experience seemed totally irrelevant to this game. Now, his only hope was to complete the Inspection Bureau's chain of missions to alleviate the resentment of his Star-Gazing Squad teammates.

Sigh, leading a team has become so difficult.

"Destiny's" squad was pinned down behind cover, exchanging fire with Black Poker members who arrived. Outnumbered, they were struggling to hold their position.

Fortunately, the Inspection Bureau wasn't entirely unreliable. Before they were overwhelmed, Job and his team finally finished their task. Diana drew her twin blades and, like a tiger among sheep, took down several gang members. Edi, though not much of a fighter, rapidly pressed a few keys on his laptop, and several clueless robots emerged from his toolbox, sliding towards the gang members.

Boom——

Consecutive explosions incapacitated the reinforcements from the gang. "Destiny" and his team sighed in relief, but the next second, a white van charged towards them from around the corner!

Both the Star-Gazing and Investigation squads quickly dodged aside. The van crashed into a building wall, and several figures jumped out just before impact, rolled on landing, and aimed their guns at "Destiny" and the Inspection team.

[Shooting: Successful]

[Shooting: Successful]

[Shooting: Failed]

"Destiny" was hit in the shoulder and collapsed to the ground to minimize his target profile. Two shots had hit, so one more person should have been injured, but Diana twisted her body, dodging the bullet with an arch-like movement.

The strongest man, Zhang, exclaimed in shock: "Damn!"

A Long shouted, "Don't just stand there, fire back!"

The strongest man, Bu Feng, and A Long continued firing, while the members of the Inspection and Star-Gazing squads took cover.

"Destiny" gritted his teeth in frustration. Just when the Inspection team was about to deal with these gang NPCs, players unexpectedly intervened.

"Destiny" suddenly remembered that Black Poker was one of the gathering places for player characters of the secret church's gangster profession. Of course, they would be here!

"We need to get out of here fast. Nobody knows the temperament of players better than they do, and there's probably a bigger group on the way."

"Destiny" shouted to the Inspection squad, "We need to leave quickly, or we'll be surrounded!"

Job was already aware of this and looked at Edi, who nodded, "Everything's ready."

Outside, the gang members, initially on the verge of defeat, regrouped with the support of other players. Just as they were about to close in, more vehicle sounds approached.

"Hmm? Is that our backup?" someone naively asked.

But a few players' faces changed: "No, it's not!"

Vehicles, like their previous van, charged towards them, and not just one. A Long shouted, "Get out of the way!"

The drivers in these cars looked bewildered, staring down at their gas pedals, not even pressing them, while the steering wheels were completely out of control!

Several cars crashed around in the small area, disrupting the encirclement of gang members and players. Job and his team took the opportunity to open a car door, showed their badges, and pulled the driver out: "Sorry, official business. Claim it on your insurance later."

With that, they drove off, escaping the chaos.

"Damn, they got away!" A Long watched the back of the cars with frustration, itching to shoot at the tires, but the vehicles quickly merged into the traffic on the main road, and he sighed in regret.

"Who were those guys anyway?"

"I don't know, but I think I saw some players among them."

Bu Feng and the strongest man discussed animatedly, while the remaining gang members, covering their eyes, said, "Thanks for the backup. We need to check on the boss."

Oh right, Karen is still inside!

Several players followed the gang members into the hideout, only to find broken glass, ropes, and a gun on the floor in Karen's office.

Karen was gone.

"Could this be..." A Long speculated as he read the discussion in the chat, "the start of a new storyline?"

……

Meanwhile, the faces of those who had successfully broken out weren't exactly cheerful, especially Diana and Edi, who looked utterly displeased, while even Job's face lost its usual warmth.

"Destiny" carefully observed their expressions: "Couldn't find Karen?"

"No, we found him, but there was a complication," Job forced a smile at him while Edi, sitting in the passenger seat, sullenly fiddled with his computer.

"Destiny" wanted to probe for more information, but the atmosphere in the car was so tense that he hesitated and eventually chose not to speak.

Just before the vehicle was about to return to the Inspection Bureau's base, it suddenly stopped.

Job asked, "What's wrong?"

Edi didn't immediately respond, glancing at the Star-Gazing Squad. Quickly catching on, Job suggested to "Destiny" and his team, "Many of you are injured. Perhaps you should head to the medical room first."

Thus, the Star-Gazing Squad left, and Edi then slid his laptop towards Job and Diana: "Before we head back, you should take a look at this."

On the screen was footage from a surveillance camera. Edi explained, "This is from a vacation villa half a forest away from where the banquet was held. Its surveillance wasn't compromised, and I found data from a few months ago."

The screen showed the scene of Edmund, Ye Ye, and others searching the villa. The camera, focused on the villa's ground floor hall, recorded the entire incident of them encountering a ghoul, a teammate being severely injured, and Edmund transforming into a clown to brutally kill the ghoul.

Afterward, Edmund disappeared from the screen. Job and Diana watched, Job puzzled: "What does this mean?"

"The direction in which Edmund left was towards the manor where the banquet was held," Edi explained. "And look at these people in the surveillance."

He zoomed in on the faces of Baba and Uncle Hao: "These people have been volunteering on the streets recently. According to those nearby, they come from the same church."

"The Secret Church," Job murmured.

"Exactly. And I found out that this surveillance footage dates back to when Edmund was on a break due to psychological issues," Edi slowly said, glancing at the Star-Gazing Squad in the back.

"Destiny" reiterated, "I told you, Edmund is a member of the Secret Church, and not just him, Karen is as well."

Diana, ignoring him, asked, "What about the other doubts? The supposed incarnation of the evil god?"

"I've confirmed that too," Edi said. "The one they suspected of being the evil god's incarnation, Lan, strangely has a very complete background in human society, including various enrollment and medical records."

He paused and added, "There are virtually no flaws. If this information is forged, then the preparation is impressively thorough, undetectable even by government agencies. At least from a societal standpoint, Lan appears to be a native-born human."

"You don't think he's the evil god's incarnation?"

"More suspicious than him is someone who claims to be Lan's roommate, Ogel Mil," said Edi, switching to another screen with Ogel's image.

The photos looked like street or hospital surveillance snapshots, barely piecing together the figure of a tall man, and mostly pictures of Ogel before he got a haircut, making his face unclear.

But his physique was distinctive enough.

"According to our investigation, Lan didn't have a so-called roommate before his hospitalization. He always lived alone. But this person appeared after Lan's accident, giving us reason to doubt his identity."

Job asked, "You think he's the evil god's incarnation?"

"Just one possibility," Edi replied. "Also, what those people said about Black Poker and the Secret Church seems true. After the bloody banquet in the underworld, Karen rose to power. The surviving gang leaders became allies with Black Poker. I think unless the Secret Church intervened, Karen wouldn't have secured his position so easily."

Mentioning Karen made them feel complex, but Job, being an experienced investigator, quickly reined in his emotions and pondered, "In that case, the information divulged by that group is mostly correct."

This made it even more puzzling – what were they aiming for? To have the Inspection Bureau and the Secret Church annihilate each other?

"Captain…"

Diana spoke up, "What about Edmund?"

If what they said was true, it meant Edmund was indeed a mole from the Secret Church.

Joining a cult is legal among civilians, as it's a country of religious freedom, but within the Inspection Bureau, it's strictly prohibited for new members to be part of a religion.

They had paid a heavy price for this before; a cultist once infiltrated the Bureau and rose to a high rank, nearly sacrificing the entire Bureau. Thus, many investigators despised cults, and there was a rule in the Bureau that undercover agents could be executed on the spot.

"We don't have concrete evidence yet to prove Edmund is a mole sent by the Secret Church," sighed Job, rubbing his temples. "But with these suspicions, things are getting complicated."

For members suspected of being cult moles without concrete evidence or wrongdoing, the Inspection Bureau typically adopts two approaches. The first is a straightforward expulsion, which applies to ordinary people who haven't become extraordinary beings.

The second approach is for members who have entered the Dream Rift and gained origin abilities. If confirmed as moles, the Bureau conducts a special brain surgery to ensure they can no longer use their origin powers.

However, this surgery carries high risks, often resulting in madness or idiocy.

"Let's head back and see what Edmund has to say."

The three got out of the car and returned to the base, sharing the day's intelligence with Eunice, who was on duty. They omitted Karen's situation, but Eunice perceptively noted their weary expressions, choosing not to probe further.

"How is Edmund?"

"He seems to have discovered something but hasn't spoken a word, just staying quietly in his room," Eunice answered. "Is he really a mole?"

"It's too early to say," Job reassured her, then thoughtfully asked, "Has he had contact with anyone during this time, like Archie or someone?"

Eunice replied, "No, they barely greet each other. I rarely see them together. Since Edmund went into his room, even the psychologist hasn't asked him anything."

Pondering, Job then led Edi to the room where Edmund was kept.

'Kept' might be misleading; Edmund had isolated himself. Sitting pale-faced on a chair in the room, he looked up with a wronged expression as Job and Edi entered, pleading, "Captain..."

Job, initially prepared to be stern, found his resolve faltering at the sight of Edmund's vulnerable demeanor. He glanced discreetly at Edi, who rolled his eyes, signaling it was up to him to play the bad guy again.

"Alright, I'm used to it anyway."

Edi asked coldly, "Edmund, are you an undercover agent for the Secret Church?"

Startled, Edmund quickly responded, "I'm not! I swear I'm not!"

"Are you sure? We've found concrete evidence. Confess now and the punishment might be less severe."

Edmund, looking bewildered, insisted, "But I really haven't joined any church."

"Then why were you seen with members of the Secret Church?" Edi showed him the surveillance video on his phone.

Watching the video, Edmund's cheeks turned red, "I do know them, but I had no idea they were cultists!"

"You were temporarily suspended due to mental instability, right? Why were you there?"

Edmund's lips trembled, "I... I was trying to prove that what I saw wasn’t a hallucination!"

He anxiously explained his encounter with voices and shadowy figures, things his team didn't understand at the time. Job and Edi, as experienced investigators, had encountered 'obsessions' before, a phenomenon so rare it wasn’t even included in the training manuals for investigators.

Job prompted, "Tell us more about what happened then."

Edmund nodded, beginning with how he heard voices others couldn’t and tried to warn his team, Gifford and others. They didn't understand or believe him. His captain advised him to rest, but Edmund continued to be tormented by the obsession.

His description of the obsession matched experiences Job and his team had faced, encounters they had never reported. This meant Edmund wasn’t lying; he had truly encountered an obsession!

Edmund's lips quivered as if reliving the helplessness, covering his head, "Later, when I was out, I overheard people discussing butterflies. I suddenly heard that voice again during the day. I suspected their discussion was related to what was haunting me, so I approached them to investigate together."

"...And then we found that villa."

This sounded quite reasonable.

Although there was a stroke of luck involved, the logic was clear and backed by surveillance footage. It seemed Edmund had simply teamed up with those two people to rid himself of his own afflictions.

"What happened next? Where did you go after breaking through the first layer?"

Edmund explained, "I didn't go anywhere. I just felt exhilarated, like I had broken free from something, as if the world was mine…"

He scratched his cheek sheepishly, "I just wandered aimlessly in the forest, running around. After a while, I calmed down and went back to take them to the hospital."

Job and Edi: ...

It sounded far-fetched but strangely genuine. After breaking through the first layer and awakening their powers, it was common for new extraordinary individuals to become euphoric. Job had heard about a stable and seasoned colleague who, after first awakening, went to the rooftop to perform what he called a 'Leap of Faith.'

Compared to that, Edmund's experience seemed quite normal.

Edmund, anxious about being mistaken as a mole, pleaded, "Everything I've said is true. Since then, I've barely seen those two. You can check my phone, my computer, even use a lie detector on me!"

Job sighed while Edi remarked, "Lie detectors aren't always reliable, as you've seen."

Edmund bowed his head, falling silent.

"Sorry, but according to the Inspection Bureau's rules, if suspicion of involvement with a cult arises during a mission, you need to go to headquarters for an investigation..."

"The Truth Helmet..."

"What?" Job thought he misheard, but Edmund suddenly looked up, "Eunice told me about the equipment you requested. You can use the Truth Helmet on me! That way, you won't have any doubts!"

"Edmund... do you realize what you're suggesting?" Job asked, his tone heavy.

Edmund said stubbornly, "I know."

"Why must you go to such lengths?"

"I'm different from you all... Captain." Edmund suddenly lowered his head, smiling faintly, "Apart from this ability to see another world, I have nothing."

"I was born in a terrible place. Joining the Inspection Bureau was my escape from that quagmire. So, apart from the Bureau, I have nowhere else to go."

His head snapped up, eyes reddening, "So I absolutely cannot be fired!"

"Please, Captain."

Edi glanced sideways at Job. The blond man furrowed his brows, indecisive.

"Agree to it."

At that moment, the door opened and a woman with glasses walked in, carrying a round package which she placed on the table.

"Diana," Job grabbed her hand, his expression disapproving.

"Captain, don't forget the level of this mission," Diana whispered to Job, "An 'Unknown' level mission, personally issued by that person. Apart from the mission's critical importance, everyone involved must undergo at least six months of isolation, mental combing, and a quiet period. Do you think Edmund would have a single day of freedom left at headquarters if he's deemed 'suspicious'?"

Job was taken aback, releasing his grip.

"The Truth Helmet is dangerous, but as long as one tells the truth and wears it for a short time, the side effects aren't significant," Diana said, looking at Edmund. She unfolded the cloth around the helmet, revealing the sinister object.

"Its tendrils gradually penetrate the brain. When a person lies, the brain nerves release a contradictory signal, triggering the tendrils' reaction. That's why it causes intense pain. But if you don’t resist the questioning and remain relaxed, the tendrils won’t cause pain," Diana explained. "Understand?"

"I understand," Edmund looked at the helmet on the table, swallowing hard, managing a smile more painful than crying, "But what if I can't relax?"

"Who could possibly relax with that thing on their head?"

Job reassuringly patted Edmund on the shoulder, "It's okay, there will only be a minor reaction."

"Don't worry, as long as the tendrils don't penetrate deep into the brain, any subsequent damage you suffer will be as if you weren't harmed at all."

Saying this to Edmund, Job was already partly convinced of his innocence. After all, if he were truly a mole, he wouldn't have the confidence to suggest using the Truth Helmet.

Only a fool or a madman would dare to do such a thing.

When Edmund put on the helmet, everyone at the base, except the Star-Gazing Squad, came to watch, especially Kri, who clutched his own lie detector and grumbled nearby.

"You actually trust this contaminant over my invention. A bunch of fools who can't recognize a good thing when they see it."

No one paid attention to him; all eyes were nervously fixed on Edmund wearing the helmet.

Job asked, "Have you ever joined any gang or secret society, Edmund?"

"No," Edmund firmly answered.

There was no scream or cry of pain; the helmet's tendrils lazily remained on the surface of Edmund's scalp, not penetrating.

Still, Job and the others didn't let their guard down, rapidly questioning Edmund.

"Do you worship any supreme being?"

"Have you ever betrayed the Inspection Bureau?"

"Have you ever harmed your colleagues?"

The answer to all was no.

Edmund's expression didn't show any strain, just a bit dazed, seemingly uncomfortable with the device on his head. After a series of questions, Job and the others were almost certain of his innocence and quickly removed the helmet from his head.

"Okay, got it recorded. Even the folks at headquarters shouldn't have anything to say now," Edi commented.

Chapman suddenly smiled, "That's not necessarily the case."

The others looked at him, and Chapman said, "My lie detector was designed based on the operating principles of this contaminant. If the lie detector can be deceived, why do you think the Truth Helmet can't?"

Edi rolled his eyes, and the others didn't bother to engage further. Diana comforted Edmund gently, an unusual tenderness in her voice: "Don’t worry about him, Chapman is just a hopeless technology fanatic."

"But what I said is the truth," Chapman insisted.

"Alright, alright, do you think anyone cares right now? Information derived from the Truth Helmet has never been wrong," Job dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"The Truth Helmet doesn't make errors in its third stage when the wearer gradually loses their ability to think independently. Naturally, they can't lie then. But in the earlier stages, if someone has been brainwashed or had their memories erased, the brain neurons won't release contradictory signals, and the Truth Helmet's mechanism won't detect it," Chapman explained. "That's also the only flaw in my lie detector."

Edi scoffed, "So you're suggesting we should turn a potentially innocent investigator into a puppet?"

"I didn't say that," Chapman shrugged, "I'm just countering the relaxed assumptions you made earlier from a scientific perspective."

Job sighed, "Are you implying Edmund was hypnotized beforehand, so he passed the Truth Helmet test? Why, who would have the capability and time to do that? Since arriving here, Edmund has been under our watch. He had no time or opportunity to undergo such a process."

Chapman glanced at Archie, who sneered, "Don’t drag me into your Bureau's affairs. Frankly, if it weren’t for the Chief’s order, I would have left already. There's nothing here that needs my help anymore."

Job, who had reasons beyond the obvious for keeping Archie here, quickly said, "We certainly didn't mean to imply any suspicion towards you, Dr. Archie."

Archie ignored him, leaving the room with a cold expression. Chapman, sensing his unwelcome presence, also left.

"Dr. Archie..." Chapman followed him at a leisurely pace. Archie turned with a cold glare, "What do you want? Don't follow me."

"Uh, nothing much, just that some data from your tests earlier caught my attention. Can I discuss it with you in your room?"

"I'm not interested. Leave me alone," Archie said dismissively. He had no fondness for anyone from the Inspection Bureau and had grown even more wary since sensing Job’s intent to keep him around.

Scratching his head, Chapman said, "Ah, alright. I’ll go this way then."

Pointing in the direction Archie was initially heading, Archie immediately turned and walked in the opposite direction.

As they brushed past each other, Chapman whispered into Archie's ear, "They are targeting your friend."

Archie's pupils constricted, staring in astonishment at Chapman's retreating figure. In that moment, their roles seemed reversed. Chapman whistled casually as he left, while Archie stood there, hesitating whether to follow.

By the time Archie decided, Chapman had already walked away. Archie made a mental note of the incident and left.

In the room, Diana had already untied Edmund. Job apologized, "Sorry, Edmund, we shouldn't have doubted you because of what others said."

Edmund managed a weak smile, indicating it was okay.

In just a few minutes, Edmund's complexion had turned as pale as if he had stayed up several nights in a row. Job sighed, placing his hand on Edmund's shoulder. Surprisingly, a soft yellow light emanated from Job's palm, and Edmund's color visibly improved.

"This is..."

"My origin ability, [Healer]," Job explained. "It's not so effective on the mind, but for physical injuries, it can save anyone not on the brink of death."

Edmund's actions with the Truth Helmet had earned their trust, and Job didn't mind sharing some information with him.

As an exchange and compensation, he hoped Edmund would reintegrate with the team.

"I apologize again; we shouldn't have doubted you."

"It's okay... Maybe someone saw me investigating with them and wanted to use it to weaken our internal power," Edmund spoke softly.

"Quite possible," Job mused, "It sounds like they aim for a situation where 'when the snipe and clam grapple, the fisherman profits.' Those who joined our squad probably aren't from the Secret Church but another organization aiming to mislead and use us."

Edmund asked, "How do you figure?"

"Firstly, it's likely a local organization, so they're well-informed about the Secret Church, which also threatens them. They provided obvious intel hoping we'd clear the minefield for them, identifying the real gatekeeper."

Job sorted his thoughts, "It's a transparent plot. The person behind the Secret Church might be one of the gatekeeper suspects. They told us this hoping we'd help confirm it."

"And at the same time, once we preliminarily verify their intel as true, we'd start to believe everything they say. They could feed us misleading information, like having a mole within, gradually diluting our strength."

"Of course, it's just a guess."

"I think this guess is very likely," Edmund said.

Diana nodded, "I agree."

Edi asked, "So what's our next move? Do we really follow their plan?"

"I'd like to say no, but our superiors are pushing for progress," Job said with a wry smile. "We need to make headway in at least one of the two tasks."

"Two tasks?" Edmund looked bewildered.

"Yes, Edmund, you might not know this," perhaps feeling Edmund had earned his trust after passing the test, Job didn't see the need to keep him in the dark anymore. Plus, Edmund might know something about Albert from his time at the police station.

"This time in Arkham City, besides the task of identifying the gatekeeper, we have another mission: to eliminate Albert."

Edmund's mouth fell open: "Eliminate Albert... Why?"

"According to our information, Albert was an Inspection Bureau spy planted among the Outsiders," Job explained. "But he betrayed us, consistently sending back false reports, making light of the situation here. That's why the Bureau was unprepared for the crisis in Arkham City, a severe betrayal."

"The Outsiders organization isn't so simple. Though their leader is presumed dead, the higher-ups are still at large. The Bureau apprehended some Outsiders' leaders who fled Arkham City after the disaster. They unanimously claim that only two people were involved in the leader's plan, one of them being Albert. The other's name and appearance are unknown. They're still at large, possibly continuing the Outsiders leader's will to bring disaster to this land."

Edmund was surprised, "That officer didn't seem like that type of person. I mean, he didn't say that at the time."

"Hmm?" Everyone in the room turned to Edmund, who opened his mouth nervously, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Edmund, have you met Albert?"

"I have, during the Arkham crisis when our team was attacked." Edmund repeated what he had told Chapman before, "Albert was the one who saved me then..."

Before he could finish, Job, excitedly grabbing his shoulders, exclaimed, "Why didn't you mention this before!"

"Well, I..." Edmund wasn't quite sure why he hadn't mentioned it, covering his head, "I... seem to have entered a state of madness around that time. That part of my memory isn't very clear. Perhaps when you mentioned 'Albert' just now, it triggered a recollection."

"What do you remember? Think carefully!"

"Okay, I remember... Albert seemed very agitated, asking us why there was no reinforcement. He mentioned that he had sent back a lot of information..." Edmund said hesitantly, "I... never heard anything about this from our captain, so I couldn't answer him."

Hearing this, Job's brows furrowed.

How is this different from what he had been told?

Who is lying here?

Job temporarily set aside his doubts and continued, "What happened after that?"

"After that..." Edmund covered his head, his memories flickering like an old television, unclear and fragmented, "I... I don't remember... I'm sorry, I think I was already in a state of madness then."

"Why did you enter a state of madness? Were there enemies?" Edi asked.

"I don't know, I don't know..." Edmund's complexion grew worse, and Diana signaled Edi to stop questioning, "It's okay, Edmund, go and rest. The effects of the contaminant aren't so easily shaken off. If you remember anything later, you can tell us then."

Edmund nodded haphazardly and stood up to leave. Before exiting, he turned back and asked, "What are we going to do next?"

Job pursed his lips, "The group suspected to be a third party gave us tempting bait, but we have no choice. That banquet is still the only lead we have."

Diana added, "But Karen is already dead."

"But the people who returned from that banquet weren’t only him," Job said meaningfully. "It's unlikely that every single one of those gang leaders has lips sealed tight."