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After an unpleasant family dinner with her father, Mu Huiyue returned to her rented apartment.
It was still early, and she contemplated whether to make a detour to the supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner.
Ellen was, as always, merged with her shadow. If she tallied the time Ellen spent in her shadow compared to the time spent in the beast space, it would far exceed the latter.
As she neared her door, Mu Huiyue suddenly stopped, and Ellen poked its head out from the shadows.
There was a strange man leaning against her door.
He wore worn-out overalls and thick-soled boots, and even though it wasn’t a cold season, he was wrapped in a long scarf that covered half his face.
His hair was tousled, and his eyes bore the unmistakable signs of fatigue, with deep dark circles that made him look like a weary corporate drone who hadn’t returned home after ten days of overtime.
The moment he saw her, he spoke in a raspy voice, “Ah… finally found you, Mu Huiyue.”
“Why does a high school student have so many places to stay? I’ve had to run around several times…”
Mu Huiyue was taken aback; this voice sounded somewhat familiar. After a moment of reflection, she recognized him.
“You’re the one who picked me up outside the secret realm!”
His voice matched the one from that night when he had spoken of finding a missing high school student, saying he had rescued her with his pet, the Crimson Feather Hawk. Back then, his voice had sounded much more energetic, unlike the fatigue he carried now.
He seemed surprised that she remembered him and paused before scratching his head. He pulled out his badge from the “Secret Realm Affairs Bureau” and showed it to her. “Well, since you recognize me, let’s make this easier. How about inviting me in for a chat?”
Mu Huiyue wasn’t sure why he had come specifically to find her, but a bureau staff member shouldn’t be suspicious. Besides, he looked like he might collapse if he stood for two more minutes, so she nodded and opened her door.
Once inside, Ellen eagerly trotted over on its tiny legs to fetch water for their guest.
The weary-looking young man made himself comfortable on the longest sofa in Mu Huiyue’s apartment, sinking deeply into its soft embrace.
“… Is this little guy your contracted beast from the secret realm?” he asked, watching the little skeleton scurry about.
“It’s called Ellen,” Mu Huiyue replied, settling onto a small sofa nearby. She accepted the water cup offered by Ellen and smiled in thanks.
“Interesting name, just like the Count of Star Dragons…” The young man’s expression brightened with curiosity as he sat up slightly. “I guess it’s a commemoration of your safe escape from the Count’s estate.”
Ellen even served tea to their guest. Over the past few days, it had picked up the skill of concocting milk tea by mixing milk with the tea leaves at home. Mu Huiyue loved it, and Ellen had gained the confidence to serve guests.
The young man took a sip of tea, visibly relaxing, then turned his gaze to Mu Huiyue.
“My name is Xiang Xun, a third-year student in the Combat Department at the Capital University. As you can see, I also work as an ‘investigator’ for the Secret Realm Affairs Bureau.”
So, this weary corporate drone is actually a top student… Mu Huiyue silently remarked in her mind.
Capital University is an old prestigious school that gathers resources and talent from across the Diyan realm. While its competition results in recent years have not been stellar, it certainly couldn’t be compared to Xingzhou University.
Then it struck her that something was off. The bureau was essentially a police organization dealing with secret realm-related events, and there was no such position as an “investigator.” Plus, why was Xiang Xun here in Changning, Xingzhou, carrying out a mission?
“What do you want with me?” Mu Huiyue asked directly, voicing her curiosity.
“Ah… how to put this? Explaining it will be a bit complicated…” Xiang Xun scratched his head, lowering his scarf slightly to reveal his entire face.
His chin was clean-shaven; he looked exhausted but hadn’t completely given up on personal hygiene.
He looked at the waiting girl and said, “In short, I’m here to assess whether you’re willing and qualified to become an ‘investigator.’”
Mu Huiyue: “…?”
She had thought Xiang Xun was here on behalf of the bureau to conduct follow-up investigations regarding the secret realm, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“Where to begin… ah, right, about the secret realm at the Count of Star Dragons’ estate. Do you know what it means to enter a secret realm before it descends?”
Mu Huiyue shook her head.
Her understanding of secret realms was limited to what she learned in high school textbooks. After all, the frequency of secret realm descents in modern society had significantly diminished; most were related to the unique landscapes formed by the planet’s integration.
For most people, the emergence of secret realms seems more like a natural phenomenon that appears in news reports or textbooks.
Xiang Xun continued, “It means that you are someone ‘connected’ to the secret realm.”
“The public narrative claims that the appearance of secret realms is random and cannot be traced back, but research conducted by the upper echelons of the bureau has proven that, on some level, the emergence of these realms is indeed ‘traceable.’”
“Certain individuals or extraordinary beings can trigger the appearance of a secret realm. While the specific mechanisms are still unclear, it’s been confirmed that it involves a resonance linked to emotions and causality.”
“Changes in these individuals serve as ‘anchor points’ for the secret realm’s arrival, making some instances of emergence no longer completely random.”
“Those who are sucked into a secret realm before it actually descends are considered to possess such special ‘anchor points.’ It’s highly likely that they will trigger new secret realms to emerge in the future.”
“To uncover the secrets behind this mechanism and to explore the realms further—while also protecting the ‘anchor points’—the headquarters of the Secret Realm Affairs Bureau wishes to recruit all ‘anchor points’ within the Diyan realm to join the bureau as investigators.”
Xiang Xun paused for a moment. “It’s quite understandable, really. These unique ‘anchor points’ are potential sources for triggering secret realms and have a strong mental resilience to entering and exiting them. Naturally, they are the most suitable candidates for frontline investigators.”
Mu Huiyue pondered this, recalling the astonished expressions of the doctors when they saw she could traverse the connections to the secret realm without any protection. Was it because of this connection?
“Are you one of those special ‘anchor points’ as well, Senior Xiang?” Mu Huiyue inquired.
“Exactly. I encountered my first secret realm during the national competition in my sophomore year,” he replied.
Xiang Xun nodded, a faint sigh escaping him. “But I wasn’t as lucky as you. I suffered serious injuries in the realm and spent over half a year in the hospital, which caused my school to lose the competition and forced me to repeat a year.”
Mu Huiyue glanced at Ellen, who had already returned to her shadow. If she hadn’t met Ellen, she might have perished in that realm.
Unresolved secret realms are incredibly dangerous; it’s not uncommon to encounter bizarre scenes and extraordinary creatures. The bureau established the ‘investigator’ position precisely to quickly assess the conditions of these realms and minimize casualties.
While individuals with ‘anchor point’ characteristics can influence the emergence of secret realms, they don’t possess any extraordinary abilities. In fact, this connection can make them more susceptible to life-threatening situations within the realms. It’s no wonder Xiang Xun mentioned this was a form of protection from the bureau.
However, accepting such protection also means joining an official organization like the bureau and submitting to its authority—something that doesn’t entirely benefit Mu Huiyue at this moment.
Noticing the girl’s hesitation, Xiang Xun waved his hand reassuringly. “Don’t worry; the bureau won’t force you to join as an investigator. However, all ‘anchor points’ will be registered with the bureau to prevent future incidents.”
“In fact, the existence of ‘anchor points’ is rarer than the sudden appearance of secret realms. The bureau will do its best to recruit every ‘anchor point’ discovered within the Diyan realm. I hurried over here after receiving word from headquarters about a victim who was accidentally sucked into a secret realm in Changning.”
Mu Huiyue fell silent. The potential source for triggering the emergence of secret realms… Regardless, the bureau wouldn’t simply overlook it. At the very least, people like her would be registered within the Diyan realm.
Compared to the bureau’s decisive operatives, Xiang Xun felt more like a laid-back university student. His explanations weren’t particularly professional, and the fact that he was chosen to connect with her indicated the bureau’s attitude toward ‘anchor points.’
It wasn’t about a strict official management but rather about providing as much freedom and resources as possible in exchange for the initiative to investigate the secret realms within the territory.