The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 90: The Sick

To use a legendary evil spirit as a tool.

In every sense, the first generation of spirit hunters was legendary—terrifyingly powerful, their might comparable to that of an evil spirit.

After several generations of refinement, the Mind Level test had split into two forms: written and practical. The first assessed one's mental state: you simply sat at a desk, answered questions, and awaited your evaluation. The second determined your Mind Level threshold and required direct contact with Anomalies.

Today, most spirit hunter organizations use the former, content to simply verify that their recruits are of sound mind.

The latter is more common among organizations with stricter codes, like the Night's Watch.

"You already know the purpose of the Mind Level. Now, I'll tell you the other half of it: why it exists."

When the first spirit hunters began to confront the world's Anomalies, they suffered tremendously, even though Isaac Einstein had already proposed his theory of the Mind Level.

No one knew what exactly was affecting them. Most incidents played out the same way: a spirit hunter would travel to the site of an Anomaly, the spirit hunter would eliminate the Anomaly, and the spirit hunter would go mad.

Gradually, they began to understand that Anomalies were like a source of contagion; too much proximity drove them insane. They learned that hearing whispers in their ears was a sign of approaching the point of no return. They realized that Anomalies came in many different forms.

This knowledge was a branch growing from a sinister, ancient tree that oozed malice. It was an era built upon the lives of those who, step by step, pushed back the fog.This search continued until Einstein refined the theory of the Mind Level and created the test. At last, spirit hunters could systematically assess their condition, allowing them to rest or retire when necessary. This enabled the flame of the spirit hunter to burn eternal.

But fundamentally, their situation hadn't improved. Spirit hunters still had no way to cope with the endless stream of new Anomalies. One's Mind Level still eroded after every contact, and that damage was almost irreversible. Any hunter who reached a critical point required a long period of recovery.

This wasn't a matter of emotion. It didn't matter who you were or what kind of person you were—it affected everyone.

It was a truly desperate position. Imagine a lone boat adrift on a vast sea. The survivor, after countless trials, finally obtains a torch to pierce the surrounding fog. He raises it high, only to discover that the tentacle he fought with all his might was merely one of many, all part of an immense silhouette looming in the dark, with thousands more lurking just beyond the light.

The rest of the story wasn't directly related to the Mind Level. Joel only continued in order to soften the lecture's harsh conclusion.

The organization of third-generation spirit hunters split into two main branches: spirit hunters and exorcists. After the schism, they formed their own organizations or remained independent. Spirit hunters take on Anomalies to ensure regional stability, while exorcists deal with ghosts to protect ordinary people.

"That's why the saying goes: the more you know, the faster you die," Joel said, looking at Lu Li.

"What happens when your Mind Level drops?" Lu Li asked, his question immediate, as if he'd been waiting for the chance to ask.

"First, you get auditory hallucinations. When whispers start echoing in your ears, you have to be careful; you're nearing the critical point. Then come the visual hallucinations: you start seeing projections from the In-Between, even without a Truth Candle. Do I need to explain what the In-Between and the Truth Candle are... Oh, it seems you know. Good. Then it gets worse. You notice the projections from the In-Between can see you, and they start moving toward you..." Joel stopped abruptly, a fear deep in his eyes betraying a flicker of instability, but he pushed on. "Most people go mad at that stage. As for what happens next... it seems no one knows, just as no one knows what lies several kilometers deep in the ocean."

Lu Li considered this.

The Mind Level Joel spoke of wasn't directly related to the Door, but it was undoubtedly connected to the Spirit Gun. The symptoms of a declining Mind Level perfectly matched the weapon's side effects.

Therefore, when Lu Li unstrapped the holster from his belt and set it on the table, a look of understanding dawned in Joel's eyes. "Right. Standard issue for exorcists and spirit hunters. It's an Anomaly with peculiar properties—and it drains your Mind Level, too."

On this point, Lu Li was a step ahead of Gades. Gades only knew that prolonged contact with the Spirit Gun could cause one to fall into the In-Between; he just didn't know why.

"Where can I go to get my Mind Level checked?" Lu Li asked as he picked up the Spirit Gun.

"You could approach an exorcist or spirit hunter organization, or you could join the Night's Watch." Joel clearly held Lu Li in high regard to have shared so much, but he wasn't about to spend any more time on it. He rose, walked to the door, opened it, and called for Deputy Sheriff Valentine.

After a hushed exchange by the door, they turned back to Lu Li. "Come on. Let's go see the afflicted."

The three of them walked deeper into the station, where an iron door leading to the basement stood open. Joel started down the stairs and, noticing Valentine following him, asked in surprise, "Are you coming with us too?"

"They are my subordinates. I can't abandon them," Valentine answered, the flesh on his face trembling as if the decision had cost him dearly.

"Then follow," Joel nodded, took a kerosene lamp from a police officer near the door, and continued his descent.

Although the station had electricity, that didn't mean it could be used everywhere, especially not in the basement where prisoners were kept.

As they descended, moans echoed from the damp corridor.

"Try not to interact with them," Joel warned without turning around, something having just occurred to him. "And don't listen to their delirium. It can affect your Mind Level."

"Why are they being kept here?" Lu Li asked.

"We wish it were otherwise, but this place is discreet enough, and isolated," Joel sighed.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, countless hysterical screams merged into one, echoing through the cramped space as if they had stepped into hell.

The sick shrieked without pause, their foreheads lined with bulging veins, their faces twisted into agonizing masks.

"This is what we deal with." Joel glanced at the people chained to cots behind iron bars, then shot a mocking look at Valentine, whose face was pale with terror. "Otherwise, why would a common member of the Night's Watch like me outrank you?" His gaze shifted to Lu Li. "You're composed, and more importantly, you're smart. You understand what's worth knowing and what's better left alone. Care to join us?"

"No..."

His voice cut off. Lu Li's gaze had fixed on one of the patients, who was thrashing like a fish cast upon the shore.

Perhaps it was sympathy, or perhaps it was the desire to leave himself an escape route, should the Door ever turn its attention to him. Lu Li amended his answer. "Not yet."