Chapter 161 : Enhancing Activity
Chapter 161: Enhancing Activity
When the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, Han Su already felt that many things were different.
Wei Lan had already left. In this small apartment building, only he remained.
He looked out the window. The city beneath the morning light became clear and vivid.
Strangely, many memories in his mind also became concrete and lively. It seemed that his memory had improved significantly, and his understanding of things had shifted. He could easily focus on a single thing. Even his bodily responses were much quicker than before.
『Is this the power of Mental Activity?』
He was faintly surprised. Although his mental activation had occurred long ago, this was the first time he truly felt such mental agility.
Was it that, because he had been dragging along such a bloated mental volume, these subtle changes had previously gone unnoticed?
Letting out a low sigh, Han Su brewed a cup of tea and sat on the sofa, quietly experiencing the change.
The most obvious change was that his mental bandwidth had shrunk.
Previously, he had been carrying a fragmented two-hundred-year mental volume—vast, but bloated and hard to wield freely.
Now, however, his mental bandwidth was just ten years. Much less than the average person, yet it seemed this smaller scope allowed for focus. As a result, he could now handle this active mental power with ease.
The activity was still only at 36%, which was expected.
His total mental volume was divided into twenty-one segments, each with a Mental Activity level of 36%.
However, whether it was infiltration, information embedding, or even spiritual invasion or attachment, everything now felt natural and effortless.
So now, what needed consideration was how to further enhance his activity on this foundation, wasn’t it?
Han Su sat for a long while before picking up his phone and messaging Miss Ai:
[Miss Ai, as an ordinary person, what is the most efficient and safe method to enhance my Mental Activity?]
[Good morning, Mr. Butcher. The weather today is rather pleasant, isn’t it?]
Miss Ai replied instantly. Even the tone of her text felt relaxed and confident:
[Based on the Disaster Management Bureau’s current experience, the safest way to enhance Mental Activity is through experiencing adventures and crises, maintaining curiosity about the world, going to bed early, waking up early, and eating regularly!]
[As for the most efficient method—it would be to try accepting Contamination while keeping your will intact!]
Han Su pondered: [Contamination? Wouldn’t that make me like the followers of mysterious organizations?]
Miss Ai: [The nature of the human spirit, whether an Investigator or a Mysterious Follower, is inherently the same!]
[The only difference is that Mysterious Followers enhance their Mental Activity by actively accepting Contamination, while non-followers must sever the source of Contamination after exposure in order to ensure both improvement and the integrity of their will.]
[...]
Upon reading this, Han Su suddenly felt enlightened.
So, whether it was eating dried corpses, meditation, or consuming potions—
The truth was, there was only one truly efficient method to enhance Mental Activity: to actively accept Contamination.
That was how Mysterious Organizations operated. As long as they remained constantly contaminated, they could continuously enhance their Mental Activity. This method also applied to Investigators, but because they feared losing themselves, an extra step was required.
After accepting Contamination, they had to ensure they could sever it.
That was where the Disaster Management Bureau fell short compared to Mysterious Organizations.
This was also the disadvantage shared by everyone except those Followers. Yet, it was something that could never be changed. It was the most straightforward and simplest path!
In fact, back when he resolved the Double-Bodies incident, his total mental volume had increased by 5% in one go. That was 5% of his total volume! The reason? The painting had inflicted a level of Contamination unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Additionally, this incident also highlighted the importance of the third mysterious power he had brought back from the Ancient Castle—『Ghost Flame』. At that time, the Ghost Flame had helped him sever the Contamination from the painting instantly!
However, because his mental volume was so vast back then, even such a strong Contamination didn’t yield obvious improvement.
But now, post-Forbidden Operation?
A thought stirred in his heart, and he asked directly: [Miss Ai, are there any more missions like that Double-Bodies one?]
Miss Ai replied: [The Double-Bodies task has been confirmed to involve a remnant object from the Radiation Era cult organization "Round Table Altar." Such tasks are extremely rare on a global scale. I wouldn’t recommend Mr. Butcher place hopes on encountering another one anytime soon!]
Han Su read this message and translated it himself: "You’re dreaming..."
Seems like it would be hard to find something like that painting, which had high-quality Contamination...
But looking at it differently—his previous self hadn’t undergone the Forbidden Operation, so only a high-quality painting could enhance his Mental Activity. Now that he had the operation, even simpler tasks might work?
After some thought, Han Su suddenly had a bold idea. Excitedly, he typed:
[Miss Ai, do you have more tasks with Contamination you could recommend to me?]
[Not too low-level. I’m an Investigator now; tasks too low won’t help my rating.]
[Not too troublesome either. I’m on a tight schedule and can’t waste time.]
[And not too difficult. My current abilities are limited; I can’t handle anything too hard...]
[...]
Wait—in his excitement, Han Su suddenly realized something was off. This was Miss Ai, not his mom.
Was he being too demanding?
Then he saw Miss Ai respond: [Yes, I do!]
Han Su: "?"
Right after, more messages from Miss Ai followed:
[Due to the current drop in task efficiency among many Investigators, owing to personal issues or other factors, the Disaster Management Bureau has numerous urgent tasks left unattended.]
[Having self-motivated Investigators like Mr. Butcher, who voluntarily accept tasks and contribute to the defense of reality, is a blessing for Qinggang. In this context, fulfilling some of Mr. Butcher’s requests is a fair and reasonable gesture.]
[I have selected the following suitable commissions for you. These are chaotic times, a matter of life and death. I hope Mr. Butcher will put aside gain and loss and dedicate himself to Qinggang's defense of reality!]
[...]
"??"
This time, Han Su was genuinely dumbfounded. Something felt... off?
His gaze dropped, and the task notification had already appeared:
▶ B-Level Task: Hidden cult activity suspected in Binbin District, North City. Signs of Devilfish proselytizing observed. Please promptly investigate their methods and intercept them. Apprehend or eliminate related members on sight!
『B-Level...』
He stared silently at the task Miss Ai sent, then contacted Doctor and Hei Hu:
"How’s your study of the encrypted spells from the new cult going?"
Doctor said, "Very helpful."
Han Su said, "Good. Then maybe you’re ready to work overtime?"
"..."
"..."
Doctor was already adjusting his glasses thoughtfully. Hei Hu, on the other hand, was full of enthusiasm: "Yes!"
And so, Han Su grabbed his suitcase and headed straight to his first mission.
On the way, Han Su reviewed the files. Through Miss Ai’s intelligence gathering and analysis, it had already been confirmed—this was a case of proselytization by a mysterious organization.
So, Miss Ai was probably making a joke, right?
A B-Level mission, and involving a cult too—there was no way this would be simple...
He knew well by now: Cults and mysterious organizations were everywhere in the depths of Qinggang. Whether it was a beggar on the street or a well-mannered teacher by day, anyone could be a secret follower.
But mere membership wasn’t the issue. What the Disaster Management Bureau feared most was the spread of Mysterious Contamination and the emergence of deeply faithful, power-wielding individuals.
Such people were usually extremely destructive. With Mysterious Powers at their command, taking them down with conventional force came at a huge cost. Even for Investigators, it was a life-threatening gamble.
With that in mind, Han Su and the others arrived at the scene. By sealing the area, analyzing cult members, and screening outsiders, they quickly identified the ten most suspicious suspects.
Then, Doctor stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. With a rundown of their education, background, age, and personality traits, he finally focused his brilliant glasses on the source...
...The devilfish in the seafood market tank!
In the end, Han Su personally captured the fish trying to leap out of the tank and escape.
Even he found it absurd. But once he had the fish in hand, confirmation came immediately.
It was a low-level Contaminated creature, dwelling in the deep sea, tainted by some unknown horror. After being caught by fishing boats, it ended up in Qinggang’s seafood market, spreading Mysterious Contamination from there.
Its reach was limited. It could only affect stall owners when unobserved, using hidden spells to warp their minds.
Gradually, it twisted their will, instilling a reverence for the mysterious. The stall owners began offering three daily offerings of fresh worms as tribute to the devilfish...
...The last part was pure selfishness on the fish’s part!
...
Watching the Execution Members haul the fish away in a specially sealed tank, Han Su stood there, dazed, unwilling to believe the mission had really ended just like that.
[Miss Ai, and this is worthy of being called a B-Level task? Catching a fish?]
[Mr. Butcher, please note that this devilfish Contamination incident has affected no fewer than thirty people, forming a cult of over a hundred. Its threat level and damage to the reality defense line fully qualify it as a B-Level task!]
[I didn’t mean it that way. I just didn’t expect it would actually be...]
[I hope Mr. Butcher will refrain from questioning my professionalism and focus on the mission at hand!]
[The next task recommendation is as follows...]