World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 22 Temporary Staff Lin An
Sitting on the sofa, the female investigator, who was playing the "bad cop," spoke first.

“This isn’t our first meeting, Mr. Lin. According to Commander Caroline’s investigation, you were almost involved in a bizarre murder case last week.”

"Hedda Steiner?" Lin An shuddered with lingering fear. "If I hadn't been in such a hurry to get back to my dorm to play games, I can't imagine... uh, could these two things be connected?"

“Last time, Commander Caroline left in a hurry and didn’t have time to obtain your permission, Mr. Lin,” the male investigator said. “We’ve conducted a thorough background check on you. Don’t panic; it’s just to clear you of suspicion.”

"You have violated my privacy!" Lin An shouted.

“Oh, let the court decide,” the male investigator said casually. “What we know is that you posted this on the World Tree Forum an hour before we received the call.”

The female investigator took out her tablet, and the black website was none other than the World Tree Forum, which Lin An was very familiar with.

The screen remains on a title page.

twelve_reganr: A quick snapshot at a swimsuit party, and what the heck?! [Image]
Seeing Lin An's face turn pale, the male investigator smiled with satisfaction.

"First, please explain why, in Commander Caroline's records, you claim you've never heard of the name 'World Tree Forum.' Yet this account was registered a year and a half ago."

"This...this wasn't posted by me!" Lin An protested. "How can you be so sure this person is me! He could be anyone! I've never seen this website before!"

"We retrieved the account's posts from the past thirty days. Seven days ago, on December 8th, twelve_reganr posted 'The weird is all around us? Something strange happened at my university [picture]' describing your near miss with Heda Steiner."

It was a blurry image of Haida disappearing into the corner of the library street, but it undoubtedly revealed the photographer's perspective.

After stubbornly denying it for a while, Lin An finally "broke down" under the investigator's questioning.

“Okay, I admit it, twelve_reganr is me.” He sighed helplessly. “So what? What do you want to do? This little hobby isn’t illegal.”

"You lied to Commander Caroline."

"Hmph, I never needed to tell you all about my private life. I'm not a criminal, these two things have nothing to do with me!"

The male investigator coughed.

"We have no suspicion that you were involved. However, the special investigation team would like you to point out exactly where the 'ghost' appears in this picture?"

The female investigator zoomed in on the picture of the swimming pool and handed it to Lin An. The two of them stared intently at him.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Lin An's forehead. He raised his hand, hesitantly hovering it in the air, pointing at April in the upper right corner.

"Didn't you guys notice... that she looked strange? I know, maybe it's a problem with the photo's exposure, but... it's really eerie! And then that thing happened..."

Actually, Lin An didn't notice anything unusual. But after looking at it carefully later, he realized that April in the photo did look a bit strange.

The two investigators exchanged glances, seemingly confirming something.

"Lin An was born in the capital of the Dragon Kingdom and was admitted to Ann Arbor University in the Eagle Kingdom at the age of 18. Your father is Lin Hainan, who works in the Southern Continent year-round; your mother is Adria Hughes, a world-renowned folklorist."

"Influenced by your mother, you have developed a strong interest in folk culture. Of the 3380 books you have borrowed, 2845 are related to mysticism, and only about 300 are required for your major."

“Because of your fervent fascination with another world, you gradually come to believe that there is a gap between reality and fantasy, and you pay attention to every supernatural phenomenon around you,” the female investigator said. “This is a summary of your public online statements after you came to the Eagle Nation.”

"..."

You are right.

"So, do you know that 'white-haired' girl?"

Lin An hesitated before nodding: "Her name is April, she's my ex-roommate's girlfriend. Is she alright? I've seen her since last night."

"Sir, we hope you can sit down and listen to us, because this will overturn your understanding."

Oh?
I passed?

Having been involved in two mysterious incidents, Lin An knew he was a prime suspect and could not be ruled out, so he simply handed over some of the information to the Foundation.

For example, the World Tree Forum account, which possesses the conditions for awakening mysticism, and has already shown signs.

If Lin An were truly an ordinary person who knew nothing, it would seem too strange and make him even more suspicious.

Humans are creatures that tend to seek temporary gratification. When the foundation received this half-true, half-false intelligence, they felt confident of victory, reverted to their superior position, and believed they had gained absolute control.

Like a group of treasure hunters, following the treasure map given by Lin An, they went through arduous adventures and finally unearthed the pirates' wealth.

The joy of achieving the goal overshadowed the doubts and curiosity.

"The world is not as safe as you think..."

The investigators began to explain the worldview of "Comers," including mysterious awakenings, uncontrolled pollution, and bizarre events, speaking with the air of two NPCs from a beginner's village.

Lin Anqi listened attentively at first, but gradually lost focus later on.

The reason is simple: what the two investigators said was nonsense. Either the system had already explained it, or Lin An had already figured it out on his own.

Perhaps the investigators and Lin An lacked the necessary authority, but they kept repeating empty phrases like "the world is no longer safe" and "peace needs to be maintained," and Lin An numbly went along with the performance.

"The reason why the people of the United Kingdom can still live and work in peace and contentment is inseparable from a group of people who work silently in the shadows to maintain social order and stability."

"Oh, that's great."

"When a country's laws lose their binding force, not to mention the skyrocketing crime rate, factories will shut down, people will lose their jobs, stocks will plummet, banks will go bankrupt, and the economy will collapse. If the United States' currency becomes worthless, the whole world will suffer."

"Yes, you're right."

"For the sake of all mankind, someone must take the lead in maintaining order..." "Ahem." Lin An was really impatient. "But what can I do? I'm just an ordinary college student."

"Here's the thing, the foundation believes that with your background in occultism, combined with your individual and teamwork skills in these two incidents, you are a rare and outstanding talent. If you are willing to maintain social stability, please become one of us."

The St. Anilof Foundation is desperately short of rational, powerful, and readily available mystics. After discussion, the higher-ups unanimously decided to recruit Lin An.

Lin An has encountered the mysterious figure twice, and whether he realizes it or not, awakening is only a matter of time.

Since that's the case, why not let him join the foundation so that he can be systematically guided and trained to become a new team member? This would also prevent Lin An from getting out of control or "going astray" in the future.

They even asked the investigators to use both soft and hard tactics.

If Lin An remains unmoved, he should immediately present a strict confidentiality agreement. After weighing the pros and cons, most people will likely choose to become members of the foundation.

Fortunately, Lin An seemed very interested, and the negotiation process went quite smoothly.

The two investigators breathed a sigh of relief.

The female investigator's fingers flew across the keyboard as she typed in a command, and the tablet screen switched to a green-background document filled with densely packed clauses.

"Is this the special investigation team's handbook?" Lin An asked doubtfully as he took it. "The St. Anilov Foundation?"

“That’s right, that’s the official name of the Special Investigation Team,” the male investigator explained. “What’s in front of you is a ‘Guarantee Agreement.’ Once you sign it, the foundation will add you to their file and temporarily classify you as a temporary staff member.”

"Upon your official reporting date, a dedicated team will conduct a standardized competency test on you and other temporary staff. Based on the interview results that day, the foundation will match you with the most suitable position."

"Are there different positions?"

“That’s right, the St. Anilov Foundation has four main departments. First is the clerical department, which has the largest number of employees and is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and archiving all kinds of information about the foundation.”

"Secondly, there is the logistics department to which this lady and I belong. It combines external liaison, aftermath handling, press releases, financial statements, fundraising and other matters. It is also responsible for investigating and reporting mysterious events. It is the link between the foundation and society."

"The third type is the research department, and the fourth is the frontline 'direct' department. Both of these departments have extremely high confidentiality levels, so I cannot go into detail with you at the moment."

Lin An swiped the screen, and data swirled in his pupils.

"May I ask how many full-time employees the St. Anilov Foundation currently has?"

“I’m sorry, I can’t disclose the exact number. But I can tell you that the facility in Dietrich is not the foundation’s headquarters, and there are 375 people officially registered.”

"They are all...mystics?"

“That’s not the case. Mystics are still a minority in society,” the female investigator said. “The latest data shows that the ratio of mystics to ordinary people in Dietrich is about one in 100,000, so please rest assured, sir, you will not be in too much danger.”

Five years from now, when the orbits of "Commerx" overlap, your foundation will be doing the work of a suicide squad.

Lin An thought silently.

"I've signed it."

The investigator took the tablet, repeatedly checked Lin An's signature, and his expression gradually relaxed.

The male investigator couldn't help but offer a reminder.

"Please remember that this 'Guaranteed Employment Agreement' does not constitute formal employment. You will need to report to the St. Anilov Foundation's address and undergo an 'external test.' The date is December 20th, which is five days from now."

“I’ve noted it down; I just saw it in the agreement.”

"Just confirming again."

St. Anilov took Lin An very seriously. The male and female investigators repeatedly emphasized the time and address of the report, and then handed Lin An a high-tech black card.

"Drip."

The moment Lin An pressed his thumb, its interface unlocked.

Fingerprint authentication?

The black card's panel and system are quite similar, with data scattered across a palm-sized surface, ranging from present to absent.

Name: Lin An

Level: Temporary Staff

Permissions: None
Department: To be determined

Points: 0
Before Lin An could take a few more glances at the new black card, the male investigator's voice rang out again.

"We hope to see you on the appointed date, Mr. Lin. Finally, please remember that everything that happened to you today, and everything that happens to you in connection with the St. Nilov Foundation in the future, is confidential. If you disclose any information in any way, we will take the 'special measures' outlined in the manual."

"Ok, I see."

After seeing the two investigators off, Lin An collapsed onto the sofa.

He held up the black card, and the mechanical electronic light automatically turned off. Lin An unlocked it with his fingerprint, looked at his "personal information," and a pleasant smile appeared on his lips.

St. Anilov Foundation...

Show me your "foundation".

(End of this chapter)