Special Affairs Bureau

The chaos in the apartment finally subsided.

With the help of several police officers, Kalieqin struggled to his feet. His face was pale as paper, and his body still trembled uncontrollably, but his eyes had regained some of the sharpness and icy calm befitting a senior investigator.

He pointed at Assistant Allen, who was being restrained by two Clovin agents, his expression vacant. His voice was hoarse but left no room for argument:

"Keep him in strict isolation! No one is to contact him without further orders from Clovin's senior leadership, including for interrogation!"

Then he added, "Stuff his mouth!"

A police officer tore the cloth from a lampshade, pinched Assistant Allen's jaw open, and shoved it directly into his mouth, ignoring his muffled protests.

Kalieqin took a deep breath, suppressing the dizziness and the searing pain in his mind, then quickly dictated to the junior investigator beside him, who had just recovered:

"Record this! The initial classification of residual malignant psionic instability and contamination remains unchanged. Senior Investigator Kalieqin at the scene was subjected to the corrosive influence of a demonic will projection..."

The junior investigator's hand trembled as he wrote. If he recorded Kalieqin's account faithfully, Kalieqin would face an extremely harsh internal review to ensure the demon's corruption had left no lingering effects on his body or mind.

"Record this! At the critical moment, a powerful, unknown third-party psionic entity intervened. Its spiritual manifestation was 'Radiance.' It dispelled the demon's physical projection... Its level of existence... far exceeds conventional understanding."

He paused, then added the most important detail: "This psionic entity seems to have formed an indirect connection, by some means, with the person who first discovered the scene and called the police—that assistant. Investigate this connection as a priority!"

The situation had to be reported immediately. It was still unclear whether the being that had projected itself directly into his mind was friend or foe, but the power it had displayed was already enough to draw the attention of Clovin's highest authorities... and perhaps even the Empire's highest authorities.

Even though it had helped Kalieqin drive out the demon, that was no reason to classify it as "friendly."

Just then, steady, measured footsteps sounded from the apartment entrance.

Three men and women with a composed, imposing presence walked in.

The Ninth Bureau of Clovin—the "Special Affairs Bureau"—had arrived.

They were a standalone response team, all three senior investigators within the bureau. They had been assembled temporarily to deal with the emergency that had just been reported.

At their head was a woman with a stern expression, her gaze swiftly sweeping over the scene.

She glanced at the battered Kalieqin and the chaotic room, her brow furrowing slightly.

Kalieqin had just started forward to explain when a wave of weakness and exhaustion from deep within his soul surged over him. His vision went black, and he could no longer hold himself up. Fortunately, an officer beside him caught him before he fell, but by then he had already lost consciousness.

"Sir!" The junior investigator beside him was flustered. This was his first mission with Kalieqin, and he had never expected such a critical situation to arise.

The old hands in their team had once joked that ninety-five percent of the cases they investigated involving psionic phenomena turned out to be false alarms. It was exceedingly rare to encounter an event truly connected to psionics.

Yet on his very first mission, he had run into one—and even a senior investigator like Kalieqin had been brought down by it.

The female senior investigator from the Ninth Bureau, leader of the response team at the scene, watched as Kalieqin was carried away, then turned directly to the junior investigator who had accompanied him and said calmly, "Report!"

"Huh?" The junior investigator froze for a moment. Then, under the cold, piercing gazes of the three senior investigators facing him, he remembered what to do and gave a full account of everything that had just happened, including Kalieqin's final instructions.

The team leader's expression remained unchanged as she signaled to one of her subordinates behind her. "Take him back. Prioritize an assessment and treatment for spiritual trauma. Kalieqin is to be isolated separately... and given the necessary review once he regains consciousness."

Then her gaze fell in turn on the isolated Allen and the ravaged study.

"Clear the scene and reassess the contamination level.

"All those who came into contact with the scene, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs police officers, are to sign confidentiality agreements and undergo basic screening." Her orders were concise and efficient. She continued, "The Clovin Special Affairs Bureau is officially taking over."

Meanwhile, in the attic on Valen Street.

Gallo lay on the narrow bed with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. His mother and younger sister had already fallen asleep, and he could hear their steady breathing in the attic.

Everything that had happened earlier replayed in his mind.

"Clovin will definitely make a major move this time."

Gallo analyzed the situation calmly.

"A senior investigator nearly suffered a spiritual collapse, a powerful Subspace entity manifested, and an unidentified third party capable of driving away a Subspace entity appeared... That's enough to shake their upper ranks."

This meant the chances of Malcolm and Sacia's group being eliminated had increased considerably.

The authorities' intervention could help him clear the immediate dangers in his path.

But a new problem arose. After dealing with Malcolm and Sacia, would the authorities stop there?

They would inevitably investigate the existence of the third-party psionic user and the connection to the Eye of Spirituality above Assistant Allen's head. They would look into everyone who had come into contact with Allen. On top of that, Malcolm and the others had seen Gallo before. If both lines of inquiry led back to him, he would become a major point of intersection.

The final clue Clovin found while pursuing the third-party psionic user could very well point to him.

Gallo blinked and continued thinking. "He had no idea how Clovin defined third-party psionic users internally. Were they subjects to be monitored, people who had to be eliminated, or... recruits to be brought into the organization?"

It was a dilemma. Using the authorities to eliminate the immediate threat had also attracted attention that was far more extensive and difficult to predict.

Still, his Inspiration had not given him any warning of a possible Clovin investigation. That meant that even if Clovin really did trace things back to Gallo, there was a very high chance it wouldn't pose a threat to him.

"Ah-choo!" Lily suddenly sneezed, interrupting Gallo's thoughts.

The attic's walls let in drafts from every direction at night, and the indoor temperature was barely any warmer than outside. Winter hadn't even arrived yet.

The thought of moving came to him again.

He estimated how much he had earned recently in Lubo Lane, then added the two small bank drafts he had received for completing Sacia's commission. The total came to 62 Nalang, 75 Copper Nil, and 4 Fenso.

That was enough to rent a decent apartment far from Valen Street, with a private bathroom, a spacious kitchen, a bright living room with a fireplace, and a separate bedroom. If he was lucky, it might even have a study.

But under normal circumstances, apartments like that were rented by the year or half-year, which meant a hefty expense. The third-floor attic in this poor neighborhood cost one Nalang and thirty Copper Nil a month—nearly fifteen Nalang a year.

The rent for Gallo's ideal apartment would be at least several times that of the attic he lived in now.

Gallo still felt that he was far too poor. Maybe... once he found a suitable apartment, he could raise his current service fees!