London Underground Headquarters

Lin Jie did not spend any time considering those two options.

For a transmigrator possessing the free soul of the twenty-first century, the status of a "formal member" bound by rules and regulations held no appeal.

He reached out and solemnly signed his name—"Lin Jie"—at the bottom of the parchment document.

As he wrote the final stroke, the wax seal on the agreement ignited without a flame, turning into a wisp of blue smoke that dissolved into the air.

A crest composed of the letters "I.A.R.C." flashed briefly beneath his signature.

The contract was thus formally established in this supernatural manner.

"A wise choice." Barton put away the agreement, a look of expected satisfaction on his face. "Welcome to our ranks, Mr. Lin. Although you are not a formal employee, from this moment on, you are a 'peer' walking within the Underworld."

"According to custom, as your guide, I am obligated to take you to visit the association's true headquarters in London."

There was a sense of mystery and pride in Barton's tone, which made Lin Jie immediately realize that the safe house beneath the clock shop was merely an insignificant outpost of this vast organization.

Under Barton's lead, the three of them left the clock repair shop.

A black horse-drawn carriage was already waiting at the street corner. Once they boarded, the carriage pulled away smoothly from the dirty, chaotic alleys of the Whitechapel District and merged into the bustling traffic of London.

The carriage headed west, passing through the City of London where financial elites gathered, and finally stopped in front of a magnificent, grand building filled with ancient Greek style.

The towering Ionic porch, the wide stone steps, and the massive triangular pediment all served to highlight the solemnity and gravity of this structure.

This was... the British Museum.

A monstrous wave surged in Lin Jie's heart.

In his past life, he had seen this world-renowned hall of art countless times in pictures and documentaries, yet he had never imagined that one day he would stand before it in person in such a bizarre fashion.

What made it even more unbelievable to him was that the true headquarters of the I.A.R.C. in London would be located in such a high-profile place, teeming with people?

This was simply the perfect example of "hiding in plain sight."

Barton did not lead them through the main entrance crowded with tourists, but instead circled to a non-public area on the flank of the museum marked "Egyptian Artifact Restoration Department."

He showed a metal badge to the guard at the gate, who immediately stood at attention and opened a heavy oak door.

After passing through several corridors piled with wooden crates of artifacts and restoration tools, they arrived at a circular exhibition hall with an extremely high dome.

In the center of the hall was displayed a black stone slab covered in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

"The Rosetta Stone," Lin Jie blurted out.

Barton gave him an approving look. "It seems Mr. Lin is not only intuitive but also quite knowledgeable. That is correct, it is indeed it. The whole world believes the real Rosetta Stone is displayed in the public exhibition area upstairs, but that is actually just a precise replica."

"As for the true original, it has been kept by the association since the moment it was discovered. Because it is, in itself, a powerful 'spiritual medium'."

Barton walked up to the stone slab, reached out, and pressed several hieroglyphs on the stone surface in a specific order.

"Hum—"

A low, resonant sound rang out.

The marble floor tiles of the entire circular exhibition hall slowly slid to both sides, revealing a lifting platform composed of metal gears.

Lin Jie's breath hitched once again.

The sight before him, which surpassed the technological level of the nineteenth century, made him truly feel the formidable foundation of this mysterious organization.

The descent was long; Lin Jie estimated they had gone at least a hundred meters underground.

When the platform finally stopped, a massive circular gate made of pure brass and crystal, filled with a steampunk aesthetic, opened before them.

A world far more grand and shocking than Lin Jie had imagined unfolded before his eyes.

This was an incredibly vast underground domed space, large enough to accommodate several train platforms.

Soft, bright light spilled down from glowing crystals of unknown composition on the dome, illuminating the entire space as if it were daylight.

There was not a hint of underground stuffiness or dampness in the air; instead, it was kept fresh and dry through a ventilation system filled with brass pipes and pressure valves.

Personnel wearing various uniforms moved about busily.

Among them were scholars in white coats walking in a hurry; field agents in tactical gear with various peculiar weapons at their waists; and logistics staff pushing small carts, transporting "items" covered by heavy canvas.

"Welcome to the London branch of the International Anomalous Research and Containment Association; we prefer to call it the 'Underground City'." Barton's voice was filled with pride.

He led Lin Jie forward along a main thoroughfare.

Lin Jie's eyes could barely take it all in; he greedily observed everything around him, striving to etch the appearance of this world into his mind.

He saw a "mission board" that occupied an entire wall.

It was covered in parchment scrolls detailing various commissions, ranging from "Investigating vampire rumors in the Glasgow area," to "Retrieving the stolen Ring of Solomon," to "Hunting the Yeti lurking in the Himalayas." Each commission was marked with a corresponding difficulty level and reward points.

Directly opposite this wall were two massive tomes enshrined in crystal display cases, radiating a powerful sense of oppression.

One of them was entirely black, its cover made of leather with fine scales, and a ferocious monster's head was branded in red gold on the front.

"This is the Directory of Anomalous Creatures, which we internally refer to as the 'Black Book'," Barton introduced. "It records detailed information on all confirmed UMA the association has encountered since its inception."

"Every year, the association's evaluation committee re-assesses the threat level of the UMA on the list based on the latest intelligence and issues a new edition."

He pointed to several plaques above the display case, which clearly marked the classification of UMA:

Calamity Rank > Kingdom Rank > Town Rank > Caution Rank.

Lin Jie noticed that the name of the Mist Walker was being recorded within the dense list of the "Town Rank."

Beside the Black Book, another massive tome bound in brown leather was displayed, its cover branded with an emblem of a sword and a quill crossed together.

"And this one is the Elite Investigator Directory, which we call the 'Hunter List'." Barton's tone carried a hint of longing and respect. "It exists as a companion to the Black Book and represents the pinnacle of glory for all investigators in the Underworld."

"Its rankings don't look at background or seniority; they look at only one thing—actual achievements." Barton's gaze swept across the list, where every shining name represented a legend.

"Successfully hunting high-risk UMA, submitting critical intelligence, recovering powerful spiritual mediums... everything is quantified into points."

"Your points determine your ranking in this directory. Those who make the list not only gain immense wealth and glory but also receive the highest level of resource allocation from the Association and the right to prioritize the selection of commissions."

Lin Jie's gaze was also deeply drawn to the Hunter List.

He saw that at the very top of the list, those brilliant names were each accompanied by a legendary moniker.

First Place: [The Immortal] Nicolas Flamel

Second Place: [Hand of the Clock] Duke of Wellington

Third Place: [Ouroboros] Helena Blavatsky

Every single name had left a heavy, colorful mark on the history of the Surface World.

And in this unknown Underworld, they actually possessed another, even more illustrious identity!

This discovery left Lin Jie feeling a profound sense of shock.

Beneath the mists of history, how many more unknown truths remained hidden?

A new goal had already quietly taken root in his heart.

He might not be able to reach that unattainable top spot, but one day, he would make the name "Lin Jie" and his own unique moniker shine like a bright star, engraved upon this legendary Hunter List.