Lin Jie didn't spend a moment thinking about the two options.
For a transmigrator with the free spirit 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 spontaneously ignited without a flame, turned into a wisp of blue smoke, and melted into the air.
A crest made up of the letters "I.A.R.C." flashed into view beneath his signature, then vanished.
The contract was now officially in effect, sealed in this supernatural manner.
"A wise choice." Barton put away the agreement, a smile appearing on his face as though he'd expected this. "Welcome aboard, Mr. Lin. You may not be a formal employee, but from this moment on, you're one of our 'colleagues' in the Underworld."
"By convention, as your guide, I'm obliged to show you around the Association's real headquarters in London."
There was an air of mystery and pride in Barton's voice. Lin Jie immediately realized that the safe house beneath the clock shop was merely an insignificant outpost of this vast organization.
Led by Barton, the three of them left the clock repair shop.
A black four-wheeled carriage was already waiting at the street corner. They climbed aboard, and it smoothly pulled away from the filthy, chaotic alleyways of Whitechapel District, joining the bustling flow of London traffic.
The carriage headed west, passing through the City of London, where financial elites gathered, before finally stopping in front of a magnificent building brimming with ancient Greek style.
The tall Ionic portico, the broad stone steps, and the enormous triangular pediment all proclaimed the building's solemn grandeur.
This was... the British Museum.
A tidal wave of emotion surged through Lin Jie.
In his previous life, he had seen this world-famous temple of art countless times in pictures and documentaries. He had never imagined that one day he would stand before it in person, in such an astonishing way.
What he found even harder to believe was that I.A.R.C.'s real headquarters in London was located in such a prominent place, one visited by crowds of people every day.
It was the perfect example of hiding in plain sight.
Barton didn't lead them through the main entrance, crowded with tourists. Instead, he took them around to a restricted area in the museum's side wing, marked "Egyptian Artifact Restoration Department."
He showed the guard at the door a metal badge. The guard immediately straightened up respectfully and opened a heavy oak door.
After passing through several corridors piled with crates of artifacts and restoration tools, they came to a circular exhibition hall with a lofty dome.
At its center stood a black stone stele 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 perceptive, but quite knowledgeable as well. That's right, it is. The whole world thinks the real Rosetta Stone is displayed in the public gallery upstairs, but that's actually a flawless replica."
"The original has been in the Association's custody ever since it was discovered. That's because it is itself a powerful 'Spiritual Medium.'"
Barton walked up to the stele and pressed several hieroglyphs on its surface in a specific sequence.
"Vmmm—"
A low rumble reverberated through the hall.
The marble floor of the entire circular exhibition hall slowly slid apart, revealing a lift platform made up of metal gears.
Lin Jie's breath caught again.
The sight before him, beyond the technological capabilities of the nineteenth century, gave him a vivid sense of the secret organization's immense resources.
The descent took a long time. Lin Jie estimated that they had gone nearly a hundred meters underground.
When the platform finally stopped, an enormous round hatch made entirely of brass and crystal, with a distinctly steampunk design, opened before them.
A world far grander and more breathtaking than Lin Jie had imagined unfolded before his eyes.
It was an immense underground domed space, large enough to hold several train platforms.
Soft, bright light spilled down from luminous crystals of some unknown substance embedded in the dome, illuminating the entire space as brightly as day.
The air was not the least bit stale or damp. Instead, a ventilation system of brass pipes and pressure valves kept it fresh and dry.
People in uniforms of various colors hurried about.
Among them were scholars in white lab coats, rushing from place to place; field agents in combat gear, strange weapons at their waists; and support staff pushing carts loaded with "objects" hidden beneath heavy canvas.
"Welcome to the London branch of the International Association for the Research and Containment of Anomalies. We prefer to call it the 'Underground City.'" Barton's voice was full of pride.
He led Lin Jie along a main thoroughfare.
Lin Jie could barely take it all in. He greedily studied everything around him, striving to imprint this world in his memory.
He saw a "mission board" covering an entire wall.
It was hung with parchment scrolls listing all kinds of assignments, from "Investigate reports of vampires in the Glasgow area," to "Recover the stolen Ring of Solomon," to "Hunt down the yeti lurking in the Himalayas." Each assignment listed its difficulty rank and reward points.
Opposite the board stood two imposing tomes in a glass display case, both radiating a powerful aura of menace.
One was pitch-black, its cover made of leather with fine scales. A fearsome monster's head had been stamped onto it in crimson gold.
"This is the Directory of Anomalous Creatures, which we usually call the 'Black Book,'" Barton explained. "It contains detailed records of every UMA the Association has encountered and confirmed to exist since its founding."
"Every year, the Association's assessment committee reevaluates the threat level of the UMAs on the list based on the latest intelligence and publishes an updated edition."
He pointed to several plaques above the display case, which clearly listed the UMA ranks:
Calamity Rank > Kingdom Rank > Town Rank > Caution Rank.
Lin Jie noticed that Mist Walker's name was among the densely packed entries under "Town Rank."
Beside the Black Book was another great tome, bound in brown leather and stamped with a crest depicting a sword crossed with a quill.
"And this is the Elite Investigator Directory, which we call the 'Hunter List.'" A hint of longing and reverence entered Barton's voice. "It exists alongside the Black Book, and represents the pinnacle of glory for every investigator in the Underworld."
"Its rankings aren't based on your background or seniority. They're based on one thing alone—results." Barton's gaze swept over the list, where every shining name represented a legend.
"Successfully hunt a high-threat UMA, submit critical intelligence, recover a powerful Spiritual Medium... Everything is converted into points."
"Your points determine your rank in this directory. Those who make the list don't just gain immense wealth and glory; they also receive the Association's highest level of support and the right to choose assignments first."
Lin Jie was also deeply captivated by the Hunter List.
At the very top of the list, every dazzling name was accompanied by a legendary nickname.
First: [The Immortal] Nicolas Flamel
Second: [Hand of the Clock] Duke of Wellington
Third: [Ouroboros] Helena Blavatsky
Every one of these names had left an indelible mark on the history of the Surface World.
And in the secret Underworld, they had another, even more illustrious identity!
The discovery left Lin Jie deeply shaken.
What other unknown truths lay hidden beneath the mists of history?
A new goal had quietly taken shape in his heart.
He might not be able to reach that seemingly unattainable top spot, but one day, he would make sure the name "Lin Jie," along with his own unique nickname, shone like a star, engraved in this legendary Hunter List.
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