Echoes of the Past

Chapter 25 On my first day at work, was becoming a regional manager a mistake?

As dawn broke, the crows returned as promised.

Regarding the tower and "wish fulfillment," he solemnly instructed, "Don't mention it to anyone," not even El-Lu's colleagues.

Suiyue pressed for an explanation, but only received silence in return.

Nan An silently shushed Sui Yue, stopping her from digging any deeper.

Clearly, the topic has touched upon some hidden secrets about the Nightmare God that have been covered up.

Looking at Solitz and Onze, this kind of information is probably top secret, and only a handful of people know it.

He then raised a more practical question.

"Should we arrange for a mental mage to interfere with their cognition, or simply erase the relevant memories?"

The crow smiled bitterly: "No wonder you witnessed the brilliance of the Gray Star era. It seems that back then, high-level mental mages possessed and used amazing skills... But not now. High-level mental mages are a valuable resource for us and cannot be used casually."

He paused, then added, "I'm so glad you're on our side."

It's a very subtle statement. Why does the description of a high-level mental mage sound like... a consumable?

Leaving the city of Kren, the raven personally drove the winged horse, leading the carriage towards the rolling mountains to the south.

At first, you could still see scattered farmland and villages, but as the road below gradually climbed and became rugged, the population became increasingly sparse, and eventually, even a decent path disappeared.

Along the way, they also learned from the description of the bewitching crow that although the black mist that descended on the Sickle Water Canyon had lost its abnormal properties, it had not yet dissipated.

The area swallowed by the black mist was still shrouded in a hazy layer of black smoke, like a black filter.

"Once swallowed, can you never go back to the way you were?" Suiyue asked.

"It will take time," the Raven replied. "Like a wound healing, we have already observed signs of dissipation... This is the second time we have observed the dissipation of the Black Mist since the beginning of the Black Mist era."

Apart from Nan'an and Suiyue, the other Black Mist survivors are still in quarantine. They are not so lucky as to be personally vouched for by the Bewitching Raven.

However, since the black fog has dissipated, they will not be troubled. What awaits them now is a long process of questioning and cross-verification.

Both Solitz and Onze were eager to know what had happened in the black fog and why the raging fog had disintegrated on its own on the third day of its spread.

Therefore, Anze's elite troops, having received permission, visited Keren City and are currently conducting an expert consultation in the Sickle Water Canyon.

If the key can be found, containing the black fog will no longer be a hopeless struggle that seems impossible.

Upon hearing this, Suiyue stole a glance at Nan'an beside her.

Suddenly, the flying horse descended.

The raven led them on foot, abandoning the carriage, along hidden paths trodden only by wild beasts and hunters, deep into the heart of the mountains.

The surrounding area is filled with towering ancient trees, their canopies blocking out the sun. In the morning, sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled and fragmented light, and the air is damp and cool.

The birds chirped and chattered, and the sound of flapping wings startled by footsteps filled the air. The forest was noisy and bustling, and you could faintly hear the annoying woodpeckers tinkering away early in the morning.

They stopped in front of a seemingly unremarkable steep cliff face, covered with thick moss and vines, blending seamlessly into its surroundings.

The crow took out the token from its sleeve and wiped it among the dense, thick green vines.

In an instant, the seemingly solid rock wall silently slid open a door inward!

The edges fit together perfectly, and no friction sound can be heard when it is opened or closed. A huge soundproof array is nested on both sides of the entrance, swallowing up all discordant noises.

The oppressive feeling unique to large underground spaces, a mixture of dust and a sense of confinement, hits you immediately.

Suiyue took a step forward nonchalantly, and the soundproofing array that was in effect with the stone gate as the dividing line returned the teeth-grinding friction sound to her ears.

"Wow..." Suiyue trembled all over. "This roar is like a full-body massage."

The original soundtrack made Suiyue's jaw tremble, and her internal organs resonated with it.

Inside the gate is a wide, downward-sloping passageway with smooth stone walls on both sides. Two handrails form a visual guide line that photographers love, extending all the way down.

At intervals, the wall-mounted lighting crystals turn on automatically in turn, casting a steady, slightly pale light to illuminate the area ahead, and then silently turn off after they pass, returning the passageway behind them to darkness.

Nan'an clicked his tongue and said, "It's an energy-saving model. I only saw it once back then when I was a guest of a noble family and received a commission."

As they spoke, their footsteps echoed in the empty passageway. His voice seemed amplified, stumbling forward as if propelled by a megaphone, giving the impression that multiple Nan'an voices had existed for a fleeting moment.

Here, it is silent, empty, and vast.

They walked downhill for a long time, the slope was gentle but continuous, and Nan'an could feel that they were going deep into the mountain.

Finally, light appeared ahead.

"hiss!"

Suiyue was so shocked that her scalp tingled.

This is a vast, indescribable cavity formed by hollowing out the mountain from the inside.

Its scale far exceeds imagination; one cannot see the top of it, and the dome is hidden under the soft halo cast by a huge spherical light source cast by multiple magic crystals.

Looking around, one can vaguely see countless wooden covered bridges and metal-like pipes built against the rock face in the distance.

They crisscross in the air, connecting various areas, and finally converge in this open core area.

"This...this is the headquarters of Elru?"

Suiyue was so shocked that her scalp tingled. Who would have thought that such a huge cavity was hidden under an inconspicuous rock wall?

"If you've ever been to the City of Two Crowns, you'll know that the headquarters of Eldrish is a small three-story castle in dire need of repair," the Raven explained. "We've used our annual resource surplus to build similar underground facilities in certain special areas, just in case."

Nan'an asked curiously, "Can't the black mist seep into the ground?"

"Scholars have tested it, and the erosion rate is relatively slow, but it's only a matter of time. Therefore, the purpose of underground facilities most of the time is to give people the opportunity to leave this world with dignity, or to look forward to possible miracles... although so far it has only happened once."

Suiyue's focus, however, veered in another direction. She blinked and asked, "Why is it Erlu who's using his own surplus resources to do this? Doesn't the Senate... support it? Shouldn't this be a major project that Solitz is in charge of?"

A subtle smile curved at the corner of the crow's lips, carrying a hint of "you know what I mean".

"There are advantages to doing things secretly. Before that day officially arrives, Ellu can enjoy exclusive protection, which can be considered a benefit that Palka and I are giving to everyone."

Those employee benefits are truly wonderful.

But thinking about it, Elu usually fights against the Nightmare God who might suddenly have a fit, and the probability of dying in the line of duty starts to fluctuate wildly the moment he goes out on a mission. It's only natural that his direct supervisor would go to great lengths to provide benefits for everyone.

Being a deer is so stressful and tough, can't you enjoy yourself a little?

But then again, why did Arele and her group have to go against Elru?

Shouldn't we show compassion to a group of brave warriors who face the nightmare head-on and have to think about how to regain their sanity every day?

Given the intensity of this job, even if you experience a lot of minor pleasures every day, it's unlikely that dopamine can completely eliminate the stress from your brain.

The crow led the two to the prepared map of the underground cavern, where countless tunnels and chambers, like the roots of a giant tree, stretched in all directions. Most of these areas were marked as "emergency resettlement areas" or "storage warehouses".

"Some things are not on the map."

The crow smirked, signaling the two to follow.

They rode in a silent, sliding elevator platform, descending vertically for quite a distance, until they arrived at a more secluded circular hall with intricate magic arrays engraved on its walls.

After obtaining access to the magic array, the nearly 8-meter-high oval stone door slowly opened by embedding a crystal engraved with information about the E'lu magic array into the wall.

After opening the first stone door, the crow placed the fiery red crystal into Suiyue's hand.

"Give it a try. From today onwards, you will be the Elu's enforcers in the region from Kren to Rostarek. Since you have just become a member of Elu, you cannot directly become the 'Executive Supervisor'. We will apply to the Senate when the time is right."

"what?"

"what?"

Nan'an and Suiyue were completely bewildered. They tilted their heads in unison and stared blankly at Huoya.

Nan'an was the first to react: "No, isn't this right?"

That's not how promotions are done!

After becoming a member of the organization, Suiyue should first focus on hard work and demonstrate outstanding professional qualities and excellent work ability. After making great contributions to the organization, the members of the organization, after strict review, unanimously agreed to give her a commendation.

What does it mean to be a regional manager on your first day of work, before you've even gotten familiar with the job?

Suiyue is just a level 3 mage, weak and pitiful but has a big appetite. Her only other ability is to call on Nan'an to save her in times of crisis.

Knowing that the Crows valued the significance of "Heroic Spirit Summoning" and believed that the miracle of Suiyue could be summoned again after hundreds of years, does this seem a bit like handpicking someone?

Even Suiyue, who wasn't afraid of death, shrank back: "Yeah, yeah, who would submit to me!"

"You have no subordinates, so you don't need to worry about obedience. The Elru people are extremely scarce. Including you, there are only 137 people at the moment, and most of them are busy." The crow guided Suiyue to open the stone doors one after another. "We only have one fog sentry in the region from Kren to Rostarek. Your joining the team will allow you to establish contact with him."

The last stone door leading deep underground opened, and the crow laughed.

"He's as young as you, a pragmatic aristocrat whose father paid the blood tax, and a very cheerful fellow. We'll have a lot in common."

At this moment, Nan'an and Suiyue's heads were still spinning.

This doesn't feel like a normal onboarding process. It's more like El Corte Indus is desperately short of staff, so they've grabbed a promising candidate and are forcing them into the role, eager to dump the work on them immediately.

The crow... trusts them both way too much! This trust even lacks logical support.

Moreover, shouldn't the Senate fully support and assist in expanding the manpower of such an important frontline organization in the fight against the Nightmare God?

How could they allow it to fall into such a severe shortage of manpower?

The more you learn about the El Deer, the less you can understand the current ecological situation in Solize.

"These issues are a long story. You can talk to Nilar when you have the chance. He's bored as a fog sentry and would like to have someone communicate with him."

They reached the very bottom of the root system of this "underground plant," and the various magic arrays and mechanisms along the way were astonishing, making it hard to imagine how much effort it took to build it.

"You've already seen the chair and the physical form of 'Wish Fulfillment' in the black mist, so I think what you're about to see shouldn't surprise you too much." The Raven finally revealed the secret. "Yes, we will store some special 'Nightmare' that have been confirmed to be harmless and usable in these facilities."

There were so many surprises along the way that when they first heard this sentence, their reaction was somewhat indifferent.

That's not surprising, that's not surprising at all.

Such a massive, robust, and isolated underground facility would be an unimaginable waste to leave it vacant as a final refuge, waiting for that unpredictable final moment.

It is perfectly reasonable to use it as a place for monitoring, researching, and even exploiting those harmless yet specially governed nightmares.

The only thing that intrigued Nan'an was... how much did Erlu pay to capture the Nightmare God?

"If it's the one you're about to see," the crow seemed to understand the question in Nan'an's silence, and said in an almost casual tone while placing his hand on the recessed wall, "we brought it out with just a piece of bread."

"?"

"?"

As he spoke, the crow opened the door: "It was thanks to him as a vivid example that the Senate secretly permitted and promoted the use of the Nightmare God."

That was a...room.

A room that can almost be described as "cozy".

The floor underfoot is a slightly springy, dark brown solid wood floor.

The walls are made of thick planks with natural wood grain, and you can even see the carefully spliced ​​mortise and tenon structure at the corners.

On one side of the room, a stone fireplace was burning with a warm and realistic orange-red flame, the firewood crackling softly and emitting a pleasant pine aroma.

In the center of the room is an island counter made of heavy marble, which occupies a considerable area.

The countertop was smooth, with several ceramic cups and bowls on it, as well as a small black iron kettle that was emitting wisps of steam, the contents of which were unknown.

The air was warm and dry, carrying the scents of wood, fire, and a hint of… the faint aroma of toasted bread, along with an exceptionally pleasant meaty fragrance from a mixture of complex sauces.

Suiyue couldn't help but drool uncontrollably: "What are we eating?"

Behind the island counter, next to the fireplace and stove, a figure suddenly appeared.

When it stood up straight and swept its green eyes over Nan An, his PTSD as a transmigrator was about to flare up.

What a huge weasel! And it's holding... an iron pot and an iron spoon?

What does this mean? Could it be that some unspeakable weasel has gone to Nora to recruit soldiers?