Investigation Report of the Gods-Chapter 148 : Black Rose

Chapter 148: Black Rose
"Shh?"
"You’re shushing me?"
Miss Ai’s reply flashed for just a moment, then disappeared along with the rest of the messages. The last thing that appeared was a grimacing emoji with a drooping eye.
Even the message suggesting he keep that crystal pendant had been erased…
"?"
Han Su felt a sudden jolt in his heart: ‘As expected, that painting is related to the Life Code?’
‘But why is Miss Ai acting so sneaky now? She was always bold when talking about other topics…’
‘Could it be that some related content is being monitored?’
‘…’
He grew immediately alert, first confirming that the pollution from that painting—or rather, the memory fragments brought about by it—were extremely important.
Moreover, they were definitely related to the "Life Code."
So he instantly calmed his mind and began meditating, gradually recalling those memories that emerged during the painting’s contamination, going over every detail.
Fortunately, his memory was decent—he still remembered everything.
In a way, he seemed able to "inhabit" the people who had undergone those mutations through the memory fragments. However, for now, he could only observe them from a third-person perspective.
Because his mental activity wasn’t yet strong enough, he couldn’t immerse himself deeply in those memories.
This mission truly made him realize his greatest shortcoming.
Mental Activity!
35% activity might not be low among newcomers, and learning encrypted spells had already given him some advantages.
But now, as he encountered more and more things, it was clearly becoming insufficient.
So how could he enhance it further?
His mind was filling with more and more questions. Miss Ai’s cautious attitude also made him realize he couldn’t just ask anything openly anymore. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to return to the apartment to sort things out before making any plans.
Before leaving, he thought of Zhang Chiguo.
Secretary Cui Qiao’s stress had been written all over her face. Zhang Chiguo must be facing significant trouble now.
He should go check in—but considering his own situation...
After a brief hesitation, Han Su picked up his suitcase and left. He wasn’t someone who could take on too many burdens.
What Han Su didn’t know was that as his head filled with unresolved questions, somewhere deep within massive underground databases, countless red and blue lights weaved through complex electronic components, as if pondering deeply.
After a long while, that pondering seemed to reach a conclusion. Data started processing rapidly, and an air of elation seemed to permeate, even the hum of the components sounding like a song.
...
Han Su returned to his apartment and, as usual, checked to make sure no one had broken in. Then he used his right eye to scan the room for anomalies. Only after confirming everything was normal did he take out the crystal ornament and hold it in his hand, infusing it with spiritual power.
He quickly sensed a kind of energy being activated inside the item, gradually forming a barrier that expanded outward.
With limited spiritual power, he only managed to create a space of about five or six square meters—just enough to cover the room.
From a quick test, he found that within this barrier, electronic signals seemed to stop working.
So, it wasn’t the right time to use it yet, and Han Su put it away again.
Pouring himself a glass of water and watching from the side, he picked up his suitcase, opened the hidden compartment, and looked at the mechanical fragment inside.
Now, the dial had shifted from "8" to "7."
Another day had passed—seven days remained until the Flicker’s arrival.
"Previously, I couldn’t control the dial. Now that my mental activity has improved, will it make a difference?"
He knew just how important this mechanical fragment was. Being able to alter the dial with spiritual power would be a huge advantage. With a serious expression, he slowly poured his spiritual power into the fragment—and soon saw the dial wobble.
It clearly moved more than before.
With a bit more effort, he might really be able to push the dial back to "8."
But just then, his spiritual power ran out, and the dial snapped back to "7."
"Still not enough activity..."
Han Su frowned, pondering to himself: "But from the dial’s reaction, I can tell that the key lies in mental activity!"
"It needs a kind of spiritual power that’s both highly active and in large volume to drive it..."
"..."
Realizing the core of the issue, he once again picked up his phone and tried sending a message: [Miss Ai?]
Still no response.
What now?
Just when the conversation had reached a critical point, she vanished. He could understand her caution, but how was he supposed to solve this now?
It was his first time encountering something like this. As he was wondering what to do, his phone suddenly pinged. When he picked it up and looked, a strange feeling washed over him.
The message was from someone he knew—using an avatar of a Black Rose. In his memory, it was rare for her to contact him proactively.
**Black Rose:** [Still alive?]
**Black Rose:** [Weren’t you always curious about the mysterious circle? I recently stumbled upon some good stuff. Interested?]
Reading these two messages, Han Su vaguely sensed something and replied tentatively: [What is it?]
Surely it wasn’t her cat doing gymnastics now?
**Black Rose:** [I recently treated a patient who told me a bunch of strange things—about mental activity, some kind of deep meditation. He claimed it could help you perceive the world’s mysterious powers. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?]
Instantly, the strange feeling in Han Su’s heart solidified. He even felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.
He sat silently for about two seconds before replying: [Should I come by your place to pick it up?]
[Huh?]
Black Rose suddenly seemed flustered, replying with the panic of someone caught in an affair: [I’m not in the office right now!]
Han Su said: [Then I’ll come to your place? That cat you mentioned—I’ve always wanted to see it...]
[Uh…]
**Black Rose:** [That’s not very convenient right now. My cat wore itself out practicing breaking bricks with its chest… I’ll just send you the patient’s case record, okay?]
[?]
Han Su was at a loss: [What about your professional ethics?]
...
No, no, no—something was definitely wrong.
Black Rose was never like this before. She’d always been eager for him to come over to see the cat…
…well, on life paths where she hadn’t been disfigured.
Besides, her professional ethics weren’t just an act. Over the past three years, he’d had many private conversations with her, some involving classified topics, none of which had ever been leaked to the Public Security Bureau.
Someone like that—how could she casually send patient interview records to outsiders?
And right after Miss Ai took on a mission and vanished, Black Rose conveniently appeared? How could that not raise suspicions?
All at once, Han Su experienced a sort of cognitive dissonance.
Was Black Rose really herself?
But thinking deeper, he had definitely seen this psychologist in person at the Public Security Bureau. She was a living human being…
The only solution now was to visit her in person. Yet oddly enough, while she used to exhaust every means to coax him into visiting with stories about her cat, now she kept dodging him, refusing to meet no matter what.
You’d think her husband was home or something!
Feeling baffled and irritated, Han Su grew stubborn. You don’t want to meet?
Then I’m still going to check that chat log…
…After all, this wasn’t some childish tantrum—he had serious business.
Suppressing the strangeness gnawing at him, he opened the chat log and heard a woman’s voice. Since he’d met Black Rose before, he immediately recognized it as hers.
The other voice belonged to a slightly dazed-sounding middle-aged man. At first glance, it sounded like a conversation between a psychologist and a delusional patient obsessed with the occult.
**Middle-aged man:** "Doctor, believe me, I’ve found a way to revive the spirit."
**Black Rose:** "You’re dead?"
**Man:** "No, I’m alive—but my spirit is dead. That’s why I could never perceive real mysterious power. Now I’ve finally found a way. I’ve decided to try and revive my spirit."
"How?"
"I’m going to die!"
"?"
"When humans are placed in extreme, dangerous conditions, their spirits can come alive. So I’m going to seek out death to feel the revival."
"..."
Black Rose’s voice carried a sigh: "If you put it that way, I guess I can increase your dosage."
"Why are you making that face?"
The man sounded confused: "You’re a senior member of the Dust of the World Forum—I’ve seen your long posts arguing that real mysterious forces exist in this world. You’ve even got fans and people giving you tips…"
"I’m one of your fans—I really admire your analysis. That’s why I came to you…"
"..."
Black Rose’s voice held a hint of embarrassment: "Is it possible that I’m just using the forum to find potential clients?"
"That’s insulting, but I don’t care anymore."
The man sighed: "All I know is, what those people told me is true. If I want to truly see this world for what it is, then mental activity is the key. The Life Code is the answer."
"I just need to revive my spirit. Once my mental activity hits 70%, I’ll see the Life Code."
"I’ll witness the critical data the wasteland ancestors discovered to transform life. Then, I’ll follow in their footsteps and become one of the gods recorded in history…"
"..."
Wasteland ancestors? Life Code?
Hearing those two keywords, Han Su couldn’t help but feel shaken. His back straightened unconsciously.
Could it really be this coincidental?