Chapter 35: The Existence of Him

Finally, after confirming that Captain Chu was not up to any tricks, Xu Chen felt relieved enough to let him sit opposite him.

"Satisfied now? If you have something to say, spit it out."

"What’s the rush? I told you just now: if humans receive certain harmful information, it can have adverse physiological effects. The news I have for you falls into that category. You should consider whether you really want to hear it."

Captain Chu’s veins bulged. "Do you think my duty is a joke? Or that I didn't mean it when I took my oath? Do you think I’m afraid of such risks? Just say it."

"I was just giving you a chance to reconsider. This isn't exactly good news; there’s no guarantee something won't go wrong if you hear it. You have to be given a choice," Xu Chen replied with a dry laugh.

"So you intentionally made me remove the listening device just to prevent the think tank behind me from hearing?"

Xu Chen looked shocked. "Wait, you actually have people behind you listening to our conversation?"

Captain Chu stared at Xu Chen, beginning to doubt his own intelligence. "You mean you didn't know I had a think tank backing me? Then why make me take off the headset and change locations to talk?"

"Oh, that was just to ensure nothing went wrong," Xu Chen said. "I’ve watched a lot of movies where the protagonist doesn't trust their intuition or gets wiped out because of a simple oversight. I hate that trope. Our world is likely a horror movie right now, so we can't follow that script."

"Enough, stop with the nonsense. Just get to the point."

"Right, right, the point." Xu Chen glanced at Captain Chu. "I already told you, this information is harmful. So, after you hear it, you decide whether or not to report it."

"I’ll be the judge of that, naturally."

"Fine. Just make sure you don't report it in a way that wipes out our entire leadership in one go."

Captain Chu looked at Xu Chen, surprised. "You’re actually worried about that?"

"Of course. I’m relying on you people to solve this. Our leadership absolutely cannot go down; if they do, who’s going to handle it? I certainly don't have the capability."

"Fine, tell me. Stop wasting time. I’ll keep your concerns in mind."

"Good." Xu Chen paused and looked at Captain Chu. "I know of an entity. It is not human, not an alien, and I’m not sure if it’s even biological. To use an analogy, it’s more like a supernatural, mythological being. Its name holds extraordinary power; if someone speaks its name, it perceives them. If someone chants its name, it casts its gaze upon them—and all who are gazed upon by Him are doomed to eternal chaos and madness."

Captain Chu scribbled down the last few words and looked up, signaling for Xu Chen to continue. For some reason, however, he felt the temperature in the room drop slightly.

"I haven't confirmed the consequences or the price of speaking its name, so when talking to you, I will use 'Him' as a substitute. Everything I’ve heard regarding Him is recorded in a book. It details His actions extensively. The title of the book should contain the word 'Call' and consist of six characters in total—or in English, *The Call Of...*—the part missing from the title is His name. You should try to find it."

After speaking, Xu Chen felt a surge of excitement. He realized this roundabout way of communicating seemed quite effective; so far, no supernatural phenomena had occurred. Emboldened, he decided to increase the dosage to see how much more he could output.

"Legend has it that He dwells in the deep sea—colossal, with tentacles, wings, and a horrific visage. On the day He awakens, He will bring about devastating catastrophe and endless madness..."

Captain Chu continued recording, but suddenly found his ballpoint pen slipping; his hands were sweating profusely. He opened his palms to wipe them on his clothes, intending to push through, as this information was far too critical to delay.

However, he noticed that even after wiping his hands, his palms remained damp. Puzzled, he looked down and realized, to his shock, that his clothes were soaked, as if he had been rolling around in the forest from that morning.

He grabbed a handful of his shirt; it was so wet he could wring water from it.

Xu Chen noticed Captain Chu’s distress and immediately fell silent. He had tried his best to censor himself, avoiding the name just like a regulated keyword, yet he still hadn't escaped the consequences. This Cthulhu old-timer was truly sensitive.

Captain Chu looked around and cautiously sniffed his clothes. They smelled of salty, damp seawater. He realized immediately that the harmful information Xu Chen spoke of might be real.

Seeing that Xu Chen was completely fine, he felt a flicker of doubt, but still urged him on.

"Why did you stop? Keep going."

"Are you serious? Brother, that’s enough, isn't it? He might have already noticed you."

"That’s not the problem. Keep going..."

Xu Chen shook his head. "No. While it seems the restriction is only on speaking His name, it appears this thing still has a trick up its sleeve... Look at your notes."

Captain Chu paused and looked down. The beginning was fine, but as he reached the book title, the text began to distort. By the end, where he had described His appearance, the writing had completely transformed into twisted, alien characters filled with sharp angles and complex curves. He had seen them before—it was exactly the same script that he had pieced together from the notes Xu Chen had written earlier.

"It seems you’ve tried something?"

"Exactly. Regarding everything about Him, for some reason, it seems impossible to reveal. In my reasoning, there are some contradictions."

"Fine. Let's not talk about Him, then. Let’s talk about your reasoning."

"Alright." Xu Chen realized he probably couldn't convey more about Cthulhu itself, but he could offer his thoughts on His actions. "What do you think He has done, and what is His purpose?"

Captain Chu thought for a moment. "What has He done? Recent bizarre cases and illnesses—the Taihao syndrome and the *Aspergillus flavus* infection—plus the destruction of artifacts. These must all be His doing. Even Elder Ge might have been targeted because his research threatened Him..."

"Evidence?"

Captain Chu gave a bitter smile. "What evidence? These all involve supernatural forces. Could it really have been done by a human?"

"That’s a fair point. Then, what is His purpose?"

"Need you ask? From your description, it’s clear this thing is no good. It’s either destruction or chaos. Do you think He’s here to help build a better world?"

"Your assessment is clear... Didn't Elder Ge say it earlier? The mastermind's goal is to wipe out human civilization. If you were Him, what would you do next?"

"...? What would I do?" Captain Chu frowned. He could think of many methods, but honestly, the human population was vast. Even nuclear bombs wouldn't be enough. Besides, those methods would only kill large groups; total extinction of humanity remained unlikely.

"Given our current technology, if one wanted to destroy humanity, perhaps biochemical means? Even if He is supernatural, He couldn't just pull an asteroid down to hit Earth or alter the global climate, could He?"

"You're right. But I tell you, His supernatural power manifests primarily as a force of the mind. I trust you remember the Taihao syndrome."

Captain Chu’s eyes widened. "If He can spread a psychic plague like Taihao?"

"Perhaps even simpler. Spreading His name is enough. Let everyone who chants His name fall into chaos and madness."

Captain Chu gasped, then thought of something. "Then why hasn't He spread it? Why bother with the *Aspergillus flavus* infections and destroying artifacts?"

"I don't know. That’s what I find strange."

"Oh? Elaborate."

"Do you remember what happened in the conference room earlier? I said His name, and I was rendered instantly speechless."

Captain Chu fell silent, staring at the man who had been gazed upon.