For Anthony Howard, this was just another ordinary morning.
When he woke up from the same nightmare as usual, Anthony was once again drenched in sweat. He took a shower, bought a sandwich for breakfast, and then headed straight to the police station to begin another day of work.
But for Anthony, this day was no different from the previous decade of his career as a police officer.
Or rather—
Since ten years ago, his police career had already become something entirely different.
"Hey, Sergeant."
As Anthony stuffed the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth and walked into the office, he saw a freckle-faced young man jogging toward him with a smile.
The kid's name was Dominic.
A good guy.
Young, energetic, and full of enthusiasm for his job.
Honestly, Anthony thought being that enthusiastic about the job at his age wasn't necessarily a good thing.
"What is it?"
"There's a U-level file that needs your confirmation and signature."
"U-level?"
Anthony frowned as he looked at the thick dossier Dominic handed him.
Within the police department, U-level files were code for Investigator case files. In simple terms, they were reports submitted by Investigators after they encountered some kind of trouble and resolved it. The police only needed to follow the clues provided and conduct their investigation accordingly.
But…
"Where did it happen this time?"
"Innsmouth."
"Innsmouth? Oh, I know that place. Heard it's kind of a strange town."
Anthony casually took the file and walked forward.
On the surface he appeared calm and steady, but in reality he was simply trying to delay opening the damned file for as long as possible.
It was like when a teacher came to collect homework at school—you dragged your feet in the back of the classroom, hoping even one extra second of delay counted as a victory.
For Anthony, he didn't want to do this job at all.
But he had no choice.
Since that day ten years ago, his life had completely changed.
Back then, Anthony had just been a rookie cop.
One day he received a call from a citizen reporting that some kind of fierce animal seemed to be lurking in the nearby sewer system.
Anthony went there with his partner without much concern.
And then…
He experienced the most unforgettable night of his life.
After that night, the world in Anthony's eyes completely shattered.
The beliefs he once held so firmly had turned upside down.
He didn't even know what he should believe anymore.
Yet as a police officer, Anthony endured it.
Eventually, he joined a special unit within the police.
On the surface, this unit handled normal cases.
But in reality, their true job was processing paperwork for Investigators.
As someone who had experienced such things firsthand, Anthony naturally qualified to join.
And he had been working there for ten years.
But honestly…
Now he would rather deal with petty traffic accidents than his actual job.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice.
Soon, his desk was right in front of him.
"But why was this transferred to us? Shouldn't the local authorities handle it?"
Anthony worked for the Federal Police.
Normally, cases like this only required confirmation by the local city or state police departments. There was no need to send them to the federal level.
"Ah, I heard it's a big one. Apparently the entire town of Innsmouth was destroyed."
"A whole town? Completely destroyed?"
Anthony froze for a moment.
He had handled many such files before, but according to his memory, the impact of those cases was usually limited.
Something affecting an entire town…
He had never seen that before.
No wonder the file had been sent to him.
Realizing this, Anthony's expression turned serious as he opened the dossier and began reading.
The report inside was quite detailed.
In short, an Investigator named Duanmu Huai had traveled to Innsmouth after seeing a vacation advertisement.
During his stay, he accidentally discovered that the town's residents seemed to be hiding some kind of evil secret.
One night he witnessed locals kidnapping outsiders on the street.
So the Investigator began investigating.
The evidence he provided was shocking.
Not only was there proof of Innsmouth bribing a member of Congress, there was also evidence and video footage showing that a local hospital had been conducting human experiments on patients under the guise of medical treatment.
There was also documentation about local criminal groups kidnapping tourists and using them as sacrificial offerings.
Following the clues, the Investigator eventually discovered that these cultists were secretly conducting a terrible ritual to summon some horrifying monster from the depths of the sea in order to conquer the world.
He infiltrated the ritual site, sabotaged the ceremony, and the ritual's backlash ultimately destroyed the entire town of Innsmouth.
Objectively speaking, the process looked perfectly normal.
Local police had even attached investigation photos.
Inside various buildings they found large quantities of human bones and what appeared to be ritual sites.
However…
Anthony felt something about the report was off.
On the surface, everything was fine.
The evidence was sufficient.
Local police photos supported the claims.
It clearly proved that Innsmouth had engaged in human sacrifice and human experimentation.
But still…
Something about the report felt too procedural.
Yes.
Procedural.
As a police sergeant specializing in U-level cases, Anthony had read many Investigator reports.
He had even spoken face-to-face with several Investigators.
In fact, most Investigators who experienced such things were extremely emotional—excited, terrified, unstable.
Which was completely understandable.
Anthony understood it very well.
That night ten years ago, although he survived, his partner disappeared forever.
To be honest, Anthony was not afraid of drug dealers or criminals.
But the terrifying thing he had seen that night—
Something that did not belong to this world—
Had become a nightmare he could never shake.
For nearly a year afterward, he tried to numb himself with alcohol and medication to escape those horrific memories.
So he could understand the near mental breakdown many Investigators experienced.
Facing such nightmares once was bad enough.
Being forced to write them down and relive them again was almost impossible for many.
Many reports were written in chaotic handwriting.
Some Investigators broke down halfway through writing.
Others submitted documents stained with tears and snot.
There were plenty like that.
In fact, many Investigators fell into alcoholism afterward, sank into depression, or even committed suicide.
Those who could keep doing this multiple times were extremely rare.
But this Investigator's report…
How should he put it?
It was too standardized.
The entire process was clearly described.
The tone was calm.
Even the description of the ritual scene was dry and matter-of-fact.
Unlike other Investigators who wrote emotional lines like:
"I have never seen such a horrifying sight in my life!"
"That terrifying existence should never exist in this world!"
This report read more like a traffic accident report.
On a certain date, vehicle X collided with vehicle Y on street Z. According to investigation, vehicle X ran a red light and bears full responsibility.
That was it.
The end.
Sure, technically the logic was sound.
But couldn't you show a little emotion?
Honestly, Anthony felt the local police report showed more emotion than this Investigator's report.
According to their investigation, the photos and footage revealed piles of bones beneath the underground altar, and dismembered human remains in the hospital basement.
Even seasoned police officers felt sick after seeing them.
And that was afterward.
You, an Investigator, saw all of it firsthand and didn't feel anything?
Was that even human?
Then there was the final aerial photo of Innsmouth.
Anthony inhaled sharply when he saw it.
The entire town had been burned black.
The massive shockwave crater surrounding it formed a basin resembling a meteor impact crater on the moon.
Most buildings had been completely destroyed.
Anthony didn't know exactly what happened, but judging from the devastation, the destruction of Innsmouth must have been catastrophic.
And yet—
You were there in person.
You crawled out alive.
You went to a nearby police station and filed the report.
And you didn't feel anything?
According to the police investigation, everyone in Innsmouth was dead.
Most bodies in the photos appeared burned beyond recognition, reduced to charred human-shaped remains.
Even sitting here looking at the photos made Anthony feel chills down his spine.
And that man had walked out of that place alive.
Now Anthony understood why the case had been sent to the federal level.
The destruction of a whole town wasn't like a haunted house or a factory incident.
Fortunately, Innsmouth was remote and obscure.
But suppressing news of this incident would definitely require federal authority.
A state government could silence local voices.
But not outsiders.
There had to be an official explanation.
Of course, that wasn't Anthony's problem.
His job was simply to confirm the evidence and complete the procedure.
However…
After finishing the file, Anthony slowly stood up.
"Kid. Is that Investigator still around?"
"Yes. He's still at the police station in Newburyport."
Even though Investigators were Investigators, the legal procedures still had to be completed before releasing them.
A haunted house case might be minor.
But the destruction of an entire town and the deaths of thousands—
There was no way they would simply let someone walk away.
"We're going to Newburyport."
Anthony picked up the dossier and walked out of the office.
He wanted to see with his own eyes—
What kind of Investigator could do something like this.
(End of Chapter)