"Gray Mist Layer? Netherworld?" Wen Wen chewed on his words; these were terms he had never heard before.
"Yes, the Gray Mist Layer and the Netherworld," Lin Zheyuan nodded.
"Beyond the real world, there exists an overlapping world known as the 'Netherworld'. The Netherworld is very close to the real world, and the boundaries are quite blurred.
Neither superhumans nor creatures from the Netherworld can directly reach the opposite world, no matter how powerful they are.
However, between the real world and the 'Netherworld', there is a blending zone called the 'Gray Mist Layer', which exists simultaneously in both worlds. Creatures from the Netherworld and some superhumans can manifest in the Gray Mist Layer."
"That shadow!" Wen Wen clapped his hands.
"Yes, exactly. When a superhuman sees another shadow clearly, that sight forms a spatial passage within the Gray Mist Layer, allowing Netherworld beings to enter the real world through this passage."
"So, keep your eyes in check and avoid looking at things you shouldn't."
Wen Wen's expression fell a bit. He liked thrills, but he also had common sense; too much thrill could be dangerous.
"So, this world is so dangerous… What if I'm unlucky and see a big monster?"
"That's quite an overestimation," Lin Lu snorted. "You cannot see monsters that are much stronger than you. The more powerful the monster, the more stringent the conditions required for it to enter the real world."
Wen Wen's eyes lit up. Unable to attract too strong monsters?
Could he set traps and then lure monsters in, capturing them? He could see a future where he caught a monster every day and gained more access to the disaster containment site.
"But even if you can't attract very strong monsters, you still need to control your eyes in the Gray Mist Layer. Some existences, though you can't see them clearly, can destroy you entirely just from your attempt to look."
Seeing Wen Wen's eager eyes, Lin Lu added this warning.
Wen Wen sighed and set aside his impractical thoughts. The idea of possibly dying from just looking was indeed terrifying.
"Alright, Xiao Lu, don't scare him any further. He'll learn about these things in due course. Let's get back to rest."
Wen Wen hadn't noticed that during their conversation, they had already brought him to the accountant's office of the mental hospital.
Opening the door, they found a young man with a receding hairline sitting inside, yes, a young man…
The young man was surrounded by computers, printers, and many other unclear devices, with a thermos cup containing goji berries on the desk.
"This is Ding Mingguang, our dispatcher at the Furong River Hunter Association. You'll handle the following matters with him. Remember, whatever choice you make, don't think about backing out," Lin Zheyuan said and left the room.
"Hello, I'm the one brought by Lin Zheyuan…"
"I've heard from Captain Lin. You're the freelance detective Wen Wen, right? You're already in the Hunter Association database. I've printed your credentials. As long as you don't violate the superhuman agreement, the Hunter Association won't trouble you."
Ding Mingguang interrupted Wen Wen, handing him two booklets: one was his identification, and the other was the superhuman agreement, detailing some requirements for superhumans.
"How did you know so much about me?" Wen Wen flipped through the documents, somewhat puzzled. All the information was accurate, even including a photo, and he had just been brought here by Lin Zheyuan.
"It's not hard to obtain. Also, I've included some things that superhumans should know at the end of the agreement. Take a look, and we'll discuss further afterwards."
Ding Mingguang leaned back, took a sip from his cup, and the monitor in front of him automatically started playing anime from the Sakura District, which seemed to be related to orthopedics.
"Mysterious and strange."
Wen Wen muttered as he read the superhuman agreement.
The superhuman agreement outlined the customary rules among superhumans.
First: Superhumans must not use their abilities for wrongdoing.
Second: Superhumans must not deliberately reveal their abilities in front of ordinary people.
Third: Deliberate communication with the Netherworld is prohibited.
…
After reading, Wen Wen rubbed his forehead. In addition to gaining more understanding of superhuman matters, he now had more insight into the Netherworld and the real world.
The Netherworld was a world filled with distortion and despair. Every creature there was a bloodthirsty monster; none were normal.
When people in the real world die, their souls enter the Netherworld. If something happens in the real world, or for some other reasons, souls may return to the real world from the Netherworld, becoming the ghosts in folklore.
This is the easiest way for entities from the Netherworld to enter the real world because ghosts are very weak and almost have no impact on the real world.
For other monsters to enter the real world is much more difficult. The specifics of this difficulty weren't mentioned; it only advised superhumans to keep their eyes in check.
Whether ghosts or other monsters, after their initial entry into the real world, they undergo a period of assimilation.
The duration of this period varies, but during it, they cannot interfere with the real world, only affecting superhumans, meaning they cannot impact ordinary people or be detected by them.
However, people with strong intuition among ordinary people might sense their presence and be more easily targeted by monsters.
The Hunter Association tries to eliminate monsters during this period, but doing so completely is quite challenging.
Seeing Wen Wen put down the booklet, Ding Mingguang paused the anime and continued, "Finished? Then let's talk about your future plans. You have several options."
"First, if you enjoy hunting monsters, you can join our Hunter Association, undergo training at headquarters to enhance your abilities, and enjoy many benefits provided by the association."
"Second, if you don't join the Hunter Association, everything remains as is, but avoid actively engaging in supernatural events to avoid interfering with us."
The idea of receiving superhuman training and enjoying the benefits of the Hunter Association was very tempting to Wen Wen.
But he knew that his disaster containment site was something he couldn't show off. If others saw him 'consume' monsters, they would certainly consider him a threat.
Not joining the association would mean he couldn't hunt monsters, causing the development of the disaster containment site to stagnate. From how easily Lin Zheyuan had found him, Wen Wen realized that trying to hunt monsters without the Hunter Association was not a viable option.
"So, if I want to hunt monsters… but don't want to be bound by the association?" Wen Wen asked tentatively.
"In that case, you can choose to become a freelance hunter. We won't train you, but we can grant you the qualification to hunt monsters. You can exchange the monsters you hunt for resources here, but you'll need to report to the association after each hunt."
Ding Mingguang said without looking up, indicating that this choice was also quite common among superhumans.
"Alright, then I choose to become a freelance hunter."