I'm a proper student; I only take nine kinds of potions every day.

While Evan and his companions were returning home, in the woods outside the city...

A middle-aged man and a young man casually inspected the mess on the ground.

The mist had not yet dissipated in the woods on a spring afternoon, and dappled sunlight shone down, making the muddy ground, trampled by a terrifying force, appear even more shocking.

The young man was dressed in a canvas outfit suitable for exploring the jungle, with black rain boots on his feet, and his trouser legs were tied up and tucked in.

Wearing a deerstalker hat, he looked like a capable adventurer.

The middle-aged man next to him was wearing a sharp three-piece suit with a cashmere overcoat.

Wearing a top hat and with a pipe dangling from his mouth, the bluish-gray smoke curling from the corner of his lips, he looked more like a detective.

The young man spoke first: "Team leader, it's clear that this Arkham is indeed a madman."

"For something so trivial, they directly targeted our people and announced it so publicly."

"Isn't he afraid we'll retaliate against him?!"

The middle-aged man glanced around: "Someone who reveals their hand like this in public, how much brains can you expect them to have?"

The young man recalled the abstract scene when Ivan simply wiggled his buttocks back and forth during the ceremony in Sap.

"But the fact that someone so brainless could overcome so many powerful enemies means there must be something special about him."

The middle-aged man took two puffs of his cigarette, bent down to look at the deep footprints on the ground, and gently stroked the edge of the hardened mud crust with his fingertips.

"If nothing unexpected happens, it must be that his ancestor gave him special protection."

The young man's eyes lit up: "What new information have you received?"

The middle-aged man nodded, instinctively lowering his voice as he said, "The information cracked from those encrypted files by Sap a while ago has now been released."

"Pris had previously investigated Arkham's identity, and since he was invited to return home, he should not have lived past December 31st."

"Furthermore, someone secretly performed a divination on Arkham's fate, and his destiny has taken a special turn in the last six months."

"I think it's possible that the witch saw some qualities in Arkham, and the two reached some kind of cooperation."

After listening, the young man stroked his smooth chin: "That's why he has such strong potion resistance..."

"And then, through the continuous consumption of magical potions, he elevated his physical abilities to such a terrifying level!?"

The middle-aged man nodded, took another puff of his pipe, and slowly spoke while exhaling smoke.

"So if we really want to crack the secrets of Arkham, we need to not only work on him, but also deal with that witch."

"We previously estimated that this witch wouldn't affect our plans, but now things are different."

"What exactly happened after the Holy Son's descent? Nobody knows!"

"In the end, Sap died, the Witch of Misfortune died, and even Klaus died!"

"The fact that everyone interested in Arkham is dead is itself a rather mysterious and chilling outcome."

The young man lowered his head, pinched the hardened soil that had been trampled under immense pressure, smelled it, and then frowned slightly.

"There's a strong fishy smell. This guy must have made a lot of money, why is he wearing such cheap shoes?"

"Could it be that he spent all the money he earned on potions?!"

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "That's right, based on Byron's investigation of his stores."

"On the night Elton died, he bought a potion of daylight and a potion of light from the Hand of the Angels."

"Combined with his later mastery of the Bloodthirsty Seed's talent, yet his lack of fear of sunlight..."

"That incredible sun resistance he has must be from the drugs he's taken."

!!!

Upon hearing this news, the young man's eyes were filled with shock, which gradually turned into excitement.

"These two potions have quite severe side effects, yet this guy was perfectly fine last night!?"

The middle-aged man nodded, fiddling with the pipe in his hand, and said, "That's why the director gave the order."

"Such a bizarre situation most likely involves direct blessings from the gods."

"And the only deity associated with that witch is the [Stealth of Chaos]."

"This guy might become one of the vessels of His power."

When this name was mentioned, the middle-aged man's voice unconsciously lowered, as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

"The mission now involves investigating Arkham's secrets along two separate lines."

"The first line of investigation is led by Team Leader Conn, who is working with Byron's team to determine Arkham's secrets through experiments on the properties of the incomplete Black Sun."

"Our role, as the second line of investigation, is to directly investigate that witch."

A hint of disappointment flashed across the young man's face when he heard about the task: "It's a pity. I was hoping that I could absorb Arkham and integrate his talent into my own body."

The middle-aged man patted the young man on the shoulder: "White Umbrella, your future is far beyond what a peasant like Arkham can compare to."

"We shouldn't have casually eaten that filth teeming with impurities from magical potions!"

"What you need to devour are those high and mighty deities!"

……

Evan returned to Bolton by train at 3:00 p.m.

After returning, he ate a meal first, and then went back to the company.

As soon as Evan entered the house, he saw Richard, wearing a nearly new fur coat, chatting and laughing with a well-dressed middle-aged man in the reception area.

The two of them talked and laughed heartily.

Upon seeing Ivan enter, the two turned their heads simultaneously.

Richard stood up with a smile and said, "Boss! Your friend is here to see you."

Evan turned to look at the person opposite Richard.

This is a middle-aged man who looks to be around 40 years old, wearing a black cashmere coat and exuding an air of refinement and scholarship.

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Ivan's eyes lit up: "Mr. Dylan, what brings you here today?!"

Lee Dylan, the famous botanist and photographer who was in the hospital with tuberculosis.

It was during a conversation between Evan and Dylan that the existence of the plant virus was discovered.

The virus soon came in handy, helping Pearson eliminate the tree spirit senior brother who had been oppressing him.

After several months apart, Dylan is in much better shape than before.

His pale face and lips are now full of healthy rosy color, and his thin body has become much plumper.

Upon seeing Evan, Dylan quickly walked over and gave him a big hug, his face filled with gratitude and joy.

"It makes me so happy to see you doing so well!"

"A child as kind and hardworking as you, who shines like the sun, deserves this kind of future and life."

He then looked at Richard and said, "No wonder you two are studying under the same teacher!"

"I haven't met two people as reliable and kind as you two in a long time!"

Faced with this barrage of praise, Ivan took off his hat and scratched his head: "You're too kind!"

The group then sat down, and Evan asked curiously, "Mr. Dylan, how are you feeling these days?"

Dylan patted his chest happily and said, "I'm basically cured! I'm no different from a normal person now!"

"After recuperating at home and in the hospital for so long, I'm now filled with an immense longing for work and my interests!"

"So when I heard that you had official authorization and a very good reputation in the industry, I came over quickly."

Ivan asked with some curiosity, "Do you have any security needs?"

Dylan nodded: "I happen to have a filming project going on recently, and I'm going to a town that's supposedly very dangerous."

"Therefore, I need a group of trustworthy security personnel to protect my safety."

Ivan smiled and nodded, saying, "That's no problem. Although our company is small, everyone there is a reliable elite!"

Where are you going?

Dylan said, "Arkham Town."

"I've received some information that a very rare, brightly colored flower is growing in the hilly area outside the town of Arkham."

"It is said that these flowers only bloom once every four or five years, and each blooming time is in the spring, lasting only two days."

At this point, Dylan's face lit up with anticipation and excitement: "This is a completely new plant that I've never seen before!"

"Such a rare plant deserves to be remembered and known by everyone!"

"So I plan to photograph it and include it in my upcoming encyclopedia of plants."

Upon hearing this, Ivan and Richard exchanged a glance.

Dylan asked tentatively, "Arkham, since you have that surname, you must be from there too, right?"

Evan nodded: "Yes, my hometown is over there, but my family moved to Bolton City in my grandfather's generation, so I'm not too sure what it's like there now."

Dylan laughed and said, "Perhaps this is a good opportunity for you to return to your hometown!"

"I understand the rules of this industry. I plan to hire 1 to 2 people this time, and the whole trip will take about 7 days."

"I can pay each of you $10 a day, and you don't need to do much work or set up."

"All you need to do is protect us from attacks by bad guys and help me set up a campsite in the wild."

"Besides myself, I will also be bringing three of my students with me."

At this point, Dylan looked at Evan with eager eyes: "It would be best if you could join us on this trip."

"I can teach you more about botany, or I can introduce you to my students."

He paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "There are some people you know here!"

Ivan was taken aback: "An acquaintance?"

Dylan smiled and nodded: "Miss Eldin of the Hearst family."

"For some unknown reason that I'm not entirely sure about, she said she wanted to come with me to investigate these plants."

"What surprised me was that the Hearst family didn't make a big fuss about letting her bring so many servants this time."

"It's said that he only brought one personal maid this time."

Upon hearing this, Ivan raised his eyebrows; he had indeed been rather uninterested just moments before.

But when he heard that Erdin would also be going, he immediately sensed that there was a conspiracy at play.

Since their last meeting when they killed the tree spirit, they have only exchanged casual greetings at school.

Others could not see any special relationship between them.

Although Erdin had previously extended an invitation to Evan to collaborate, she didn't seem to be in a hurry to start a partnership with Evan.

Dylan laughed and said, "You really hid it well, kid!"

"I heard about your company from Mr. Karp."

Upon hearing this, Evan immediately realized that Eldin must have other motives.

I wanted to use this sketching trip to have a special connection with myself.

Richard turned to look at Evan.

After a moment's thought, Evan said, "Mr. Dylan, I still have studies to attend to. Please allow me some time to think about it, and I can give you an answer tomorrow morning."

"I need to call my professor today to see if I have any spare time."

Dylan was even happier and more satisfied when he heard that Evan was so well-behaved and obedient to his teacher.

"Oh! If only my students were as obedient as you."

The group chatted for a while longer, and after seeing Dylan off, Richard asked, "Evan, what are you planning to do next?"

Evan nodded and said, "I'm inclined to go, but since I'm going anyway, I'm planning to call the Doctor."

Richard nodded: "Yes, a fairly sound plan."

"Then you make the call, and I'll prepare the materials we might need next."

Then Evan picked up the phone: "Connect to New Haven."

The call was quickly connected, and Armitage's kind voice rang out.

"What's wrong?"

Evan quickly relayed Dylan's invitation.

"Doctor, should I take this opportunity to pay a visit to my ancestors?"

After listening for a moment, Armitage nodded: "Okay."

"We originally planned to schedule your trip for the end of the month."

"It's not a big problem to arrive ten days or so in advance."

"Perfect timing, someone we know has been wanting to see you for a long time."

Ivan asked curiously, "Who is it?!"

Armitage laughed and said, "He's a young and famous investigator, just like you, and quite a legendary and courageous one."

"His name is Randolph Carter."

Ivan searched carefully, but found no information about this name in his meager knowledge of Cthulhu.

"Then I'll agree. Is there anything else I need to prepare?"

Armitage said, "No need, just come over normally."

"Try to schedule your work and study tasks as well as possible."

P.S.: When you see Grandma, you should bring some monthly passes as a gift!