I have a Tantric panel

A moment later, the two arrived at the back of the red brick building.

Near the riverbank, there is a small, quaint building.

The brick wall was covered with ivy blackened by coal soot, and one could still vaguely see its former glory.

"This is the old Scotland Yard office building."

Inspector Gray's eyes were filled with emotion.

"All the other buildings have been demolished and rebuilt, only this one remains."

"Now, it's used to store some special items."

Special items.

Xia En pondered the word and began to make some guesses.

jingle--

Gray pushed open the door first, and the copper bell rang crisply.

As soon as Xia En stepped inside, he sensed that the atmosphere had changed.

Something sticky and heavy clung to the air, more noticeable than the smell of dust.

Ether field.

A word naturally came to mind.

I had a similar feeling before in the painter's bedroom, but not as intense as it is now.

This is a field formed by the accumulation of ether.

This indicates that there are many old things here that have been "soaked" in the soil.

"You felt it?"

Gray stopped being coy: "You guessed right, this is where items related to the mystical side are stored."

"You know, we inevitably seize some things like this when we're investigating cases."

"Letting them fall into the hands of ordinary citizens will only cause greater harm, so it's better to keep them here and occasionally use them as compensation for consulting."

"Your reward this time is to pick an old item from the first floor."

The detective was quite talkative, with a bit of a motherly quality about him.

"However, you have to be careful when choosing. Some items, if not used properly, can actually harm you."

"To be honest, for people like us here, sometimes the stuff here isn't as useful as a revolver."

The logic is very straightforward.

Mystical items can only realize their true value in the hands of those who know how to use them.

This is the biggest reason why they are piled up here.

Furthermore, Shane guessed that the truly high-ranking and extremely dangerous items would not be placed here.

Either it will be taken away early.

Either they will be strictly controlled.

However, for a knocker who has not yet crossed that line...

This level is just right.

"Grey, you're disturbing me."

Suddenly, a voice rang out: "This isn't a place for class."

I turned my head to look.

Behind the high table by the door sat a gaunt old man.

He had a layer of white hair like weeds on his head, dark skin, and a hunched back.

Sitting there, he seemed to blend into the shadows.

You wouldn't notice it if you weren't paying attention.

"Mr. Aaron, excuse me."

Gray was very respectful and took out a form: "This is the form that has been approved from above. Please take a look."

Aaron took the paper and examined it carefully.

The old man's gaze paused for a moment when he saw Shane's name: "Shane... Knox?"

"Young man, who is Yu Ge to you?"

He is my uncle.

"Oh, I see."

Whether it was a misperception or not, Shane felt that Aaron's gaze became more friendly after hearing those words.

It seems that the surname "Knox" still holds a certain weight in the hearts of the older generation in the capital.

"Take your pick and see. If you're unsure, you can come and ask me."

"Thanks."

Xia En thanked him softly, his gaze following the direction to his left.

The four walls of the small house were nailed with rows of shelves.

There were many items on the shelves, but they were of a very different kind.

Each item was spaced apart.

The first thing to notice.

It is a very small bronze bell with some kind of animal pattern engraved on its surface.

Next came three or four stone bowls stacked together, with dark red marks on the bottom.

Next to it was a very old-style silver coin, which looked like a product from before the founding of the empire.

There were also tattered parchment, brass keys, and...

A strange statue that faintly exudes the smell of the sea.

Noticing Shane's gaze, Aaron said, "Stay away from that statue."

"It's best to avoid things at sea, or you won't even know how you died."

Xia En was always very obedient and quickly looked away.

I glanced around.

He discovered that the old objects seemed to have some kind of seal, suppressing the ether within them.

—This was intended to reduce their danger, but it became an obstacle to Shane's selection.

In fact.

Xia En couldn't really see the difference between these things, let alone guess what their effects were.

Ask Aaron for help, and ask him which item is better?

of course can.

But judging from the old man's eyes, he was actually secretly considering his own Knox.

Besides, what others choose may not be the most to one's liking.

[Perception]

The word flashed through my mind.

If [Perception] is raised to (1), the situation will be different.

In fact, Xia En never added any points to his perception skill.

On the one hand, it's because of its low priority;

On the other hand, there is a concern that with heightened perception, one might see things that shouldn't be seen.

But now, he is getting closer and closer to the other side of the curtain.

Keen perception can sometimes save lives.

At the same time, [Perception] is also a prerequisite for the advancement of other attributes.

Improving this attribute seems to be on the agenda.

With that in mind, Xia En no longer hesitated and directly put the points he had just earned into the account.

[Perception (0→1)!]

The next second after the numerical value increases.

The world around Shane is different now.

The image before my eyes was exceptionally clear and vivid, as if I had switched to a monitor with a higher resolution.

It was as if an invisible hand had turned on a knob, and subtle sounds flooded into my ears.

Even the air you smell at the tip of your nose has a sense of layering.

An invisible gray fog that had enveloped his senses dissipated from that moment on.

In the dimly lit building, Xia En's eyes gleamed slightly.

He was somewhat surprised.

I should have added it sooner.

Soon, Shane realized that the improvement in [Perception] brought about a new change—

In his field of vision.

Bells, stone bowls, ancient coins, parchment...

These old objects were all enveloped in a faint halo of light.

The colors vary in intensity and range, and each item has a different color.

no doubt.

This is precisely the manifestation of the etheric field.

Shane glanced again at Aaron behind the high table.

Beside the old man, there was also a layer of matte black sheen, and it was very stable.

The halo shifts, as if forming a stable cycle.

This indicates that Mr. Aaron is an extraordinary being, of a higher rank than himself, and is likely at the level of a practitioner.

The matte black finish represents a "secret history".

And what about yourself?

Xia En looked down at himself.

The halo was still very faint, and its range was smaller. The color was somewhat chaotic, not just a single color.

The difference between knocking on the door and doing the work is obvious.

From now on, will he be able to roughly determine the rank of extraordinary individuals through this method?

Putting her chaotic thoughts aside, Xia En continued picking through the pile of old things.

Before long, his gaze settled on an object.

It was an old dip pen.

The pen body is machined from dark wood, and years of holding it have caused it to slightly indent at the finger position, while the brass nib is worn down.

However, its etheric field emitted a white glow, like sunlight, making it extremely conspicuous among the objects.