I created a foundation

She no longer had to suffer from "physical amnesia" caused by this devilish man using a baseball bat.

Lin Qing walked up to her again, squatted down, and once again put on that kind and heart-pounding smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Sawamura-san." He stretched out his hand, and this time, he was really prepared to pull her up.

"You've used your 'value' to earn yourself an option that doesn't require punishment, but might be... more troublesome."

"Now," his smile, in Eriri's opinion, was full of devilish temptation.

"Let's talk about your 'onboarding' procedures."

Chapter 0020: Don’t want to join? Then try my amnesia stick technique!

In the end, Eriri was brought back to the secret base called "Abnormal Phenomenon Consulting Office" located in a commercial and residential building.

She was in a dazed, dazed state the entire time. Her feet could feel the solid ground, her nose could smell the faint smell of dust in the air, and her ears could hear her heartbeat like a drum, but her brain seemed to be isolated by a thick layer of frosted glass, unable to process any of this information effectively.

She just numbly was "supported" by Kasumigaoka Utaha and Yotsuya Miko on her left and right, and sat on the guest sofa filled with ominous atmosphere that she felt she never wanted to see again in her life.

Lin Qing did not use the baseball bat to scare her again. He just leisurely made himself a cup of black tea. The hot steam blurred his handsome face, which seemed unreal, making him look even more mysterious.

The person responsible for providing scientific knowledge to this "newcomer" is Kasumigaoka Utaha.

She sat opposite Eriri with the attitude of a senior and experienced person, and in her cold and logical voice, began to systematically explain the "other side" of the world to this talented painter whose worldview had just been overturned.

"First, you must understand that everything you saw tonight was not an illusion, nor was it an isolated incident." Shiyu's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable power. "The world we live in is like a coin: it has a bright and beautiful front side, but also an unknown, dark and bloody back side."

"We call it the 'inside.'"

"Inside, there are countless 'anomalies' that cannot be explained by current science. They could be the curses your friends heard about in ghost stories, wandering vengeful spirits, or... the kind of creatures you encountered tonight, those that feed on humans."

Every word Shiyu said was like a heavy hammer, constantly consolidating Eriri's already shattered worldview, forcing her to accept this cruel, new setting.

"As for us, the SCP Foundation," Shiyu pointed to the three simple yet powerful letters on the whiteboard on the wall, "our purpose is 'Control, Contain, Protect.'"

"Control all known 'anomalies' and prevent them from causing harm to normal society. Contain and seal away all extremely dangerous entities that cannot be eliminated. The ultimate goal is to protect the billions of ordinary people on the other side of the coin who know nothing about this, so that they can continue to enjoy the peaceful and boring things we call 'daily life'."

After the explanation, the office fell into a long silence.

Eriri lowered her head, her golden twintails drooping limply across her chest, making it impossible to discern her expression. However, her tightly clenched fists, knuckles white from exertion, betrayed her inner turmoil.

After a long moment, she finally asked in a dry, trembling voice, "Why...me?"

"Because you saw it."

The one who answered her was not Shiyu, but Lin Qing who was sitting in the boss chair.

He put down his teacup and looked at her calmly: "In this world, ignorance itself is a kind of bliss. But once you see and know, you lose the qualification to continue to enjoy this happiness. You will always live in fear, afraid of what kind of monster you will encounter around the next corner."

He stood up, walked in front of Eriri, and looked down at her condescendingly.

"So, now, there are only two choices before you."

He held up a finger.

"Choice one, accept my 'physical amnesia treatment'. I will precisely erase all your memories of tonight. You will forget that monster, forget us, and forget everything that happened here. When the sun rises tomorrow, you will still be the brilliant and talented artist Kashiwagi Eri, the pampered rich lady Sawamura Spencer Eriri. You can continue to paint your paintings, meet your comic convention deadlines, and live your bright, safe, but false daily life."

He paused, a hint of devilish temptation in his tone.

"But next time, when you encounter this kind of 'anomaly', you may not be so lucky to run into us."

Then he extended a second finger.

"Choice two," his eyes grew deep. "Join us and become a 'trainee investigator' at the Foundation. You will face the darkness of this world, dance with fear, and live alongside madness. You will witness countless horrors that would break the minds of ordinary people, and you will also... personally wield the power to fight against them all."

“Use your eyes to witness the reality of this world. Use your brush to record the epic stories of the ‘inside’ that should never be forgotten.”

"Now, make your choice, Sawamura-kun."

Two choices, like two completely different destinies, are clearly placed before Eriri.

One option is to return to her familiar, safe, but proven false daily routine.

The other is to step into a brand new world that is full of unknowns and dangers, but extremely "real".

An unprecedented fierce battle was going on in her heart.

Her pride as a "young lady" was resisting and screaming, telling her not to associate with these crazy people in front of her.

But her soul as a "creator" trembles uncontrollably and excitedly because of the word "the reality of the world".

Most importantly, she couldn't help but recall the feeling of absolute powerlessness and fear that penetrated her bones when the parasitic beast pounced on her just now.

She didn't want to experience it a second time.

In the end, all pride and hesitation were defeated by the exploration of the unknown and the desire to control one's own destiny.

Ying Lili suddenly raised her head. Although there was still a hint of unwillingness and humiliation in her golden eyes, there was more of a determination to fight to the death.

Her face flushed red, and she said loudly in a proud and arrogant tone, as if she was sulking at someone:

"I... I'm not afraid! I... I just think that recording the reality of the world might be of... a little help to my creations!"

She emphasized, "It's just for material! You...you guys, don't get me wrong!"

"Very good." Lin Qing gave her a victorious smile at her cute hypocritical look.

While he was talking with other members, Lin Qing walked to the entrance of the alley. There, next to the corpse of the parasitic beast, there was a grayish-white creature like a giant slug, still wriggling slightly. It was the core of the parasitic beast.

In front of everyone, he covered it with his palm and started the containment procedure.

The parasitic beast's body let out a silent scream, then turned into a mottled gray stream of light and was completely absorbed by Lin Qing's palm.

[Naming…]

[Containment No. 004 - Parasitic Beast (Core), successfully contained.]

[Rewards for containment have begun to be distributed...]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the S-level ability - Mind Barrier.]

The moment the system prompt sounded, a cool, moonlight-like energy instantly covered Lin Qing's soul and consciousness, as naturally as breathing, forming an indestructible and absolutely defensive spiritual barrier.

Lin Qing could clearly sense that from this moment on, any form of mental attack, enchantment, illusion, or mind pollution would be completely ineffective against him. This gave him immense confidence in the future, as he would face even more bizarre and unpredictable conceptual containment objects.

Ying Lili was once again shocked by the magical scene of the monster disappearing into thin air. She pointed at Lin Qing, trembling, and was about to ask him what he had just done.

Lin Qing just smiled at her mysteriously and didn't answer.

Chapter 0021: Mom, I saw the other side of the world

After leaving that mysterious office, Eriri didn't know how she got back home.

She declined Kasumigaoka Utaha's offer to give her a ride home, and wandered alone, like a ghost, through the streets of Tokyo at night. The familiar city scene, in her eyes, now presented an unprecedented, strange sense of disconnection.

The street was still the same street, with bright street lights, passing cars, and the warm glow of the convenience store. Everything was exactly the same as the world she knew in the past.

But she knew it was different.

Beneath these glamorous appearances, in the deep alleys and dark corners that she had never cared about before, there lurked the real darkness that could tear this peace to pieces in an instant.

Every passerby who brushed past her could be devoured by some unspeakable monster at the next corner. Even that passerby could be a monster in human skin.

This world is no longer safe.

This feeling intensified as she dragged herself, legs feeling like lead, back to her castle-like villa in an upscale residential area. This was the home she had grown up in, her most familiar and safe haven. But now, to Eriri, it seemed like a giant, fragile, shattered glass.

"Welcome back, Eriri. Did your interview go well today? Dinner is ready."

Mother Sayuri Sawamura walked out of the open kitchen, wearing elegant home clothes and with her usual gentle, all-melting smile. She looked so young and beautiful, full of love for life and kindness to the world.

She represents the bright and beautiful "positive" world that Eriri wants to protect.

Faced with her mother's usual, concerned greetings, Eriri felt as if her heart was being gripped by an invisible hand.

Normally, she might have complained about the bad weather outside, or proudly boasted about having a great inspiration.

But today, she couldn't utter a word.

In her mind, the parasitic beast's head that split open like a flower bud, the astonishingly elegant kick of Kasumigaoka Utaha, the kind smile on Lin Qing's face and the cold metal baseball bat in his hand flashed uncontrollably.

These images made her feel dizzy and nauseous.

She forced herself to suppress the turbulent emotions in her heart and forced a stiff smile that was uglier than crying.

"Hmm... okay. I'm a little tired, I'll go upstairs and rest for a while."

This was the first time in her sixteen years of life that she lied to her mother.

For the first time, she learned to hide the surging waves and the blazing flames that could consume her sanity, all beneath the seemingly calm, perfect mask of a "young lady." She was afraid, terrified that if she showed even the slightest sign of abnormality, her mother's warm and peaceful daily life would be instantly tainted and completely shattered.

"Really? You look so bad, are you sick?" Her mother walked over worriedly and touched her forehead with the back of her hand. "You don't have a fever. Go take a shower and then come down for dinner. I made your favorite hamburger meat today."

"……it is good."

Eriri rushed up to the second floor almost as if she was escaping, and locked herself in the room.

This is her "sanctuary." The walls are covered with posters of her favorite anime, the bookshelves are neatly arranged with complete sets of comics and anthology books, and the glass display cases are filled with countless priceless, limited-edition bishoujo figurines.

This is the world belonging to "Kashiwagi Eri", the truest reflection of her inner world.

But now, even this last safe haven seems unable to bring her a sense of security.

She threw herself heavily onto the soft big bed and covered her head with the quilt, but her body was still shaking uncontrollably.

why?

Why did this happen to me?