Eldritch Horror Theatre

Qin Mingze.

Seeing the caller ID, Fu Qian cheerfully answered the phone.

”You’re not home?”

The man on the other end was clearly a bit confused.

”I’m downstairs grabbing a bite.”

”How rare. You actually left the house to eat!”

Qin Mingze mocked.

”Don’t tell me you’re at my door?”

”What do you think? Hurry up and get your ass back here. I went back to my hometown over the weekend and brought you some local specialties...

”Never mind, I’ll come down and find you. I have things to do later, so I tossed the stuff by your door for now.”Fu Qian couldn’t ask for a better arrangement. He immediately agreed and hung up.

For a veteran shut-in like Fu Qian, Qin Mingze was one of his few friends.

He was a few years older than Fu Qian and could be called a promising young talent.

He came from a wealthy family, was a star athlete and social butterfly, spoke five foreign languages fluently, and had graduated from a prestigious university at a young age.

Now interning at a large law firm, his goal was to become a professional shyster.

Someone like him should have had absolutely nothing to do with Fu Qian, yet they had inexplicably become friends.

In his own words: ”Without a professional keeping an eye on you, you’re bound to become a destabilizing factor to society. Whenever I see you, I feel an inexplicable sense of mission.”

Five minutes later, a tall figure pushed open the doors to McDonald’s and strode straight toward Fu Qian.

”You rarely leave the house. Couldn’t you eat something healthier—holy shit!”

Dressed in a sharp suit, Qin Mingze froze two steps away from Fu Qian.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

”What the fuck... happened to you?”

”Oh, I’ve been working out lately.”

Faced with Qin Mingze’s utter bewilderment, Fu Qian already had his answer prepared and wore a look of pure innocence.

He knew his physical changes were a bit extreme.

He hadn’t been short to begin with, but he used to be rather scrawny, looking like a beanpole standing next to Qin Mingze.

But after transforming into a Thug, even though he still wasn’t as massive as Qin Mingze, his physique could no longer be mentioned in the same breath. His entire body now radiated a lean, explosive sense of power.

”You? Working out? And you got results this fast? How long has it even been since I last saw you!”

Sitting down, Qin Mingze still couldn’t believe it.

”Every trade has its own specialization.”

Fu Qian continued spouting nonsense.

”But aren’t you practically bankrupt?”

”That’s exactly why I need to invest in myself. I’m preparing to switch lanes. Living off a sugar mommy is officially part of my career plan.”

...

Right up until he left, Qin Mingze remained in absolute shock, shaking his head continuously as he stared at Fu Qian’s new physique.

”Everyone really does have their own talents. I’d have to suffer endlessly to get into this kind of shape. I’d gladly trade three foreign languages for it.”

”You’re a natural-born gigolo. I’ll introduce a few wealthy women to you in a couple of days. Don’t forget me when you strike it rich.”

”It’s a deal. I definitely won’t forget your grace in recognizing my talent.”

After a shocked Young Master Qin left, Fu Qian leisurely made his way home, discovering two large cardboard boxes sitting by his door.

Was he really afraid I’d starve to death?

Fu Qian blinked and carried the boxes inside.

...

[Today’s Work Has Begun]

[Warning, Leakage Incident]

[Name: Cocoon Chamber, Code: 2-292]

[Today’s work details have been updated: Enter the Containment Scenario for 2-292 and complete re-containment]

Heh!

The familiar style, the familiar flavor!

This Warehouse just couldn’t be happy without leaking every single day!

Upon entering the Warehouse the next day, Fu Qian unsurprisingly encountered another leakage incident.

This time, the anomaly in the Warehouse was even more bizarre.

Phantoms of strange silkworm cocoons drifted in midair, each one woven from alternating black and white threads.

The cocoons phased in and out of view, occasionally twitching, as if something inside them was about to come alive.

[Entering 2-292 Containment Scenario]

[...1%...3%...10%...50%...98%...100%, Loading Complete]

[Breaking out of a cocoon is a painful process. Humanity’s thirst for power is endless, yet every step in exploring transcendent power is fraught with peril.

An immature larva is unbearably fragile; danger could come from anywhere.]

[Containment Fulfillment Conditions: Ensure Wen Li successfully promotes to Tier 6]

Sss!

The moment the Containment Conditions appeared, Fu Qian inhaled sharply.

Putting aside who Wen Li was for a moment, this was actually an escort mission!

As everyone knew, in almost any game, protection, escort, and rescue quests were always the most troublesome type.

They were also the type Fu Qian hated the most.

Thinking of those NPCs who loved running around courting death, Fu Qian felt a strong urge to just throw in the towel.

[Select the skills you wish to equip]

The familiar skill prompt appeared once more. Fu Qian took a look and saw that the Thug option was not among them.

It seemed this thing had completely fused with him and was no longer considered an extra skill.

Without any hesitation, Fu Qian equipped all of his remaining skills.

[Skills: Air Bullet, Visceral Attack, Cat School]

[Weapons: None]

The next moment, his vision blurred as the scenery shifted.

Fu Qian instantly braced himself for battle.

He had no choice; his previous encounters had left far too deep an impression.

Every time he spawned in, the situation had been incredibly perilous.

This time, however, things greatly exceeded his expectations.

Blue skies, clear waters, green grass, and shaded woods.

A rare, beautiful landscape greeted his eyes.

Beneath his feet lay a massive circular Plaza, built entirely of stone that resembled white marble.

Looking ahead, a row of magnificent white villas stood prominently. Their decorations were luxurious but not gaudy, giving them an extraordinary elegance.

In front of the villas, servants in matching uniforms bustled about in small groups.

The vibe here is completely off!

An ominous premonition inexplicably washed over Fu Qian.

Setting aside how vastly different this was from his first two missions, it was incredibly hard to connect this peaceful scene with the phantom cocoons in the Warehouse.

When things are abnormal, there must be something sinister at work. He needed to tread carefully.

”Stop looking around!”

Someone behind him quietly scolded.

Fu Qian glanced back, only to discover a colossal figure.

The man was a burly giant nearly two meters tall, with rugged features and eyes as large as cowbells.

With explosive muscles and a robust physique tightly wrapped in a black uniform, he was a bona fide Schwarzenegger Plus.

Patting Fu Qian’s shoulder with an arm thicker than Fu Qian’s waist, Schwarzenegger wore a stern expression.

”The Wen Family paid top dollar to hire us, so we have to show our professionalism.

”They’ve suffered two assassination attempts in the past month, even involving a transcendent. We absolutely cannot drop our guard.”

Fu Qian looked down at his own body and found he was wearing the exact same style of uniform.

So I’m a hired bodyguard this time.

The Wen Family?

The same Wen Family as the Wen Li from the mission brief?

Fu Qian blinked.

”How did the Wen Family end up crossing a transcendent? Isn’t this job way too dangerous?”

”How should I know? A large portion of the money the employer pays is precisely to keep us from asking questions.”

Schwarzenegger glared at him.

”But I did some asking around in private. On the surface, the Wen Family just looks like ordinary new money, but their eldest miss, Wen Li, is a genuine transcendent.

”Word is, she belongs to the exceedingly rare Psychic Type. The Wen Family had been keeping it a secret and quietly cultivating her.

”It wasn’t until recently that news leaked out: Wen Li is expected to promote to Tier 6. If she actually succeeds, the Wen Family will instantly vault into the ranks of the true elite.

”Unfortunately, not everyone is happy to see that happen. The Wen Family has offended plenty of people over the years, so quite a few have started stirring up trouble.”

So that’s how it is.

Fu Qian gained a better understanding of this mission.

Since Schwarzenegger was a professional in this line of work, his information should be fairly reliable.

In that case, is my mission this time just to ensure the Wen Family’s eldest miss levels up smoothly?

Just what level is a Tier 6 Transcendent? I wonder how it compares to my own strength.

Of course, what confuses me even more is that, at the end of the day, it’s just a transcendent leveling up. What does that have to do with the Containment Object in the Warehouse?