Eldritch Horror Theatre

[Identity verification complete. Today’s work begins.]

Fu Qian was still marveling over it the next day as he entered the Warehouse.

Who would have thought a skill simply called Residue could brainwash a person so thoroughly?

He got the feeling that if he’d been a second slower, Pei Yanqing would have started singing ’O Sole Mio’ to him.

Ordinary people were just a little too fragile in front of him now.

He’d have to be more careful when dealing with Young Master Qin and the rest from now on.

In contrast, the worlds inside the assignments were places where he could actually let loose.

Did this mean he could only take his vacations over there from now on?

[Warning: Containment Breach]

[Name: Scepter, Codename: 2-088][Today’s work details updated: Enter the 2-088 Containment Scenario and complete re-containment.]

Another Level 2!

The breach warning was no surprise, but the codename immediately reminded him of his past experience.

Level 2 incidents usually weren’t so easy to handle.

Couldn’t they just give him a Grade 3 so he could relax on a vacation?

As he sighed, his vision rapidly blurred.

[Entering the 2-088 Containment Scenario...]

[...2%...4%...10%...28%...82%...100%, loading complete.]

[This is a place that countless people yearn for, a place of dazzling luxury and debauchery, of reckless indulgence.

Amidst unfettered freedom, regression to bestiality and audiences with divinity coexist. Yet, corners outside the rules often rely on even harsher rules to exist. →]

[Skills: Air Bullet, Visceral Attack, Cat School, Feast (Locked), Commandment Residue]

[Weapon: Tyrant’s Fist]

[Containment Fulfillment Conditions: Eliminate the King of the White Tower]

[Current SAN Value 59, current inspiration 26]

The strings of explanatory text faded. Fu Qian’s senses returned, and bright light washed over his vision.

Sunlit beaches, clear blue skies over azure waters, and a gentle, warm breeze blowing in steady gusts.

Was this an island?

Did it hear my inner thoughts and actually open a casual vacation instance?

Fu Qian looked down at himself. He was wearing shorts and beach sandals, with a pair of sunglasses hanging from his collar—a complete seaside holiday outfit.

”Your drink, sir.”

A soft, alluring voice drifted over. Fu Qian turned to see a beautiful waitress dressed as a succubus handing him a glass on a tray.

She had blue-purple hair, exquisite matching eyeshadow, and an absurdly skimpy outfit that accentuated her even more exaggerated curves. Two small, curved horns poked from the top of her head.

Professional!

Fu Qian praised the effort. He took the glass from the succubus waitress; it was filled with a blood-red liquid.

A shadow cast over him. Fu Qian looked up and saw an airship slowly drifting overhead.

Welcome to the Ring Archipelago!

The fiery red text was painted across the bulging hull of the airship.

Following the text was a logo depicting a three-story tower.

So this place was called the Ring Archipelago? Come to think of it, that logo looked a bit familiar!

Remembering something, Fu Qian turned his head to look out at the sea.

Sure enough, amidst the clear blue water and sky, a White Tower piercing the clouds stood on an island less than a nautical mile away. Its shape bore a striking resemblance to the logo.

If he remembered correctly, his mission this time was to eliminate the King of the White Tower.

Barring any surprises, his target had to be over there, right?

This was far easier than hunting down Ill Omen last time.

Was this really a casual vacation instance?

But he still needed to confirm a few things.

”Hey, gorgeous!”

Fu Qian waved at the succubus waitress.

”Do you know who the King of the White Tower is?”

...

Hearing Fu Qian’s call, the succubus swayed her hips with every step as she strutted back over. She paused for a moment before covering her mouth and giggling.

”The King of the White Tower? Isn’t that you, sir?”

...

Now it was Fu Qian’s turn to be shocked.

Was this mission even simpler than he imagined? Could he just sunbathe for a while, cripple his own meridians, and complete the task just like that?

”Even though there are so many people on the beach today, they’re all here for tonight’s tournament!”

”But let me tell you a secret...”

The succubus leaned in closer, lowering her voice.

”Out of all these people, I have the highest hopes for you, because...”

She licked her lips.

”You look the most delicious!”

”Good luck tonight! You will definitely become the King of the White Tower!”

Seeing Fu Qian’s somewhat bewildered expression, the succubus seemed to realize something. She paused and pointed toward the sea.

”You weren’t asking about the master of that tower, were you?”

”Bai Jinting, the chief executive officer of the White Tower Company. Very few people don’t know that name.

Although he usually lives in seclusion and rarely makes public appearances, you’ll definitely be able to see him tonight.”

After she finished speaking, the succubus let her gaze linger on Fu Qian for a long time, flashing him a flirtatious wink before walking away.

Not only that, she deliberately twirled around nearby, giving Fu Qian a good look at her exaggerated curves.

And more strikingly, the two small, dark red fleshy wings on her shoulder blades.

Those didn’t look like mere decorations!

Fu Qian drew in a breath.

The roots of those two wings were deeply embedded beneath her skin. Looking closely, there were even faint scars on her back.

If this was just cosplay, she was trying way too hard.

Just as he was thinking this, the succubus hopped forward lightly. The two small wings instantly expanded into bat-like wings about a meter wide. With a single flap, she easily glided over a dozen meters away.

They were actually real!

Those things must have been surgically implanted. He didn’t know where they came from, but they certainly weren’t human.

A bit insane! Truly worthy of being a place of reckless indulgence.

Fu Qian now had a much deeper understanding of the system’s introduction from earlier.

After his moment of marveling passed, Fu Qian recalled what the succubus had just mentioned.

According to her, he was registered for a tournament taking place tonight.

And the winner would receive the title of King of the White Tower?

Did that mean all these people currently on the beach were his opponents for tonight?

Fu Qian looked around. There was quite a crowd.

Men and women, young and old. Their common trait was that almost all of them bore visible signs of physical training. They seemed highly capable fighters—compared to ordinary people, at least.

After all, some of them didn’t even feel like transcendents. At best, they were merely exceptionally robust regular people.

If this tournament didn’t have weight classes, it was going to be an absolute free-for-all brawl.

Furthermore, these people all looked relatively normal. None of them had surgical scars like the succubus.

”What are you looking at?!”

As he pondered, Fu Qian’s scanning gaze quickly provoked a reaction.

A burly man over two meters tall stood right up, glaring viciously in his direction with a contorted expression.

Covered in rippling muscles, his oppressively trained physique radiated a terrifying murderous aura comparable to a paramecium.

Fu Qian completely ignored him. He patted the only pocket on his entire outfit and, unsurprisingly, fished out a Room Card. He checked the logo on it and confirmed he was staying in the hotel right behind the beach.

”I’m talking to you, pretty boy!”

Fu Qian’s dismissive attitude clearly infuriated the burly man even more.

After viciously affirming Fu Qian’s good looks, this guy fully demonstrated the fine virtue of acting instead of yapping and decisively made his move.

A dark shadow crossed a distance of over ten meters, flying over like a javelin.