Eldritch Horror Theatre

Excellent!

Fu Qian was extremely satisfied with this outcome.

Given the properties of the Abyss Notes, the fact that this sentence vanished so quickly meant the object causing the anomaly here had not been taken away.

This was definitely good news; it meant his trip hadn’t been in vain.

The current problem, of course, was that even though it was right here, he couldn’t see it or sense a single trace of it.

It had been hidden in an incomprehensible manner.

Fascinating. But it didn’t matter, as long as it was still here.

Fu Qian pressed his hand against the black stone wall, letting his Finger Pulp glide along one of its patterns.

This place wasn’t large. No matter how he looked at it, it was just an empty underground space.

The excavator had found the target but hadn’t taken it. Instead, they had hidden it right here.Not only was it impossible to observe, it didn’t even project the slightest residual influence.

It was unclear why they had done this, but such a method undoubtedly involved transcendent power.

And to be able to blind a Demigod Realm expert to this extent, its Rank was probably quite high.

Fu Qian paced around the area as he pondered.

Naturally, he still had a way to deal with this.

Ding, ding!

After circling the area, Fu Qian didn’t hesitate. He pulled out a Transparent Handbell.

Amid the crisp ringing, the Eternally Lucid Mind activated, and all transcendent influences dispersed.

The next moment, Fu Qian noticed a change in his vision.

On the black stone slab beneath his feet, right in the center of a cluster of twisted patterns, a cup appeared out of thin air.

The cup had a peculiar shape. It was about the size of a palm and shimmered with a golden luster.

What left a deep impression were the patterns on it, starkly different from its surroundings, looking like countless intertwining vortexes.

It was only a fleeting glimpse before the cup swiftly vanished from his sight once more.

Its Rank was indeed high. The duration it remained affected was even shorter than that of the gestating angel in its special state.

Fu Qian stared at the spot where the cup had disappeared. His finger, resting on the Mercy Trigger, ultimately did not press down.

Although the window of time had been brief, there had actually been a chance to strike.

Even if the transcendent effect on the bullet proved useless, the kinetic energy of the shot alone would have been more than enough to knock the cup over.

He chose to hold back because, for one, he still wasn’t sure exactly what was hidden here. If he acted recklessly, the consequences could easily spiral out of control.

If this thing was an existence akin to the Mist of the Abyss from the Rotten Forest, acting without a proper containment method would spell disaster for the people of Fenghou City.

On the other hand, the cup’s design struck him as seemingly familiar.

Closing his eyes, Fu Qian carefully recalled the cup’s silhouette from moments ago.

He soon remembered exactly where he had seen something similar—The Monastery.

That ancient building was covered in all sorts of carved decorations, many of which were already difficult to make out.

But Fu Qian vaguely recalled seeing this specific outline on it more than once.

So, it really wasn’t a proper monastery after all?

Fu Qian stroked his chin. If that were the case, there was likely a very good reason Yul had chosen to hide there. The man probably knew more than anyone had imagined.

It seemed he needed to head over there and take a look.

...

Having made up his mind, Fu Qian didn’t waste any time. He immediately retraced his steps.

Putting the torn-up floorboards back into place, Fu Qian was unsurprised to find that the staff member was actually still there.

However, the man’s attention was clearly not on Fu Qian’s side of the room. Instead, he was staring fixedly ahead with intense focus.

He remained completely oblivious to everything Fu Qian was doing.

What an enviable level of focus.

As he left, Fu Qian deliberately walked past the man to see exactly what had him so mesmerized.

The next moment, Fu Qian discovered that the man was facing an oil painting hanging on the wall.

This... looks a little familiar!

Fu Qian glanced at the plump human figure in the painting.

If he remembered correctly, this staff member had once introduced it to him as the museum’s most prized treasure.

Of course, before the man had even finished speaking, Fu Qian had already slashed the painting to pieces.

What was he doing?

As he pondered, Fu Qian noticed the staff member actually start to move, his arms stiffly groping up and down.

At a glance, it looked inexplicably sleazy.

He probably hadn’t suffered qi deviation from an obsession with human anatomy. Fu Qian shook his head.

After all, since the man was just an ordinary person, Fu Qian didn’t think he could see many details in the dark anyway.

Was he feeling for the glass?

The next second, Fu Qian realized what was happening.

The movements of the man’s hands looked as if he was checking whether the glass was still intact.

Had Fu Qian’s actions during the previous mission left him with severe psychological trauma?

Fu Qian guessed a possibility.

Sure enough, after enduring such torment, it seemed these people had all developed Bernard syndrome, leaving them unable to distinguish reality.

After a moment of lamentation, Fu Qian, being the very architect of that trauma, considerately refrained from disturbing the man any further and swiftly took his leave.

...

Compared to his memories, The Monastery was exactly the same.

Standing in the darkness, Fu Qian looked up at the building before him.

Very quickly, he spotted a familiar outline among the complex, carved decorations.

Sure enough, the pattern of that cup had been cleverly hidden within them, right in the very center.

Having confirmed that his memory wasn’t mistaken, Fu Qian headed straight along the familiar route.

His destination was simple: the place where Yul had lived under the alias of Nivalis.

After sending the man to his maker last time, he still hadn’t gotten around to sweeping up the loot.

Today, The Monastery was even more unrestrained and uninhibited than usual.

The monks within his perception didn’t seem immune either. To varying degrees, they had been influenced by the Nightmare. Their emotions weren’t as stable as usual, and someone was even singing loudly at the top of their lungs. It was quite a lively scene.

Silently weaving through the darkness, just as he was nearing his destination, Fu Qian suddenly detected a familiar aura.

Why was she here?

Realizing who it was, Fu Qian slowed his steps and eventually stopped in front of a slightly ajar door.

Without hesitation, he reached out and pushed it open.

Over by the narrow window, a familiar figure stood with her back turned, gazing out into the boundless darkness.

The noise of Fu Qian pushing the door open undoubtedly caught her attention. The next moment, she turned around.

”Hello there, Doctor Kelly.”

Indeed, this aura that felt so familiar to Fu Qian didn’t belong to a resurrected Nivalis or Loretta, but to the psychiatrist, Kelly.

Meeting her confused gaze, Fu Qian wore a smile and greeted her calmly.

”You are...”

Kelly was clearly unfamiliar with Fu Qian’s current face, and her brows furrowed even tighter for a moment.

”I came to consult you about some psychological issues before.”

Fu Qian’s expression remained unchanged as he explained with a smile.

”Did you? My apologies, it seems I’ve forgotten. My memory hasn’t been too good lately.”

Hearing Fu Qian’s explanation, Kelly nodded slightly, looking as though she easily accepted his claim.

Not only that, she even let out a long sigh and offered an unprompted apology.

”I used to never forget my patients, but unfortunately... there have simply been far too many of them lately.”