Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 2553: Chapter 2548: The Importance of Appearance

”This way.”

Guiding others was certainly not a boast.

After all, I had volunteered here before, and I recognized it wasn’t far from the old reception area.

Even though the road conditions were poor, Fu Qian was still meticulously retracing the old path, leading the visitors down to a place where equipment was issued.

In contrast, the candidates who came to interview for the Scavenger position weren’t as at ease.

Not only were they dragging a leg along, but they also had severe directional issues, starting to go in circles a little further out. In the blink of an eye, Fu Qian had already stopped for the third time to wait.

Of course, not all the blame could be placed on the candidates this time, because the path forward was also blocked.

Squeee...

Accompanied by a strange noise, Fu Qian purposely moved aside to avoid entering the attack range, and then observed the kneeling obstacle.

Indeed, it was not only a humanoid creature but also looked like it might bite.

This time, the Mistaken Space-Time seemed more vibrant, and everyone was less reclusive.

In just this short while, they had already encountered two candidates for outdoor activities, and both gave a similar impression—

Face disfigured, limbs deformed, minds in chaos.

From Fu Qian’s perspective, this second person’s legs seemed to work better; crawling there might not be due to organic reasons, but because their overall behavior was becoming beastlike.

The strange noise from earlier was made as their head scraped along the ground.

This one seemed in an even worse mental state.

The Scavenger candidate had caught up from behind, and Fu Qian compared the two humanoid creatures back and forth, reaching a conclusion.

”This is...”

And the candidate obviously noticed it too, stopping and staring there in a trance.

”Also research personnel from around here, though it seems they have gone mad.”

Fu Qian sighed.

There was a basis for this statement; besides the state resembling that of the candidates, the one on the ground even had some consistency with themselves, like their clothing.

Even though it was in tatters, the original seriousness could still be discerned, precisely the style Fu Qian was emulating.

Truly a researcher, perhaps even the former receptionist.

Fu Qian recalled that classic golden eyebrow and carefully examined what should be the head but only found shriveled, thorn-like spikes—no choice but to give up for now.

”Do you need me to... clean up?”

The candidate seemed a bit sensitive to the term ”gone mad,” shivering slightly, then offered.

”See if they initiate an attack—they seem likely to.”

The positive attitude was comforting, but Fu Qian signaled that harmony was preferred. Unfortunately, before finishing, they had to take a step back again.

It’s hard to say if it was hearing the voice or catching the scent, but the one on the ground clearly noticed the two’s arrival, instantly lunging forward without a word.

Though it missed, theoretically, this met the discussed cleanup criteria.

Hmm...

Unfortunately, the candidate hesitated this time, glancing back and forth between Fu Qian and the attacker with deformed eyes.

...

Clothing?

This one was sharper than expected.

The candidate’s behavior felt like boasting without backing it up when called into action.

But to Fu Qian, it didn’t seem like he was having such a complex psychological process.

The reaction probably stemmed more from confusion—also recognizing the clothing’s consistency.

To the candidate’s less-than-sharp mind, the two before him seemed equivalent in certain aspects.

Which one was the receptionist, and which one was the cleanup target became challenging to determine.

In short, this shows why one shouldn’t be too self-satisfied; Fu Qian believed that lacking a sense of humility made it hard to empathize with this reason.

Of course, a quick confirmation was necessary.

”Look, mine is much neater.”

Without urging, on the contrary, Fu Qian called out, gesturing towards themselves to prompt a comparison.

Hmm...

Sure enough, the keyword was well-chosen. Even a sluggish brain could be guided; Fu Qian seemed to see the bloodshot eyes gleam in that moment.

After hesitating only for a breath, the candidate pounced.

...

This highlights the importance of maintaining one’s attire.

The progress was smooth, and Fu Qian felt so satisfied they even flicked their sleeves.

The earlier Shendu promptly proved useful with astonishing speed.

It turned out they guessed right—the candidate really was confused by the clothing.

All Fu Qian had to do was address this concept, select key factors, and quickly tip the scales.

The candidate’s subsequent performance made Fu Qian’s gentle guidance appear somewhat worthwhile.

When they pounced, the target was just about to make a second attack.

They were unarmed, even disabled in one leg, but when in attack mode, the candidate seemed like a completely different person.

In terms of size, the target was even larger and didn’t perform poorly under visual radar, yet the situation tilted almost instantly.

Crack—

The one on the ground instinctively abandoned the original target, defensively counter-attacking, but before adjusting direction, one leg had snapped.

So fast, akin to only allocating attribute points to agility.

The candidate’s speed was clearly superior, their assault more ferocious, locking onto joints first.

Despite a lack of overwhelming strength, they still swept away obstacles, reducing the opponent to their own conditions.

And after eradicating the foe’s escape potential, they unhesitatingly engaged in close combat.

Roar—

The candidate, once in the zone, seemed cool-headed like a Hunter, while the target fully revealed their beastly nature.

Barely supporting under strength advantage, the latter naturally emitted cries filled with pain and rage.

This wasn’t the only display of beastliness—there was a more direct one—feathers?

Fu Qian watched as clumps of wild shapes pierced from the broken joint, eventually fanning out.

As if about to switch action modes, spreading wings to soar.

...

They truly were feathers.

The target, of course, couldn’t fly, nor did it affect the two engaged in combat; in the next moment, Fu Qian sidestepped, picking up a feather from the ground, examining it closely.

Gray, slender, familiar... Was this one influenced by some Judgment Chief?

Effortlessly recognizing it as belonging to the Angel lineage Creation, Fu Qian pinched the feather’s quill, seemingly sensing this surge of Engraving Wisdom.

Not only did people seem to increase, but even the Superior Beings appeared livelier, with the honorable Judgment Chief immediately showcasing influence at the start.