Eldritch Horror Theatre

I knew something was up!

Fu Qian let out a long breath after reading everything on the stone in one go.

No wonder Geng Yue’s cycle of dying and returning to life was so suspicious.

A mysterious entity really was pulling the strings behind the scenes, most likely that tree he had seen.

A lot of things finally made sense.

Looking back, Geng Yue’s first death had been meant to distract him and shift his suspicion onto Lu Xing.

The second time, when he already suspected Huang Yuanchang, Geng Yue had done the exact opposite and survived. That anomaly successfully grabbed his attention, stopping him from confronting Huang Yuanchang immediately and making him waste more time on Lu Xing.

The third time, when he was completely certain that Huang Yuanchang was the Ill Omen, Geng Yue died again. The goal that time wasn’t to confuse him, but to draw the attention of Lu Jun and his partner. If he had hesitated for even half a second, the Night Watchers would have trapped him in the restaurant, and escaping would have almost certainly meant clashing with them.

Every step that followed had been a deliberate, calculated plot against him.

That tree’s Rank was indeed incredibly high. Its vision of the board practically bordered on omniscience. Fortunately, it wasn’t omnipotent; it could only interfere within reasonable limits.Huang Yuanchang was just a puppet, aware of only a fraction of the truth.

This had to be the true form of Destined Death. Huang Yuanchang’s supposed ability to foresee death and avoid danger had actually been arranged by this entity the entire time.

Its ultimate goal was to allow the Seed of Law in Huang Yuanchang’s head to fully mature into the so-called Golden Law.

Mortals can look directly upon Deities...

Judging from the text, the specific effect of this Golden Law was to shatter a boundary, allowing everyone within a given radius to directly perceive the tree’s true body.

The tree must have been trying this for a while, selecting suitable candidates to become the Ill Omen.

Come to think of it, based on Lu Xing’s description, the source of his dreams and abilities had been rather strange. They might have been connected to this entity as well.

Lu Xing just hadn’t been very cooperative, lacking Huang Yuanchang’s proactive zeal.

What a pity. No matter what kind of High-Tier Existence you were, the sheer power of a task runner with infinite save-loading was beyond your imagination!

Fu Qian snorted, silently applauding himself for a good ten seconds.

Gloating complete, he put the item back, and the Silver-White Box promptly snapped shut.

[Today’s work is complete. Thank you for your hard work.]

[You may now leave the Warehouse. See you tomorrow.]

Fu Qian took off his Work Badge. The scenery before him shattered, dropping him back into his familiar home.

Inexplicably ending up matching wits against a Deity-level existence meant today’s workload had been no joke.

Of course, the rewards were just as plentiful.

Perfectly digesting the Thug had officially advanced him to Tier 4. He now truly stood at the pinnacle of Mid-Tier Transcendents.

Fu Qian was confident that if he faced Li Weixuan head-on right now, he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

Although the final reward was a bit shabby, it hardly mattered.

He tested his limbs, feeling an unprecedented, explosive power surging through his body.

Fu Qian thought for a moment. Instead of resting, he went straight outside and hailed a cab.

There was something he needed to do.

”Here we are. Eighteen yuan!”

More than ten minutes later, the cab dropped him off at a bustling street.

It had been a while!

Fu Qian stepped out, looking at the young men and women around him with a wave of nostalgia.

This was quite a famous street in Lincheng. Situated right in the middle of several nearby universities, it was always incredibly lively.

However, despite being a local, Fu Qian had only frequented the area back in college. He rarely came here nowadays.

He wasn’t here to reminisce about his youth, of course. Glancing around, he quickly spotted a signboard for Wangjiang Pavilion and strode inside.

That was right—he was here to eat.

During the mission, having fine dining presented to him three times in a row had successfully piqued his appetite.

Especially the last two times, when he had only managed a single bite each time. It truly left him wanting more.

Wangjiang Pavilion was the most famous restaurant on this street. Renowned for its high quality and steep prices, it had earned the alias ”Bed-Forgetting Pavilion.”

The reason for this glowing reputation was simple: supposedly, regardless of gender, anyone who posted a picture of their meal here on social media was highly likely not to come home that night.

Naturally, Fu Qian had never experienced such an encounter. As someone with an ”awful” personality who was also several years younger than his peers, he rarely participated in the activities most college students enjoyed.

It was a workday and still quite early, so there weren’t many diners inside.

The moment Fu Qian walked through the door, an attractive waitress came up to greet him.

”How many in your party, sir?”

”Two.”

Fu Qian replied calmly.

He wasn’t intentionally lying. On the way here, he had gauged his appetite and decided to order a meal for two.

Saying so now just saved him from having to explain it later.

Guided by the waitress, Fu Qian took a seat by the window and gazed outside.

Right behind this street was the Mi River, which ran straight across Lincheng. It wasn’t very large, but the green trees and slow-moving water made for a nice view.

Places like this were never quick to serve, and Fu Qian didn’t stand on ceremony. The moment the first dish arrived, he picked up his chopsticks and dug right in.

Eating right away? Did he get stood up?

Seeing his actions, the waitress keeping an eye on his table couldn’t help but feel surprised.

Although Fu Qian dressed ordinarily, the university town was right nearby. It wasn’t uncommon for students to skimp and save just to treat their girlfriends to a luxury meal here. The waitress was long used to it.

But this guy ordering a meal for two and digging in all by himself made it very hard not to jump to conclusions.

Fu Qian naturally felt the waitress’s odd gaze, but he couldn’t care less.

His principle was simple: as long as they didn’t bother him, their imagination was their own business.

Over the course of an hour, Fu Qian calmly and efficiently decimated plate after plate of excellent food.

Finally, thoroughly satisfied, Fu Qian pushed his plate away, gave a long stretch, and waved the waitress over for the bill.

”Hello!”

Seeing his gesture, the waitress walked over with a smile and stood in front of him.

”How much is it?”

Fu Qian frowned. The waitress’s smile was certainly sweet, but it felt inexplicably... off.

”Hello!”

Hearing his question, the waitress took another step forward. The smile on her face grew even purer, completely free of impurities, yet she still didn’t tell him the price.

Something wasn’t right!

Fu Qian’s brow furrowed as he quickly looked up and scanned the room.

The next moment, he made a startling discovery. Every single person in the entire restaurant—the waitstaff, the diners, even the chefs in the glass-walled kitchen—was staring right at him, wearing the exact same smile.

Pure and radiant, just like Saints.

...

Fu Qian suddenly realized something and quickly checked his newly acquired skill.

Commandment Residue... had he left it on this whole time?