Eldritch Horror Theatre

He had only intended to slack off a little, but the unexpected gain was a pleasant surprise.

Just as he had mentioned while chatting with Su Gao, notoriety was a redundant, useless, yet quantifiable concept—so neatly measured that it was like appending a virtual stat to a person out of thin air.

Now it seemed this artificial attribute wasn’t meaningless after all. It had triggered an effect akin to pollution, ultimately causing the Kamakura Family to be targeted and wiped out by the very entity they prayed to.

The transcendent world was far more chaotic and dangerous than he had imagined.

On a side note, he had to admit the task completion parameters were remarkably lenient. The moment the realization formed in his mind, the objective registered as complete, without demanding he go and verify it.

’Speaking of which, for this kind of research-oriented task, if I still fail later on, wouldn’t restarting let me skip the First Step entirely?’

’As expected of a Grade 3 Item. The leniency is real!’

At the same time, the information revealed was nothing short of staggering.

There was no doubt Yasui Tokiyuki had orchestrated this, but the shadow of the Origin Council likely loomed behind the scenes.

’Could my theory be right? Is the Origin Council actually helping Yasui Tokiyuki clean up his hidden risks?’He couldn’t be completely certain just yet. Regardless, it was clear that getting too absorbed in television—or studying, for that matter—was a fatal mistake.

Brother Kamakura Shinji was a prime example.

Fu Qian let out a long sigh, as if a profound realization had just struck him.

”How is he?”

Amid his musings, someone had noticed the commotion over here.

Kamakura Ki and the rest of his group hurried over, though their expressions were rather grim.

Fu Qian had stepped out so quickly that they likely assumed Kamakura Shinji was already beyond saving.

”He’s fine now, though he’ll still need some conventional treatment.”

Fu Qian shot a glance at Chang Mo.

The latter froze for a second. Once she realized what Fu Qian meant, she rushed past him in shock, hurrying back the way he had come.

”Did you completely sever the connection?”

Brother Ah Kai also stared at Fu Qian in utter disbelief.

”With any luck.”

Fu Qian kept his tone as modest as ever.

’According to the effects of the Decree of Return, the dispelled forces will slowly recover once it is lifted.’

’Ritualistic connections like this might be relatively fragile, but there are no guarantees.’

’Next, I even have to wipe out all the severance Imprints.’

’Not that it matters. If I can’t erase them thoroughly, I’ll just erase them physically when the time comes.’

’Actually, the final step—establishing the connection—sounds like the real headache.’

Fortunately, he had been clever and fond of learning throughout this journey, accumulating a solid foundation of knowledge.

The moment the task appeared, an idea had already formed in his mind.

......

”It’s really gone! Even the Imprint vanished!”

When Fu Qian hurried back into Kamakura Shinji’s room, Kamakura Ki was standing there in a daze.

The primary critical patient, Kamakura Shinji, was already sitting up in bed, the severe wounds across his body showing signs of preliminary healing.

The only problem was that not a single trace of the bloody Imprint remained on his skin. It had dissipated entirely.

This point clearly left the family head somewhat conflicted.

The curse had been cured, but Shinji had been completely reduced to an ordinary mortal. For a transcendent lineage, such a price was genuinely a bit heavy.

For instance, he would definitely never be able to continue guarding the tomb.

”I’m a very busy man.”

Seeing everyone’s eyes instinctively snap toward him as he walked in, Fu Qian found a seat, sat down, and casually spoke up.

......

Fu Qian’s implication couldn’t be clearer: the Sword Dao Demigod was very busy. If they had any intention of receiving treatment, they needed to hurry up; the offer wouldn’t last forever.

”Then we will have to trouble you, Mister Yun.”

Seeing Kamakura Ki looking conflicted, Kamakura Keiji stepped forward at that moment and spoke with unwavering resolve.

From his previous actions, it was obvious he was far more decisive than the current family head.

In truth, his stance right now was a bit delicate. Other than Kamakura Shinji, his condition was the most severe, making it hard to avoid the suspicion that he was just trying to save his own life.

But looking at him, he didn’t seem to care about that at all.

”Family Head Kamakura?”

Fu Qian gave a slight nod and glanced over at Kamakura Ki.

......

In the end, no argument broke out. Seeing Kamakura Keiji’s unyielding stance, Kamakura Ki pushed past his brief hesitation and made up his mind.

”Thank you for your trouble, Mister Yun. Do we all need to step outside and come in one by one in order?”

”There’s no need. I told you, I’m a busy man.”

Fu Qian waved his hand, his expression entirely placid.

”Everyone who needs treatment stays, everyone else gets out. This is a one-time offer, so don’t miss it.”

’It was still necessary to apply a little appropriate pressure.’

’Besides, limited-edition items were always effective at motivating people.’

......

As it turned out, life always commanded the highest price.

Not a single one of the blood-drenched Tombkeepers chose to leave, regardless of any initial hesitation.

Once the group from the Academy tactfully stepped outside, Fu Qian didn’t hold back, immediately activating the Decree of Return once again.

This is...

A moment later, seeing Fu Qian remain seated and unmoving, some were confused, but others had already noticed the anomaly.

Amid an inexplicable sense of relief, Kamakura Keiji stared down at his own body in disbelief, unable to mask his excitement.

The Imprint he had carried since birth was rapidly dissipating, and the aura of a Tombkeeper was vanishing right along with it.

On one hand, the crisis was resolved; on the other, they had reverted to being ordinary mortals. For a moment, everyone felt conflicted, and an unusual silence settled over the room.

”Done.”

Fu Qian had absolutely zero interest in their feelings. A moment later, he snapped his fingers and stood up straight.

All around him, the Tomb Guardian’s Cursed Sword had officially become history.

”Thank you very much for your help.”

Amid the absolute silence, Kamakura Keiji was practically the only one who still remembered his manners, immediately offering a solemn thanks.

Fu Qian gave a faint nod, exuding the absolute aura of a superior master, and swept out of the room.

......

”They’re all cured?”

Out in the courtyard, the group from the Academy no longer harbored any doubts about Fu Qian’s abilities, but they were still somewhat shocked by his sheer efficiency.

”With any luck. You can observe them for a few more days.”

Fu Qian’s reply was as modest as ever.

’So it really wasn’t just a brief intermission? It was just over?’

Faced with Fu Qian’s brimming confidence, the group from the Academy suddenly felt a strange sense of loss.

They had just been thinking about how tricky this trip would be, yet before they could even do anything, this suddenly appearing mysterious figure had solved the problem neatly and swiftly.

From beginning to end, it was as if they had taken an all-expenses-paid trip to the Ruins and finished their mission without doing a single thing.

”So, where are you going now?”

Ni Huayuan suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

With matters concluding in this way, he was clearly in the worst mood out of everyone present.

Faced with this hostile line of questioning, Fu Qian’s response was incredibly simple.

The next moment, he let out a cold scoff, his Demigod Realm posture on full display, directly treating the other party like thin air.

”My discussions with Teacher Akai have benefited me a lot. If I have the time, I’ll pay another visit to the Academy.”

Not only that, Fu Qian even called out a greeting to Ah Kai, who had once again shrunk to the edge of the crowd.

”You’re too kind, Mister Yun. The Benevolent Curse Institute welcomes you anytime.”

Faced with this blatant favoritism, Ah Kai offered a bitter smile but still solemnly extended a welcome.

Fu Qian didn’t waste another word. He gave a faint nod to Kasi, then strode away.

Now that the Tombkeepers had become history, it was time for some perfectly legal archaeology.