Eldritch Horror Theatre

A bone?

Though the turn of events was a bit bizarre, Garcia’s answer finally brought a pleasant surprise.

Fu Qian had actually always been quite interested in exactly how Midas would become real. After all, theoretically, this was a transformation that truly crossed dimensions.

That was exactly why he had chatted so much with Ross.

Fu Qian believed that Ross’s description of Midas was completely genuine.

But at the end of the day, Ross was merely a reader; his knowledge was bound to be fragmented.

The information he provided, combined with previous findings, painted a profile of Midas as nothing more than a gambler with a bizarrely imaginative mind.

He suddenly appeared in Casino City, seemingly losing himself at the gaming tables. In reality, he played the generous benefactor to befriend a host of capable rogues, all while secretly plotting a grand heist—bah, to rob the casino’s vault.

Yet, even while orchestrating such a massive operation, he had absolutely no interest in money. His only goal was to make a name for himself and forge a beautiful legend in Casino City.

He truly lived up to the title of a legend....

The only problem was that this legend was currently coming to life.

Fu Qian had also spent some time imagining the specific mechanics of ”becoming real.”

The simplest scenario would be during the crew’s meeting to split the loot after their successful heist. The door would open one last time, and a man they had long known by reputation alone would actually walk in.

But that was honestly a bit too high-tier.

Even among the higher entities he had encountered so far, he hadn’t seen anyone powerful enough to truly conjure something out of nothing and create a living person from thin air.

Then what about the next best thing?

After the operation concluded, would a ghost—a legendary ghost—wander through a Casino City awash in unbridled desire?

Given this world’s transcendent nature, the difference between a ghost and a living person wasn’t all that vast. Fu Qian didn’t feel this was much of a step down from the first scenario; at its core, it was still conjuring something out of nothing.

Then, was it possible to be even more subtle?

Could someone suddenly become utterly convinced that they were the reincarnation of Midas, adopt the name as their own, and genuinely possess superhuman luck?

In Fu Qian’s eyes, this was likely the thinnest point in the dimensional barrier.

It also perfectly suited the cultural atmosphere of this city.

Of course, even that would still require the introduction of a transcendent element to achieve. After all, superhuman luck wasn’t something that could just be bypassed.

So, what Fu Qian wanted to find was the transcendent factor that might be involved in this legendary event.

And no one knew better than him that this crew had actually gone on to loot the vault later, proving themselves true to their word.

From this, it was easy to draw a conclusion: could that transcendent element be inside the vault? Was that Midas’s true goal?

This was exactly why he had sought out Garcia to assess the situation.

”What made that bone strike you as special?”

Fu Qian continued his questioning.

”The owner claimed it was a piece of art... But aside from the unusual material, to me, it looked exactly like a one-to-one replica of a real person.”

Garcia wore a reminiscent expression.

”I couldn’t fathom where its value lay.”

Indeed, based on that description, it sounded far more like medical material than a piece of art.

Fu Qian nodded silently.

”Anything else?”

”The item’s owner is a regular here, but his itinerary was a bit strange this time. He made multiple trips to the South District.”

South District...

Fu Qian recalled the layout of the Sacred Night Capital and glanced at Yuan Shan.

”Are there a lot of medical institutions over there?”

Garcia was as meticulous as expected. He had clearly sensed something amiss and arranged for an investigation.

And judging by this feedback, it aligned surprisingly well with his own suspicions.

”World-class ones, and they place a heavy emphasis on patient privacy.”

Yuan Shan seemed to realize the peculiarity of the situation as well, speaking in a lowered voice.

”Do you think that guy was actually looking to graft a special bone into his own body?”

”Just speak normally. He can’t hear us.”

Fu Qian nodded, reminding her in passing that there was no need for such caution.

...

Yuan Shan took note. Garcia was indeed staring in their direction with a confused expression; his hearing had clearly been precisely restricted.

Of course, even so, the man remained tactful enough not to make any rash moves.

”In essence, that’s not too rare of an occurrence. But judging by Garcia’s description, it seemed they were acting far too solemn about it. It feels suspicious. Could it be...”

The next moment, Yuan Shan thought of something, and her gaze sharpened.

”Limb grafting? Was that bone stripped from some transcendent creature? Did someone come all the way outside the Ring Archipelago to pull the sort of dirty work the Rebirth Club does?”

Watch your mouth!

Fu Qian instantly took offense to that.

My Rebirth Club strives for the noble cause of using the transcendent to benefit all of mankind. How did it suddenly become ’dirty work’?

”Really? Right under the noses of the Night Watchers, in this beacon of order, such a thing is actually permitted to exist?”

The next moment, a look of sheer, unbelievable astonishment washed over his face.

Anyone who dared to insult his Rebirth Club would inevitably suffer a personal attack in return.

”It falls under the daily purview of the police, after all... Our people tend to focus a bit more on the Church.”

Yuan Shan’s arrogant momentum was instantly deflated. After a moment of thought, she quietly offered an excuse.

”Actually, compared to your theory, I think there’s an even greater possibility.”

Fu Qian let out a cold snort, expressing his dissatisfaction with the top-tier organization’s inefficiency. The next moment, he turned back to Garcia and abruptly asked,

”With an item this bizarre, you actually allowed it to remain in your vault?”

”I had a professional verify it. That thing wasn’t a transcendent item, so there was no risk of it slipping beyond our control.”

Garcia, who could finally hear them again, answered with an eagerness that bordered on impatience.

See?

Fu Qian isolated his hearing once more and gestured toward Yuan Shan.

”They were professionals, after all. They should have been able to recognize whether it was a transcendent creature’s limb, right?”

Then what else could it be...

Though their interaction had been brief, Garcia’s innate caution was plain to see. His words carried a high degree of credibility.

However, Yuan Shan was also intimately familiar with Fu Qian’s sharp instincts. She couldn’t shake the feeling that an item he placed such heavy emphasis on wouldn’t be entirely ordinary.

”I know quite a few people who enjoy making homemade chocolates as gifts. They turn out quite exquisite and beautiful.”

Beside her, Fu Qian shook his head.

”Yet more than half of them can’t even fry a sunny-side-up egg. Do you know why?”

”Why?”

As Yuan Shan said this, she looked ever so slightly unnatural, as if she had just suffered a personal attack.

”Because a fried egg isn’t like chocolate. If you grind it into a powder and press it into a mold, whatever comes out will have completely lost the very concept of a fried egg.”

”A product made of transcendent Residue? Because its original structure was completely destroyed, it no longer possesses any special powers?”

Chief Yuan understood immediately, her eyes lighting up.

”Do you think absolute immortality is a blessing or a curse?”

Instead of answering, Fu Qian threw back a question of his own.

Absolute immortality?

This massive leap in logic clearly left Yuan Shan deeply confused, though the next moment she furrowed her brows in thought.

Unfortunately, the question was far too profound, and she fell silent, struggling to find an answer.

”Thank you.”

In the midst of her silence, her partner unexpectedly offered a smiling word of thanks and even snapped his fingers.

”Looks like it’s better to aim for Transcendence.”