Eldritch Horror Theatre

The earlier remark had been spot on. Professor Ah Kai certainly knew how to show respect.

And the Benevolent Curse Institute was indeed easy to find.

With its tapering spires and soaring domes, the Benevolent Curse Institute still occupied one of the most magnificent buildings in the Academy, even if its talent pool had withered.

Of course, compared to the Linghui Courtyard’s highly imposing and utterly isolated barrier, this place felt far more approachable.

Looking up and down the massive, light-brown structure, there wasn’t a single transcendent arrangement to be seen.

Only the morning light, reflecting dazzlingly off the weathered, polished stone of its walls, seemed to declare its former glory.

That was the tragedy of it. Clearly, even with this former glory, few people these days had any interest in appreciating it.

In truth, this was exactly why Professor Ah Kai was showing him so much respect.

At a glance, the vast area was shockingly deserted, occupied by only a scattered handful of holdovers.

And among them, Professor Ah Kai’s aura stood out distinctly.Granted, his approach to scholarship didn’t seem particularly active.

Although it was still early, the transcendent students and teachers he had passed along the way—who naturally required less sleep—were already embracing the idea that a day’s plan begins in the morning, starting on their daily progress.

Yet Ah Kai—who looked to be about the same age as Li Weixuan and by all rights should have been a core pillar of the Benevolent Curse Institute’s new generation—was currently sleeping without a care in the world.

It was rather fitting for the Benevolent Curse Institute’s twilight atmosphere.

Knock, knock!

Amidst his musings, Fu Qian reached out and rapped on the door in front of him.

Calling the Academy’s fourth institute approachable was no exaggeration. He had walked all the way here making his silent critiques, and not a single person had even stopped to question his presence.

...

”Good morning, Professor Ah Kai.”

The door opened almost immediately. Clearly, the lack of a greeting didn’t mean a lack of vigilance.

Since Fu Qian hadn’t deliberately concealed his presence, Ah Kai had sensed the approaching visitor. In an incredibly short span of time, he had managed to get out of bed and hastily tidy himself up.

Upon confirming that Fu Qian was indeed heading for his room, he threw the door open, making no real effort to hide his surprise.

”Morning, Professor Fu. Please, come in. Apologies, the place is a bit of a mess.”

Politely ushering him inside, Brother Ah Kai offered apologies, though not a trace of embarrassment showed on his face.

It really was a bit of a mess.

Fu Qian gave a slight nod, readily accepting good advice as he stepped inside and took in the sight before him.

Refined, quiet, and solemn—the room perfectly matched the architectural style of the building. Not far off, a stained-glass window was pieced together from differently colored panes.

The brilliant morning light piercing through the glass illuminated towering stacks of books and papers.

Manuscripts covered in all sorts of patterns lay scattered everywhere the eye could see.

Professor Ah Kai had been sleeping soundly amid this very clutter just moments ago.

From this angle, the earlier critique of his poor academic drive seemed entirely unjust. He had clearly been pulling an all-nighter for his research and had simply dozed off from sheer exhaustion.

In fact, these research materials made this look like the most authentic academic environment across all Four Colleges.

But that was only at first glance.

”Your carefree lifestyle is quite enviable, Professor Ah Kai.”

Instead of returning a polite compliment, Fu Qian genuinely followed up on the other man’s self-deprecation.

The reason was simple: despite the sprawling room being blanketed in manuscripts, there wasn’t a single pen in sight.

Unless Professor Ah Kai possessed some innate laser-engraving authority, this mountain of paper couldn’t possibly be his recent work. It might not even be his work at all.

It seemed the man had encountered a slight roadblock in his academic pursuits.

”Uh... there really isn’t anything new. Looking at these is like staring at used lottery tickets. They’re correct, but entirely uninspiring.”

This observation from the Academy’s newly promoted Demigod Realm expert clearly caught Professor Ah Kai off guard. He hadn’t expected the man’s conversational approach to be so sincere.

Eyeing Fu Qian up and down with faint surprise, he finally gave up the pretense. Rubbing his face, he candidly admitted his dilemma.

...

So that was the reason? A Miracle only bestowed its grace once.

Used lottery tickets—it truly was an apt metaphor.

He had spoken briefly, but given a basic understanding of the Benevolent Curse Institute’s core philosophies, it was easy to sympathize with Professor Ah Kai’s mood.

He had actually discussed this very issue back on Ye Island.

It concerned the ”Miracles” that the Benevolent Curse Institute specialized in: if a student could perfectly replicate their teacher’s rituals and incantations, would they also replicate the effects?

The answer was yes. In a sense, Miracles were like genuine knowledge—anyone who mastered them could use them. But only the person who discovered one for the first time would receive the transcendent feedback needed to ascend.

The greatest problem for a Miracle Master was that ”learned” knowledge could never elevate their own Rank.

To advance, one had to unearth new Miracles hidden within secrets and legends—entities that, in Fu Qian’s eyes, closely resembled the underlying source code of the world itself.

That meant a practitioner couldn’t just stand on the shoulders of their predecessors; they had to surpass them completely.

Easier said than done. As a group with incredibly strict entry requirements, no matter how niche the field was, it had never lacked for brilliant and unparalleled talents.

After so many years, finding untouched treasures that those predecessors hadn’t already laid claim to was no longer something that could be achieved through hard work alone.

It made perfect sense why this had become a dying discipline. After all, wasn’t an Academy tutor sitting right here, utterly lost?

”I completely understand.”

Offering no meaningless comfort, Fu Qian simply nodded, maintaining his candid approach.

”Actually, the reason I came here today is that I encountered something very unique during my field research. I wanted to see if you could help decipher it, Professor Ah Kai.”

...

”Oh?”

In that instant, unconcealed delight washed over Ah Kai’s face.

He didn’t know much about this newly advanced Demigod Realm expert from Apocalypse.

But a fascinating discovery made by a mysterious Transcendent Tier expert of this Rank was certainly something to look forward to.

”Please tell me, Professor Fu. I will do my absolute best.”

His slight hesitation from moments ago was swept entirely away. Ah Kai didn’t bother with any false modesty, terrified that the other man might run off.

”Did you witness a transcendent manifestation that resembled a Miracle during your field research?”

Hastily clearing a spot and inviting Fu Qian to sit, he impatiently pressed for details.

Positive feedback truly was crucial, no matter the field.

If finishing a massive literary classic granted a visible plus-one stat point to some attribute, the world would have far more avid readers than it did now.

”I’m not sure if it falls under the category of a Miracle, but it was clearly more than just a release of transcendent power. It almost felt like it possessed some biological traits.”

Musing over Professor Ah Kai’s sudden shift in demeanor, Fu Qian didn’t beat around the bush and directly laid out his findings.

”Its nature was pure, even taking the form of a sentient entity.”

”Furthermore, while its own Rank wasn’t particularly high, it displayed a level of control in certain aspects similar to the Authority Grade.”