Eldritch Horror Theatre

One reason the task started so smoothly was that the step of selecting skills and items had been skipped entirely.

Naturally, Fu Qian hadn’t missed this, though he did find it strange.

Lately, even in tasks designated as number 1, the rate of power deprivation wasn’t very high. Yet in what seemed like a casual run, he had actually been reduced to a blank slate?

Furthermore, the rearview mirror clearly showed that he hadn’t just reverted to an ordinary person—he wasn’t even a particularly fit one.

He was of average height with slightly long hair. Both his face and frame were lean enough that the red sweater he wore hung a bit loosely on him.

A slightly worn watch with a brown leather strap sat on his left wrist.

He was just a pair of thick black glasses short of looking like a textbook eccentric nerd.

Without a doubt, this was an unfamiliar face and a brand-new identity.

Mister Wolf...

He had accepted a friend’s request to attend a party on All Fools’ Day...Not finding a coat in the car, Fu Qian picked up a gray-and-white-striped deerstalker hat from the seat beside him. Paying no mind to how poorly it matched his outfit, he tossed it onto his head and stepped out of the vehicle.

When things are abnormal, there must be something sinister at work. These rare anomalies made this party seem rather interesting.

His only regret was that he wouldn’t be able to grab random, bizarre objects and use the opportunity of a Grade 3 Item task to run tests.

...

He had to admit, the legendary All Fools’ Day seemed to carry quite the festive atmosphere around here.

There weren’t any over-the-top decorations, but Fu Qian had already checked the time.

It was nearing eleven at night, and the weather wasn’t even that good. Yet, not only were many buildings still brightly lit, he could even see children running around and shouting.

And what he was looking for was a group of young adults who were even more excited than the kids—this was the place.

His gaze bypassing two somewhat pale trees, Fu Qian looked at the building behind them and double-checked the address.

He clearly wasn’t mistaken. Even from here, he could see young adults braving the chill out on the second-floor terrace for a breath of fresh air.

Almost every room inside looked brightly lit.

”Hello. I’m Wolf, here for Butters.”

Before he even reached the door, Fu Qian had already been spotted by the people inside.

Though, until he pressed the doorbell, no one made any attempt to greet him.

The next moment, faced with the young woman with a ponytail inside who was scrutinizing him in much the same manner, Fu Qian gave a slight nod in greeting and stated his purpose without any fluff.

”You’re... Mister Wolf?”

At those words, the young woman’s face visibly took on a bit more curiosity. She looked Fu Qian up and down; surprisingly, she not only knew his name, but also his title.

”I’ve heard Butters mention you more than once. I have to say, you look exactly as I imagined.”

Her gaze landed on the hat perched on Fu Qian’s head. Her tone seemed to suggest that this bizarre outfit didn’t actually look all that strange on him.

”I’m Eva. If you’re looking for Butters, you can head to the room at the far end.”

Even though Fu Qian clearly had no real interest in making conversation, she still introduced herself and pointed him in the right direction without waiting for a response.

”Thanks.”

This time-saving efficiency earned Fu Qian’s silent approval. Offering his casual thanks, he brushed right past her.

”Care for a drink?”

The next moment, however, another figure blocked his path with an enthusiastic offer.

...

Although they hadn’t spoken loudly just now, as the newcomer to the party, Fu Qian had been met with numerous scrutinizing and even teasing gazes the moment the door opened. Just like before, however, the crowd simply stood by and watched his exchange with Eva. None of them had shown any intention of striking up a conversation.

Until this person in front of him broke the ice.

Bronze skin, thick brown hair, exaggerated eyeshadow, and one of the most unrestrained outfits in the room—this young woman possessed a completely different style from Eva, and her breath carried a much heavier stench of alcohol as she spoke.

Following her gesture, Fu Qian looked over and saw that she was pointing to a table nearby, half-covered in drinks.

The party was more or less what he had imagined.

It was mostly young adults around the same age. Driven by a strong sense of self, they hadn’t deliberately mangled themselves into bizarre getups just to cater to the festive atmosphere.

But that didn’t mean the holiday theme went completely unrepresented.

The assortment of drinks on the table was highly unusual, just going by their appearance.

For instance, some of the drinks looked exactly like cups of viscous blood. Alongside the smell of alcohol, there was genuinely a faint, distinct metallic tang.

Of course, it wasn’t real blood.

Perhaps his current mortal physique prevented him from making a definitive identification through smell alone, but for Fu Qian, mixing a drink to look like that would be easy if he had the time and ingredients.

And that was far from the most bizarre thing there. A quick glance revealed oil disguised as beer, a toe floating in a cola, and a lump that bore a striking resemblance to vomit...

Clearly, the young adults were more than happy to flex their imaginations on the refreshments.

”Thanks. Coffee. Double milk, double sugar.”

Unfortunately, Fu Qian had absolutely no interest in showing off his sharp eyes or his courage on this front. He gave a natural nod and rattled off his order like he was at a diner.

Considering she had approached him to ask what he wanted to drink, there was nothing really wrong with responding that way.

Even if the flavor profile he selected didn’t sound like something a young adult would drink.

...

”I thought you’d get here earlier.”

While the enthusiastic woman was left speechless, Fu Qian slipped through the crowd, making his way straight to the room Eva had mentioned.

In stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the party, the door was actually closed.

However, after a single knock, it opened from the inside.

The tall, blond young man behind the door had his eyes instantly light up at the sight of Fu Qian, though he immediately followed up by complaining about his lack of punctuality.

”The car broke down when I was almost here.”

Without a doubt, this was his ”close friend,” Butters.

Telling the truth with a casual tone, Fu Qian gave him a brief once-over before shifting his gaze to the space behind him.

There were two other people in the room, and they were both staring right back at him with matching, grave expressions.

”Come on in first.”

It seemed he didn’t quite buy Fu Qian’s excuse, but given how completely calm and natural he looked, Butters fell briefly silent and stopped complaining.

”Sorry, I know you hate these kinds of events, but—”

Butters shut the door firmly behind him. He exchanged a look with the other two and seemed to struggle to find the right words.

A moment later, however, his sentence was cut short by Fu Qian’s actions.

Using two fingers, Fu Qian lifted Butters’s left hand, turning the section hidden beneath his cuff face up.

Under the lights, there was clearly more than a single drop of a substance matching the exact color of the blood wine outside.