Eldritch Horror Theatre

After their last exploration of the Deity Burial Ground, the curses cleansed from her body naturally invited some particular speculations about Classmate Su Gao’s condition.

Especially regarding the time he helped her advance to the Demigod Realm; Fu Qian vividly remembered the anomalies that had occurred in that forbidden zone.

No matter how you looked at it, they had provoked a response from higher powers.

And while the recent incident at the Academy had drawn an overly chaotic crowd, it also provided a decent opportunity to conduct some mild comparative testing.

So far, the results were reassuring.

Apart from her exaggerated power display and astonishing perception, Su Gao hadn’t shown anything too abnormal. At the very least, she still appeared to be a ”freestanding structure.”

The previous strange commotions could tentatively be understood as the same situation he had faced as a Blank-Slate Demigod—she was simply too popular.

As for why he still harbored such concerns even after Classmate Su Gao had passed the Night Watchers’ background check?

Just look at the Night Watcher elites he had encountered so far.

Leaving aside Needle Witch Kelin—after all, moral character was sometimes easy to hide, and people were constantly changing.Yuan Shan’s teacher, Old Man Henry, was an even starker example.

Not only was he a sworn servant of the deity, but he was also a house cat serving two families.

Merely passing the Night Watchers’ evaluation really didn’t prove much.

Of course, Classmate Su Gao had already passed his own preliminary evaluation.

Given it was personally administered by the academic lead, it still carried a fair bit of weight.

”Thank you.”

This entire process also couldn’t have been done without the help of another volunteer.

Mid-thought, Fu Qian accepted the fish. Paying no mind to the haphazardly chopped cuts, he smiled and thanked Sunny.

”...You’re welcome.”

Like waking from a dream, she was still a bit dazed.

However, as noted before, compared to Classmate Su Gao, Sunny didn’t seem to feel the atmosphere at all.

Her emotional state was so unaffected it could be ignored entirely. She quickly snapped back to reality, stating it was simply her duty.

Though she noticed while speaking that the fish was chopped into an unsightly mess, the booming business left Sunny with no time to fix it.

Another call for service quickly rang out; the small shop was entering its busiest time of day.

And in the corner of the busy Sunny’s eye, Fu Qian and Su Gao were both enjoying their meals.

The only pity was that Professor Lanaya indeed hadn’t visited today.

...

Excellency Stoss arrived even faster than expected, though his method of arrival was close to what one might imagine.

The nightlife, filled with the aroma of fried and roasted food, finally drew to a close in a harmonious atmosphere.

After entertaining the Night Watchers’ envoy, Fu Qian led her back to the Laboratory to rest.

And finally, just before noon the next day, they welcomed a highly anticipated guest.

With bright red eyes and a thick beard, it was none other than the eagerly awaited Old Man Stoss.

He hadn’t even come alone. His entourage included the newly promoted Demigod Li Weixuan, the local Night Watchers’ chief Yuan Fang, and a certain baby-faced woman.

Demigod Aike, as expected, hadn’t rushed back to report in yet.

”You’ve worked hard these past two days, Professor Fu.”

After giving a slight nod to Su Gao, who was sitting there, Stoss actually seemed more interested in the temporarily appointed operations advisor. Scrutinizing him closely, he took the initiative to greet him.

”This is Excellency Stoss; he just arrived.”

Yuan Fang made the introduction from the side at the perfect moment, his attitude extremely respectful.

It was completely understandable. In this small corner of the Academy, two Demigods and a Tier 2 had somehow gathered. As the receptionist, he was undoubtedly under a lot of pressure.

Not to mention, based on Fu Qian’s past experience dealing with him, while Old Man Stoss wasn’t too difficult to get along with, his temper was definitely not mild.

”Just doing my job. A pleasure to meet you.”

Fortunately, with the academic lead’s excellent personal bearing, handling the situation was no problem at all.

The next moment, smiling under Old Man Stoss’s appraising gaze, Fu Qian invited everyone to take a seat and rest.

Of course, even though his research assistant had gone to the Academy and there was no one to prepare tea, Fu Qian had absolutely no intention of doing it himself, fully displaying the unyielding dignity of an intellectual.

...

”Your previous findings were quite astonishing. After some discussion, the Evaluation Council worried there might be unmanageable dangers, and ultimately decided to have me come and join the operation.”

Although they were sitting almost face-to-face, Excellency Stoss’s scrutiny clearly didn’t make Professor Fu feel unnatural in the slightest.

Fu Qian was even confident that the other party’s sharp gaze wouldn’t yield much.

Last time at the Unseen Hill, when they happily cleared the scenario together, he could tell the old man wasn’t particularly skilled in perception.

With his aura deliberately restrained, coupled with the effects of the Emissary Mask, Fu Qian was fairly certain that unless they fought face-to-face, the old man wouldn’t be able to see through his true depths.

People who had maxed out their perception stats like Su Gao and himself were a minority after all.

Then again, with only Chaumont missing, that old Hunting Squad had practically reunited.

As for what to do if they did end up fighting face-to-face and it became hard to hide?

What a joke. Why would Demigod Su bother having the operations advisor lift a finger himself?

When seeking this minor official post, the possibility of slacking off was a major consideration in the first place.

”That is wonderful news. After exploring together, Demigod Su and I also concluded there are some unpredictable dangers that might require more High-Tier Transcendents to hold the fort.”

Of course, if he wasn’t going to lift a finger, he had to move his mouth.

Without needing Su Gao to say a word, Fu Qian had already welcomed him on her behalf.

”I wonder when Your Excellency plans to begin the operation?”

He didn’t waste any more time on pleasantries, getting straight to the point.

”Now.”

The next second, Old Man Stoss nodded, his tone resolute.

...

Crisp and efficient. I just love this temper of yours, Night Watchers.

Though it was exactly as expected, Fu Qian still praised him inwardly.

Although their tempers ran a bit hot, the way these old men from the Night Watchers rejected empty formalities was deeply gratifying.

Whether it was Logan before or Stoss right in front of him, they were both the type to get straight to work without even stopping for a sip of water.

”Speaking of Logan’s previous affair, I must thank you on his behalf.”

As they say, great minds think alike. The next moment, Stoss had actually thought of the same thing. Turning to look at him again, he spoke with utmost seriousness.

Ah?

This unexpectedly polite posture undoubtedly shocked everyone present.

The one with the biggest reaction was none other than Aike.

Having been stationed here these past few days without returning, she seemed to be missing some information.

At the same time, as a member of the rescue squad, she clearly knew the ins and outs of Old Man Logan’s defeat in Shangjing very well.

”You’re welcome. It’s a pity I couldn’t do more.”

And under her disbelieving gaze, the object of this gratitude gave a slight nod, actually accepting the sentiment outright.