Eldritch Horror Theatre

This must be the dutiful tour guide.

She wasn’t wearing any professional gear, but a single glance was enough to reveal her capable demeanor.

Living up to its designated number, was this task really tourism-themed?

Even though this was an urban area, the view from up here was genuinely quite nice.

Amidst the bustling crowds, he could faintly sense the local culture mentioned in the briefing.

This vehicle, which felt ready for the scrapyard, was impressively an old red tram. It had that distinct ”everything rattles except the bell” charm, and compared to the ones back at the Academy, it was a genuine antique.

Rocking back and forth with sheer stubbornness, the tram practically pushed its way right through the crowd.

Yet the passing pedestrians seemed to have no concept of a safe distance, their movements barely affected by it.

As for the vendors flanking the street behind piles of colorful souvenirs, many rested with their eyes closed, too lazy to even spare a glance at the fresh batch of tourists the tram had just delivered.

”What a pity. You missed out on one of the essential experiences.”As Fu Qian admired the scene, his behavior seemed to surprise the guide a little. While waving for the people behind her to get off, she expressed her regret that he hadn’t ended up tangled in the crowd.

”I was mostly worried my glasses would poke someone.”

In response, Fu Qian simply pointed at his face.

It was true. While enjoying the scenery just now, he had been looking through more than just one layer of glass.

Calling the thing on his face ’sunglasses’ would be a massive understatement. No matter how he wore them, they made him look like a red-eyed frog.

”That’s alright. I’m sure we’ll have more good luck later.”

The female guide seemed entirely used to this sort of casual getup. Smiling and chatting, she began gathering the group.

”Looks like it.”

Fu Qian didn’t elaborate either. He casually scanned his surroundings, showing no intention of taking off the glasses.

[Current task updated: Find the Blue-Eyed Dancer.]

...

The mission objective was surprisingly clear, with the prompt appearing almost immediately.

It seemed the Warehouse wasn’t going to let him wander aimlessly on a company-paid vacation—though it still sounded very much like a tourist trip.

A Dancer. This sort of folk performance shouldn’t be rare in a tourist city like this, though it was still unclear what ’Blue-Eyed’ was supposed to mean.

The simplest interpretation would be the color of her irises. However, even before getting off the tram, Fu Qian had already spotted something peculiar.

Over half the street stalls had a specific, equally folk-styled ornament hanging from them.

They were round, coming in all sizes, and a single glance was enough to tell that the material was cheap and common—icy glass.

Yet the design itself was far from ordinary. On those flat, round discs were three distinct circles, nested one inside the other.

At a glance, it gave him a strong sense of déjà vu, reminding him of the projection back in the Warehouse.

Since the innermost circle was blue, as they swayed, they truly looked like Blue Eyes staring right back at him.

Not only did he receive a prompt right at the start, but he also saw an element related to the task at first glance. This probably counted as the good luck the guide had mentioned.

Even if this element was literally plastered all over the streets.

Clicking his tongue in marvel, Fu Qian didn’t rush to buy one to study. Instead, he joined the others in listening to the guide’s introduction. The reason was simple—

”...This is our first stop, and it’s also the first stop for most people who visit this city... I’m sure you’ve noticed those Blue Eyes? Actually, the locals have a special name for them. They’re called the ’Inviolable’.”

...

After half a lifetime spent in the saddle, he had rarely seen such a smooth start.

A familiar term in the introduction confirmed for Fu Qian that his earlier guess hadn’t been a baseless association.

Not only was the design similar, but the name was exactly the same as the Containment Object.

”The reason for this name is that they firmly believe this item possesses a Transcendent effect, capable of protecting them from the invasion of external forces.”

The explanation continued, and the dutiful female guide even clarified the origin of the name.

Though the phrase ”invasion of external forces” sounded a bit abstract.

”As for what exactly that means, very few people can explain it clearly anymore. In short, just treat it as a special amulet. If it shatters one day, it means it helped block a disaster for you.”

Unfortunately, the guide’s knowledge base showed no intention of delving deeper into the topic; it was clearly geared more toward practicality.

”...Another thing to note: even if it doesn’t break, you must throw it away if you carry it through a thunderstorm... Fortunately, these things aren’t expensive.”

Catering to the group’s curiosity with a few extra details, the guide gestured toward a spot not far away.

”Alright, let’s head out. If you want to move around freely, just let me know, but don’t forget our meeting point—the Cafe at the intersection...”

”If you lose your sense of direction, don’t worry. There aren’t many people in our group. Just stay put, and I’ll find you very quickly.”

...

There really weren’t many people.

Lately, Fu Qian had seemingly developed a good habit of listening to precautions.

While he gleaned crucial information from this, he also entirely agreed with her statement about their numbers.

Comparatively speaking, this tour group was indeed bite-sized.

Aside from himself, only five other people had gotten off the tram just now—

A couple, neither of whom looked particularly young, yet they were both wearing matching light purple jackets and appeared very intimate.

An Old Man with white hair, whose demeanor and attire were extremely stylish, standing with a perfectly straight posture.

A middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline and a greasy face, who smiled very amiably.

And finally, the youngest solo woman aside from himself. She was also the one carrying the least amount of stuff; wearing a white dress and empty-handed, it looked as if she had genuinely just stepped out to grab a coffee.

One could only say that this dutiful guide had better charge high fees or arrange some shopping trips, otherwise she would easily starve to death.

Of course, this didn’t prevent his trip from seeming highly leisurely.

Aside from the information popping up one after another, Fu Qian had even confirmed one more thing at this moment—the so-called King of the Abandoned Prison didn’t just refer to the Divine Station he had usurped, but rather an entire package deal akin to his normal state.

Aside from the skill rewards obtained in the missions, even his gains from Insight were still there.

As for his various items, of which absolutely none remained—to be honest, more than half of them were unusable to begin with.

All in all, his Combat Power hadn’t been heavily affected.

”It seems everyone wants to walk together first. I’m honored. Let’s begin—”

Seeing that no one spoke up, the female guide looked somewhat gratified. She turned around with flair and took the lead.

”Sorry, I’m planning to look around on my own.”

Though she was interrupted by Fu Qian the very next second.

While she was certainly very responsible, since the Warehouse was providing clues so smoothly, it seemed he should also show a bit of proactivity.

”So, where nearby can I find a Dancer?”

And right as the group turned to look at him, Fu Qian casually continued without batting an eye.