Eldritch Horror Theatre

The Attending Physician’s assistant? That actually made a lot of sense.

A high-end facility like this would obviously be equipped with its own medical team.

Sure enough, the confessions continued, confirming Fu Qian’s suspicions.

Buyiren wasn’t just an ordinary guard; he was a medical professional at the Sanitarium.

Which made things even more interesting. An internal medicine doctor running night patrols?

Brother Buyiren had already made it clear that during their last encounter, Fu Qian hadn’t been ”sharp” enough.

The implication was obvious: he had worn this exact outfit on the 1st, but Fu Qian had failed to notice the distinct aura separating him from the other guards.

So he had been working two jobs this whole time? The medical field was highly competitive these days, true, but a place like this clearly wasn’t short on money. Was his income really that tight?

”Have you ever thought about replacing him?”

Silently sighing over the universal suffering of all living beings, Fu Qian casually tossed out a highly inflammatory question....

Everyone knew the conflict between a superior and a subordinate was innate.

It was as natural as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Even if they vehemently denied it, no sane person would believe them.

And right at this very moment, the proof was sitting right in front of him.

Even in this situation, Fu Qian’s out-of-the-blue remark successfully made the man’s gaze flicker.

Brother Buyiren was usually someone with solid mental fortitude. He had managed to keep up with Professor Fu’s rapid flip-flopping for this long while maintaining a degree of rationality.

Yet even he was now suffering a major failure in facial expression management. Didn’t that explain everything?

”You must be joking, Mr. Fu. Doctor Servis possesses knowledge that I still need to study for a very long time.”

Naturally, the man refused to admit it. Forcing his eyes to narrow to make his expression look more natural, Buyiren chose to casually gloss over the topic.

”Makes sense. Hence why you’re his assistant.”

Professor Fu was playing the role of a perfectly agreeable gentleman today. He gave a slight nod of agreement, even finding an extra piece of supporting logic for the man.

”...Wearing this outfit was actually my own request.”

Unfortunately, Buyiren didn’t really appreciate the gesture. After his gaze flickered uncontrollably once more, he hesitated for a moment before explaining the reason behind his strange attire.

”People always instinctively hide their weaknesses, even when facing a doctor.

”But the darkness often lowers that vigilance. That is why I take on another role at night to walk through this place... Without needing to knock and enter, I can sense far more just from the shifts in the light and dark.”

As he spoke, he used his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, looking as though he had grown somewhat unaccustomed to the brightness.

”Also, there is no need to praise my dedication or anything of the sort. This process is equally a process of self-examination.

”Experiencing myself through a different identity makes it easier to spot the mistakes I made during the day, or to achieve inner peace.”

...

See? This was why neurologists always ended up going crazy sooner or later.

Despite his calm expression, his words were incredibly earnest. For a moment, the aura of hanging the gourd to heal the world radiating from Brother Buyiren was truly moving.

However, Fu Qian, whose empathy was always a bit too strong, focused more on that very last sentence.

Giving up sleep at night to run around in a different identity, just to check if his daytime self had glitched out?

Wasn’t it obvious that his mental state was already getting a bit eccentric?

Healers cannot heal themselves. Considering the sheer amount of talent in this Sanitarium, suffering a little mental pollution was perfectly normal.

Of course, that wasn’t the main point. The main point was that the man had actually volunteered this bizarre information all on his own.

It was obvious that Buyiren had dangled the suspense of his dual identities earlier in hopes of stirring up some curiosity, prompting Mr. Fu to ask about it.

Unfortunately, Mr. Fu didn’t play by the rules at all. The moment he opened his mouth, he steered the conversation straight into office politics.

To avoid making things worse, Buyiren abandoned any pretense of posturing and spilled everything with maximum efficiency.

Some might think this was just a way to gain a slight upper hand in momentum without any real practical use.

But how did the saying go? Attitude was what mattered most.

In Fu Qian’s eyes, the fact that the man had considered the risk of a dead-end conversation and was willing to maintain this relatively balanced exchange was a clear reflection of his attitude.

Was the Director really ready for the final showdown? Was the office going to be the grand finale?

It still felt like there was more manipulation to come.

”Not a bad method. Actually, I once met an old man who had a similar idea. He even expanded the scope of the operation to two people and named it ’Reflection’.”

Having quietly arrived at a deduction, Fu Qian was quite satisfied and volunteered a case he had encountered.

”The specific method involved two people swapping identities. Each person immersed themselves in their perception of the other, guessing the other’s intentions and acting accordingly.”

The person he was referring to was, naturally, Old Man Kadon—the one who had drafted his Dying Wish List and calmly marched toward his own demise.

Beyond having the willpower to resist such temptation and the sheer audacity to bury a God single-handedly, the old man’s way of thinking was highly commendable in Fu Qian’s eyes.

Since he just so happened to have a fellow enthusiast right here, he figured he might as well promote the concept for him.

”...An interesting concept, but the requirements for the participants would be incredibly high. It would require them to be exceptionally well-trained.”

Clearly not expecting Fu Qian to have such a case in his repertoire, Buyiren was momentarily surprised.

However, he quickly demonstrated his professional expertise. After a brief moment of thought, he pointed out the operational limitations.

”It would even demand an extremely high level of professional ethics. If someone harbored malicious intent, it would be very easy to plant something harmful in the other person’s mind.”

At this, Fu Qian gave a slight nod, not only acknowledging the man’s concerns but even adding an extra point.

...

In that moment, the complex expression on Brother Buyiren’s face could no longer be hidden.

It was obvious that the shock was still hitting him. He couldn’t fathom how this had actually turned into a genuine academic exchange.

Mostly because the hidden danger the other man had brought up was incredibly real.

For Reflection to be effective, one would need to open their mind to a considerable degree, completely dropping their defenses around the other person.

If someone harbored malicious intentions in such a vulnerable state, it really would be easy to plant dark seeds within them.

”And did that old man succeed?”

Rationally speaking, this topic probably shouldn’t have been continued, but Buyiren decided to indulge his curiosity anyway.

”You could say he succeeded.”

Fu Qian’s memories were successfully stirred as the image of Old Man Kadon lying in his bed, peacefully passing away, surfaced in his mind.

”That is wonderful... I hope we can succeed as well.”

Hearing that it had a good ending, Buyiren finally reined himself in and brought the conversation back on track.

As he spoke, he signaled for Fu Qian to stop, pressing his hand against a window beside them.

Creeeeeak—

Even though his movements were incredibly careful, a faint scraping sound still rang out.

Looking through the small window that opened inward, they could see a long Corridor stretching out behind it, with a staircase waiting at the very end.

”It’s just ahead.”

Letting him know they were close to their destination, Buyiren made a gesture, signaling that this was the way to go.