Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1259: Chapter 1257: Loss of Image (Part 1)

Is this what they call “luck favors the diligent”?

The letter wasn’t long, and given its overly familiar format, Fu Qian instantly sighed.

This escort mission’s greatest constraint undoubtedly lies in the urgency of time.

In a situation where the Pontiff’s condition can’t be confirmed, every single second of delay might lead to complete failure.

Yet, no matter how meticulously time is arranged, it still takes moments to execute.

At this point, it seemed he had a chance to strike back with overwhelming force.

The reach of the warehouse is truly extensive; even here, it can be found.

Senior Liliyana being able to hide in such a place and slack off is no easy feat indeed.

…

As a professional, Fu Qian had obviously considered leveraging the warehouse’s authority to trace the past.

Particularly, although the reason remains unclear, the prior mission involving the World Within the Painting proved the warehouse’s ability to influence this world.

It’s true the tasks given are highly random, but when viewed through the principle of proximity combined with probability, the value is absolutely worth the attempt.

But all of this comes with a premise—how to receive the task?

Take off the mask and return to the warehouse?

He had casually tested this earlier and found no response at all in this place.

Honestly, it’s not surprising; he had forcefully opened the passage to come here by relying on the Extreme Hunger Infection, so imagining a smooth return route seems naive.

For now, it seems the same method will most likely be required, first confronting the Nightmare Corridor head-on as per the cost of using Extreme Hunger Infection.

In fact, from the very first second of arriving in this world, Fu Qian noticed something accumulating within him.

It’s difficult to describe what exactly it is, nor can he sense any impact on his body or mind.

But his intuition told him the deeper that accumulation grows, the harder it would be to escape the Nightmare Corridor when the time comes.

In short, faced with this technical problem at hand, the only thing Fu Qian could think of was his previous experience of using Re-Assignment to slack off, only to be forcibly dragged back to work in the middle of the night.

Since the warehouse’s tentacles could extend here, there’s a possibility in this regard.

So, while traveling back with Amila and the others earlier, Fu Qian had already been waiting.

Unfortunately, even after midnight struck, there was still no sign of attendance checks.

He had thought the warehouse was finally out of reach, but unexpectedly, it had already delivered itself in this manner.

Come to think of it, his career-launching moment was also with a similar letter.

And comparatively, the warehouse’s tone here seemed even more courteous than when persuading him to join.

Free choice on whether to undertake the task—there’d be no penalties even if he refused.

The conditions were almost generous, full of respect for talent.

However, this method of initiating the task…

Glancing at the bottom of the letter, the next moment, Fu Qian stowed the letter away, stretched his body into a strip of flesh, and silently slipped out of the half-open window.

The reason for such hassle, instead of directly using Blood Conquest to pass through the door, mostly stemmed from his previous experience with the Clear Dream Ring.

The rules governing this world were rather peculiar, and it’s hard to say that certain special methods wouldn’t trigger something. There was no need to compromise the good image he had cultivated with The Sect for a bit of convenience.

…

Outside was still quiet; the two civil staff members of The Sect had long departed.

Recall the layout of this block, Fu Qian quickly reached a crossroads, turned left, then doubled back upon arriving at the next intersection, before turning right…

This overly bizarre route of movement would probably seem to any onlooker like Amila and the others, that his madness had further escalated.

But just a few minutes later, when Fu Qian returned to his original starting point and stepped forward again, the scene before him suddenly became surreal, and a series of sounds rang out.

[Name: Lost Image, Serial No. 2-191]

[Today’s work begins. Entering containment scenario 2-191.]

[Current SAN Points: 95. Current Inspiration: 99.]

Indeed, this was the bottom-line instruction within the letter, the way to initiate the task.

There wasn’t any specific address or guidance like going to a certain place or door; the key was to repeatedly traverse a cluster of adjacent crossroads in a strict sequence.

An intriguing yet eerie method, the warehouse gave a sense of embracing local customs.

And perhaps due to the suspected nightmare nature of its essence, the foundational rules of this world exhibited remarkable abstraction.

[…8%…13%…21%…34%…55%…89%…100%, containment scenario loading complete]

As thoughts churned, the scene ahead shifted, and when it stabilized, the first thing that entered his view was the soft brown upholstery directly in front.

He was once again on the move.

Fu Qian was certainly familiar with such a scene—it was clear he was sitting alone in a luxurious carriage.

Accompanied by crisp hoofbeats, his body swayed rhythmically with the carriage.

After three seconds of this motion, the customary task introduction still hadn’t appeared.

Strangely enough, it wasn’t surprising this time.

Fu Qian secretly mused to himself.

Various signs had already indicated that while the warehouse could chase him here, its control was evidently different.

Take, for instance, the last time he entered the World Within the Painting—there was likewise no task introduction then.

Perhaps precisely for this reason, the task wasn’t mandatory?

Regardless, one thing had undoubtedly improved—though he hadn’t been given the option to choose, he’d already checked first thing, and his abilities and items were still intact.

Fully armed, his tactical flexibility was exponentially increased.

If only the time limits weren’t so tight—

[Containment achievement condition: Before sunrise, purify the Blasphemous Blood within Jane Winslow’s body.]

Regrettably, the sudden prompt in his ear dashed Fu Qian’s hopeful expectations.

Clear and specific containment conditions, which were certainly excellent, but conversely, the time was significantly less ideal than he’d hoped.

Without pulling aside the nearby curtain, Fu Qian already knew it was deep into the night outside.

Of course, being a reasonable person, Fu Qian wouldn’t harbor resentment over this.

Even if not intentionally, the warehouse had been very considerate, presenting itself as a benevolent employer.

With objective conditions established, it was now time to employ subjective initiative.

Stretching lazily, Fu Qian picked up a heavy crate from beside him and casually opened it.

The interior of the crate was partitioned into several sections, containing a multitude of items.

The majority of these were various colored potions—red, green, silver, black—stored in numerous bottles and jars.

Evidently, they were the main constituents for the crate’s weight.

The other major category comprised slightly worn but meticulously cleaned metal devices.

Fu Qian pulled out a spoon-shaped object and used its small curved surface to reflect his current face.

It was neither Fang Xun nor Anke—clearly, the luxurious carriage wasn’t just for show.

“Doctor, we’ve arrived.”

A voice aptly sounded from outside.