Facing an Ancient God for a Year

Chapter 1448: Chapter 1446: The Core of Artificial Existence (16)

Claire indeed didn’t have the key, and there truly was no one inside.

Without suspecting the other party of bringing her to a fake location, Fu Qian casually looked around.

This was undoubtedly the lowest level of the entire building, but the air circulation was fairly good, and even the tightly locked door was clean, clearly regularly cleaned by someone.

Perhaps it was precisely this point that during her years of marriage, Claire’s curiosity was not stirred too intensely, right?

”This room has no form of windows, and the key has always been very well hidden by Lek. Every time he went in, he would lock the door from the inside, so I have no idea what’s in there.”

The saying goes that in vino veritas, though being brought here against her will, standing before the unknown accumulated over the years, Claire’s emotions sounded subtly changed, with a touch more of the desire to explore the unknown.

The unconsciously quickened pace of her speech was proof enough.

”Please trust me, if there was a way to open it, I would have checked it first thing.”

The next moment, she turned to look at Fu Qian, speaking with a kind of helpless sincerity.

”So how did Lek leave?”

Taking a step forward, Fu Qian sounded as if he had no doubts about it.

”Right when I got back, after telling him about what happened over at your place... a servant saw him leaving in a hurry, taking nothing with him—”

Claire’s words stopped abruptly, facing the door ajar, pushed slightly open.

Her almost frozen gaze fell to the other person’s hand the next moment.𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Was that a... hairpin?

Where did he get it from? Moreover, isn’t he too skilled at this!

...

After being told that guy might possess non-human powers as a Transcendent, Claire clearly had some imaginings on how to open the door.

However, such an effortlessly light manner, even easier looking than using a key herself, made the surge of her urge to break in and explore feel like it was wasted.

But these were all trivial details. Master Grimshaw obviously had no intention of minding her feelings, having already directly pushed the door open.

A patch of darkness, due to the location, barely any light from the hallway came through. Even if Claire at the door exerted all her strength, she still couldn’t see anything inside—while those inside had no intention of turning on the lights.

Grimshaw had already unhesitatingly stepped into the darkness.

As he moved, a sediment of age, speaking of both curiosity and fear, stirred up with an indescribable smell.

In such an enclosed space, fresh air like in the hallway was inherently impossible.

Click!

Attributing it to the aftereffects of alcohol, Claire neither stayed outside nor took the opportunity to leave.

The next moment, she suppressed her fear, walked into that unpleasant air, and following the building’s layout, found a switch to turn on.

The sudden brightness nearly caused a brief loss of vision.

And a few seconds later, finally adjusting, Claire faced the scene before her, feeling unexpectedly lost.

Empty.

In a not particularly large room, there wasn’t even basic furnishings.

Under the slightly reddish light, it even seemed somewhat desolate.

Grimshaw, who had entered first, was now standing in a corner of the room, silently looking at a pile of identically shaped and sized boxes.

Half-transparent and neatly stacked, almost covering one wall, these boxes were practically the only noteworthy thing in the entire room.

Yet, at a glance, each was empty without exception, rendering Claire completely unable to understand what he was looking at.

...

”It seems like you’re disappointed, sir.”

Faced with Grimshaw, who appeared pensive, Claire, feeling a sense of loss, inexplicably experienced a faint sense of pleasure.

To the point she even leaned forward bravely to ask a question.

”Have you found anything?”

”Yes, very orderly.”

Unexpectedly, the other party expressed no sense of disappointment.

”And then?”

”Then it’s like some kind of standardized item.”

In the seamless exchange, Fu Qian finally turned his head to look at Claire.

”You mentioned before that your husband worked at a hospital before retiring, as a surgeon?”

”Yes... Is this...”

Nodding subconsciously, Claire suddenly realized something, quickly turning to look again at that peculiar wall, recognizing these unmarked boxes with a sense of familiarity.

”It seems he brought back certain things cut out from bodies that were originally to be destroyed, against regulations.”

Without waiting for her answer, Fu Qian made a judgment on his own.

”You’ve never noticed it before?”

...

”I never inquired into Lek’s work matters...”

The moment she realized what this master meant, the wall full of empty boxes became tremendously horrifying in Claire’s eyes.

Some distorted human structure imagery in her mind made her burst into a rush of alcohol-induced nausea, hard to suppress the urge to vomit.

”Indeed, they look like hospital items, but... they’re empty.”

Instinctively taking a step back, nevertheless, she struggled to make a rebuttal.

”Yes, so your husband took advantage of his position to illicitly take hospital materials.”

Without any intention of arguing, Fu Qian casually followed her thoughts.

”Causing significant losses and, once noticed, resigned in order to retire early, is that the truth?”

...

Even if not wanting to agree with him, Claire wouldn’t think these boxes could cause any loss.

”But the things inside?”

After a moment’s silence, ultimately unwilling to acknowledge that nightmarish scene, she still made a somewhat weak rebuttal.

”That’s what I’m getting to as the second discovery, very clean.”

Fu Qian shook his head slightly.

”Then, doesn’t that just prove they haven’t been used?”

Claire almost impatiently retorted.

”Not used, or licked clean.”

However, his response was like a demon’s whisper.

”Carefully, thoroughly, not missing a single corner to lick clean.”

As Claire trembled as if electricity had passed through her body, he nonetheless hadn’t let her off.

”Just like a scene you see in your midnight nightmares.”

Ugh—

Vomit mixed with alcohol finally spewed from Claire’s mouth onto the floor.

And the hair-raising scene from her first visit reappeared in a more exaggerated extent.

”Look on the bright side, the fact that you didn’t notice for so long means Mr. Lek cleans his mouth pretty thoroughly every time he leaves here.”

Although offering no assistance, Fu Qian still offered professionally strong reassurance, helping the victim alleviate emotions and naturally steering the conversation.

”Now think carefully, earlier on any behavior or words related to our earlier description, did Mr. Lek have any?”