Eldritch Horror Theatre

[Containment Fulfillment Conditions: Find the stolen Blood of Thorns]

[Current SAN Value: 93, Current inspiration: 31]

[Skills: Air Bullet, Visceral Attack, Cat School, Feast (Locked), Commandment Residue, Transcendence, Mythical Form]

[Weapon: Tyrant's Fist]

With the two newly acquired skills, his total count had increased to seven. Fu Qian naturally equipped all of them without hesitation.

So far, he hadn't encountered any restrictions on how many skills he could equip. Fu Qian guessed he simply hadn't hit the limit yet.

If the day ever came when he had too many, he might have to start making choices.

As his consciousness slowly recovered, Fu Qian observed his surroundings.

Was this a bookstore?

Judging by the angle of the sunlight, it was just past noon. People were wandering through the shop in twos and threes.

He was leaning back in an armchair, a soft cushion supporting his neck, with a small wooden counter in front of him.

What a leisurely bookstore afternoon. The working environment this time wasn't bad at all!

Fu Qian stretched, though he didn't lower his guard.

Thinking back to the Ring Archipelago, it had started with bright sunshine and soft beaches too. Who could have imagined it would get so bizarre later on?

In truth, as an avid reader, Fu Qian had once entertained the idea of opening a bookstore. After all, it would give him a perfectly legitimate excuse to slack off and read.

Unfortunately, after looking into it, he realized that being a bookstore owner wasn't quite so relaxing.

Beyond sitting at the register, there was shelving, inventory, accounting, restocking, and a host of other chores.

To even keep the finances afloat, he would have needed to set up sections for test prep and study materials. He eventually dropped the idea.

Today, however, he could take the opportunity to experience the life of a bookstore owner.

"How much is this?"

Someone approached the counter with a book in hand.

"One."

Fu Qian didn't even look up.

"...Aren't you going to check what book it is?"

"No need."

A person had to be a little carefree.

Besides, he couldn't take any money he made here back with him anyway.

Watching the customer hastily drop the cash and leave, Fu Qian glanced at the few people still lingering in the shop.

Was this a joke? This was a high-level supernatural world, and they were wasting their prime time reading in a bookstore?

They should go home and punch a sandbag!

"Apologies, everyone. The shop is closing."

Fu Qian knocked on the counter after a moment of thought.

"It's only one thirty..."

The customers' complaints had no effect. Fu Qian fully embraced his role as a capricious owner and drove them all out.

The bookstore returned to tranquility. Fu Qian leaned back in his chair, enjoying this high-cost quiet time.

However, that leisure didn't last long.

Ten minutes later, a light breeze blew through.

The bookstore door opened silently, then closed again.

When he looked up, another person was already sitting on a sofa.

From the side, the man appeared to be around forty, with sharp facial features and piercing eyes.

Most importantly, of course, this man was a transcendent.

That entire sequence of entering just now wasn't something an ordinary person could pull off.

At that moment, the middle-aged man was facing away from him, casually opening a small booklet.

"Ding Yi, thirty years old, unemployed. One month ago, your uncle passed away, and you came from out of town to inherit this bookstore. Is this your information?"

He slowly recited a string of details.

"It could be."

Fu Qian replied easily.

"Hmph!"

The middle-aged man let out a cold snort, stood up, and walked over to the counter, slamming the booklet down onto it.

"Were you really this careless when forging your information, or do the Night Watchers just look that unprofessional to you?"

"To help you understand your current situation, let me first introduce myself. I am Qin Feng, captain of the Night Watchers Second Detachment, First Brigade in Shangjing City."

Qin Feng stared into Fu Qian's eyes.

"I expect you to answer the following questions truthfully."

"Trust me, it is absolutely for your own good."

Night Watchers, as expected!

Fu Qian's mind stirred. Based on the mission briefing earlier, the Night Watchers had just lost something important, so naturally, they would be making moves.

This guy was highly likely here for exactly that.

"First of all, your surname is not Ding, and you are not thirty years old."

Seeing Fu Qian remain silent, Qin Feng gave a cold smile.

"Fang Xun, twenty-five years old, Tier 8 Transcendent. Arrived in Shangjing ten days ago. Am I right?"

"You guys even know all that!"

Fu Qian offered a listless word of praise.

"Of course we know!"

"There are always people who harbor illusions, thinking they can hide from our eyes."

"To tell you the truth, every transcendent who enters Shangjing is recorded immediately, even if you don't report in. We usually just can't be bothered to deal with you."

That sounded pretty high-end!

Fu Qian blinked, catching the secondary meaning beneath the words.

"So something has come up now? Mind telling me what happened?"

"Cut the crap, I'm the one asking questions here!"

Qin Feng smacked the counter so hard it creaked.

"Tell me, what is your true purpose in coming to Shangjing?"

"Haven't you already seen it?"

Fu Qian gestured at his surroundings.

"Opening a shop, studying, enjoying life in the big city."

"Bullshit! You'd better drop that wishful thinking."

"If you don't cooperate, don't blame me for getting rough!"

By the end of his tirade, Qin Feng's tone was fierce and severe.

Getting rough how? Dragging him back for severe interrogation?

That would actually be perfect.

According to the mission brief, the Blood of Thorns had been stolen from the Night Watchers Base.

He could take the opportunity to head over and gather some intel.

"I need you to give a good explanation for why you would do something as abnormal as forging your documents. What is your motive?"

Good question. He'd like to know that himself.

But unfortunately, he knew absolutely nothing about the preceding circumstances.

It was the truth. When it came to the current situation, Fu Qian knew even less than this Night Watcher did.

Even the names Ding Yi and Fang Xun were things the man had just told him.

During past Containments, he had always appeared under his true identity, and the people around him recognized his actual face.

This time, it was a double-layered nesting doll. It was truly baffling.

As Fu Qian frowned in thought, Qin Feng lost his patience.

He was just about to shout a few more words at this stubborn citizen when his expression suddenly contorted in extreme agony.

At the same moment, Fu Qian detected a trace of abnormal fluctuation and immediately retreated a few steps.

The next instant, Qin Feng's facial features twisted. His entire head swelled, expanded, and then violently exploded.

Red and white brain matter scattered through the air, splattering all over the bookstore.

...

So it was true that the cooler the entrance, the faster they died?

Fu Qian stared at the gruesome mess around him, stunned for a long moment.

If he hadn't reacted quickly enough to dodge the blast radius, he would have been covered from head to toe.

But speaking of faces, Fu Qian suddenly realized something.

He rushed to the washroom and found a mirror.

Sure enough, the face in the reflection was not his own!

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