Eldritch Horror Theatre

"A remarkable young man, even down to his looks."

Clearly noticing Fu Qian's reaction, Madam Yingzhu narrowed her eyes slightly, making no effort to hide her admiration for the person behind that name.

"A rare blend of perceptiveness and honesty. After just three hours in this room, she chose to give her answer."

"And we are absolutely certain Sophia is her real name..."

Beside her, Oz chimed in.

"She might not have matched your efficiency earlier, but she was certainly faster when it came time to sign the register."

"She showed considerable resolve in parting with her past and facing her impending fate."

Neither of them sounded particularly polite.

It was as if the constant barrage of Fu Qian's chuuni posturing along the way had finally worn them down, allowing their pent-up resentment to find a small outlet.

Unfortunately for them, as established earlier, they knew absolutely nothing about the true heights of chuuni.

With a cold sneer, Fu Qian didn't scramble to sign just because he was being unfavorably compared to a girl. Instead, he tossed the pen Oz had handed him right back onto the register.

"Then I'm curious. How did someone so honest evaluate this little farce you've put together?"

...Farce?

"What do you mean?"

"You'd better explain yourself..."

Tension flared once more. Fu Qian's increasingly blunt words caused Madam Yingzhu and Oz's expressions to darken simultaneously.

"Heh... explain myself."

"Do you know what I've never been able to understand about most people?"

Their oppressive glares had absolutely no effect on Fu Qian.

He shook his head, his tone laced with undisguised disappointment.

"Even when the truth is right in front of them, they cover their eyes and refuse to see it, waiting for someone else to point it out."

"From the very beginning up until now, I have been acutely aware of the true purpose behind this series of so-called trials and deliberate mystification."

"The Night Watchers do bring trouble, so using a little misdirection as a disguise isn't strange."

"But seeing you present an item like this even now tells me that someone has gotten their priorities completely backward, turning a noble mission into a farce."

"Before you argue, could you tell me the point of this thing? Other than as a continuation of your previous clownish behavior?"

"I didn't accept that Key just to play house with you."

Fu Qian gestured toward the register with his eyes.

"Entering the Workshop... taking the power that belongs to me, and never running from the fate behind it. That is my sole purpose here."

...

When Li Gui encounters Li Kui, false pretenses are always instantly exposed the moment they clash.

His tone was calm and his expression wasn't overly severe, yet this understated delivery only made his inner conviction feel that much more palpable.

Just as Oz and Madam Yingzhu finally began to grasp what the true chuuni spirit looked like, Fu Qian immediately hit them with an advanced masterclass.

Of course, he wasn't doing this to avoid signing the register out of some fear that it was too risky.

Despite its impressive appearance, the register was a genuinely ordinary item. Fu Qian was confident about that much.

Judging by Oz and Madam Yingzhu's reactions, it probably wouldn't have mattered even if he actually signed it as 'Lord of the Rings'.

His true reason for refusing to sign lay precisely in that fact—while it held zero risk, it also held zero meaning. It was purely the momentum of his chuuni disguise.

Since he loathed pointless actions, he decided to forge a different path and inject his own meaning into the situation.

By refusing, for instance, he could convey that he was sick of the red tape and push things forward.

Although he was usually a fan of adapting to local customs, since he was nearly certain this was all the handiwork of the Sages, Fu Qian didn't mind taking control of the tempo and speeding things up.

These people were far too cautious; there was no guarantee they wouldn't waste even more of his time later on.

If they forced him to sit through some kind of welcome orientation after he signed, that would be crossing the line.

"Only those who leave their names on the register are permitted to enter the Workshop."

Reeling from the impact of his words, Madam Yingzhu remained silent. Only Oz spoke up, his voice cold.

"Yet considering your previous performances, I can't rule out the possibility that if I actually do it, you'll suddenly pull out whistles and confetti and yell, 'Gotcha!'"

Fu Qian refused to buy into their narrative, offering a humorless smile.

"If you distrust us that much, you are perfectly free to leave."

Clearly caught off guard by his stubbornness, Madam Yingzhu couldn't help but adopt a harder stance.

"That statement is logically flawed. I just don't trust you, but I have never doubted the call of destiny."

Fu Qian didn't so much as blink at the threat of eviction, seizing the chance to give her another lesson in logical reasoning.

To be perfectly honest, his earlier deductions hadn't been entirely logical either, and he was sure both Madam Yingzhu and Oz could sense that.

Little did they know, that was exactly the effect he was going for.

As a chuuni youth, it was perfectly in character to spout specious rhetoric with smooth conviction. If his logic was too tight and professional, it would only scare them off.

"Oz..."

And it seemed Madam Yingzhu hadn't been scared off.

After the incredibly tense standoff stretched on for about ten seconds, she suddenly shot Oz a look.

"Take this Mr. Lord of the Rings to the Workshop."

"But..."

Unsurprisingly, Oz hesitated.

"I'll go with you."

...

See? Red tape could be discarded after all.

Seeing that Madam Yingzhu hadn't so much as glanced at the register after her moment of deliberation, Fu Qian felt very satisfied with the progress.

This definitely wasn't an ordinary recruitment process.

Keeping his face perfectly blank as he followed them, Fu Qian continued his internal critique.

Aside from accelerating the pace, his refusal to sign served another purpose. Despite his abysmal attitude and glaring instability, they still chose to accept him rather than cut him loose.

It was hard to say if it was directly related to his target—the Vacuum Flower—but he could clearly feel the urgency of the faction backing them.

Things were starting to get interesting.

Naturally, Madam Yingzhu should be thankful she had ultimately decided to accept him. Because the only other option was to be forced into accepting him.

"Thanks for your hard work."

As they climbed into the back seat together, Fu Qian turned to his guide, his demeanor instantly flipping to polite.

"How could a farce be hard work?"

Unfortunately, it seemed she did hold a bit of a grudge.

Without even glancing his way, Madam Yingzhu flipped her palm, suddenly producing a square box made of a silver-sanded material.

Spotless and intricately patterned, it wasn't large, but its sheer value was immediately apparent.

Of course, that wasn't the most important part.

Without any hesitation, Madam Yingzhu popped it open.

The next instant, thousands of glowing fireflies swarmed into Fu Qian's vision.

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