Eldritch Horror Theatre

Ah, youth. Things are rarely out of the ordinary without good reason.

Lisa's reaction was clearly exactly what he had expected. Sighing inwardly, Fu Qian strolled forward and casually planted himself in a seat.

"What is this?"

With the source of her irritation covered up, Professor Lisa calmed considerably as her logical thinking reclaimed the high ground.

"I was deeply shaken the last time I visited your place."

Gesturing for her to take a seat wherever she liked, Fu Qian offered a rather casual explanation.

"And then?"

"Then I took the painful lesson to heart and decided to upgrade the Laboratory's hardware. This happens to be the first piece of sponsorship I received."

This... so that was what had shaken him?

Strictly speaking, there were no obvious flaws in his logic—but that was about it.

She found it incredibly hard to believe that the guy sitting in front of her would ever experience such emotional swings.

"So that's why you locked me outside? You were afraid looking at it would upset me and I'd tear it apart?"

"How could I underestimate you like that? I was merely following the principle of maximizing happiness. I didn't want you to experience any unnecessary negative emotions after a hard day's work."

Laughing, Fu Qian waved off the notion, signaling that she shouldn't overthink it. He had always had complete confidence in her self-control.

"But what's the point? I still ended up seeing it..."

It was a simple sentence, but its soothing effect was remarkable. When Lisa spoke again, her foul mood had clearly dissipated.

"That's why I should have been the one to visit you. I just didn't expect you to be even more efficient than I imagined."

Fu Qian continued to reply without missing a beat.

"Is Lotte's problem sorted?"

...

"It wasn't that troublesome to begin with. I actually thought I was a bit slow."

Lisa no longer seemed surprised that her intentions had been guessed instantly. She simply let out a hum, indicating that the matter had been a piece of cake.

"She's fully recovered. I just had Veil take her back. They might even come looking for you later to offer their thanks."

"Thanks for the hard work. I knew solving this would be a breeze the moment Professor Lisa stepped in."

As an academic wholly indifferent to fame and fortune, Fu Qian couldn't have cared less whether those sisters thanked him or not. Right now, he was simply singing the praises of Professor Lisa's scientific prowess.

"So now it is time for me to give my thanks."

Enforcing strict rewards and certain punishments was a foundational quality of a person in charge.

With Professor Lisa solving the problem so efficiently, how could he possibly wait for her to remind him about returning the favor?

"At least you have a bit of a conscience..."

Sure enough, she was visibly satisfied with his sincerity, and her last lingering trace of resentment vanished into thin air.

"I didn't mean to rush this so urgently."

Sighing softly, Lisa went on to explain her impatience.

"Working on that thing earlier nearly drove me crazy. It was nice to clear my head over the last couple of days, but the moment I finished up, the headache came right back..."

"Completely understandable. I am at your service."

Fu Qian signaled for her not to worry. He fully empathized with her plight, and he was already standing up as he spoke.

"Let's go."

"...Right now?"

His sheer efficiency clearly caught even her off guard.

"What, do you want to grab lunch first?"

"There's no need... this is perfect."

Realizing Fu Qian wasn't joking, Lisa shot to her feet, her spirits suddenly revived.

"By the way, what kind of taste does the person who gifted you this even have?"

Of course, as they were about to leave, her gaze snagged on that Snakeskin Pattern once again, and she just couldn't hold back a jab.

'Watch your phrasing, Tier 4 Transcendent.'

Fu Qian sighed inwardly. He didn't argue, simply blinking in response.

"Ugly?"

...

To this day, it remains unknown whether Professor Lisa actually found the Chair ugly.

After pondering his one-word question for a full two seconds, she steadfastly refused to answer, choosing instead to focus all her energy on the upcoming research.

Under her guidance, Lifetime Professor Fu Qian finally made his first visit to Apocalypse's storage room.

Compared to Linghui's side, this place was undoubtedly much more bustling. The vibrant atmosphere of active research was incredibly infectious.

Since he was Apocalypse's most recent man of the hour, Fu Qian's arrival was noticed immediately, triggering a massive boost in morale.

Although the researchers managed to suppress their impulses—no one rudely stepped forward to interrupt him—their surging excitement was visible to the naked eye.

"Seeing everyone so full of drive puts my mind at ease."

Taking in the scene, Expert Fu—acting in his capacity as the interim spokesperson—let out a dramatic sigh. He wore the gratified expression of a mentor watching the younger generation come into their own. For his efforts, he earned a massive eye roll from behind Professor Lisa's glasses.

'His mind at ease... so where is he running off to this time?'

His tone made it sound like he was gearing up to leave any day now. Combined with the fact that Cass had already slipped away, Lisa could only let out a heavy sigh.

However, she clearly knew what the priority was today. Refusing to dwell on the matter, she led Fu Qian downward, not stopping until they reached a remote, secluded corner.

Standing nearly two stories tall, the massive, fleshy body—which looked as though it had been cast from solid bronze and even exuded a faint trace of divinity—appeared before Fu Qian once again.

Even the layers of mystical restrictions bound to its body hadn't been dialed back when Linghui handed it over.

The entrance to that special Realm of the Fallen Deity lay right inside this giant beast's mouth.

According to Linghui, one had to establish a mental connection with the slumbering creature. Only after earning its approval would they be granted the chance to enter—

But the moment Fu Qian walked up to it, the beast's massive eyes snapped open, locking dead onto him.

'Did I wake it up?'

Fu Qian clearly didn't advocate for disturbing a good night's sleep. He offered it a smiling greeting.

Despite his friendly gesture, the colossal body immediately rose to its feet, looking utterly wide awake.

"How about you just ask it to open its mouth?"

This sudden development prompted Lisa to abandon the standard operating procedure she had been prepping. Looking directly at Fu Qian, she made her suggestion.

"Hmm..."

But before Fu Qian could even respond, a bizarre sound echoed through the room. The giant beast dropped back down on its stomach and threw its mouth wide open, revealing a terrifying row of fangs and the swirling green vortex deep within its throat.

'Isn't it being a bit too obedient? Acting like this makes me look like a tyrant.'

Its sheer eagerness to cooperate only deepened Professor Lisa's shock, and even Fu Qian felt his pristine reputation was taking a hit.

'Cass was the one who violently woke it up last time, alright? I just stood by and watched the whole time.'

"Let's go."

Fortunately, it was obvious that Professor Lisa held no illusions regarding the interim spokesperson's reputation. Seeing the gateway open so smoothly, she immediately took the lead.

This was her own research project. Demigod Fu was simply a hired thug here to provide backup.

As a principled researcher, she clearly wasn't about to pawn all the work off on someone else—even if his previous maggot metaphor still made interacting with him rather bizarre.

As the bizarre sensation of crossing space washed over her, Lisa gazed into the distance at the glimmering green light within the Mist and took a deep breath.

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