Eldritch Horror Theatre

It took nearly half an hour for Fu Qian to finally get the face sculpted right.

For one, the strikingly unusual bone structure and complex patterns made a perfect replication a real hassle.

For another, the area's invisible influence kept interfering with the process—the slightest slip in concentration left the features looking ridiculously exaggerated.

Fu Qian had to make adjustment after adjustment before he finally dialed in the right amount of force.

With the corpse disposed of, he set off down the path to explore deeper into the area.

The blood-colored doll had escaped, but this trip was already proving fruitful.

Having once been an instructor at a top academic institution, Fu Qian at least understood the concept of a forbidden zone.

Simply put, certain regions of this world had been rendered uninhabitable by supernatural forces, whether through drastic environmental shifts or massive infestations of supernatural creatures.

Collectively classified as forbidden zones, these areas were subjected to strict control and graded by hazard level.

Furthermore, not every forbidden zone fell under the jurisdiction of the Night Watchers. A portion of them were controlled by organizations like the conglomerates.

While fulfilling their duty to contain the threat, these groups also monopolized the development rights—and the special materials harvested from some of these zones were incredibly valuable.

But regardless of who was in charge, people living long-term inside a forbidden zone was just too bizarre.

As a man of intense curiosity, Fu Qian's interest was thoroughly piqued.

Continuing forward, he discovered that the area was actually quite expansive.

Most of the buildings, however, had sunk into the swamp, soaking for god knows how long in an overflowing soup of red and green rot.

The rancid stench rushing straight to his brain was positively eye-watering.

He finally knew where the reek was coming from.

Various giant trees covered in burls stood rooted in the swamp. Gloomy, nearly leafless branches drooped under the weight of bizarre fruits in every color and shape.

Lush yet rotting. That was Fu Qian's prevailing impression.

No matter how you looked at it, this place was completely unfit for human habitation!

Not to mention, the locals didn't seem to be transcendents at all; they were merely physically strong.

It was hard to imagine how they had managed to survive and multiply here.

Live in a place like this long enough, and it'd be a miracle not to turn into a plant!

Fu Qian marveled inwardly.

He had to admit, that young girl was much more resourceful than he'd expected.

Not only had she seized the opportunity to bolt, but she had taken an incredibly convoluted route, clearly terrified of being tracked.

She was practically overflowing with the will to survive!

Unfortunately for her, Fu Qian had already memorized her aura. Shaking him off like that was impossible.

A long while later, Fu Qian finally arrived in front of a building.

Compared to the rest of the swamp, this spot looked fairly neat and clean.

Although he couldn't deliberately project his perception, the lingering aura in the air suggested the girl was hiding inside.

Fu Qian hesitated. Just as he was debating whether to intrude, a teeth-aching creak groaned in his ears.

What was that?

Fu Qian turned his head and found a nearby tree swaying unsteadily.

A branch whipped at him with a rush of wind. Fu Qian dodged it and leaned in for a closer look.

At first glance, it looked no different from the rest; it was similarly covered in lumpy burls.

Its blackish-gray bark crawled with moss and fungi, a corroded hollow gaped at its roots, and a cluster of fist-sized fruits swayed overhead.

It looked exactly like a tree, yet it could actually move?

Fu Qian was struck by a wave of curiosity.

Having missed its strike, the trunk now twisted bizarrely.

At the base of one of its branches, the gnarled bark tore open to expose a blood-red gash.

An eye?

Fu Qian realized what it was trying to do.

Symmetrical to this eye on the other side of the trunk, the bark was forcefully stretching apart, but unfortunately, it was sealed shut by overlapping burls.

This thing really might have once been human.

Fu Qian looked down at his own body. Was his guess right?

Once the bodily infection spiraled out of control, would a person truly turn into a Tree Planter?

"Who... are you?"

A slanted, massive mouth had suddenly opened at the base of the trunk.

In an instant, a stench a hundred times stronger than before hit Fu Qian's face as blackish-red liquid began to drool from the maw.

"What a coincidence. I'd like to know that too."

Fu Qian shook his head. He genuinely didn't know the name of his current form.

"And who are you?"

"I am..."

The tree person answered instinctively, but after a long silence, it couldn't produce an answer.

It seemed to have completely forgotten its own name.

"What are you doing here?"

The tree person ultimately gave up trying to remember, turning the question on Fu Qian instead.

"I'm looking for someone."

Fu Qian casually described the young girl.

The tree fell into silence once more.

"She isn't here."

After a long pause, the tree person finally spoke.

That is a bit of a "no silver buried here" situation. Faint as the aura is, I can still track it. That young girl is clearly inside, Fu Qian thought to himself.

Why was this tree person deliberately misleading him? Did he really look that much like a bad guy?!

It was definitely the face-sculpting that had ruined his vibe. Fu Qian readily found himself an excuse.

"That works out perfectly. If no one's here, I'll just go inside and rest for a bit."

Tossing out the casual reply, Fu Qian turned and walked inside.

The next moment, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he sidestepped diagonally, dodging the trunk whipping toward him.

Its deception failing, the tree spirit actually swayed unsteadily and launched an attack.

It wasn't particularly fast, but the sight of branches thicker than a human thigh swinging through the air was rather terrifying.

Its strike missing, the tree person began to shake its body violently.

A second later, orange-yellow fruits were flung out like cannonballs, instantly blanketing the area.

The egg-shaped fruits shattered the moment they hit the ground. Plump juices splattered instantly, kicking up a cloud of greenish-yellow mist.

This guardian deity's combat awareness really wasn't bad. If all the trees inside were at this level, it would actually be somewhat formidable.

Fu Qian offered a silent word of praise.

Right as man and tree tangled in combat, a strange noise suddenly rang out in the distance.

The sound came from the depths of the swamp, ringing as if someone were shaking a bell.

The ringing seemed to carry a special effect; hearing it triggered an inexplicable wave of dizziness.

The previously aggressive tree person abruptly stopped, its trunk twisting a hundred and eighty degrees as it "looked" in a certain direction.

Fu Qian followed its gaze and discovered that on a Small Island within the swamp pools, a beam of white light had suddenly flared to life.

The white light originated from a leafless tree. It was a brilliant white all over, its trunk tall and straight, completely free of parasites.

In an environment like this, the sight of it evoked an inexplicably eerie feeling.

On a path not far from the Small Island, a group of people could be seen approaching from the distance.

The person in the lead was shaking the Handbell in their hand as they walked.

At the same time, another figure appeared beside Fu Qian.

The young girl who had previously fled alone had quietly crept out of the house.

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