Eldritch Horror Theatre

Brother Gravekeeper wasn't exaggerating; the local customs here were entirely different.

Though slightly surprised by the request, the man demonstrated the open-mindedness of someone who had successfully made it to the other side, leading the way without prying into Fu Qian's motives.

As they ventured deeper, Fu Qian noted that they indeed hadn't encountered any more scammers, highway robbers, or bodily offerings along the way.

Furthermore, the pedestrians no longer wore those neurotic expressions. Like the gravekeeper, most of them seemed like normal people living in peaceful years.

Of course, the population density was much lower as well. The bustle of the City of Sin was nowhere to be found.

Despite the glazed Bright Light reflecting everywhere and illuminating magnificent gold and white buildings, they encountered very few people along their route.

No wonder they couldn't scrape together a society. For those who craved excitement, failing to find proper amusement would make the Realm of Bliss a torturous, lonely place.

"Honestly, isn't this place a bit too desolate?"

Never one to hold back a question, Fu Qian immediately consulted the gravekeeper.

There were simply too few people here to justify a dedicated gravekeeper. This man was more like a volunteer who occasionally dropped by to check on things.

He had just happened to visit today, conveniently shutting his own Coffin Lid while he was at it.

One could only admit that the mighty figure behind all this possessed truly astonishing methods.

Of course, given that the two of them still hadn't exchanged names, Fu Qian decided to stick with the moniker.

"It can't be helped. Once someone has experienced death, getting them to turn back and embrace the darkness is extremely difficult."

"Some of the people in the cemetery back there have been sleeping for far, far too long... When I first arrived, I tried all sorts of methods to wake them, but in the end, it seems the lotus is the only viable path to enlightenment."

With a sigh, the gravekeeper dropped his disdain for the crowd in the City of Sin, even offering them a heartfelt defense.

"I see. But if that's the case, compared to that fake City of Bliss, I honestly don't see much of an advantage here."

Fu Qian didn't question the gravekeeper's past efforts, but his follow-up was characteristically blunt.

Aside from being real, staying in this place didn't seem all that joyous either.

"Of course it's different. That's because you haven't touched true bliss yet... What do you think she's doing?"

Choked by the bluntness until his expression shifted, the gravekeeper took a deep breath and pointed to a figure sitting leisurely in the distance.

...

"Isn't she sunbathing? Even without a sun."

The gravekeeper's question clearly hinted at a deeper meaning.

Fu Qian followed his gaze, observing a simply dressed Old Lady.

"Wrong. She is experiencing bliss."

Unsurprisingly, the gravekeeper shook his head.

"'Bliss' is actually a specific term?"

Fu Qian momentarily played along, feigning deep shock.

"Of course it is, but I have no way to describe it."

Reaching up, he pulled back his snow-white hood for the first time. The gravekeeper's dark skin bathed in the glazed Bright Light, his face revealing sheer intoxication.

"In short, it is a pure, ultimate joy devoid of any impurities. Using words to describe it only distorts it. Without experiencing it firsthand, you could never imagine it."

The more he spoke, the more mystical it sounded.

"Then how do I come into contact with it?"

Failing to spot any overly otherworldly expression on the Old Lady's face, Fu Qian finally withdrew his gaze.

"The word 'how' shouldn't even be associated with it. At least in my view, there is no method. It just appears suddenly, surpassing anything you have ever experienced, leaving you involuntarily intoxicated..."

The gravekeeper had simply stopped walking. It looked as though just the lingering aftertaste of bliss was enough to leave him hopelessly immersed.

"Of course, some people disagree, so they go to the Church to pray—although, in my opinion, it's useless."

"In that regard, you might actually have a deep affinity with bliss, because you surprisingly wanted to visit the Church right away."

Fortunately, he had managed to answer the question in the end, even tossing Fu Qian a positive review.

"Originally, I just wanted to see what the differences were, but after hearing you put it like that, I am indeed more curious."

Fu Qian, however, did not let the praise go to his head.

"Don't worry, your curiosity will soon be satisfied. It's just past here."

His smile undiminished, the gravekeeper pointed ahead.

"I hope you won't be disappointed."

...

He truly wasn't disappointed.

Brother Gravekeeper's navigation was spot on. Soon, the two of them were standing in front of a distinct, small Church.

Staring at its familiar architecture, Fu Qian sighed inwardly before he even stepped through the doors.

It wasn't because the replica in the City of Sin had been too perfect, but rather that, by comparison, the Church before him had something extra.

It was a nearly circular Emblem formed by slender, elongated lines that closely resembled finger bones.

The Finger Orb. A research project he had collaborated on with the Night Watchers under his identity as an Academy professor, involving a transcendent item related to Ecstasy.

And slightly deviating from the color palette of the Small Chapel in the City of Sin, the building before him was strikingly pure white from top to bottom...

There was a reason he had chosen this place as his first stop.

Back when he first visited that Small Chapel, he had felt a pang of regret that the Church in the City of Bliss was surprisingly not the White-Headed Sanctuary.

Later, after learning that it was merely an illusory projection of some prototype, how could he not come and take a proper look at the original?

The facts proved it: the original version was indeed a white Church bearing the Finger Orb Emblem.

He didn't even need to enter. From this position, he could see the interior layout—which differed significantly from the one in the City of Sin—and that seemingly familiar long table...

Diligent effort pays off. To think he had actually beaten the Night Watchers to the punch and found the White-Headed Sanctuary first.

However, although its appearance in the Realm of Bliss was highly thematic, the underlying implications were monumental.

At the very least, the danger level of this mission had to be adjusted upward once again.

"How about it? It's open all day here. You can stay as long as you like."

Beside him, the gravekeeper took the initiative to ask for his thoughts.

"Not disappointed at all."

Naturally, nothing could be read from Fu Qian's face. Giving a slight nod, he continued forward and stepped into the White-Headed Sanctuary.

...

The long table, the chairs, the altar, the Emblem... and those omnipresent, silk-like drapes trailing from the ceiling.

It was indeed the exact same layout—the very place he had once judged to possess immense commercial potential.

Moreover, it was far more forgiving than he had imagined. Facing a man who had once blasted its projection to smithereens, it didn't display a single unfriendly reaction.

"So, whose Church is this?"

Without turning his head, Fu Qian knew the gravekeeper had followed him inside.

"Do you even need to ask? Of course, it symbolizes pure bliss."

The gravekeeper sounded puzzled by the question.

"It has never belonged to any Deity. It has simply stood here for thousands of years."

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