Eldritch Horror Theatre

So this was the task designated as number 1?

The plan had proceeded smoothly. Not only did it verify once again that the Witch World’s nature was different from the Warehouse's perspective, but the week's third leak had also arrived right on schedule.

Its intensity just seemed a bit on the high side.

Solitary King—even the title radiated pure dominance.

Of course, theoretically speaking, no matter how difficult the task—provided there were no special traps—his maximum loss would only be 6 SAN value.

This time, the upgrade to the All-In permission was undoubtedly its greatest significance, at least from an administrator's perspective.

But for him personally, having only a single chance to complete any given task meant his channels for gathering information were restricted. It might not necessarily be a good thing.

But one had to look on the bright side. Hadn't Brother Warehouse made up for it?

A task designated as number 1 generally had extraordinary implications. The probability of discovering something interesting was significantly higher.

Amid his hopeful expectations, the prompt rang out.

[Yes]

Staring at the massive illusion manifesting inside the Warehouse, Fu Qian didn't hesitate.

He had to admit that, although blurred as usual, it was easily the most eye-catching one since he had begun taking tasks.

Crimson, as thick as blood that refused to dissolve.

The illusion lacked a specific shape. It merely shifted ceaselessly like a turbulent current, churning up mesmerizing ripples.

[Current SAN value: 176]

[Due to load limits, you cannot carry any additional items]

[Due to load limits, most injuries will not be repaired upon task completion]

[Select the skill you wish to carry]

As he admired the sight, the now-standard prompt sounded once more. The skill selection remained a single, exclusive option—King of the Abandoned Prison.

...

'Still bundled together?'

It wasn't surprising. After all, while he had uncovered quite a few secrets so far, he hadn't made any real gains regarding his own personal situation.

Fu Qian didn't mind. He smoothly confirmed his selection.

A number 1 task, plus unrestricted abilities.

The Warehouse had already shown such sincerity; there was no need to be overly critical.

[...8%...13%...21%...34%...55%...89%...100%, Containment Scenario load complete]

[The future belongs to you, provided you are ready.

You have clearly examined yourself countless times; otherwise, you would not have wandered this far.

But this is not the end; it merely tells you that an end exists.

And as a lost will, you must make the gatekeeper believe in your conviction.

Reveal yourself, and share in this Red of Life.]

...

'Isn't this task introduction a bit too abstract?'

Although it was brimming with emotion and the general meaning could be parsed, it still felt like listening to a speech with no beginning or end.

'Besides, things like revealing myself seem to run contrary to my usual low-profile style—'

"So, what do you call yourself?"

Right as Fu Qian was mentally critiquing the Warehouse, a voice rang out the instant the task introduction concluded.

'Oh?'

Although abrupt, he had to admit it blended perfectly with the task introduction—so much so that he couldn't even criticize the Warehouse too harshly.

And if he went by the introduction's content, there was a very high probability that the one asking the question was the "gatekeeper" it mentioned.

The tone of the question was utterly serious—the problem was, it was almost too serious.

Given the aesthetic of the illusions in the Warehouse, it was easy to expect some rather magical or surreal scenes in the task.

Yet this tone and content were so formal that it felt like he had walked right into a job interview.

Even as he evaluated the situation, the scene forming before his eyes confirmed that exact thought—

It was a small room with simple furnishings. As Fu Qian's vision recovered, he found himself sitting on a wooden chair.

Across from him was a long desk. A middle-aged woman with a somewhat round face was staring at him unblinkingly. Her expression was just as solemn as the tone from before, and she even held a pen and paper, apparently taking notes.

But she wasn't the one who had just spoken; the gender of the voice didn't match.

Fu Qian's gaze fell to the middle-aged woman's left. On the other side of the long desk sat another person.

He was slightly younger with a somewhat messy beard. Dressed formally as well, he was clearly the woman's partner.

And right now, they were both waiting for his answer.

...

'So, what should I call myself?'

The task introduction had explicitly stated that he needed to win over the gatekeeper before he could reach the end.

Although in theory, completing the task was a secondary priority.

His main goal for entering the Warehouse this time was to confirm the contents of this new task, and even its location.

That would allow him to further verify his hypothesis about the current state of the Witch World.

Unfortunately, because the scenario was relatively abstract, it was hard to even determine this basic information right away.

Out of good habit, however, Fu Qian immediately checked to ensure he was in good condition and took stock of his current appearance.

The conclusion: an entirely unfamiliar face.

It seemed the Warehouse had invested quite a bit this time. Not only were his clothes changed, it had even gone ahead and sculpted a brand-new face for him.

The features might have been a little sluggish, but at least he still looked young.

But it wasn't without its problems. Given that it was a stranger's face, it seemed he would need to fabricate his identity details completely out of thin air—

[Current task updated: Find the disguised Ariel]

For a professional, forging an identity was as easy as breathing. Yet, just as Fu Qian was evaluating the necessity of doing so, a new prompt rang in his ears.

...

'Oh? That's quite a bit of information.'

Facing the new prompt, Fu Qian felt thoroughly satisfied in that moment.

For the Warehouse to provide a clear objective right from the start was already a rare treat.

But that wasn't the most important part. Just a moment ago, he had noted the strange scenario made it difficult to pinpoint the task's location.

If the Ariel mentioned in the objective was truly his old friend whom he hadn't seen in ages, it directly implied one thing: was this task taking place entirely within the Bookstore World?

'I'm still over here, yet I've been pulled across dimensions for law enforcement?'

The scale of this operation was undoubtedly even grander than the previous task in the Nightmare Corridor.

The "Other Shore" properties had shortened the distance between the Witch World, the Corridor, and even the Warehouse. This could be considered yet another piece of compelling evidence.

Furthermore, the phrase "disguised Ariel" in the task objective alone was enough to make things feel unique.

Aside from being a top-tier combatant in supernatural circles and a dignified Tier 2 player, the greatest trait of that Origin Council tool was his absolute refusal to engage in internal mental friction.

'And now he's come here to roleplay? It definitely feels worth tracking him down.'

In fact, based on this, he even had a precious suggestion for his own persona issue—

"You can call me Ariel."

A series of thoughts flashed by rapidly. With no hint of abnormality on his face, Fu Qian answered the question from earlier perfectly naturally.

Although he wasn't sure why his old friend was keeping such a low profile, it didn't matter. He would help him raise it.

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