Eldritch Horror Theatre

Unsurprisingly, even as they retraced their route and crossed the bridge once more, Lucy's front door never opened.

Though the entire visit had lasted less than half an hour, today's uninvited guests had clearly delivered quite a mental shock.

It might have even provided a brand-new Anchor Point for those involved to reexamine their lives.

Of course, Fu Qian believed they would pull through.

After all, if you thought about it, while the two visitors' behavior had been absurdly deranged, the actual impact on the individuals involved wasn't all that terrible.

It was perfectly normal for young people to be passionate. The secret Madam Lucy had exposed couldn't even be considered an affair; it was more of a regretful teenage memory.

Not to mention he had been there to keep things measured.

He wasn't sure what kind of compensation the old man had paid for this trip, but Kadon had obviously handed him the responsibility of controlling the situation just now.

And a major part of that confidence obviously came from the gun tucked at his waist.

Unfortunately, just as Kadon didn't know he had already used the gun to scare someone earlier, Fu Qian hadn't drawn it this time either. He had stabilized the situation purely through his innate charm—and even managed to snag a bowl of soup.

That development had clearly minimized the disruption to their dinner party, and the likelihood of them calling the police right along with it.

At worst, Lucy and her husband might just have slightly poorer appetites.

"Have you eaten?"

Just as Fu Qian was empathizing with everyone involved, Kadon suddenly spoke up, unexpectedly remembering to check on his employee's well-being.

"I have."

Savoring the aftertaste of the cream soup, Fu Qian gladly confirmed it.

The route wasn't complicated. As they spoke, he steered the car back the way they came, heading straight for the spot where they had broken down earlier.

"That's good. The place we're going probably won't have any food."

Though the words sounded relieved, Kadon's voice carried no inflection whatsoever, as if his earlier string of actions had completely drained his energy.

"Drive straight to that abandoned motel."

...

No wonder he said there might not be dinner.

Despite driving through the dark, his employer's words instantly brought to Fu Qian's mind the courtyard they had passed earlier.

Dilapidated to that extent, it likely didn't even have a few rats left. Finding food there would be a miracle.

So the old man had decided on their lodgings a long time ago? Regardless of whether it was still open for business.

Did he really have that much emotional attachment to the place... or was this also part of the Dying Wish List?

For a moment, Fu Qian found himself even more curious about the specific part of the list he was supposed to help complete.

The old man's behavior just now had already been highly stream-of-consciousness. In this even more abstract setting, what kind of lingering attachments would he have?

Curiosity aside, Fu Qian maintained a high level of professionalism.

He raised no objections to Kadon's stated destination, nor did he hesitate as he drove.

"Regarding that family just now... what are your thoughts?"

Perhaps he was being a little too professional, because Kadon in the backseat didn't immediately slip back into his near-death torpor. After a brief pause, he asked another question.

"The soup was pretty good."

Fu Qian wasn't sure if acting as a conversational companion was included in the employment contract, but he didn't mind learning a bit about this man's final epiphanies.

"And?"

To Kadon, it seemed this answer was far too brief.

"That's it."

"That's it?"

"Why should there be anything else? You didn't seem to care much about them either, did you?"

...

"You are absolutely right."

In that moment, Fu Qian seemed to feel a chill in the darkness.

Through the rearview mirror, he could see the impeccably dressed dying man casting a peculiar, scrutinizing gaze at him.

Having mingled in transcendent circles for so long, Fu Qian could perfectly decipher the meaning behind it. It was a condescending malice, the kind that came only from a transcendent.

However, it lasted for only a split second. That burst of vitality quickly vanished from Kadon, and his voice returned to sounding like rotting wood.

"To me, they actually aren't important. Just like that cat..."

He was clearly agreeing with Fu Qian's statement. His dismissive attitude toward Lucy earlier hadn't been an act; it was genuine apathy.

None of those people mattered, including the one who had originally invited him.

The only thing that mattered was that he had accepted the invitation and come.

"Understood. Thanks for sharing."

Fu Qian nodded again at Kadon's self-analysis, indicating that this was exactly what he had meant earlier.

It wasn't blind agreement. From what he had seen and heard, most of what people called "making peace with the world" should really be called "making peace with oneself."

The old man was just acting a little more extreme about it.

From this perspective, he truly had reflected deeply on life. It was no wonder he was the one who had drafted this Checklist plan.

But that was precisely where the problem lay—what was so deeply mysterious about this man's act of making peace with himself that it warranted the Warehouse stepping in to help him finish it?

So far, he had been cooperating in the guise of an ordinary person, but things were clearly veering in an increasingly eerie direction.

For example, in the old man's original plan for tonight's resting place, had he really never considered the possibility that his driver might refuse?

...

The brief exchange seemed to have finally exhausted his energy, and Kadon said nothing more.

In the overwhelming silence, Fu Qian soon drove down a slope and pulled into a dilapidated courtyard.

At a glance, it wasn't even the only vehicle there. By the corner of the low-slung motel building, another car could be seen, completely swallowed by weeds.

The rusted chassis seemed to heavily emphasize that this place had been abandoned for a very long time.

But just as the attitude of Lucy's family hadn't mattered earlier, Kadon looked completely unfazed by this as well.

"You can stay in the car."

However, seeing that Fu Qian had gone out of his way to park the car neatly, Kadon seemed genuinely moved by his dedication. Before pushing the door open to step out, he specifically offered this piece of advice.

"Understood."

Giving a slight nod, Fu Qian watched the old man close the car door and walk straight toward the motel's front desk.

Not only did it look like he genuinely planned to spend the night inside, but the man was even strictly following the check-in procedure.

Watching Kadon pass the front desk and disappear into the stairwell, Fu Qian accepted his advice and remained seated in the car.

It felt like the old man was even more familiar with this place than he had been with Lucy's house. Was he revisiting an old haunt?

He didn't leave Fu Qian waiting for long. Soon, Kadon's figure reappeared inside one of the motel rooms.

It was easy for Fu Qian to see through the window that the room was a complete mess. Even the mattress had been flipped and leaned against the wall.

Yet Kadon didn't mind in the slightest. He took off his coat and lay down stiffly upon the bare bedframe, casting a deliberate glance in this direction just before he did.

Interesting... So, could this place also be where he had stayed back in the day?

Fu Qian found the sight deeply amusing for a moment.

If it was, then where exactly was the old man's doctor father lying at this very moment?

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