Eldritch Horror Theatre

By comparison, the additional items actually looked much more normal.

Silver-black and shaped like a Cross Star.

Fu Qian gripped a funerary object that had been buried deep in the Underground alongside a corpse for decades, feeling no aversion to it whatsoever.

He couldn't just look at its surface. This was the harvest of Old Man Kadon's strenuous excavation—a memento of the Checklist's third item.

Handing such an object over to him proved his determination to act as each other's Reflection, didn't it?

He hadn't just been talking. The Old Man was serious about this fifth item.

And when Fu Qian commented that these two additional items were more normal, he was entirely serious, too.

Stealing, swapping identities... it seemed absurd, but doing such things on the verge of death could be viewed as the exact same type of behavior: a struggle over the concept of "self."

In the face of the fear of death, breaking down and examining oneself could be considered a very natural impulse.

This did bring about a problem, however: he had gained almost no new information from these last two items.

The car theft had been completed in the blink of an eye. As for the identity swap, judging by the Old Man's attitude, he clearly didn't even plan to let him glance at his Character Card. He had completely let go, leaving Fu Qian to improvise freely.

In summary, his performance had rapidly advanced the Checklist, but it had also produced drawbacks.

Next, he would have to try taking full control and guiding things forward with only a tiny fraction of information on hand.

"Where are we going?"

Just as Fu Qian was examining the object in his hand, Kadon, already gripping the steering wheel, turned his head back to ask.

...

Very good, very dedicated. He had gotten into character very quickly.

It had to be said, the control of a transcendent was always something ordinary mortals would envy.

Once the Checklist's fifth item began, not only did the Old Man instantly adjust his emotions and slip into character, but through the mobilization of his muscles, even the skin on his face seemed a little tighter.

In terms of action, he had even handed over all decision-making power, meticulously playing the role of a driver.

Of course, there was one crucial detail: lights were already flicking on in the surroundings.

That's right, he had swapped identities thoroughly. He had even withdrawn the mental influence he had previously exerted on the area, acting as an ordinary person.

This was by no means good news. Digging around without permission was one thing, but the car beneath them was genuinely stolen property.

He could only admire Kadon; a dying man's firm, free-spirited resolve was truly something to envy.

"To the store from earlier."

Amid his internal praise, Fu Qian didn't waste this enthusiasm, getting into character in a second.

Giving the destination without any hesitation perfectly displayed the quiet confidence of an elder.

"...Alright."

His movement turning back to the front was somewhat stiff. Kadon was obviously using the rearview mirror to observe the figure leaning back in the rear seat.

Whether it was the rapid answer or that relaxed demeanor, it seemed to have given him a slight shock.

Fortunately, this didn't contradict the persona he was currently playing. Kadon soon nodded in compliance and started the car.

From the corner of his eye, Fu Qian could see they hadn't even driven ten meters before a light flicked on in the house next door.

...

"We're here."

But it didn't matter; Kadon was a good driver.

Without taking any wrong turns, the Checklist duo quickly made the return trip.

Even when faced with the still-closed roadside shop, the Old Man forced himself to hold back from asking Fu Qian why he wanted to come here.

"You can stay in the car."

Fu Qian responded to Kadon with another classic line, directly replicating what the other man had told him the previous few times.

As for Fu Qian, after stepping out of the car, he headed straight for the locked shop door.

As mentioned before, the plaid-shirted store manager's reaction had been quite steady.

After encountering unknown thugs during the day, he had given up on sleeping in the shop that night and left, locking the door behind him.

Unfortunately, you win some, you lose some. While this action certainly allowed him to hide from uninvited guests, it also made it convenient for an uninvited guest to enter.

With a soft click, the lock opened.

Fu Qian figured that if it had been bolted from the inside, he inevitably would have had to expend a bit more effort.

The scene behind the door was virtually no different from when the mission had begun.

On the one hand, it proved that business was indeed poor; the boss hadn't sold much.

On the other hand, he was pushing his luck quite a bit by leaving the more valuable items out rather than packing them away.

Click!

Fu Qian reached out to turn on the light and walked right behind the counter.

However, he didn't rifle through the drawers. Instead, he just took a kettle, filled it with water, and started heating it.

Still not sitting down, Fu Qian then walked into the store's merchandise section, finding some drinking cups and a heavy bag of powder.

It was a pity. As mentioned earlier, the store's target audience dictated that almost everything was a travel version.

The cups were metal and completely lacked any sense of design, and he couldn't smell much aroma beneath the burnt scent of the pre-ground coffee.

Fortunately, Fu Qian wasn't picky. In such a remote corner, finding a place to drink something in the middle of the night was already pretty good.

"You came all the way here just for this?"

Even Kadon wasn't picky either.

While Fu Qian quietly waited for the water to boil, the car outside silently shut off. The Old Man's questioning arrived almost simultaneously with his footsteps, his attention clearly not on the coffee at all.

...

It was obvious he was trying hard to play the part; Kadon's footsteps as he entered the door seemed to define hesitation and confusion.

This certainly wasn't his usual style, but it perfectly fit the image of a driver filled with internal bewilderment because the things he was seeing were just too abstract.

Arriving at the destination, then one staying in the car while the other went out to operate independently—it was completely consistent with their previous routines.

It was just that the Old Man didn't seem very composed; he hadn't even waited for the water to boil before he couldn't help but get out of the car.

Perhaps in his understanding of the "driver" role, his earlier performance was merely putting on a brave face, while his overall psychological defenses were actually on the verge of collapse?

And thus, he had incorporated his own ideas into his current performance.

Beyond that, Fu Qian felt he should probably bear some of the responsibility as well.

After all, when the Old Man was operating earlier, he hadn't been nearly as unrestrained. Although he hadn't forbidden peeking, he hadn't turned the lights on directly either.

"Please, have a seat."

However, thinking that since you are here, make yourself at ease, Fu Qian didn't mind Kadon's intrusion. Instead, he gestured for him to find a place to sit while he continued busying himself.

"Thank you... but I'm not in the habit of drinking at night."

Kadon hesitated slightly, seemingly feeling that under these circumstances, a driver should accept the suggestion. He actually pulled up a folding chair from the side and sat down.

At the same time, however, looking at the multiple cups Fu Qian had set out, he frowned and politely declined.

"That's fine, I do."

Fu Qian remained easygoing, slowly filling a cup to the brim.

"Besides, this isn't for you. It's for another friend."

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