Eldritch Horror Theatre

The cause of the demigod Helom's death?

The new mission prompt caught Fu Qian off guard for a moment.

Just a moment ago this place was hailed as a pure land free of transcendents, and now a demigod had died here?

The tone was shifting a little too fast!

Demigods were unlike anything else; truly killing one was incredibly difficult.

To put it bluntly, even if a demigod lost the ability to fight back, they still wouldn't be beaten to death by a mob of farmers with pitchforks.

The brief had been right. This place was far more extraordinary than it appeared.

His mind raced even as he casually took in his surroundings.

Simple and serene, filled with the scent of flowers and the chirping of birds, with pedestrians strolling at a leisurely pace—it really did seem like a perfect vacation spot.

As for its rejection of transcendents, that was also something he was hearing about for the first time.

Judging by Sheriff Harry's expression, however, it was taken entirely for granted, as if it were a long-standing tradition.

What an interesting place.

Even knowing that danger lurked beneath the calm, Fu Qian remained perfectly relaxed.

A person had to be good at finding the beauty in life. No matter how you looked at it, this work environment was a massive improvement, wasn't it?

In a quiet town at dusk, the ideal vacation meant finding a bookstore and sitting there until night fell.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Fu Qian caught sight of a black signboard.

There was actually a bookstore here?

It was a small, aged shop with a modest storefront, roughly the same size as his own place in Shangjing.

Logically, he should have found a hotel to settle into first, then figured out a way to ask around for information.

But Fu Qian wasn't in a rush. Carrying his suitcase, he headed straight for the bookstore.

With a creak of the door, he pushed his way inside.

The store was even more cramped than it looked from the outside. The layout was an utter mess, with massive stacks of books piled high in the corners.

At the sound of the door, a middle-aged man with hair like a bird's nest looked up, staring over with dead, fish-like eyes.

"Sorry, we're closed!"

The man had a cigarette dangling from his lips, making his words slightly slurred.

Even from this distance, a heavy stench of alcohol wafted over.

Truly, a stomach filled with poetry and books gives a naturally refined air.

Fu Qian offered silent praise, simply finding a chair and taking a seat.

"I'm not here to buy books."

"This is a bookstore. If you aren't buying books, stay out."

The owner sounded like he had absolutely zero desire to converse.

"Didn't you just say you were closed? How could I buy books anyway?"

...

The owner stared blankly for a second, then his eyes widened.

"Right! We're already closed, so why haven't you left?"

"I'm not here to buy books, so what does closing have to do with me?"

"What the hell do you want!"

Staring daggers at Fu Qian, the owner's lips trembled for a full minute before he finally demanded, sounding half-mad.

"I came to buy books originally, but since you're closed, I suppose I'll settle for asking a question."

"Has anyone died in town recently?"

Fu Qian stared into the eyes of this 'Teacher Yu' and asked point-blank.

"Dead people?"

The owner clearly hadn't expected Fu Qian to ask that, and he let out a scoff.

"This is an aging town. Dead people couldn't be more normal. If you just camp out at the cemetery over there, you can bump into them all the time."

"Where is the cemetery?"

"Next to the hospital. And I swear, if you ask me where the hospital is, I'll kill you!"

Oh.

Fu Qian gave a sound of acknowledgment and paused for two seconds.

"Where is the hospital?"

Argh!!!

With a roar, the owner grabbed a leather-bound book that looked to weigh over two jin and started smashing it against his own forehead.

Fu Qian shook his head, glancing at the crooked name tag pinned to the man's chest.

"Just a joke, Manager Bernard."

...

"Then I've answered your question. Can you leave now?"

Bernard put the book down. His forehead was already a patch of swollen red.

"I can."

"Great. Also, could you do me a favor?"

"What favor?"

"If at all possible, could you go die at the cemetery?"

'That might actually happen.'

Fu Qian smiled as he stood up, thinking to himself.

"Never see you again!"

Seeing that Fu Qian was really leaving, Bernard instantly let out a long breath and slumped into his chair as if he'd been freed.

Flicking his cigarette ash, he reached over to grab a half-empty bottle of liquor and took a long gulp, looking indescribably comfortable.

'I'm going to do that too when I get back to Shangjing.'

Fu Qian watched the scene with a look of deep appreciation, his mind drifting in quiet admiration.

...

"Perfectly normal, it seems."

Fu Qian muttered to himself as he walked out of the bookstore.

Though the owner looked quite extraordinary, he was still just an ordinary person.

He had even scanned the books in the shop and could confirm there were no special items like a Death Note lying around.

So far, he hadn't found anything abnormal about this small town.

Truly mysterious!

As for a hospital in a place like this, it couldn't have been easier to find.

Fu Qian looked left and right, casually taking in the layout of the town, and quickly figured out the general direction.

What he hadn't expected was that by the time he strolled up to the cemetery, it was exactly as Bernard had said: someone was currently being buried.

And that wasn't even the most important part.

Standing at the cemetery entrance, Fu Qian could clearly sense the aura of a transcendent among the mourners.

Though they had done their best to conceal it, under the scrutiny of a demigod, they stood out like a beacon in the night, with nowhere to hide.

What an unexpected harvest!

Fu Qian walked forward without changing his expression, locking onto his target from afar.

'Who is this?'

However, when the person turned around, Fu Qian was taken aback.

Blonde hair, a tall figure, and charming facial features that the black half-veil over her face simply couldn't hide.

It was none other than Veil, the swordswoman from the Ring Archipelago.

No wonder the aura had felt a bit familiar.

Dressed in a modest black gown and following along with the mourners, Veil showed none of the sharp ferocity she possessed when wielding a sword.

"Ah!"

While Fu Qian was observing her, the group noticed him as well. A moment later, Veil let out a surprised gasp, clearly not expecting to run into him here.

After her quiet gasp, Veil noticed the odd looks from the people around them. She immediately composed herself and gave Fu Qian a slight nod in greeting.

Fu Qian returned the greeting with a natural expression, taking the opportunity to glance at the photo on the tombstone.

The man had a white beard and hair, and a kindly face. He looked like an old man who had died peacefully of old age.

There were no abnormalities with the corpse, either.

If a demigod died, their corpse wouldn't just simply rot. It would most likely turn into a severe source of contamination, something a thin coffin couldn't possibly contain.

...

"Mr. Fu Qian!"

After leaving the cemetery, Fu Qian stood a short distance away for a while. It wasn't long before he heard Veil calling out to him in a low voice.

Just as he thought, she had followed him out.

Fu Qian turned around to see her looking both pleasantly surprised and deeply confused.

"I never expected to run into you here. What brings you to such a remote place?"

"Vacation."

Fu Qian nonchalantly pointed at the suitcase by his feet.

Vacation?

Veil furrowed her brow, looking highly skeptical.

However, considering his impressive track record, she tactfully chose not to press the issue.

"What about you? What are you doing here?"

Fu Qian asked in return. Given that this place was a forbidden zone for transcendents, it was highly unlikely that Veil was here on vacation either.

In truth, he already had a vague idea of the answer.

"I..."

Veil suddenly looked a little uneasy.

"I came to look for my little sister."

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