Eldritch Horror Theatre

Things remained while people changed.

He had managed to return, but the same wasn't necessarily true for everything else.

Not only was a Phantom Carriage no longer tailing him, but even the one he had been riding was gone without a trace of wreckage. He was the only passenger left, dumped right in the middle of the road.

Very nice!

As Fu Qian briefly lamented the scene, he also felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Being refused a ride was one thing, but to a certain extent, this sight concealed a rather important implication: Brother Ji Feng might be watching him.

He had speculated earlier that the poison was potent enough to trigger a dimension-switching effect because of the special nature of the Unseen Hill.

It was essentially a materialization of that senior's will, which could be understood to some degree as a dream.

Taking the antidote had not only cured the poison and brought him back, but it had returned him straight to the mission's starting point. This effect indirectly proved the unreality of this "dream."

Instead, he had arrived out here with impeccably precise positioning—almost like loading a save file.

Didn't this serve as extra proof that his arrival had been continuously monitored by the Unseen Hill, or perhaps by Ji Feng?

It was actually quite reasonable. For one thing, as the former Attending Physician, he had shared a deep mental exchange with Brother Ji Feng.

For another, although not much time had passed, his own job title had skyrocketed. The King of the Abandoned Prison traveling incognito should still bring a significant amount of pressure to most places.

In short, even though problems had arisen so quickly after the last treatment, Fu Qian still hoped Brother Ji Feng's condition wasn't so terrible that communication would be impossible.

This was partly out of a healer's benevolence, and partly because there was simply too much worth asking about.

As things stood, being sent back to the starting point so accurately was a positive signal in Fu Qian's eyes. Ji Feng hadn't gone so mad that he couldn't recognize an old friend.

The previous method of veiled conversation still seemed viable.

Though this time, he wasn't entirely sure if he was here to provide treatment.

Glancing around and confirming that neither the Lord nor the Angel of Death had appeared, Fu Qian mentally traced his previous route and strode straight ahead.

...

As long as he came back here, he would definitely encounter the Angel of Death. Excellency Black Doctor had said so himself.

The conclusion he had drawn from that was that besides the Gate of Freedom, even more malicious events were brewing.

Under some special enlightenment, the supervillains seemed to have orchestrated a massive operation without even needing to conspire.

At this moment, the Unseen Hill very much possessed the style of a Vice City.

Even better, with the Black Doctor acting as the vanguard, a Gate of Freedom had not only gathered the residents' physical bodies on a massive scale but had also exerted a huge influence on their mental states. It was a perfect Hotbed for whatever they planned to do next.

But... what was their goal?

Considering Spider-Silk Queen Akasha's own account, the personas of these supervillains were quite pure to begin with. It wasn't strange that they simply wanted to cause trouble, but what did Ji Feng want to do?

Regarding that special Dimensional Poison, the Black Doctor's own judgment felt solid—it was a power truly originating from the Unseen Hill, an authority of this world.

In the previous mission, he had just helped him calm down a bit, and the Mother of Gospel hadn't seemed active either. Was he acting recklessly on his own again so soon?

He couldn't shake the feeling that things weren't simple this time. He would need to administer a much stronger dose of medicine.

Clicking his tongue in wonder, Fu Qian swiftly crossed one intersection after another.

Unfortunately, despite such a high-profile approach, by the time he finally stopped walking, he had neither seen the Lord again nor met any obstruction from a champion of justice.

Such declining public morals. He would just have to do it himself.

With a soft sigh, Fu Qian raised his hand and knocked on the door.

At the same time, smooth, mirror-like scales tore through his clothes. In a single breath, they linked together into a dazzling suit of armor, covering even his face completely.

That was right. It was the classic look of Grimm Ballard, that champion of justice.

[Under the will of The Deep, the Knight clad in Mirror Armor will eventually return at a certain time.]

The Warehouse's calculations were truly accurate.

...

Knock, knock, knock!

There was no response. Transformed into the Mirror Knight, Fu Qian continued to knock patiently on the wooden door.

"Excellency... who are you looking for?"

His relentless persistence finally received a response. A moment later, with a soft click, the door actually opened from the inside.

Even though it was officially time to rest, the person who opened the door was still wearing her uniform, showing no signs of sleepiness.

Moreover, she obviously didn't recognize the person knocking at all, completely unaware that he was the regular customer who had eaten there just moments ago.

That was right. Before him was the very same restaurant where he had met Excellency Crystal earlier. Fu Qian had perfectly retraced the path he had walked.

And the person opening the door was naturally Catherine.

The facts proved that, faced with the new atmosphere after Rebirth, this woman was indeed somewhat bewildered. After Dayun Mingwang and the Crystal Demigod had left, she hadn't followed them to watch the spectacle; she had even stayed at her Work Unit.

Interesting. Do all unbreakable cages eventually turn into barriers that protect you?

"Waiting for someone."

Lamenting his Sociology +1, Fu Qian replied casually, completely unbothered that she hadn't recognized him.

"...Please come in."

It was obvious that Catherine had gone through far too much that night, to the point that her mental state was overwhelmed.

Faced with a customer in a bizarre outfit arriving outside of business hours with strange intentions, she simply stood there in a daze without turning him away.

...

The past was reenacting itself, only from a different angle.

Paying no mind to the server's mood, Fu Qian walked in and headed straight for the table he had just been sitting at.

Only this time, he sat in the other seat, just like Brother Ballard had during his first appearance.

This choice clearly startled Catherine again. Closing the door and looking over, she nearly froze in place.

"Excellency... what would you like to eat?"

However, compared to Fu Qian sitting there completely at ease, the silent air was visibly more agonizing for her.

She didn't stand there for long before forcing herself to move, even subconsciously playing her current role.

"Sausage is fine."

Fu Qian was neither overly polite nor deliberately difficult; he directly ordered the same pre-made dish he had just eaten.

...

Her memory clearly couldn't be that poor. The look in Catherine's eyes as she stared at Fu Qian could be said to have perfectly portrayed a sense of absolute brokenness.

Unfortunately, that overly flashy armor covered his face tightly. Even if she stared until her eyes bled, she wouldn't be able to discern a thing.

"Please wait a moment."

Catherine soon gave up her efforts, truly transforming into a robotic tool as she went to prepare the food—though someone was even faster than her.

The sausage only needed to be opened and plated. Yet even so, before Catherine could return, Fu Qian had already raised his head, gazing up into midair.

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