Eldritch Horror Theatre

In truth, she was already frightened.

To Naya, the four people who had arrived today were all members of Professor Fu's team or a collaborating team.

But for the waitress, Sunny, this was an unprecedentedly stacked lineup of transcendents. A group of unfathomable Academy experts had gathered under one roof.

No matter how she tried to reassure herself, she couldn't help but suspect she had become a lab animal on display, lined up for observation or perhaps even an impromptu dissection.

Instead, treating her normally and acting like ordinary diners was the best way to keep her from using the drinks as an excuse to flee in terror.

"Didn't you already take her drinking..."

Although Classmate Liushuang was indeed young, a transcendent's physique meant that alcohol rarely had any effect unless they actively allowed it to. Professor Fu's excuse was simply too perfunctory.

Naya felt a headache coming on, instantly bringing up his past criminal behavior.

"Which is why I ordered a portion in the end, didn't I?"

...

"I heard from Cass that the item is preparation for your trip? What are you going to use it for?"

Despite being a leader in the Disciplinary Department, Naya was completely outmatched. Even Lisa, who had originally resolved to just sit back and watch, couldn't take it anymore and proactively changed the subject.

Cass clearly hadn't kept the contents of the box a secret, which had left her feeling puzzled for quite some time now.

The moment the question was asked, everyone's expressions shifted in different ways, though they all turned to stare at him in perfect unison.

"That's right, for a field study."

Fu Qian nodded in admission, making no effort to hide it.

"Professor Fu is certainly working hard..."

Unfortunately, this excuse felt even more perfunctory, like a complete copy-and-paste response.

Yet even as Naya couldn't help but inwardly complain, the faint trace of joy tugging at the corners of her lips was difficult to suppress.

"I'm used to it. That's just my style; I simply can't sit idle."

Fu Qian seemed entirely oblivious to her underlying tone, letting out a sigh that perfectly mimicked the exhaustion of someone giving one's utmost with total devotion.

"That item is just a little tool I asked the Dean to prepare for me. For us academic workers, power has never been everything."

The very next moment, he even turned toward Lisa, lecturing her with earnest sincerity.

"Understood—"

Lisa looked as though she already intensely regretted her inability to keep her mouth shut. She practically gritted her teeth as she replied.

"Here are your drinks."

Fortunately, the waitress hadn't run away. Sunny reappeared at the perfect moment, returning with their beverages and sparing them from continuing the conversation.

"Smells good."

Professor Fu took a light sniff, offering rather high praise as he proactively reached out to take his glass.

Ah—

Sunny seemed a bit hypersensitive today. Just as she was preparing to distribute the drinks, she shrank back in an almost conditioned reflex, knocking over the open bottle of alcohol.

However, her years of professional training shone through. Just as Professor Fu casually reached out to catch it, she shot her hand out to steady the bottle, displaying an agility far surpassing an ordinary person's.

...

Although certain things were no longer a secret, her reaction had still somewhat exposed her transcendent attributes.

Sunny stood practically frozen on the spot. It took her about two seconds to process what had happened before she pulled her hand away from Fu Qian's as if shocked by electricity.

"I'll leave it to you, then."

The scene looked somewhat intimate, but unfortunately, Professor Fu was as unapologetic as ever when ordering people around. He withdrew his hand the very next moment, gesturing for her to serve.

"Alright..."

Answering in a low voice, Sunny ultimately restrained the urge to flee. She took the bottle and continued pouring.

"It really is quite good. Just smelling it is enough to make someone feel intoxicated."

Under the somewhat stunned gazes of the group, Fu Qian acted as though everything was perfectly normal. He even picked up his glass and genuinely began to evaluate the drink.

As for whether his phrasing was a bit overly dramatic—

Right where Sunny had grabbed his hand, his skin was rapidly growing blisteringly hot, as if a fire were burning.

Even on a mental level, a wisp of frenzy had begun to rise.

Crimson Frenzy.

Something he had just experienced not too long ago.

Looking at her from this angle, Sunny, who had been panicking just moments ago, now had a strange trace of something in her eyes—a calmness so absolute it felt dead.

...

Was this the fate of a mere pawn? Once they took the wrong path, there was no turning back.

Fu Qian noted that he had seen this expression before. Back at the Dragon Peak Ruins, when A Long made his appearance, Sunny's body had temporarily been turned into a puppet.

Looking at her right now, no matter how one analyzed it, her independent will was absent once again. She was clearly being controlled.

The crucial point was that the target of Sunny's covenant was an extremely sensitive figure.

The Dragon King.

As one of the assassins present on the night the Tyrant fell, that excellency was suspected to have suffered grievous injuries as well.

At the same time, judging from the previous test in the Abandoned Prison, they had entered an extremely bizarre state. Not only were they connected to the concept of the Tyrant, but they had also subsequently transformed into the source of the Crimson Frenzy.

Even not too long ago in the Abandoned Prison, they had tried to use it to corrupt him—just like they were doing right now.

From this perspective, Sunny's earlier behavior and actions completely changed in nature.

Her hand brushing against his had been no accident, but rather the result of calculated premeditation.

And through that brief contact, a certain connection had been established once more.

The same corruption from the Abandoned Prison resurfaced. Fu Qian felt as if he were touching that viscous Blood Lake all over again.

It wasn't just him searching for the Dragon King; the Dragon King was also searching for him.

They hadn't hesitated to expose the fact that they had already taken control of Sunny, all to seize this opportunity to corrupt and perhaps even possess him...

Rapidly deducing these conclusions from the changes unfolding before him, Fu Qian nonetheless refrained from striking Sunny dead on the spot. He didn't even rush to deal with the corruption spreading through his body, instead choosing to silently observe the sensation.

Interesting...

And at a certain moment, a truly unprecedented sensation actually emerged—

As the corruption deepened, the blistering heat on his hand vanished. It concentrated entirely within his chest and torso, forming such a distinct boundary from his limbs that it felt as if his arms and legs had all been chopped off.

Wait a minute... the Tyrant's arms really had been chopped off.

And now, thanks to some sort of resonance, the corruption was only occurring in those specific areas...

Had the torso portion gone to the Dragon King after the successful assassination? Did it help them survive until now?

What a pity. His perception was still missing, leaving him unable to observe anything more.

A rather bold thought surfaced in Fu Qian's mind, leaving him with the distinct impression that this trip had been quite fruitful. He remained in no rush to make a move.

"Hmm... so has Professor Fu reached the legal drinking age? Exactly how old are you, anyway?"

Among the crowd of onlookers, someone had finally spoken up.

Her gaze tracing a path from the hand Fu Qian was using to hold his glass all the way up to his face, Ji Liushuang wore a somewhat peculiar expression as she asked an even more peculiar question.

"Older than you, at any rate."

Unbothered by her awkwardly timed interjection, Fu Qian blinked and gave her a factual answer.

...

"Can you guys really not have a single adult hobby?"

No answer came. The scent of alcohol drifting past his nose had already vanished.

It was replaced by a seemingly familiar and rather fitting statement.

"Alright, let me have a little taste then."

Fu Qian remained incredibly easygoing, his gaze landing on the clock opposite him.

He had known the Etched Intellect was due to flare up; he had just managed to experience a few extra minutes of life.

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