Eldritch Horror Theatre

This just went to show that being kind to others had its benefits.

The defining trait of a tool was that their willingness to be one didn't matter. Personal will had absolutely no effect on their underlying nature.

Even though Sunny yearned for a peaceful life and had no desire to become experimental material...

...she had consistently created value ever since being guided to the Academy.

Even in this brief moment, she had helped trigger a new enlightenment regarding the tragic slaying of the Tyrant all those years ago.

Of course, the reliability of the Etched Intellect wasn't necessarily that high.

Based on past experience, while it anchored itself in reality to some extent, all sorts of bizarre deductions could still emerge.

The notion of devouring the Tyrant's mangled corpse could be treated as mere speculation for now.

However, the Blood Lake he had just sensed again was far more credible—absolutely worth a visit when he found the time later.

Hmm...

Someone capable of single-handedly building a team of this scale undoubtedly possessed an imposing aura. Sunny only lasted two seconds before surrendering, stiffly averting her gaze.

Facts proved that her previous sales pitch had only been possible with the Dragon King's encouragement. Right now, she hadn't even realized a new order was on the table.

"Do you have any suitable recommendations for someone who just reached the legal drinking age?"

But it didn't matter. As a token of gratitude, Fu Qian didn't mind providing this novice waitress with a little boost to her sales.

"Ah... yes."

Her years of experience in the service industry eventually kicked in. After a brief freeze, Sunny finally reacted, repeating the very same spiel from earlier and successfully scoring a group order.

"That's more like it..."

Compared to his behavior within the Etched Intellect, Fu Qian's initiative as a customer this time clearly left Professor Lanaya quite satisfied, sparing him any further snide remarks.

Legal drinking age...

As for Classmate Liushuang beside him, she clearly realized that this remark was aimed squarely at her.

For a moment, her gaze grew rather meaningful, but just as expected, she didn't ask questions as uninhibitedly as before.

"I heard from Cass that the item was in preparation for a trip?"

The only one whose outward behavior perfectly matched her inner thoughts was surprisingly Professor Lisa. As she watched Sunny walk off to fetch the drinks, she asked the exact same question, only without any curiosity regarding the little gadget's actual function.

"Yeah, a field expedition."

Readily accepting good advice, Fu Qian simply copy-pasted his previous answer.

...

Hosts and guests alike had a wonderful time.

After that minor interlude known only to Fu Qian, the departmental activity proceeded in complete harmony.

Even the sponsor, Professor Lanaya, found herself in exceedingly high spirits with someone there to drink with her.

It wasn't until the tavern's evening rush arrived that this bit of nightlife finally came to an end.

Since Lanaya still hadn't had her fill, and Lisa—after a few light drinks—was quite infected by the lively atmosphere, the two of them stayed behind in no rush to leave. In the end, Fu Qian and his two companions headed out first.

"Still leaving in ten minutes?"

Seeing her leader look up to observe the night sky the moment he stepped outside, Classmate Liushuang seemed to realize something, recalling the departure of a certain past expedition.

"Yeah... just about."

Fu Qian did some careful calculations before giving a slight nod.

It was true that he hadn't planned on returning the way he came, and it was no surprise that she could guess it. After all, she had watched him pack the item Lisa had delivered with her own eyes.

"Then I wish you a smooth journey."

As expected, Classmate Liushuang was visibly moved by how much her leader overworked himself, but in the end, she didn't say anything more.

"Considering the contributions you've made in promoting inter-departmental cooperation, Apocalypse might also provide some material rewards. Don't be polite when the time comes."

Nodding slightly to accept Classmate Liushuang's well-wishes, Fu Qian looked toward Wen Li, who was listening quietly beside them, and casually offered some parting instructions.

"Understood. I hope I won't disappoint everyone's expectations."

Having officially reached the Demigod Realm and undergone days of grueling study, Wen Li now possessed solid qualities as an observer. She didn't seem surprised by Professor Fu's itinerary, merely giving a slight nod in acknowledgment.

As for the potential extra reward from Apocalypse, though she felt somewhat flattered, she didn't waste time trying to decline it, mindful of the "ten minutes" Professor Fu had mentioned.

"Good."

Professor Fu was equally decisive, turning on his heel and walking away the very next second.

...

This was definitely the place.

A short while later, Fu Qian came to a halt in the darkness, sizing up the courtyard before him.

The "ten minutes" he mentioned earlier had been strictly calculated, not just thrown out randomly.

He had genuinely estimated the distance between the tavern and Sunny's residence.

That was right—this was the very place where Sunny sunbathed.

It truly wasn't far from the tavern, and right now, it was clearly empty.

Having already scouted the location beforehand, Fu Qian stepped inside like entering an unpopulated realm, rummaging around the place.

Of course, he wasn't here to pull a heist for travel funds right before leaving, even if he was indeed looking for something—and it seemed he had actually found it.

Making his way upstairs, Fu Qian's footsteps suddenly stopped as he looked at the compact bookshelf in front of him.

It wasn't large and didn't hold many books, but it was exquisitely designed and looked brand new. It was likely bought specifically after Sunny moved in.

What a pity that she didn't seem to be much of a reader. Out of the scant dozen volumes, only one showed signs of being flipped through before being tossed aside.

Young people these days!

Sighing inwardly, Fu Qian picked up the book, flipping to the title page to inspect it closely.

Sure enough, as they said, a house of gold could be found in books.

A streak of ink emitting a peculiar scent was writhing across the page like a living thing, sketching out a rather familiar name—Moore?

If he remembered correctly, this was the port where he had boarded a ship during his last trip to the Ash Sea.

...

Was an old friend finally sending a message? And with such impeccable timing, too.

Just as he was getting ready to depart for the Ash Sea, Excellency Kelsen was inviting him to Moore?

At that moment, Fu Qian sighed deeply.

Indeed, he was fairly confident that this trace had been left by the mysterious demigod from the Siren Group.

After all, he had come here looking for traces exactly like this one.

When he said he was leaving in ten minutes, he naturally hadn't meant it as extra time to soak in the local customs.

While marveling at how much value Sunny had provided as a tool, a certain connection had inevitably surfaced in his mind.

He couldn't forget that she actually had two layers to her identity as a tool: on one hand, she was a Covenanter of the Dragon King; on the other, she was a "puppet" of Old Man Lu from the Rebirth Club.

At least, that was how she appeared in the eyes of Excellency Kelsen.

Back at the end of the Dragon Peak game, a slight misdirection had made Kelsen mistakenly believe that Sunny was already under Fu Qian's control.

The benefit of this was twofold: it allowed her to easily escape, and it left Kelsen with a potential channel of communication when necessary.

Sunny's whereabouts were almost certainly being monitored. Regardless of whether his motives were impure, as long as Excellency Kelsen thought of Old Man Lu, he could try to establish contact through this method.

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