Eldritch Horror Theatre

How did these people come up with this idea?

Even as lunch began, Fu Qian was still pondering this question.

Of course, that didn't stop him from rapidly demolishing the delicious food in front of him.

There was a ninety-nine percent chance that piece of skull had been taken right out of Grace's head.

Talk about keeping an open mind!

Cutting a diamond-shaped piece out of the top of one's skull—was this some kind of bizarre local tradition?

As he ate, Fu Qian quietly observed Grace.

The woman's head shape looked perfectly normal. They must have replaced the removed bone with some other material.

Besides that, while she didn't have a bald spot, her thick red hair seemed deliberately parted to fall to the sides.

But looking at it through tinted glasses, it seemed she was intentionally trying to minimize any covering over the top of her head.

A hole in the head, pointing straight up at the sky.

He now had every reason to suspect that everyone at the banquet had undergone this exact procedure.

Guzman was the most recent example, the newest arrival to their ranks. This was exactly why he had been hospitalized.

And Collins, who had performed the surgery on him, felt like the core figure of this group.

Today's encounter had proven that. Compared to the others, he seemed capable of maintaining that special state indefinitely.

"Is the food to your liking?"

Grace's voice cut through his thoughts.

She sat across the table, clearly quite pleased with Fu Qian's healthy appetite.

"It's fantastic!"

Fu Qian nodded, offering a very sincere review.

"I'm glad to hear that!"

Grace's smile grew even sweeter, and she leaned in, a hint of gossip in her tone.

"Mr. Fu Qian, how did you and Veil meet?"

How did they meet?

Fu Qian glanced at the other party involved.

"It was a friendship forged through conflict."

...

Fu Qian's answer left Veil momentarily speechless.

Grace didn't react much. Veil had already revealed Fu Qian's identity as a transcendent to her.

In her view, it was perfectly normal for people with superhuman abilities to occasionally clash physically.

"Veil is such a good girl."

She turned slightly, looking at Veil with absolute maternal affection.

"For a very long time, she was the only one who actively sought me out to talk."

"During those dark days, she was my true little angel!"

"You're exaggerating..."

Her aunt's high praise made Veil flush with embarrassment.

"I mean every word."

Grace chuckled softly and grasped Veil's hand.

"Anyway, I've always treated Veil like my own daughter. She's done exceptionally well for herself, and now she is a true powerhouse."

'Compared to him, I can't be considered a powerhouse at all...'

Veil's face burned even redder. Being praised like this right in front of Fu Qian was honestly mortifying.

"She really is quite impressive."

Fu Qian glanced at Veil and offered a casual, natural assessment.

He meant it, too.

Veil was likely not even thirty yet. The last time he had seen her, she had been firmly at the Tier 7 Peak level.

Meeting her again now, judging by her aura, she had improved even further and was already brushing against the threshold of the Mid Tier.

She also practiced the sword path.

While it lacked the miraculous flair of special abilities, the advancement process was far more natural and smooth. It progressed organically, without the need for special rituals.

'No matter how you look at it, it sounds like an authentic, orthodox lineage. Much more reliable than my own!'

Fu Qian mused with a profound sigh.

However, after so many encounters, his strongest impression of this world was that its cultivation methods were infinitely varied and impossible to neatly categorize.

In such an eerie environment, it was hard to say which path to becoming a God was truly better or worse.

"Have you been enjoying yourself in Baerluk these past two days?"

Hearing Fu Qian praise her beloved niece clearly delighted Grace, who promptly followed up.

"It's been quite pleasant. I've met a lot of interesting people."

Fu Qian adopted a reflective expression before acting as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, are you well-acquainted with Dean Collins?"

"Collins? Of course! He grew up in Baerluk too. We've been friends for so many years! Did you run into him?"

"I did. I bumped into him this morning, and we chatted for a bit."

Fu Qian omitted the location of their encounter.

"Dean Collins strikes me as a very friendly person. He always seems so unhurried and composed."

"He certainly is!"

Grace agreed with Fu Qian's assessment, beaming.

"Collins is a man full of wisdom. He possesses the most enviable, pure will!"

'Isn't that evaluation a bit too high?'

Listening to their conversation, Veil's expression gradually turned to confusion.

While she had no idea how Fu Qian had also gotten to know Collins, her aunt's praise seemed slightly exaggerated!

"Is that so? Then I really must seek Mr. Collins's guidance more often when I have the time."

Fu Qian nodded in deep agreement.

"You won't be disappointed."

Grace looked at him earnestly.

"In fact, it was precisely by following his many pieces of advice that I slowly stepped out of the haze and gained a new lease on life!"

"In the past, I could only numb myself with endless banquets and alcohol, which left me with nothing but infinite emptiness..."

'So that's how it is!'

Just like Guzman, this woman had also been guided by Collins.

Listening to Grace recount the past, Fu Qian wasn't surprised in the slightest.

"Are there any pieces of advice you can share?"

"Everyone's circumstances are different."

Just as expected, when faced with a more detailed inquiry, Grace didn't answer directly. She merely covered her mouth with a soft chuckle.

"The only realization I can share is that a person shouldn't overestimate themselves."

"Knowing your proper place?"

Fu Qian asked tentatively.

"Yes. There are far too many unknown entities in this world, and we shouldn't view ourselves as overly special. That applies even to transcendents."

With a mysterious smile, Grace pointed toward the ceiling.

"We may not be able to comprehend everything, so we shouldn't excessively pursue the idea of 'I come, I see.' We must maintain a sense of reverence. Oftentimes, allowing the unknown to 'see me' is what's truly normal."

Hmm.

As Fu Qian nodded repeatedly, he noticed that Veil beside him had entered a state of utter bewilderment.

Clearly oblivious to the context, she currently looked as though she were listening to cryptic philosophical poetry.

'We might not comprehend everything, so actively "seeing" is inferior to being "seen"?'

'Replacing a piece of the skull was all for the sake of being "seen"?'

'Seen by what? Some unknown, mysterious entity?'

"Is there any specific method to allow oneself to be 'seen'?"

Fu Qian asked.

"That is something everyone must experience for themselves."

Grace offered no further explanation, only smiling as she tapped her own head.

"In short, only by freeing the brain can one illuminate their true self!"

"I understand. Thank you for sharing."

Fu Qian hadn't actually expected Grace to answer. He had only asked in passing to make the flow of the conversation feel more natural.

"Also, I visited Mr. Nate. His mood has indeed improved a bit, though he remains somewhat averse to speaking."

After a moment of thought, Fu Qian deliberately brought up Nate again.

"Now that you mention it, he barely said a word last night either."

Reminded by his words, Grace's thin brows furrowed together, as if the memory brought her some distress.

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