Eldritch Horror Theatre

Throughout human history, there had been an enduring multiple-choice question: whether one was willing to pay a price in exchange for resources.

Fu Qian habitually referred to this as the sacrifice style—like the classic hypothetical of taking a billion dollars in exchange for being hunted by an immortal death snail.

At first glance, their recent exchange seemed a bit disjointed.

Professor Fu had merely revealed his true objective, making it perfectly clear that he viewed people as experimental materials. Yet before he could even issue a threat, Serana had agreed outright.

But that was only on the surface. Anyone with a little life experience could understand exactly why she had yielded so quickly.

Fu Qian actually believed her when she said she had no desire to reach Tier 2.

On one hand, she simply wasn't that ambitious. On the other, she had Ambor serving as a shining precedent—she had witnessed the tragic consequences of his excessive ambition up close.

But a person's mindset was shaped by their circumstances and experiences—in other words, the prevailing climate.

Aside from the aforementioned factors that kept her perfectly steadfast and free of desire, a lethal objective condition had now been added to that prevailing climate—

At first glance, Professor Fu appeared to be treating human life with utter disregard, ruthlessly pushing forward highly risky experiments.

But behind every risk lay opportunity. For the person involved, how was this not an alternative stroke of fortune?

The man sitting across from her was far more than just the Academy's hottest rising star.

The scope of his activities that she actually knew about was already terrifying, and he seemingly had hidden dealings with all the major organizations.

He clearly also possessed a considerable degree of knowledge regarding the so-called New Gods and old ones.

It went far beyond technical support. Considering his good relations with the Night Watchers, and the subtle, unspoken understanding he shared with the Shangjing chief, as long as the subsequent promotion process didn't go too far overboard, he was essentially handling all the regulatory compliance for free.

In short, with Professor Fu revealing his true colors, conspiracies might be lurking in every shadow, but the situation had still undergone an earth-shattering shift.

Under these circumstances, regardless of his polite tone, it was no exaggeration to call this an opportunity delivered straight to her door.

"Understood. You don't need to worry about Yuan Shan."

Excellency Serana didn't exactly have a good temper, but communicating with her was pleasantly hassle-free.

Seeing her catch on so quickly, Fu Qian gave a slight nod, confirming that there would be no regulatory issues.

"Also, take this with you."

Before Serana could say another word, a faintly visible item appeared in his hand, and he tossed it directly to her.

That's right—it was the very item he had just fleeced from Taylor: the Secret Treasure of the Blood Clan, capable of concealing one's figure.

His previous operation targeting Brother Taylor had inherently served as a subtle invitation to Excellency Serana.

Since things had progressed so smoothly, there was no longer any need for him to keep the item. Holding onto it would only needlessly complicate the situation.

...

"It really was you..."

Recognizing it at a glance, Serana wore a complex expression, her internal suspicions confirmed.

"Shouldn't you say, 'thankfully it was me'? Otherwise, this thing wouldn't have been easy to get back."

Fu Qian's smile didn't waver, implying she ought to be happy about the outcome.

"You're right. It was only after I returned that I found out about their incredibly stupid idea."

Serana sighed softly and didn't argue, her reaction replaced instead by helpless resignation toward such sheer idiocy.

"If the Rebirth Club were that easy to deal with, how could they have achieved everything they have today?"

It was obvious to her that such a scheme—full of petty cleverness—vastly underestimated the organization lurking in the world's shadows.

Though theoretically, this judgment wasn't entirely fair. The children left behind in Shangjing simply hadn't had the chance to see how the Rebirth Club pulled all the strings in Moore.

Besides that, one other thing was abundantly clear: the Dayun Mingwang in Serana's mind was indeed Professor Fu, but Professor Fu didn't necessarily have to be the real Dayun Mingwang.

Even the most sincere exchanges carried the potential for misunderstanding.

For example, despite Fu Qian's active confession, Serana had seemingly interpreted the previous incident as him impersonating Dayun Mingwang.

Such behavior might have seemed nonsensical at a glance, but after their conversation just now, it felt entirely logical for Professor Fu—a researcher engaged in a long-term battle of wits with the Rebirth Club—to do something like that.

And since they had already stepped onto the board as chess pieces, there was truly no need for Gulade to meddle any further.

"If I hadn't come, or if I hadn't agreed to your earlier proposal, would you have withheld this?"

Seeing Professor Fu simply smile without a word, skipping the chance to offer a sharp critique, Serana casually weighed the cloak in her hands, evidently understanding his scheme.

"I generally don't force people to be ambitious."

Acknowledging her statement, Fu Qian indicated that he wasn't the demonic mentor type.

"But it seems I still ought to thank Your Excellency for the opportunity, after all..."

Sighing softly, Serana nonetheless insisted on accepting this favor.

As for the words she hesitated to say, they weren't hard to guess.

The temptation to advance further had previously only been analyzed from the perspective of personal gain.

One couldn't forget the looming shadows mentioned earlier, nor the fact that the Blood Clan had long been targeted by the Rebirth Club and was already caught in the vortex.

In this increasingly perilous climate, having someone within the family step up and advance was a good thing no matter how you looked at it.

Her rich life experience hadn't dulled her senses; Excellency Serana was someone who remained vigilant even in times of peace.

...

The darkness was growing.

After the vampire lady left, the night grew even deeper.

Gazing at the Shangjing night sky illuminated by city lights, Fu Qian could deeply empathize with Excellency Serana's final sentiments.

It truly was an autumn of many troubles. How much longer could this night sky remain intact?

For a moment, Fu Qian thought back to That Long Night from a thousand years ago.

However, Classmate Su Gao had been right: the living beings of this world were all still struggling with all their might. With just a little nudge, Excellency Serana had gone off to strive for progress. Hopefully, she would bring good news later.

Besides, it was about time.

Finally stretching and standing up, Fu Qian walked over and flipped the "Open" sign around.

Chief Yuan hadn't come to visit even now, so it seemed the side effects couldn't be too severe.

That's right, the Midnight Bookstore did business with more than just one person.

During the mission, he had wondered if Wen Li detonating the pleasure would have side effects.

Especially since Chief Yuan had just suffered the torment of the Red Moon, her resistance was even more concerning.

But since she still hadn't shown up, it seemed he could go ahead and use the Anywhere Door.

Sitting back behind the counter, Fu Qian didn't enjoy his post-closing leisure time. Instead, he pressed a finger against the Spikes, letting his blood flow down.

An illusory door suddenly opened. As the scenery shifted, the sensation beneath his seat didn't change at all.

Indeed, Professor Fu, returning in glory from his scientific expedition, had impressively arrived at his loyal Laboratory.

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