Eldritch Horror Theatre

'I'd call this highly efficient. The transit system can forget about squeezing much money out of this seat ever again.'

Transitioning from the cutthroat world of commerce to the boundless sea of academia in the blink of an eye, Fu Qian snorted, already scheming how to cash out his travel expenses.

The sky over the Academy had clearly gone dark as well, and the atmosphere—wasn't actually all that deserted.

Narrowing his eyes, Fu Qian looked at the two people staring right back at him. To his surprise, this place was even livelier than The Bookstore.

Standing to his left and right, both wearing identical expressions of astonishment, were Classmate Liushuang and Eldest Miss Wen.

Sure enough, a boss could never casually leave. The moment he stepped away, they slacked off.

Night had barely fallen, yet they had already returned to rest.

They even seemed to be having a wonderful chat, going so far as to brew Professor Fu's personal tea leaves.

Not rushing to speak, Fu Qian lowered his gaze to the tea sitting in front of them.

That tiny shift in his gaze was not only caught, but seemingly entirely misunderstood.

The laboratory assistant, Classmate Liushuang, snapped out of her daze, awaking as if from a dream. She was the first to speak up and rise to pour him a cup, looking for all the world as if she feared her boss might die of thirst.

"Professor Fu, you returned much faster than we imagined. It seems we were worrying for nothing."

Wen Li didn't get up to help, but she still beamed, staring at Fu Qian's face in warm welcome.

Heh, young people... trying to brush past their slacking with a few sweet words.

However, how could a respected academic leader be so easily fooled? Taking a sip of his tea, Professor Fu kept his focus on what the two of them had been doing before he arrived.

"What were you two chatting about just now?"

...

He had to admit, tea tasted much better when brewed by someone else.

Sliding right into his comfort zone, Fu Qian briefly considered whether he ought to hire an assistant for The Bookstore as well.

"We were discussing the Gospel Team. Wen Li offered a lot of useful advice."

This sudden display of concern from their boss was rather overwhelming, but fortunately, both of them had excellent mental fortitude. Exchanging a glance with Wen Li, Classmate Liushuang offered a smiling explanation.

The Gospel Team?

That made sense. Classmate Liushuang did juggle quite a few part-time jobs.

Besides serving as a laboratory assistant here, she also managed a portion of her family's business, and even the Night Watchers held high expectations for her.

Under such circumstances, managing to maintain her heart for cultivation was already no small feat.

And since Wen Li had grown up steeped in the world of commerce, it was perfectly logical for her to offer some management advice.

Finding this explanation reasonably convincing, Professor Fu gave a slight nod.

Of course, he also noticed another minor detail. In the few days he'd been gone, the two youngsters had clearly struck up a good friendship. Classmate Liushuang's way of addressing Wen Li, for instance, had become quite casual.

"I was just tossing out ideas. If you actually put me in charge of the concrete details, I'm afraid I'd be running around in a panic."

Modest in the face of this praise, Wen Li waved her hand to show she was merely speaking hypothetically.

"It's fine. She doesn't really handle the concrete details either."

Hearing this, Fu Qian gestured toward Ji Liushuang to indicate that her role was mostly about establishing strategic policies anyway. Speaking hypothetically suited her perfectly.

Hehe...

Seeing that Classmate Liushuang took Professor Fu's evaluation completely in stride, Wen Li covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

"Actually, we were also chatting about your itinerary, Professor Fu. But your arrival just now was simply too magical—you just appeared out of thin air... If we sat in that Chair, could we do that too?"

As the atmosphere grew increasingly relaxed, she voiced the burning curiosity that had gripped her from the start, her expression filled with a trace of longing.

"Unfortunately, this is an exclusive function for an exclusive seat."

It was clear that the two young women had been perfectly well-behaved in their boss's absence; they hadn't even sneaked a test run in his luxurious seat.

Alas, their boss immediately poured cold water on their hopes, informing them that only the academic leader was authorized to use it.

Furthermore, any of their slacking could instantly be caught by his watchful eyes as a result.

...

"Alright then."

Wen Li sighed with clear regret.

As for Classmate Liushuang, while she didn't show it quite so obviously, she too looked as though a beautiful fantasy had just been shattered.

"So, have the two of you made any progress during this time? Don't tell me you've just been slacking off since I left."

Paying no mind to their disappointment, Professor Fu continued to display his strict, demanding side by asking for a report on their latest accomplishments.

This...

Group meetings were eternally terrifying. The two youngsters immediately exchanged dismayed glances.

The problem was that while their boss might have left and returned looking as if he'd completed some momentous scientific expedition, he hadn't actually been gone for more than a few days.

Even if they hadn't dared to slack off for a single second, managing to make tangible progress in such a short window would make anyone wonder if they'd been corrupted by an evil god.

"Try striking me with a sword at full strength."

Still showing no trace of sympathy, Professor Fu gestured directly at his laboratory assistant. To their surprise, he intended to test her personally.

"Um... alright."

Having worked under him the longest, Ji Liushuang quickly composed herself, accepting her fate of working overtime during her rest period.

Her execution was equally flawless. Keeping in mind that her boss had asked for her full strength, she dashed upstairs the very next moment. When she returned, she carried a lethal weapon wrapped in a rough scabbard.

"Here I come."

Shockingly, she had brought out the Sword in the Stone. With a brief warning, this theoretically inauspicious blade was unsheathed, its tip pointing straight at her boss's forehead.

Such a scene was undoubtedly the ultimate fantasy of countless corporate drones.

The Sword in the Stone could allow a Mid Tier transcendent to unleash a Demigod Realm strike. Stacked with the already unreasonably sharp Lucent Sword Heart, this ultimate thrust should have been terrifying. Instead, its speed was neither fast nor even straight.

Indeed, she looked as though she had been dancing with the Sword in the Stone for half the day. As Classmate Liushuang slowly pushed the sword forward, it was as if a massive mountain were weighing the tip down, forcing it to trace a trembling, downward curve.

Thud—

Faced with such a sluggish movement, Professor Fu easily handled it. He even mirrored her pace, his right hand tracing a slow arc to meet the blade. His spread index and middle fingers reached out as if to prop up the falling mountain.

Even more miraculously, the moment they connected didn't produce the crisp ring of clashing metal. Instead, an abnormally muffled sound echoed through the room, like an actual mountain crumbling to dust.

"Not bad."

Professor Fu, whose fingers hadn't trembled in the slightest from the impact, even gave his stamp of approval.

"Here, now it's your turn."

Without wasting a second, Fu Qian turned his sights on Wen Li, ready to test this genius student on behalf of the Linghui Courtyard.

"Alright."

Wen Li didn't seem to mind in the slightest. Her expression grew entirely serious as she gave a soft reply.

Then, in a rather rare display for someone who specialized in mental attacks, she extended an arm just like Classmate Liushuang had.

Crystal clear, dreamlike, and soul-stealing... all of these words perfectly described that hand as it surged toward the one who had called this group meeting.

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