Eldritch Horror Theatre

Is there no end to this? Warehouse, what's going on with you lately?

The source was even closer than the iron door, and in the dead silence, certain sounds were all too easy to distinguish.

Not to mention, Fu Qian's recent observational experience in this particular field could now be considered quite extensive.

But it was precisely this wealth of experience that made it hard to suppress the urge to complain once he realized what was happening outside.

He had never held high expectations for his work benefits, but wasn't this double standard a bit too obvious?

On one hand, Old Man Ji got to play the palace playboy, enjoying a job full of perks. On the other hand, a newly appointed administrator found himself in a scenario equally full of perks, only to act as a bystander?

As they said, comparison was the thief of joy. This wasn't about whether he was actually interested or not.

After his earlier observations in Ehm Palace, how could he not feel indignant at such a blatant downgrade in benefits?

Dissatisfaction aside, of course, Fu Qian didn't let a single sound slip by, striving to pick out any valuable information from the barrage of sound effects.

Right up until their passion completely burned out, the two of them communicated entirely through body language, without uttering a single word.

"The special place you mentioned... is here?"

Fortunately, the man seemed to be getting on in years, so he transitioned to the spiritual communication phase with relatively high efficiency.

In his hushed voice, one could clearly hear the return of reason and logic.

"Yeah. Don't you think there's nowhere more fitting than here?"

The other party was much more uninhibited in comparison, even letting out a low chuckle as she fired back the question.

...

Both voices were unfamiliar.

Fu Qian was quite pleased that the passionate couple didn't just pull up their pants and leave, and he casually deduced a piece of information from this.

It was obvious that he hadn't heard either voice before; they probably weren't among the old acquaintances he was here to visit.

And judging from their conversation, it seemed they had been searching everywhere for a place to get intimate and ultimately settled on here?

He had to admit, their preferences were a bit unique.

Whether it was their cautious demeanor upon entering or the deliberate tone in their conversation, it was enough to prove that the two of them knew they had an audience here.

So this was yet another mutual endeavor? They had come here specifically for the audience?

"It's quiet and secluded. Unless it's a specific time, hardly anyone ever comes here."

The woman continued to list her reasons. From this alone, one could hear that she was no younger than her male companion.

"True. Even when it's time for a stroll, no one chooses this direction... But it seems there's still someone here?"

"Really? Do you think of him as a person?"

Faced with his words, the woman's reaction was truly rather peculiar, even revealing what sounded like pleasant surprise.

"That's absolutely wonderful. Because you viewed him as a person, is that why you performed so well just now?"

"Celsus said that mentally, he no longer possesses human traits."

...

Sure enough.

Once a person lost their freedom, they often couldn't even serve as a tool; they were reduced to a mere prop.

The conversation nearby was quite abstract, but for Fu Qian, it wasn't difficult to understand.

It was obvious that coming here was the woman's idea, and it hadn't been a sudden whim.

Not only had she not forgotten that someone was here, but this audience member had been one of her most important considerations all along.

He could only wonder if the effects of this recuperation were a bit too good. Everyone seemed quite motivated and full of passion for life.

"Actually, I feel the same. I want him to act as our witness."

The woman's suppressed yet still crisp laughter seemed to prove this point.

"Especially if he's like they described—all information only enters his brain in a fragmented way, recorded without comprehension, while he remains completely unable to respond..."

"Wouldn't that be like having a private file of ours quietly stored away inside him?"

Not bad, quite imaginative.

He completely ignored the fact that, in her description, he had already been thoroughly reduced to a prop.

In that moment, Fu Qian even somewhat approved of the woman's whimsical idea.

A listener who could only receive information in a special code and was incapable of outputting it was indeed suited to be an unconventional storage device.

What? Storing it was useless?

The fact that the parties involved knew it was stored was its greatest use.

"You're right. Tracy, you're an absolute genius. There really was a different kind of mood just now... It seems we both owe him our thanks."

It sounded like the woman's male companion had also been persuaded, even falling into a state of reverie.

And amidst his heartfelt praise, he had even revealed the woman's name, clearly growing more uninhibited.

Though compared to that rather affectionate address, Fu Qian was more curious about the name Celsus mentioned earlier.

It was easy to tell that Tracy placed a lot of trust in that person's judgment. Could Celsus be the attending physician here or something similar?

If that was the case, then that person definitely had a lot to do with the current situation.

He was clearly a visitor, so how had he fallen into such a state?

It even seemed to be an accepted fact that it would be very difficult to ever leave this place.

Cough, cough...

Bearing these questions in mind, Fu Qian cleared his throat and offered a polite remark.

"You're welcome."

...

The world instantly fell silent, as if it had returned to the very beginning.

But Fu Qian knew very well that not too far away, there were now two petrified figures.

It wasn't that he intentionally meant to ruin the harmonious atmosphere. Mainly, the two were clearly getting ready to flee the scene of the crime, as he could already hear the faint sound of a door opening.

If he didn't speak up and ask them to stay, who knew when another fated encounter like this would deliver itself to his doorstep.

Click—

Though his attempt didn't seem to have a great effect; in the next moment, the sound of the door opening grew even more hurried.

It was shut again immediately afterward. The man and woman were already fleeing like rats scurrying for cover.

"What date is it today?"

Fu Qian didn't mind, nor did he try to hold them back. He simply tossed the question into the air.

"...You can see?"

After about the time it took to take a breath, the man's incredulous voice finally rang out, sounding quite dry.

"No, I just trusted that you two wouldn't leave, and now it's your turn."

Fu Qian replied calmly.

"Of course I can see, although your face is covered—you're asking about today's date?"

He realized Fu Qian wanted him to answer, but at first, he clearly hadn't grasped what he was supposed to answer. It was only halfway through speaking that the man caught on.

"Of course he's asking about the date."

Unfortunately, he no longer had the chance to answer. Tracy, who had been observing for a while, cut in coldly and answered for him.

"Today is the forty-eighth."

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