Eldritch Horror Theatre

Fu Qian didn't really know how Yuan Shan ultimately wrote her report.

But the woman clearly knew what she was doing. Once she confirmed everything was true, she quickly let him go.

"I keep my word. All my previous promises still stand."

She even made a point to emphasize this to him, acting remarkably straightforward and generous.

"Were you actually planning on going back on your word?"

Fu Qian reacted with a look of sheer astonishment.

"And here I was, working so hard!"

...

"Is it resolved already?"

Although slightly confused as to why Fu Qian was coming back from outside, Wen Li visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"More or less."

Fu Qian grunted in affirmation. She was certainly obedient; from the looks of it, she genuinely hadn't dared to visit his place.

Speaking of this incident, Wen Li actually deserved a fair amount of credit.

If she hadn't noticed the anomalies in Ariel's emotions, it really wouldn't have been easy for him to guess the man's unique condition and think of using "reason" to convince him.

Sure enough, this kind of special ability was often far more useful than purely physical ones!

And after Ariel took that information back, the Origin Council would most likely have quite a significant reaction.

Judging by their actions, the practice of helping someone ascend to a Pseudo-Demigod state was likely not limited to just the Chen Clan.

As for their motives, they might have been looking for test subjects, or perhaps they wanted to use this to control those families—or both.

Given his theatrical performance, they would probably assume the Night Watchers already knew about these operations and hurry to cover their tracks.

As for launching any retaliation, that was virtually impossible.

Fu Qian didn't believe for a second that the Night Watchers lacked even a single Divine Emissary among their ranks. With Logan currently missing and his fate unknown, the Origin Council was likely only worried about the Night Watchers retaliating against them.

Therefore, Shangjing should be very safe right now.

"If you want to play it safe, you can keep a low profile for another couple of days."

"Mhm."

Wen Li accepted the suggestion almost instantly.

...

Early the next morning, Fu Qian said his goodbyes and returned to The Bookstore.

It was obvious that Wen Li wanted to host him for a few more days, but since the crisis was resolved, she simply couldn't find a reason to keep a demigod around as her bodyguard.

After resting at The Bookstore for half a day, and even opening for business for a short while, Fu Qian stretched and stood up.

Looking at the scattered handful of customers, he snapped his fingers.

"Sorry everyone, we're closed."

Amid a chorus of protests, he simply herded them all out, once again experiencing the thrill of being a grumpy boss.

He had rested a bit too long this time.

Gazing around the empty space of The Bookstore, Fu Qian casually went up to the second floor.

Looking at his face in the mirror, he reached up and took off the mask.

[Identity verification complete. Today's work begins.]

[Warning: Leak incident.]

After several days, the dim Warehouse once again appeared before his eyes.

Instantly, familiar prompts flooded his vision.

[Name: Goddess of Sins. Code: 2-177.]

[Today's work assignment updated: Enter the 2-177 Containment Scenario and complete re-containment.]

[Current SAN Value: 165. Current inspiration: 61.]

What a heavy loss!

Listening to the prompts made Fu Qian's heart ache.

The price of directly facing a True God was still too steep; his SAN Value had dropped by nearly fifty points!

Familiar with the routine, he equipped his skills and items, and the scenery before him rapidly shifted.

[Entering the 2-177 Containment Scenario...]

[...1%... 5%... 15%... 45%... 75%... 95%... 100%. Containment Scenario loaded.]

[This is a special place, an impossibly massive forbidden zone.

Chaotic ruins, dangerous curses, and deformed monsters make this a death trap for humanity, yet it is also a haven of freedom for transcendents.

People possessing supernatural powers have established a unique gathering place here.

Using it as a base, transcendents explore the depths of this lethal land, honing their powers and gathering materials.

In the absence of the Night Watchers, various factions clash and collide here, ultimately forming a specific set of rules.

For instance, all murderous evildoers must accept the redemption of the Goddess of Sins.

And you are one of them.]

"Alright everyone, dinner is over!"

As his senses recovered, Fu Qian heard the clinking of a glass being tapped.

'What? It's over and I haven't even eaten yet?'

Greatly displeased, Fu Qian looked around and found himself sitting at the edge of a massive round table, a mess of plates and cups strewn in front of him.

The round table was currently surrounded by all sorts of people, dozens of them.

Men and women, young and old, tall and short, fat and thin—some with fur on their faces, some with horns on their heads, others completely encased in Armor. At a glance, it was a bizarre menagerie.

And their one shared trait was that they were all transcendents.

Fu Qian wasn't surprised by this. After all, the mission introduction had just stated that this scenario took place in a gathering spot for transcendents.

Furthermore, it sounded like this gathering place was located inside a massive forbidden zone.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir William."

In the direction of the clinking glass, an elegant-looking gentleman placed the cup in his hand back onto the table.

"As strange as it is to say, I still must express my amazement."

"The number of people here today is truly exaggerated! These past few years, our public order has simply been going from bad to worse."

"The bedchamber of the Goddess of Sins has never been this lively before!"

"But looking on the bright side, your journey of redemption this time is bound to be spectacular. The other spectators and I are very much looking forward to it."

The round table was made of stone, and the entire building shared the same material, both bearing severe marks of weathering.

Although the table was laden with food, there were no signs of life anywhere else; it had likely been abandoned for a long time.

While listening to the explanation from the "host" named William, Fu Qian observed his surroundings.

For now, this spacious hall seemed to be part of some Ancient Ruins.

"Although everyone is very clear on the rules, I still must explain them according to protocol."

Having finished his lamentation, William got to the point.

"First of all, you are here because of your respective crimes. The vast majority of you are thugs completely unworthy of forgiveness."

"And now, the Goddess will draw out your Fire of Sin and purify it."

"You have three days, during which you are free to attack and kill each other; all taboos are lifted."

"But unlike the outside world, here, every kill will manifest as actual Fire of Sin. Its burning will cause you agony, but simultaneously make you more powerful."

"If you find it unbearable, you can always seek out a Statue of the Goddess and pray for redemption."

"She answers all prayers and will purify the flames upon your body, returning you to peace."

"But do not forget, only one person can receive final absolution—the one burning with the most intense Fire of Sin after three days. Everyone else will be executed."

"Also, do not forget our old friend."

William waved his hand, and a phantom image appeared in the air.

It was a statue of a Knight kneeling on one knee.

"The Sin Seeker will follow the flames and attack the one with the heaviest sins, without rest."

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