Eldritch Horror Theatre

After a night of thunderstorms, the sun rose once more.

The air was fresh, filled with the chirping of birds and the scent of flowers.

Bathed in the morning light, Fu Qian lounged on a bench by the river.

Naturally, those two couldn't have caught him. He had already changed clothes.

An oversized T-shirt and a lazy posture completely changed his aura, instantly transforming him from a corporate elite into a street slacker.

Scattered groups of early risers were already out exercising along the river.

Fu Qian’s gaze, however, was locked onto a young woman on a slow jog.

In her twenties, she was tall and slender. Dressed in standard athletic gear, she looked the very picture of a fitness enthusiast.

Her current pace, however, was barely faster than a walk. Every step seemed incredibly strenuous.

To an outsider, she was undoubtedly a hardworking, disciplined young woman—far better than a lazy bum like Fu Qian.

But Fu Qian was not here without reason.

The young woman was surnamed Huang, a colleague of Cha Soon-young.

Their connection stemmed from a recent accident.

After leaving yesterday, Fu Qian had looked into Cha Soon-young's past and discovered he had been in a cruise shipwreck.

The Madam Huang before him was another survivor of that accident.

Although official investigations had clearly outlined the incident's causes and consequences, Fu Qian smelled something off.

He suspected the accident might have been another ritual.

He had spent some effort tracking down her address, eventually staking her out here.

As a transcendent, his five senses were far sharper than an ordinary person's. Observing her now, he quickly noticed something unusual.

Cutting through the smell of sweat, Fu Qian could clearly detect a faint scent of blood lingering on Madam Huang.

After looking her up and down, he could almost confirm that something akin to a Penance Belt was wrapped around her shapely, slender thighs.

Its metallic barbs were currently digging deep into her flesh.

Such a workout routine was undoubtedly hardcore; no wonder she moved with such difficulty.

Yet even so, Madam Huang gritted her teeth, pushing forward with tremendous perseverance.

Fu Qian wasn't the only one paying attention to her.

Madam Huang was quite attractive, and she had already drawn plenty of eyes along her route.

Two fitness buffs trailing far behind, for instance, had clearly been watching her for a while.

Fu Qian even saw them jog up to strike up a conversation, but Madam Huang remained aloof and didn't respond.

Right now, however, she was clearly nearing her limit; her speed was dropping visibly.

Unable to keep going, Madam Huang finally came to a stop.

"What's wrong? Do you need help?"

Thinking the beauty could no longer hold on, the two young men seized the opportunity to approach and show their concern.

"It's fine. I'm good, very good!"

This time, she didn't push them away. Instead, she lifted her head with a smile.

Compared to just a moment ago, her entire aura had shifted. Her expression was highly peculiar.

"It's just... how exactly can you help me?"

Her voice carried an indescribable, cloying sweetness.

The previously aloof goddess was now flushed, her eyes sultry. The contrast was jarring.

Startled, the two men subconsciously took a step back.

Unfortunately, she had no intention of letting them go. She stepped forward, reaching out to grab their hands.

Huh?

As if a sudden chill had run down their loins, the two men swallowed hard, scrambled backward, and turned tail to run.

The woman didn't chase after them. Instead, she stood perfectly still, her eyes narrowed with a look of sheer intoxication.

This state had absolutely nothing to do with a runner's high!

Fu Qian sighed.

From his angle, he could see the woman's lips turning blood-red in the blink of an eye. Her body temperature was rising abnormally.

At the same time, a faint trace of power surged within her.

Was the ritual receiving feedback?

She was clearly experiencing the exact same thing as Brother Cha.

And judging by Brother Cha's subsequent fate, Madam Huang's prospects were likely just as grim.

"What are you doing?"

A voice rang out from behind him.

Fu Qian looked back. Rolden was staring at him, his face as dark as still water.

"Morning exercises."

"Morning exercises?"

Rolden looked Fu Qian up and down, basically implying that slumping like a couch potato hardly counted as morning exercise.

"You don't understand. The point of morning exercise is to stimulate vitality. For a man, looking at beautiful women is a form of morning exercise."

Fu Qian pointed forward.

...

Rolden looked in the direction he pointed, only to find Madam Huang staring straight at Fu Qian. Her reddened eyes were feverish, practically dripping with lust!

In that instant, Rolden's expression shifted rapidly. After a few glances at the woman, he finally withdrew his gaze, his face odd.

The next moment, he noticed Fu Qian examining him with a smile.

This guy...

His sense of unease grew heavier. Rolden felt that the man before him was becoming increasingly unpredictable.

"What are you looking at me for?"

"Congratulations."

Fu Qian said it as if it were a matter of course.

"Congratulating me?"

Rolden's tone carried a hint of confusion.

"Yes. Congratulations on finding another source of amusement, right after me."

As Fu Qian spoke, he waved at Madam Huang.

She froze for a moment, then smiled brightly, swaying her hips as she walked over.

"Don't tell me you don't recognize her?"

Fu Qian looked back at Rolden.

"How could I not? It's just that she's still far from ready."

Visibly displeased by Fu Qian's stare, Rolden replied coldly.

"Cha Soon-young, why are you here?"

Madam Huang had already reached them. Parting her red lips, she clearly recognized his face.

"Morning exercises."

Fu Qian gave the same answer.

"Morning exercises?"

Madam Huang looked pleasantly surprised.

"Were you looking for me? Come to think of it, you seem to have gotten taller!"

She took another step forward, her full breasts swaying.

Hmph!

At this point, Rolden couldn't stand watching any longer.

With a heavy snort, he took out an object and pressed it against the woman's forehead.

As if a pause button had been pressed, her movements froze instantly. She stood rooted to the spot.

It was now clear that Rolden had used a small Cross.

The next moment, a pulse of light surged from the Cross.

Madam Huang instantly calmed down. She lost her overly provocative demeanor, and her eyes grew much clearer.

Is that the legendary Heart-Purifying Universal Kindness Incantation?

Fu Qian watched the scene with keen interest, but Rolden merely stared at him with a stony face.

"Come with me. I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure."

Unsurprised, Fu Qian stood up.

That this guy was seeking him out now was ninety-nine percent likely due to what happened last night.

The real show was about to begin.

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