Eldritch Horror Theatre

Perhaps because of Bernard, Loretta's attitude toward Fu Qian carried an inexplicable warmth.

As Fu Qian racked his brain for an approach, she pondered for a moment before her eyes lit up.

"If you're having a hard time right now, would you consider staying here for a while?"

"Can I?"

Fu Qian made no effort to hide his surprise.

"Why couldn't you?"

Loretta replied with a smile.

"Since this is the Monastery, I thought I'd have to fake a conversion first."

"...Not at all. The Monastery is far from what it was when it was first built."

"After all, many of our kind are already on the verge of doing what Deities do in myths."

As she spoke, Loretta's expression seemed to be caught between a smile and a sigh.

"That makes sense."

Fu Qian completely agreed.

No matter how carefree someone was, the existence of transcendents in this world cast a massive psychological shadow over ordinary people.

The existence of the Night Watchers offered a bit of relief, to some extent.

"Come with me. We just need to let the administrator know, though the living conditions will be a bit rough."

"Sure, a little hardship is nothing."

Fu Qian answered without hesitation.

He was here to investigate the Monastery in the first place; naturally, he wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by.

As for sleeping rough—what kind of situations hadn't he seen by now?

Seeing him agree so readily and seemingly understanding his eagerness, Loretta chuckled. She didn't say anything else, standing up immediately to lead the way.

As they walked, her emaciated frame became even more apparent. She was as thin as a crop stalk, looking as if she might snap at any moment.

Yet, the lightness she carried—like someone who had just awoken from a nightmare—infused her with an incredibly contagious vitality, creating a bizarre sense of contradiction.

...

The Monastery wasn't large in area, but it had quite a few rooms, and the residential quarters were nestled right against the foot of the mountain.

Fu Qian followed Loretta, taking in his surroundings as they walked.

Despite the large number of rooms, there was hardly anyone on the paths.

The few scattered individuals he did see were dressed casually, each minding their own business.

Loretta was right; this was clearly a place of free practice now.

The atmosphere wasn't bad. He wondered if they organized regular debates or something similar—that would undoubtedly be quite an interesting scene.

Soon enough, Fu Qian met the administrator Loretta had mentioned.

It was a rather tall, imposing old man with thick hair and no beard, wearing a coarse robe just like Loretta.

"That's him, Nivalis."

Loretta whispered to Fu Qian before stepping forward, naturally calling the man by name and turning back to introduce her companion.

"This is Fu Qian."

She had asked for his name along the way.

"Hello!"

Nivalis's gaze was calm. He glanced at Fu Qian and offered a greeting devoid of any readable emotion.

"Fu Qian wants to stay here for a while, so I brought him over to let you know."

After the introduction, Loretta got straight to the point, not giving Fu Qian a chance to exchange pleasantries.

"I guessed as much when you came in."

Nivalis offered a faint smile, looking Fu Qian up and down.

"This is an open place. As long as you don't disturb the others, you are welcome here."

"But Mr. Fu is so young. Have you run into some kind of trouble?"

"I have!"

Fu Qian nodded, honestly repeating exactly what he had just told Loretta.

He was even more dramatic this time, vividly detailing things like chopped-off heads and cradling internal organs.

It was clear that the two in front of him were accomplished masters. Whether they were disgusted or not, they certainly didn't show it.

Nivalis's face remained an ancient well without ripples. He merely shot a knowing glance at Loretta, clearly realizing something.

Loretta's gaze turned deep and somber, as if the words had dragged up bad memories. She hesitated to speak before offering a silent sigh.

"Stepping out of delusion often cannot be done with the help of others; it requires a powerful strength from within. I hope you find what you need here."

Truly befitting an administrator, Nivalis delivered this rather Zen piece of commentary before turning to Loretta.

"Go ahead and help Mr. Fu find an empty room."

"Mhm."

Loretta didn't stand on ceremony either, pulling Fu Qian along and leaving immediately.

It was apparent that although Nivalis was the administrator, the relationships here were quite casual, lacking any strict hierarchy.

"Right here?"

Loretta had led Fu Qian up and down the paths before finally stopping in front of a door.

"No one has lived here since it was cleaned. Of course, the furnishings are indeed a bit simple."

Are you sure it's just a bit simple?

Fu Qian looked at the single stone bed that served as the room's sole piece of furniture and offered a free, easy smile.

"Wherever the heart is at peace is home."

"That's good."

Loretta's smile carried a touch of relief.

"I live right next door. I'll show you in a bit. If you run into any trouble, you can come find me anytime."

"Alright!"

She was clearly very attentive and considerate, which Fu Qian deeply appreciated.

"As for food, everyone usually handles it themselves. However, people often share their extra portions. If there's anything on the table over in the Corridor, just take what you need."

"Besides, I eat very little... so I don't really have anything to share with you right now."

As Loretta said this, a hint of embarrassment showed on her face.

That was entirely obvious; there was no need for her to feel ashamed.

Fu Qian looked at her skeletal frame and nodded.

"Understood."

"Then let's leave it at that for now. Get some rest first, and come find me if you think of any questions."

Noticing Fu Qian's somewhat somber expression, Loretta smiled and added.

"Don't worry. Nivalis might seem a bit cold, but he's reliable. You have to realize that the vast majority of people here have zero interest in managing things like room assignments."

"I understand."

After watching Loretta casually walk away, Fu Qian stepped into his temporary residence.

He could tell it really had been cleaned; aside from a thin layer of dust, there was no clutter.

Although the furnishings were simple, Fu Qian had never been the type to care about such things. He shut the door, easily settling into his role as he began meditating to pass the time.

After a session of breathing exercises, the sun had set before he knew it.

Fu Qian opened his eyes, confirming that comprehending the Dao really was a great way to kill time.

Speaking of which, his state this time was truly quite special.

There had never been such a long stretch of time without any anomaly occurring in the world.

Everyone he had met so far appeared perfectly normal. The place hadn't degraded into a ghostly realm, nor had he returned to the "real world" to be interrogated by Kelly and Brooke.

It was as if he were truly living among a group of practitioners in an ordinary world, all his previous experiences fading away.

Was it really this miraculous? Could this be some gathering place of spiritual energy, a crux of heaven and earth's fortune?

Was this why Loretta stayed here and refused to leave?

Impossible.

Fu Qian immediately shook his head.

Leaving the mission aside for a moment—if it were truly this easy, why would Loretta be researching pain therapy?

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