Eldritch Horror Theatre

[Identity verification complete. Today's work has begun.]

[Warning: Leak incident.]

The next morning, Fu Qian entered the Warehouse on time. Unsurprisingly, the alarm blared.

Yesterday, Young Master Qin and his companions had taken their time relaxing before they left. It was obvious they treated Fu Qian's place as a sanctuary where they could cast off their burdens and unwind.

Even Tan Ying was no exception. She might have arrived carrying a grudge, but it hadn't taken long for the atmosphere to win her over.

Fu Qian's way of doing things simply exerted an incredibly powerful psychological influence.

Since he was in a good mood, Fu Qian had even gone easy on Tan Ying, letting her beat him soundly in a few matches. Judging by the look on her face when she left, she had definitely worked out a lot of her frustration.

[Name: Feather. Codename: 2-153.]

[Today's task updated: Enter the containment scenario for 2-153 and complete its re-containment.]

No restrictions on abilities or items this time!

Fu Qian nodded, very satisfied with this development.

After outfitting himself with practiced ease, he brought along two new items.

The first was naturally his newly acquired reward: the Handbell of Eternally Lucid Mind.

With such a perfect opportunity, there was no reason not to test it in actual combat.

The other was the gift from the Witch: that silver-white mask with facial features.

Judging by its previous performance, its ability to conceal his presence was impressive. It would undoubtedly come in handy.

[Entering Containment Scenario 2-153.]

Once his preparations were complete, the scene before his eyes rapidly blurred.

[...2%...4%...10%...28%...82%...100%. Loading complete.]

[This is a death zone for humanity, and the only forbidden zone collectively owned by all transcendents.

Because of the chaos and danger filling it, it is known as the Wasteland.

Yet the treasures nurtured within that danger draw batch after batch of transcendents.

They hunt deformed monsters and unearth ancient secrets, reaping unimaginable rewards.

Naturally, the resulting bloody struggles are inevitable. Therefore, anyone who enters must be prepared for death.]

This description sounded a bit familiar!

Listening to the introduction in his mind, Fu Qian silently evaluated it.

If he remembered correctly, he had heard a similar description not long ago.

During that mission for the Goddess of Sins, all his opponents had seemingly hailed from a lawless place just like this—a gathering ground for a massive number of transcendents.

[Containment Fulfillment Conditions: Completely conceal the Angel Dungeon.]

[Current SAN Value: 220. Current inspiration: 86.]

As the explanatory text ended, Fu Qian regained his senses. A wave of agonizing pain hit him instantly, accompanied by a breezy chill under his chin.

Reaching up to touch his face, he discovered a chunk of his jaw was missing. The flesh and blood were squirming, slowly healing the wound.

Faced with such a bizarre entrance, Fu Qian didn't panic in the slightest. Instead, he immediately scanned his surroundings and found himself sitting at a wooden table.

The table's smooth surface was already stained dark red by a massive splatter of blood.

Lifting his heavy left hand, he realized he was gripping an ostentatiously designed long-barreled revolver.

So I was sitting here and fired a shot with the barrel pressed against my own chin?

Given the scene, Fu Qian naturally pictured the sequence of events.

It truly was the impermanence of worldly affairs. The smokescreen he had pulled in his last mission had actually become a reality the moment he arrived here.

Fu Qian stood up and walked over to check a nearby mirror.

In that short amount of time, the wound on his face had mostly healed; even his shattered jaw had grown back.

Thoughtful, Fu Qian flicked open the revolver's cylinder and dumped the bullets onto the table.

Unlike typical brass rounds, these bullets were either silvery-white or pitch-black. Complex patterns were carved into every single one, and no two designs were exactly alike.

These probably aren't meant for shooting people!

Fu Qian figured. Given the system's introduction, this forbidden zone known as the Wasteland was completely open to outsiders, making it an adventurer's paradise for transcendents. These bullets were highly likely meant for hunting those monsters.

Armed with such specialized gear, his identity was clearly that of a professional.

As for why one of these bullets had ended up blowing his own head off, that would require some careful investigation.

Fu Qian glanced out the window. The light was still somewhat dim, and a few stars hung in the pale cyan sky. It had to be just past dawn.

Taking in the layout of the room, he saw that the furnishings were extremely simple—spartan, even.

This was clearly his own solitary residence; there was no one else here.

By now, the wound on his head was completely invisible. After a moment of thought, Fu Qian swiftly cleaned up the blood on the table and floor, restoring everything to normal.

Thump, thump!

Almost the second he finished cleaning, someone knocked on the door.

Through his senses, Fu Qian could clearly confirm there were two people standing outside. Though their auras weren't particularly strong, they were unquestionably transcendents.

And judging by the sound of the knocking, they were clearly anxious.

Did they notice something wrong and come to confirm my death?

Fu Qian mused, making no rush to answer.

It seemed the two outside didn't have much patience either. After knocking twice more, they simply shoved hard. With a teeth-setting creak, the locked wooden door was forced open from the outside.

"You're alright?"

The visitors—one tall, one short—actually froze for a moment when they saw Fu Qian sitting behind the table.

"Things are definitely not alright. I need a new door, for one."

Fu Qian shook his head.

Going by their tone, these two clearly knew him, and they had been absolutely certain that something had happened to him.

"What happened?"

After a brief pause, Fu Qian decided on getting straight to the point.

"The others who went down to explore with us yesterday were all found dead in their homes today. You're the only exception."

The two exchanged a look before the one in front finally spoke.

Actually, in theory, I should be dead too.

Fu Qian noted silently.

"So, you were originally planning to collect my corpse?"

"That's right. And take back all your belongings, too."

Surprisingly, the two men were remarkably honest, laying out their original plan without the slightest hesitation.

They seemed full of confidence. It didn't feel like recklessness, but rather a disdain for hiding their intentions.

To act with such arrogance, the faction backing them had to be quite extraordinary.

"Anyway, it's for the best that you aren't dead."

While Fu Qian silently evaluated them, the two men clearly had no interest in further idle chatter.

"Then come with us. We have questions for you."

"Sure!"

Hearing this, Fu Qian stood up just as briskly.

While they had been talking, he had already reloaded the revolver and tucked it away securely on his person.

"I happen to have a few things I want to confirm myself."

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