Eldritch Horror Theatre

So, seven years had already passed in the Painting World since his last mission?

Fu Qian suddenly understood why the Witch had sounded so sentimental during their last two conversations.

From her perspective, her Templar Knight had been skipping work for far too long.

At the same time, Fu Qian could essentially confirm that the Witch's world—just like the crumbling Furnace—was another dimension entirely independent of his current world.

This was likely why she could only sense him when he entered the state of the colorless curse.

Because according to his earlier theories, the essence of the colorless curse was a weakened connection to the current world.

His current state essentially relied on the Emissary Mask to synchronize with this world, and entering a colorless state weakened that synchronization.

The Witch could only perceive him when he entered this special state of incomplete synchronization, and even then, it was strictly limited to this world.

After all, he had already sealed the sun twice back in his original world, and the Witch hadn't reacted at all.

...

"You're really treating that place as a Church?"

Despite his musings, Fu Qian didn't ask about the mysteries of space and time. Instead, he casually struck up a conversation, sounding completely at home.

It was a holiday, after all. Relaxation was the priority!

"Of course. After all, you won't find many churches with an art studio," she replied.

The communication delay seemed nonexistent; the Witch's response echoed back almost immediately.

"Understandable. But if I remember correctly, the weather there wasn't great. Weren't most of the buildings buried?" he asked.

"It still isn't. But handling a little snowstorm is no problem."

The Witch's casual response put her absolute confidence on full display.

"So the painting's decay is continuing."

"It is simply part of a complete cycle, much like human birth, aging, illness, and death."

"This world will eventually head toward extinction, and I will be its observer. It's not like I have anything else to do, right?"

"Fortunately, it's much more pleasing to the eye now. I'm even a little interested in participating."

The Witch easily matched Fu Qian's laid-back attitude, casually chatting with him.

"By the way, are you satisfied with the item I gave you last time?"

Suddenly remembering the gift, she asked for his evaluation of the mask.

"It's great!"

Fu Qian decisively gave it a glowing review.

"Is that so? What part of it do you like best?"

A faint laugh came from her end before she threw out another question.

"The design."

Fu Qian answered without the slightest hesitation.

"The aura-concealing effect is definitely solid, but I'm most satisfied with its design."

"Oh? How satisfied are you with it?"

Perhaps the Dark Moon Pope's daily life was just too boring, because her questions were endless.

"If I ever need to run naked while wearing a mask, it's the one I'd choose."

Fu Qian gave it a moment of thought before answering with complete seriousness.

Hahaha!

This time, her laughter rang out with exceptional clarity.

Through his mental connection, Fu Qian could even see the crowd below snapping their heads toward her seat, clearly puzzled as to why the Pope was suddenly so happy.

Among the crowd, he spotted a somewhat familiar woman's face.

She looked familiar. Where had he seen her before?

Since he generally disliked letting such trivialities occupy his mental space, it took Fu Qian a moment to recall who she was: the lady who had winked at him during the Dragon Feast Street Parade, all while leaning on her husband for support.

Worldly affairs were truly hard to predict. She had actually become a member of the Dark Moon Cult. Did this count as a successful spiritual journey?

"Today really is a joyful day."

Motioning for the congregation to carry on, the Witch finally stifled her laughter.

"I'm glad you like it. In that case, I'll give you another holiday gift—"

"No need."

Before the Witch could finish, Fu Qian cut her off.

"Hm?"

His blunt refusal completely caught her off guard.

"Wait until I actually earn some merit next time. I outgrew the habit of taking holiday allowances a long time ago."

The Witch in the vision didn't move, and her voice fell completely silent.

Fu Qian didn't rush to speak either. Instead, he leaned back in his Chair and looked at the faint blue moon that had appeared in the sky once more.

There was no doubt that whatever she gave him would be a top-tier item.

However, he had harvested so much recently that he could barely find a use for it all. He wasn't in urgent need of new equipment.

More importantly, though the Witch acted nonchalant, Fu Qian could tell that maintaining this connection was far from easy. It had to be taking a massive toll on her.

In their last two interactions, it was clear she couldn't actually see his surroundings; she could only sense his presence.

After gifting him the Emissary Mask last time, she had cut the connection almost immediately. Though she claimed it was because the sun's seal was weakening, Fu Qian remained skeptical.

As for why he could communicate back this time—and even see her side—Fu Qian guessed it was because of his maxed-out 99 inspiration.

He still hadn't fully grasped the true meaning behind that attribute, but maxing it out seemed to have triggered a qualitative change in him.

Regardless, if merely establishing a connection was this difficult, he could only imagine the toll it would take on her to create a transcendent item out of thin air.

And on such a festive day, Fu Qian had no intention of spoiling the mood.

"I have to say, your reaction surprised me."

The Witch's voice finally broke the long silence.

"As you wish. We will wait until you earn your next merit."

"So, just to make sure I eventually get to give you this gift, make absolutely sure you don't die."

"Well... I can only promise I'll do my best."

Fu Qian sighed.

"Will invoking your name help in a crisis? By the way, I still don't actually know what it is."

...

This time, the silence from the other side lasted even longer.

"You may call me Pope."

Thanks to his question, his pleasant conversation with the Witch was unilaterally terminated. By now, the rust-colored tint in the sky had faded away.

Fu Qian didn't mind the Pope's refusal to reveal her name. Instead, he seamlessly slipped back into his role as a Bookstore Owner and began to enjoy life.

Having successfully drawn the Night Watchers in earlier, the situation in Shangjing had very little to do with him anymore. For now, quietly observing changes would be enough.

...

Over the next few days, Shangjing remained peaceful and quiet. Yuan Shan didn't come to visit.

Nor did a third vampire show up to deliver anything, leaving Fu Qian disappointed for quite a while.

But vacations were always fleeting. After diligently running the bookstore for a few days, Fu Qian decided it was time to return to the Warehouse.

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

[Warning: Leakage incident.]

At this moment, the long-absent notification actually sounded somewhat welcoming.

[Name: Jiali. Designation: 3-530.]

[Today's tasks updated: Enter 3-530's Containment Scenario and execute re-containment.]

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