Eldritch Horror Theatre

That made sense. For a dignified demigod of the Academy and the dean of a courtyard, such a mildly capricious move was nothing at all.

Fu Qian quickly accepted Cass's explanation.

"So that's why, after I returned, only people from Linghui showed up at my door?"

Sighing at the realization, Fu Qian complained about his recent encounter.

"That was the only way to get the best effect!"

Cass still didn't deny it, letting out a wicked chuckle.

"After learning what you'd done, I was completely confident in you. Combined with the later speculation about a demigod... the moment news of your appearance broke, my first reaction was to strictly order them to stay put and not cause any trouble."

"You saw it yourself today. We formed a stark contrast with Linghui."

"Trust me, this won't be some empty title built on lip service. Once this matter is thoroughly settled, the rewards will absolutely be worth it."

Now that was more like it!

Seeing Cass act so reasonably, Fu Qian quickly decided to drop the matter.

At the same time, however, he couldn't help but sigh with a touch of regret.

"It's a pity. I actually thought the Dragon Maiden Troupe would be here to cheer me on."

"Huh?"

Cass was caught off guard for a moment, but he immediately frowned in thought.

"We don't have giant dragons, but how about giant snakes?"

They actually had that?

Now it was Fu Qian's turn to be shocked. He suddenly gained a much deeper understanding of Apocalypse's depraved reputation.

"Do they have tails?"

A moment later, he reconsidered.

"If they're maidens, why would they have tails?"

Cass frowned.

"If they don't have tails, how am I supposed to know they're snakes?"

...

Banter aside, as an elite of the Disciplinary Department who had just busted an orgy, it was obviously impossible for him to participate in such activities.

Otherwise, the stellar image he and Cass had tacitly worked together to build for Apocalypse would collapse in an instant.

"Who would have thought that while Linghui and Sword Comprehension were secretly competing, Apocalypse would be the first to produce a new demigod."

Coming from the usually frivolous Cass, the sentiment actually sounded quite sincere.

"From today onward, you are a Lifetime Professor of Apocalypse. Your salary and benefits will immediately be bumped to the highest tier, and you can just ask if you need research resources or funding... There are no requirements for attendance or output, and your movements will not be restricted in any way."

He clearly understood the importance of talent, throwing out generous conditions as if they cost him nothing.

"Also, I'll make arrangements when I get back and have someone take you to pick out a residence tomorrow."

"Doesn't the Academy's policy prioritize married faculty and staff?"

Fu Qian nodded repeatedly as he listened, but he still brought up what he had previously discussed with Weilong.

"Married?"

Cass realized what he meant and looked thoughtful.

"Should we assign you a spouse as well?"

Now that was a comprehensive benefits package!

His superior's deep concern for both his professional and personal life made Fu Qian genuinely feel the warmth of the Academy.

In this day and age, a stable stream of income was incredibly important, to say nothing of the ability to siphon research funds.

"Speaking of demigods, there's a question I'm actually quite curious about."

After tactfully declining Cass's offer of a spouse, Fu Qian finally circled back to his earlier doubts.

"For the Academy, wasn't the lineup that showed up today a little... thin?"

"You really don't pay any attention to personnel matters, do you!"

Cass's surprise this time was entirely genuine.

"It is indeed a thin lineup. The reason is actually quite simple. Among the remaining demigods in the Academy, the only ones who are still willing to move around are the four of us."

'Remaining...' That had an inexplicably tragic ring to it!

Looking at Cass's somewhat somber expression, Fu Qian thought to himself.

Logically speaking, obtaining divinity didn't grant true immortality, but it still extended a person's lifespan by a considerable margin. It was highly unlikely that their numbers had dwindled like this simply from old age.

"It mainly stems from a special incident."

As if seeing through Fu Qian's thoughts, Cass nodded.

"The specifics are still highly classified. If the opportunity arises later, I'll try to get you access."

"In short, since that incident, the Academy's upper echelons either died or scattered, eventually withering to the state we're in now."

"Right now, out of the four courtyards, two of the dean positions are vacant. That might be one of the reasons Yi'an is in such a hurry."

"Understandable. The two demigod Old Men of the Linghui Courtyard have clearly retreated behind the scenes. As long as he takes that final step, the position of dean will naturally be his."

Fu Qian nodded.

"And the Dean of the Academy?"

Because of his prior encounter with Old Man Feng Yunhong, Fu Qian had actually looked into this a bit.

Judging from public records, ever since Li Weixuan's grandfather, Li He, stepped down, this top position in the Academy seemed to have remained vacant.

Of course, given the current independence of the four courtyards, the vacancy didn't have much of an impact.

"Yi'an can forget about that. Everyone has their limitations. Even if he becomes the youngest demigod in history, he doesn't have what it takes to handle that role."

That much was true. By comparison, Li Weixuan was clearly far more magnanimous than Yi'an.

However, competence was only part of the issue. There was another very important reason: given the relationship between their two factions, Apocalypse had a high probability of refusing to support anyone from Linghui.

In contrast, Li Weixuan was clearly fulfilling popular expectations, not to mention he was already the vice dean.

The only thing holding him back was that his strength was still slightly lacking. Once he reached the Demigod Realm, everything would naturally fall into place.

"Understood. But are you so sure Yi'an is the one who did it? Professors Weilong and Ni Huayuan were both brimming with confidence in their respective stories."

"Heh!"

Cass let out a cold laugh.

"Let's not even mention Ni Huayuan's typical paranoid style. It barely makes sense on the surface, but with a little careful consideration, you'll find it riddled with holes. The rest of us aren't just here to sit around uselessly. As for Weilong..."

He glanced at Fu Qian.

"The state he was in... that was your doing, wasn't it?"

"Was it that obvious?"

Fu Qian didn't bother with false modesty.

"Bullshit. Not only taking action right at the meeting, but even deploying his Mythical Form—even if he's getting on in years, he's still a demigod. Weilong isn't senile enough to make a mistake like that."

"Li Weixuan obviously thought the same thing, he just didn't point it out. After all, Weilong was the one who started the trouble."

"But looking at Weilong's state, his mind clearly suffered serious devastation. I'm afraid he won't recover for quite a while. What exactly did you do to traumatize a demigod who specializes in mental power like that?"

"You flatter me."

Accepting the dean's excessive praise, Fu Qian put on a face of absolute humility.

"We merely found some mutual inspiration during our exchange. The detailed sequence of events regarding the case was entirely the result of Professor Weilong's own hard thinking."

"That checks out. It'd be hard to imagine any method capable of forcibly brainwashing him to that extent."

Surprisingly, Cass didn't seem to doubt this at all, nor did he press the issue further.

A moment later, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring thoughtfully into the near distance.

"Where is this?"

Following his gaze, Fu Qian sized up the towering building emitting faint specks of light in the dark night and casually asked.

"The Laboratory."

Cass didn't seem to mind in the slightest that a member of the Tenured Faculty had no idea where the Laboratory was. After tossing out the explanation, he simply led the way.

"It's still early. Come on, I'll take you to have a look."

'How is this 'still early'?'

Immersed in the pitch-black night, Fu Qian didn't bother asking. He simply followed along.

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