Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 12: Special Reward
What was that move called again?
Looking up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, Fu Qian took a deep breath.
That skill I never had the chance to use.
[Visceral Critical Strike]
[Find the perfect opportunity to strike directly at the opponent's internal organs through an open wound, dealing devastating damage.]
Without any hesitation, he thrust his hand into the wound under his ribs.
A warm sensation traveled up his arm. His five fingers turned into bloodthirsty snakes, rapidly twisting and elongating.
Countless tiny tentacles and tendrils grew wildly, penetrating deep into his flesh and blood, fusing tightly together.
Die!
His right hand clenched abruptly. Visceral Critical Strike activated.
Amidst a shower of blood, Fu Qian felt as if his very flesh and soul had been hollowed out by this strike.
[Sanity Value -1]
[Sanity Value -1]
[Sanity Value -1]
...
A series of faint whimpers filled his brain, tearing at his consciousness.
A barrage of warnings about his rapidly dropping Sanity Value appeared like crazy, dropping by a full 7 points before it finally stopped.
The whimpering also faded away.
Phew!
It should really be done this time. Fu Qian exhaled deeply.
Raising his head under the inexplicably horrified gazes of the Team Leader and Su Gao, Fu Qian raised his eyebrows. Using his last ounce of strength, he stood with his hands behind his back, adopting the posture of a supreme master.
[Containment conditions met. Number 2-133 successfully contained.]
As the containment success prompt chimed, the scenery before his eyes rapidly dissolved. Fu Qian returned to the Warehouse once again.
[Mission Complete]
[Evaluation: God Killer]
[Congratulations. Not only did you successfully prevent the descent of the Spawn of the Evil God, but you also personally inflicted irreversible damage upon it. This is an unbelievable feat.
With the body of a mortal, you taught a deity a lesson. The title of a crazed yet calm villain belongs to none other than you.
This incident caused massive casualties, even leading to the fall of Night Watchers members. The inner circle of the Night Watchers has paid high attention to this, and all related files have been strictly sealed.]
[Enemies Killed: Spawn of the Evil God, Maggot Men22]
[Rewards: Sanity Value +31; Inspiration +5]
[Special Kill Reward: Thug]
[Would you like to review the event replay?]
Finally done!
Inside the Warehouse, the previous anomalies had vanished.
While letting out a sigh of relief, Fu Qian's first reaction was to reach down and feel his stomach.
That Visceral Critical Strike had left a truly deep impression.
After confirming that all his parts were still intact and normal, Fu Qian finally began to check his rewards.
[God Killer]
This evaluation was pretty intense, mostly stemming from his feat of killing a god, right?
As for the kill count, the system clearly tallied the number of Maggot Men.
Combined with the increase in his Sanity Value, it seemed his earlier strategy of grinding kills inside was actually useful.
He had suffered heavy Sanity Value losses this time, so getting an extra replenishment was great. Added together with this reward, his Sanity Value was now at 43 points.
His Inspiration had also increased by 5. He wondered what he would see next time.
However, aside from these, there was only one main reward. Wasn't that a bit unreasonable?
Frowning, Fu Qian flipped to his Special Kill Reward.
[Thug: Transcendent Form, Consumable. Upgrades you to this form upon use. This process is irreversible.]
[A robust body and swift speed will completely free you from human limitations, altering the very essence of your life (Flesh Is Weak, Flesh Ascends).]
This...
For a rare moment, Fu Qian was stunned.
A Transcendent Form?
This designation made it incredibly hard not to think of Beyonders.
Recalling his four Night Watcher teammates, Fu Qian had a very deep impression of the White Porcelain Girl Su Gao's terrifying blade flashes.
That speed and lethality couldn't be described as mere master swordsmanship; that was a power exclusive to Beyonders.
If he wasn't misunderstanding, could this thing make him just like them?
I don't have to do anything, just use it and directly become a superhuman?
Such a good thing actually exists!
However, he still needed to be careful. After all, the process was irreversible.
Stroking his chin, Fu Qian hesitated for about two seconds.
[Warning: The item will disappear after use. Confirm use?]
"Confirm!"
It was impossible to pass up an opportunity like this.
Besides, he had worked so hard for so long. Wouldn't all his effort be for nothing if he didn't use it?
With Fu Qian's confirmation, a warm current surged into his body.
The next moment, the blood in his entire body seemed to boil.
His heart acted like an overclocked motor, beating wildly, accompanied by the rapid contraction and expansion of all the muscles in his body.
A long time later, Fu Qian opened his eyes. His heartbeat had returned to normal, and his body was filled with unprecedented power.
Fu Qian tried clenching his fists and could feel the muscles in his arms twisting like steel cables.
I am no longer a regular human. The sensation coming from deep within his core gave Fu Qian a clear understanding of this fact.
What a great item. Truly worthy of a god-slaying reward.
His chances of success in future missions had just increased significantly.
[Today's work content is completed. Thank you for your hard work.]
[You may now leave the Warehouse. See you tomorrow.]
As the reminder sounded, Fu Qian took off his Work Badge.
I'm really exhausted!
Today's work was far more difficult than he imagined and had consumed a considerable amount of mental energy.
The scenery before him shifted, and he returned to his familiar home once more.
Fu Qian shook his head and quickly realized he hadn't eaten yet today.
Just as he was hesitating whether to simply boil some noodles or order takeout to treat himself, Fu Qian suddenly felt slightly uncomfortable physically.
Looking down, the clothes that originally fit him well were now stretching tightly across his body, the buttons visibly straining under the pressure.
...
Realizing something, Fu Qian sprinted straight to the bathroom.
The person in the mirror was both familiar and strange.
His originally somewhat frail body had ballooned up like it had been inflated.
Fluid lines, a perfect physique, every single muscle clearly defined.
Every movement was brimming with explosive power.
The rewards obtained in the scene can actually be brought out!
Just what kind of job did I accept?!
Fu Qian splashed water on his face to calm himself down.
Even though the title was "Thug", fortunately, he hadn't grown a full beard, and his skin actually looked smoother and more refined.
Is the "Suit-Wearing Thug" aesthetic popular nowadays?
Walking out of the bathroom, a thought occurred to Fu Qian. He pointed a finger at a bottle of mineral water on the table.
Snap!
Water splashed everywhere.
An invisible Air Bullet tore a gaping hole straight through the plastic bottle, spilling water all over the desk.
Silence descended.
If you suddenly stopped being human, what would you do?
Fu Qian had truly never considered this question before.
If the daily deposit of thirty thousand yuan had saved him from a fate of eating dirt and shifted his perspective on money...
Then becoming a Thug had completely altered his concept of life.
The transformation was so massive that it took him the span of an entire hamburger to fully digest the reality of it.
Taking a massive gulp of ice-cold cola, Fu Qian looked at the men and women in the McDonald's, his mind filled with complex emotions.
This was his habit: coming to eat junk food every time he finished a major task.
It was a satisfaction full of indulgence and depravity. It felt amazing!
From childhood to adulthood, Fu Qian had always been the rebellious, unorthodox type; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up in such a destitute state.
But no matter what, the pressure of survival was always there, forcing him to hustle for a living.
Now, suddenly, the pressure of survival was gone, and he wasn't even entirely sure he was human anymore.
Thinking carefully about it, was this feeling of suddenly losing his life's purpose actually enjoyable?
Yes, it feels incredible.
Fu Qian answered himself without a moment's hesitation.
Although he was a freelancer, he had nothing in common with those artsy youths who lamented the passage of time and seasons.
He was a pragmatic person who disliked pretentious thinking.
If he were given the choice ten thousand more times, his answer would remain the same.
Nothing is more valuable than having more choices.
Just as he was sighing over life, the phone he had left on the table suddenly began to ring.
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