Eldritch Horror Theatre - Ch. 151: Suspicious Reward
[Task Evaluation: Hand of Filth]
[You completed the mission in a borderline profane manner, spreading decay throughout the entire world.]
[Kills: Jailer, Collison, Priest, Human Pus Armor, Priest]
[Rewards: Sanity Value +33; Inspiration +5; Pending]
[Current Sanity Value: 164. Current Inspiration: 41]
[Would you like to play the event recap?]
What does "Pending" mean?
Amidst the series of notifications, Fu Qian spotted something he had never seen before.
Quickly flipping back to the rewards section, he easily found the item labeled "Pending."
[You may choose one of the following two rewards.]
Upon making the selection, two glowing orbs popped up in front of him, accompanied by a line of text.
I can actually choose freely?
Fu Qian tried focusing his attention on one of the light orbs.
[Name: Completed Ritual]
[Description: A perfectly executed ascension ritual that will upgrade you to the corresponding Demigod form.]
[Remark: The user must be below the Demigod level. Once selected, the infusion is automatically accepted, and the process is irreversible.]
Ascending directly to a Demigod? Is it really that exaggerated?
This first option caught Fu Qian entirely off guard.
And it looks like I wouldn't even have to do anything? If Old Man Chen back in Shangjing saw this, he would cry his eyes out!
While thinking this over, Fu Qian turned his gaze to the second glowing orb.
[Name: Profane Embrace]
[Description: A special item. Upon use, it temporarily seals the sun, plunging it into a shadow state.]
[Remark: This is an ominous, evil object filled with the power of filth. Each time it is activated, the user will enter a 24-hour Achromatic State.]
Isn't the contrast between these two rewards a bit too stark?
After seeing the first reward, Fu Qian had high expectations for the second one, but he hadn't expected this at all.
Sealing the sun sounds incredibly exaggerated, but unfortunately, he couldn't think of a single use for it—not to mention the side effects.
These rewards weren't even in the same league. Logically, making a choice couldn't be any easier.
However...
Fu Qian cast his gaze deep into the Warehouse.
Today's work had been quite fishy from the very beginning.
Not only was a lot of information missing, but his abilities had been completely sealed.
Even the task objectives were drip-fed to him bit by bit, which felt like deliberate guidance.
Moreover, whether it was the Witch or the Priest, they explicitly stated that their world was already in an apocalypse, which was entirely different from the places he had visited before.
Under these circumstances, offering such uncomparable rewards felt like naked bait.
Whenever things are this abnormal, there must be a catch!
Fu Qian wasn't in a rush to make a choice. Instead, he tried to close the options panel in front of him.
He wanted to go check on the box containing 1-019.
However, after trying, Fu Qian realized that the panel couldn't be closed.
I'm forced to make a choice immediately, and it expires if I don't?
You're acting a bit too high and mighty!
Fu Qian frowned slightly and directly selected the second option.
A real man fears nothing. You think a mere Demigod ritual is enough to blackmail me?
He was already at least at the Fourth Tier level, and paired with his Mythic Form, the urgency for a Demigod-level upgrade really wasn't that high for him.
The next moment, the selected glowing orb flickered, and a nearly weightless object appeared in Fu Qian's hand.
A bow?
Fu Qian looked down at his reward.
It was a nearly transparent longbow, and its material was indiscernible.
With its crystal-clear appearance and unusually exquisite design, it certainly didn't look like something exaggerated enough to seal the sun.
Carrying his reward, Fu Qian didn't hesitate and walked straight into the depths of the Warehouse.
Just as I thought!
Fu Qian quickly searched the area where Tier 1 items were stored but couldn't find the box labeled 1-019 anywhere, further confirming his suspicions.
Although he wasn't sure of the exact reason, there was definitely something shady about today's work!
[Today's work is complete. Thank you for your hard work.]
[You have worked for four consecutive days. To ensure a balance of work and rest, you will enter a mandatory three-day vacation, during which you will be unable to log into the Warehouse.]
While he was lost in thought, the vacation notification arrived.
I've worked four days in a row before I knew it. Indeed, interest is the greatest motivation!
Amidst his sighs, Fu Qian temporarily put his doubts aside and chose to leave the Warehouse.
Returning to his room, Fu Qian stretched lazily and weighed the longbow in his hand.
Whether it was its design or material, this thing was a bit too eye-catching. He needed to find something to put it in.
Otherwise, if Young Master Qin or the others came over and accidentally touched it, accidents were bound to happen.
Speaking of which, it was about time to make lunch, and the fridge was fully stocked with groceries from before.
But for Fu Qian, cooking entirely depended on his mood; it wasn't something he wanted to do every day.
Just as he was debating whether to simply boil some noodles or go out to eat, there was a sudden knock on the door.
The neighborhood committee checking the registry? That's unlikely!
The door couldn't block Fu Qian's perception at all. He clearly knew that the person outside wasn't Young Master Qin or any of his friends, but an elderly woman.
Feeling slightly puzzled, Fu Qian stood up and opened the door. A thin, gray-haired elderly woman stood outside.
It was Grandma Liu, the old neighbor from downstairs. Fu Qian immediately recognized her.
This elderly lady was in her sixties, but her body was still tough, and she was quite warm-hearted.
When Fu Qian's parents were still alive, their family had interacted with her quite a bit.
However, she was a very righteous person and couldn't stand the style Fu Qian adopted after his "change," so they hadn't spoken much in a long time.
"Grandma Liu, are you looking for me for something?"
Fu Qian asked curiously. The latter was pinching a handful of celery, clearly in the middle of preparing to cook.
But at this moment, her expression was visibly grave, and she kept intentionally or unintentionally glancing behind her.
"Xiao Qian."
Looking at Fu Qian, Grandma Liu lowered her voice.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?"
Trouble? That's somewhat unavoidable.
Fu Qian thought to himself. He was very aware of his own ability to draw aggro.
"There were two men just now. They didn't look like decent folks at all, holding your photo and asking me about you."
Without waiting for Fu Qian to answer, Grandma Liu rapidly whispered.
"I didn't tell them anything. Right now, those two should still be wandering around outside."
Grandma Liu cautiously glanced behind her again.
"They didn't look like good people, so I came up to let you know. If you really provoked some trouble, hurry up and call the police. Young people shouldn't take immediate losses trying to act tough."
"I have to go cook, I'll head back first."
After quickly delivering the message, Grandma Liu hurried downstairs with quick, small steps.
It was evident that she was a bit scared, but the fact that she not only covered for him but also came up to warn him was truly rare and commendable.
Two suspicious individuals holding his photo and asking around—the chances of it being a good thing were indeed slim.
Grandma Liu's judgment was spot on.
In that case...
Remembering his earlier difficulty in deciding what to eat, Fu Qian quickly decided to go out for McDonald's.
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