Chapter 54

“`

[Task completed, containment of specimen number 1-003 successful]

The scenery before Fu Qian’s eyes rapidly dissipated, and he found himself back in the warehouse, leisurely listening to the task summary.

[Assessment: Observer]

[Imagination is the wellspring of wisdom; otherwise, even with the path laid before them, the blind cannot find their way.

On the path of the Transcendent, there are threats that are beyond comprehension, even their fear cannot be conveyed. Once one steps into these dark wells, return is nearly impossible.

They don’t even need to harbor malice; their mere existence is a threat.

As one of the unfortunate ones, you successfully recognized the incredible mystical information and saved some of the lost lambs, although the lambs won’t remember the Herder’s presence.

This catastrophic incident existed in the victims’ minds for less than half an hour before it was completely forgotten, with the dead and missing fading away from the outside world, leaving no trace, not even in memories.

No information related to this accident was recorded.]

[Kills: None]

[Reward: SAN Points +20; Inspiration +5; Thug 2/3]

[Current SAN Points: 55]

[Would you like to replay the event summary?]

Why are there no kills? Shouldn’t there be another 26 kills?

Fu Qian looked at the task statistics, feeling indignant.

Swindlers!

Grumbling aside, Fu Qian could roughly guess the reason.

Feng Yunhong and his group had already been counted once for kills, and he had received the corresponding benefits.

It seems that kills wouldn’t be counted repeatedly; otherwise, he could have simply delayed completing the tasks to farm 100 kills back and forth, maybe even unlocking some achievement rewards.

Speaking of which…

Fu Qian quickly reviewed his real rewards.

[Thug: Digestion Progress 2/3]

[Maintaining the calmest of thoughts amidst the wildest of slaughters is an essential quality for confronting all powerful beings]

As the information flashed by, a mental wave pulsed from head to toe, coursing through his body.

Unlike the previous violent rush of blood and qi, this pulsation brought about a relaxed emotion, eased spirit, and a clarity of thought like never before.

The mental trauma caused by the hard resistance to the information flow was swiftly healed.

Not only that, but his resistance to mental attacks also significantly strengthened.

Finally, he had advanced another step!

The Second Phase of the Thug seemed to focus on the mental aspect.

The reason for the successful digestion was likely related to his resistance to the mental shock while sitting on the stone throne.

He had worried that he might accidentally fall prey to a High Tier Transcendent with mental abilities, but now, with his increased mental resistance, there should be nothing to fear.

This reward was unexpectedly suitable, justifying the mental torment he had endured.

As Fu Qian recalled the experience of sitting on the stone throne, his temples involuntarily tensed.

[Today’s work is completed, thank you for your hard work]

[You have worked for four consecutive days. To ensure proper work-life balance, you will enter mandatory leave for the next three days, during which you will not be able to log into the warehouse.]

Work four days, rest three?

At first, Fu Qian was taken aback, but then he was very pleased with this humane regulation.

The intensity of the missions over the last few days had been escalating; it was indeed time to rest and relax the nerves.

“`

As a freelancer, Fu Qian always had plenty of time on his hands, but this feeling of being on holiday had been missing for a while.

After leaving the warehouse and returning home, there was still plenty of time left in the day.

Fu Qian fixed himself something simple to eat, then descended the stairs and went for a walk with the unhurried gait of a retired old man.

Fu Qian’s home was in an old neighborhood, the kind without elevators.

The majority of the residents in the neighborhood were retirees, couples whose children had grown and settled, many of them had been neighbors for years.

At this hour, the morning sun was just rising, and the working crowd had yet to get out of bed, leaving only small groups of people exercising and walking their dogs.

Speaking of which, Fu Qian did try to stick to an early morning exercise routine for his health, but he quickly had to give it up.

The main reason was that the old folks really slept very little.

Every day, when Fu Qian went out for his morning exercise, no matter how early it was, he would see them neatly lined up on the benches on the side of the road in the neighborhood, even segregating into two rows by gender—a sight to behold.

Any young person passing by would be followed by their gaze until they were out of sight, followed by a flurry of discussion. Even a dog passing through would have its ancestry traced back several generations.

Fu Qian wasn’t one to have social anxiety; the scene was certainly not enough to scare him off.

Sadly, many of the elders were quite familiar with his family situation, and every time they saw him, they would show a great deal of sympathy and concern.

People always offer sympathy to those who pose no threat to themselves.

Fu Qian, as a child, was the childhood terror of other kids, but now as an unemployed drifter, the elders no longer held any reservations, encouraging him to work hard and not to let himself go.

After numerous encounters like this, Fu Qian eventually gave up on his morning exercise regime.

However, today, he strolled leisurely towards the neighborhood entrance and even found a spot to sit on the bench, basking in the warm embrace of the early morning sun.

He finally understood why the elders enjoyed sunbathing in the morning.

Just like cats, that early morning sunshine has a comforting effect that fully releases one’s laziness.

The laziness of the elderly is different from the indifference of the so-called nobility; the latter is indifference after having one’s desires fully satisfied, while the former is contentment after letting go of desires.

As for Fu Qian, he was the type who would go with the flow, though he described it as being adaptable and unconstrained by external things.

Fu Qian’s appearance naturally caught the attention of the elders.

However, considering his prolonged absence, no one approached him to talk just yet, but private whispers already began to swirl.

Fu Qian didn’t mind; he simply focused on enjoying his leisure time, not heading home until the sun became too harsh.

The next day, as the sun shone down, Fu Qian was resting with closed eyes when he suddenly heard a commotion coming from the audience sitting by the bench.

Fu Qian opened his eyes and looked over, noticing a dynamic red sports car cruising into the neighborhood.

They might not have eaten pork before, but they’ve seen pigs run; the elders knew quality when they saw it, and their gaze quickly locked onto the car.

Fu Qian took a few looks himself.

He wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about cars, but he wouldn’t mind appreciating the crystallization of human industrial civilization.

As he observed the car’s sleek lines, Fu Qian realized that he actually recognized it.

If he remembered correctly, Young Master Qin had drooled over this car more than once, lamenting that it was so expensive he could only long for it from afar.

The roads in the old neighborhood were narrow, but the sports car drove on considerately, wary of hitting any of the elders.

The elders reciprocated with enthusiasm, eager as if they wanted to touch the car themselves.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the car stopped right in front of Fu Qian.

“Is it him?”

The driver’s side window rolled down slowly, and a lady in sunglasses pointed at Fu Qian and turned to ask.

“Yes,” Qin Mingze replied with a complex expression as he stuck his head out from the rear seat.