Chapter 5: The Rewards of Not Being Human_1

[Survival duration of one hour achieved, containment of subject number 3-2048 successful]

[Assessment: Mad to the Marrow]

[In a nightmare fraught with danger, your savage and bloody performance suited the scenario all too well, earning you the right to survive. Congratulations on achieving the accomplishment—I'm no longer human (after all, from your behavior, your attachment to humanity doesn't seem strong)]

[Werewolf killed]

[Reward: SAN Points +20; Inspiration +5; Skill: Air Bullet]

[Special Achievement Reward: Visceral Critical Strike]

[Would you like to replay the event recap?]

When Fu Qian returned to the warehouse, a series of messages was rapidly scrolling on the screen.

What do they mean my attachment to being human isn't strong?

Fu Qian felt indignant about that assessment.

He looked around and noticed that the Mist Gate he came through had disappeared.

Finally, it's done!

Only then did Fu Qian let out a sigh of relief.

Can't deny it, though, this job is really intense.

But the rewards aren't too shabby.

After several trials and errors, his SAN Points had fallen to the teens, but with this boost of 20 points, he had compensated for the loss.

Otherwise, with the rate he had been going, he probably would have gone mad in a few days.

The assessment was another story; it was a bit nuanced, hard to say if it was meant as praise or criticism.

There's also an event recap playback?

Fu Qian didn't hesitate to choose the replay.

Reliving the process, Fu Qian noticed even more details.

When he saw himself under the moonlight, he understood why he was given the "Mad to the Marrow" assessment, as he watched himself extract the werewolf's internal organs and other messy bits with his transformed arms.

Of course, understanding does not mean agreement.

In fact, Fu Qian didn't think there was anything wrong with his actions at all.

He believed that confronting a formidable enemy head-on, fearless and undeterred, using every method possible to smash the opponent beneath his feet, was a sort of manly romance.

That was the beauty of blood—nothing to do with going mad.

Additionally, he noticed that it was at this moment the old man in the house had put away his scythe, sizing him up as he left the room.

Completely unconcerned about being affected by the fight, he certainly hadn't chosen the wrong opponent; this old man was likely much stronger than the werewolf.

After watching the recap, Fu Qian started to tally up his gains.

[Air Bullet: Compress air to form an invisible bullet, not very powerful but excels in stealth]

This is pretty cool!

Fu Qian's eyes lit up as he rubbed his fingers together to test it out.

An invisible bullet whizzed out instantly, shooting straight into the depths of the warehouse.

Its range was decent, and it was activated quite swiftly.

Even if it wasn't very powerful, its convenience was a plus.

With just this one gain alone, most of Fu Qian's resentment had dissipated.

Having this skill on hand for future missions would definitely be a great asset.

If he remembered correctly, there was also a special reward?

Fu Qian quickly found the other item.

[Visceral Critical Strike: Seize the opportunity to penetrate the wound and directly damage the opponent's viscera, inflicting devastating damage.]

[A cruel finishing move that elegantly relieves your prey of their burdens]

This...

Flashes of himself extracting the werewolf's entrails with his mutated tentacles crossed Fu Qian's mind.

Awkward_amt. How could this reward not be related to his own actions?

Could there be some sort of misunderstanding? He really wasn't that fond of scooping out innards!

Never mind, having an extra skill is never a bad thing.

[Today's work is complete, thank you for your efforts]

[You may now leave the warehouse, see you tomorrow]

The prompt sounded just in time.

No need to wait to clock out, that's a plus!

Fu Qian took off his work ID from around his neck.

His vision went dark, and he found himself back in his long-missed home.

Commuting sure is convenient!

After musing for a moment, something occurred to Fu Qian.

He picked up the phone on the desk and looked at it.

[...Your account ending in 1269 has completed a transfer transaction of 30,000 yuan, with a remaining balance of 35,240...]

When Fu Qian found this message, he was still a bit startled.

An annual salary of tens of millions, and it's settled daily?

True industry conscience indeed!

All the fatigue seemed to vanish in an instant.

Right, it seemed he had forgotten something.

Fu Qian slapped his forehead and quickly logged into the forum, finding that comment about sliding tackle killing a tiger.

He first clicked 'like', then quietly replied below—[Tested, it works!]

That night, Fu Qian lay in bed reflecting on his new job.

It must be said, today's experiences really challenged his imagination, overturning much of his prior knowledge.

But even with many inexplicably strange things, Fu Qian still found enjoyment in it.

Challenges, thinking, fighting, these seemed to him much more interesting than a 996 work schedule.

Fu Qian was beginning to psychologically accept this job.

...

After resting for a night, Fu Qian had a quick breakfast the next morning and put on his work ID again.

[Identity verification successful, workday starts]

The moment the warehouse appeared before him, Fu Qian noticed something was amiss.

The entire warehouse was flickering with black patterns, and clusters of ethereal bone spurs were floating midair, looking grotesque and eerie.

I knew it!

Fu Qian wasn't surprised in the slightest; it was becoming all too normal for something to happen in this warehouse each day.

No need to ask, there had certainly been another leak.

[Warning, containment breach]

[Code: 2-133; Name: Ritual Notes]

[Today's work content has been updated: Enter 2-133's containment scene, complete re-containment]

[You may choose the Skills you wish to carry]

Finally not going in empty-handed!

Fu Qian decisively picked Air Bullet and Visceral Critical Strike from the list of Skills, and selected confirm.

[Entering 2-133 containment scene: Ancient City]

[Containment Achievement Condition: Prevent the descent of the Evil God's offspring]

[Current SAN Points: 32, entering a containment scene will consume one SAN Point]

Is this about slaying gods? These missions are really getting more thrilling one after the other!

Intuition told Fu Qian that today's work would be particularly tough.

[...1%...5%...50%...98%...100%, the Ancient City has finished loading]

[An indescribable evil aura shrouds this once-thriving place, righteous Night Watchmen are doing their utmost to eradicate the omnipresent corruption; sadly, they have yet to realize what they are about to face.]

[Skills: Air Bullet, Visceral Critical Strike]

[Weapon: None]

Night Watchmen?

Fu Qian was hearing this unfamiliar title for the first time, but even though he was unsure what exactly this group was, since they were described as righteous, he felt they might still be of some use.

At this moment, Fu Qian's vision slowly came back, and then he saw a pair of eyes.

The eyes were so close that they filled Fu Qian's entire field of vision.

Amber pupils were motionless, staring straight at him.

Fu Qian tried to move and found it hard to breathe; something was choking his neck.

"Can you hear me?"

The next moment, an ethereal, melodious voice sounded.

Fu Qian frowned, quickly recalling experience from before—use verbal communication more, physical gestures less.

So even though he was nearly gasping for air, he still struggled to make a sound.

"Ca... n... "

The next moment, a bright flash of knife light passed by, and Fu Qian felt an icy chill in his chest, as blood gushed out.

"I'm sorry..."

The voice resounded once more, this time with a hint of sobbing.

"My sins have grown even deeper..."

Within the long sigh, Fu Qian's vision darkened.