Looking directly at the ancient gods for a whole year

Chapter 2530 The Reflection in the Upside-Down Lake
Any surprises?

Dropping sanity is a reserved feature here, and it's not to be missed.

Last time, I gave myself a good beating after arriving at the starfall point, so this time I'm being too polite as to just walk in.

"Sorry I'm a little late."

He uttered just one sentence, and two lives were lost. Fu Qian was filled with admiration at that moment. He went up to chat with the welcomer and even took a look at the seemingly dignified-looking robe.

Unfortunately, it is quite different from what Neferi wore before, and there are no overly obvious starry sky patterns on the pure black background.

The only slightly decorative element was the gray drape on the shoulders and back.

If you add a hat with tassels, Fu Qian said that at that moment it felt like a graduation ceremony.

"You know that too..."

The graduate on the other side was clearly unhappy; even though Fu Qian took the initiative to admit his mistake, he still couldn't help but mutter something under his breath.

As for why we should admit it if it's true?
Who said there wasn't one? I've had the star map for so long already, it's not normal for people to be impatient just now.

Moreover, given how interested he was, what was the other party waiting for him to come for?

[Decrease 1 from sanity value]

Unfortunately, before any further dialogue options appeared, a prompt sounded again, proving that the damage was still ongoing.

However, on the bright side, at least the numbers are consistent, and they don't present themselves with an arithmetic or geometric sequence.

Even after suffering another loss in the blink of an eye, consumers with low sanity levels remain emotionally stable before making a payment.

Although it may seem unfriendly, isn't it just a standard hourly billing model?

Previously, when Night Saint was preparing to meet with Radiant Rainbow, he had already considered using sanity points as game time cards; this time, it was just a more formal approach.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time, come with me."

What was even more gratifying was that the receptionist finally stopped arguing about being late, and in the next moment she stood up and told Fuqian to follow him.

……

The best thing is comparison. Compared to many previous exploration activities, the treatment this time is almost human-like.

Of course, he wouldn't refuse. While responding to the call to follow, he curiously looked around.

Although it costs money and I still don't know exactly what the other party wants to do while waiting for me, it's been quite mild overall.

This makes one wonder if the academy's exploration team received such a warm welcome back then.

According to the cast, the team must have been quite large back then. If the reception was too high-end, the budget would have been a bit tight.

Although this place seems to be quite wealthy.

After the receptionist got up, she walked straight toward the multifaceted hourglass, circled around it, and then stepped through a small door at the back.

Fu Qian, who followed the entire process, could really appreciate the meticulous design of this place.

Although the area is not too large, the use of space is clearly ingenious. The complex structure does not lose its solemnity and dignity, and it really has the atmosphere of a temple of knowledge.

In comparison, the academy seemed rather clumsy, bulky, and crude, with a slightly vulgar air.

"This way."

After passing through two spiral staircases, one going up and one going down, the receptionist even gestured for Fuqian to continue down to a deeper area.

The overall route is so complex that it would be very difficult for someone with a poor sense of direction to navigate.

“I’m not sure if it’s possible for you to do it alone, but the rules can’t be changed, so you can only choose one item.”

Fortunately, we didn't have to continue trekking. About two underground floors away, the receptionist gestured for us to stop in front of a door with two rows of rivets and gave us a special reminder before opening it.

Pick one out? Such great perks! While looking around, Fu Qian remarked that this door looked extraordinary, and from the receptionist's words, there might even be a gift for her behind it?
The rules sound rather strict, with no room for compromise.

As for the number of people coming to report, they don't seem to mind if there are more.
[Decrease 1 from sanity value]

Silently summarizing the information gleaned from the conversation, the familiar notification sounded for the third time.

"understood."

Fu Qian nodded in response to the pleasant voice, offering no objection.

"very good."

Seemingly finally somewhat satisfied with his performance, the receptionist dragged the heavy door open.

……

Is it really a warehouse?
You can easily see the inside of the door before you even enter.

To be honest, the layout even has a bit of a warehouse feel to it.

Shelves of varying heights, wooden boxes of all sizes...

Aside from its extremely small overall size, which is almost the size of one floor of my own laboratory, it is a very small place.

In addition, most of the wooden boxes were not closed, and the contents could be seen directly.

Long blades, serrated edges, spikes... the design is quite ferocious, exuding a fierce aura.

For a moment, all I can say is that the sense of déjà vu is stronger, reminding me of the scene in many games where you choose your killing tools at the start.

"These are all specially made weapons, and each one can be useful when dealing with the shadows wandering around."

Even the receptionist, while gesturing for him to go in, seemed to be confirming this idea.

"shadow?"

However, one of the words mentioned was rather strange.

Furthermore, it seems that the mission already has a purpose: to use these weapons to deal with the unpopular individuals known as "Shadows."

However, such suspected killing should obviously be handled with more caution, and Fu Qian was unabashedly curious.

"you……"

Not surprisingly, the receptionist was speechless for a moment, her gaze suddenly sharpening as she stared at him.

"You don't even know what you're here for? What are those people on the shore doing selecting people?"

Fortunately, Fu Qian's honesty seemed to have won him some favor, and soon the receptionist's dissatisfaction shifted to her "colleagues" who were in charge of other tasks.

All I can say is that it sounds like a fairly mature, streamlined operation.

In addition, the phrase "on the shore" also evokes a strong sense of familiarity.

After all, theoretically, the closest "shore" to here is Moore.

“...Throughout the entire lake area, something very special will suddenly appear and wander around. It cannot be observed on its own, but our arrangements around it will cause its shadow to be illuminated.”

At this point, the receptionist breathed a sigh of resignation and had no choice but to patiently begin the introduction.

"And all you need to do is take one thing from here... anything, then patrol and kill them."

"These are all specially crafted masterpieces that can bring true end to the shadows, otherwise it will never end—do you understand?"
As the receptionist gestured past the wooden boxes, her patience seemed to be almost exhausted.

"understood."

To be fair, the other party had indeed explained things quite clearly. Fu Qian had already walked to the shelf and looked at the weapons in the boxes one by one.

It is indeed quite well-designed, with plenty of flashy but impractical details—Fu Qian's gaze finally settled on a short spear adorned with geometric patterns.