Chapter 2979: Eleven Days Until the Final Day

Birthday Party, Excellency Aike's office.

Eleven days left until the final day.

A good banquet guest should bring their own entertainment, like performing a sword dance to liven things up.

Although his visit hadn't lasted long, Professor Fu reflected on his actions and felt he had already done an excellent job hyping up the entire venue.

Especially regarding the results of Aike's exorcism. Such shocking news meant that Excellency Half-Art, at the very least, would not be able to sit still.

Of course, what was even more shocking was how this news had been discovered.

The strength of the Academy Apocalypse Key Laboratory was bound to shock the Night Watchers Supreme Council.

Though to Professor Fu, it was all still nothing more than fleeting clouds.

In that moment, staring at the clock on the wall, Fu Qian silently calculated the time in Shangjing. His conclusion: midnight had already passed.

The final day seemed to have drawn a step closer. Only eleven days remained.

...

Whether it was the Warehouse or the Red Moon's enlightenment, although they provided a clear number, it wasn't strictly precise. It was hard to imagine the thirteen-day countdown had started ticking away, second by second, from the exact moment he completed the Demon Mountain Mission.

Fu Qian actually leaned more toward the idea that the doomsday clock hadn't started because he finished that task, but rather that the Warehouse had used the task to remind him it had already started.

Then came the problem. If it was based on natural days, a day had twenty-four hours.

Even across different locations in this world, the start time of each day varied. Where should the baseline be?

As an academic pursuing rigor, Fu Qian had been considering this detail right from the start.

And the final conclusion was surprisingly simple: Shangjing.

As for the logic behind it, one couldn't forget the Bookstore Second Floor in Shangjing.

In theory, with the Warehouse's help, that place was precisely his Anchor Point synchronized to this world.

If the Warehouse wanted to tell him something, using that place's time zone as a baseline seemed quite reasonable.

Even when the Red Moon had the little messenger deliver intel, he had theoretically entered the Bottom Layer of the Dream from Shangjing.

And at this moment in Shangjing, by his calculations, a new day had already arrived amid the nighttime clamor.

"But I really do feel much better. I can't detect any abnormalities in my body."

Of course, it was obviously difficult for others to imagine what Professor Fu was thinking.

Faced with his somewhat callous reassurance, Aike pondered for a moment. Still unable to hide her inner unease, she tried to look on the bright side—

"You said the same thing when I came in."

Unfortunately, she was instantly shot down in the next second.

Fu Qian casually reminded her of just how unwelcome he—the exorcist—had been in the beginning.

"But it's not bad that you have such a positive mindset. I'll follow up on your condition later."

Aike's expression was still stiff as Professor Fu continued, delivering the exact same lines he had given Lily, even standing up as he spoke.

"...You're going out?"

Aike was a bit dumbfounded. Excellency Stoss had just left; why was he suddenly leaving too?

Were medical resources really that tight?

"Yeah, the Old Man didn't say I had to wait here, did he?"

Fu Qian looked as if it were only natural. He stomped his feet, getting a feel for the legs he had just molded...

He really hadn't, but...

Aike was once again left speechless.

Frankly, there was nothing wrong with Professor Fu's words. Excellency Stoss truly hadn't left any such instructions before leaving.

But as the discoverer of a major hidden danger, and an exorcist who had just put on quite the dramatic ritual, staying here to watch over the patient was practically a given in this situation, wasn't it?

Was he really not curious about whether the exorcism had been completely successful?

Besides, he had done a good deed no matter how one looked at it, so it shouldn't be a case of fleeing to avoid punishment.

"He didn't... May I know where Professor Fu is heading? I'm worried Excellency Stoss will ask when he returns."

However, after several interactions, Aike clearly knew that the man before her was completely immune to both coaxing and coercion. Since she couldn't force him to do anything, she could only let out a sigh.

"Of course. Where was our next stop again?"

Fu Qian was still quite easygoing as he nodded and turned to ask Su Gao beside him.

"We're going to check out that Tower."

She answered without the slightest hesitation, having memorized the visitor's itinerary perfectly.

'You two... even you are leaving?'

This time, Aike truly didn't know what to say. She stared at Su Gao in silence.

"It's just some of our prearranged itinerary. It's not too far from here, so don't worry."

Acting as if he were truly treating Su Gao as his personal secretary, Fu Qian naturally took the lead, not forgetting to soothe the patient's emotions as he went.

A plan was a plan. Whether he was saving lives or hyping up the whole venue, nothing would stop it from moving forward.

When Old Man Logan had asked earlier, Fu Qian hadn't just fabricated a random answer to brush him off.

...

"These relatively stable buildings seem a bit scattered?"

Classmate Su Gao had always been clear about her duties. Regardless of whether Excellency Aike looked a bit pitiful in that moment, she firmly followed in Professor Fu's footsteps, continuing to carry out her reception work.

Walking along yet another unfamiliar path within the Birthday Party with what could be called a leisurely posture, Fu Qian clearly remembered their earlier topic and gestured to his surroundings.

"Yes. Although they are relatively concentrated in certain locations, they aren't closely connected overall."

Su Gao also smoothly picked up the previous conversation.

"Like I said before, these buildings that don't periodically perish can be divided into two categories. One category is akin to projections of certain buildings in the city of Loss; they are mapped in from the outside, which also allows them to serve as connecting passages to it.

"As for the other category, there is currently no official explanation. They are much greater in number, and most of them are used as office spaces."

In just a few short sentences, the form of the Birthday Party's existence sounded increasingly complex.

But regardless, the overall layout was at least a bit clearer now.

Mentally tracing the path they had just walked, Fu Qian looked up and confirmed that the Spire was already close at hand.

From this distance, he could feel even more strongly that it shared a similar aura with his own Laboratory.

"So, after your Tier 2 state stabilized, did you gain any new abilities?"

Instead of rushing over immediately, he casually inquired about the receptionist's personal matters.

"Strictly speaking, no. It's still just Echo."

Su Gao lacked any self-consciousness about discussing Tier 2 Transcendent secrets. Answering casually, she naturally raised a hand.

"If I had to name a change, on one hand, I feel more refined and at ease. On the other hand, I can now perceive my own fragmentation."

'Fragmentation?'

To Fu Qian, it wasn't too surprising that Su Gao hadn't gained any special new abilities after her promotion.

The effects of "Echo" were already all-encompassing enough. Even with the extensive knowledge of an Academic Leader, he had marveled more than once that it was basically like cheating.

But at the same time, that other keyword sounded quite interesting—

The hand Su Gao had raised was the one wearing the White Ring, and as his gaze landed upon it, he saw lines of cracks unexpectedly spreading all the way out from the ring.