How should it be said… although he had already expected this outcome, when Duanmu Huai saw the system "reward" in front of him, he still felt speechless.
Previously, although he had Fear Aura, there had at least been a condition attached to it.
As long as someone passed the "appraisal," they could become immune to it.
But now it was different.
Just looking at him would reduce Sanity directly.
System, what the hell do you mean?
Is my face really that unbearable to look at?
I think my face actually looks pretty good.
If it really pushed him too far, he might go find a bunch of Orks and brainwash them every day to think his face looked good. Maybe that could even increase a few points of Charisma.
Probably.
After dealing with the trouble at Sentinel Hill, Duanmu Huai returned to Arkham and met with Chief Anthony, effectively wrapping up the entire incident.
Anthony also told him that on the very night Duanmu Huai had gone to Sentinel Hill, Christine—the one who painted The Empty Ghoul—had suddenly died.
According to the coroner's report, the cause of death was excessive terror.
As for Christine's death, Duanmu Huai had nothing to say.
Courting death herself was one thing, but dragging a bunch of others down with her was a responsibility she couldn't escape.
Even if it hadn't been intentional, her painting had hung in the museum for five years and caused the deaths of over a dozen people.
There had to be some punishment.
As for those who had been hunted by the Empty Ghouls in the museum…
Well.
They were definitely neither alive nor found dead.
The case could only be concluded as missing persons.
That's right.
Case closed.
Although he felt sorry for the victims' families, there was nothing else that could be done.
It wasn't like they could go into another dimension to retrieve the bodies.
And they certainly couldn't tell the families something ridiculous like, "Your relatives were dragged into another dimension and eaten by Empty Ghouls."
So what else could they do?
There was no other option.
And so the matter finally came to an end.
However…
Duanmu Huai clearly had no intention of stopping there.
Now he had an additional mission: to use his own power to protect the humans of this world.
Of course, this wasn't an ordinary matter.
But could it be done?
Not entirely impossible.
Although this world didn't have players, there were still plenty of investigators who loved courting death!
The problem was how to let those investigators feel his power.
Fortunately, Duanmu Huai had a solution.
Just like how many artists and writers would be dragged into R'lyeh during their dreams, as the God of Destruction, he could also pull investigators into his own dreams.
Especially those who had been targeted by evil gods or were investigating strange events.
Inside those dreams, he could guide them.
Of course, guidance alone would be little more than verbal encouragement.
If they were going to fight evil gods and cultists, they definitely needed weapons and ammunition.
That's right.
Cultists could run around causing trouble with some cursed relic or evil tome.
Why should investigators have to rush in empty-handed to die?
When the police arrested criminals, they didn't go without weapons either.
So after discussing it with Lorena, Duanmu Huai made a decision.
First, he sold the manor that the system had given him.
Then he bought a three-story office building in Arkham.
The second floor was renovated into a detective agency.
The third floor became an apartment residence.
And the first floor—
A curio shop.
That's right.
A curio shop!
Of course, this curio shop was just a cover.
Every so-called "antique" displayed inside was actually a holy relic from Duanmu Huai!
Just think about it.
A shop personally opened by the God of Destruction himself—could it possibly cheat you?
Everything was genuine merchandise!
In addition, the curio shop had another function.
It would purchase items that contained curses or the aura of evil gods.
This was also an idea Duanmu Huai had come up with.
After all, if he searched for such objects himself, who knew how long it would take?
It would be much better if people brought them to him voluntarily.
Any normal person who obtained a cursed artifact would want to get rid of it.
Once they brought it to the curio shop, Duanmu Huai could destroy it directly.
For now, Duanmu Huai's plan was as follows.
First, he would place advertisements in newspapers across the country—and even the world—announcing that there was a detective agency in Arkham specializing in investigating strange and supernatural events.
At the same time, he would advertise that there was also a shop that purchased mysterious objects.
The goal was to spread his reputation as widely as possible.
Meanwhile, when he slept at night, he would use dreams to search for investigators currently facing difficulties.
He would guide them to come to the curio shop in Arkham.
As long as they arrived, they could obtain sacred equipment personally blessed by the God of Destruction.
At the very least, using such items against ordinary cultists and evil servants would be extremely effective.
Of course, although these items were good, they were all consumables.
Well… that was normal.
After all, the God of Destruction wasn't running a charity.
He couldn't just give things away for free.
Besides, even if someone offered something for free, people might not dare accept it.
After the shop opened, Duanmu Huai stayed in the detective agency while Lorena managed the curio shop.
Although Lorena, as a missionary priest, didn't understand antiques, she was extremely sensitive when it came to detecting evil auras within objects.
Of course, in order to accommodate Lorena, Duanmu Huai even set up a training area inside the curio shop.
Which meant that if customers came in, the first thing they might see wouldn't necessarily be a smiling clerk behind the counter.
Instead, they might see a girl in the training area, drenched in sweat, punching a sandbag with tiny fists…
Well.
Whatever.
Let her do as she pleased.
As for Duanmu Huai…
"Ahh… this is comfortable…"
Sitting in his chair, basking in the afternoon sunlight, Duanmu Huai lazily yawned.
Although he had plenty of money, the decoration of this detective agency was rather ordinary.
Bookshelves filled with books lined both walls.
Blinds hung over the windows.
A black vintage telephone sat on the desk.
Across from it was a chair for clients.
Beside that was a genuine leather sofa for sleeping.
There was also a radio placed on a nearby cabinet and a phonograph standing beside another bookshelf.
Altogether, the office looked exactly like a detective agency from the 1950s or 60s.
Yes.
That was the exact atmosphere he wanted!
A lazy afternoon.
The detective was drinking iced tequila while dozing in his chair.
Music from the radio drifted through the warm sunlight, filling the cozy office.
Then—
A knock on the door.
A client arrives.
And a story hidden in the shadows begins to unfold…
Wasn't that exactly the feeling he wanted?
Of course, the furniture in Duanmu Huai's detective agency was custom-made.
Much larger than normal.
Otherwise it would feel like he had walked into the land of the Lilliputians.
He wouldn't even be able to enjoy himself—he'd probably get crushed to death.
But…
"Man, it's really quiet…"
Duanmu Huai reached out and stroked the black cat lying on his body.
Nearby, Bunny was sleeping soundly in its nest.
It had been nearly half a month since the detective agency opened.
And not a single job had come in.
He had spent so much money on advertising—he practically wanted to plaster ads across every corner of the world.
So why hadn't anyone come?
Was Arkham's public security really that good now?
Or was the timing just wrong?
Chief Anthony's side seemed peaceful recently as well.
At least there hadn't been any cases requiring Duanmu Huai's involvement.
Bored out of his mind, he wondered if he should really go to Miskatonic University and work as a nude model to pass the time.
Actually…
That didn't sound bad.
After all, he had worked hard to build this body with eighteen-pack abs.
If he didn't show it off for everyone to admire, wouldn't that be a waste?
It was the perfect chance to show everyone his charm.
Ordinary mortals might not understand.
But those art students who could become obsessed even with heretical evil gods should be able to appreciate his charm!
…Wait.
That sounded a bit wrong.
Forget it.
No point thinking about it too much.
Anyway, building good relations with professors at Miskatonic University was never a bad thing.
Thinking this, Duanmu Huai immediately placed the cat aside and stood up.
"Let's go. Time to be a model at Miskatonic!"
"Meow???"
Compared to the countryside manor he previously owned, the detective agency in Arkham allowed Duanmu Huai to move around much more easily.
At least when he went out, he didn't always need to drive.
He could simply take a walk whenever he wanted.
Of course, when people first saw him, they were so frightened that they ran away immediately.
Some even called the police.
But humans were incredibly adaptable creatures.
After Duanmu Huai had lived here for half a month, maybe not everyone, but at least the nearby shopkeepers and residents had gotten used to him.
"Hey, big guy! Rare to see you out today. Going to solve a case?"
"Just taking a walk."
"Wow! It's Big Uncle! I want to fly high again today!"
"Haha. Maybe next time."
Greeting neighbors along the way, Duanmu Huai eventually arrived at Miskatonic University.
After having a "friendly exchange" with the gate guard, he soon met Professor Osborn.
"Ah, Mr. Duanmu! The students have been waiting eagerly!"
Professor Osborn seemed extremely enthusiastic when he saw him.
As for why he was so enthusiastic…
Duanmu Huai preferred not to know.
"Professor Osborn, may I ask… what exactly does this 'human model' job involve?"
"Oh, exactly the kind you're thinking of. Of course we have certain requirements, and we'll pay you quite well…"
As they walked through campus, Professor Osborn explained the details.
Sure enough, he wanted Duanmu Huai to be a nude model.
Eight hundred dollars per session.
It didn't sound like much at first.
But think about it.
Eight hundred per session.
Even if he did just one session per day—
Thirty days a month.
That would be twenty-four thousand dollars a month!
Just standing there without moving and earning twenty-four thousand a month.
What kind of heavenly job was that?
Of course, the requirements for being a nude model weren't exactly low.
It wasn't just about standing naked.
He had to remain perfectly still for forty minutes at a time, like a statue.
Moreover, the physical requirements were extremely strict.
Apart from freak physiques like Duanmu Huai's, normal models had strict standards for height, body proportions, and appearance.
So anyone with a beer belly or a tire around their waist could forget about it.
Soon, Duanmu Huai was brought into the art studio.
What reassured him was that although the Miskatonic students showed expressions of shock and fear upon seeing him—
None of them fainted or ran out screaming.
As expected of Miskatonic University.
A place famous for producing people who specialized in courting death.
Their students were truly extraordinary.
"Alright, everyone. This is today's model—Mr. Duanmu Huai!"
Standing beside Duanmu Huai, Professor Osborn addressed his students.
"You can all see it clearly! Mr. Duanmu Huai here is extraordinarily gifted—a rare talent! I had to spend quite a bit of effort persuading him to be your model today."
"The purpose is to broaden your horizons! To encourage you to release your imagination, recognize your shortcomings, break free from worldly constraints, and experience your true selves!"
"You must understand—this world contains things far beyond your comprehension!"
"…??"
Hearing this, Duanmu Huai lowered his head and looked at Professor Osborn beside him.
Why does that sound a little strange…?
However, Professor Osborn didn't notice his gaze.
He simply smiled and nodded.
"Well then—let's begin!"
(End of Chapter)