The abandoned theater was empty.

"I can't imagine that I can go back to the same place." Pickman said to himself. A hundred years later, the place was demolished long ago.

If his memory was correct, this secluded and spacious place had been secretly used as a meeting place by the Arkham wizards since the beginning of the 20th year. Later, the Wizards' Guild chose a more remote location for their meetings, and the Empire Theater became a paradise for ghouls.

Ghouls often "eat" here en masse – mostly the carcasses of livestock, and some of the precious "food" is the unclaimed corpses of homeless people bought cheaply from funeral parlors.

The corpse collector at Arkham Funeral Home is very careless, and he has always refused to come to such a good thing as saving him time and making "extra money".

“…… It's really nostalgic. Pickman sighed.

However, there was also a hint of uneasiness in his heart. There was silence in the theater. I have the impression that with his ears pricked up, he can always hear the sound of his companions eating......

[Pickman listened to the test 25/95 success]

“……”

Nothing.

Pickman was convinced that, apart from his own footsteps, even the sound of rats was no longer present in the theater at this moment.

"Strange." Pickman muttered to himself.

A few idle brothers stayed in the Imperial Theater of this era. Maybe it's a bad idea not to use the liaison technique in advance? BIquGe.biz

Pickman walked up the creaking wooden staircase, and the stage was already in sight. The familiar gore was getting stronger, but Pickman smelled something else......

Then, Pickman saw the scene on stage.

The next second, his eyes turned blood-red with surprise and anger.

[Pickman Clear Value Verification 1/1D4]

……

An hour later.

Miskanitok University Campus.

It's the middle of summer, and the beautiful, tree-lined campus attracts locals and tourists alike.

"I've decided, Professor," said young Walter Gilman firmly, "that this is my ideal college campus." ”

Beside Gilman, Professor Upham, head of the Department of Mathematics, smiled with satisfaction. He admired the young genius, and the promising student would be officially enrolled in the U-M Department next month as a student under his tutelage.

The Department of Mathematics at U-M is not large enough to be a college, but because of the financial backing of the generous local businessmen Mr. and Mrs. Asto, the lineup, freedom, and prestige of the Department of Mathematics have always been the envy of other departments at U-M.

"It looks like I'm going to be in Arkham for a long time," Gilman said, "and if nothing else, I think I'll still be here for grad school." ”

Listening to the students who stayed on campus discuss all sorts of academic issues in twos and threes, Gilman felt very comfortable. Isn't this the college campus of his dreams?

It was the young Gilman's first visit to the University of Michigan. The University of Uchi-Minami at this time was rebuilt in a different style than a hundred years later: the professors worked in British colonial-style mansions; The old family mansion has been renovated into a brand new apartment for senior students, graduate students, and faculty members, and is cleaned by a special servant; Under the patronage of a generous lady, the girls also have a brand new building as a dormitory.

"The downside is that the younger students are still crammed into noisy, leaky old dormitories in the eastern part of the campus," Professor Upam said, "and if you don't like the company of rats, you're better off finding another place to live in Arkham." ”

"I hate rats," Gilman said, "and I saw a lot of cheap rental apartments over there as I walked through the mountains of France, and I thought I could find a suitable house there." ”

The boys and girls passing by greeted Professor Upham.

U-M is a rigorous institution — at least in the eyes of some old-fashioned professors. They confined students who did not want to stand up during class and insisted that boys and girls be separated from the classrooms.

But not every professor does this, and the bans don't work very well. During the holidays, there is nothing to bind the students.

Gilman noticed that the campus at Mi-M over the summer was filled with foreign faces, including Orientals and even Africans.

"Because the Rector is preparing to open the Department of Oriental Studies," explains Professor Upham, "he is very interested in the Arabic texts and the antiques of the East." ”

The two walked in front of a lawn.

Gilman's eyes fell on the sign on the side of the road, which indicated that it would not be long before a new liberal arts building would be built to replace the old, musty building.

At present, the comprehensive building, science building and gymnasium on campus are all new buildings that have only been built in recent years, and only the liberal arts students who are good at dancing and writing are still staying in the old buildings, waiting for the foundation stone of their new building to be laid.

"Without Ms. Agatha Pickman," Professor Upam lamented, "without her funding, it would have been impossible to break ground on this building in a few years." ”

Ms. Agatha Pickman is also a mystery at Mi-M. No one knew how old the lady was, she looked forty years old at most, but she often referred to the professors in her seventies and eighties in the tone of juniors, and her knowledge impressed all the professors as well.

"Hey, excuse me......"

Suddenly, a gentleman with a bow tie interrupted the conversation. He looks to be in his thirties, with a messy suit, bloodshot red eyes, and a sensitive temperament unique to an artist.

Professor Upam felt as if he had seen him somewhere, and Gilman guessed that he might be an art faculty member.

[Pickman Appearance Test Failed 91/70]

The strange man - Pickman is somewhat unkempt, which makes Upam and Gilman have a bad impression of him.

"Is there anything I can do to help you, sir?" Despite not having a good impression of the man, Gilman asked politely.

Pickman looked around.

[Pickman's investigation test failed 100/75]

He looked at Upam and Gilman, and finally made up his mind. He knew that Upam was a very empathetic professor, better fooled than the vigilant Professor Armitage and others.

Behind Pickman, footsteps rang out.

"I'm sorry, have you ever met a Chinese," Pickman said in as much detail as he could, "about twenty years old, very young, but with an extraordinary temperament, very different from the Chinese you usually see. Tall, about the same size as me, probably with a female companion......"

Upam and Gilman looked at each other suspiciously.

"If you're not fooling us, sir," said Upam gently, "you probably don't see it—the man you're talking about is standing five meters behind you. ”

“……”

Pickman jerked his head back.

Chen Qiang: I'm ( ̄▽ ̄)ノ right behind you, but you don't seem to see me=V=

"Yo." Chen Qiang greeted Pickman in a wandering manner.

Pen fun pigeon