Eldritch Horror Theatre

"So that's how it is!"

At Tyr's explanation, Fu Qian turned to look at the thinning Golden Rain, his face full of sudden realization.

"No wonder I lost my mind and looked at that Reflection."

'...Your brain was waterlogged to begin with, so don't blame it on the rain, all right?'

Nora felt her facial muscles stiffen, mocking him relentlessly in her mind.

'Do you think we're blind? We all saw your insane stunt while you were dodging the rain just now.'

'You pulled that off while weighed down by the Sunken Anchor. If Gerald had seen that, he probably would have been scared to death on the spot.'

Given the man's danger level, she didn't dare voice her complaints aloud. Instead, she lowered her head and carefully opened the metal box, forcing herself to focus on the sealing process to distract herself.

"Heh..."

"Mister Lu's methods have truly opened our eyes. The things we consider taboos are probably nothing more than a game to you."

"Since we've accepted such a valuable gift, please feel free to ask if there is anything else you wish to know, Mister Lu. We won't hold anything back."

It was impossible for them not to have been frightened when they first spotted him.

His erratic behavior was one thing, but who could have expected Mister Lu to travel so far while bound by the Sunken Anchor? More importantly, judging by the time elapsed, his speed hadn't suffered in the slightest.

Of course, after watching him take a leisurely stroll through that rain, their shock had completely dissolved into numbness.

By then, Tyr thoroughly understood that Mister Lu was an entity far beyond their ability to gauge. If they couldn't avoid him, their best option was to honestly comply with his every demand.

...

'He understands his value lies purely in his intel. Dealing with smart people really saves a lot of trouble.'

Appreciating Tyr's sincerity, Fu Qian didn't stand on ceremony.

"So, does that thing overhead appear every time?"

"No. The last time something like this happened, the Ancient Giant Dragon appeared afterward."

Old Man Tyr answered quickly, even pointing at the sky.

"It emerged right out of there."

'Good.'

"When the dragon appears, can everyone inside the blessing see it?"

"Based on past experience, it can be seen from most areas. It seems to exist in a very unique state. However, the dragon is adept at hiding and isn't particularly aggressive, so very few people ever encounter it face-to-face."

"Of course, of those who have faced it directly, no one has survived so far."

"Understood. How did they die?"

The information Old Man Tyr provided was quite detailed. Satisfied, Fu Qian thought of another question.

"Just like dying by the hands of a Soul Butterfly—decapitation."

This time, it was the craftsman who made a slashing gesture across his neck.

"Have you run into anyone else since you came in?"

"No. It's massive inside, and the layout is chaotic. Even if people enter from the exact same spot, they might appear in completely different locations. Running into others isn't easy. Naturally, we'd rather not encounter anyone either; we still have enough self-knowledge for that."

"The best possible outcome is finding a relatively safe place to hide and wait for the blessing to end after securing a decent haul from our exploration."

Tyr even shared his team's strategy.

"Sounds like you can't leave before the blessing ends?"

Fu Qian quickly drew another conclusion.

"That's another manifestation of the spatial chaos."

Tyr confirmed his guess.

"People have tried. The moment you enter the blessing, even if you immediately turn back, it's virtually impossible to leave. The only reliable way out is to wait for it to end."

"Excellent. Thank you three for sharing. I hope you find a perfect hiding spot."

Fu Qian finally concluded his inquiry and offered a rather simple blessing of his own.

After carefully scrutinizing the sincerity in his words, Tyr and his two companions secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

For a moment there, the group was genuinely terrified he would say something like, 'I wish you a smooth trip down to the Yellow Springs.'

"You're too kind. This information could be gathered with just a bit of effort; its value is nowhere near what we've received. We wish Mister Lu success in achieving his goals as well."

With their exchange concluding in such a highly efficient and favorable manner, Old Man Tyr was pleased and openly admitted that his side had gotten the better end of the deal.

"The rain outside has stopped now. We'll explore a little more and then try to find a safe place to hide."

He pointed outside as he spoke. Sure enough, the Golden Rain had completely stopped, fading as silently as it had begun.

Of course, the river overhead showed no signs of disappearing with it.

"Go ahead."

Fu Qian gestured, signaling that the greedy hunters could go about their business.

However, when Madam Nora walked past him the next moment, his brow furrowed.

"Wait."

"...Is there something else, Mister Lu?"

At this sudden turn of events, the three of them were visibly shaken, but they still didn't bolt.

"Are there any special omens when the Ancient Giant Dragon appears?"

Fu Qian looked at them thoughtfully.

"The Ancient Giant Dragon hasn't appeared many times, and without any survivors from a direct encounter, there are no definitive conclusions yet..."

Relieved that the man had merely thought of a new question rather than suddenly deciding to murder them, Tyr pushed his mind into overdrive.

"However, there is a relatively accepted rule: the probability of Soul Butterflies appearing is higher near the location where it emerges."

"Is that so..."

Under their tense gazes, Fu Qian didn't immediately reveal whether he was satisfied with the answer.

"Then it seems you'll need to move a bit faster."

As the three pondered the meaning behind those words, they saw Mister Lu take another step forward and hold out two fingers again.

This was...

The next moment, seeing what Fu Qian held out to her again, Nora froze completely.

A flawless, perfectly regular geometric shape was rapidly forming—it was unmistakably another Soul Butterfly.

And his gesture clearly indicated that he wanted them to take it.

"You probably don't intend to stick around for the spectacle?"

"No. Thank you for the warning. We'll get as far away from here as possible right now."

Worthy of being the team's brain, Old Man Tyr was the first to react, directly signaling Nora to accept the second Soul Butterfly.

Two Soul Butterflies appearing in a row, coupled with the anomaly in the sky—unless they wanted to face the Ancient Giant Dragon, staying anywhere near here was far too risky.

And the three of them obviously possessed a great deal of self-knowledge; they would absolutely never covet a target beyond their capabilities.

"If there's any place you need our help later, please call on me anytime."

Leaving those words behind, Tyr grabbed his two teammates and hurried away.

Out of the corner of their eyes, they saw the mysterious Mister Lu walk in the opposite direction, heading deep into the Great Hall to sit on the massive, imposing throne in the center.

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