Eldritch Horror Theatre

Failing to answer a question after the key points had already been highlighted in advance was purely an attitude problem.

Under the gaze of two demigods, Sunny didn't seem to be under much pressure.

"Unfortunately, I really can't answer that question."

The next moment, she shook her head with absolute naturalness.

"I was minding my own business in the inn when an irresistible force suddenly took over. My will spiraled completely out of my control. By the time I woke up, I was already in here."

It seemed that, after careful consideration, Sunny's chosen strategy for answering was simply to tell the truth.

"Considering how dangerous it is in here, I hid wherever I could along the way. Fortunately, Mister Lu was willing to let me stay here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known how to survive until the blessing ended."

"I genuinely have zero interest in whatever is in here."

An irresistible force?

As a renowned demigod, Kelsen naturally wasn't going to accept it so easily.

With his towering blue hair and eyes flashing like lightning, he stared coldly at the already eccentric little inn manager, in no rush to speak.

Facing such scrutiny, Sunny fully displayed the nervousness of a young woman who had stumbled into the wrong place. She pressed her lips tightly together, not even daring to breathe, terrified she would be vaporized by lightning in the next second.

"Did she give you the same story, Mister Lu?"

The standoff lasted for a full five seconds before Kelsen finally reacted, directing his words at Fu Qian.

"Of course, because this is my first time hearing it, too."

Fu Qian's answer was incredibly smooth.

"Didn't I just say I wanted to know as well?"

"...You didn't even ask about her situation before letting her stay here?"

"Is there a problem? The way you came in wasn't exactly polite, either."

...

"Regardless, that explanation is far too flimsy. Considering her suspicious behavior, you wouldn't mind if I took her away, would you, Mister Lu?"

Although momentarily left speechless, Kelsen had no intention of arguing over politeness and stated his demand directly.

Of course, how much of this was genuine interest in her, and how much was a test of Fu Qian's attitude, was hard to say.

Sunny's gaze immediately snapped over. She looked incredibly tense at this request, clearly unwilling to be taken away and subjected to a harsh interrogation.

"Given my friendship with Demigod Kelsen, of course there is no problem."

Unfortunately for her, Fu Qian, sitting right in the spotlight, simply made a crisp, yielding gesture.

He's actually letting me take her?

This reaction clearly caught Kelsen off guard. He cast a slightly uncertain glance at Sunny. The color visibly drained from her face, but she gritted her teeth and didn't dare say another word.

"Miss Sunny has finished her statement. Now is the time for you to make your choice. So... have you made up your mind, Excellency Kelsen?"

Fu Qian seemed highly amused by their reactions. Propping his chin under his mask with one hand, he addressed Kelsen in a peculiar tone.

"There's no backing out once you choose."

What did he mean by making up his mind—

The answer surfaced in Kelsen's mind almost immediately after the question. A moment later, he suddenly understood the implication behind it.

The guy's subtext was clear: unable to find his actual target, taking someone from Mister Lu right now was Kelsen's one and only chance.

Whether it was a twisted joke or not, the man had mentioned earlier that the bug Kelsen was looking for was his target too, and he wanted it alive.

This pointed to a highly problematic scenario: in a free-for-all relying purely on their own abilities, what would happen if Mister Lu really caught it first?

After expending so much effort, Kelsen certainly wasn't going to just let it go.

The other party felt the same. This was a man who dared to attack him and Sybil directly. The name Siren held absolutely no weight with him.

Most importantly, Kelsen wasn't confident he could win.

The methods the man had displayed last time were deeply impressive.

If a fight truly broke out, Kelsen himself might escape with his life, but it would be hard to say the same for the rest of the Siren personnel.

Kelsen had been thinking about how to handle that exact possibility since earlier, but unfortunately, he hadn't come up with a solid plan.

He never expected Mister Lu to simply hand him the answer—allowing Kelsen to take one person from him, with no second chances.

If Kelsen tried to push for more later, he would have to pay an unimaginable price.

It wasn't an overly harsh condition. Should he accept it?

While his reasoning suddenly cleared up, Kelsen also felt like a gambler trapped in a high-stakes dilemma.

He had just been rejoicing that the man was actually sitting still, yet who would have thought a suspicious person would deliver herself right to his doorstep under these circumstances?

In his periphery, a little color returned to Sunny's face. It seemed she had also picked up on the underlying meaning and realized she still had a glimmer of hope.

...

No matter how you looked at it, this woman couldn't possibly be the guy from earlier.

But the two were clearly connected, making her a crucial clue.

Should he use this opportunity on her?

Kelsen narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Sunny, unable to make a decision for a moment.

Meanwhile, the figure on the Golden Seat seemed even more domineering than before.

Although his expression was hidden by the mask, Kelsen could still feel his entertained, spectator-like demeanor, as if Mister Lu were thoroughly enjoying the difficult choice laid out before him.

As a demigod, Kelsen naturally didn't enjoy being treated like a plaything.

But based on what Kelsen understood of the man, offering a condition like this was already incredibly rare. Forcing him to make further concessions would be practically impossible.

There was still plenty of time. A character who actually owned property in the Wasteland wasn't worth wasting this single opportunity on.

"I assume I can reserve the right to make this choice later?"

Kelsen finally made up his mind.

"Of course!"

Like an obnoxious game show host, Fu Qian's voice was exaggerated and his tone was extremely punchable.

"Are you sure you don't want to think about it a little more, though?"

"I'm sure."

Not wanting to waste another word, Kelsen's lightning-like gaze slowly swept across the surroundings.

Everything was completely normal.

Without wasting another moment, Kelsen turned and walked away, under the gaze of Sunny, who let out a long breath.

Right at that moment, however, a cold, clear white light suddenly flashed inside the ruined Great Hall.

Was that... a tail?

At this sudden anomaly, Kelsen stopped dead in his tracks and looked toward the source of the white light.

Beneath one of the broken windows, an illusory, flawless tail was slowly surfacing from the void, swaying gently.

Wherever it swept past, it seemed to exude waves of invisible frost.

At the other end of the tail, a familiar figure stood completely frozen by the nearest broken window.

Hmm?

In that instant, Kelsen's gaze sharpened. Suppressing his shock, a cluster of tangled electrical arcs bloomed directly in his hand.

The figure moved at almost the exact same time, slamming headfirst into the heavily sealed window. With a tragic wail, it was bounced straight back.

"That really was an interesting question."

Kelsen, who had surrounded the entire Great Hall with a Lightning Cage, sounded happier than ever before.

"I think I already know which one I'm choosing."

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