Eldritch Horror Theatre

'What a principled young person!'

'And incredibly proactive, too.'

Not only had she resisted the temptation of a smooth path to transcendent power, she had even resorted to murder to stop others from making the same mistake.

Right or wrong aside, out of all the Covenanters, she was easily the most rebellious.

This was for the best. When it came to the covenant, he needed exactly this kind of conversation partner.

Without reverence clouding her judgment, her descriptions would be far more objective.

Looking at Sunny, who had lowered her head in tacit admission, Fu Qian wore an expression of deep appreciation.

"I suppose, just like the two dead men in this inn, the legendary cases of people losing their heads after being entranced by a Soul Butterfly were actually your doing, weren't they?"

"That's right."

"What you were actually paying close attention to is exactly this: being entranced by a Soul Butterfly doesn't lead to death. It can even turn someone into an apostle."

"Considering their numbers, this is actually a very easy path to discover. That ancient Divine Entity is incredibly eager to spread its faith."

"And yet, single-handedly, you managed to make everyone believe that total entrancement only results in death."

"I can imagine how exhausting that must be."

"Just fostering an atmosphere of danger wasn't enough. Someone was bound to fall for it by accident, so I had no other choice."

"Fortunately, they were cautious enough that I could keep things under control."

Sunny said quietly.

"And even under those circumstances, you still refused to harvest an Umbilical Cord."

Fu Qian tutted in amazement.

"The Ancient Giant Dragon disappeared, and you grew a tail on your ass—you really brought that on yourself."

"Those things as well? No wonder the timing lined up so perfectly."

Fu Qian's words clearly delivered a massive shock to Sunny. More importantly, after their preceding conversation, she could no longer ignore his insights.

Fu Qian scoffed.

"Accepting favors without doing the work, and even sabotaging the recruitment of newcomers—no method is too extreme for dealing with a traitor like that, right? Why do you think It bestowed the blessing? For the good of the world?"

"I just felt... it was an overly ancient will to begin with. There might only be a wisp of residual obsession left. It might not possess any clear intent."

"Even with just a trace of instinctual obsession remaining, a higher entity can achieve far more than you could possibly imagine."

Fu Qian shared a bit of his own experience.

"...You're right. It seems I truly am thoroughly despised."

Sunny mocked herself for a moment.

"Anyway, that is my thought process. Do you have anything else you'd like to ask?"

"I do."

Fu Qian briskly raised two fingers.

"First of all, as a believer, have you ever gazed upon that entity's divine form?"

"Yes."

'She really has absolutely no reverence. I like it!'

Fu Qian nodded in satisfaction.

"Describe it. Be as detailed as possible."

"...Actually, what I just summoned was its shadow, though incomplete. Overall, it looked quite similar to the Ancient Giant Dragon, except it was a flesh-and-blood entity, curled up completely motionless in an indescribable space. There were no wounds on it, but the scales on its body were so ethereal they were almost invisible."

Sunny described it emotionlessly, but suddenly revealed a strange smile.

"It's deeply ironic, you know. In the records I investigated, many people became its believers allegedly because they saw their own insignificance reflected in the shimmer of those scales."

'Its condition was poor. Even its scales were barely real.'

Fu Qian looked thoughtful.

"Could it be that you saw how incredibly bleak that entity's state was, and that's why you developed second thoughts?"

"Otherwise, I find it hard to imagine how a transcendent could resist the temptation of ascension. The reasons you gave earlier—'incomprehensible' and 'strange'—clearly aren't convincing enough."

"...What exactly is your purpose for coming here?"

This time, Sunny wasn't in a hurry to answer. After a few seconds of silence, she narrowed her eyes and asked him a question in return, her tone carrying a distinct sense of determination.

"I have no interest in that Dragon King."

Fu Qian seemed to know exactly what she was concerned about, stating this emotionlessly.

"You saw its attitude toward me."

...The Ancient Giant Dragon had appeared twice, and both times it had tried to kill him.

That last sentence seemed to instantly persuade Sunny, making her let go of a certain fatalistic resolve.

"Aside from watching helplessly as my body turned into a puppet... I could also feel that my true self was undergoing a fundamental change."

"Twisting, deforming, merging into a whole in some unique way. It is sublime and alive; it is my essence."

"I know there are lunatics who wouldn't mind this, who might even yearn for it, but I can't..."

'Merging into a whole in some unique way...' From the corner of his eye, Fu Qian stared at the completed puzzle on the floor.

In just this short amount of time, it had already dissipated until it was completely shapeless.

Of course, since Sunny had been trying to make her mindless act look more realistic, she likely hadn't noticed this.

"Were you worried just now that my purpose for coming here was related to this?"

"...I can sense that you are a proud person, but I couldn't think of any other reason."

Sunny said with absolute seriousness.

"The things in here, including the Ancient Giant Dragon, probably don't mean much to you."

"To maintain world peace. I've said it more than once."

...

"Alright, last question. Have you freed yourself now?"

"No..."

Sunny let out a faint sigh, making no attempt to hide it.

"I fantasized about an attempt like this more than once, but I never had the courage. As it turns out, I made it back, but I am still different from before."

"The connection is still there. I can feel it. It has weakened, but it exists."

"In order to maintain world peace, are you planning to eliminate an existence like me?"

The relief in her tone, the kind where all hope turns to ash, had faintly overpowered her desire to live.

"So you're asking this because you think you just chose the wrong answer?"

Letting out a string of ambiguous laughter, Fu Qian retorted with an exaggerated, punchable tone.

"...I just feel that to me, all choices are actually the same."

Sunny defended herself subconsciously.

"Even if I hadn't been discovered just now, how long could I have kept up the act?"

"How could a mindless walking corpse leave after the blessing ended without arousing Siren's suspicion? Escaping the Wasteland is even more impossible."

"So you believe this is a challenge that absolutely cannot be cleared? That makes me feel insulted."

Fu Qian let out an 'oh,' his tone turning icy in a split second.

"With this seat here, how could there be such underhanded rigging?"

"But..."

Sunny stared at Fu Qian's mask, unable to conceal her confusion.

"Next comes the moment the results are revealed."

Fu Qian pointed outside.

"I want you to go out right now, find the people from Siren, and find Kelsen."

...

Sunny, who had just begun to feel a slight glimmer of hope, was so shocked she couldn't speak.

"Bring him a message for me."

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