Eldritch Horror Theatre

Rachel was clearly downplaying the severity of their current situation.

For instance, while admitting to being corrupted by the Curse Abyss, she didn't mention the Sea God that had appeared almost instantly, or the ship that was damaged in their forced beach landing.

"Considering we're already here, I figured I'd bring what I've collected over to you first."

As she spoke, Rachel pointed back the way she came.

"I still need to rendezvous with them in a bit."

"I only have three vials. Use them sparingly; I'll send more over as soon as I can."

"It's a shame about this time around. We almost caught a mermaid—"

Rachel's explanation came to an abrupt halt.

Before Rachel's stunned eyes, Li Min suddenly pulled out all three vials, tilted her head back, and crushed them.

Miraculously, despite being a dark red liquid, it beaded into tiny, distinct droplets as it fell, looking like a scattering of pomegranate seeds.

"What the hell are you doing?! Why did you take them all at once?"

Recovering from her shock, Rachel cried out in sudden panic.

With the Blood Dew in her mouth, Li Min paid her no mind. She casually tossed aside the broken glass and closed the only eye she had that still looked functional.

A moment later, a surge of vigorous vitality erupted from her battered body.

Her body visibly straightened, the arm that had been hanging limply at her side regained its strength, and when she opened her eyes again, even the other eye had recovered its lively gleam.

It really feels like she popped a miracle vigor pill. No wonder Rachel insisted on delivering this stuff even when she thought her own chances of survival were slim, Fu Qian mused from the sidelines.

It was just a pity that while the substance was highly restorative, it clearly didn't possess any purifying effects.

Right now, the chaotic fish scales and twisted horns on Li Min's body hadn't diminished in the slightest. In fact, they looked even more vividly grotesque than before.

"It won't make much difference for me either way."

Li Min leaped up and landed lightly on the cliff edge, her voice sounding significantly more normal.

A moment later, she looked at her best friend, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

...

"It was a guy named Delanley."

It was too difficult to hide anything in front of someone who knew her so well.

Having been friends for years, Rachel completely understood the meaning behind her companion's actions.

Li Min clearly didn't buy her claims of having everything under control.

Believing herself to be beyond saving, Li Min had downed all three vials of Blood Dew at once to force a brief resurgence of strength—all so she could lend Rachel a hand.

A faint mist gathered in Rachel's eyes, but she quickly reined in her emotions.

"The guy isn't just an expert in all kinds of survival skills; his combat strength is quite impressive too."

"But since he was a new recruit, Lane didn't really trust him and told me to monitor his every move."

"And although I didn't take the task too seriously, he did seem perfectly normal. That's what I reported back."

"I didn't expect Lane to be right. It seems Delanley only joined us to eliminate a public menace. He tainted everyone on the ship with the blood of the Curse Abyss."

"Right when you caught the mermaid?"

Li Min listened with intense focus.

"Yeah."

"Where is he now?"

"Disappeared."

"What happened after that? In my eyes, that threat alone shouldn't have been enough to make you enter the Ash Sea so decisively."

Li Min undoubtedly had a wealth of experience in the jianghu. Under this brief burst of renewed energy, she was truly perceptive down to the smallest detail.

"That's the strange part. That guy seemed powerful enough to have even prepared a Sea God in advance. The moment we were tainted by the blood, we were attacked."

Rachel offered a bitter smile as she described the two successive tentacle attacks.

"I'm absolutely certain it was a Divine Being, but its attitude was bizarre. It wasn't nearly as vicious as the legendary Sea God; instead, it felt like it was toying with us."

"Or perhaps it was herding you..."

Despite her grotesque appearance, one could still sense Li Min sighing.

Herding...

In that instant, Rachel felt her confusion suddenly clear.

"You're right..."

She muttered to herself a moment later.

"It wasn't trying to kill us at all. It just wanted to drive us in here. With every strike, it was cutting off our other options..."

"But why? What's the point of that?"

"Toying with us like a cat with a mouse? Or giving us a chance to repent? Honestly, I don't think it's a very merciful entity."

"Neither do I."

Li Min shook her head.

"I'm not even sure what you encountered was the legendary Sea God."

"Although that thing is famous, at its core, it's just a tyrannical beast. Rather than driving you inside for amusement, ignoring the fact that you were in the Ash Sea and charging straight in to tear you to shreds would be much more in character for it."

"So our decision to hide in here was the right one after all..."

Rachel's frustration seemed to lessen slightly.

"It was the right call, but considering how that thing acted, do you really think it matters whether or not you have the mark of the Curse Abyss on you?"

Li Min let out a hoarse laugh.

"I'm more than half certain that even if you cleanse yourselves, it'll still be waiting for you outside."

"It's fine..."

Faced with the desperate situation Li Min described, Rachel fell silent for a long moment before flashing an uncharacteristically relaxed smile.

"Then I'll just stay here with you."

"You've been stuck here for so long, there must be quite a few places you can show me."

...

Lady Burning Ash has suddenly become quite philosophical. No wonder people say you only grow through experience—her spiritual realm has elevated incredibly fast.

Watching the interaction between the two women closely, Fu Qian sighed in admiration. However, his thoughts drifted to the Hunting Collective back at the login point.

If they didn't completely drop the ball, they should be making similar deductions and arriving at much the same conclusion right about now.

"No, you can't just rot away in here like me!"

Sure enough, Li Min sternly shot down the suggestion.

"There has to be a way! First, we need to figure out what exactly that thing is..."

"You stay here. Don't go anywhere."

A moment later, seemingly having made up her mind, she instructed Rachel.

"What are you trying to do?"

Rachel was taken aback, alarm bells ringing in her head.

"I'm going outside the Floating Islands to take a look and confirm what that thing is."

"No!"

Li Min's answer caused Rachel's voice to crack in sudden panic.

"That is a Divine Being!"

"It doesn't matter. I'm a being with no fear of death."

Li Min laughed once more.

"Are you going to stay here, or are you going to drag me down?"

...

Knowing her best friend's temperament perfectly well, Rachel was rendered speechless by the two choices Li Min presented.

"Don't worry, I really am familiar with this place."

Moving even faster than when she had arrived, Li Min slipped swiftly into the water as she spoke.

"I'm just going to observe from the perimeter. It won't be too danger—"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Li Min leapt back out of the water at an even greater speed, instantly grabbing Rachel and dragging her frantically backward.

The next moment, amidst a deafening crash, the cliff edge where the two women had just been standing was shattered by a massive tentacle.

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