Eldritch Horror Theatre

A Miracle?

As it turned out, Li Min really did know a great deal about the Ash Sea—whether that knowledge came from her late teacher was another matter.

The term she had just brought up instantly sparked numerous associations in Fu Qian's mind.

Professor Ah Kai from the Academy and the past actions of the Divine Emissary Nepheli surfaced in his thoughts.

Could it be that mysterious form of power?

To think its appearance in a place like the Ash Sea didn't actually feel out of place.

"Are you saying that the temptation drawing the mermaids doesn't come from some fleeting, powerful entity, but rather a specific Miracle?"

"Exactly. At least, that is what my teacher believed."

Li Min confirmed her prestigious tutelage.

"You have to understand, the creatures born from the shifting tides of the Ash Sea are practically synonymous with chaos. It's hard to imagine them maintaining such consistency over a long period."

"But Miracles are different. They are varied, but as the ultimate manifestation of a certain type of power, they hold a very high status while maintaining a pure form."

"For example, the dark rift that devours everything, or the ocean springs that erupt for days on end to purify the surrounding waters—they have both appeared more than once."

High status, the ultimate manifestation of power. The more he listened, the more it sounded like one.

Fu Qian recalled the scene he had witnessed with the help of the Blasphemy Monarch: a sublime downfall, burning into ash.

Could the Ash Sea truly be the ashes of a Deity?

And so the slightest fluctuation of those residual powers could still bring down a Miracle?

"So, because of their special constitution, the mermaids are influenced by a specific Miracle?"

Fu Qian nodded thoughtfully for a moment.

"And you suspect that guy is using us as bait not to lure out a creature in the Ash Sea, but to trigger a specific Miracle?"

"Because that Miracle is beneficial to him, and it's a benefit he can take away."

"Yes."

Li Min seemed a little surprised by how quickly Fu Qian accepted the theory.

"Although I've never heard of a Miracle being induced, I can't think of any other reason besides that."

...

'To think she actually managed to come up with a reason!'

While Li Min admitted her own lack of knowledge, Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

She truly lived up to her extensive knowledge of the Ash Sea; she could even explain away a fake question.

Unfortunately for him, while this broadened his horizons, it wasn't what he most wanted to see.

All along the way, not only had Rachel's plan to visit her friend succeeded smoothly, but even under this level of intense pressure, Li Min still hadn't noticed anything wrong with the Ash Sea.

No matter how he looked at it, his arrival didn't seem to have stirred up any special ripples in the Ash Sea.

So was this serendipitous encounter really just an illusion?

...

"So, Mister Fang, are you done with your questions?"

Right then, Rachel, who had been holding her tongue this entire time, finally couldn't hold back.

"No more questions for now. Thanks for the answers."

Fu Qian didn't mind her rather impolite tone.

"So, what is your wish?"

...He was actually letting them make a wish?

Her original intention was to remind this uninvited guest that it was time to leave. She hadn't expected him to earnestly ask what their wish was. For a moment, Rachel was dumbfounded.

A wish? She had far too many of those... The problem was, if she asked for one, could he even grant it?

She subconsciously glanced at Li Min, who also seemed a bit stunned.

"Alright then, make the thing outside disappear."

Rachel steeled her heart and threw out an impossible task.

If it angered him, so be it. This guy didn't look like he was going to let the two of them off easily anyway.

"Are you sure?"

Unexpectedly, faced with this slightly unreasonable wish, he didn't show the slightest hint of anger. Instead, he asked with a smile.

"Once you're sure, you can't change it."

...

His tone, combined with his expression, practically begged for a beating. Yet, faced with this follow-up question, Rachel actually hesitated.

When presented with a wish, very few people could avoid worrying about the potential gains and losses.

"Can you cure what's wrong with Li Min's body?"

After a brief thought, she asked, her voice lacking confidence.

"What a heartwarming wish. I can see that your friend's condition is indeed not looking good."

Fu Qian offered the compliment, repeating his old trick.

"So, are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Surprisingly, the one who spoke up this time was Li Min.

"Oh?"

Fu Qian gave her a look of surprise.

"I thought your wish would be for me to send your friend safely away from here?"

"That is indeed what I want most, and I even believe you have the ability to do it."

Li Min's words sounded full of sincerity.

"But you mentioned earlier that the method of fulfilling the wish is up to you. I'm worried it will ultimately be realized in a twisted way."

"Understood. You want to bear the risk yourself? If you really can be cured, you'll be the one to take her and escape? That way, your friend's chances of surviving are actually higher? A very meticulous thought process."

Faced with these two close friends, Fu Qian obligingly let out a burst of wicked laughter.

"Li Min..."

Rachel, finally realizing what was happening, tried to say something but was immediately stopped.

"Very well. Wish accepted."

The next moment, Fu Qian cut his laughter short and looked at Li Min, who had taken a step forward.

Compared to when she first drank the Blood Dew, her aura of life was no longer as robust.

Even though the scales on her body had multiplied.

Her battered body was now like a sieve, no longer capable of maintaining a stable state.

The Blood Dew that Rachel had fought so hard to collect truly didn't mean much to Li Min anymore.

"Wait outside."

Fu Qian motioned to Rachel.

"Go. Remember, unless I call you, do not come in under any circumstances."

Rachel was visibly reluctant, but at Li Min's insistence, she finally complied.

Perhaps out of an overwhelming sense of helplessness, she stood in the rain with her back to them.

"Good. Look here."

Seeing how straightforward she was being, Fu Qian didn't waste words. He snapped his fingers, and the Decree of Return activated.

Ha...

In less than ten seconds, someone as strong-willed as Li Min could no longer stay on her feet and was forced to crouch on the ground.

At the same time, however, the traces of corruption covering her entire body were changing.

The iridescent fish scales peeled off piece by piece, the hideous Spikes retracted back into her body, and even her slime-covered skin slowly became dry and clean.

Immediately after, however, blisters began to form on her slightly improved epidermis, as if it were filled with magma underneath and ready to burst open at any moment.

Sure enough, the fire she had swallowed was still there.

Her corruption was severe, yet she still had to rely on this very corruption to fight against the imbalance within her body.

Leaving aside whether she could withstand a violent purge, even if all the corruption were cleared away, failing to solve this underlying problem would likely cause her to die even faster.

'Will I still have to use an unconventional method?'

Fu Qian shook his head and canceled the Decree of Return.

Clearly sensing it, Li Min looked up, seemingly with an expected sense of disappointment.

Unfortunately, that emotion was shattered in the next instant.

A violent roar exploded directly in her mind, and she collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball.

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