Eldritch Horror Theatre

So that was it.

He glanced out the window. To his surprise, a black carriage actually stood silently in the courtyard.

Even the two horses harnessed to it stood perfectly still, making no sound save for an occasional snort.

If the concept of the Chaotic Starry Sky still carried the bias of faith, then the scene Amira described could only be called a Nightmare.

Those twelve gentlemen probably didn't need much effort to confirm which side was real and which was fake.

It perfectly matched the posture of the man whose head had been pierced by the Brain Fork, so desperate for a peaceful sleep.

...

Of course, desperation was useless. After navigating another series of corridors, Amira and her companion led Fu Qian into an open hospital ward, where they stood in silence for a few seconds before an empty bed.

"Was someone supposed to be here?"

"Under most circumstances, yes. And he's the very person who brought us here."

Amira nodded slowly.

"His condition was the most severe out of everyone. For the first week, he even forced himself to stay awake. It was only when he could no longer fight it that he changed his strategy."

"Understandable. So what's the situation now? Did he change rooms?"

Fu Qian was quite satisfied with this decision to strike directly at the enemy's heart.

"Why couldn't it be that his condition worsened and he died?"

Reginald chimed in out of nowhere.

"The answer is obvious. We're all still here."

Even though the man couldn't see his expression, Fu Qian still shot him a look of contempt.

"He's the Dream Sharer. If the source disappeared, it wouldn't just leave the three of us completely unaffected, would it?"

"By the way, isn't your work attitude a bit too slack? As experienced professionals, you should be completely aware of these things. Yet here you are, playing Q&A games with me to stall for time?"

Having answered the question, Fu Qian felt he hadn't said enough and sternly criticized them.

"Has it not crossed your minds that during this delay, if some evil entity truly infiltrates, how much more damage it could cause? Who will take responsibility for the innocent civilians who get hurt?"

His words were spoken with such resounding force that the two slackers were deeply shaken, and Amira couldn't help but glance at Reginald.

The unexpected sharpness was one thing, but what was up with this work ethic?

He was the one asked to cooperate with the operation, right? Yet not only did he show no fear or hesitation, he ended up being more proactive than they were. Well, he probably really didn't know fear.

Quickly realizing this point, Amira sighed inwardly.

This actually proved that he wasn't lying. The only thing that allowed him to act like this was a playful mindset that treated everything as just a Nightmare.

For a moment, it was hard to say whether this was a good or bad thing.

"Maybe he went to receive special treatment because his symptoms were too severe. We'd better go take a look."

In the next moment, Amira took the initiative to speak, completely ignoring the previous unanswerable questions as she offered a guess and a plan of action.

His current treatment actually wasn't special enough?

However, her phrasing still made Fu Qian silently roast her in his mind.

Of course, in the end, he didn't mind this overly blunt transition.

"Then what are we waiting for? With every minute delayed, the threat to innocent civilians grows."

Tossing out this self-righteous line, Fu Qian signaled for Amira to lead the way.

"The pool is on the lowest level. Follow me this way."

Although deeply struck by the absurdity of the scene, given that Reginald hadn't said a word, Amira quickly adjusted her emotions and stepped forward to lead them.

Heading down the intricately carved wooden stairs, the trio soon crossed below ground level and arrived at the much dimmer lower floor.

Besides the noticeably more stagnant air, the most prominent feature here was the sudden drop in temperature. Thin white mist even drifted through the Corridor.

Amira didn't stop, walking steadily toward the thickest patches of mist until she finally halted before a green iron door.

The heavy iron door was remarkably thick, but it was left open a crack.

Distinct, highly infectious groans of agony spilled through the gap.

Amira was entirely unflinching; without pausing her stride, she pushed the door open and walked right in.

Amid a slightly jarring metallic scrape, the scene behind the door revealed itself.

She clearly hadn't lied. There really was a pool down here, though it was somewhat compact—only slightly larger than a double bed. Chilly winds swirled above it, thick with icy mist.

Amid the vapor, a head with rather conspicuous medium-length hair was visible. It was indeed the Dream Sharer.

They had found their target. The only problem was that he clearly wasn't the only one in the room.

Three men and two women, holding various instruments, had been gathered around the pool. Unsurprisingly, they were drawn by the noise of the door and turned to look in unison.

...

This collective gaze seemed to be entirely within Amira's expectations. Instead of trying to hide, she simply reached up, took off her mask, and flipped it around.

A moment later, she placed the mask back on her face backward, leaving the swirling patterns on it staring directly at herself.

"Go back and rest. Leave this to me."

Striking this bizarre pose, Amira spoke softly to the five people.

Her words seemed to carry a strange magic. The group's vigilance and confusion instantly evaporated. Without a word, they set down their tools, lined up, and walked out through the iron door, leaving the room feeling much emptier.

Wearing the mask backward seemed to completely reverse its effects as well.

Fu Qian watched the entire process, marveling once again at the professionalism of the Celestial Sphere Cult.

Unlike the original effect of downplaying her presence, Amira was now like a focal point beneath a spotlight. Her every word and action held considerable dominance over the figures in the Nightmare, causing them to outright abandon their patient.

Fortunately, as the most proactive member of this new medical consultation team, Fu Qian stepped forward with natural ease, taking over the treatment for this leather-pants enthusiast while offering his silent praises.

Compared to how things looked outside, this guy's appearance was far more miserable.

In the near-freezing pool, he was soaking completely naked.

Though his eyes were tightly shut, his pained groans and writhing body made it abundantly clear that his mind was fully registering every bit of his current ordeal.

Unfortunately, his already less-than-robust body was bound tightly to a rack in the pool with layers of iron chains. With only his head exposed, he couldn't make any large movements at all.

His backstroke posture was clearly forced. As for why—right where his ear met the water's surface clung a flat body over a dozen centimeters long. Judging by its color and distinct segments, it looked like an excessively bloated leech.

Following that line of sight downward, it became horrifyingly apparent that his naked body was covered in dozens of its kin.

Given their sluggish movements, if he were to thrash around, he would likely shake them right off.

"This pool houses a special breed of blood-sucking worms, specifically collected to deal with excessively severe symptoms."

By this time, Amira had stepped forward as well. Taking off her mask, she let out a soft sigh.

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