Eldritch Horror Theatre

Receiving a response to a gracious invitation was always a cause for delight.

Fu Qian didn't doubt Mister Winslow's hatred for the butler, but given that his precious daughter was still plastered to the ceiling and liable to lose her human shape at any moment, this was clearly a poor time to vent his rage with his fists.

The ensuing chain reaction was so swift and decisive it felt entirely incongruous.

Not only had the couple simultaneously abandoned their beloved daughter, but even Nathalie hadn't stayed.

Fu Qian was certain that for her, nothing mattered more than personally witnessing Jane's fate.

Yet all this jarring behavior would instantly make sense with a single assumption, one with an established precedent—a voice had told them to do so.

Just like it had with Jane.

Entities Should Not Be Multiplied Without Necessity.

Fu Qian had always subscribed to that philosophy.

But Fu Qian had never abandoned a much cleaner hypothesis.

What if he simply removed this untraceable entity with its unknowable motives from the equation entirely?

Jane's abnormalities, along with those of everyone else, had perfectly aligned to create those two incredibly natural moments of isolation for her simply because of the "eyes" behind the scenes.

"It" wanted an audience with Jane, and everyone else had subconsciously made way for it.

This was far from baseless speculation. He had seen a precedent for this before—if one inverted Ill Omen's survival tactics, didn't it look rather similar?

Ill Omen's rule was that wherever the hunter went, he simply would not be there.

And this entity's rule was that wherever it went, the hunter was automatically absent.

The core concept was quite similar, though the latter was far more sophisticated and imposing.

And far more natural.

During Jane's previous two moments of isolation, the only jarring element had been the voice in her head. Everyone else had naturally cooperated to achieve that outcome.

That even included himself, although his intention had been to watch the show unfold.

It truly was a brilliant trick, but under his relentless instigation, the intensity of the situation had skyrocketed, leaving the entity unable to maintain that subtle, natural touch.

Fu Qian's understanding of the previous scene was that all four of those suddenly erratic people had received the same command that had appeared in Jane's consciousness.

...

It held the beauty of someone who couldn't solve a Rubik's cube, so they took it apart piece by piece and reassembled it as required.

Of course, this cheating behavior had now been blocked.

This was because those four mortals had already fallen asleep in a second. Wandering around the side room behind the door, they gave off the distinct vibe of the walking dead at a glance.

At the very least, Miss Winslow was visibly terrified.

Staring at the four restless figures, the young noble lady on the ceiling had her eyeballs bulging slightly like a frog's under some strange traction.

Her body was doing the same.

Distorted in every direction, her delicate silk dress no longer fit her at all.

"What happened... to them..."

Though her tone was bizarre, Jane surprisingly still retained her ability to speak, voicing the endless fear and helplessness in her heart.

Nathalie's twisted obsession earlier had been shocking, but it was at least comprehensible.

But the actions of these four clearly carried far too much of an inhuman aura.

The family members she knew so well were suddenly acting like marionettes, and out of control ones at that.

Under the impact, this carefully pampered youth's willpower was already teetering on the edge of collapse.

"Don't be nervous. Most people's mental states are already worrying to begin with."

Looking up at that stretched and warped body, Fu Qian could almost sense the trajectory of the Stars within it. He sighed and turned to Olinter.

"Any new discoveries?"

Fu Qian wasn't sure if it was because of the special commandment patterns marking his body, but Olinter was completely immune to the effects of Lucid Dream, just like Miss Jane.

However, that did not mean he was in a good mood at the moment.

"How could this happen..."

Ignoring Fu Qian's question entirely, he stared up at the struggling Jane and muttered to himself.

"Didn't find anything, I take it?"

Fu Qian sighed.

"I can imagine you will soon deduce a conclusion that the force isn't enough and you need to keep increasing it, but are you really not considering abandoning your viewpoint?"

"...I think you should be far more concerned about yourself. By comparison, your abnormalities are far more glaring."

Unfortunately, an obsession was called an obsession precisely because it was so difficult to overcome.

It took Olinter only two seconds to eliminate his hesitation, looking at Fu Qian calmly and firmly.

"I was just wondering how a single person could possibly be courting death to such a degree."

"Now it all makes sense. You've clearly displayed resistance far beyond a normal human's. In truth, you simply have absolute confidence that you won't die."

"My only regret right now is that I didn't immediately—"

Crash!

A crisp shattering sound cut off Olinter's speech.

Shocked, the latter looked toward the sound, only to see that Jane on the ceiling had surprisingly crawled to the window without a sound.

The glass she hadn't had the chance to break earlier was now completely shattered.

"Impossible, she shouldn't still have that kind of mobility!"

Having focused most of his attention on Fu Qian, Olinter clearly couldn't believe this scene.

In his shock, he finally lost the concentration to maintain his special skill, interrupted his operation, and jumped to his feet.

"That's why she used both hands and feet. If her mobility were normal, theoretically, she should have walked over there upside down."

In contrast, watching Jane crawl through the gap in that bizarre posture, Fu Qian looked gratified.

The glass hadn't broken all that cleanly, but Jane's movements were quite decisive. Completely ignoring the scratches on her body, she forcefully pulled herself out, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

"Thanks for your hard work, Excellency Olinter. Your part of the job is finished."

Fu Qian had no intention of delaying either, and he stepped forward to follow her.

But he had barely taken two steps when an illusory barrier materialized before him, woven from intersecting patterns.

This was even more familiar. It could be called completely similar to the trick Amira had used in the basement.

It seemed The Order still had some general education classes after all.

"You thought I would let you leave? I said it before, I would rather give Jane more time."

Fu Qian turned around to look; Olinter was already striding up to him.

"Especially since it looks just right now. I'm exhibiting abnormalities, but she isn't."

Fu Qian gave him an incredibly understanding look.

"I have to admit, Nathalie has a great eye for people. The candidate she picked suits her needs perfectly."

"Don't mention that name—"

Olinter only made it halfway through his sentence before a burst of piercing cold directly halted his forward momentum and sent his entire body flying backward.

By the time he hit the ground, the vast majority of the skin and flesh on the left half of his face had already splattered into a mist of ice, and Fu Qian's words rang out with absolute finality.

"Did you really have to make me say it so bluntly? Your foolish arrogance got you fired. Being a doctor isn't that simple."

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