Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Are there still others on the way? That's fine. We can wait a bit longer. Let as many people as possible hear the gospel."

With his scarlet feathers stirring despite the still air, Fu Qian offered this gentle reassurance to the silent Lady Raven, fully embracing the posture of a magnanimous mentor.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem to appreciate the sentiment. She just stared fixedly at his face as if looking at an alien.

"Who exactly are you? What is your true purpose?"

As she voiced those two questions, Lady Raven's already stern expression tightened a fraction further, turning as rigid as a mask.

It was comforting, at least, that she was no longer denying that others were on the way. The conversation was smoothly moving forward.

"What I am—now that is a good question."

Fu Qian did not hide his satisfaction. With a sigh of praise, he took a deep breath as his facial features rapidly shifted.

Riiip!

Yet he still retained his individuality. Rather than the bat wings typical of the Blood Clan, he chose the featherless wings of the Angel Dungeon.

While this favored form of his was arguably worse in terms of aerodynamics, its visual impact was far superior, making it perfectly suited for the occasion.

Lady Raven's reaction alone proved as much.

...

She was the leader of a resistance organization, after all. Thanks to the buffer of the earlier shock, she wasn't completely dumbfounded, but she still struggled to pull her gaze away from Fu Qian's back.

In fact, at this very moment, the scarlet feathers rapidly clustering over her body weren't merely covering her skin—they were also faintly gathering into the shape of wings upon her back.

This must have been the origin of the title Lady Raven.

Naturally, Fu Qian could tell that they provided far more than just a visual effect.

These seemingly frail feathers weren't meant to keep her warm. In fact, they felt somewhat reminiscent of the move Jacques had once used to trap him.

Impenetrable.

Even though its level of completion was vastly inferior, Fu Qian believed this feather garment was enough to help her block most sudden attacks.

Obviously, this was a countermeasure against any sudden strike he might launch.

Unfortunately, it clearly lacked the ability to block visual shocks.

"Blood Clan..."

Without needing any hints, Lady Raven finally voiced exactly what Fu Qian wanted to convey.

"I would prefer you call me a Dark Moon Apostle, first of all."

Fu Qian offered a satisfied smile, his voice turning almost ethereal.

"Ignorance and blindness are not your fault. After all, not everyone can touch that sublimity up close."

"Fortunately, the Blood Clan—being much closer to the Stars—has already helped you discover the fallacy and receive the true gospel. You were right about one thing: it is a painful process."

"...Are you trying to say you braved the danger of appearing here just to pass the correct faith on to us?"

Faced with Fu Qian's overly cultish rhetoric, Lady Raven clearly understood his implication, but she hardly believed it.

"Is that so impossible? There is a saying: hear the Dao in the morning and die content in the evening."

Looking up at a forty-five-degree angle, Fu Qian paid no mind to her skepticism.

"Die... so you really are targeting us? Are you deliberately gathering us here?"

A specific word in his response had clearly provoked Lady Raven.

Her mind raced, and she quickly began to view everything as a conspiracy.

"Isn't it obvious? Of course I gathered you here on purpose."

Fu Qian gave her an odd look, frighteningly frank.

"I knew you would definitely come, and I knew your purpose for coming. I even denied you the possibility of achieving one of those goals. If not to gather you all here, why would I waste this time?"

...

"But you won't let them leave."

Seeing the once-elegant and dignified lady's eyes flickering wildly, Fu Qian gave a wicked smile.

"Because you aren't certain whether I said this just to scare you after realizing I was in danger. You also don't believe I actually have the power to kill all of you. But most importantly..."

"You cannot accept the failure of this operation. These lucky ones are still too green to endure a crisis of faith."

"Nonsense! Every awakened one knows exactly what they are doing and what they are pursuing."

Fu Qian's words were clearly lethal. Lady Raven found it hard to formulate an immediate response.

However, goaded by the sheer force of his final taunt, she was forced to fire back.

"Is that so? Then tell me, why are you all so sensitive to 'death' in a dream that you recognize as such?"

Unfortunately for her, this kind of preachy defense held no weight with Fu Qian.

"Whether it was Mariana or your own reaction just now, I seem to have reached an interesting conclusion. Among you awakened ones, not a single person has ever died once in this Nightmare, even though you believe it isn't real... Am I right?"

Curling his deformed wings around to his front, Fu Qian lightly brushed his fingers over them, staring Lady Raven down.

She did not utter a word.

"I knew it."

This didn't stop Fu Qian from getting his answer. The mockery on his face deepened.

"Don't worry, though. The death I just mentioned wasn't referring to you."

Hmm?

This sudden twist provoked a strong reaction.

"What do you mean? Don't tell me you meant yourself?"

As she asked this, Lady Raven's tone was undeniably incredulous.

"Theoretically speaking, it is highly likely."

To her surprise, the mysterious figure across from her gave a slight nod, actually admitting to it.

"So, after waiting all this time, has everyone who is supposed to come arrived? Should we head outside to spectate?"

...

"There's no need. We just need to clear this place out a bit."

Fu Qian's final words finally helped Lady Raven make up her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she extended her hands into the empty air on either side of her.

Even the wings on her back flared outward.

Following this motion, faint snapping and shattering sounds rang out from all directions. Like an inflating balloon, the entire room bulged outward, expanding at a rapid pace.

In just a few breaths, the fractured, warped walls had enclosed a much larger circular space.

Even the ceiling above was torn open, revealing the profound darkness of the night.

Incredible!

Seeing this secret meeting room transform into an open-air Colosseum in the blink of an eye, Fu Qian praised it inwardly.

What satisfied him even more was that in the next moment, numerous predatory gazes emerged from the various twisted openings surrounding the Colosseum, completely encircling him.

"Everyone is here. Let's begin, then."

As the one being surrounded, Fu Qian calmly glanced at Lady Raven, who had already retreated to the edge and was being guarded by others. With absolutely no intention of spouting any more nonsense, he used Insight to cast Quiet Reflection and Wandering.

[SAN Value -10]

And Pseudo-God Incarnation.

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