Eldritch Horror Theatre

It was evident that the Awakened Ones Organization was thriving.

According to Madam Raven, it had been established for no more than a month, yet attendance to listen to the gospel was already in the double digits.

Mariana and Ben weren't even among them; they were likely under orders to guard that rising star.

And every single person in attendance clearly possessed unique skills.

Like Mariana and the rest, they held a rather high Rank, but unlike an ordinary commandment, they radiated a distinct sense of distortion.

With the stage now set, everyone was poised to strike. A single glance revealed all sorts of bizarre and twisted appearances—a genuine freak show.

By comparison, Mariana's Flesh Vines were actually quite pleasant to look at.

To a certain extent, having this many samples confirmed his previous theory: after the Descent of the Mist, the gifts from the Stars had indeed become twisted.

One of his goals for setting up this lecture had already been achieved.

"Don't rush!"

When the first beam of moonlight struck dangerously close to Madam Raven, she was visibly shocked.

But after a single flinch, she suppressed the urge to dodge and shouted to the crowd.

Unfortunately, her warning came a little too late. The spirited awakened ones had already moved in unison.

The two charging at the very front were only a split second slower than Madam Raven, and they were each met by a beam of Bright Light falling from the sky.

Their luck, however, wasn't quite as good. The calibrated Moonlight Railgun accurately struck both targets.

Although it seemed entirely intangible, the splashing radiance hit like lead weights, carrying considerable impact. The two men's movements immediately stalled.

One of them was encased in a bizarre, insect-shell-like construct that appeared to offer significant defense.

Yet even so, the heavy blow sent him stumbling.

And it wasn't over. While there were no visible wounds where he had been hit, specks of Bright Light actually seeped out, as if shattered moonlight had scattered across his body.

After instinctively wiping at it to no avail, the burly man was shocked to find his movements slowing down for no apparent reason.

It wasn't from added weight or injury. This completely irrational sensation helped him swiftly heed his leader's warning.

"Madam?"

Struggling to retreat, he looked at Madam Raven with an inquiring gaze.

In fact, almost everyone present had the same reaction.

As the person in charge, Madam Raven wore a complicated expression and remained silent for a moment.

Fu Qian understood this perfectly well.

Their synchronized response earlier meant Madam Raven had obviously issued an order at the very first moment.

How could she possibly set up a stage for him to spread his deceitful words?

Pinning the label of the Nightmare's lapdog on him and killing him immediately without giving him a chance to speak was the best way to maintain the organization's cohesion.

In fact, this was exactly why Fu Qian had directly activated Pseudo-God Incarnation.

...

A siege halted by just two beams of moonlight spoke volumes.

As newborn lucky ones, these guys—who hadn't even dared to die in what they believed was a Nightmare—were fundamentally weak in willpower.

Having a clear understanding of her own strength, Madam Raven wouldn't expect the crowd to swarm him and ultimately sacrifice some of their numbers for a bitter victory.

It was highly likely that once he killed a few of them, the situation would rapidly devolve into a stalemate, forcing them to listen to the gospel.

Yet she had still commanded them to attack.

The obvious explanation was that she had some special trump card hidden away to give her this confidence.

Such as some invisible method capable of affecting his will or the output of his Combat Power.

Considering that the Rank of these twisted gifts from the Stars was not low, this possibility couldn't be entirely ruled out.

Therefore, Fu Qian chose to directly consume ten SAN Value to ensure the event progressed with maximum efficiency.

The facts proved that an extremely special influence had indeed been applied to him just now, but it had vanished in an instant in the face of his further elevated Rank.

"Watch closely. Don't miss this moment."

Fu Qian did not pursue. He studied the circle of people around him and offered a maliciously playful reminder.

"Face your own hesitation."

...

"To think you are unaffected by me. Is this the power of the Nightmare?"

At this moment, fulfilling popular expectations, Madam Raven finally spoke slowly as she waved again to signal the others not to rush.

As expected, setting the narrative right off the bat?

Completely unsurprised, Fu Qian looked up at the night sky, disdaining to defend himself, and casually activated Commandment Residue.

"For countless ages, my people have called ourselves Divine Children."

"Born with the favor of the Law, we are incomparably noble."

With a transcendent posture and a world-weary tone, Fu Qian continued to borrow his Blood Clan persona.

"Even the elite among mortals, members of The Order who have received the gifts of the Stars, are not even qualified to know of our existence."

"Yet even we were misled and deceived, for many years..."

"Apologies, but regarding this talk of Divine Children, I assure you we have never heard of it—"

Madam Raven's critique, which she could finally no longer hold back, was immediately interrupted.

Two more beams of moonlight fell consecutively from the sky, this time blasting into the exact same spot.

And over the seemingly empty floor, the air rippled and twisted in response.

A small, thin figure with an extraordinary bone structure tumbled out from within, desperately retreating just like the others.

However, the large patches of shattered moonlight staining his body made him move as if in slow motion.

...

This sudden change clearly shocked everyone present.

For Fu Qian, however, the situation was crystal clear.

This awakened one possessed rather excellent stealth abilities. Even when the others revealed themselves earlier, he had maintained his concealment.

He had even kept it up when everyone else retreated.

He had been inching closer step by step, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal strike.

If the previous mental influence was the killing move Madam Raven had prepared, then this guy was her absolute failsafe.

What a pity. Both had failed.

History had ultimately led to the scenario Madam Raven feared most: caught in a stalemate, ordinary people were forced to listen to the gospel, shaking their faith.

Of course, Fu Qian didn't actually care whether their faith was shaken or not.

The purpose of this spectacle had never been to offer these people any enlightenment.

After his two conversations with Mariana and Madam Raven, the communicative value of this group had been almost entirely squeezed dry.

Whether they went on to worship the Stars, the Dark Moon, or even the Nightmare meant nothing to Fu Qian.

What he was squeezing out of them now was their physical value.

This scene of enlightenment was meant for the "Nightmare" to see.

To the Nightmare, the nature of this scene was equivalent to a group of awakened ones—who already doubted the Nightmare—being shown mind-bending miracles by a mysterious figure of unknown origin.

The severity of this was something Fu Qian believed the "Nightmare" would find absolutely intolerable.

As for how to guarantee the Nightmare would see it?

First of all, Fu Qian didn't think an organization so lacking in combat experience could have very reliable execution.

Secondly, even if everyone else had luckily shaken off surveillance under Madam Raven's instructions, he himself was currently entangled in Turbulence—he was the biggest beacon there was.

His next communication target, the "Nightmare," was guaranteed to be drawn here.

Time was precious; efficiency was pushed to the absolute limit.

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