Eldritch Horror Theatre

As the spoil for killing Ill Omen, the Commandment Residue explicitly stated in its description that it was forged from Law Patterns.

Furthermore, the Resplendent Tyrant—as one form of the Commandment Residue—proved it could resist the Law of the Stars to a certain extent.

Because of this, Fu Qian had been pondering the relationship between the two almost from the very beginning.

Now, drawing on the Witch's judgment, the probability of it being a mere coincidence was clearly shrinking.

Given that, since he couldn't find any leads on his end, getting another point of reference was definitely the right approach.

"A continuously rotting tree in some imperceptible state?"

The Witch pondered Fu Qian's description for a moment before shaking her head slightly, indicating she had never seen anything like it.

"Yes, its Rank is very high. It can grant enlightenment through dreams, bestowing a boon similar to a Law."

Fu Qian recalled Huang Yuanchang and Lu Xing, the two lucky individuals he had dealt with in the past.

"For example, thanks to my interference at the time, the Golden Law dictating that 'mortals may look directly at a Deity' never fully formed."

"Generating a new Law... That is far more vibrant than I imagined."

Gently cradling Fu Qian's head to help ease the strain of his recent overexertion, the Witch listened, deep in thought.

"I feel the same way. Although it is nowhere near as perfect as this one, it certainly seems to have more vitality."

Fu Qian gave a firm nod.

"Of course, that was quite a while ago. We won't know its current condition until we see it for ourselves."

"...The time I can spend responding right now won't be very long."

Staring at him, the Witch fell silent for a moment at his words, but ultimately didn't refuse.

"Understood."

Fu Qian wasn't surprised by this in the least.

He had already guessed as much. Although the Witch had managed to establish such a wondrous connection with the Bookstore World, the process was likely incredibly taxing.

And her current state was far worse than simply being heavily drained; the fact that she could promise to respond at all was already remarkable.

"The next location?"

Seeing that the Witch was lost in thought and hadn't said anything else, Fu Qian asked directly.

"Oh? How did you know there was a next location?"

Her attention instantly caught, the Witch looked down at him with a half-smile.

...

"When you grabbed the Ring just now, I saw a broken Pocket Watch."

Unfazed by this latest test, Fu Qian did not shy away from it, simply gesturing to the side with his eyes.

"It was obviously much more damaged than the last time I saw it, but that also allowed me to see more details—like the words on its cracked back casing."

He was, of course, referring to the Baroness's Pocket Watch.

As an ordinary item, it clearly wasn't preserved as well as the other artifacts; it was deformed almost beyond recognition.

Yet, it was precisely because of this that Fu Qian caught a fleeting glimpse of some handwriting he had once meticulously studied.

"I'm not entirely sure, but based on our previous deductions, their existence is highly correlated with the Law and Ancient Laerdin."

"Furthermore, this painting in front of us—the one corresponding to Ancient Laerdin—is noticeably more magical than before."

"So, it got me thinking. Has that city—which miraculously descended back into reality—truly dissipated completely?"

...

"Your memory is quite good. To think you'd still have such a deep impression of an old acquaintance."

Showing a hint of surprise at his answer, the Witch reached over and retrieved a Pocket Watch that was now little more than a battered shell.

After scrutinizing the words inside, she wore an expression of deep satisfaction, looking as pleased as a parent examining a perfect test score brought home by a child.

Clearly, she didn't deny Fu Qian's theory.

She even seemed to know a thing or two about the history between the Countess and Fu Qian.

"When you left last time, because the Pus of Man was neutralized, the Countess—who should have rapidly decayed—formed a wondrous connection with this damaged Sacred Relic she was carrying, ultimately resulting in a very unique existence."

In the next moment, the Witch confirmed Fu Qian's deduction.

"She is an object, yet she possesses the traits of the living. This subjected her to the influence of the Law as well, though it manifested in a truly bizarre manner."

"In short, your guess was spot on. We do indeed have a next stop."

As she spoke, the Witch finally slipped off her high stool. Striking the exact same posture she had in the Art Gallery earlier, she led Fu Qian toward the massive easel.

The transition was just as smooth and silent as before, completely devoid of discomfort, and a seemingly familiar street appeared before their eyes.

Except, this time, it was noticeably much more bustling.

...

"It's this peaceful?"

Instantly recognizing that this was indeed Ancient Laerdin, Fu Qian didn't hide his surprise as his earlier guess was validated.

With the Law of the Stars still undergoing a continuous collapse, this place was surprisingly tranquil. In the slightly dim sky above, there wasn't even a single Meteor to be seen.

Even though the starry sky was already completely beyond recognition.

"After severing the connection, I sped things up a bit so the collapse of the Stars would conclude more efficiently."

Without pausing her steps, the Witch casually admitted that the scene before them was her handiwork.

"After all, the darlings of the Law discovered right away that they had completely lost that boon."

"Understood. Humanity's adaptability is high as expected."

Fu Qian let out an impressed sigh.

The situation before him couldn't be any easier to understand. The Witch had actually used the mechanics of the Painting World to preserve Ancient Laerdin, which should have collapsed alongside the Stars.

That was the main reason the painting they just saw had become so much more detailed.

It was a true painting within a painting.

As expected of my Dark Moon Pope, he thought. To be in such a state, operating remotely, and yet still able to achieve this level of control...

And "The Pope and the Savior, the Great Dark Moon..." After all the twists and turns, the gospel I spread as a Dark Moon Apostle has finally become a reality.

Of course, the former darlings of the Stars were probably feeling quite devastated.

Due to the unique nature of the Law, once the Stars were gone, they had quite literally fallen back into being ordinary mortals in a single second.

And as for who was feeling the most devastated... Fu Qian thought back to the High Tier meeting of the Blood Clan he had once attended.

"It looks like a new era has arrived."

While marveling at the sight, Fu Qian—who had experienced world creation once himself—thought of a technical question.

"You couldn't have stuffed the entire world in here. How did you handle the area outside the city?"

"The fog still hasn't cleared."

The Witch blinked.

"It's just much easier to get lost in it now. No matter who walks into it, they will quickly lose their sense of direction and end up right back where they started."

I did say the elements here had gotten a lot richer, Fu Qian mused.

While expressing deep appreciation for this handling of the world's borders, Fu Qian turned his head to the side.

A door facing the street was pushed open from the inside, and a person stumbled out, swaying on their feet.

However, a bizarre scene immediately followed. Despite the two of them standing right in front of him, the person turned his head away in an incredibly natural motion, coincidentally avoiding being startled by them.

"I find the Law to be a rather fascinating form of power, so I incorporated a tiny bit of it as a reference in here."

Before Fu Qian could express his curiosity, the Witch answered with a smile.

"Such as, 'Thou shalt not look directly at the Dark Moon.'"

"But what about me?"

"And her Templar Knight."

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