Eldritch Horror Theatre

Early morning, in a corner of an alley in Shangjing.

"It's so wonderful that you're alright!"

Wen Li, who had barged into the Bookstore before it even opened, walked right up to him. She made no attempt to hide her profound relief.

Unlike her usual attire, she had clearly changed into a knit sweater and trousers suited for action.

Considering how early she had appeared at the Bookstore, it was entirely possible she had been waiting out there ever since the brainwashing operation.

'Girl, I know everyone loves hearing auspicious words these days, but isn't calling me "alright" a bit of a stretch?'

Her long-overdue greeting prompted Fu Qian to inspect his own condition once more.

His Items and abilities were all still there. No problems on that front.

However, the thing inside his right eye socket could clearly still only be described as a round ball.

Damage of this extent could hardly be considered "alright," no matter how one looked at it.

But considering Eldest Miss Wen had just rendered a great service, there was no way Fu Qian would be bored enough to nitpick her choice of words. He gave a slight nod and gestured for her to sit.

"You've worked hard. I must also thank you for your help," he said.

As for her behavior—staring fixedly at his body with a bizarre expression—he completely understood. After all, very few people wore armor first thing in the morning.

Sparkling armor that looked as though it were composed of countless fragmented mirrors.

It even shifted and transformed as if it were alive, reflecting a surreal, enchanting light that captivated the soul.

It couldn't be helped; Eldest Miss Wen had simply arrived far too quickly.

Almost the very instant he returned, Fu Qian noticed the commotion downstairs—the sudden, rippling surge of Wen Li's aura.

Though he hadn't deliberately tried to hide himself, it was obvious her attention had been highly focused as well.

He appreciated the concern, but the downside was that he hadn't even had time to find a change of clothes.

In the end, Fu Qian opted to conveniently transfigure his flesh, modeling his appearance after Excellency Ballard from the Unseen Hill.

...

"For me, it was also a rare opportunity to gain experience," she replied.

Faced with Dayun Mingwang's gratitude, Wen Li finally tore her gaze away from the glittering surface. She covered her mouth with a soft chuckle, signaling that he didn't need to be so polite.

"My biggest fear was that I had misunderstood your intentions. If I had ended up making things worse, that would have been troublesome."

'If that really happened, the one in the most trouble would be Taylor,' Fu Qian thought in response.

For him, opportunities could always be found again, but Brother Taylor would likely have been unable to escape his fate of becoming Al'akir's crucible.

"You are a top-tier expert after all. You need to trust your own judgment... just like I trusted yours."

Seeing Eldest Miss Wen's slightly odd smile, Fu Qian freely offered his praise while stepping aside to dig out some clothes to pull over his armor.

Unfortunately, even though he acted completely nonchalant the entire time, Wen Li's smile only grew stranger.

"I just felt that you wouldn't play such a boring joke and deliberately act the opposite way."

Under Dayun Mingwang's stare, Wen Li realized her expression had slipped a little. She quickly took a breath and changed the subject with a serious look.

"Still, after leaving the dream with your help, I took a little time to double-check the sequence of events."

As she spoke, Wen Li's gaze unconsciously fell on the right side of Fu Qian's face.

Evidently, the method he had used to help her leave had left a profound impression on her.

"The situation back then... was there a Higher Existence watching us?"

Eldest Miss Wen's comprehension was indeed quite sharp; she must have pondered that situation repeatedly.

She even lowered her voice in high alert when she asked the question.

"Yes, of a very high Rank. But don't worry, they can't hear you. That excellency is currently in solitary confinement and will be for a long time."

Fu Qian confirmed her deduction and signaled for her not to worry; that guy had no chance to strike her with lightning.

Of course, even so, he still didn't say Al'akir's name out loud.

After all, he was a higher entity. Even if he was locked up tight, who knew if chanting his name too much would cause some side effects?

Even if he couldn't infiltrate the Real World, accidentally getting dragged backward into his dream sounded entirely unpleasant.

...

"Then I'm relieved."

Without deliberately pretending to be fearless, Wen Li gently patted her chest and took the initiative to explain what had happened during the operation.

"Just as you mentioned, Taylor, whose movements were no longer restricted, left his residence as soon as night fell. He was highly cautious and looked as if he didn't want to be followed."

"And he was clearly quite familiar with Jiang En's situation. He went straight to his current residence."

His caution wasn't surprising; that young vampire's recent experiences were surely enough to be etched deep into his memory.

As for his familiarity, that went without saying. Back then, Taylor had been the one to tell him where Jiang En lived.

The person who understands you best will always be your enemy.

Easily picturing Brother Taylor's valiant efforts to chase down the truth, Fu Qian gave a slight nod, gesturing for her to continue.

"Jiang En was much more normal. At least from what I could see, he truly had absolutely no idea about the things Taylor mentioned."

"But he probably wasn't too keen on showing that, right?"

"Yeah, he clearly doesn't have a great opinion of his old rival, and he didn't seem to be in the best mood either."

Wen Li seemed to have grown accustomed to the terrifying accuracy of Dayun Mingwang's deductions.

"Although Taylor tried his best to hide it, his probing intent was quickly noticed. Jiang En's attitude instantly became very ambiguous."

"Later, I followed your instructions and did some guiding to ensure he remained honest... mainly because the things Taylor brought up were just too absurd!"

Glossing over her own contributions, Wen Li seemed to recall some of the things she had heard earlier, her expression turning strange.

As the equipment sponsor behind the birth of Dayun Mingwang, watching Brother Taylor's quest for the truth from the sidelines made it incredibly easy to feel like the mastermind pulling the strings.

"And how did Taylor react?"

Fu Qian played along smoothly, asking at just the right moment.

"Jiang En's fierce denial actually ended up encouraging him. When their conversation eventually broke down, Taylor pretended to leave, but soon snuck right back in using a cloak."

Her eyes narrowing in memory, Wen Li extended a finger and traced a shape in the air.

"He secretly left a symbol in Jiang En's residence. Taylor was clearly paying close attention to Jiang En's reaction to it."

'It really is my Emblem.'

Even though she was just drawing in empty air, Wen Li's movements were precise. Fu Qian instantly recognized it as the Emblem of the King of the Abandoned Prison. There was nothing off about it.

"So how did Jiang En react?"

"He didn't seem to have much interest in it. At least, that's how it looked after Taylor truly left and I lifted my influence."

"After that, I figured I should keep an eye on Taylor's situation, so I didn't stick around for too long. Could Jiang En have been faking it?"

"No."

Faced with Wen Li's meticulous worries, Fu Qian gave another firm shake of his head.

The reason for his judgment was simple: among the chorus of loud voices screaming in his mind at this very moment, that guy's was clearly not present.

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