Eldritch Horror Theatre

"This..."

The Priest's reaction to the Countess's words went beyond shock; he was looking at Fu Qian as if he were an alien.

To actually help someone advance! Since when was that woman so kind?

But no matter how logically unbelievable it was, the sudden change in Fu Qian's strength was undeniable.

Only a short while ago, he had just awakened. Now, his strength far surpassed that of anyone on the Monitoring Team.

"When you went down there, did Collison not make things difficult for you?"

The Priest asked, suddenly remembering the guard.

"No."

Fu Qian shook his head.

It wasn't a lie. Regardless of Collison's motives or tone, the man had indeed said the word "welcome."

Now it wasn't just the Priest who was rendered speechless—even the Countess stared in total disbelief.

Seeing Fu Qian return safely, she had naturally assumed he had bluffed his way past the guards and sneaked in to find the target.

But from the sound of it, he had met Collison face-to-face and actually exchanged greetings?

The four members of the Monitoring Team exchanged bewildered glances. They all knew Collison's reputation.

"That perverted sadist welcomed you?"

the Countess asked, taking a sharp breath and frowning.

"Yes, he was very enthusiastic. He even organized quite a few people to line up and welcome me."

...

The Priest finally couldn't listen to this anymore and directed his attention back to the key.

The Starlight Key, modified by the Witch, was undeniably captivating. The Priest's gaze was instantly drawn to it.

"I'm sorry."

After a long silence, however, he shook his head.

"This key is indeed miraculous. It contains extremely pure power, yet it does not belong to any of the Seven Lights."

"I am absolutely certain that the Church has nothing corresponding to it."

...

A wave of disappointment washed over everyone, the Countess included.

"If the Church doesn't have it, does that mean it might still exist elsewhere?"

Fu Qian, however, caught the underlying implication.

"You could say that."

The Priest looked up, giving Fu Qian a profound stare.

"There is some possibility over in the Old City."

"The Old City?"

The Countess's eyes sharpened at those words.

"Yes, there might still be remnants of that power there... but it was a very long time ago, so I cannot say for sure."

The Priest sighed, his expression more serious than ever.

"However, you'd best put that out of your minds. It is a forbidden area that absolutely must not be entered."

"What is the Old City?"

Fu Qian said nothing, but one of the Monitoring Team members couldn't help but ask.

"It's normal that you wouldn't know."

The Priest shook his head.

"The people of this town actually migrated here. The Old City was the earliest settlement in this region, and they lived there for a long time."

"It was only later, when the blizzards grew increasingly severe, that they abandoned that place and relocated here entirely."

"They relocated solely because of a blizzard?"

The questioner clearly found it somewhat difficult to understand.

"That wasn't just ordinary bad weather."

The Priest's expression turned stern.

"It was a natural disaster capable of destroying everything. Its cruelty surpassed your imagination. Any life that stepped into it would rapidly wither away."

"In fact, at the time, there were indeed some people who were unwilling to retreat here and chose to remain where they were.

"Initially, there was still contact between the two sides, and a tunnel was even specially dug for this purpose. Unfortunately, all news from there soon ceased."

...

"You don't need to be too discouraged."

Looking at the crowd that had fallen silent again, the Priest handed the key back to Fu Qian.

"Since she gave this to us, she must have a profound reason."

"Go back and rest first. I will think carefully about the matter of the key."

...

The Priest's promise to keep thinking about it was utterly unconvincing.

As they emerged from the Church, the team's morale was noticeably low.

Fu Qian, on the other hand, looked around leisurely.

He had already made up his mind to explore the Old City the Priest had mentioned.

The woman in the Underground Prison was absurdly powerful.

By sending him to find her, the Countess clearly believed the Witch had the ability to solve their current problem.

Her attitude, however, was highly intriguing. Even after spotting the issue with the Pus Stone, she had appeared completely uninterested, preferring to remain imprisoned in a place like that.

For such an entity to give him a key had successfully piqued Fu Qian's curiosity. He ultimately decided to investigate this side quest first.

Come to think of it, the Church, the Clock Tower, and the other nearby buildings all carried the heavy weathering of time. They had stood for decades, if not centuries.

For such a place to actually be a later settlement meant that the Old City must be even more ancient.

He wondered how many traces of the past might still remain there.

"Hi!"

As he was looking around, a brunette walking toward him shot him a flirtatious wink, her expression full of suggestion.

Seeing Fu Qian look over, she even deliberately took a breath, thrusting her chest out further.

Wasn't she being a bit too enthusiastic?

Fu Qian looked at her in confusion.

He had already encountered this kind of highly provocative greeting several times today.

The catch was that the woman throwing the wink was currently clinging affectionately to a man's arm.

Judging by their clothing and mannerisms, the two were clearly a couple.

Narcissistic as Fu Qian was, even he felt this was a bit absurd.

"If you fancy one, you just need to beckon. Their significant other won't have the slightest objection."

Noticing Fu Qian's confusion, the young woman from the Monitoring Team smiled mysteriously.

"Most people wouldn't refuse intimate contact with an awakened one, especially an auspicious godsend like you."

"After all, under the threat of the colorless curse, any slight possibility of increasing the chances of Awakening is extraordinarily precious."

So that was it!

Fear of the colorless curse?

It made sense. Although Awakening into any sequence came with side effects, it was still far better than a death sentence that could strike at any time.

It was a logical survival strategy, though it was hard to say how much an exchange of bodily fluids would actually help!

Fu Qian glanced at the gentleman. The man stared blankly at his wife, showing absolutely no reaction.

"No need to be shy. Some people even impersonate awakened ones just for this."

The young woman winked at Fu Qian while licking her lips.

It was obvious that her style was completely different from her leader's.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fu Qian caught sight of the Countess. Her lips were pressed tightly together in obvious disapproval.

...

As night fell, Fu Qian stepped out of the residence arranged by the Countess and looked up at the sky.

The seven brilliant rays of light looked even more spectacular, bathing the entire world in a surreal, magical glow.

He could understand why the Church of the Seven Lights existed.

In the face of such a miracle, turning people into believers was simply too easy.

After getting his bearings, Fu Qian swiftly walked into the shadows.

He had already planned to use the cover of night to explore the Old City.

However, he hadn't gone far before he spotted a familiar figure.

Dressed entirely in black, the Countess stood quietly in his path.

"Where are you going?"

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