Eldritch Horror Theatre

So there was even a key location?

It had to be said—even though she wasn't particularly deep into the dream, Claire was highly cooperative.

This was exactly why a subject's initiative mattered. Without the suppressive rules of the dream realm holding her back, he had effortlessly reaped another piece of crucial information.

Any way he looked at it, the Mysterious Room she mentioned would help him uncover the true nature of the sin plague.

"You mentioned earlier that Mr. Rick 'used' to be a doctor?"

After assessing Claire's dream state and confirming it remained relatively stable, Fu Qian pressed on.

"Yes... When I met him, he was already retired."

The question seemed to make Claire slightly uncomfortable, but seeing Master Grimshaw listening in earnest without any judgment, her nerves quickly settled.

"He isn't terribly old, but he told me he wanted to enjoy life to the fullest before his energy started to wane."

"I completely understand. In fact, I'm much the same way."

Nodding, Fu Qian appeared to strongly agree with the lady. He even used himself as an example, seamlessly reinforcing the persona he had established earlier.

"It's why I value money so highly. Being able to help others is certainly rewarding, but I'm far more interested in saving up enough for my own retirement as soon as possible."

"For Your Excellency to say that at your age... you are indeed quite young."

The master, who had displayed such astonishing abilities, was now being as accommodating as a service worker. This clearly pleased Claire; she chuckled softly and looked Fu Qian up and down.

"You are welcome to visit us as a guest when you have time later—provided Rick is feeling a bit better."

She wasn't entirely naive, subtly reminding Fu Qian of the job he was supposed to be doing right now.

"Naturally. Fortunately, with your help, my lady, I have essentially confirmed what happened to your husband."

A master was, after all, a master. Facing the pressure from his client, Fu Qian merely offered a slight nod and spoke in a gentle yet firm tone.

...

Ah... he had already confirmed it?

Fu Qian's answer clearly exceeded Claire's expectations, causing her dream state to ripple with slight instability.

"Did I mention something crucial just now? Does Rick's abnormality stem from his time as a doctor?"

For a moment, she subconsciously replayed their conversation in her head.

"I can't be certain of that."

Surprisingly, Fu Qian had no intention of playing along and giving her the easy answer. He shook his head and pointed at Claire's right hand.

"But your abnormality definitely stems from Mr. Rick."

Her abnormality?

Claire was visibly even more confused. Following the master's gesture, she looked down. Clutched in her right hand was her husband's Wristwatch.

"Is there still a problem with this thing? But I haven't noticed anything unusual about myself—"

The next moment, her question came to an abrupt halt as a hand pressed against her eyes, completely blocking her vision.

A bizarre sensation washed over her, as if wisps of icy mist were brushing across her face.

Before Claire could voice her confusion, the hand blocking her view was removed, and light returned to her eyes.

"Look again."

The voice beside her ear made her subconsciously keep her gaze fixed downward. In the next second, she nearly froze.

In her vision, faint streaks of black and red had appeared on the originally smooth skin of her right hand. At a glance, they looked eerie and grotesque.

These peculiar marks were even rippling and flowing at a gentle pace, as if they were alive.

"What is this..."

Finally unable to hold back, Claire asked shrilly, trembling as she checked the rest of her body.

The seemingly living black and red marks weren't just on her right hand. Wherever she looked, the horrifying streaks were visible.

In her terror, she lacked the courage to find a mirror and look at her own face.

...

"Filth."

However, the master who had just helped her see the truth of the world maintained a calm tone without the slightest fluctuation, doing his best to steady his client's emotions.

Adhering to the principles of the service industry, Fu Qian didn't act mysterious but answered her directly.

"The thing entangling your husband, which was then transmitted from him to you."

"As for what it is, you don't actually need to ask me. Look closely."

Look closely...

Her emotions settling slightly, Claire followed his instructions and once again mustered the courage to focus her gaze on the back of her hand.

That was...

This time, she looked exceptionally closely, not missing a single speck that made up the marks.

Ah—

In less than two seconds, an uncontrollable scream finally pierced the air.

"You aren't seeing things. They are alive."

As a master of the service industry, Fu Qian thoughtfully considered that his client might have temporarily lost her ability to speak, taking the initiative to explain without waiting to be asked.

"Every speck is an incarnation of filth. They weave and coil around themselves like an Insect Swarm, going on to entangle your souls."

...

The things on Claire's body were fake, of course.

Even though her state wasn't perfectly stable, he was the Dream Dominator after all. Pulling off a minor trick like this without scaring her out of the dream was nothing to worry about.

As for the inspiration for this transformation, it could be considered somewhat plagiarized from his old pal Alagir.

Previously in Lotte's dream, the pollution that afflicted her older sister, Veil, had manifested in a similar form.

Countless fluttering little bugs converging into ever-changing patterns.

The reason he chose this style was also very simple: for a lady, a swarm of little bugs undoubtedly packed quite a visual punch.

"But why would I also... Hurry and get them off me!"

Facts proved that the effect was exceptionally good.

Under Fu Qian's explanation, Claire's scream jumped two octaves. Her body went completely rigid, not daring to move a muscle.

"It's simple. Because you have been contaminated."

With a soft chuckle, Fu Qian stood up and grabbed her right wrist.

"You can go ahead and drop the watch; it isn't the key issue."

Noticing that Claire had almost subconsciously tried to toss the watch away at his words—only to fail because her overly stiff fingers couldn't open—Fu Qian offered a gentle reassurance.

Thud!

His tone seemed to encourage her. Claire's hand finally opened like a claw, dropping the expensive Wristwatch onto the table.

"Very good. This might hurt a little, so try not to move."

With that casual praise, Master Grimshaw's other hand slowly approached the marks swirling on her skin.

Hiss...

It could hardly even be called pain. Like being pricked by fine hairs, a strange tingling itch spread across the surface of her skin, quickly merging together into a single sensation.

As she felt this change, Claire watched in horror as a dense cluster of black and red suddenly rose and flowed into his passing palm.

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