Eldritch Horror Theatre

"I only have a rough idea of the direction. We'll have to figure out the exact path as we go."

Rather than taking the lower corridor, Aike acted as their guide, largely following the route Fu Qian had chosen and carefully evaluating each fork in the path as they pressed forward.

"Understood. This place is simply too massive, after all. What kind of predicament do you think we're in, Excellency? A Nightmare? An illusion?"

Fu Qian seemed to fully agree with Aike's explanation. He nodded while observing their surroundings, making no effort to hide his doubts.

"And what state do you suppose the real Ehm Palace is in right now?"

"That is indeed an interesting question, but unfortunately, we still have far too few points of reference at the moment."

Slipping almost silently through a slightly ajar door, Demigod Aike spoke softly without even turning her head.

The two were gradually descending, clearly having reached an area she had never visited before.

Upon entering this unfamiliar environment, Aike noticeably shifted her flesh-and-blood body into a special state as she cleared the way.

From Fu Qian's perspective, she looked like a ghost wandering through this eerie courtyard.

"However, one thing is certain. If this truly is a Nightmare, the power constructing it must possess a very high Rank."

Behind the door lay an even more desolate inner corridor, richly luxurious yet terribly dim.

Relying on his superb bodily control, Fu Qian slipped through the same narrow gap without disturbing a speck of dust.

When he caught up to Aike, she was standing ahead, silently gazing deeper into the building.

Perhaps because it was deeper inside, the corridor looked somewhat brighter and more vibrant than the exterior, lacking the same exaggerated traces of time's ravages.

In their place, however, was a much thicker, more colorful aura of decay.

Every few steps, the once-seamless, luxurious wallpaper was stained with mold from top to bottom. It looked as if water had been leaking here for decades, harboring vibrant life within the pervasive dampness.

...

"Why do you say that?"

While admiring the scene, Fu Qian casually prompted her to elaborate, playing along with Demigod Aike's statement.

"Naturally, it isn't just because I'm trapped here as well. More importantly, certain entities are different from humans; they do not normally dream."

The sight before them seemed to stir complicated emotions in Aike. Glancing back at Fu Qian, she extended an index finger and tapped her own forehead.

Ripples cascaded outward from the point of contact across her previously solid skull. As the waves spread, the flesh and blood beneath lost all their color.

"You transformed into a non-human form and still couldn't escape, Excellency?"

The surprise on Fu Qian's face lasted for only half a second before he asked the question, as if coming to a realization.

"Exactly. In fact, that was the very first attempt I made."

Demigod Aike seemed completely accustomed to the sharp comprehension Fu Qian had displayed along the way. She even appeared somewhat satisfied that he didn't try to hide it.

"So you'd better pray this isn't a Nightmare. Otherwise, the things we have to face to escape might be truly terrifying."

A reasonable deduction.

Nodding slightly, Fu Qian agreed with her reasoning.

His earlier metaphor was quite apt; in that fleeting moment, Demigod Aike really had seemed to shift into something akin to a wraith.

It was a wondrous ability, but the transformation naturally reminded Fu Qian of his Resplendent Tyrant, which was specifically effective against such entities.

From the look of things, the rewind had indeed only affected him.

The reason behind that was certainly intriguing.

"Hurry. The crying is still getting louder."

Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to ponder it. After her brief observation, Aike was already on the move again, rapidly traversing the corridor.

"The direction should be right. As long as we keep following it, we'll be able to see what has become of the place where the baby's cradle is supposed to be."

...

"It should be right... how could this be?"

Unfortunately, as Fu Qian trailed after her like a shadow, Demigod Aike—who was taking the lead—spoke again. Only this time, her previous confidence had been eroded by hesitation.

The gloomy inner corridor was incredibly long. They had hurried the entire way just to reach the next turn, and this was easily the tenth corner they had encountered.

And yet, even after passing through another door, there was still no sign of reaching the end.

"Judging purely by the direction, even though there are diverging paths, this isn't a maze leading us in circles."

Taking in the sight, Fu Qian offered his own judgment.

"We are indeed traveling in a fixed direction through the building's interior. It's just that the distance is a bit abnormal."

"Also, I'm not sure if it's the influence of the crying, but my perception is steadily being compressed. Its range is quite limited now. Can you confirm whether the architecture behind these walls is normal, Excellency?"

As he spoke, Fu Qian pointed to the walls on either side.

"I regret to inform you that I am experiencing the same thing."

Fu Qian's input snapped Aike out of her brief daze.

"It looks like the situation is developing in the worst possible direction. It isn't simply dilapidated and empty. Some high-level power has covertly infiltrated this building and is exerting its influence in an imperceptible way... What is it?"

Midway through her grim assessment, Aike suddenly noticed that her companion's gaze had landed on something strange.

"Covert, indeed."

In response to the demigod's question, Fu Qian gestured toward the left side of her body with his chin.

This...

Realizing what he meant, Aike turned her head to examine her left hand, which had taken on a wooden texture.

A layer of dark green moss had inexplicably grown over certain patches of its once-smooth surface.

When did...

"We can't keep walking like this."

This transformation, which completely reeked of the Unity of Heaven and Humanity, finally seemed to solidify Aike's resolve.

Halting her steps, she abandoned their forward path. A moment later, she stepped to the side and pressed her hand against the dripping wet wall.

Riiip!

She maintained that posture for less than half a second before swiping her hand, producing the crisp tearing sound.

The solid-looking stone wall was torn open like a paper poster, revealing the space hidden behind it.

How interesting.

Watching such a wondrous transformation made Fu Qian click his tongue in admiration.

The wall certainly wasn't made of paper; it was clear that Demigod Aike had activated an ability, forcing it to undergo some kind of transformation.

Magical as it was, it was also exceptionally brutal.

Obviously, under the dual psychological and physiological pressure, she had finally lost her patience and resorted to a brute-force approach.

It was just a pity that...

Narrowing his eyes, Fu Qian stepped forward. He stopped beside the stunned Demigod Aike, and together, they observed the gloomy scene revealed behind the torn wall.

Luxurious, incredibly deep, and reeking of mold—it was surprisingly just another slick, decaying inner corridor, leading off to who knows where.

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