Eldritch Horror Theatre

"If I'm not mistaken, we were just one step behind you—invited to clear the curse from this newborn."

Lu Yi had framed his question rather tactfully, but Li He didn't beat around the bush, answering with straightforward bluntness.

Though brief, the reply carried a wealth of information. It essentially confirmed Lu Yi's assumption, admitting that they had been invited here for the exact same reason.

"Because my abilities were highly targeted and our relationship was closer, I was their first choice when the situation spiraled out of control..."

Lu Yi hadn't expected Li He to be so upfront. With such clear confirmation, his mind settled, and he quickly organized the remaining details.

"When my attempts failed, they took an even greater risk to seek your Excellency's help. Given your Excellency's Rank and profound knowledge, it was absolutely worth—"

"Very logical. Now, what I'm more concerned about is how you ended up like this. And where is that newborn?"

Unfortunately, Li He cut off his flattery, ruthlessly pushing the conversation to the next topic.

"How did I end up like this..."

Lu Yi muttered to himself, his face twisting slightly in recollection.

"My memories after that are a blur... When the final attempt failed, they were terribly disappointed. A fierce argument broke out..."

"Someone insisted on confessing everything to the Night Watchers, but the child's mother refused. She wanted me to try one more time..."

"I didn't want to stay involved. I refused to make another pointless attempt, though I naturally promised to keep the entire matter a secret..."

"But just as I was preparing to leave, my body suddenly stiffened. My senses seemed to freeze over. All I remember is the overwhelming stench of blood, yet there were no screams..."

...

Even the transformation was completely silent?

Judging by the other "cradles" earlier, which had only whimpered softly, it was entirely possible.

As Lu Yi struggled through his memories, Fu Qian's gaze swept over the three team members' faces one by one. It was clear that hardly any of them doubted his story.

Using this as a baseline, the cause of the incident seemed perfectly clear.

The ancient royal family, operating under the supervision of the Night Watchers, had joyfully welcomed a new heir—only to be horrified by the discovery of an incomprehensible anomaly.

It was hard to say if this endless cycle from newborn to old age was a manifestation of the legendary Divine-Human Bloodline.

But without a doubt, it was more than enough to trigger the Night Watchers' alarm.

As parents, wanting to avoid extreme measures while trying to keep the risks manageable was completely understandable.

However, the other stakeholders within the family undoubtedly had a much lower tolerance for risk.

This banquet was likely the final result of an intense clash of interests, and the argument Lu Yi mentioned was a sign of that fragile balance crumbling.

It all flowed logically, even perfectly aligning with his own task.

No matter how you looked at it, the source of the crying was the key to this entire predicament.

"So you have no idea where the newborn went?"

At this moment, as another arrival bearing a mission, the traditionally tight-lipped Aike might not have doubted Lu Yi's answer, but she still voiced her dissatisfaction.

She clearly hadn't forgotten her duty. The Laria Family's actions might have been understandable, but the fact that their inspection target was genuinely compromised made her eager to uncover more clues.

"Benjamin. His mother told me the little boy was named Benjamin."

Facing the oppressive aura of another Demigod, Lu Yi didn't back down despite being shaken by the sheer strength of this team. Instead, he earnestly offered up a name.

...

Excellency Aike didn't seem to care much about what the target was called, but Lu Yi's solemn emphasis fully conveyed his unwavering resolve.

They had made progress, but the trail seemed to go completely cold right after.

Shifting her gaze to survey their surroundings, she didn't take her foul mood out on the newly rescued man. Instead, she tried to find other valuable information on her own.

"Excellency Lu Yi, I have one more small question."

Seeing the group fall into deep thought, Fu Qian smoothly stepped in, casually digging deeper into their previous conversation.

"You mentioned how unusually quiet it was. I'd like to know if Little Benjamin reacted the same way. Did he cry, for example?"

"Of course he did..."

Fu Qian's appearance clearly left Lu Yi unsure of his identity. Although the question was odd, after studying him for a few extra moments, he chose to answer earnestly.

"After all, he only had the mind of an infant. It was perfectly normal for him to fuss and cry after being tossed around like that."

"But even so, his cries were very soft, and the pitch was strange. It was almost like—wait a minute, I think I actually hear that sound again..."

Abruptly cutting himself off, Lu Yi looked around, his face full of sheer disbelief.

"Again... are you saying you didn't hear it just now?"

This sudden shift clearly struck a nerve with Excellency Ji Ning. She frowned almost instantly as she asked the question.

Ah—

Unfortunately, she didn't get an answer. Lu Yi, who had just been wondering about the lack of screams earlier, suddenly let out a heart-wrenching howl of his own.

...

"Something is wrong with his body... inside his stomach."

This sudden mutation packed quite a shock, even in such an oppressive, enclosed space.

But this was when the caliber of an elite team truly showed.

Everyone immediately dropped into a defensive stance. Yet, faced with Lu Yi's convulsing body and agonized screams, not a single person rushed forward blindly; instead, they all looked toward Li He.

The old man didn't disappoint, reaching a conclusion in a single second.

There was something inside!

At his prompt, all eyes instantly locked onto Lu Yi's lower abdomen, which was partially shielded by his arms.

Even with their perception suppressed, everyone present possessed astonishing eyesight. Straight through his clothes, they could see the unnatural squirming underneath.

Such a sight made it far too easy to recall the gruesome scenes of the other "cradles" they had just witnessed.

Had that thing hidden inside his stomach? But Lu Yi had already purified himself earlier without showing the slightest reaction.

Was it truly hidden that deeply...?

The moment the thought crossed Aike's mind, she noticed Old Man Li stepping forward, thrusting his weapon out without hesitation.

Slash—

In that split second, one could see Lu Yi trying to protect himself out of a subconscious reflex.

However, against such decisive ruthlessness that even shocked the Night Watchers, his practically unconditioned reflex couldn't block the strike at all.

A dark golden gleam swept past, and Lu Yi's violently squirming abdomen was sliced open with surgical precision.

Even the force behind the strike was perfectly controlled. The incision carved neatly through skin, muscle, and peritoneum, overlapping flawlessly without sinking even a fraction of an inch deeper.

And from this surgical-grade exit, the first thing to struggle its way out was a tangled mass of grayish-white hair.

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