Eldritch Horror Theatre

So it really is somewhat like Niniane's hiding place.

Ais's answer seemed bizarre, but Fu Qian didn't question it for the moment.

He had actually been pondering the state of existence of their target for this trip, the Vacuum Flower.

It was hard to imagine that something nearly conceptual—so difficult to observe and lock onto—could be confined by physical means.

Now it appeared they had indeed used conceptual methods.

Passages arranged in a specific sequence could act as a barrier.

Combined with special materials forged through ancient knowledge, they had managed to firmly control it within that box, using it as the furnace fire to smelt the Weapon.

It was truly a brilliant idea, reminiscent of the various wonders the Blind Eye Society had once created.

An operation with such a similar style—was this the Sage's work?

The Old Man was clearly the absolute core and mastermind of this organization. Ais and the others were, at best, financial backers providing money and resources.

Now, lacking the mastermind's guidance, the surviving "she" had quickly botched things—the very source of the organization's power had silently escaped.

"You think it might have used flesh and blood as a channel?"

Since she was being so straightforward, Fu Qian matched her pace.

"I didn't think so before, but now it seems like the only possibility."

Ais stared blankly at Sophia, who was leaning nearby.

"It is absolutely impossible for it to escape on its own, and my operation was no different from before. The only problem..."

She finally hesitated for the first time.

"There is a strict time limit for exposing flesh and blood to the Vacuum Flower. It must absolutely not exceed one minute, and Sophia exceeded that limit."

...

"So this is the actual blasphemy?"

Given the continuous gains, Fu Qian felt momentarily satisfied with his gentle approach.

Ms. Ais indeed held a wealth of information. Torture could certainly extract that value, but it wouldn't necessarily be as efficient as stimulating her own initiative.

"Yes, that is the blasphemy."

That body had even begun to twitch. Frowning as she dodged the splattering pus, Ais readily admitted the hidden key.

"I was once warned never to do this, but I misunderstood the reason for the warning..."

"And don't ask me why I did it. That's irrelevant."

"In short, I am absolutely certain that this was the only escape route the Vacuum Flower could have used. That is also why I lured you into coming into contact with her. Now, it's your turn."

Having made it clear she had fulfilled her obligation and was unwilling to discuss irrelevant matters, Ais stared at Fu Qian's face, seeming to expect his reaction.

"Understood. It looks like the situation is about what I thought. You believe that after using her as an escape channel, the Vacuum Flower might not have left her body yet."

Fu Qian didn't back down. He stood even closer, examining the hand he had used to touch Sophia's body.

"And the method to verify this is very simple: find someone else to make close contact and see if they become distorted like Sophia. Is that why you kept your distance the whole time?"

"Yes."

Ais not only admitted it openly but even took a few more steps back.

"Pardon my bluntness, but that sounds like a plan full of holes. Just because the Vacuum Flower finally managed to escape using flesh and blood as a bridge doesn't mean it would stay inside."

Paying no mind to Ais's actions, Fu Qian simply voiced his doubts about her plan.

"But it seems there's no other way, is there?"

To this, she stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking in a slow, drawn-out tone.

...

Isn't this taking treating a dead horse as if it were alive a bit too far?

Ais's explanation honestly didn't sound very optimistic.

Regarding the possibility that the Vacuum Flower was lurking in Sophia, she was completely in a state of doing her best and leaving the rest to fate. She had absolutely no guarantee that the thing wouldn't just run off somewhere?

Fu Qian looked her over in surprise.

The problem was that his mission objective was to find and destroy that thing.

Something that was difficult to perceive and also running around everywhere—was it actually such a massive headache?

"What's wrong? Didn't destiny tell you this when it summoned you?"

Although her own situation was grim, a trace of pleasure rose on Ais's face upon seeing Fu Qian's reaction.

"No, it only told me that I would definitely be able to find it."

However, to her disappointment, he was neither agitated nor feigning optimism; he just stated it with an incredibly certain tone.

"Is that so... Then how do you plan to find it?"

Faced with this baseless yet highly infectious confidence, Ais hesitated briefly before finally asking.

"Definitely not by looking for it like this."

Finally letting go and letting Sophia slide back into the pool, Fu Qian showed Ais his perfectly normal palm, indicating he had gained nothing.

"Listening to what you said just now, there is obviously someone who understands the characteristics of the Vacuum Flower much better. What else did he tell you?"

Capable of forging the Weapon, the Rank of the Vacuum Flower could absolutely not be low.

For an entity like this, an aimless search was undoubtedly a fool's errand.

But there was a key point here that could fully serve as a reference—how was it initially captured?

After all, the box containing it looked completely new no matter how you looked at it.

How did the Sage do it?

...

"That person mentioned that, while the Vacuum Flower is difficult to capture, its form of existence is highly unstable. The Workshop is both a cage and a protection; otherwise, it would very likely vanish in a flash."

Because of what she had said earlier, Ais clearly couldn't deny there was another expert, not to mention she was already very anxious.

After only a moment of hesitation, she spoke decisively, although the content sounded even less optimistic.

"So you built that container in advance, and then figured out a way to put it inside?"

Fu Qian remained as calm as ever.

"Yes, but other than 'that person,' none of us participated in the capture process."

Ais was naturally referring to the Sage. She sounded quite critical of his withholding of such techniques.

People really are insatiably greedy!

In contrast, Fu Qian very much approved of Old Man Sage's approach.

As everyone knew, the technical partner was usually the first one pushed out. It was entirely normal to hold something back.

The Old Man had single-handedly dragged the entire organization from being a joke to the point of plotting to seize ancient secret treasures.

Yet, despite such achievements, he still couldn't avoid resentment behind his back.

Furthermore, Ms. Ais was clearly a bit overconfident.

Capturing an abstract entity of extremely high Rank, and even turning it into a stable production line for the Weapon.

With the knowledge reserves, operating procedures, and emergency plans required for that, how could you think it was something you could replicate just by mimicking it?

Even a professional like me wouldn't entertain such a frivolous thought.

Because I am a professional, I respect the profession.

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