Eldritch Horror Theatre

As the proverb goes, those who understand the times are wise.

One glance was enough to see that Hao Ke was a man of both brains and brawn, fully embodying this trait.

Thus, a bare second after Hao Ke managed to squeeze out a response, Fu Qian casually dropped him, harboring no doubts about the man's sudden epiphany.

"From what you're saying, this setup was aimed at a specific target?"

Finding a lucky chair that had escaped the collateral damage, Fu Qian studied where he had just been sitting and asked the question without a trace of emotion.

Right now, that spot was a gaping, hideous pit. Glittering shards of metal lay scattered around the edges, and a surging chill welled up from the darkness within.

The recent sequence of events had been simple. Hao Ke had pretended to search for something on his person as a distraction, quietly flipping a hidden switch.

A pile of things, Fu Qian included, had been dumped straight into a pre-dug trap.

He had to admit, the trap was exceptionally well-calibrated. Aside from being deep and sturdy, its opening and closing were silky smooth.

And once trapped inside, the odds of escaping bare-handed were undoubtedly even lower.

Clearly, Hao Ke had learned his lesson from Fu Qian's last visit: relying solely on heavy defenses for a house was a double-edged sword. If an intruder's Combat Power was too high, those defenses could easily turn the place into a cage for the owner himself.

With this setup, even if the gap in strength was glaring and the enemy was absurdly powerful, pinning them down for just a moment could buy him a sliver of a chance to survive.

Provided, of course, that their power was only absurd within a limited range.

"The reason was indeed... someone breaking in before..."

Although Fu Qian had controlled his strength perfectly and was confident he hadn't done any real damage, Hao Ke's voice still sounded terribly strained.

It couldn't be helped. The barely ten seconds that had just passed perfectly captured the extreme ups and downs of life.

From the thrill of a successful trap, to the sheer terror of the intruder breaking through the restraints, and finally to the narrow escape of having his life spared—his hormones could barely keep up with the whiplash.

"But he obviously couldn't hold a candle to you—"

"Grimshaw."

Facing Hao Ke's overly respectful address, Fu Qian casually cut him off and provided the name himself.

"...Excellency Grimshaw."

Unfortunately, after freezing for a moment at the name, the smile Hao Ke forced onto his face looked distinctly more bitter.

He clearly hadn't wanted to know the intruder's name at all.

...

"I apologize. I got too clever for my own good just now and misunderstood your goodwill. Please believe me, nothing like this will happen again. I swear on my sister's name."

But reality did not bend to human will. Having been forced to learn the intruder's esteemed name, Hao Ke soldiered on to state his position.

"It doesn't matter if it does."

Fu Qian's response to this perfectly demonstrated the demeanor of a true master.

His tone was entirely flat. The recent scheme and trap seemed to have failed to affect his mood in the slightest—and any future ones would fare exactly the same.

His meaning was clear: lay all the traps you want, the result will always be the same.

The absolute confidence woven into those few short words exerted a staggering amount of pressure.

Hao Ke's breathing immediately grew shallower. His gaze couldn't help but drift toward the man's left hand, the one that had just been wrapped around his throat.

Although it had already returned to normal, that dreamlike aura and piercing chill were undoubtedly unforgettable.

'Just what in the world is going on with West Plain lately?'

"Regarding the question you brought up just now... honestly, I really don't have any evidence."

Existential dread aside, Hao Ke clearly knew he needed to keep proving his sincerity. He immediately picked up the conversation from right before he sprang the trap.

"Even recently, everything has been perfectly peaceful in my usual circles. Nothing special has happened at all... But the quieter it gets, the more I feel like something is wrong, as if something is brewing."

Of course, this renewed explanation was visibly flimsy. It could practically be summed up in a single sentence: I just feel like something's off.

This also explained, from another angle, why he had chosen to attack in the first place. Hao Ke clearly hadn't trusted that such a weak answer would satisfy anyone.

"Your feeling is correct. Something is indeed off."

What a pity that he still lacked a sufficient understanding of just how easygoing Expert Fu could be.

Faced with a rambling explanation full of "I" statements, Fu Qian was incredibly patient and even actually nodded.

"Shadow has already come to West Plain."

Ah—

This unexpected validation seemed to trigger another hormonal short-circuit in Hao Ke.

Surprise, relief, terror... for a moment, multiple conflicting emotions coexisted harmoniously on his rugged, imposing face.

Given Excellency Grimshaw's track record so far, any casual remark he made right now was undoubtedly highly credible.

To have the shadow that had haunted his heart for so long finally validated by an existence like this... Hao Ke was briefly so moved he felt as though a great wrong had been righted.

But what came after being moved was another matter entirely.

Shadow had already arrived?

"Wouldn't it be best to leave here as fast as—"

He hit the brakes on his own subconscious question before Fu Qian could even answer.

Seeing the man's eyes narrow slightly as he continued to study him without a trace of emotion, Hao Ke felt a chill run down his spine. At the same time, he breathed a small sigh of relief and secretly cursed his own stupidity.

A mysterious figure who had never appeared in West Plain before had deliberately come here, fully knowing something was happening. It went without saying that there was bound to be some massive hidden agenda at play.

And since he had been sought out, where would he get the naive hope that he could just wash his hands of it and walk away?

'I actually should have left long before this... Sure enough, a person really ought to trust their instincts!'

"So, what does Your Excellency need me to do? Just give the word."

Regret was useless. Forcing himself to accept his reality, Hao Ke instantly changed his tune, declaring himself at the man's disposal and willing to serve.

...

'Very good. Truly worthy of being an elite selected by this seat.'

Fu Qian was naturally quite satisfied with Hao Ke's newfound enthusiasm.

The will to survive had always been a virtue, one well worth taking seriously.

On his way here, Fu Qian had already taken stock of the various elites in West Plain City, and Hao Ke was prominently on the list thanks to his standout traits.

As for whether this would expose his identity?

Fu Qian wasn't worried about that in the slightest.

The more discerning someone was, the less likely they were to believe that Grimshaw and a certain expert were the same person.

Never mind reusing the same lines—even if he outright exposed his identity, his audience's first reaction would likely be that this master of icy power held a grudge against Expert Fu, and that they could find an opportunity to exploit it.

As for why he had come straight to the home of this wise man who understood the times for a chat?

It was very simple: West Plain was exactly as Hao Ke had described. It was very peaceful.

On his way here, Fu Qian had gazed up at the crater of a certain volcano that had never erupted—and found absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

Ever since the Ill Omen was destroyed last time, that tree—which clearly possessed a certain ability to act within human dreams—seemed to have vanished completely.

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