Eldritch Horror Theatre

Sure enough, not only did everyone know Hilaria, but they also knew exactly what she was doing.

Madam Bride's eager lament didn't capture all of Fu Qian's attention.

Watching everyone's reactions, he could easily confirm that no one actually believed his condition was 'much better.'

Madam Bride wasn't the only one taking pleasure in his misfortune. The middle-aged man with his face hidden beneath a felt hat sounded like he was about to burst out laughing.

Shouldn't you feel regret that the radiance of Excellency Akons failed to illuminate all corners? Your faith is seriously lacking in devotion.

"Why do you say that?"

Keeping his silent critique to himself, Fu Qian maintained a polite facade and responded to Madam Bride.

"Heh... discovering a brand-new side to yourself and discovering a new self are two entirely different things."

Madam Bride seemed deeply satisfied that Fu Qian had finally focused on her. She beat the middle-aged man to the punch, bursting into laughter.

"Could it be that her faith wavered after she went down there?"

Her gloating grew even more obvious as she spoke. She seemed absolutely thrilled by this development.

...

"How could that be? I feel wonderful right now."

Fu Qian clearly had no intention of backing down. As he retorted, he even sat back in his seat and did a few chest stretches to show off his vitality.

"If you really felt fine, you wouldn't be talking to us. A cured outsider loses all interest in communication. Everyone knows that rule."

This time, the hatted man who had previously sworn himself to silence broke his rule, seemingly unable to pass up the chance to mock him.

"Oh?"

Fu Qian furrowed his brow, his expression finally turning serious as he looked toward the most trustworthy-looking person in the room—the Old Lady.

"Is that true?"

This...

The Old Lady clearly couldn't bear to confirm it, but unfortunately, not everyone shared her kind heart.

"What did you think?"

The middle-aged man couldn't wait to sneer at him.

"I thought—"

But the disappointment the man had hoped for never appeared. On the contrary, the solemnity on Fu Qian's face melted away like spring snow.

"Is it possible that I deliberately went down to test it, just so I could come back and tell you that communication is still an option?"

He burst into arrogant laughter, every trace of doubt vanishing from his voice.

"Because it seems to me that just as you're too afraid to go outside, you're also terrified to go down there."

...

The hall fell dead silent.

Fu Qian's rapid flip-flopping had clearly left the believers of Excellency Akons in deep shock.

And the hardest hit was undoubtedly the middle-aged man in the hat.

Realizing that Fu Qian's earlier serious expression had been nothing but a ploy to mock him, even sitting with his back against the altar wasn't enough to quell his brewing rage.

"Oh... then are you planning to take a trip outside as well, just to come back and tell me I was wrong about that too?"

The man gripped his hat tightly for a long time before finally shoving it back onto his head.

Even then, the fierce glare on his face remained perfectly clear as he spoke.

He really didn't deny being afraid to go down there?

It seems everyone here shares the same faith as Hilaria, but she might be treated as some kind of heretic.

Not that Fu Qian cared about their religious politics. He simply analyzed the new information with ruthless efficiency.

Perhaps that's exactly why she went down there alone?

"Why not? Why do you think I asked about it in such detail?"

While he pondered this, Fu Qian didn't hesitate to answer the man's angry taunt, his logic completely sound.

Though at that moment, almost everyone stared at him with deep concern for his mental stability.

"Are you serious? You're really going out into the night?"

The middle-aged man's face went completely rigid. Ultimately, it was Madam Bride—who had just been cut off—who spoke up to confirm.

For someone supposedly celebrating the happiest day of her life, her lips were entirely too pale, forming a stark contrast with Hilaria downstairs.

"Yeah."

Fu Qian nodded. He could tell that compared to the others, her mental state was in a far more splendid condition.

"Then I'll go out with you."

Living up to his assessment, Madam Bride laughed wildly, as if she had finally found a kindred spirit.

"I'm sick of hiding like this. I never want to come back."

She glared around the room. Even her gaze toward the Statue of Excellency Akons lacked any trace of respect. She looked like she had been driven mad by the confinement.

"That won't work. I have to come back."

However, Fu Qian instantly ruined the dramatic atmosphere she had just built.

Jerking his chin toward the middle-aged man, Fu Qian looked entirely matter-of-fact.

"I already promised to come back and share my experience. Besides, after a quick break, I still need to start my second round of treatment with Hilaria."

...

"You really intend to undergo Hilaria's treatment again?"

Madam Bride clearly had no counter to Fu Qian's dedication to keeping his word. Her expression twisted hideously before her focus locked onto the phrase 'second round of treatment.'

"Is there a problem? She told me I couldn't handle it right now."

Fu Qian looked at her curiously.

"People who fail the first treatment are usually extremely repulsed by the idea of a second."

To everyone's surprise, the hatted man broke his silence once more.

Though his tone was no longer as erratic as before, Fu Qian's eagerness for more treatment seemed even harder for him to believe than the claim of 'feeling wonderful' had been.

Repulsed?

"Are you sure? Very few people would be repulsed by that kind of treatment."

Fu Qian recalled the sensation—a feeling that even he found hard to forget.

"Exactly. That's why very few people ever talk to us again... You really are a special one."

The middle-aged man stared at Fu Qian, delivering his profound assessment.

"You really want to go back down there to find Hilaria?"

Before Fu Qian could act humble, Madam Bride fired off another question.

She stared fiercely at Fu Qian. Her ruined makeup covered a face brimming with a legendary sense of fragile despair.

Combined with her words and appearance, the scene was utterly bizarre, making it difficult to even look her in the eye.

"Yeah."

Unfortunately for her, Fu Qian was basically superhuman. He nodded without breaking eye contact.

"It seems... in the end, it really is just me. Hahaha..."

Madam Bride's reaction was the absolute pinnacle of tragic beauty.

She violently ripped off her veil and stumbled away, letting the darkness swallow her whole. Her final laughter rang out in completely unhinged madness.

As expected, group interviews are much more efficient.

Maneuvering with sweeping control to thoroughly stir the pot, Fu Qian watched the group's shifting attitudes and Madam Bride's final abstract exit, offering his genuine praise.

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