Eldritch Horror Theatre

"I have to say, you are truly extraordinary."

Fu Qian's unpredictable approach kept things moving efficiently, but it clearly put Dorian under considerable psychological pressure.

So much so that even after Fu Qian confirmed he would go, Dorian debated with himself for a moment before carefully resuming the conversation.

"I imagine someone like you wouldn't stoop to lying about such things... It's very simple. Hilaria is the easiest to find because she's exactly where you just were."

Dorian gestured toward the door.

"You don't need an address. Once you step outside, look for the tallest building in sight and head inside to find her. She will definitely be there."

So Hilaria actually worked in the faith industry?

It seemed Brother Dorian's treatment plan was strictly adapted from reality.

"Understood. What about the others?"

Reassuringly, though the sky was slightly gloomy, it was no longer night outside.

As for why the Clinic was so dim that a lamp was required, the reason was simple.

The windows, which already let in very little light, were caked in an extra layer of brown dust. Looking through them left everything blurry, as if viewed through a heavy filter.

"They aren't there. It's still light out, after all."

In response, Dorian let out that unpleasant, grating chuckle once more.

"Of course, even if it were dark, they wouldn't go there anyway. That place is nothing but a long-fallen faith. It can't offer any help whatsoever."

"In their eyes, their own homes are undoubtedly the safest places. After all, you never even know when it might turn dark."

"When you first arrived, didn't you only receive guidance after knocking on a window to ask for directions?"

...

Excellency Akons, the God of Insight and Wisdom, had actually been abandoned by the believers?

And Ms. Hilaria was the last one holding firm?

Furthermore, it sounded as though the Old Lady only recognized him because he, an outsider, had knocked on her window at the time.

It was easy to piece together more details from Dorian's description.

And it was overwhelmingly obvious that this was certainly not a place of peaceful years.

"It sounds like it could turn to night outside at any moment?"

Shaking his head slightly, Fu Qian continued his questioning, completely unbothered by exposing his ignorance of the place.

"Yes, day and night here follow no patterns whatsoever."

Dorian seemed to have fully adjusted his mood and looked quite satisfied with Fu Qian's reaction.

"One moment it's daytime, and in the blink of an eye, it could be pitch-black night. And you never know how long you'll have to wait it out inside..."

"Also, you might not believe this, but I should offer a friendly warning. The treatment earlier might have been fake, but there really is an 'it' here, wandering around whenever night falls."

He was even admitting to the induced elements in the Healing Dream from earlier.

"That is also why there are fewer and fewer people left in this place."

"I can believe that."

Amidst Dorian's laments, Fu Qian displayed his unpredictability once again. Instead of questioning the claim, he casually expanded on the topic.

"So, the God Hilaria serves was abandoned because of this?"

Faith typically had notoriously tenacious vitality. Wasn't that evident in the Sacred Night Capital, where throngs of penniless gamblers still swarmed the major places of worship?

For a faith to be so resolutely abandoned, one of the most common causes was its veneer being completely shattered under immense external pressure—like the specific threat Dorian mentioned.

"Heh, about that... In short, you just need to know that Akons is completely helpless against that terrifying threat."

However, Dorian chose to keep him in suspense.

"Of course, unless you plan on killing them all, it would be best not to mention that name in front of them. You should know that to avoid hearing it, they even went as far as changing the name of this town."

...

So this place had originally just been named Akons? Their former piety was plainly obvious.

From that detail alone, one could easily picture the tragedy of a Deity and its believers mutually abandoning each other.

"But it sounds like you're not exactly bothered by it, unlike the rest of them?"

Paying no mind to Dorian's attitude, Fu Qian finally withdrew his gaze and studied him with a smiling expression.

In this man's Healing Dream, the believers had gathered at the feet of Akons once more, treating the Church as their sole sanctuary.

From that perspective, Dorian could practically be called a zealous pioneer of restoring the old ways.

"Heh. I am a doctor. Utility is my only standard."

Dorian didn't deny it. With a single sentence, his professional demeanor reached its absolute peak.

"And setting the scene like that was obviously the most convenient."

"That's true."

Possessing abundant practical experience with dreamscapes, Fu Qian deeply agreed with this assessment.

It might easily leave psychological aftereffects, but faith was undoubtedly a sharp scalpel for operating on the mind.

In that regard, setting the treatment location in the Church rather than the Clinic would naturally yield much better results.

Furthermore, as an outsider, he wouldn't harbor as much psychological resistance as the Natives.

On top of that, the Church was obviously an excellent setting for the Dolls—the main force behind the treatments—to properly exert their abilities.

"Even so, your business doesn't seem to be doing too well?"

Despite his agreement, Fu Qian didn't just blindly echo him. Instead, he gestured toward the empty hospital beds.

"That's mainly because outsiders like you are far too rare."

Struck right where it hurt, even the high-spirited Dorian froze for a moment before letting out an involuntary sigh.

"Of course, I also need to acquire better tools."

As he spoke, his eyes dropped to Fu Qian's hand.

"I'll be waiting for your good news. Remember, they don't necessarily have to be alive."

"As long as they haven't been dead for too long, you can bring them over. Of course, it's best if they are somewhat intact. Especially the eyes and lungs. Urgh—"

The doctor's orders came to an abrupt halt, accompanied by the grating shriek of a chair scraping across the floor.

"Are you telling me what to do?"

Fu Qian, who had looked perfectly pleasant a moment prior, still wore a warm expression. The only difference was that his free hand was now clamped around Dorian's long, slightly crooked neck, squeezing so tightly that not a single breath could slip through.

Rap, rap—

Given the physician's naturally scrawny build, Fu Qian lifting him completely off the floor made the scene look like a near-perfect recreation of how he had hoisted the Doll earlier.

Amidst this sudden, terrifying shift in the calm atmosphere, Dorian almost subconsciously whipped out his Long Spike in a backhanded thrust.

However, even though his patient made absolutely no attempt to dodge, Dorian forcefully aborted the strike at the very last second. Instead, he simply tapped the weapon lightly against the back of the overturned chair beside them.

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