Eldritch Horror Theatre

It was like watching an inner struggle physically manifest.

In the blink of an eye, the two Hilarias were at each other's throats, looking ready to come to blows over who would get to pull him into their embrace.

Faced with such profound affection, Fu Qian, the man in question, remained entirely unmoved. He didn't twitch a muscle, simply watching the spectacle like a casual theatergoer.

In this situation, the first Hilaria clearly represented who she had been before her mindset evolved.

A despairing stalwart who refused to give up, even when her faith crumbled and the masses spat upon her.

As for the blindfolded Hilaria II, she was undoubtedly the new facet born from endless introspection during that bottomless torment.

A far more extreme faith steeped in nihilism.

The scene playing out before him had likely been rehearsed countless times inside the real Hilaria's head.

"What is the point? You cling to a numb persistence, yet you never stop to wonder why you no longer receive an answer."

"Or perhaps you have seriously thought about it, and finally, just like everyone else, pinned the blame on 'Him'?"

"'He abandoned us?' Is that it? And the purpose of your stubborn devotion is just to remind Him of His cruelty?"

True to the nature of a self-inflicted attack, every word was a vicious strike straight to the heart.

"Nonsense! We are no longer favored simply because we are not devout enough—"

The first Hilaria's naturally bloodless face turned the color of pale wax.

"Is that so? So you've stubbornly clung to this 'insufficiently devout' faith for so long just to continue offending Him?"

"Then I suppose I was wrong. Your persistence does have a point—"

Unfortunately, as anyone knows, losing control of one's emotions during a debate is a fatal mistake.

Before the first Hilaria could even finish venting her outrage, Hilaria II cut her off with a sneer.

"Shut up!"

The first Hilaria shrieked, completely losing control of her volume and all but abandoning her argument.

"I can shut up. But do you dare tell yourself that you've never harbored such a doubt? Not even once?"

"I'm a very busy man, ladies, and I don't have much interest in talk shows."

Seeing the first Hilaria choking on her anger so hard her eyes were practically rolling back into her head, Fu Qian silently applauded the spectacle but decided to offer a casual reminder.

"If you want to win me over as a customer and rack up that merit, you'd better break out your best tricks soon."

...

His reminder was directed at the two Hilarias, but it was truly meant for Dorian pulling the strings in the background.

Although his perception of the outside "real world" was blurred, it was enough for Fu Qian to confirm that Dorian was currently in a similar trancelike state.

Clearly, it wasn't so easy for the mastermind to manipulate everything at all times.

Because of that, Fu Qian was certain his words would be received immediately.

And he wasn't making an empty show of strength. The scene before him was bizarrely seductive, and the intoxicating fragrance in the Stone Chamber had grown significantly stronger with the appearance of the two Hilarias.

But it still wasn't enough.

Dorian's task here wasn't just to conjure up some bizarre, erotic spectacle to fool him; he needed to bring out his absolute best.

That was exactly why Fu Qian had zero enthusiasm for the offer of an embrace.

Judging by the current situation, the embrace would undoubtedly trigger some changes worth exploring. It held experiential value.

But since this was clearly what Dorian wanted to bait him into doing, refusing to play along would only force him to deploy more of his tricks.

Case in point.

"You will not beguile me, demon!"

After a brief pause, the two Hilarias showed absolutely no sign of dropping their argument. In fact, the conflict rapidly escalated.

Tossing their customer to the side, it was surprisingly the first Hilaria who launched the offensive.

With a tone full of judgment for a heretic, she stood up, her posture impossibly resolute.

"Yes, I am beguiling you. And what are you going to do about it?"

Hilaria II refused to back down. Not bothering to argue, she stepped right up to meet the challenge.

Oh?

The anticipated hair-pulling fight never materialized. The two figures, sharing the exact same height and reach, surprisingly opted for the exact same tactical maneuver—

The moment they closed the distance, they both reached out and grabbed each other by the throat.

As they forcefully pulled one another close—so close they were practically sharing breaths—neither used their free hand to strike. Instead, moving with astonishing synchronization, they performed the exact same action: wrapping their free arm around the other's back in an embrace.

Beneath this passionate embrace, the intoxicating fragrance surged in intensity once more.

...

It was truly an embrace an ordinary person couldn't withstand twice in a short span of time. It had indeed been deployed as the ultimate trick to retain a customer.

Furthermore, if memory served, Hilaria had claimed the purpose of her embrace was to "cleanse the filth from the human heart." Using it in this physical manifestation of a mental debate was actually quite fitting.

Offering his silent critique, Fu Qian gave them a little face and was in no rush to leave.

Meanwhile, the rapidly thickening fragrance—a scent that made his very brain lobes feel as though they were floating—continued to swell.

The air itself seemed to have ignited, transforming into a fragrant stream of water. With every breath, it flowed from his lungs straight to his brain, rapidly washing away any internal displeasure.

Like the crying echoing in his mind, for instance.

That was right. The resentment he was suffering from his earlier actions toward Sarah had proven to be rather transcendent. It had followed him into the dreamscape without any color loss, wailing incessantly in his head the entire time.

Yet now, under the influence of the fragrance, it was genuinely weakening.

This soothing sensation made the choice to stay here look significantly more tempting.

But it went even further than that. It wasn't just this spiritual filth being reduced, but his very awareness of it. The crying was fading, and his perception of the crying was fading right along with it.

It truly gave him the sensation of having a heart free of hindrances and attachments, leaving him on the verge of touching bliss.

But it still wasn't enough.

How could a will forged through endless tempering surrender so easily to a decadent scent?

"Spectacular. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."

Offering his glowing review to the two Hilarias, Fu Qian maintained his strict, high standards. He made no immediate move to turn around.

Urgh—

This astonishing harshness evidently piled on the pressure. A strained groan was forced out from the tightly gripped throats of both Hilarias.

That wasn't all. Their two bodies, already glued tightly together, continued pressing toward him. At the exact same time, the arms they had wrapped around one another reached out in his direction.

They even designed an audience participation segment? How thoughtful.

Faced with such a spectacle, even a harsh critic like Fu Qian offered a faint nod and played along, reaching out his hands.

Twenty fingers met. The two hands reaching for him felt entirely boneless, tangling up like vines.

And that was only the beginning. The incredibly soft bodies followed up smoothly, pressing tightly against him—one from the front, and one from the back.

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