Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Miracles are considered a very unique type of power. As far as I know, no one excels at them—not even the current members of the Council."

The path downward could barely be called a proper staircase; it was nothing more than a long plank with wooden slats glued on at regular intervals.

Walking ahead, Su Gao showed no objection to Fu Qian's sudden leaps in logic, shaking her head as she replied.

Is that so? Doesn't that lack a bit of prestige?

That statement left Fu Qian momentarily pensive.

It was true that the Benevolent Curse Institute was hardly thriving. The requirements were punishingly strict, advancement relied heavily on luck, and even the former dean had bolted.

But for the higher-ups of the largest Transcendent organization to disdain this power so much?

After all, if their previous theory held true, this thing essentially functioned as a trigger for a Deity's residual power. Used properly, the effects would be absolutely staggering.

Even if the Night Watchers loathed this type of power out of their continued hostility toward ancient Divine Entities, the Benevolent Curse Institute still didn't seem to be under much surveillance.

"There's still too little information about this place to make a definitive judgment, but during some recent inter-departmental collaborations, I've visited more than one Miracle capable of long-term existence."

Not bothering to keep her in suspense, Fu Qian shared his thoughts.

"I suspect this place might not be situated exactly beneath the Academy. It's just that a certain Miracle triggered by the Benevolent Curse Institute over the years caused a special overlap with this place.

That would not only explain the coincidence you pointed out, but also exactly why it sits beneath the Benevolent Curse Institute."

"That definitely makes more sense."

Listening intently to his analysis, Su Gao gave a small nod of agreement.

She clearly didn't believe in that many coincidences either, and she had already personally experienced the power of a Miracle back on Ye Island.

They triggered without a trace and were unreasonably difficult to deal with.

"Also, if that's the case, the chances of Nepheli being involved in this incident just went up."

"Exactly. She clearly has quite a talent for this sort of thing.

Like I said earlier, if anyone in the Academy has a grasp on this concept, she's the most likely candidate."

Very pleased by Classmate Su Gao's insight, Fu Qian offered this fair assessment of the Tier 2 who had been stirring up chaos everywhere while acting as a technical consultant.

"Does that also mean the earlier ambush on you two might be connected to the Origin Council?

After all, the attacker retreated to this highly unusual location—and Nepheli happens to have the highest probability of knowing about it."

Showing no arrogance at the validation, Su Gao rapidly pieced together everything they had discussed.

"If so, the nature of this situation seems to have become much more serious."

......

Actually, the true severity didn't lie there.

Su Gao made a very good point, of course. If the Origin Council was confirmed to be behind the attack, then on top of being premeditated, one could add that it was organized.

But more crucially, there might be more than one organization involved.

The Prison Archangel was connected to Nepheli, and Nepheli was a member of the Origin Council.

At the same time, he couldn't forget the theory Chief Yuan had refused to accept: that the Prison Archangel was also tied to the Night Watchers' Needle Witch.

Putting it all together, it was easy to imagine the worst-case scenario—the Origin Council was connected to the Night Watchers.

Or, to be more rigorous, a faction of the Night Watchers.

People really were just an aggregate of social connections; the six degrees of separation theory truly did not deceive me.

"Yeah. And now your situation might have gotten a lot more serious, too."

Keeping the latter implications to himself, Fu Qian casually warned Classmate Su Gao as he agreed. Given her relationship with him and Yuan Shan, and the fact that she had been designated to lead this investigation, her own position was likely quite precarious.

"It's fine. Once this investigation wraps up, I can apply for more leave. I won't run around; I'll just head to Shangjing to find you two."

Su Gao, however, didn't seem worried in the slightest. She even offered a faint smile.

She truly lived up to her reputation as a top-tier hunter. On one hand, her tracking was fiercely unparalleled; on the other, she was endlessly adaptable when she herself became a target.

Amidst Fu Qian's silent praise, Su Gao's footsteps quietly came to a halt as she stared straight ahead.

"I think we found the place."

......

A single glance was enough to tell that the fog on this lower level was noticeably thicker.

The trade-off was that the fluorescence underfoot and along their surroundings was much denser.

By that light, they could clearly see the starkest difference between this level and the one above it—Feathers.

The structure was quite similar to the level above. It was still a massive, open space resembling a bountiful "wheat field."

But in comparison, a single glance made it feel far less empty.

Surging mounds of gray Feathers—far more abundant than the pitiful amount in the Benevolent Curse Institute—blanketed a vast area like thick snow, submerging most of the ropes and Human Ambers.

If their previous attacker had retreated down here, managing to catch only a single Feather meant they had been incredibly careful.

A scene like this was actually far more fitting for the site where a Tier 2 had fallen.

Even if they still just felt like ordinary Feathers.

"So the target really was hiding down here. Then, they completely collapsed under the Meteor's bombardment, and in the final moment, a fraction of their power leaked out?"

Having stepped off the crude staircase, Su Gao silently surveyed the scene before her. She didn't rush forward, instead turning back to confirm her theory with Fu Qian.

Even though opening the door had been a bit of a hassle, this tracking process could still be considered incredibly smooth.

"But if that's the case, the connection between this place and the Benevolent Curse Institute's Underground portion defies common sense even more."

Seeing Fu Qian nod in agreement, Su Gao only found it even stranger.

The eruption had happened down here, and while barely a single Feather could be seen on the upper level, the fallout had somehow managed to spread all the way to the Benevolent Curse Institute.

She didn't have much time to mull over that anomaly, however. A moment later, the thick carpet of Feathers nearby began to shift, as if something hidden beneath the surface was attempting to close in.

It rushed toward them, burrowing under the plumage until it was not far away. Suddenly, the Feathers erupted as a figure truly lunged out.

Naturally, this trivial parlor trick was met by Classmate Su Gao's long-waiting Blade.

With a shriek, the attacker failed to dodge and perished on the spot.

"Its body..."

Despite landing a successful strike, Su Gao's tone grew heavy.

"The Feathers look like they're growing out of it."

Fu Qian nodded.

This was absolutely no exaggeration. The corpse sprawled off to the side was virtually covered in Feathers.

But a closer look revealed the truth. Though the plumage was chaotic, most of the Feathers weren't just stuck to the surface of its skin—they had pierced out from inside its body.

At the same time, the body itself still looked exactly like the desiccated corpses in the Human Ambers—a detail that grew terrifying upon deeper reflection.

Even as they spoke, more Feathers surged ahead of them. New figures darted out—taking straight to the air.

I knew it wouldn't be that simple.

Looking at the flying wings on the desiccated corpses—appendages that looked like fish fins yet were encrusted with Feathers—Fu Qian momentarily sighed in his heart.

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