Eldritch Horror Theatre

"They lost."

Though Fu Qian spoke with commanding arrogance, the Witch could clearly sense the peril within.

Very few higher entities would simply sit and await death. That meant it had been a lethal trap—one that a true ancient Divine Entity had failed to break through, even after exhausting every means at their disposal.

"Donning the Divine Skin is a rather unique transcendent symbol, which aligns with what I sensed."

Deep in thought, she quickly offered her assessment.

"A perfect replica. It's like a moon forged from refined steel that still manages to shine. The immediate visual impression is vastly different, yet it possesses all the traits of this Divine Station.

"It's like a hundred-and-twenty-percent King of the Abandoned Prison. You are now defined not only by this Divine Skin, but also by the very concept of 'donning' it. However, I can't yet be certain if that is the direct cause of your Transcendent Perception disappearing."

More of a Tyrant than the Tyrant himself?

"I actually share a similar impression. A replica more authentic than the genuine article."

There was a rather counterintuitive reality to all this: among all the higher entities, it was actually the Witch who understood his situation best.

Ever since they first established contact, she had essentially witnessed every step of his path through the Transcendent Tier.

And her current assessment perfectly coincided with his own thoughts.

Although the mantle of the King of the Abandoned Prison had been obtained by a False God donning the Divine Skin, his actions indeed carried the suspicion of an excessively high completion rate.

He was originally just supposed to don a Skin, but he had ended up forcibly inheriting the entire legacy, achieving a fully realized mechanical remake.

Going too far is as bad as falling short. Even by the most conservative estimates, did this count as straying down the wrong path?

Would it make it impossible to seek the great transcendent path for the rest of his life?

"But we should look on the bright side of things."

After spending so much time together, however, the Witch had seemingly caught her Knight's optimism. A smile graced her face the next moment.

"Even if we can't find a solution right away, at least your condition is quite stable. As long as you are willing to endure this minor drawback, you are undoubtedly a higher entity.

"Your power is entirely genuine, too. Even I wouldn't want to clash with you head-on."

...

"That 'Dark Moon' thought the same way."

Faced with the Witch's high praise, Fu Qian naturally recalled the fourth person who had remained entirely hidden throughout that regicide battle.

"Oh? What kind of abilities did they display?"

Hearing her Knight bring this up, the Witch didn't hide her curiosity.

"Concealment. I knew for a fact they were nearby, yet from start to finish, I could never clearly track them."

Failing to catch a glimpse of that entity's true face had always been a lingering regret for Fu Qian.

"Oh? Like this?"

The Witch blinked. The next moment, she slowly faded away on the spot.

"Yes, just like that."

Not a single trace of her remained beside him, making it seem as though he would have to pay the carriage fare all by himself.

Fu Qian didn't panic in the slightest, casually directing his confirmation at the empty air.

Not only was he more of a Tyrant than the Tyrant himself, but the Witch's mastery of the Dark Moon authority was also incredibly profound.

Fooling his eyes took much more than simple invisibility.

Through the perspective of his Calamity Authority, once he locked onto someone, that abstract connection couldn't be completely severed even if they entered a state of concealment.

However, at this very moment, the Witch's traces within his "vision" were genuinely negligible, to the point where he couldn't even continue accumulating Calamity against her.

It was indeed a method identical to Dark Moon's back then, which seemed to somewhat prove just how cautious the other party had been.

Despite possessing such methods, they had simply left when they wanted to, unwilling to show themselves and deal a bit more damage.

"It looks like I'm still in one piece."

Just as Fu Qian finished speaking, the Witch reappeared in the exact same spot.

Sighing slightly, she obviously wasn't worried that her next words would provoke her Knight.

"In fact, from the moment I gained self-awareness, these abilities—and the fact that I have a 'Mother'—were innately tied to me. I don't understand the origins of it all myself."

Her humblebragging even continued a moment later.

"We should look on the bright side of things. We might even get the chance to fix up your family tree this time."

Completely unoffended, Fu Qian quickly demonstrated his own optimism.

"Makes sense—" he started, but she cut in. "We've arrived."

The Witch genuinely seemed to imagine the scene for a moment before voicing a quick reminder.

...

"It's even quieter than I imagined."

The carriage had come to a halt almost exactly on cue, its doors opening automatically.

Fu Qian had taken the lead this time, stepping out of the frost-brimming carriage first.

As the doors swung shut behind him, he took a look around, having just spoken those words to the Witch beside him.

Their destination turned out to be a familiar place.

The classical architecture was recognizable, yet subtly different.

This was the setting of his final task the last time he was here, the location of the Fallen Star Clan and Brother Proxy of the Agents of the Gods—Nightmare Laerdin.

Originally intended as an invasion channel, it had instead become a sanctuary for numerous wills at the exact moment the world was destroyed in true history.

The carriage bringing them all the way here was, to some extent, entirely reasonable and to be expected.

Compared to other Nightmares, this one was easily the most staggeringly massive. It could practically be called the Inner World of Laerdin.

As long as it hadn't shattered under the shockwave of the Law's collapse, it was highly likely to hold a place within the collective.

Of course, Brother Proxy truly had shattered.

"Perhaps because it inherently rejected the starry sky? Any associated traces of faith have been thoroughly erased."

Looking truly as though this was her first time here, the Witch quickly grasped the key point.

"Indeed. The location of the West District Church on the outside is just a lake in here. Beneath The Lake, my old friends went ahead and built themselves a Base."

Agreeing with the Witch's assessment, Fu Qian quickly recalled the layout of Laerdin.

"So, shall we go see how they've been doing lately?"

Having previously discussed the Fallen Star Clan with him, the Witch even knew the names of Xia and the others. She paused to ask for his opinion.

"No rush. We seem to be quite far away. Besides, they can actually be rather oblivious. There's another group that's far more perceptive."

Fu Qian signaled that there was no need to rush straight there, his thoughts turning instead to his interactions with the Awakened Organization, led by Lady Raven, during his previous task—Oh?

A moment later, his gaze settled on the distance.

Night had already fallen, leaving the streets predictably deserted. Yet, a solitary figure was walking slowly but steadily in their direction, her unique demeanor easily drawing his attention.

As did her face.

Staring at that somewhat gaunt female face, Fu Qian quickly searched his memory.

It certainly wasn't Lady Raven, but she still counted as a member of the Awakened Organization—Esther?

The newcomer who had originally been locked in the cell next to his, whom the Awakened Organization had classified as a special case.

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