Eldritch Horror Theatre

Fractals?

The bizarre sight before him naturally reminded Fu Qian of that classic concept.

Though this particular wonder was far beyond what an ordinary mind could casually appreciate.

This was unquestionably a Mythical Form. For anyone of a lower Rank, it would be no different from looking directly at a Divine Entity.

After all, they said nature and mathematics contained the hidden codes of the Deities.

Even in the face of such mighty power, Fu Qian stubbornly stuck to his earlier analogy, even incorporating it into his theoretical framework.

He had to admit, this shift in form created quite a striking contrast.

It was like a vibrant world being deconstructed into binary. All those twisted bodies, shocking shapes, and abstract methods of attack seemed to have been reduced to simple red and white during that "freeze," manifesting as a kind of mathematical beauty.

But that didn't mean the chaos and distortion were gone.

However, a slightly closer look revealed that conclusion to be entirely baseless.

To determine a target's size, distance was an indispensable factor.

Yet when scrutinizing this patterned star, one would find it completely impossible to quantify that concept, even from the perspective of the King of the Abandoned Prison.

It looked like both an egg resting right before his eyes and a massive star suspended in deep space.

This subtle chaos and indescribable nature seemed to be its core attribute.

The outward manifestation might be different, but its inherent level of distortion was no less than that of the piled-up mountain of human bodies.

Yes, the entity was still itself.

First, this sphere in front of him was indeed their target, the Precept Angel. Second, Fu Qian could confirm to a high degree of certainty that it was not a hollow shell drained of its essence.

Which raised the question: if it hadn't been reduced to an empty shell, then what was the book in the Witch's hands?

After all, she had clearly stated that it was ready.

"I tested it out, and the results are quite ideal. This isn't the entity itself, but its bindings."

Seeing Fu Qian looking her way, the Witch held up the book and explained.

...

So she really turned it into a puppet?

The core essence of the Precept Angel was self-restraint, as the Witch had mentioned earlier.

Saying it wasn't the entity but "its bindings" made it sound as though its physical body remained, but she had managed to acquire its source code.

This naturally brought to mind the discussion they'd had about how to handle the Precept Angel after first noticing its movements.

As it turned out, the Pope was indeed open to advice and hadn't forgotten the suggestion Fu Qian had offered at the time.

In that case, the item in her hands was clearly no longer just something made from Angel Skin.

"The Book of Precepts? Don't tell me there's actually content written inside?"

Fu Qian asked, momentarily curious.

"Not exactly. Its bindings now serve as the structural foundation. Compared to written text, it's something on a much deeper level."

As she explained, the Witch simply opened the book and held it out to Fu Qian.

It really was something on a deeper level.

Truth be told, it was much plainer than the typical forbidden tomes one might imagine.

Aside from its overly oily, supple texture exuding an undeniable aura of evil, opening it didn't trigger a chorus of agonizing wails or summon some malevolent spirit.

It was very clear. The same flowing red and white patterns from the cover were densely packed across the pages.

But even so, Fu Qian instantly understood what the Witch meant—

Patterns and blank space were not mutually exclusive.

Page by page, patch by patch, the red and white outlines were impossible to decipher, yet they left blank spaces behind.

Though they were neither orderly nor uniform in size, at a glance, the patterns looked like the watermarks of a notebook, leaving empty spaces waiting to be filled.

...

Interesting. Even the concept of a "structural foundation" suddenly gave him a sense of déjà vu.

Using its core attributes to sketch out a platform ready to be written on.

Although it was just a superficial visual effect, it provided an understanding of the item's underlying logic.

Perhaps once things were recorded later, the truly decipherable content would appear in those blank spaces?

The Witch had truly found a brilliant intersection. She fully utilized the essence of the Precept Angel without having to completely eradicate it, genuinely executing the puppet plan exactly as intended.

"That's a pretty good name, though. From now on, let's call it the Book of Precepts."

Not only that, she even took the time to fully acknowledge the Knight's contribution.

"Just as expected, having you here made the entire resonance process exceptionally stable."

Clearly pleased with the name "Book of Precepts," the Witch specifically pointed out the significance of having Fu Qian hold the book earlier.

"Its fundamental nature hasn't changed. But from now on, unless necessary, I'll keep it quiet."

Before Fu Qian could offer a modest reply, the Witch pointed toward the Precept Angel, confirming that its Combat Power remained intact.

"Of course, because of this, the method of keeping it quiet will be through indirect guidance rather than direct commands."

...

"That really is better."

Faced with the limitations the Witch mentioned, Fu Qian was actually highly appreciative.

First of all, it was easy to understand. Although they had seized its core, because they weren't directly controlling its mind, its actions would still possess autonomy—similar to being a puppet without realizing it.

And his assertion that this was "better" wasn't just blind agreement.

With a puppet, a higher degree of control wasn't always better. There was an issue of matching authority with responsibility.

By allowing an appropriate degree of freedom, it became much easier to cut ties during extreme situations.

Handling every detail personally made it too easy to get burned.

The original plan to handle the Precept Angel this way was simply to neutralize its aggressiveness, as well as the threat it posed to the Painting World.

But now, they could instead guide it to act as a cover and a shield.

"It's about to wake up. Let's go."

Amid his silent evaluation, the Witch's reminder rang out.

In his vision, the flowing red and white patterns on the Precept Angel began to slowly shift.

From the macro to the micro, the spherical Precept Angel and every single "star" composing it were waking from their slumber.

Following closely behind was a rapidly multiplying surge of chaotic distortion.

Regardless, its surface appearance was at least an improvement. The surgery had been a great success.

While Fu Qian was looking on the bright side, the Witch gripped the book in one hand and reached out to grab him with the other.

...

I would call that highly efficient.

The scenery blurred and shifted. Soon, Fu Qian found himself looking at a familiar sight—the Laerdin Dark Moon West District Church.

It had been past teatime when they left, and upon their return, the sun was only just beginning to set.

But the Witch's movements didn't stop there. Almost simultaneously, she picked up a Brain Fork and stabbed it directly into her own hand.

Borrowing a path through the Mind Sea of Death, they reappeared in the familiar Sacred Land of the Fallen Star Clan.

"So you're trying to say that you know absolutely nothing about the Dead Star's disappearance—"

The argument was actually still going on, though unfortunately, it was instantly frozen in the very next moment.

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