Eldritch Horror Theatre

A familiar scent.

Leaving the argument at the Pool of the Sacred Land behind, the Witch clearly had a specific goal in mind.

The moment his hand was pulled, Fu Qian realized he had arrived somewhere special.

He had to admit, the scene before him felt seemingly familiar.

Specifically, he couldn't see a single thing.

A Lightless Night. This sensation was all too familiar.

How many times had he seen this in such a short span of time?

Though the one before him didn't seem entirely stable.

Of course, regardless of his impression, Fu Qian was in no rush to voice his thoughts, yielding the floor to the Witch.

It wasn't long before the Witch's voice sounded in the darkness.

She repeated her words from before their departure, her tone even and unreadable.

"It is 'Mother's' power, but it has grown exceedingly faint.

"This darkness shelters this place, and it serves as the foundation of its existence. If I dispel it, the entire place might instantly collapse."

Her ensuing assessment, however, was delivered with absolute certainty.

"Then there's no need to rush to dispel it. It doesn't hinder our communication, does it?"

Unfazed by this situation, Fu Qian displayed an astonishing level of nonchalance, waving a hand in the dark.

"I can even hear someone howling as a bonus."

He wasn't making it up. As he spoke with the Witch, he could faintly hear some sort of hysterical shrieking in the lightless void.

"That is Dead Star."

The Witch's remark instantly confirmed the Fallen Star Clan's great contribution.

Sure enough, it was the missing member who had stubbornly refused to detach from his colleague earlier.

"His situation must be similar to Xia's. He was unlucky enough to stumble into this place.

"But for us, it's a good thing. This place is incredibly well hidden. Even if I directly applied stimulation like before, given how precarious it already is, I wouldn't be absolutely certain I could capture it before it shatters."

...

"Brother Dead Star's attempted escape, however, helped us mark this location, making the entire process much smoother."

Fu Qian fully grasped the Witch's meaning, silently marveling at the wondrous workings of fate.

When he ran into Madam Xia earlier, he hadn't heard her mention the Big Four losing a member. By the looks of it, Brother Dead Star had likely just gone missing.

If he hadn't opted for a gentler approach with this fused Nightmare—choosing to conduct a round of visits first—and had instead projected power right away like the Witch just did, the overwhelming pressure would have inevitably caused major shifts in the Big Four's behavior.

Under those circumstances, Dead Star might not have ended up in this current predicament.

And this location, which appeared to be the most unique of all the Nightmares they had seen so far, would have very likely slipped through their fingers.

"His experience, however, probably won't be as pleasant. Though faint, the darkness sheltering this place will do far more to him than just strip away his vision.

"In all likelihood, it will strip him of all perception, including his sense of self, completely sealing away his consciousness."

The Witch gave a soft hum and continued.

"Then his earlier reaction makes perfect sense. Most people wouldn't let go of their last lifeline when faced with a situation like that."

Imagining the scenario the Witch had just described, Fu Qian nodded.

And just as they were speaking, the shrieking quietly faded away.

"I have already sent him out, though he might not recover his original state fully intact."

As expected, the Witch had intervened.

No wonder she was so certain it was Mother's scent. Clearly, manipulating this place was incredibly effortless for her.

"I'll show you."

Fu Qian's hand was gripped once again. In the next moment, even though the darkness undoubtedly persisted, the scene before his eyes unexpectedly began to clarify bit by bit.

...

As a legacy left behind by a higher entity, didn't this seem a bit too austere?

This was Fu Qian's immediate impression.

Though his vision wasn't perfectly clear yet, it didn't stop him from sensing its atmosphere.

Shrouded in darkness, there were no extravagantly magnificent scenes of the Transcendent Tier, nor were there any world-destroying relics of a Deity, let alone a shed husk.

Indeed, such an extraordinarily well-hidden location easily brought to mind a final resting place or something similar.

Yet, in the gradually clarifying image, he couldn't spot a single trace of living creatures or remains.

Amid the dead silence, it wasn't even some towering wonder of faith, but rather an ordinary-looking wooden building.

Its size was standard, and its furnishings were even more plain.

He could barely see anything in the room he was standing in—save for a small window and a door leading to the next room.

"It is extremely faint. Though there are definite traces, this likely isn't 'Mother's' final location."

Having deliberately given Fu Qian some time to take it in, the Witch only voiced her assessment after a moment.

So it really isn't the Bone Burial Ground?

His impression further confirmed, Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

Perhaps it wasn't a fate of having one's blood drained to paint a picture, but no matter how he looked at it, that Dark Moon's end definitely couldn't be called optimistic.

Judging from the brief return of the Law, and how the Witch had been helplessly dragged away to serve as kindling, the masterpiece at the Other Shore of the Stars was absolutely intertwined with Him, even if it wasn't crafted by Dark Moon's own hands.

And at the moment the barrier shattered, all things collapsed, and doomsday arrived, it was hard to imagine Him escaping unaffected.

The Witch, who currently held Dark Moon's authority, also seemed quite certain that Mother was already gone, leaving only a few lingering traces in this world.

It was just that she was equally certain at this moment that this place wasn't a secretly hidden Bone Burial Ground—to be honest, it looked more like a retirement spot.

Indeed. In this brief span of time, Fu Qian had already been guided by the Witch across the room to open that door.

And though austere, the building's overall structure was noticeably exquisite, and the elements behind the door were finally a bit richer.

A classically styled long table, an upholstered high-backed chair, a folding screen... In front of one of the doors along the wall sat a Deck Chair that looked incredibly comfortable.

In short, at a mere glance, one could easily picture a leisurely post-retirement life.

Sheltered under the Lightless Night, for such a scene to be hidden away here was, he had to admit, a striking contrast.

Letting his imagination run wild, Fu Qian continued to follow behind the Witch.

Faced with this scene, the latter remained silent. In the next moment, she stepped up to the door next to the Deck Chair.

Slide—

He had to admit it was well-maintained; the door smoothly slid open to the side.

Oh?

The scene revealed behind it, though of an expected style, undeniably packed a powerful visual punch.

Judging by the layout, he could tell that the area behind the door was exactly where the small window in the initial room had faced—the courtyard of this building.

While he still saw no miraculous creations within, the landscaping was exceptionally well done. At least two-thirds of the space was blanketed in greenery, with countless small white-petaled, yellow-budded flowers sprouting throughout.

It really was a familiar scent.

At that moment, Fu Qian sighed in realization—it was the exact same scent as in the Full Moon Garden.

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