Eldritch Horror Theatre

So this was a secret pregnancy. As expected, impulsive youth always managed to deliver surprises that made a person's vision go dark.

In all fairness, His Excellency Ariel had maintained his appearance quite well up to this point; he hadn't sprouted any of the chaotic monstrosities seen outside.

But precisely because of that, the stark contrast of his bulging belly was all the more intense.

This answered his earlier question: why hadn't they provided support, instead letting the Proxy Bearer collapse?

Clearly, the classic tactic of secretly advancing through Chencang was at play here. Ariel had used that precious window to rapidly develop, ultimately securing the "Solitary King's orthodox lineage."

This battle over the Descent had reached a definitive conclusion.

The figure sitting before him was already the true Solitary King, and he was indeed about to give birth to an Offspring.

Fu Qian was absolutely certain. His reasoning was simple—even the Calamity Eyes were faintly shifting upward to overlap with him.

It was obvious that almost exactly when the Solitary King paused His Descent onto Fu Qian's body, the Origin Council had used some special pacification method to eliminate His fear on the other side.

It was the prepared calculating against the unprepared. It was perfectly understandable that his logistical backup, the Night Watchers, had failed to keep pace—not to mention they might never have intended to.

Their reason for coming here was likely just to confirm the anomaly. As long as the Solitary King Descended, it didn't matter who He Descended upon.

The real or fake Ariel—either would do.

Fu Qian could easily imagine that mindset. The only problem was that they had already lost control of things earlier. Were they really so confident they could completely master the situation now?

Or had they already prepared some iron-blooded contingency?

At that moment, aside from his swelling abdomen, Ariel still hadn't moved an inch. Fu Qian glanced up.

Through the shattered dome lay a clear night sky, tranquil and profound, ablaze with starlight—yet crawling with a dense, writhing swarm of silver-white lightning snakes.

It went without saying who was responsible. They certainly hadn't disappointed. The Night Watchers were always this decisive and ruthless.

Clearly, regardless of whether they could tell the two groups apart, since the outlaws had so tacitly gathered in one spot, the law enforcers didn't mind wiping them out in one fell swoop.

As for whether the strike might affect the Solitary King's state and subsequently destabilize the area, Fu Qian felt it was impossible they hadn't considered the risk. It just seemed they had ultimately decided to ignore it.

The same applied to capturing anyone alive to figure out what was actually going on.

The urgency and complexity of the situation had prompted the Night Watchers to suppress their curiosity, opting instead to carpet-bomb the area to eliminate the danger. But again, they had already blundered once. Were they truly that confident?

Amid Fu Qian's musings, a violent, blinding jungle of lightning that made the Stars pale in comparison came crashing down—

"What exactly are you expecting?"

And at that exact same time, for the very first time since this ordeal began, the Ariel sitting across from him spoke.

...

This question was actually posed with a high degree of skill.

Asking what he was expecting, rather than what he was here to do, or what his name was.

Obviously, the other party knew he would never answer the latter.

The intent behind the question was simply to find out what it would take for him to finally stop, after causing so much chaos along the way.

Of course, Fu Qian didn't view this as a peace offering.

After all their meticulous maneuvering, the situation was heavily in their favor. Even if he wanted to back down, he would have to see if the other party allowed it.

So despite the tactful tone, the question was essentially just going through the motions; one couldn't say they were eagerly expecting an answer.

Even so, Fu Qian, who always loved a good exchange of ideas, chose to respond in the next moment. He just used body language.

The Flame of Frenzy thickened a fraction, engulfing the other party as well.

The answer was very straightforward: the current situation definitely still fell short of his expectations, so further effort was required.

"Assuming a false identity, spreading this withering flame... Although I don't know why you've chosen to make an enemy of the Council, I have to admit you've done very well."

Evidently grasping the sentiment, Ariel didn't seem to mind. He even continued to offer his praise.

"There's no need to worry about our conversation being overheard, making your efforts fall short by a single basket of earth. This place is now a rift in time and space, far beyond their perception."

Amid the surrounding flames, his voice continued to ring out calmly and steadily, going so far as to help Fu Qian dispel his concerns.

...

He seemed quite sincere.

Although the man's words sounded exactly like coaxing a confession, Fu Qian didn't blindly dismiss them.

A rift in time and space beyond perception—it sounded like he was describing Fu Qian's own workplace.

But truth be told, compared to the inside of the Warehouse, the scene before his eyes fit the description much better.

For instance, the wildly dancing lightning snakes had been frozen.

That was right. The preceding conversation wasn't one of those unreasonable time-stopping flashback sequences that occurred right after an ultimate move was launched. Instead, the ultimate move itself had been paused.

The sky full of violent, descending killing intent had actually halted just a few meters above their heads.

Looking at it from this angle, he had to admit it was a novel visual experience.

Fu Qian could even clearly identify the Sword of Heavenly Punishment mixed within, the very same one used to execute him earlier.

However, this lethal strike—which even a Tier 2 would struggle to endure upon impact—now seemed bogged down in an inescapable mire.

Compared to the lightning, those sharp bolts of plasma weren't completely still. They still appeared to be stubbornly advancing, though at a speed comparable to a literal snail.

Even the Flame of Frenzy was affected. The golden flames from its secondary expansion had actually slowed down as well, appearing incredibly heavy.

"Did you do this?"

Brushing the back of his hand over a lingering lick of flame, Fu Qian finally stopped keeping him at arm's length and casually asked.

Of course the Solitary King did it.

In a place like this, aside from a host possessing a high enough Rank, it would probably be extremely difficult for anyone else to achieve such an effect.

Fu Qian obviously knew this. So, the question he was actually asking was essentially: "Are you the Solitary King?"

...

The Origin Council's purpose for this trip seemed to be growing clearer and clearer.

Perhaps this old rival had always been low-key and cunning. But as Fu Qian saw it, despite his earlier disruptions, whether they were secretly advancing through Chencang or sacrificing a pawn to save a chariot, one core element remained unchanged—

Their limited resources had to be directed entirely toward their core objective. Thus, the result currently playing out before his eyes was exactly the goal they were pulling chestnuts from the fire for.

The Solitary King had Descended upon Ariel, and His Offspring was lying dormant within Ariel's flesh—so had they made a special trip just to deliver the Solitary King's baby?

Taking the two previous mission objectives into account, it really did line up. But what benefit did the Origin Council stand to gain from doing this?

Taking such an enormous risk, it was impossible they weren't seeking a return.

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