Eldritch Horror Theatre

Patches the Deceiver, a figure hardly liked by anyone, had waited patiently in the shadows as the oriole behind. Having essentially sacrificed three higher entities to orchestrate this miraculous spectacle, how could he possibly miss it?

Even for Fu Qian, paying 5 SAN Value as an admission ticket to witness this would have been a completely acceptable condition.

Yet, as it turned out, the view was entirely free.

Obviously, within the blossoming spectacle before his eyes, the Solitary King no longer had any nutrients left to offer for the birth of "Offspring."

Even the "new life" carrying Excellency Rom's endless hopes had discarded its original future just to bloom in this single lifetime.

The most direct manifestation of this was the boundless, delicate splendor. Amidst what felt like the ultimate expression of life's beauty, Fu Qian realized he had already returned from the "Beyond Categorization" state.

Silently, the banishment had been lifted.

And Excellency Rom, who had relied on this as a final means of self-preservation, appeared to have completely integrated into that blooming. He allowed his beautiful hopes to be expressed in an alternative way, no longer seeking a next life.

...

Just as the Origin Council had been scheming here for a long time, Excellency Patches had likely expended a great deal of effort to arrange the scene before them.

Arriving at this conclusion with ease, Fu Qian couldn't help but marvel at Excellency Rom's fraught destiny.

Bogged down in the mire, the opportunity he had earned by exhausting all clever schemes had already been interrupted by Fu Qian time and time again.

This time, not only did the Warehouse unhesitatingly step in to obstruct him—its disgust for Ancient Higher Beings couldn't be more obvious—but there was even a peer secretly poisoning the well.

And all of this scheming was merely to watch the fireworks?

Indeed, even with Fu Qian slipping free from the banishment, Patches didn't seem to care in the slightest. His gaze remained firmly locked on what he had called "a scene not to be missed."

For someone renowned for deception, his earlier words actually seemed to be true.

After successfully pulling off his scheme, he didn't lunge forward to snatch up any benefits, special traits, or divine artifacts. He was here purely to appreciate the view.

So what exactly was he appreciating?

"What do you see?"

At that moment, their trains of thought were remarkably aligned. Without even turning his head, Patches asked Fu Qian the exact same question.

"This isn't the Solitary King's flower, nor is it even Rom's."

Knowing he could be teleported back to the Warehouse at any moment, Fu Qian seized the time to enjoy the sight. Even though the scene before him was indescribable, he attempted to offer an unvarnished critique.

"I'm not sure how you coaxed this out, but I suspect the core is still related to the Order of Blood. It's just an alternative expression of it.

"Even Rom, who was supposed to gain a new life, is no longer the seed absorbing nutrients. He was forced to become the nutrient himself."

His analysis was concise and straight to the point.

"Oh? Very sharp, and you know quite a lot... You really didn't waste this viewing spot."

Seemingly picking up on this scholarly aura, Patches glanced over his shoulder, apparently surprised by how pleasant the atmosphere of their exchange had become.

"Then what do you think became the seed?"

Without denying the names Fu Qian mentioned, he wasted no time on flattery and naturally followed up with another question.

"I'm not sure. The Order of Blood itself?"

Fu Qian shook his head.

"Although, as I said, I lack the basis to judge, it's hard to imagine that in such a crucial plan, you could fool Rom while sneaking in an extra poisoned seed. So I feel the seed must have existed from the very beginning.

"Judging from the process just now, I lean toward the idea that everything was proceeding according to Rom's plan. If it had continued, it might have actually succeeded. However, he was misled by you at a critical juncture and exerted his strength in the wrong direction."

"Well said. Anything else?"

Patches even clapped his hands, adding a bit more liveliness to the festive occasion.

"What are you looking for? Did you find it?"

However, Fu Qian was not someone to be swayed by sugar-coated bullets. Having no intention of answering bonus questions, he cut straight to the other party's true motives.

"It's highly likely you make enemies everywhere, but it's unlikely anyone treats you as an absolute nemesis. So I don't think this is a revenge killing."

As he offered his critique, Fu Qian reached out and touched the petals close at hand.

It wasn't just a hollow, gorgeous facade; its Rank was absolutely real. Almost instantly, he felt his Health Bar being scorched.

Even the golden flames welling up from his fingertips seemed more vibrant in contrast.

Someone like Patches, who stirred up trouble purely for fun, was definitely unlikable.

But a guy like this was like stepping in dog shit—being obnoxious was one thing, but it was highly improbable that a higher entity would become his sworn enemy to the death just because of a bad impression.

Therefore, Fu Qian wasn't inclined to believe this incident was an act of revenge. Instead, there was something Patches was looking for within this "scene not to be missed."

He didn't have much against Rom; he just treated him as a sacrifice.

"Hehehe..."

Unfortunately, it seemed Patches no longer wanted to answer this question. Instead, his gaze focused on Fu Qian's hand.

"So that guy who returned... you aren't serving him..."

His astonishing insight was demonstrated once again as he seemingly grasped a certain truth in an instant.

The guy Patches mentioned naturally referred to the King of the Abandoned Prison. He seemed quite well-informed.

"Hmm... if it's you, that's fine too."

Nodding slightly, he even followed up with a somewhat vague but clearly complimentary remark.

"Also, the little game you're playing is quite interesting. As a token of gratitude for your help just now, I'll join in as well. Hehehe—"

This time, before his classic laughter could even end, he faded away alongside the magnificent blossoming before them.

...

[Task Rating: King of Dismemberment]

[Greed brings vulnerability; the treasure itself is the weakness.

Through mission after mission, he was lucky enough to discover a method that granted him more opportunities for trial and error.

And the fear of death instantly bred this greed to an unparalleled degree.

Unfortunately, during an attempt many days later, the confusion brought about by this vulnerability ultimately left him powerless to break through the traps laid down when facing an ancient existence.

The only comfort was that he ultimately completed the mission. Meanwhile, this unquenchable greed paradoxically helped fortify the barrier—

And from today onward, this barrier will be even more secure.

Because the new king controlling this court perceives the world in a completely different way and holds no greed for anything.

After seeing through the actions of the Origin Council, the Night Watchers specifically confirmed this point before finally choosing to leave, acknowledging this stability.

For a very long time to come, Ariel will be the most ideal king for this court.]

[Kills: None]

[Reward: SAN Value +20]

[Special Reward: Heart Seal]

[Current SAN Value: 186]

[Play event recap?]

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