Eldritch Horror Theatre

In theory, his earlier speculation had practically been confirmed.

Namely, Brother Goat-Headed Demon was indeed of too low a Rank, leaving him in that confused state upon waking up.

Now that a Demigod was here, the situation was entirely different.

Yet with Amber in such an excellent mental state, there were still plenty of ways to put her to good use. How could he limit her value to just this single step?

Noticing Yuan Fang so quickly had already proven her sharp instincts for tracking people down. He might as well let her keep flexing that particular talent.

"You can also keep an eye out for an unawakened Akasha or the Spider Silk Queen."

As for her motivation, Fu Qian provided the driving force a moment later.

"...What exactly is your purpose here? Did you already know it would be like this?"

Amber was clearly a bit swayed, but she made no effort to hide her confusion.

Fu Qian asked casually.

...

Clearly unable to answer Fu Qian's question, Her Excellency Amber fell into a brief silence.

But it only lasted for a moment. She quickly pulled herself together and began to silently roam through the Lake Pot.

She didn't even ask Fu Qian for the Lantern he held, apparently finding the current visibility sufficient.

With such a capable laborer at his disposal, Fu Qian stood there without the slightest intention of moving, quietly observing the center of the hemisphere.

Not only was the burning tongue gone, but even the massive coffin was nowhere to be seen. The area felt thoroughly lifeless.

Yet that was precisely the problem—wasn't this exactly what the Warehouse wanted?

The goal of his previous mission had seemed remarkably straightforward: help Ji Feng suppress the influence of the Mother of Gospel.

Now the Hotbed had turned into the Grey Bed. Wasn't that an excellent outcome?

Yet it had still gone out of its way to drag him back in, and the Containment Conditions were even more intense. It felt suspiciously like flipping the table. So where exactly had things gone wrong?

This lingering question was the core reason why Fu Qian was in no rush to resolve things with violence.

For one thing, there was the mysterious Unseen Hill, which involved the secrets of the Mind World and even a formidable predecessor. Acting rashly here would truly be recklessly wasting heaven's gifts.

For another, he was quite keen on using this opportunity to learn a bit more about the Work Unit he was employed under.

The Warehouse's habits and tendencies were becoming easier to track.

And understanding more would obviously help him determine exactly what kind of role 'It' played in this world. After all, he couldn't forget that the goal of this mission was literally titled Darkest Night.

While Fu Qian didn't necessarily believe it was tied to the Long Night from a millennium ago, even if it was just a coincidence, he didn't mind risking a drop of 5 SAN Value to probe a little deeper.

"She isn't here... neither of them are."

The quiet moments were always short-lived. Amber quickly returned from her search, bringing back some unfortunate news.

"How certain are you?"

Knowing she meant that neither Akasha nor the Spider Silk Queen was anywhere to be found, Fu Qian showed no emotional reaction, casually pressing for confirmation.

"Very. I'm intimately familiar with their scents."

Amber's voice was low, but she sounded extremely confident.

"That sounds like a good thing. Does it mean they can move freely just like us, and already left this place?"

But she clearly didn't understand the concept of optimism, so Professor Fu instantly demonstrated his interpretive skills.

...

"She stepped through that door as well... I suppose that really is one way to explain it."

Though her worldview had taken a slight hit, Amber quickly recovered and grasped what Fu Qian was getting at.

"So she isn't here because she went inside? Is that why we couldn't find Akasha earlier?"

Without even waiting for Fu Qian's response, her gaze shifted toward the buildings towering behind them.

"But that would mean she discovered that door before anyone else. She would have had to enter immediately, otherwise it would have been impossible for her to slip by unnoticed—"

"Logical. So, who was the first Demigod to be noticed?"

Offering high praise for Amber's deduction, Fu Qian smoothly asked his next question.

"How did you know a Demigod came inside?"

Amber was slightly taken aback, clearly having been seen through.

"A guess. After all, this is a place where people can resurrect after death, so everyone should naturally have a bit more courage. So who was it?"

Fu Qian said, as if it were a matter of course.

"I'm not sure if you know him, but we generally call him the Black Doctor. He is the only Demigod who stepped through the door."

While she didn't understand Fu Qian's motives, sharing this intelligence clearly placed no psychological burden on Amber.

Hmm... that was an interesting title, and one quite fitting for the style of this place.

"So, is the Black Doctor in here?"

Nodding slightly to show it was his first time hearing of him, Fu Qian gestured toward the ground beneath their feet.

"...I can't be sure about that. I'd need to search again to find out."

It seemed Amber was not quite as familiar with the Black Doctor's scent. She hesitated for a moment before admitting she couldn't jump to conclusions.

"It's good to be thorough. Go ahead."

Fu Qian was very accommodating, gesturing for her to take a look.

"Take this."

He even handed the Lantern over to her.

...

For a moment, Amber looked slightly dazed, seemingly unable to understand why she was taking orders from him.

But after a brief hesitation, she ultimately chose to set out again.

She actually took the Lantern, turning into a light in the darkness as she rapidly darted away—only to come to an abrupt halt a moment later.

Perhaps the light really had improved her efficiency, because judging by Amber's reaction, she already had a discovery.

"Did you find something?"

Fu Qian caught up quickly, stepping beside her the next moment.

Staying true to his earlier words, he did his best to avoid crushing the people beneath his feet.

"It should be him, but—"

Amber's reaction was peculiar. She sounded like she had efficiently located her target, yet there was no joy in her voice.

"But if I am here, it seems to imply that even a Demigod can find themselves unable to move freely once inside."

The moment she finished speaking, an unfamiliar voice picked up where she left off, accompanied by a faint chuckle.

"Which also means the odds that Akasha woke up and left have dropped, making the hope of finding her even slimmer. My apologies, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but this place is simply too quiet."

Along with the apology, a strange power seemed to stir the bodies underfoot, scattering them outward.

And a figure that had been buried deep within simply walked out, step by step.

...

"The Black Doctor?"

He wasn't tall, and his eyes were quite small, yet compared to everyone else, he gave off a natural aura of neatness.

Sizing up the middle-aged man with the bizarre title, Fu Qian casually asked for confirmation.

"I am."

Staring at Fu Qian's mask, the man openly admitted it and squeezed out a strange smile.

"And I regret to inform you both that no other Demigods have come."

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