Eldritch Horror Theatre

It was reassuring to see that Senior Ji Feng's will still seemed rather active.

Everything had happened too fast. From the moment Holler attacked Akasha, the sheer number of changes had been overwhelming.

Yet strangely enough, both individuals who had arrived in the carriage seemed entirely satisfied with this final outcome.

The implications of Akasha's words were obvious. This spreading wave of black, white, and gray was exactly the result she wanted—likely the very phenomenon her team had hoped to trigger by using an outsider.

Even though excellency Andiel had been exceedingly accommodating and hadn't lifted a finger since joining her, this outcome remained inevitable.

She didn't even have to waste any more effort trying to provoke him; she was already free to leave.

All in all, a deeply satisfying turn of events.

What Akasha likely didn't realize, however, was that excellency Andiel was equally pleased to see this change.

Indeed, seeing through an opponent's intentions only to stubbornly refuse cooperation was a move far too boring for Fu Qian to ever consider.

That principle of treatment had never wavered.

Therefore, Fu Qian's goal on this trip had never been to prevent accidents, but to observe exactly how they unfolded.

For instance, even keeping the lowest of profiles had changed nothing; the eternal night still descended without rhyme or reason.

Yes, judging by Akasha's reaction, if that team's goal had been to use him as a trigger for the eternal night...

...then given the current situation, could he assume the specific form of the eternal night was simply this phenomenon—suspected to be Ash Descent—seeping out of every individual, merging together, and eventually blanketing the entire Unseen Hill?

Ultimately, Fu Qian concluded from this outcome that Old Man Ji Feng still retained some degree of subjective initiative. This wasn't just an unconditioned reflex triggered by his provocation; it was a manifestation of the man's own will.

Otherwise, triggering the Ash Descent before Fu Qian had even taken a single sip of alcohol would mean the man was entirely too sensitive.

In other words, He seemed far more eager for the descent of the eternal night than anyone had imagined.

If that were truly the case, then the question he had asked from the very beginning—why this mission existed at all—finally seemed to have an answer.

Whatever had provoked the old man, resolving the matter with the Mother of Gospel had simply pushed him to the opposite extreme. Now, he wanted to plunge the Unseen Hill before their eyes into complete silence.

...

Looking at it from that angle, weren't Akasha and her group simply acting in accordance with providence?

Having quietly run through this series of deductions, Fu Qian felt he suddenly had a much deeper understanding of the current endless string of crimes plaguing the Unseen Hill.

After all, he couldn't forget the identities of this group of troublemakers.

From the Black Doctor to the Lord, every one of them was suspected of having received enlightenment.

Even the move Akasha had just used to deal with Holler far exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary demigod.

Fu Qian had even explicitly tested it. If he made a move within that spiderweb, even he would inevitably suffer damage.

Was all this enlightenment originally the will of the Unseen Hill? Had Brother Ji Feng hit his rebellious phase?

If that were true, the danger level of this trip could be said to have increased significantly.

Because his target would no longer be a handful of criminals, but a direct confrontation with the Deep Avatar, Ji Feng.

And on His home turf, no less.

"You flatter me."

Evaluating the current situation didn't stop Fu Qian from offering a modest reply to Akasha's praise, stating that he was just an ordinary outsider. At the same time, he made no attempt to ask her to stay.

Instead, the next moment, he tilted his head to listen, as if catching some unusual noise.

"Why does it sound like a woman is crying?"

Holler asked directly, his brows furrowed.

"Someone is crying, and the voice sounds quite young."

Fu Qian nodded, confirming he hadn't misheard.

...

He wasn't joking. As the Ash Descent filled their vision, the sobbing of a young woman was becoming increasingly clear.

It wasn't a particularly mournful cry. In fact, much like the postures of the people around them, it gave off the relaxed impression of someone falling asleep and having a Nightmare.

So who was the one crying? It couldn't possibly be the Old Man's actual voice, could it?

Regaining his youth and swapping genders all at once? That would be taking his rebellious phase a bit too far.

"Do you know who it is?"

Fu Qian glanced at Akasha, asking casually to confirm.

She had said she was leaving earlier, but had yet to act on it. Now, listening to the commotion, she even looked a bit surprised.

"Regrettably, I do not. And this time, it truly is goodbye... You aren't going to ask me to stay, are you?"

However, prompted by Fu Qian's question, Akasha seemed to have regained her composure, offering a smiling farewell.

"I won't. Be my guest."

Fu Qian replied without a moment's hesitation. He didn't even use the Thread of Attachment right up until the Spider Silk Queen vanished alongside her web.

"Shall we go out and see how big of a mess you've made?"

Turning next to Holler, he made the suggestion without batting an eye.

Since Akasha had phrased it so tactfully, in the current context, Holler was still the main culprit who had triggered this situation.

"...But go where?"

True to his daring nature, Holler hesitated for only a second before seemingly deciding to take on the responsibility.

He just clearly had no idea how to go about it for the moment.

"To somewhere crowded."

Fu Qian, already having thought it through, simply took the lead.

...

The hour was late. At a glance, even the Unseen Hill's entertainment strip had fallen quiet, slipping into a dull wash of black and white.

The Ash Descent was still expanding, showing no signs of stopping.

Even the quick-witted patrons who had made it out of the bar early weren't spared. More than one person could be seen slumped over and asleep on the street.

"That door?"

Holler wasn't the only one; Crystal had followed them out as well.

Facing the scene before her, she clearly gained some understanding of why Fu Qian had said to go somewhere crowded.

The situation seemed a bit out of control, and this endlessly expanding phenomenon appeared to be using individuals as its nodes.

"Sure."

Glancing at her, Fu Qian readily accepted the proposal.

"Why not clear out a safe zone?"

The Ash Emissary beside them, however, held a somewhat different opinion. Having likewise realized that the people were the key, Holler favored doing some emergency triage.

"Then the first person we should deal with is you."

Unfortunately, he was rejected in a single second. Fu Qian offered no further explanation, already continuing forward.

...

Indeed, as the 'source of infection,' it seemed the very first thing he ought to do was self-isolate.

Holler wasn't quite that dense. He instantly realized the flaw in his suggestion.

"Even if you just stand here and don't move, the Lord could easily go after someone else. We'd better hurry up and see if there's a way to put a stop to this."

Fortunately, Crystal chimed in at the right moment, easing a bit of Holler's embarrassment. She pointed out that it was impossible to contain the fire now; the only meaningful option left was to deal directly with the arsonist and figure out exactly what this group was trying to do.

And densely populated places were clearly the sort of venues they'd prefer.

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