Eldritch Horror Theatre

It was indeed interesting. The situation's complexity had escalated to a whole new dimension.

The scene the Clown orchestrated was undeniably brimming with malice.

It wasn't hard to see the peculiar relationship between the wills of Crystal and Amber—or rather, between two backups of the same will.

But cultivating them into prime material for a wager still required a certain level of discernment.

Not to mention the Clown had gone a step further by tossing in Akasha, a highly problematic wildcard.

As Crystal's "good friend" and the Spider Silk Queen occupying that friend's will, their relationship had always been rather delicate.

He remembered how Excellency Crystal had nearly attacked him the last time he casually brought it up.

It was the same in this incident. Faced with the temptation of "freedom," one party immediately wanted to risk investigating Akasha's disappearance.

The other party, despite joining the mastermind's team with a boundless, fast-tracked future ahead of her, had gone out of her way to leave a cryptic egg on her former friend.

And the issue of her "self-awareness" was an old problem.

Whether she was Akasha or the Spider Silk Queen, her answer hadn't been very firm the last time he asked.

Dropping a character like that into the confrontation between Crystal and Amber was nothing short of a stroke of genius.

And now, in this supremely convoluted situation, he had to guess who Akasha would help, rather than who would win.

"It really is a good idea. Speaking of which, did you recruit Akasha into the team?"

Fu Qian didn't hold back his praise. As their conversation continued, the villainy index in the air seemed to soar, neither of them caring about academic ethics.

"No, I only offered a minor recommendation at best. A Wei made the final decision... Doing everything yourself drains too much of the fun, doesn't it?"

Answering Fu Qian, the Clown shook his head, signaling that he believed in governing through non-action.

"True. Then I have to wonder—what makes Akasha so exceptional? It's obvious your team has high standards."

As the mastermind behind multiple incidents himself, Fu Qian deeply agreed, casually wondering what gave Akasha the right to be chosen.

"That is a good question. Honestly, her abilities aren't all that special. Her Combat Power is mediocre, she isn't exactly smart, and out of concern for someone's safety, she even went out of her way to leave behind a flaw that could be investigated..."

The question seemed to scratch an itch for the Clown, who instantly rattled off Akasha's shortcomings.

"And concern for her own safety too, right?"

As the inquirer, Fu Qian completely agreed, though he threw in an extra remark about that minor detail.

The Clown's earlier explanation had somewhat clarified the mystery of the egg on Crystal.

Namely, after Akasha contacted this mysterious organization and realized the impending massive changes, she had left a few traces on her old friend as a guide or a form of protection.

But beyond that, hadn't she also left a way out for herself? A means to be reborn through Crystal if her plans failed or she was deceived?

Just like the entanglement inside the box right now, the Spider Silk Queen's strange setup inherently complicated her decision-making.

"Spot on, spot on... Heh heh, she's a very complicated character."

Despite being questioned, the Clown showed no dissatisfaction. On the contrary, he agreed repeatedly, his interest seemingly growing even stronger.

"So why was Akasha chosen?"

If the person in question heard this string of harsh critiques, she would probably turn red with rage on the spot.

But Fu Qian couldn't be bothered to empathize. He focused on how she had still managed to pass two rounds of interviews despite so many negative factors.

"You really don't know? The reason A Wei allowed her to join was because Akasha has another identity—she is one of those in the Demigod Realm who once had close contact with you."

The Clown blinked, looking as if he thought Fu Qian was asking a question he already knew the answer to.

"A Wei's reasoning is easy to guess, of course. What I want to know is why you recommended her."

Showing zero respect for the Angel of Death in his words, Fu Qian kept his eyes fixed on the Clown's face.

A Wei's intentions had been evident ever since he previously sent Akasha to make contact. It fit his personal style perfectly, making it very easy to deduce.

"Because it wasn't me. It was this place that wanted her to join. I felt its will."

As expected, the Clown didn't disappoint. He fell into a rare moment of silence before delivering an answer that sparked endless imagination.

...

Was it Ji Feng who wanted Akasha to join the mastermind team?

Not only was he incredibly mad, but his subjective initiative was actually this strong?

The Clown's generous sharing undoubtedly added another layer of eeriness to the incident.

The unremarkable Akasha actually had a direct line to the very top? Even her interview required the master of the Unseen Hill to intervene?

The problem was that, even now, there was no sign of her gaining any extra benefits from this. Instead, she had found herself in quite a lot of trouble.

"Settle your own affairs. I only care about how to get out of here."

Looking somewhat repulsed by the eerily behaving Crystal and Amber, Akasha stated she had absolutely no interest in meddling in their business.

"Haven't you noticed yet? Everyone is either asleep or has lost their personal will. Only we are the exceptions."

However, Crystal contradicted her as always, immediately voicing her sarcasm.

"Is it possible that it's just because we happened to run in here? That we're under some unknown protection? Once we go out, we'll end up just like those people outside—though of course, maybe you won't."

It had to be said, there was actually nothing wrong with Crystal's logic.

If they hadn't been selected as fighting crickets, they truly would have suffered the exact same fate.

And toward the end of her sentence, she evidently recalled Akasha's earlier performance, realizing that the latter's role in this incident might be extraordinary.

Though she didn't ask for further details.

"Is it possible that it wasn't a coincidence? Us gathering together like this... and finding a safe zone right on time to shield us from the influence. I think the probability of that is too low."

But before Akasha could say anything, Amber, who was relatively quieter, voiced her disagreement.

"That Ballard makes me feel extremely uneasy. I can't determine whether his intentions are good or malicious, but I constantly feel like I'm being spied on from the shadows."

She even mentioned the returning ally of justice.

Although the evaluation wasn't entirely positive, it was actually somewhat spot on.

"Grimm Ballard" really was spying on them from the shadows at this very moment.

...

"You're saying he had a hand in guiding this? Then Her Majesty the Queen here ought to know something about it, right? Instead of being just as clueless as we are."

Amber's words brought about a moment of silence. When Crystal spoke again, it was clear she hadn't lost her logical reasoning; she remembered the bizarre exchange between Akasha and Fu Qian.

"Why do you think pure coincidence couldn't achieve this?"

Seeing Akasha's somewhat indescribable expression, Crystal didn't press the matter aggressively. Instead, she turned back to stare at Amber.

"I'm not saying it's completely impossible—but I really have been avoiding everyone the whole time."

The latter persisted, her voice flat.

...

"Have you made up your mind? I can let you choose first."

Seeing the three people right under their noses quickly getting into the zone, the Clown looked satisfied as he gave a reminder.

How generous.

Fu Qian gave a slight nod. In a wager of this nature, the one who chose first held a considerable advantage.

"But you can cheat, right? You can just manipulate the final outcome."

Even though the next second, he opened his mouth to ask an astonishing question.

"Yes, I can."

The Clown's answer was even more astonishing.

"So will you cheat?"

"Of course I will."

...

"Not bad."

Faced with the Clown's matter-of-fact reply, Fu Qian marveled and actually made the first choice.

"Then I'll choose Amber."

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