Eldritch Horror Theatre

Constantly sharing without asking for anything in return was actually an easy way to scare people.

To make the other party trust the provided intelligence, it was best not to act so aloof.

In Fu Qian's view, the Greed Worms' hesitant invitation wasn't hard to figure out. As previously deduced, there was an over ninety percent chance it was about the missing Serana.

After all, voluntarily showing themselves when they had been hiding so well—and even risking contact with an unfathomable organization—was hard to imagine unless they were truly desperate.

And right now, how many things could possibly make them so anxious?

Of course, the probability that they had appeared in Moore purely to chase Serana's trail wasn't high.

After all, given that she held certain intelligence on them and her Rank firmly suppressed theirs, she logically should have been the more proactive one in this game of cat and mouse, yet she had only achieved this much.

Rather than assuming the Greed Worms had an unusually smooth time finding her and that the two sides had rushed toward each other so quickly, Fu Qian leaned toward Serana's view: they were hired help, still serving as thugs in a factional conflict.

As for exactly which side they were on, considering it hadn't been long since Gene participated in the assassination attempt against Siren's person in charge, the probability of them continuing to work for Anjing was clearly much higher.

Precisely because he considered this, Fu Qian engaged in some idle chatter before revealing the dagger as the map unrolled. He decisively showed his interest in Siren, even hinting that the Greed Worms could provide some value in that regard.

He wasn't some erratic lunatic, just a schemer using that as a disguise. He believed presenting this "truth" would actually put Laurie and the others at ease.

"Solondil... is indeed looking for something."

As expected, he did not disappoint. Under Fu Qian's highly oppressive stare, Laurie took a deep breath and finally entered the right state of mind.

"In fact, he has been searching for a long time, only recently becoming so active. As for exactly what it is..."

Not only that, but he even seemed to understand the history behind it. His tone paused mid-explanation.

"I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it's said that Solondil once saw an opportunity for his own advancement here in Moore.

"It's just that the opportunity was so difficult to grasp that over the years, he has become somewhat manic."

...

An opportunity for advancement? That sounded about right.

Although it still wasn't clear what the target was, Laurie's explanation seemed somewhat reasonable to Fu Qian.

The conflict between Siren and Anjing was currently at a white-hot stage. Yet, a Demigod Level combatant had actually run off to an isolated place like Moore to surf?

One only had to think about it to realize how absurd that was.

This was no longer a matter of respecting personal wishes. Without a justifiable reason, his actions were tantamount to desertion.

But if it was a crucial opportunity for advancement... Although it sounded a bit selfish, it was something an organization could weigh the pros and cons of.

If a new Tier 2 truly appeared, it would be enough to wildly tilt the scales of the situation.

Even considering this point, it would be perfectly normal for Anjing to take action if they caught wind of it. They definitely wouldn't want such a situation to arise.

But if that was the case... had Laurie and his group been sent to stop him?

Wasn't Anjing being far too careless? Did they really look down on a demigod that much?

Even Laurie and the others shouldn't have been bold enough to do that. There was probably more hidden context to all this.

"Understandable. The path is right there, but constantly failing to find the door is indeed a form of torment."

Rapidly organizing the information he had just received, Fu Qian felt the overall situation in Moore was becoming clearer.

It really was quite lively. Combined with Serana's mysterious disappearance, his decision to come back and harvest the crop seemed more and more worthwhile.

"Does Your Excellency know who we are?"

As the conversation grew increasingly harmonious, the one who had extended the invitation seemed to have made up his mind, finally asking a crucial question.

...

As expected of the person in charge. He was quite capable of keeping his composure.

In that moment, Fu Qian felt it was already quite impressive that Laurie had held it in until now to ask.

For a group of characters who had just caused trouble and were struggling to survive in the cracks—and who were even participating in a conflict that could crush them to pieces with a single misstep—it was impossible not to be nervous.

Especially as his "sinister intentions" gradually became clear, the nature of that earlier series of exchanges was obviously changing. It shifted from the Greed Worms' proactive probing and manipulation into them walking right into a trap that had been set for them.

"I do. Although that lady earlier changed her look a bit, I could still recognize her."

Regarding this apprehension, Fu Qian gave no room for any lucky flukes, simply nodding directly.

Uh... her?

Laurie and his companion exchanged another glance, their emotions seemingly somewhat complicated.

The fact that they were the ones being schemed against was certainly depressing, but they had at least been somewhat mentally prepared for it. It was just that the person who exposed them...

"I thought Your Excellency had recognized me."

When he spoke again, Laurie shook his head, almost mocking himself.

"There is that, of course. After all, you are very honest in this regard."

It was just a pity that the hidden intentions behind this were far too easy for Fu Qian to understand. He immediately continued his evaluation, his face expressionless.

...

Of course, it wasn't because he forgot to wear his Human Skin Mask or anything like that. For someone as careful and cautious as Laurie, such a seemingly uninhibited situation was obviously intentional.

In Fu Qian's view, the only explanation for the other party showing his bare face was that he was taking a risk to probe him.

Inferring from this point, the one in the Insect Swarm who had made contact with Old Man Lu was very likely him.

Suspecting his identity, Laurie was using this method to quietly observe his reaction.

What a pity. Sometimes, a dimensional strike was just that cruel.

Knowing that Laywoman Tooth-Throat's face was fake could have just been a guess, but coupled with knowing that Laurie's face wasn't fake, it was enough to annihilate almost any glimmer of hope.

"For the Rebirth Club to reach its current level of success, it really isn't a fluke!"

And at this moment, true vision and broad-mindedness were demonstrated.

As the situation became increasingly passive step by step, Brother Shulan's expression had already turned as stiff as a stone. One could seemingly even sense some kind of irrational impulse brewing.

In contrast, at that moment, Old Man Laurie let out a long sigh, seemingly finally realizing the extraordinary nature of the Rebirth Club.

"We have no right to ask about Your Excellency's name or goals, but I wonder if you would be interested in collaborating with us to investigate Siren's specific objectives together?

"I believe we are still capable of providing some valuable information."

He had actually directly given up on confirming Fu Qian's identity, his tone placing his side in a very low position, hoping to reach an alignment of interests with the Rebirth Club.

"Of course, no problem."

Looking as though he had been waiting for this for a long time, Fu Qian immediately agreed with a smiling face.

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