Eldritch Horror Theatre

As expected, once the obscuring human face was purified, Old Man Nate quickly returned to normal.

Even the traces of frost on his body were dispersed in an instant, his complexion turning unusually rosy.

"I'm finally warm..."

A dazed look of relief on his face, Nate sighed hoarsely and looked up at Fu Qian.

"Thank you for bringing me back yesterday. It seems the older I get, the harder it is to tear myself away from the liquor cabinet."

"I've felt a chill ever since I got back yesterday, but after polishing off this bottle, I feel much better."

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad you're alright."

Fu Qian smiled as he listened to Nate's thanks, inwardly shaking his head.

Sure enough, he was already in a new script.

In this new script, to avoid conflicting memories, he had automatically rationalized it as leaving the banquet early yesterday, with Fu Qian escorting him home.

"I'm perfectly fine now. With the starry sky as my witness, I have once again felt my true self."

A strange smile played at the corners of Nate's lips, his voice relaxed and unhurried.

"Please tell Dean Collins that I am doing well, and that I'll be able to savor his fine wine again very soon."

"Will do."

Fu Qian agreed, then paused as if something had just occurred to him.

"I almost forgot. Dean Collins also asked me to remind you that a dangerous individual named Helom has recently slipped into Baerluk. Please be careful."

...

During the few seconds of silence, a look of visible disgust rose on Nate's face.

"He—lom..."

Fu Qian took a step forward with a smile, heavily emphasizing the fallen demigod's name.

"Helom. I believe I've heard that name."

After a long moment, Old Knight took a deep breath, his expression returning to calm.

"Just a few days ago, an outsider by that name came to visit me. He claimed to know where to find the murderer who killed Sean."

Nate's eyes were filled with sorrow, yet a faint smile touched his lips.

He stood up, pulled open a nearby drawer, and took out a brown box.

Placing the small mechanical box on the table, Nate turned the winding key, and a pleasant melody chimed out.

"I gave this to Sean for his tenth birthday. He loved it and always kept it by his side."

"The last time he left home was no exception..."

"But after that, I never heard from him again—not until the Night Watchers came to tell me he'd been murdered."

"My poor boy just vanished. They couldn't even find his body... They couldn't even figure out who the killer was..."

Lost in his memories, Nate's eyes grew hazy as he hummed along with the music box's tune.

"That is, until that day, when this man named Helom showed up at my home. He told me he knew Sean."

"He said that if I was willing to share the secret of the brain dance with him, he would tell me where to find the killer."

Brain dance?

The term momentarily stunned Fu Qian, but he quickly understood. This had to be what Nate and the others called that "seeing oneself" state.

He had to admit, it was quite fitting.

Assuming Nate was telling the truth, Helom was most likely the one who had killed his son.

The guy was truly shameless—committing a murder, then deliberately flaunting it in front of the victim's elderly father.

Fu Qian had previously wondered what a dignified demigod was doing in a place like Baerluk.

Now, it was obvious he was interested in the brain dance.

In fact, this was very likely the reason Sean had been murdered in the first place.

"And then?"

Fu Qian asked after a moment of thought.

"And then... Hmph!"

Nate sneered.

"You don't have to worry about him being a danger anymore."

"I just shot him dead and avenged Sean."

That's quite a leap in logic!

"The moment I laid eyes on him, I knew he was the one who killed Sean."

"No matter what happened, Sean never would have told anyone my secret regarding the brain dance."

Nate's expression turned icy.

"In truth, I only told him about it because I had no other choice."

"Sean was a very sharp boy. He noticed something was wrong and accused me of constantly living in an illusion, of losing my true self."

"But without truly experiencing it, he could never understand. It's only within the brain dance that you find your true self!"

"In that state, no chaotic thoughts can interfere with you. All thoughts and actions come naturally, following one's heart's desire, entirely free of hesitation or confusion."

Nate wore an expression of sheer fascination as he spoke.

"It's a pity I ultimately failed to convince him. We had a massive falling out over it, which was actually the reason he left home for the final time."

"Even so, I knew my son. No matter how upset he was, Sean would never sell me out... He must have suffered terribly..."

"And to gain my trust, that bastard even brought out Sean's music box to show me."

"I understood his meaning perfectly. He figured that once I saw the music box, no matter how suspicious I was of his origins, I wouldn't dare make a move against him."

"After all, he was my only lead to finding the killer. It's a real shame..."

Nate scoffed, giving the winding key another twist.

"While pretending to do this, I shot him dead."

So that was it.

Fu Qian marveled at the revelation.

Helom had truly died a pointless death.

Fu Qian didn't believe for a second that a demigod would fail to notice an old man's subtle movements. Helom had clearly been far too overconfident.

When Nate took the cheap shot, Helom had most likely been doing the exact same thing Fu Qian had done: trying to test the miraculous effects of the brain dance state.

The only difference was that Fu Qian had used his hand, while Helom had used a vital spot.

And that was the gap between them!

Fu Qian tilted his head forty-five degrees toward the sky, looking down on the world with absolute arrogance.

In the brain dance state, Old Man Nate's behavioral logic was far from rigorous, but it was a textbook case of a lucky strike.

If not for that, it would have been nearly impossible for him to avenge his son.

This was a true dimensional strike. A seemingly crude script had instantly obliterated a demigod.

Fu Qian's heart swelled with admiration.

Of course, this was only a potential truth, considering the old man was currently in the brain dance state as well.

There was a minuscule chance that Nate wasn't telling the truth.

"I see. A villain like that being put down is definitely good news. I'll pass it along to Dean Collins."

Fu Qian said with a smile as he watched the silent Nate.

"Alright. Thank you again for visiting."

"Though I still haven't found Sean's remains, once my health recovers a bit more, I can finally hold a funeral for him."

A smile crept onto Nate's face, ethereal yet undeniably eerie.

Clack!

The next moment, a long-barreled revolver fell from behind his back, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.

Its hammer was already cocked back, and a severed hand was still firmly gripping the handle.

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