Eldritch Horror Theatre

He couldn't fault that logic; Classmate Su Gao's reputation in the jianghu was likely far from stellar.

Bizarre as the scenario was, he had to admit this twisted familiarity was quite entertaining.

The three women beside him were undoubtedly all acting slightly out of character, showing clear discrepancies from their real-world selves.

Yet they retained their core traits, resulting in interactions that would be impossible in reality. As a mere spectator, it was a remarkably novel experience for him.

As for Yuan Shan's assessment of Su Gao, it might have sounded like a backhanded compliment, but Fu Qian knew every word was true.

Based on what he knew, ever since the initial Old City incident, Su Gao's strength had skyrocketed. She had also officially resigned from her law enforcement post to proactively hunt down criminals.

By the ideals of the Night Watchers or for the safety of ordinary people, she was undoubtedly a guardian angel.

But to the transcendents lurking in the gray areas, hearing her name likely sent a chill down more than a few necks.

Tireless and highly efficient, she had no real hobbies outside of chopping off lawbreakers' heads. Even after advancing to the Demigod Realm, she refused to settle into a life of luxury...

So Yuan Shan was hinting that Wen Li shouldn't ask too many questions—that the woman sitting next to her was not to be trifled with?

Easily arriving at this conclusion, Fu Qian figured it was highly likely.

Chief Yuan might usually act laid-back, but that was merely a chosen attitude toward life.

When it came to the entire world and the survival of transcendents, she saw things with crystal clarity—and harbored zero optimism.

Casually defusing a potentially bloody situation was exactly the sort of thing she would do.

"Is that so..."

It seemed Eldest Miss Wen wasn't the type to pick fights out of stubborn pride, either.

She faintly grasped the underlying warning. As she contemplated the reality of Su Gao's life as a transcendent, her wariness gave way to a hint of quiet sympathy.

"I'm not exaggerating."

Yuan Shan continued to validate Su Gao's glorious deeds, casting an intentional—or perhaps unintentional—glance at the young woman's sword.

Murder weapons that had drunk their fill of blood always tended to take on a certain legendary aura—Screech!

As the saying goes, safety stems from vigilance, and accidents from negligence. Right in the midst of that chilling atmosphere, a moment's distraction actually triggered a harsh screech of brakes.

Fu Qian's forehead nearly slammed into the back of Yuan Shan's seat; he only avoided disaster because Wen Li caught him.

...

She was a veteran driver, after all; even if distracted, she shouldn't have panicked like that.

Obviously, all the passengers could understand that there was a reason for Yuan Shan's unprofessional driving.

As they all peered out the windshield, the reason revealed itself—a massive ravine.

In the blink of an eye, the car's front wheels were nearly teetering over the edge. The road ahead was completely severed.

Through the rolling mist, a pitch-black, bottomless abyss yawned before them.

Had Yuan Shan reacted a split second later, the car would have plummeted straight down. It was a terrifyingly close call.

...Wasn't this a bit too cliché?

For Fu Qian, the scene evoked even more of a reaction, considering the metaphors he had just been making.

"How did this happen?"

As the one who had organized the ride, Wen Li naturally raised the question the moment she saw the scene ahead.

Clearly, as far as she was concerned, this situation shouldn't be happening.

"I'm not sure. This isn't normal."

Yuan Shan's response was blunt. While it sounded like empty fluff to build atmosphere, it at least proved she actually had some understanding of this place.

She stepped out of the car to inspect the area as she spoke, fully embracing the role of a dedicated driver.

"It looks like we really can't get out... I just checked, and this ravine stretches as far as the eye can see."

Unfortunately, the news she brought back upon her return a moment later was far from optimistic.

None of them were rookies. They weren't naive enough to think they could just turn around and easily find another route, meaning this place had effectively become a dead end.

"It doesn't look that wide, though. We could just jump across."

As a member of the team, Fu Qian felt he shouldn't be too uncooperative, even if he wasn't exactly a go-getter.

Breaking the brief silence, Fu Qian—who had been acting as a silent listener the entire trip—finally spoke up, pointing ahead to emphasize that they shouldn't overstate the problem.

He wasn't talking nonsense, either. While the ravine might stretch endlessly to the left and right, the opposite bank wasn't actually that far away. They could clearly see the severed road and the houses on the other side.

It might have been an impassable chasm for ordinary mortals, but for transcendents whose flesh had been strengthened to a certain degree, the distance wasn't too outrageous.

In fact, a veteran like Yuan Shan could probably pick the car up and jump across with it without an issue.

"Are you joking?"

Expert Fu's stunning commentary immediately drew the attention of his three traveling companions.

Their attitudes weren't exactly supportive, however. All three of them frowned in unison.

"Is there a problem?"

Sensing there was more to their reaction, Fu Qian turned to Wen Li, completely unabashed about asking for clarification.

"If you managed to hide in this place, you couldn't possibly be unaware of its unique traits. For example, you can only leave here by using normal modes of transportation."

It was Yuan Shan who answered him, gesturing toward the opposite bank as she spoke.

"And that's not where we're headed."

...

Ah, so that was it. That made perfect sense.

Concise and to the point, Yuan Shan's answer instantly cleared up a multitude of doubts.

Like why this place was utterly deserted, why she had insisted on getting a car, and why Su Gao had needed to hitch a ride in the first place...

Whether this was a dreamscape or not, this place clearly operated on certain abstract properties.

But with that in mind, the obstacle could no longer be ignored. The ravine blocking their path truly was an impassable chasm.

"Someone's here."

Right then, Su Gao—who hadn't voiced any opinion on their sudden predicament—spoke up, her words startling them.

"You saw someone?"

Wen Li instantly went on high alert, scanning their surroundings with a skeptical gaze.

"No, but there should be someone."

Su Gao shook her head, offering a twist that rivaled crying wolf.

"...So he wasn't the one joking, you are?"

For a moment, even Wen Li couldn't hold back her exasperation.

"How could she be? I'm the one joking."

The next moment, someone actually responded to her—but it wasn't Su Gao. It was another voice, one both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.

...

So even a deceased senior like you managed to show up here?

The sudden turn of events undeniably shocked everyone present.

But as he stared in the direction of the voice, the most shocked person was undoubtedly Fu Qian.

Brown hair and a white coat. If it wasn't Professor Nepheli, a remnant of the Origin Council, then who was it?

More importantly, she couldn't even be considered a remnant anymore—she was strictly deceased. Her appearance made the realism of this place plummet even further.

"If possible, I'd like to hitch a ride."

Smiling as she approached step by step, Nepheli calmly voiced her request.

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