Eldritch Horror Theatre

Very well. Another hitchhiker.

Nepheli had made her entrance with the air of a mastermind behind the scenes, only to reveal that she just wanted to tag along for the ride.

It was a bit abstract, but to Fu Qian, aside from the fact that she was theoretically dead, everything else actually made perfect sense.

She was female, she was an acquaintance, and she retained her Transcendent Tier attributes... That checked all the same boxes as before, didn't it?

If Nepheli subsequently announced she wanted to go to the Sanctuary too, Fu Qian wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

“So you caused this?”

Clearly, not everyone was quite so open-minded. Chief Yuan, who had nearly crashed the car a moment ago, was already glaring at the culprit and firing off an interrogation.

“Correct.”

Nepheli showed absolutely no embarrassment as she confirmed it.

It felt like dealing with a lunatic, but Yuan Shan pressed on tenaciously.

“Apologies. I didn't intend to create such a hazard. I mainly wanted to demonstrate my value.”

Her gaze briefly fell to the front wheels, which were practically suspended over the drop. Nepheli emphasized that there was a small element of accident involved; her original intent hadn't been to make things so thrilling.

Her value...

Unfortunately, this so-called original intent seemed to provoke an even stronger reaction.

“Should we take this to mean your actions just now were to show us you can cut off the road ahead, and that if we don't let you in the car, none of us will be leaving?”

Eldest Miss Wen was exceptionally sharp. Instantly grasping the underlying threat, she rolled down her window and casually tossed the question out.

“Yes. After all, I can't just hitch a ride for nothing.”

One had to admit, dying once really changed a person. Nepheli didn't even blink, frankly declaring that this was exactly where her value lay.

...

Not bad. She already has a bit of my shameless vigor from back in the day.

Although Fu Qian had already guessed as much the moment it happened, hearing Nepheli admit it out loud still earned his quiet admiration.

If Su Gao's successful hitchhiking had relied entirely on her personal aura, it clearly wasn't going to be as easy for Excellency Nepheli to repeat the feat.

While her appearance was certainly striking, she simply couldn't compare to that uniquely detached presence.

But everyone had their own way of surviving. What she lacked in aura, she made up for with technique.

Nepheli had clearly done some reverse thinking to find a different kind of advantage—

She didn't need to be helpful; she just needed the ability to cause a massive problem.

And Miracles, as a special form of power, had demonstrated their piercing efficacy on multiple occasions.

Even in a situation like the one before them, it wasn't strange for one to produce some unbelievable effects.

Of course, she also needed a thick skin to pull off the entire scheme, and Nepheli's performance on that front was equally stellar.

“You decide.”

The final result was quite effective. After a brief exchange, the group clearly had a firm grasp of the current dynamics.

Yuan Shan hesitated to speak, then directly handed the authority back to Wen Li.

“So, how should we address you, Excellency?”

Eldest Miss Wen didn't lose her poise. Neither giving in to anger nor acting overly charitable, she calmly asked for the woman's name.

Compared to Su Gao, the person in front of her felt much more like a stranger.

“You can call me Sakura Asao.”

Unfortunately, it wasn't just a gap in aura; even her integrity fell woefully short.

Facing Wen Li's inquiry, Nepheli smoothly supplied a name, though she seemed to have shamelessly hijacked someone else's.

“Understood. So, where is Ms. Asao heading?”

It was hard to say how much of that Wen Li actually believed. She gave a slight nod, continuing her questioning without voicing any doubts.

“Anywhere is fine, as long as it gets me out of this place.”

Nepheli's answer wasn't as free-spirited as Su Gao's, carrying only a desperate urgency to flee her cage.

“So it looks like you can only create problems.”

Noncommittal, Wen Li's gaze drifted back to the massive chasm.

“Correct. So please do not doubt my determination to create them.”

Nepheli remained entirely sincere, stressing that because she lacked the means to escape on her own, she absolutely would not let this lifeline slip away.

“Fair and reasonable.”

Wen Li gave a slight nod. Evidently accepting the logic, she finally extended the invitation.

“Please get in. It might be a bit crowded.”

...

In the end, it still played out like a heartwarming tale of stopping to help a stranger in need.

The atmosphere was just a bit odd. Right up until Nepheli expressed her thanks and got in, no one voiced a single objection.

And though he was theoretically her senior, Fu Qian had no intention of exchanging pleasantries; for the moment, he merely observed her movements.

After all, judging by the situation, Nepheli probably had little interest in discussing technical details with him either.

Sure enough, Nepheli chose to open the door on the far side, taking the seat to Wen Li's right to put some distance between herself and the only man present.

“What is it?”

Still, as the one who stuck out the most in the group, Nepheli took the initiative to address Fu Qian a moment later, curious about what he was observing.

“We aren't overloaded.”

Fu Qian tested his vocal cords, confirming that Wen Li hadn't restricted him from speaking to strangers this time, before casually dropping the proverb, “Safety first on the road.”

“Makes sense... I can see you all take this very seriously.”

His angle was refreshingly unconventional enough that even Nepheli fell silent for a moment.

When she spoke again, she gestured toward Fu Qian and Wen Li's bound hands. She had clearly noticed the unique arrangement from the start.

“Yes, we take it extremely seriously, so you'd best not do anything that might cause me to misunderstand.”

The phrasing was a bit ambiguous, but Wen Li showed absolutely no embarrassment. Not only did she agree with Nepheli's observation, but she even added extra emphasis, warning her against pulling any little tricks.

“Of course I won't.”

Narrowing her eyes for a couple of seconds, Nepheli didn't push the issue.

Turning her head to the front, she stretched out a hand, spread her five fingers, and gently blew a breath across them.

The legendary movement of tectonic plates instantly manifested right before their eyes. The two sides of the bottomless chasm began to slowly merge together until not a single crack remained.

...

The massive chasm was instantly sealed. Excellency Nepheli had undoubtedly relied on true strength to back up her earlier claims.

And the sheer effortless grace with which she handled it left no room to doubt that she could do it again at any second.

For a moment, even Chief Yuan said nothing, merely starting the car in silence to resume their journey.

“It's you?”

Normally, things should have returned to a peaceful state by now, yet the quietest person in the car still managed to catch Nepheli's attention.

Unlike with Wen Li, as Nepheli stared at the side of Su Gao's face in the front seat, she looked as if she had just realized something extraordinary.

Having been perfectly composed since she first appeared, her voice now dropped a few notches.

“Just call me Su Gao.”

Su Gao glanced at her and replied with the exact same line.

“...So you had already noticed me earlier?”

Nepheli gave a slight nod, unable to resist asking.

“No.”

Su Gao shook her head.

“If I hadn't shown myself, how would you have resolved it?”

“By killing you.”

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