Eldritch Horror Theatre

This was just absurdly unlucky. In a place this massive, to actually run into two monsters back-to-back!

Facing Patrick's bloodthirsty glare, Elena was visibly in a foul mood.

Strictly speaking, the Sin Fire burning on Patrick was a fraction weaker than Swordsman Yun's.

But only by a fraction.

Judging by the scorch marks covering his body, Patrick had claimed a rich harvest lately, his strength skyrocketing.

Fu Qian glanced at the corpse on the ground, finding it faintly familiar.

If he recalled correctly, these people were from that last group in the hall—members of that temporary alliance.

Sure enough, they hadn't escaped Patrick's murderous hands after all!

It wasn't exactly surprising. Elena had been right; without genuine strength to back it up, a hastily formed alliance was nothing more than a flock of sheep huddling together for warmth.

"Looks like today is my lucky day."

Patrick tossed the mutilated corpse to the ground, flashing the three of them a crazed grin like a hyena spotting fresh prey.

"Unfortunately, you won't be as lucky this time."

Before his voice faded, a hooked chain whipped from his hand, shooting straight for Elena.

Dark red fire flickered along its length, and twisted chunks of flesh and blood seemed to cling to the metal.

Clang!

Beside Elena, Cross had been on high alert from the very beginning.

Seeing the Butcher attack without hesitation, he immediately lunged forward, blocking the hook with his weapon.

Even so, the force of the blow left his arm numb.

Foul blood splattered from the chain, sizzling against his hammer and corroding several craters into the metal.

"Not bad. Looks like I was right not to make a move earlier."

The Butcher laughed wildly at the sight. He took a massive stride forward and whipped the chain out once again.

"But it's a pity—I'm not the man I used to be!"

"Go!"

Facing the chain shooting straight for her face again, Elena's gaze hardened. A blinding sphere of white light erupted around her.

The violent shockwave not only blasted the incoming chain aside, but even caused the Butcher's footsteps to falter.

Seizing the opening, she shouted a single word, turned, and bolted.

Just as avoiding a drawn-out fight with Swordsman Yun earlier had kept Patrick from hunting them freely, tangling with Patrick now was an equally terrible idea.

Finding the Goddess Statue was the only thing that mattered, so she decisively chose to flee.

As a loyal guard, Cross responded instantly. He followed close on her heels, casually parrying another incoming chain strike as he retreated.

Despite watching his prey escape, the Butcher stood rooted in place. He continued to laugh wildly, completely unhinged, looking for all the world like the Sin Fire had thoroughly cooked his brain.

A second later, however, his laughter came to an abrupt halt. He stared at Fu Qian, who was standing beside him.

The warehouse manager was simply standing there, looking completely relaxed. He hadn't moved an inch.

"You aren't running?"

Bloodshot eyes locked onto Fu Qian, and the corners of Patrick's mouth curled up in a sneer, as if mocking trapped prey.

"I'm not running. You can make your move."

Fu Qian shook his head, his tone resolute.

...

Faced with a target who had seemingly just given up, Patrick's expression grew strange, and he didn't attack immediately.

"Why aren't you running? Are you not afraid to die?"

"Die?"

As if he had just heard a ridiculous joke, Fu Qian snorted. He stood with his hands behind his back, recalling Swordsman Yun's earlier words.

"Endless confusion, tormented day and night... over the years, I've learned that there are far too many things more terrifying than death."

"And on the path of the demigod, death is but the finest whetstone. I shall rise from the ashes and achieve Rebirth!"

In the midst of Fu Qian's speech, delivered in a tone that suggested he was about to transform, Patrick suddenly threw himself to the side, dodging a blood-red whip that lashed at his head.

"So don't stand on ceremony."

When his strike missed, Fu Qian made no move to press the assault. Instead, he just smiled at Patrick.

"This time, I'm only here to beat someone to death, or to be beaten to death myself."

...

"Since that's how it is!"

Patrick fell into a brief silence at Fu Qian's words. Then, he looked up at the sky and burst into wild laughter.

"Then I'll grant your wish!"

The next moment, his massive frame leaped high into the air. He bolted off into the distance without a single backward glance.

"What... he..."

Ten seconds later, realizing something was wrong, Elena returned from the distance.

Staring in the direction Patrick had disappeared, her features scrunched together in bewilderment.

"Was he just trying to scare us? Did he actually not want to fight?"

A second later, Elena jolted, realizing the problem.

"Couldn't be more obvious, right?"

Fu Qian shot her a look.

"Think about it. Given the Butcher's style, didn't you escape a little too easily just now?"

"True..."

Elena agreed with Fu Qian, then muttered to herself.

"But why? He's clearly built up an intense Fire of Sin. There's no reason for him to be this cautious!"

"Maybe because he's just like us."

Fu Qian blinked.

"You mean he's also in a hurry to find the Goddess Statue?"

Elena instantly caught on.

"That seems to be the only reason! It can't be that he suddenly grew a conscience."

Fu Qian sighed.

"The man is a two-time defending champion, so his grasp of the rules has to be exceptional. And judging by his previous performance, his madness is fake and his caution is real. There's no way he's ignoring the threat of the Sin Seeker."

"If I were him, rather than waiting for people like you to constantly power up the Sin Seeker to harass me, there's a much simpler and more effective method—"

"Guard the Goddess Statue. Kill everyone who shows up, one by one or two by two. In short, deny you all the chance to pray to the Goddess for purification."

"Under those circumstances, even if the Sin Seeker could repeatedly resurrect, it wouldn't be a threat at all."

"If the three of us had been weak just now, he certainly wouldn't have minded killing us in passing. But dealing with us looked like it would take quite a bit of effort, and he's in an even bigger rush than we are."

Was that really the case?

Elena and Cross fell silent after Fu Qian's explanation.

It undeniably made sense. Unfortunately, the two of them had just been scared off and hadn't even realized something was wrong.

"So!"

Fu Qian didn't give them much time to digest this.

"If we trust the defending champion's judgment, we should probably go after him. It's highly likely he already has a clue about the Goddess Statue's location."

"...Alright!"

Elena agreed after a moment's hesitation.

They were currently out of leads anyway, so following him was a viable plan.

At worst, they would just run away again if they were spotted.

Although it was all Fu Qian's speculation, Patrick had indeed been making an empty show of strength just now.

...

Tracking Patrick wasn't difficult, as the man casually left a trail of bloody murders in his wake.

Following the direction he left, the three of them tracked him all the way and discovered a pool of water as smooth as a mirror.

To think a place like this actually existed down here. Were there any fish inside?

Fu Qian bent over, just about to take a closer look at the water, when his right hand suddenly shot out and caught an arrow.

At the same time, Elena let out a groan of pain, having already been hit.

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