Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Speaking of which, I actually know an idiot like that."

After commenting on Fu Qian's words, Bernard took another swig of liquor and suddenly added, "Her name is Loretta. If you really go to The Monastery, you might consider finding her to compare notes."

He wore a look of irrepressible mockery as he spoke.

Afterward, Bernard leaned all the way back, assuming the posture of a host ready to see his guest out.

'Loretta? Not a name I've heard before.'

'Regardless, I suppose this counts as the reward for a side quest?'

Fu Qian nodded to himself.

Judging by Bernard's posture, his mockery carried a hint of lament. Fu Qian wondered what kind of relationship the two of them had.

Confirming that Bernard had completely lost interest in talking, Fu Qian didn't pester him any further and headed straight out the door.

But his intuition told him the success rate of such an approach would be dismally low.

The man gave off the distinct impression that he wasn't the least bit afraid of death.

...

After leaving Bernard's Bookstore, Fu Qian didn't waste any more time. It didn't take him long to reach his destination.

The Monastery sat at the foot of the mountain, built entirely from red brick and stone.

Its mottled exterior walls were even more ancient—or perhaps simply more dilapidated—than he had imagined.

Aside from the residential quarters, the building was open to visitors. Given the fine weather, it was surprisingly crowded.

Naturally, Fu Qian unceremoniously headed straight for the residential quarters to ask for Loretta by name.

Disturbing someone's peace like this was undoubtedly asking for a beating.

But as everyone knew, practitioners were as broad-minded as the sea and as humble as a valley. They wouldn't mind a little impoliteness too much... right?

The main issue was that as a mere mortal right now, sneaking in to find someone was entirely unrealistic. Getting caught would just make things even more awkward.

As it turned out, practitioners were indeed approachable. After a wait of about ten minutes, someone actually came over to inform him that Loretta was waiting for him in a nearby meditation room.

The sheer smoothness of the process formed a stark contrast to his previous experiences, prompting Fu Qian to sigh in lament for a good while.

Following the directions to the meditation room, he pushed open the door and saw a thin-faced woman sitting inside.

She wore coarse robes and possessed a serene temperament, her hair faintly graying.

This must be Her Excellency Loretta.

"Hello."

Hearing the door open, she looked up, her eyes remarkably bright.

"I don't believe we've met."

Truly worthy of being an accomplished practitioner. Even while stating she didn't know Fu Qian, she still wore a warm smile and offered a gentle greeting.

'Look at her!'

Witnessing this, Fu Qian almost reflexively thought of a certain smoking, drinking, unwashed bookstore owner.

Their respective images and temperaments were as far apart as heaven and earth.

Fu Qian felt a profound sense of contempt for Bernard's degeneracy.

"That's fine. We know each other now."

Fu Qian maintained his overly familiar demeanor.

"Actually, I heard that your cultivation is highly accomplished—that you've succeeded in illuminating the mind and seeing one's true nature, transcending the mundane. I came specifically to ask for your guidance."

"Your tone reminds me of someone."

Loretta paused for a moment upon hearing his words before offering a gentle smile.

"Let me guess," she said. "Is it a guy whose clothes look like they haven't been washed in three years, who always has a smoke or a drink in his hand, and whose hair is so dirty it could grow mushrooms?"

"So, Bernard really did send you here?"

As she described him, a hint of joy actually slipped into Loretta's voice.

"You could say that. He thought I was a rare talent and figured I could learn a thing or two from you about self-deception."

...

Unsurprisingly, Fu Qian's words caused a brief silence.

Loretta was taken aback once more, then smiled and shook her head, looking utterly helpless.

"I thought he might have changed his ways, but it seems he's exactly the same."

"How to practice self-deception... yes, that certainly sounds like something he would say!"

"So, what kind of trouble have you run into?"

With her lament finished, she looked at Fu Qian and asked.

"Yes, I haven't been sleeping very well lately."

Fu Qian earnestly explained his medical history.

"And I keep seeing these strange scenes."

Hmm?

Loretta's gaze sharpened by a fraction.

"What kind of strange scenes?"

"Everyone will be acting perfectly normal, going about their business, but then they suddenly go crazy. They start clawing at their own faces or slitting their own throats."

"Afterward, the entire city falls into ruin. Not a single person can be seen, as if it's been abandoned for ages."

As Fu Qian spoke, he observed Loretta's reaction.

She didn't disappoint him; her expression became visibly grave.

"When did this situation of yours begin?"

Waiting for him to finish, she asked with a solemn look on her face.

"A long time ago. Almost a month, I'd say."

Fu Qian recalled the timeline he had previously pieced together.

"Is that so?"

Loretta sank into a long silence before finally letting out a soft sigh.

"Believe me, I can imagine the pain you're in. I can also roughly guess Bernard's purpose in sending you here."

"But there is some good news. Bernard is simply too pessimistic; this isn't a completely hopeless situation."

As she spoke, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"What I can tell you is that you aren't the only one suffering from this torment. The first thing you must do is ensure you don't lose yourself in it. You have to use your iron will to anchor yourself to the world you truly belong to."

"At the same time, I can make one thing absolutely clear: this is by no means a futile struggle."

Loretta's expression was unusually earnest.

"For now, I can't tell you the exact method I'm currently exploring. But believe me, as soon as I'm certain it works, I will definitely share it."

"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."

Fu Qian looked at Loretta's assured face.

Based on his experience, a person like her wouldn't make such absolute guarantees lightly. It seemed she genuinely had a fair amount of confidence in her ability to resist that Nightmare-like experience.

At the same time, it was beyond a doubt that she had been plagued by a similar affliction.

Was that why she had hidden herself away in The Monastery?

However, he could easily tell that Bernard was highly disdainful of her actions, even calling them self-deception.

"Could you reveal a little bit about the specific direction you're approaching this from?"

"The direction?"

Loretta pondered for a moment before offering a gentle smile.

"Perhaps through pain."

'Hmm?'

Her answer made Fu Qian subconsciously scrutinize her body.

It was hard to imagine such a kind and gentle lady wrapping herself in things like spiked belts.

"A reasonable amount of pain, of course. Please don't go trying anything reckless."

Loretta seemed to understand his confusion and immediately offered a warning.

But Fu Qian keenly noticed that as she spoke, she intentionally or otherwise brushed a hand over her hair.

'So it's not her body, but her head?'

Fu Qian stared at her faintly graying hair.

It was still thick enough that he couldn't see the scalp beneath.

If it really involved her head, he was genuinely curious about the exact mechanics of it.

'Could it be that she takes a needle and stabs it directly inside?'

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