Eldritch Horror Theatre

"It seems the disaster truly brought something interesting."

Yasui Tokiyuki watched the crushed ice surge like waves, welling up relentlessly from the bottom of the giant crater. He showed no intention of retreating.

Neither did Fu Qian.

A deafening roar echoed a moment later, and a massive black shadow shattered the ice, bursting outward.

Sporting hideous fangs and blood-red eyes, it was a gigantic snake.

But that was merely the beginning. Amidst an earth-shattering tremor, more heads of varying shapes tore their way out one after another.

"In the legends of Ye Island, there is a massive monster with eight heads."

Faced with this scene, Yasui Tokiyuki spoke in the detached tone of a narrator.

"To think it would actually manifest alongside the disaster."

Fu Qian naturally did not believe that this thing had actually arrived with that chunk of Heavenly Ice.

As a newly advanced Tier 1, Yasui Tokiyuki clearly wielded a highly unique authority.

It was just like his previous manipulation of notoriety, or the moon beneath their feet.

He seemed able to define concepts out of thin air and even physically manifest them.

The only difference between this monster and the moon they stood on was that the beast already existed within the consensus of Ye Island; it did not require him to plant a seed to guide it into being.

Crack!

Fu Qian's right arm stretched into a whip, directly lashing out and sending one of the monster's heads flying.

Sure enough, the beast had not so much as glanced at Yasui Tokiyuki, launching its attack entirely at him instead.

Though he easily deflected the strike, Fu Qian recognized its terrifying power.

A casual blow carried the might of at least the Demigod Tier. It was even stronger than Chelfus, who had sported a similar form.

"Not bad. But this creature is a frenzied, bloodthirsty thing. Do be careful, Mister Dancy."

Yasui Tokiyuki continued his commentary.

He was right. Failing to land its first strike, the monster grew visibly more enraged.

Of course, there was likely another reason: Fu Qian's whip had just ruptured one of its eyeballs.

Before Yasui Tokiyuki could even finish his sentence, the eight heads, seething with killing intent, snapped down in unison. Their angles, force, and coordination were flawless, sealing off any avenue of escape.

However, Fu Qian had never planned on running.

Tendril Barrage Devastator!

He unleashed his ultimate move without hesitation.

Radiating an almost tangible darkness, hundreds upon thousands of tentacles exploded outward, surging to meet the onslaught.

Roar!

Blood rained down like a waterfall.

Amidst screams that overlapped into a single shriek, the monster's remaining fifteen eyes were instantly obliterated. The piercing holes riddling its heads were as dense as a showerhead.

Even so, the beast displayed an absurd vitality. It refused to fall, indiscriminately snapping and tearing at its surroundings.

Watching the crushed ice and gravel fly through the air, Yasui Tokiyuki's smile faded. A translucent tortoise shell enveloped him once again.

The monster's dying throes failed to leave a single mark upon it.

Similarly, its impotent rage failed to harm Fu Qian in the slightest.

Retracting his attack, he advanced instead of retreating, leaping directly into the deep crater.

A few seconds later, the rampaging snake heads abruptly stiffened before convulsing in unison.

Before it could react further, a series of straight incisions appeared across its immense body. The cuts spread rapidly, as if countless invisible blades were slicing it from the void.

In an instant, the eight massive heads were riddled with holes. They collapsed limply, reduced to neat chunks of meat and stark white bones by the time they hit the ground.

Stepping lightly against one of the exposed bones, Fu Qian used the recoil to launch himself upward, landing back at the edge of the crater.

"Splendid work, Mister Dancy."

The crater had become a bottomless abyss of blood. Yasui Tokiyuki dismissed his tortoise shell and evaluated Fu Qian.

Deep, bone-baring gashes could be seen across the latter's body, but they were already healing at a visible rate.

"Ancient and sublime. I'm suddenly beginning to believe the Pope's claims."

"Furthermore, the fact that you harm even believers aligns closely with my impression of the ancient gods."

He had clearly misunderstood something. It seemed Yasui Tokiyuki assumed that Fu Qian's mask and the Mark of Old Days he had just invoked shared the same origin.

"According to legend, slaying this monster yields a precious sword."

His praise concluded, Yasui Tokiyuki turned to look back into the crater, his tone laced with pity.

"A pity it seems rather difficult to find now. Wait a moment—"

Reaching into the empty air, Yasui Tokiyuki closed his fist. A distinctively styled Shortsword immediately materialized in his grasp.

"It seems I've found it."

So it wasn't just monsters—even Items could be manifested? This ability was slightly absurd.

Without needing to step closer, Fu Qian could tell that the weapon possessed a considerably high Rank.

But he only focused on it for a moment before continuing to embody the spirit of learning.

"You mentioned earlier that reckless consumption left your state in chaos, blinding you to any hope of further progression. Was it Nepheli who sought you out after that?"

"That is actually what you're concerned about?"

Yasui Tokiyuki looked slightly disappointed, but he still planted the sword into the ground and answered the question.

"Correct. Though I tried to keep it secret, over time, news of my unstable condition still leaked out. Not long after, Nepheli came to me."

"I didn't trust her at first, until she offered some incredible advice that helped me digest certain things."

"After my condition stabilized, I remained clueless about my advancement. That was when Nepheli proposed another suggestion, just with some exchange conditions attached."

"The Miracle Potion?"

"Yes, the Miracle Potion. Though it is somewhat sensitive, it wasn't without room to maneuver. She clearly evaluated the limits of my capabilities before bringing it up."

"Understandable. Based on my experience dealing with the Origin Council, that is indeed their style."

Fu Qian nodded.

"So, the ritual she designed for you—aside from defining the concept of notoriety and materializing it, did it also require a demigod's cooperation? You deliberately instigated the recent conflicts, didn't you?"

"You've truly reaped quite the harvest on Ye Island."

Yasui Tokiyuki did not hide his surprise.

"Almost entirely. Of course, Nepheli only provided a general direction. The specific details were left for me to puzzle out on my own."

"The will of a Divine Being, much like its physical body, has already undergone a fundamental metamorphosis. When subjected to the cognitive distortions brought about by notoriety, it automatically segments and purges the influence. It doesn't struggle to distinguish friend from foe like ordinary mortals do."

"The final step of the ritual utilizes this point. It forces two clearly defined wills to coexist within a single body, achieving a fractured effect where the misled will drives the actions."

"To maximize the effect, I chose to have Sybil slaughter her teammates and announce her defection to Anjing."

Yasui Tokiyuki's tone was thick with emotion.

"Reaching that degree was not easy. At the very least, I have no way to replicate it a second time—if we were outside, anyway. So, I am very grateful that you accepted the invitation to come here."

"Not only is it more confidential here on the Half-Step Moon, but my operations are also far more flexible."

"Of course, even so, it was a drawn-out process. You should understand by now why I've chatted with you for so long?"

"But rest assured, you won't be joining Anjing."

"At this very moment, are you very unwilling, yet still aware that you will go and kill that demigod of the Night Watchers?"

Unwilling, yet aware I'll do it?

After a brief silence, Fu Qian glanced at the increasingly vivid Red Moon in the sky, then shook his head.

"No."

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