Eldritch Horror Theatre

Often, lies were indeed better at winning people over.

Even if the words were actually the truth, merely misunderstood as lies.

Taking the lead, Fu Qian fell into a rather unconventional reflection on life.

The carriage, carrying two Divine Emissaries, followed a few dozen meters behind.

Of course, Eco and the Demigod puppet flanked Fu Qian much more closely, denying him any chance to escape along the way.

Fu Qian voiced no objections to this arrangement.

Losing their prey was one thing, but he simply knew too much.

The Hunting Squad would never allow him to slip away easily and spread their secrets.

In fact, Fu Qian was quite satisfied with the current situation.

An unavoidable fight had ultimately been resolved by efficiently turning weapons into peace, and he had even picked up a few enforcers in the process.

This was the charm of the principle that a gentleman uses words, not fists!

...

"So you actually seem happy?"

Since Fu Qian had neither lowered his faceplate nor bothered to hide his relaxed demeanor, Eco, walking beside him, studied him for a long moment before finally speaking up.

"We're going to shatter a cage. Why shouldn't I be happy?"

Fu Qian gave her a strange look.

Clearly, Old Man Chaumont hadn't used any Thousand-Mile Voice Transmission techniques to explain the ins and outs of the situation to her.

Eco's question likely stemmed partly from genuine surprise, but it was mostly a subconscious probe born of underlying unease.

"But are you that certain you'll be able to escape once the cage is broken?"

Eco asked evenly.

Fu Qian had already revealed their destination, so she didn't need to worry that provoking him would make him back out and jeopardize the operation.

"Isn't it possible that, because your connection to it is too close, you'll be reduced to ash along with the cage?"

"Hmph. You know absolutely nothing about the Descent Faction."

Faced with Eco's doubts, Fu Qian looked completely dismissive, finding it beneath him to argue.

"Why go outside? Is the outside definitely better?"

"It's exactly because this cage exists that I appeared at all. My final destiny is to vanish right along with it!"

'Because by then, I'll have finished the mission and gone home.'

Even as he hit Eco with a shock of pure idealism, Fu Qian silently appended that thought.

Seeing her rendered momentarily speechless, Fu Qian said no more and simply looked around.

The carriage behind them showed no signs of anything unusual.

Old Man Chaumont might not have explained anything to Eco, but with the Demigod puppet present, Fu Qian was certain their entire exchange had been relayed straight to his ears, down to the slightest facial expression.

It seemed this further fleshed out his fabricated persona, making the Old Man feel even more at ease about this trip.

...

To avoid looking suspicious and raising unnecessary alarm, the group didn't walk very fast, allowing Fu Qian to leisurely observe his surroundings.

Armed with his prior knowledge, he naturally picked out more details.

First, his progress was no longer as smooth as before; he was forced to pause every now and then.

This was easy to understand. After all, his fate was being influenced by Eco and the Demigod puppet. Not only were they outsiders, but they were also practically glued to his side.

Meanwhile, the carriage behind them maintained a very natural rhythm, blending in perfectly with the other carriages without standing out.

Chaumont clearly knew quite a bit about this place. When he had set up the trap to ambush Fu Qian earlier, he hadn't immediately shown up at the bar—likely because he was off making similar arrangements.

Of course, considering their goals aligned this time, Fu Qian didn't care about that at all.

Not only had Fu Qian dispelled his Mirror Armor at the first opportunity to minimize unnecessary attention, but when choosing their route, he also deliberately avoided the restaurant where Catherine worked.

According to his previous experience, the First Order guardian Ballard should be keeping watch there right now.

...

The destination wasn't too far. Maintaining this steady pace, the group encountered no obstacles along the way and successfully arrived at the Lake.

"Is this it?"

Looking at the utterly lifeless water of the Lake, Eco seemed somewhat surprised by how smoothly it had gone.

But without a doubt, the scene before them perfectly matched Fu Qian's description.

"If this place is really as important as you claim, why isn't anyone guarding it?"

Chaumont and his companion dropped all pretense now. Stoss drove the carriage closer and asked directly.

"Who says there isn't?"

Fu Qian pointed with his chin toward a spot in the distance, indicating an inconspicuous apartment building.

It was entirely easy to imagine that on a certain balcony, Yuan Fang was quietly lying in the darkness.

And the current scene by the Lake was almost certainly not escaping his notice.

"I said it before: the connection between Divine Beings in this world is far more wondrous than you can imagine."

"I can tell you that right in that direction, a figure known as the Prophet hasn't taken his eyes off this place."

Looking at the doubtful and bewildered Night Watchers, Fu Qian smiled.

"So we had better hurry."

...

Clearly, the Night Watchers weren't entirely convinced by this talk of a Prophet.

But they completely agreed on one thing: they needed to act fast.

Stoss glanced back, briefly met Chaumont's eyes, and then jumped right off the carriage to stand with Fu Qian and the other two.

"Let's go, Mister Andiel."

"Alright."

Fu Qian nodded and stepped straight into the Lake, raising no objections to Chaumont and the carriage staying behind.

With intelligence hand-delivered like this, the Hunting Squad understandably didn't want both Divine Emissaries charging blindly into the unknown—that was just human nature.

At the same time, Chaumont staying back allowed him to monitor the Natives' reactions.

Of course, in Fu Qian's estimation, this was highly likely a waste of effort.

Yuan Fang seeing this unfold was one thing; calling for backup was entirely another.

Judging from previous events, he might actually be quite happy to see outsiders entering this place.

...

"So where is this fire you mentioned?"

Just like Akasha and her companion, Eco and Stoss—being a Demigod and a Divine Emissary—had their own methods of walking on the Lake as if it were flat ground.

As they neared the center of the Lake, Stoss stared coldly at Fu Qian, who had come to a halt, and demanded an answer.

From their previous encounters, it was clear this man had a fiery temper and very little patience.

"Don't rush."

Fu Qian shook his head as he calculated their position. A moment later, he snapped his fingers, and the Mirror Armor rapidly encased his body.

"You..."

Startled and suspicious, Eco reached out instantly, but her hand grasped only air.

Fu Qian had already vanished from the spot.

At the same time, Eco realized the surface of the Lake beneath her feet had actually begun to harden. Before she could figure out what was happening, she found herself standing inside a magnificent Great Hall.

And in the center of the Great Hall, a Stone Coffin instantly drew her attention.

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