Eldritch Horror Theatre

Old Man Chaumont was as seasoned and steady as expected. No wonder he served as the team's person in charge.

Passing through the walls of the Great Hall without any resistance, Fu Qian walked across the water, entirely unsurprised by the Hunting Squad's reaction.

Just as he had figured, if Chaumont were confident he could dispose of him while keeping the situation under control, he would have struck long ago.

They were all veterans at this; merely making an empty show of strength was pointless.

With Logan at such a critical juncture, Chaumont lacked the nerve to take that risk.

Of course, it might have been a different story if he'd waited any longer. Judging by the time, Old Man Logan would soon reach the point where one Qi transforms into the Three Pure Ones.

...

Fu Qian moved noticeably faster on his return trip, even deliberately taking a different route than before.

However, just as he neared the shore, right at the final step before leaving the water, he faltered.

The strike had manifested without a sound. Had he maintained his previous speed, it absolutely would have hit its mark.

There was no need to ask. Given these seemingly familiar methods, it was obviously Brother Ballard.

His weapon seemed capable of striking from any reflective surface. There might not have been any chandeliers here, but the water was as placid as a mirror.

Sighing inwardly, Fu Qian decisively let go, abandoned the idea of stepping ashore, and shifted two paces to the side.

His reaction wasn't slow by any means, but even so, when his foot came down, the surface beneath him felt flawlessly smooth and emanated a bone-piercing chill.

Silently, the water had frozen over.

With his movement, the chill instantly surged upward, freezing his legs in place.

Looking up, Fu Qian spotted a figure standing on all fours—the ice wolf known as the Crystal Demigod.

The wolf opened her jaws wide, spewing out a thick plume of white mist.

Their coordination was exquisite. More importantly, it was as if they had been waiting right here for him. Was this the fetter of "fate"?

In his quiet admiration, Fu Qian abandoned any attempt to move, simply allowing the endless icy mist to envelop him.

In a matter of seconds, he was completely sealed within a massive block of ice, resembling a giant piece of Amber floating on the water.

"This guy... what's your relationship with him?"

Despite not being human, Crystal had a rich array of facial expressions.

Having successfully captured her target, she was clearly astonished by his unique appearance.

After looking him up and down, she couldn't help but turn and ask Ballard.

"None."

Ballard's denial came incredibly fast. Perhaps to show his sincerity, he lifted his visor right as he spoke, revealing his face.

Having clarified that, he eyed Fu Qian from head to toe, clearly displeased by this malicious imitation.

"I've never seen this guy before."

"But he's obviously the one the Prophet told us to find."

Crystal wasn't inclined to dwell on the issue, casting a glance toward the illusory firelight in the center of The Lake.

"Let's take him back first. We need to figure out exactly what happened."

"Alright."

Ballard nodded, but before they set off, he followed her gaze. His eyes brimmed with killing intent; he seemed to have already drawn his own conclusions.

"Damned outsider."

...

Having the privilege of riding the Covetous Heart Chariot once again—albeit in a rather unique posture—Fu Qian was quickly delivered to the ground floor of the Prophet's apartment building.

Upon seeing a certain figure standing in front of the building, the Crystal Demigod who had ridden back with him tossed him to the ground without another word.

"Well done."

The person receiving them didn't mind the rough handling at all, offering her praise with a smile.

At the same time, several bone claws extended from her back, directly "embracing" the block of ice.

That's right, the person waiting below was none other than Akasha.

It wasn't entirely surprising. While she couldn't exactly be considered a staunch member of the Order faction, if Catherine's situation had progressed normally, Akasha would have obviously been forced onto active duty to make up for her blunder.

And considering the bad blood between the two of them, Crystal's cold demeanor was perfectly understandable.

"Careful, this guy is quite strange. He might have even let himself get trapped on purpose."

Ballard, whose sense of responsibility was clearly far stronger, warned Akasha with a stern expression.

"Strange indeed. How come he looks so much like you?"

Hearing this, Akasha looked the frozen Fu Qian up and down, nodding with mock solemnity.

Her focus, however, had clearly missed Ballard's point completely, causing the muscles in his face to twitch.

"In all fairness, though, the black is noticeably easier on the eyes."

Yet she wasn't done, deciding to twist the knife one more time.

...

Ballard's glare was razor-sharp, though he seemed utterly helpless against Akasha's antics.

Fortunately, she didn't offer any further scathing critiques. Flashing a charming smile, she carried Fu Qian straight into the building.

"I'll pass along your concerns, but the Prophet specifically asked to see him alone."

A moment later, still in his peculiar pose, Fu Qian made his second visit to the Prophet's Residence.

Without even setting him down, Akasha reached forward and stroked the surface of the ice block.

Truth be told, the gesture felt rather lewd, but following her movements, a loosely woven layer of spiderwebs began to materialize over the ice.

As the strands quickly linked into a continuous net, the webs began to relentlessly contract inward.

A dense barrage of crisp shattering sounds rang out.

The seemingly fragile spider silk displayed unparalleled toughness and sharpness. The ice block was rapidly sliced apart, its fragments scattering across the floor in the blink of an eye.

Miraculously, when the webbing finally reached Fu Qian's Mirror Armor, it stopped with absolute precision, adhering flat against the surface instead.

At a glance, Fu Qian looked exactly like prey trussed up by a spider.

"Sorry about that, but since the person you're about to meet is a bit fragile, I had to set up a few precautions."

Covering her mouth, she offered this explanation to the newly freed Fu Qian.

"It's only proper. I should also thank you for helping me clean that off."

Not bothering with anything as tedious as faking unconsciousness, Fu Qian tapped his visor, revealing his true face to earnestly thank her.

Even with that small motion, he could feel the incredible elasticity of the spider silk; any force he exerted was instantly caught and absorbed by the strands.

It was indeed an excellent method of restraint—for an ordinary demigod, at least.

"The silk will restrict your movements a little, but it won't last long. Don't worry."

Seeming to sense Fu Qian's sincerity, Akasha shot him a flirtatious look, even deliberately leaning close to his ear as she explained.

"Of course, you could always come find me later. I'll personally help you untie it... or perhaps reinforce it?"

"A face I've never seen before, and you look incredibly strong, too. Today really is a wonderful day."

"You have eyes like torches."

In the face of Akasha's bold, fiery praise, Fu Qian nodded, highly commending her sharp judgment.

Haha...

After a brief moment of surprise, it was clear Akasha was genuinely amused.

Yet she hadn't forgotten her duty. The very next moment, she casually pushed the door open.

"Go on in."

As she spoke, her bone claws dragged reluctantly across Fu Qian's body.

"Don't take too long now. Make it quick."

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