Eldritch Horror Theatre

Oh?

'It seems I've just stumbled onto something massive!'

Witnessing this bizarre scene, coupled with Serana's narration, Fu Qian instantly pictured a multitude of scenarios.

Given the situation, claiming that this Annalise just happened to share a name and face with the Progenitor of the Blood Clan would be pushing it too far.

But if it wasn't a coincidence... from what Herbert was saying, the Progenitor of the Blood Clan was originally just an ordinary person. A believer in the moon who became some sort of reincarnated soul child?

If this were true, the impact on the Blood Clan—who called themselves her Offspring—would be earth-shattering.

In fact, Serana already looked slightly dazed.

"Do not be lost..."

After a long silence prompted by Annalise's lament, Herbert finally spoke.

"I know..."

Faced with this somewhat peculiar declaration, Annalise sounded conflicted.

"The Progenitor... it can't be."

Listening to this private conversation, the shell-shocked Serana finally couldn't help but mutter.

Fu Qian didn't pay her any mind. He simply walked forward and took a nearby seat to observe from a closer vantage point.

This proved that Annalise and Herbert were no different from the believers outside—they were equally oblivious to the presence of Fu Qian and Serana.

From this angle, the future Progenitor of the Blood Clan appeared to be not even twenty years old.

With green eyes and red lips, set off by a plain yet elegantly styled long dress, her facial features were identical to the Statue's. Yet, she gave off a completely different feeling.

At this moment, her expression was undeniably complicated.

Fu Qian was highly sympathetic to this. 'Worshiping myself...' Anyone encountering this kind of situation would be utterly bewildered, let alone a devout believer like her.

"So... will you serve me forever, Herbert?"

However, after a brief silence, Annalise—who seemed to have somewhat accepted reality—suddenly asked the man who had delivered this divine oracle a strange question.

"...Of course. Forever."

Herbert seemed taken aback for a second, but immediately answered with absolute conviction.

"Good..."

Annalise gave him a deep look.

"I'll go out first."

"Alright."

Herbert, who had just been comforting her, seemed to feel some kind of oppressive pressure. After his brief reply, he simply watched her leave in a daze.

"Do you think she really is the Progenitor?"

Serana finally couldn't hold back anymore. She leaned in and asked.

"You're the one who thinks she isn't, right?"

Fu Qian shot her a noncommittal look and countered with a smile.

"She can't be!"

Serana gritted her teeth.

"Give me a reason. List out exactly why you think it's impossible."

Fu Qian had no intention of directly refuting her stubbornness. Instead, he opted to guide her.

"The Progenitor is a natural-born Mythical Creature! The entire Blood Clan is her Offspring."

Serana's pitch audibly spiked. Unfortunately, her confidence didn't rise to match it; she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

"With all due respect, even the Statue of the Progenitor that you personally verified earlier doesn't look much like you. That whole 'Offspring' claim is really hard to swallow."

Fu Qian listened intently, then shook his head.

...

Serana was speechless for a moment.

By this time, Annalise had already left Herbert behind and was heading back the way they had come.

"In the legends, when was your Progenitor born?"

Presented with such a rare opportunity to unearth historical secrets, Fu Qian naturally wasn't going to waste time helping Serana adjust her mood.

Asking the question, he patted her shoulder, signaling for her to keep up and continue paying homage to the glory of her soon-to-be ancestor.

...

Serana looked a bit hesitant, but evidently couldn't find a reason to back out. Left with no choice, she bit the bullet and followed him.

"The Progenitor is one of the oldest Deities from the Mythological Era... She once sheltered this world for a very long time, and because of that, the Blood Clan became a powerful race."

"But later, she handed down fewer and fewer divine oracles. The Blood Clan gradually withered, and ultimately, we all went into hiding."

One of the oldest Divine Entities... Fu Qian nodded.

"And the Red Moon?"

"After the Mythological Era ended, unlike the vanished pantheon, the Progenitor actually grew a bit more active. However, her form changed slightly..."

"According to the clan's legends, it was because she was injured while sheltering this world."

Uh-huh.

Fu Qian found this explanation entirely unsurprising.

"A brilliant explanation, indeed."

"In that case, your Progenitor's true period of activity was even earlier than that long night."

Trailing closely behind Annalise, Fu Qian offered his deadpan analysis.

"Assuming the scene in front of us is real, it seems her active period wasn't all that long, was it?"

...

It was obvious Serana didn't like his conclusion very much, but for the moment, she was at a loss for words.

By now, the doors had opened. She followed behind in silence as the three of them made their way back to the main hall.

The ethereal music was still playing, but the prayers seemed to have stopped.

Even though this was just an ancient projection, Fu Qian could still sense a jarring note.

Beneath their respectful veneer, the believers seemed to harbor a trace of disappointment, as if they hadn't been able to fully unburden their minds and bodies.

'No response?'

A deduction naturally surfaced in Fu Qian's mind.

'Was the Moon God already inactive by this point in time, which was why the priests were so willing to believe the divine oracle regarding a reincarnation?'

...

It was plain to see that Annalise was extremely popular among the believers.

The moment they spotted her, several people immediately greeted her.

Responding to the beckoning of a kindly old woman, Annalise walked over and sat down. Instantly, the faint anxiety rippling through the crowd seemed to dissipate.

'She's already doing a pretty good job!'

Fu Qian offered a silent word of praise.

There was an empty seat next to Annalise. Without needing any prompting from Fu Qian, Serana walked right up and sat down, her piercing gaze fixed on the girl, vowing to find a flaw.

"Herbert?"

But a moment later, the old woman leaned in close. Her slightly suggestive question made Serana frown.

'So it wasn't an illusion. The relationship between that First Blood Clan member and the Progenitor really is quite unusual.'

'That "serve you forever" stuff from earlier really wasn't just talk.'

Fu Qian thought to himself as he eavesdropped.

"Mm."

Annalise smiled and quietly admitted it.

However, a moment later, she seemed to think of something. A strange look crossed her face.

"Do you think... I would look better if my eyes were red?"

In a split second, Fu Qian noticed Serana's face turn several shades paler.

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