Eldritch Horror Theatre

Under the bright moonlight, the world was as tranquil as water, everything bathed in a dreamlike haze.

As the final word vanished from the notebook, the stifling tension in the air reached its absolute peak.

Standing a short distance in front of Fu Qian, Serana was in a bizarre emotional state—essentially boiling with humiliated rage, yet far too afraid to lash out.

”How exactly did you do that?”

However, over five hundred years of life experience was nothing to scoff at. Taking a deep breath, she ultimately decided to be one of those who understand the times are wise.

”I can understand you guessing I would come, but your confinement was already so deep. How did you have the spare strength to react like that?”

”Take a guess.”

Her confusion was perfectly reasonable, but Fu Qian was in no rush to clear it up. Instead, he let her imagination run wild.

”During that brief moment you disappeared... what did you do?”

Serana did not disappoint, going straight for the crucial point.”So you really can perceive what happens in here?”

Fu Qian nodded in satisfaction, successfully confirming his own hypothesis.

Ignoring Serana’s increasingly ugly expression, Fu Qian turned to survey this tranquil, ghostly domain.

”So, what is the name of this thing?”

”Ancient Reminiscence.”

Serana clearly knew what Fu Qian was asking about.

’Ancient Reminiscence?’ The name was certainly unique.

Fu Qian softly repeated the name, his brows furrowing slightly.

”More ancient than you?”

...

Illusion or not, for a split second, Fu Qian thought he saw the fangs in this magical old Blood Clan maiden’s mouth sharpen by a fraction.

Fortunately, her psychological resilience quickly kicked in again, and she returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

”When I acquired it, it had already existed for a very long time.”

She lowered her voice, explaining patiently.

”Understood.”

Fu Qian wore an enlightened expression.

”Setting up something like this in downtown Shangjing, aren’t you afraid of being discovered by the Night Watchers?”

”Ancient Reminiscence is highly concealed. Unless someone steps inside its perimeter, it is incredibly difficult to detect from the outside.”

”And according to my investigation, this shop of yours might look ordinary, but under the Night Watchers’ care, very few people other than you can actually get inside.”

Despite being forced to answer his questions, Serana was acting remarkably cooperative.

If nothing else, this was a much more serious topic than discussing her age.

Truly a seasoned veteran, knowing exactly how to exploit policy loopholes.

Fu Qian did not doubt her claims in the slightest.

As far as Yuan Shan was concerned, those unencrypted letters tossed into his shop might involve classified information related to the Night Watchers. It was only natural for them to give the place some appropriate surveillance.

”The Abyss Notes belonged to the Gulade Household to begin with. By acting first and reporting later to retrieve them from you, as long as you remained unharmed, I believe even the Night Watchers would have no reason to pursue the matter further.”

Serana added.

”Unharmed, you sure about that?”

Fu Qian pointed at her claws, then at his own body.

”I am only a Demigod myself. Even with the help of Ancient Reminiscence, expecting me to capture another Demigod alive and completely unscathed is a bit much to ask.”

Serana snorted, showing absolutely no remorse.

”Regardless, knocking you out was the first priority. A Demigod does not succumb to Death that easily.”

”You really did a thorough investigation!”

Fu Qian looked impressed.

”Far better than our dear student Taylor.”

”A pureblood Blood Clan, yet stupid to that degree. What the hell is the point of the purest bloodline?”

Hearing Fu Qian mention Taylor again, Serana looked utterly disdainful, showing no mercy in her assessment.

”To actually dare play such petty tricks in front of a Demigod of unknown origin.”

”Selling the Abyss Notes for a single dollar—if word got out, people would laugh themselves to death.”

”That was a standard commercial transaction.”

Fu Qian’s expression turned serious for a moment before he pointed at her body.

”If my guess is right, the confinement effect in here doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe, does it?”

”Correct.”

Seeing Fu Qian finally steer the conversation to the main point, Serana immediately perked up and gave an ironclad confirmation.

”Anyone who enters this place is restricted equally, without exception.”

”Not even the Blood Clan is exempt. I can only rely on my experience to delay the accumulation of the confinement as much as possible.”

”So what exactly did you do at that time?”

She stared fixedly at Fu Qian.

”I genuinely cannot imagine what anyone could accomplish in a mere second or so.”

”Furthermore, the blemishes on your body represent the accumulated degree of confinement.”

She pointed at Fu Qian’s body.

”Judging by the surface area covered on your body, there is no way you could still be moving so freely, unless you aren’t just a Demigod...”

”You mean this?”

Fu Qian looked down at his own body.

”I’m just bathing in the moonlight, aren’t I? Dispelling the darkness with the light.”

”I truly did think you were that stupid just now.”

Serana snorted, her face fraught with regret.

”That was why I struck so recklessly, only to walk right into your counter-ambush.”

”There is something peculiar in the Shadow, so one must quickly run outside. For an idiot encountering Ancient Reminiscence for the first time, thinking that way is a very normal reaction.”

”But with even a slight bit of thought, one would realize the true problem stems from the moonlight. The blemishes are merely a symptom.”

”Therefore, hiding in the Shadow as quickly as possible is actually the rational choice.”

”Just like you did a moment ago?”

”Correct. Although that still cannot completely prevent the confinement from accumulating, because it merely avoids direct exposure. Within the space-time created by Ancient Reminiscence, the moonlight is omnipresent.”

”Even now, you’re still trying to probe me?”

When Serana finished speaking, Fu Qian merely cast a sidelong glance at her.

”Moreover, your explanation is far too clumsy. I’m already standing right here. The moonlight indeed has a problem, but it doesn’t directly accumulate the confining power. Am I right?”

Fu Qian gestured to the various bizarre shapes on his body.

”I realized just now that the confining power accumulates most efficiently when only a portion of the body is exposed to the moonlight.”

”The Dislocation between the parts in the light and the parts in the Shadow is like turning the body into gears spinning at different speeds. The confinement is generated from this kind of Dislocation.”

”Therefore, ducking into the Shadow immediately, or exposing yourself completely to the moonlight, actually makes very little difference.”

”On the contrary, had I continued standing behind the door to admire the moon, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even be able to stand up by now.”

”Taylor seeking you out... all I can say is that he truly overestimated his own capabilities!”

Serana didn’t deny Fu Qian’s words, nor did she show any shame at having her probe seen through. She merely offered a cold assessment.

”So how exactly did you do it?”

A moment later, she voiced the deepest question in her heart.

”No matter what choice you made, the sheer surface area of the blemishes on your body is enough to prove you were hit hard. The level of confinement is already extremely high.”

”During that single second you disappeared, what on earth did you do that allowed you to resist this confining power?”

Serana stared at Fu Qian with her blood-red eyes, articulating each word carefully. She gave off the distinct impression that she wouldn’t be able to rest in peace without an answer.

”Don’t be so rigid in your thinking.”

Faced with her desperation, Fu Qian let out a soft sigh.

”That one second might be a key point, but as any student who has gone through final exam reviews knows, there can be more than one key point.”

As he spoke, crackling sounds echoed from Fu Qian’s body, and massive chunks of black blemishes actually peeled right off him.

”Not all black spots are the Shadow. Sometimes, it’s just dirt that hasn’t been washed off.”

Looking at the dumbfounded vampire, Fu Qian spoke as if nothing had happened.