Eldritch Horror Theatre

All this time, the time difference had made him overlook that very point.

His business dealings with Madam Sissi had taken place before he received the Invitation Letter, which naturally made him assume the two events were unrelated.

Looking at it now, however, it was highly likely this world had seen more than one predecessor. There were more than just one or two transcendent relics left behind. With so many transcendent influences at play, he needed to broaden his perspective.

When she first sought him out for consulting, it might have just been an outlet for her pent-up stress—a minor intersection of fate between two eccentrics.

But suddenly treating him as a breakthrough point for this illusory world, and even staking him out in the neighboring city, had only happened after he transcended his humanity.

Most importantly, during their initial consultations, Madam Sissi had mentioned that she was the designated family heir—even though, by all normal standards, there were far more suitable candidates.

This soap-opera protagonist treatment, along with the prospect of inheriting massive wealth without lifting a finger, had caused her considerable distress.

Setting aside her unique thought process for a moment, her situation was strikingly similar to Classmate Liushuang’s, based on what he had just witnessed at Silver Mist Manor.

It wasn’t that this kind of unconventional inheritance couldn’t exist, but the odds of both cases appearing right in front of him were far too high. It made him ponder the underlying reasons.

...The scenery shifted, and Fu Qian found himself back in his own living room.

A few days had passed, but everything remained exactly as he left it.

It was late into the night outside. Starlight spilled through the window and pooled at his feet.

He reached out and picked up a card. A very distinct shade of purple, made with exquisite material and craftsmanship, it was the business card Madam Sissi had left behind last time.

Its contents were remarkably simple. Aside from her name, there was only an email address. The complete lack of titles gave off the air of a true heavyweight.

Before handing it over, however, someone had scribbled a phone number at the very bottom with a pen. It instantly ruined the elegant layout, making it look a bit like a cheap scam flyer offering a massive reward for a surrogate.

It was obvious Madam Sissi really wanted him to contact her, and that her mental state was genuinely deteriorating.

This prankish behavior, much like where she had hidden the card, was likely another act of subconscious rebellion.

Speaking of which, he was apparently still her private consultant.

Staring at the two contact methods, Fu Qian silently analyzed his employer’s current state. Then, he set the card back down, choosing neither.

Because a better option had just presented itself.

Amidst the glowing spheres flickering within his consciousness, Fu Qian had pinpointed Madam Sissi’s voice.

Look at that—it wouldn’t even cost him any phone credit.

...

It was actually a real-time connection. Was Madam Sissi up this early?

As expected, ever since she went crazy, her energy levels had improved tremendously.

The moment he answered the call, a scene unfurled before his eyes.

Inside a bedroom that was barely any larger than his own sleeping quarters, his employer, Madam Sissi, stood completely motionless by a slightly parted curtain, gazing out at the rising sun.

This hardly looked like the residence of a wealthy heiress.

In Fu Qian’s opinion, the necessity of the curtain was debatable to begin with. The window was so laughably small that even a rabbit would find the space claustrophobic.

However, Fu Qian didn’t think Madam Sissi was lying about her wealth. Although the room was excessively compact, the few items inside were all disproportionately luxurious.

It looked more like a billionaire’s custom-built prison simulator.

As for why she had done this, Fu Qian actually understood perfectly...

Madam Sissi probably didn’t want to keep ”performing” while she slept.

Whether it actually helped or not, this was the sanctuary she had carved out for herself to rest.

Even with such a hidden setup, Madam Sissi still didn’t seem entirely at ease.

In the dim light, she wore a set of pajamas, having clearly just woken up. The style was ridiculously conservative, exposing even less skin than her daytime attire.

His employer wasn’t nearly as carefree as she appeared on the surface.

Of course, these were all trivial details. What really made Fu Qian curious was why she would bother calling him while watching the sunrise so early in the morning.

Sigh...

Amidst his confusion, a long sigh drifted over.

Madam Sissi sat down and propped her chin on her hand, an undisguised look of distress on her face.

”Good morning, Mr. Consultant!”

A moment later, she actually threw out a weak greeting.

In all fairness, the volume of her voice was far too loud for mere mumbling. It sounded exactly as if she were speaking directly to someone.

”I’ve run into a bit of trouble. I woke up slightly late today.”

”As my private consultant, do you have any way to rewind time by ten minutes—no, twenty minutes?”

”I haven’t finished changing my clothes.”

So that was it!

Despite the sheer disjointedness of her statement, Fu Qian instantly understood as he glanced at the long dress hanging nearby.

Had she been relying on the pre-dawn darkness to change her clothes all this time? Had she woken up too late today, found it too bright out, and completely frozen up?

Her condition was genuinely getting severe.

In her mind, there were probably cameras pointed at her from every conceivable angle, above and below.

This was likely why Madam Sissi was talking to herself—she believed that as one of her ”audience members,” he could definitely hear her.

Of course, the latter half of her assumption was correct, just not in the way she imagined.

However, a wish to rewind time like this—she had to know how incredibly difficult that was to pull off, right?

As her private consultant, he could only say he would try his best.

He maintained the utmost stability in their connection. A moment later, a blue light flickered across Fu Qian’s hand, and Lucid Dream activated.

He had genuinely never tried a high-level technique like remote hypnosis before.

...

The dreamscape unfurled just as it always did. As its sole occupant and the Dream Dominator, Fu Qian was highly gratified to find that his connection to Madam Sissi remained intact, even after his will had fully merged with the dream.

Carefully condensing the scope of the dream, Fu Qian attempted to transmit his will to his employer while in his Dream Dominator state.

It actually seemed to work!

Very quickly, Fu Qian realized that the foundational core of the dreamscape seemed to have found a new, transferable target.

After he made the shift, a ray of morning light actually bled into the dreamscape before him.

A dream formed this way felt more like a chaotic patchwork of different scenes. Its binding force was noticeably weaker than when cast face-to-face; if the target were a transcendent, they would likely break free with ease.

Fortunately, his employer was lucky enough not to be one.

While carefully controlling how deeply she was pulled into the dream, Fu Qian silently evaluated the effects.

Once he felt the conditions were right, he snapped his fingers with a flourish.

In the next second, the sky—which had been almost completely bright—was suddenly blanketed by dark clouds, turning as pitch-black as night.

Visibility in Madam Sissi’s room plummeted right along with it.