Eldritch Horror Theatre

”Understood.”

Fu Qian looked at Delanlai from the Friends of Nature.

”So you followed them in here to watch those butchers meet their end? Pardon my bluntness, but they seem to be doing fine at the moment. Your Sea God doesn’t appear to have chased them inside.”

”Once they stay a while longer and whatever tainted them fades, it looks like they’ll be able to leave empty-handed.”

”Or, if they’re feeling a bit braver, they might try exploring in this direction.”

Fu Qian pointed at the mermaid above them.

”They might not leave empty-handed after all.”

”I never expected the mermaid to flee in this direction...”

Prompted by Fu Qian, Delanlai looked up at the Treetop, unable to hide his regret.

”I should have made my move earlier. As for the Sea God, even He isn’t eager to enter this place, but His presence this time truly felt different.””Oh? What is He usually like?”

Faced with a mastermind who seemed so familiar with the local waters, Fu Qian shamelessly pressed for details.

”Are you sure you want to stand here chatting with me?”

Surprised by the man’s casual interest, Delanlai couldn’t help but look at him strangely.

”Don’t forget that gunshot of yours. It could easily draw attention our way.”

”Are you sure it would draw more attention than the one in the tree?”

Fu Qian looked surprised.

”...I can’t bring it down.”

That remark plunged Delanlai into silence. A moment later, he admitted his helplessness.

”How could that be? Didn’t you plant that tree?”

Fu Qian’s question was perfectly natural, a gentle probe.

”I did, but it shouldn’t have grown this large. And right now, I have absolutely no way to communicate with it.”

Standing in the giant tree’s shadow, Delanlai gripped an aerial root dangling in front of his face.

”It is too unstable in here. Life forms easily suffer uncontrollable distortions. That is why I didn’t act right away.”

”I see. I thought it was because you noticed me standing here.”

Looking up to study the finally quiet mermaid, Fu Qian clicked his tongue.

Judging from Delanlai’s reaction, the sight before them was bizarre, but not too outlandish for the Ash Sea.

”Your appearance was indeed unexpected...”

His thoughts exposed, Delanlai’s expression stiffened before he admitted to hiding the moment he saw Fu Qian.

”You gave off an incredibly dangerous feeling, so I wanted to confirm your intentions first. But I never imagined the mermaid would try to push deeper inside...”

”A reasonable judgment.”

Fu Qian validated his assessment.

”So the mermaid sprouting two tails is also a life-form distortion?”

”It is a classic mutation. In fact, that is exactly why even the Sea God is unwilling to enter this place.”

Delanlai nodded.

”Mutations occur anytime and anywhere, in ways that challenge the imagination. And for the most part, even if you return to the outside world, you won’t revert.”

”I can tell you are quite familiar with this place.”

Having gathered a wealth of intelligence, Fu Qian didn’t skimp on the praise.

”That is because I chose to communicate with these life forms instead of slaughtering them.”

Anger laced Delanlai’s voice.

”They were the ones who told me many of these things.”

So he really is a druid-like nature lover?

Fu Qian mused silently, pointing at the mermaid.

”Then did it tell you why it was heading deeper into the Ash Sea just now?”

This...

Faced with Fu Qian’s question, Delanlai thought for a moment before letting out a string of strange sounds toward the mermaid.

Unfortunately, though the sounds didn’t seem hostile, they only caused the creature to scurry about in a nervous panic.

”It seems terrified. It refuses to communicate with me.”

Delanlai sighed.

”But there is an old rumor. Just as mermaids bewitch passing sailors with their songs, they too can hear a call from the depths of the Ash Sea.”

”Most who answer that call never return, but those who survive are twisted into another form entirely.”

Another form?

Fu Qian frowned slightly, recalling the cage in Gerald’s hand.

”A fishman?”

”Yes.”

So that’s how those strange creatures are made.

A twisted mermaid? Setting aside everything else, based purely on looks, that mutation is on par with extreme plastic surgery.

Even in terms of Rank, the head Gerald held clearly carried divinity. It completely outclassed the little mermaid in front of him, which merely possessed a faint Transcendent Tier aura; the two simply cannot be mentioned in the same breath.

If the little mermaid really did hear the call just now, it makes sense why it agreed so readily.

”Despite their striking appearance, these twisted creatures tend to become cruel and bloodthirsty. They are no longer friendly toward humanity, making them one of the last things anyone wants to encounter at sea.”

So that’s why they weren’t on the Night Watchers’ protection list? Turns out evolving into a higher life form isn’t always a good thing.

Fu Qian nodded slightly in understanding.

”Congratulations. It looks like you’ve successfully stopped a naive mermaid from succumbing to corruption.”

”...Assuming it even survives.”

Delanlai wasn’t entirely sure if Fu Qian’s congratulations were sincere, but after their cautious exchange, he sensed the man held little killing intent. He finally relaxed slightly.

”Lane and the others could discover us at any moment. If we don’t bring it down quickly, it’ll likely fall right back into their hands.”

”Aren’t you being a little too optimistic?”

”...What do you mean?”

”Even if they lack the nerve to wander around recklessly right now, they’re still a group of seasoned veterans. In a place like this, how could they not seek out a vantage point to survey their surroundings?”

Fu Qian pointed at the hill behind them.

”Are you saying they might have already noticed us?”

Looking instinctively toward the dead, silent hilltop, Delanlai’s face instantly turned grim.

”Considering you hoisted it up for everyone to see? Yes, I’d say the chances of them missing it are slim.”

Fu Qian confirmed his fears.

In that case...

Delanlai was clearly torn.

Compared to the mermaid, he was undoubtedly the greater target for Lane and his crew. If he had actually been spotted, even the terrifying reputation of the Ash Sea wouldn’t be enough to hold back their thirst for revenge.

But if he just walked away now, he would be abandoning the mermaid entirely—and right after preventing it from escaping with its life, no less...

”Could Your Excellency lend me a hand?”

After a moment of hesitation, Delanlai chose not to flee. Instead, he turned to Fu Qian for help.

”Sure.”

Fu Qian gave him a look and snapped his fingers.

Isn’t that a bit too agreeable?

Just as Delanlai wondered if the man was playing a trick on him, his expression drastically changed. He threw himself to the side.

Halfway through his dive, two massive tentacles erupted from the water beside him. They whipped fiercely against the giant tree with a deafening crash.

The raw power behind the blow was absolute. Branches that had once been as hard as iron instantly shattered into countless splinters, showering the surrounding area.

Amid piercing shrieks, the mermaid plummeted from the Treetop, plunging into the water alongside the cage that bound it.

’’’