Eldritch Horror Theatre

Four people occupied the space. They wore completely different expressions and sat far apart, maintaining utter silence before he arrived.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed he would need to approach them and break the ice one by one to glean any valuable information.

Although the scene felt inexplicably familiar—and Fu Qian was practically a professional at this sort of thing—he didn’t take a slow approach this time. Instead, he seamlessly guided them into starting a group conversation.

As everyone knew, one of the greatest advantages of a group interview was that the peers served as an audience for every word spoken, sparing the host from having to apply extra pressure.

In Fu Qian’s eyes, this was a highly efficient way to build a preliminary understanding of a place he knew almost nothing about.

The results proved him right.

Despite their differing ages and personalities, the participants’ answers hadn’t shown a single contradiction so far.

Under this pressure test, more than one person had rapidly shed their outer layers to reveal a deeper self.

Like the middle-aged man who repeatedly interjected until his defenses fully shattered, or Madam Bride, who had simply bolted into the night.

Combining the information they had provided, he could essentially summarize his current situation:He was an outsider suffering from a heart ailment, who had come to this place seeking a cure.

The locals worshiped a four-eyed higher entity named Akons, the God of Insight and Wisdom.

His Attending Physician was Hilaria, a woman who shared their faith but was suspected of being a heretic.

For reasons yet unknown, she stayed deep underground beneath the Church, no longer even aware if it was day or night outside.

As for these four, they were hiding here to evade some unspeakable terror in the darkness. The Old Lady among them had even seen him before.

Ultimately, he had let down Hilaria’s efforts, walking up from below as a failed case.

And even after their exchange, there were still only four people left in the Church.

”Young man, if you must go outside, take this.”

As Fu Qian gazed into the darkness, the Old Lady sitting beside him handed him an item. Perhaps shocked by Madam Bride’s sudden departure, she didn’t offer any pointless advice to stay.

...

Barely the length of a finger, it was a small, transparent emerald bottle. It contained a darker liquid, though less than half remained.

”This is an elixir graced with a boon. Do not drink it. Smear it between your nose and upper lip. If you are lucky, it might help you catch its scent before it’s too late.”

Fu Qian turned his head to examine it, not rushing to take it as the Old Lady softly explained its use.

Though her words were vague, it was easy to guess that the ”it” she referred to was the unspeakable entity outside.

Compared to the others, the Old Lady was far more seasoned and prudent; even now, she hadn’t forgotten the taboo.

”Thank you.”

Fu Qian didn’t stand on ceremony. He reached out and accepted the goodwill.

”Did she have a similar boon?”

Rubbing the slightly rough bottle, Fu Qian glanced at Madam Bride’s empty seat, offering a token show of concern.

”Rest assured... she won’t leave the courtyard.”

The Old Lady didn’t answer his question directly. Staring at the empty seat, she simply shook her head, implying that while Madam Bride had acted on impulse, she hadn’t completely lost her mind.

Unfortunately, her voice was so grim that it was hard to tell whether she was trying to convince Fu Qian or herself.

”But it takes her longer to come back each time, and the courtyard isn’t completely safe from its influence.”

At the same time, not everyone shared her hopeful outlook.

The middle-aged man, having stubbornly recovered his wits, had repeatedly hit a brick wall with Fu Qian. Now, for the first time, he chose to engage with a fellow believer. He stared at the Old Lady and let out a string of cold sneers.

”It’s obvious she’s growing crazier by the minute. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she completely lost her mind and finally took that step.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he repeated his old trick, pulling his hat down over his face to deny anyone the chance to argue.

In truth, he didn’t need to be so cautious.

...

The Old Lady kept silent, lowering her eyes.

It seemed she had no rebuttal for her fellow believer’s merciless interruption.

However, the quiet murmurs escaping her lips proved she hadn’t been completely broken. She was still praying for Madam Bride’s safe return.

The middle-aged man met her silence with a barrage of sneers, just loud enough to pierce through his hat.

All in all, breaking the ice had been a massive success.

Not only had he obtained important information and a useful item, but even the Natives had shed their apathy toward one another.

Well, not everyone.

Following the path Madam Bride had taken, Fu Qian paused at the door and glanced back one last time. His gaze fell upon the darkest corner of the room.

Despite the lively atmosphere, one of the four occupants hadn’t uttered a single word.

And he was the most imposing and muscular of them all.

He couldn’t be much older than Madam Bride. He had short hair, dark eyes, and wore dusty gray clothes that did nothing to hide his bulging muscles.

From the very beginning, the man sitting on the floor hadn’t spared a single glance at the ongoing conversation. Instead, he simply stared blankly at a Candlestick on one side of the Church, looking as though he had entirely given up on life.

Seeing this, Fu Qian respected the man’s personal wishes and didn’t bother him.

Besides, the man’s posture provided its own form of information.

To be this utterly disheartened even while sheltering in a safe haven spoke volumes. His silence effectively set the tone for the entire scene.

It perfectly illustrated just how massive a psychological shadow the darkness outside cast over them.

Anyone who witnessed such despair would hesitate before stepping outside.

Fu Qian stepped outside.

...

The believers hadn’t been talking nonsense. The Small Chapel did indeed have a courtyard.

Moreover, their description of the darkness was no exaggeration.

In just a few steps, the candlelight bleeding from the building was entirely swallowed by the gloom. The darkness was so absolute that a normal person’s vision would be completely useless.

While Fu Qian didn’t suffer from such a severe handicap, he wasn’t completely unaffected.

The omnipresent darkness was so dense it almost felt like congealed blood, suppressing his perception to a significant degree.

As a result, Fu Qian couldn’t immediately tell if Madam Bride had ventured further this time, or if she was even still in the courtyard.

It didn’t matter. He might not know if she had left the courtyard, but he certainly knew that he was about to.

Without hesitation, Fu Qian strode directly onto the stone-paved path.