Eldritch Horror Theatre

She just wanted the child to have a father.

The reason was so compelling that Fu Qian found himself nodding in agreement as he stared at her lower abdomen, where something had just been squirming as if alive.

But his deepest realization actually had nothing to do with that point. He couldn’t look!

It was only a slight bulge. If it hadn’t just moved, it would have looked more like accumulated fat than a real pregnancy.

Yet the moment he looked at it—or tried to perceive what lay within—the immediate reaction was a powerful wave of alarm. Do not look. You will suffer a backlash.

Interesting.

To be honest, he had experienced this sensation before. As early as the mission where he first met Su Gao, a certain pregnant noblewoman had given him a similar shock.

But while the situations appeared similar on the surface, the actual differences were vast.

Back then, even though he had acquired two abilities, he was ultimately still a mortal. Now, he was a genuine, newly advanced Tier 2.

Was there really a transcendent entity still in gestation capable of posing a threat on this level?What kind of Divine Child could this be?

Brimming with the curiosity of discovering a new species, Fu Qian kept staring without blinking.

High-risk, high-reward gambles were best taken when resources were abundant, rather than gritting one’s teeth and going all-in when at the end of one’s rope.

And as anyone would know, his SAN Value was always at its highest right at the start of a mission.

”Heh... your gaze lacks manners, outsider.”

Madam Sarah clearly felt the activity in her belly as well, making her exceptionally sensitive to Fu Qian’s intense stare.

”Does this particular condition interest you that much? Or is it the dress?”

She truly was a professional. Her boundaries were far looser than those of someone like Hilaria, who was just building a chariot behind closed doors.

Still, the way she drew attention to her own wardrobe and props made him feel her next words would be, ’That’ll cost extra.’

”You’re the one lacking manners here.”

With that in mind, Fu Qian instantly shifted the conversation to his own billable services, glancing at the scattered wine bottles not far away.

”The first trimester is highly dangerous. Didn’t you know?”

...

There were no obvious physical mutations in her flesh, but something was definitely swirling inside it.

Good medicine tastes bitter. A doctor’s admonishment often drew silence, and Fu Qian was already used to it.

During the few seconds Sarah spent at a loss for words, Fu Qian’s gaze never left her lower abdomen, ultimately leading him to a conclusion.

[SAN Value -1]

Naturally, at that exact moment, the hidden surcharge finally kicked in.

He was really running into top-tier threats lately. These unconventional drops in SAN Value were popping up one after another.

As he lamented this, Fu Qian distinctly noticed that the moment the prompt chimed, the vague, elusive mass inside her abruptly took on form. It even tore out a bizarre sound.

It sounded more like a braying donkey than a crying baby, echoing solely on a mental level.

It was still devastatingly intense. For a split second, it felt as though his skull had been cracked open like a durian.

”Ah—”

Sarah—who ought to have been drawing on her professional experience to figure out how to brush off an annoying customer—snapped out of her daze, awaking as if from a dream. She had clearly felt it too.

”Don’t cry.”

Letting out a soft gasp, her first reaction was to gently stroke her belly, her face radiating the joy of motherhood.

She completely ignored the logical impossibility of a baby crying from inside the womb.

”See? Even the baby is upset about it.”

Fu Qian didn’t rush to point out the absurdity. Instead, he smoothly seized the opportunity to lecture his patient.

”Especially considering the occupational hazards of your daily work, you really can’t be too careful.”

...

”Tell me, when did you first notice these symptoms?”

Seeing the patient lower her head in silence—clearly realizing the gravity of the situation—Fu Qian didn’t press her any harder. He simply returned to his initial line of questioning.

”I... don’t remember...”

Unfortunately, this seemingly simple question still seemed impossible for Sarah to answer.

As she muttered to herself, her face scrunched up in such visible distress that one wouldn’t have the heart to rush her.

”Then who’s the father? Is he nearby? Can he come over right now?”

Fu Qian didn’t force the issue. Instead, he casually deployed his signature Three-Stage Questioning.

”The child’s father... nearby...”

But Sarah remained completely bewildered, looking as if she had lost the ability to answer basic questions at all.

The madness of youth.

Elder Fu, acting the seasoned expert, let out a long sigh. He held off on asking anything else, giving the patient space to slowly process the questions.

”There’s no one else nearby—why would there be?”

But diligent effort pays off. After agonizing over the question for a moment, Sarah finally had a breakthrough. Her voice abruptly turned sharp as she hammered the point.

”Why must a child have a father?”

”Because you were just trying to find it one.”

Fu Qian had no intention of arguing against this avant-garde mindset. Instead, he casually resorted to using her spear against her own shield.

...

It was obvious that Sarah, who had only just reached complete enlightenment, was instantly backed into a corner once again.

This was evidenced by her already scrunched-up features, which warped into something almost inhuman under the sheer torment of the contradiction.

Even the inconceivable new life inside her belly seemed to sense its mother’s distress, beginning to thrash about in an erratic, agitated frenzy.

The movements were so violently exaggerated that the tight corset of her wedding dress was visibly stretched out of shape. The friction even tore at her skin, causing fresh blood to seep out.

”Besides, there’s no need to worry. I don’t harbor prejudices like Hilaria. I firmly believe you’ll achieve your wish.”

Watching her struggle and sensing the surging resentment and malice within, Fu Qian offered the patient some casual encouragement.

[SAN Value -1]

Naturally, his SAN Value taking another hit was unavoidable.

Ever since he reached the Demigod Realm and transformed into a Mythical Creature, very few things had been able to exert this kind of oppressive pressure on him.

This mission was truly far from simple.

”Also, Hilaria must still be unaware of your good news. That’s why she holds onto such prejudice. Did you stop visiting her because you felt her Church was too run-down and weren’t happy about holding your wedding there?”

”Honestly, I can completely understand. If you’re interested, I can recommend a pure-white themed church. The visual aesthetic is absolutely stunning, though it might be a bit pricey.”

Ah—

Fu Qian was, of course, referring to the White-Headed Sanctuary he had visited before. Seemingly swayed by his words in that moment, Sarah unleashed an earth-shattering, liberating shriek right into his face.

Warm splatters of blood even accompanied the roar.

”I remember...”

When Sarah spoke again, every syllable brimmed with pure chaos, hammering directly against his very will.

”This is the child bestowed upon me by Him... the truly great Him...”