Eldritch Horror Theatre

Given Excellency Serana’s temper, if he had answered when she called out to Laurie just now, a swarm of Fire Bats would have likely rained down on him.

Since he always enjoyed laying traps, Fu Qian’s sensitivity to such things far exceeded an ordinary person’s.

Under normal circumstances, Serana might have bantered with him for a while. With the current situation being so urgent, however, wasting time on a stubbornly incorrigible opponent was clearly not worth the effort.

Entering early certainly provided a first-mover advantage, but what this Blood Clan Demigod didn’t know was that staying outside yielded its own rewards.

Now that he had successfully pinned down the whereabouts of Laurie and his group, the more this place proved to be connected to the Dominator of Death, the more he pondered the Greed Worms’ current situation.

For instance, what did their death Reflection look like? Would it be any different from the norm?

It certainly seemed so. Serana had clearly tracked down Laurie’s movements in here and realized that Fu Qian’s previous identity was completely fabricated, which was what led to her lethal trick question—

Yet it was exactly this new information that now served as the perfect smokescreen.

Why did he know about the Greed Worms? Why did he impersonate Laurie? Why was he interested in this place? It was all because he was ”Wei,” the entity he had mentioned earlier.

He was also a dependent of the Dominator of Death, only far more transcendent than the Greed Worms.This perfectly explained his motives: he didn’t mind giving them a hand, but he couldn’t care less if they actually died.

Even if Serana eventually confronted Laurie and the others face-to-face, the discrepancy between the King of the Abandoned Prison and the Dominator of Death had already been flawlessly accounted for.

He only needed to reveal his ”true colors.” The step-by-step transition leading up to it was utterly flawless, making the story practically perfect.

”They might not be as clear-headed as I am, but they are definitely unique in this place. When did you spot them?”

As he turned his gaze toward the Escort Agency, Fu Qian’s posture in that moment gave off an air of absolute control.

...

Actually, coming completely clean about his identity right now was also an option, and he wouldn’t have to worry too much about losing a useful pawn.

On one hand, he wasn’t afraid of Serana’s retaliation. On the other hand, even if she realized she had been playing the clown this whole time, she wouldn’t dare storm off in a huff while still ”on fire.”

The fact that he still took the extra effort to build up his persona in this situation wasn’t born out of some twisted sense of humor.

He had two main considerations. First, it would provide better guidance. The entire observation plan regarding the Greed Worms could maintain its depth, giving him far more room to maneuver.

Second, knowing too much might not be a good thing for Serana, or even for the Gulade name itself.

Given that this involved more than one higher entity, the implications of this trip to the Ash Sea were growing increasingly terrifying.

And it was practically set in stone that the Will of the Night Watchers would be involved.

Given the considerable contributions she had made, it was better to let her remain in a state of blissful ignorance.

”After I left this place the first time.”

Perhaps she had sensed his abstract goodwill, because in that moment, Serana actually answered his question.

She even inadvertently proved his theory that she had been dropping in for a look from time to time.

Of course, there was likely another reason she was so forthcoming.

Someone was almost certainly keeping an eye on the Escort Agency. Looking in that direction while speaking was enough to subtly hint to Serana that his knowledge of Laurie and the others was completely genuine.

”Oh? Are all four of them there?”

Pushing the implication even further, Fu Qian asked casually.

”No, one is missing. So, are you planning to just stand here and chat, or can we talk on the way?”

Serana cooperated incredibly smoothly, though she still let her impatience show at the very end.

So Gene was still missing?

Fu Qian shook his head slightly and accepted her suggestion.

”Let’s go.”

...

She was certainly much more unrestrained now.

Almost the instant she received his confirmation, the blurred silhouette vanished from the spot.

As Fu Qian accelerated to keep up, confirming there were no issues with their route, he could clearly sense the shift in Serana’s style.

He was fairly certain that when she navigated this city of death earlier, she absolutely hadn’t moved like this.

But now, she seemed to be following the principle that the shortest distance between two points was a straight line. She was just one step away from actively barreling through obstacles.

”We don’t have much time. The storm could stop at any moment.”

Serana added from up ahead, sounding as though she were explaining her behavior.

Surprisingly, she shared his concern about their operational window, though for entirely different reasons.

”You can sense when the storm stops?”

Fu Qian asked, momentarily curious.

”How could I not? The surroundings suddenly change in an instant, almost as if time itself has skipped forward.”

Hearing the sneer in her voice, it was obvious Serana was certain that her temporary partner was holding out on her.

”But you’re the one in more trouble. You might have to head out first and wait for the next storm.”

...

Very sharp.

Faced with her somewhat aggressive remark, Fu Qian didn’t feel the slightest bit of displeasure.

It sounded like she hadn’t run into a ”dead person” to clear things up for her. Yet, after experiencing just a single lull in the storm, she had not only noticed the problem but had even deduced the cause.

If the storm outside stopped, Serana clearly wouldn’t drop out of this place because she was currently ”on fire,” but the same couldn’t be said for him.

However, she was still slightly wrong on the details. The real reason he needed to worry was whether or not she could hold out.

Successfully entering this time had been the result of the perfect alignment of time, place, and people after he stirred up the situation.

Having to wait for the next storm was one thing, but if things dragged on and she completely assimilated into this place, whether she could still serve as a beacon for him was an entirely different matter.

So, even if the next storm arrived, he still might not be able to get in.

”Makes sense. Let’s hope this storm lasts a bit longer.”

However, emphasizing that point right now would likely only strengthen her resolve to drag him down with her, so Fu Qian merely went along with her words.

”They’re upstairs?”

A moment later, seeing that Serana’s silhouette wasn’t slowing down in the slightest, he looked up and asked curiously to confirm.

Sure enough, they had already reached the core commercial district he had visited before. The very building housing the Escort Agency was right in front of them.

Yet not only had they not seen any sign of Laurie’s group on the way, but Serana showed no intention of stopping, heading straight up the stairs.

”You seem surprised by this.”

Drifting up the stairs like a ghost, Serana tossed the question back at him casually without turning her head.

It was indeed a little strange.

The Greed Worms clearly weren’t that dedicated to their jobs. Gathering three of them here was already a feat, yet they were supposedly guarding the entrance to the Escort Agency—

Wait a second, the mystery was solved. They weren’t guarding the entrance; they were waiting Inside the Door.

Even though they had taken a relatively mild approach by walking up the stairs, they reached the top floor in the blink of an eye, stepping into a familiar office layout.

Unfortunately, in the pitch-black darkness, the reception desk covered in mold and shredded paper looked exactly like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

And what was even more horrifying was that someone was still sitting behind it—a woman, at that.

”My apologies, but The Company is only handling fixed business operations at the moment.”

In the darkness, the face of Laywoman Tooth-Throat slowly lifted.