Eldritch Horror Theatre

Fran no longer wore the conflicted expression she had when she left; she had reverted to looking like an ordinary young student.

If there was any difference, it was perhaps a newfound steadiness born from the series of ordeals she had endured.

Of course, this growth would soon lose its meaning.

”How is Ray doing?”

Fran asked immediately, stepping aside to let Fu Qian inside.

”The atmosphere between Mrs. Mary and the sheriff was a bit strange, so it wasn’t a good time to ask.”

”He’s eating and drinking well. He looks much better than you do,”

Fu Qian replied casually. In his mind, however, he was piecing together the pattern behind the shifting states of Fran and the others.

The trigger for entering this superhuman state seemed quite clear by now: encountering psychological threats and pressure beyond one’s capacity to endure.

As for how it ended, it initially seemed to just fade on its own after a while.But based on everything Fu Qian had observed along the way, another possibility came to mind: alternation.

Could it be that only one person could be in the superhuman state at a time?

Once the next person activated it, did the previous person’s state automatically vanish?

While in his superhuman state, Harold had swiftly planned and executed his wife’s ’accidental’ death...

And right in the middle of executing that plan, Ray, having hit someone with his car, suffered an intense psychological shock and instantly entered a superhuman state of his own.

Faced with Ray’s top-tier accident cover-up, Harold didn’t react any further. He simply fled the scene.

Harold’s subsequent plunge from the bridge and Cartman’s disappearance also followed this sequential relationship.

The same applied to Fran and Ray just now. Ray entered the state for a second time, and Fran reverted to normal.

To summarize, the known sequence of Lasik’s possession could be arranged like this—

Harold, Ray, Jessica, Harold for a second time, Cartman, Fran, and Ray for a second time.

During certain segments of this timeline, there might even have been unknown individuals interspersed.

This explained why Ray’s behavior hadn’t seemed particularly unusual before lunch on the first day, when the three of them returned from their drive.

If that was truly the case, it wasn’t a bad thing.

It meant that if no one else was overwhelmed by pressure tonight, Ray’s superhuman state would likely last for quite a long time.

His earlier psychological nudges toward Ray would thus take maximum effect.

”That’s good.”

Fran touched her face and let out a long sigh upon hearing Fu Qian’s description.

”I never imagined we’d encounter something like this on a vacation. I don’t know when all this will end.”

’Sooner than you think.’

Fu Qian thought as he listened to her lament.

Of course, he wouldn’t carelessly say anything to provoke Fran right now, lest she end up entering the state a second time as well.

”You need to trust Sheriff Jones’s professional skills.”

Smiling, Fu Qian pointed downstairs, signaling for her to just rest easy.

...

Although the countdown was ticking closer by the second, Fu Qian appeared quite relaxed. After bidding Fran farewell, he went straight back to his bedroom to rest.

Sheriff Jones seemed calm, but as a man desperate to catch the culprit yet lacking clues, his current focus on Fu Qian was probably no less intense than his focus on Ray.

Fu Qian believed that if he hadn’t returned tonight, or if he sneaked out in the middle of the night, the sheriff would have undoubtedly taken action.

If that happened at a critical moment, his own actions might end up restricted.

He might as well rest up, quietly observing changes.

...

Early the next morning, shortly after Fu Qian got out of bed, urgent knocking rang out at his door.

Judging by the rapid frequency, whoever it was clearly wasn’t calling him down for breakfast.

Thinking this, Fu Qian went to open the door, only to find Sheriff Jones standing outside with a frosty expression.

”Did you sleep well last night?”

”Very well. Thanks for the hospitality,”

Fu Qian said with a polite smile.

”Good. Come downstairs.”

After staring at Fu Qian for a few seconds, Jones drew a gun from his waist and pointed it straight at him.

”Alright.”

Fu Qian scrutinized the weapon in the man’s hand, readily accepting good advice.

The two walked downstairs one after the other. Mrs. Mary and Fran were sitting at the dining table eating fried eggs. When they saw this scene, their hands froze, forgetting to bring the food to their mouths.

”What is going on here?”

Mrs. Mary stared at her husband, her mouth agape and her voice hoarse.

”Do you know?”

Jones gestured with his gun toward Fu Qian and asked coldly.

”I don’t, but if I had to guess—”

Fu Qian looked thoughtful, completely lacking any awareness that he was facing a lethal threat.

”Is it Ray? Did something happen to him?”

”Ah!”

Before Sheriff Jones could react, Mrs. Mary cried out in shock.

”Really? Something happened to Ray?”

”I just received a report.”

Faced with his worried wife, Sheriff Jones immediately grew patient.

”Ray never got up this morning. When they went up to check, they found a decoy figure arranged under the covers. He wasn’t in his room.”

”At present, there is no way to determine when he left or where he went.”

”Since your guess was so accurate just now, why don’t you tell me where Ray went?”

Even while answering his wife, Jones kept his eyes locked on Fu Qian.

”That’s really hard to say. After all, I’m nowhere near as familiar with this place as he is.”

Taking a reluctant glance at the dining table, Fu Qian knew he wouldn’t be having breakfast today.

Setting aside the fact that he was already considered a dangerous suspect, chronologically speaking, he was also the last person to interact with Ray yesterday. His suspicion level was practically off the charts.

”Is that so? Then let’s switch to something you are familiar with. Who exactly is Lasik?”

Jones sneered.

’The deputies are quite diligent, aren’t they? Did they recite my entire conversation with Ray to Jones?’

”You don’t understand. Lasik can be anyone.”

Fu Qian spoke in the tone of a charlatan, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

”Enough! You need to come with me to the Police Department.”

Failing to grasp his meaning for a moment, Jones simply took this as a refusal to cooperate.

”Alright!”

Fu Qian agreed so quickly that the corner of Jones’s eye twitched.

”You come too.”

After a brief hesitation, he turned to Mrs. Mary, then pointed at Fran.

”Bring her along.”

”Okay.”

It was obvious that Mrs. Mary placed extreme trust in her husband during critical moments.

After her initial shock, she didn’t even ask why she had to tag along.

Fu Qian, however, understood.

Sheriff Jones was likely afraid that this was a scheme of luring the tiger away from the mountain. If he left, someone might come here and harm Mrs. Mary.

’He really doesn’t hesitate to assume the worst about me, does he?’

...

A deputy soon arrived to pick up Jones and Fu Qian.

Mrs. Mary and Fran got into another car. Amid a visibly tense atmosphere, the group drove straight toward the Police Department.

”Wait, what is that!”

However, before they even reached the Police Department, the deputy driving suddenly cried out.

Following the direction he pointed, they saw a thick plume of smoke shooting into the sky from The Mountain not far away, resembling a giant lit torch.