Eldritch Horror Theatre

The polite inquiry from this uninvited guest sent a deep shock through the two women inside the cave.

His tone was entirely natural, like ordinary travelers sheltering from a mountain rain.

But a single question was enough to make the situation instantly terrifying—where had he come from?

Setting aside how he had found this place, Rachel was absolutely certain she had never seen this stranger’s face before.

Aside from their small landing boat, were there actually other living people out here in the Ash Sea?

He even appeared to be in excellent condition, looking as relaxed as a tourist.

Judging from Rachel’s reaction, Li Min clearly realized this uninvited guest was not from their boat. Her vigilance spiked, and she prepared to strike at a moment’s notice.

For a moment, no one made a sound.

Fortunately, Fu Qian was merely being polite. A second later, he strolled into the cave with absolute ease, walking right up to them under their highly unwelcoming stares.

...The tentacle that had flashed past earlier was naturally Fu Qian’s handiwork.

He had no time to wait around for Li Min to slowly creep outside and investigate.

Considering he had not felt any special connection or calling since entering the Ash Sea, his current strategy was to use everyone else as probes, letting them uncover the anomalies for him.

After all, he did not even know what ”normal” looked like in the Ash Sea.

And up to this point, Lady Burning Ash had undoubtedly brought him the most surprises.

From the women’s earlier conversation, he learned that Li Min was not only a true resident of the Ash Sea, but that she also knew quite a lot about it.

If his arrival had triggered some obscure change within the Ash Sea, someone like her would be the most likely to sense it.

Therefore, Fu Qian didn’t hesitate to accelerate his plans. He laid the grim reality directly in front of the two women, applying the legendary tactic of maximum pressure.

His sudden appearance here was part of that very same tactic.

...

”Who are you?”

Faced with his highly aggressive approach, Rachel asked coldly.

Looking at her from this angle, she finally seemed a bit familiar.

Fu Qian scanned her scar-riddled face, trying to activate a few distant memory cells.

”My surname is Fang.”

It was only natural that these two did not recognize him. After all, he was currently wearing the face of the Bookstore Owner, Fang Xun, without any extra disguises.

”Very well, Mister Fang.”

Rachel shot a calm glance at Li Min. Seeing her close friend offer no reaction, she decisively pressed on.

”Can you tell us why you are here? This place is decent for sheltering from the rain, but it isn’t exactly easy to find.”

”That’s simple. I followed you here.”

Fu Qian answered with absolute honesty.

Hmm?

Rachel’s gaze instantly turned sharp, but Li Min reached out to stop her.

”Since when?”

Li Min asked a moment later, her voice eerie.

”Allow me to answer that with a question of my own.”

Facing her inquiry, Fu Qian gave an incredibly punchable smile.

”Why do you think that thing appeared here, Li Min and Ms. Rachel?”

”You really have been lurking nearby this whole time.”

Li Min didn’t sound too surprised.

Since the man knew both of their names, he had likely already noticed them back when Rachel used the Harmonica to call out to her.

”But if that’s the case, you should know you’re looking at two people struggling at death’s door. I don’t know what you hope to achieve by following us all the way here.”

”Didn’t I just say? I want to hear your thoughts on that thing.”

’Was this guy serious?’

”It isn’t normal.”

Although she had her doubts, Li Min patted Rachel’s hand, signaling for her to stay calm, before answering quickly.

”Theoretically speaking, even a Divine Being wouldn’t casually enter the Ash Sea. This place is overflowing with twisted corruption.”

She held out her hand, unabashedly displaying the mutations on her own body.

”Most importantly, there is nothing of value here.”

”So, I cannot think of a single reason for Him to appear here.”

”That sounds very reasonable.”

Fu Qian nodded.

”But what if He is completely normal? Try a little harder and think of a reason why He would do this.”

’Are you crazy?’

If not for Li Min’s obviously cautious stance, Rachel looked ready to start cursing him out.

While there was an unspeakable terror about this guy, as someone who was already placing life and death outside consideration, she wasn’t particularly afraid of him.

’A reason...’

Li Min hesitated briefly. Deciding against any pointless resistance, she chose to share the conclusion she had just reached.

”Judging by His actions, He seems to be using everyone as bait.”

After describing her reasoning for this conclusion, she quietly watched for Fu Qian’s reaction.

”That makes some sense, but it also seems to contradict what you said a moment ago.”

It turned out he really was giving her words serious thought, and he quickly found the flaw.

”If nothing in the Ash Sea has any value, what is He trying to lure out?”

”Maybe His situation is critical and He can’t afford to be picky.”

Remembering what Li Min had said earlier, Rachel spoke up to answer for her.

”I can’t completely rule that out... but honestly, given how He acted when He showed up, His situation doesn’t seem all that dire to me.”

Fu Qian wasn’t so easily convinced.

’That is true...’

His words made Li Min recall that furious scene.

She understood exactly how incredibly tough the Floating Islands were. She could hardly imagine even an attack from the Demigod Realm causing that level of destruction.

If nothing else, that being’s destructive power was absolutely staggering.

”Think again. What other reason could there be?”

Having shot down one answer, Fu Qian patiently continued to guide them.

”Mister Fang, we don’t even know you. There is no reason for us to keep answering your questions, is there?”

Rachel couldn’t hold back anymore, her temper finally flaring.

Of course, the moment his emotionless gaze swept over her, a wave of instant regret surged up to replace it.

Li Min didn’t blame her for this outburst that could have implicated them both. She merely kept a watchful eye on Fu Qian’s every movement.

In the suffocating silence, a conflict was on the verge of breaking out.

”You have a point. This is a little impolite.”

However, the killing intent they were expecting never came.

Mister Fang’s expression softened in an instant, and he even nodded in agreement with Rachel’s words.

”How about this? Answer this final question, and you will earn the chance to make a wish.”

”Of course, I reserve the right to final interpretation regarding exactly how this wish is fulfilled.”

’Fulfill a wish?’

Fu Qian’s bizarre proposal clearly gave Li Min and Rachel’s imaginations quite a shock.

After biting her tongue several times, Rachel couldn’t hold back her retort any longer, but Li Min immediately stopped her.

Although Li Min didn’t believe a word of this wish nonsense, any excuse to avoid a direct conflict was a good one.

The man standing in front of them was absolutely capable of killing them both.

”If I have to find another reason, I can only think of one possibility.”

After a brief silence, she slowly spoke.

”The native creatures of the Ash Sea, regardless of whether they are strong or weak, are exactly like the Floating Islands beneath our feet. They are born and destroyed in the blink of an eye, and they hold absolutely no value.”

”But aside from them, there is another kind of existence out here. The calling that turned those merfolk into fishmen is one of them. They are collectively known as—Miracles.”