Eldritch Horror Theatre

That was too perfect. Look at this society’s level of order—they even provided psychological counseling for victims.

The gap in urban and rural development was simply too vast!

After the police force’s newest member explained her purpose, Fu Qian felt an immediate surge of admiration.

Of course, he wouldn’t treat her as just a simple psychological counselor.

Compared to the others, the woman standing before him was distinctly different.

The most obvious detail was that, in addition to a classic tailored black overcoat, she wore a distinctive cape draped over her shoulders.

It wasn’t just exceptionally exquisite; it was entirely adorned with gold-threaded patterns, giving it a sacred, luxurious, and extraordinary appearance.

Furthermore, everyone present—including the veteran officer—clearly treated her with immense respect, even to the point of subtly keeping their distance.

”Alright.”

Fu Qian mirrored that detachment. Meeting the gentle gaze of her dark eyes, he gave a slight nod.”Very good. You may call me Amira.”

The psychological counselor seemed satisfied with his reaction.

This reaction didn’t just refer to his expression or tone. Even though her gaze had lingered for only a few seconds, Fu Qian knew perfectly well that any abnormality across his entire body had fallen under her observation.

It was a perception akin to the Transcendent Tier.

Unfortunately for her, she was facing a true professional. As an expert in the power of flesh and blood, Fu Qian was confident he could flawlessly mimic even the pale complexion of someone who hadn’t eaten for days.

”We’ll be taking our leave.”

Giving a slight nod to the veteran officer, Amira led Fu Qian to the side, where a two-axle carriage was already waiting.

...

The scenery, the clothing, the mode of travel—aside from the slightly peculiar firearms, he couldn’t spot much that felt out of place compared to the Painting World he had experienced.

The atmosphere, of course, was noticeably better. Not only were the streets free of pollution and fading, but it even looked like a joyous, harmonious weekend.

It overflowed with the vibe of a blessed, utopian paradise. The question was, did such a place truly exist?

Inside the slightly bumpy carriage, Fu Qian looked at Amira sitting quietly across from him and refrained from aggressively asking that question.

He was fairly certain that the dreamscape’s one-minute limit wouldn’t significantly impact his questioning.

However, before figuring out her origins and intentions, he didn’t want to carelessly stir up trouble.

On the other hand, he believed Amira would give him a chance to ask questions later.

”Don’t overthink things. You need to let yourself calm down.”

Clearly noticing his gaze, Amira smiled unbothered and offered words of comfort in a distinct tone.

Her voice was serene and peaceful, sounding more like a nun of The Church than a psychological counselor—and it seemed she actually was one.

A moment later, the carriage rolled to a smooth halt. Without another word, Amira stood up and opened the door.

Looking past her shoulder, he could clearly see a magnificent golden-hued building outside.

With its arched porticoes and clean rooflines, at a glance, it actually bore some resemblance to the Art Gallery from earlier.

This, of course, wasn’t another Art Gallery, but it certainly wasn’t a police station either.

In any era, a spectacle like this could only be connected to faith.

”Let’s go.”

Stepping down first, Amira turned to look at Fu Qian. Framed against the golden architecture behind her, paired with her brilliantly gleaming cape, she looked like a Saint guiding the lambs of the world.

...

He just knew she would cooperate and provide an opportunity.

”Why have we come here?”

Given the circumstances, Fu Qian smoothly broke the silence. Of course, he hadn’t been rude enough to ask this in the carriage; he had waited until they disembarked and were walking side by side.

The devil that wasted time always resided in the details.

”Naturally, because this place is best suited to help you calm down.”

As expected, she didn’t stop walking, simply providing her reasoning on the move.

”Additionally, someone is very interested in your story from the other world and wishes to have a proper conversation with you.”

There was another expert?

Thoughtful, Fu Qian glanced around.

The two had already stepped into the interior of this magnificent building of faith. Patterns similar to the style on Amira’s cape could be seen everywhere, and quite a few people were present.

None of that, of course, was the main point.

The moment he walked in, Fu Qian noticed a peculiar sight—through the nearby stained glass windows, stars were clearly visible in the sky outside.

It was broad daylight, the sun’s position and intensity completely normal, yet it couldn’t obscure the starlight in the slightest.

This incredibly illogical scene couldn’t help but remind him of the dreamscape’s one-minute limit.

If that sort of law-like power was truly controlled by the faith organization before him, then the upcoming conversation was definitely something to look forward to.

”Alright.”

A moment later, Fu Qian, readily accepting good advice, made a show of taking a deep breath to prepare himself to meet this expert.

...

”Please take a seat inside and wait a moment.”

Amira was clearly very familiar with the route. She quickly led Fu Qian to a door and gestured for him to enter first.

Behind the open wooden door lay a cramped space. It had no windows and the lighting was dim, though fortunately, the air didn’t feel too stifling.

A confessional? Wasn’t this method of psychological counseling a bit too old-school?

This overly classic design successfully triggered Fu Qian’s inward complaints.

However, he didn’t mind it. He stepped forward briskly and sat down on the only Chair.

Unsurprisingly, on the wall directly opposite his seat was a lattice the size of a human head.

From the light filtering through, he could tell the other side was much brighter and clearly had a window.

”Alright, Anke, let’s begin.”

Fu Qian didn’t have to wait long before Amira’s voice echoed from the other side.

Through the lattice in the wall, he could even see her sitting quietly in profile, adopting a standard listening posture.

Compared to when she was outside, her face now sported an equally luxurious gold-threaded mask that covered everything above her nose, radiating a profound sense of mystery.

”First, I must explain that, as I mentioned earlier, there is another listener here besides myself who is very interested in your experiences.”

”But you don’t need to worry; we will keep everything you tell us strictly confidential.”

’You don’t need to worry, but you don’t have the right to refuse either, do you?’

”...Thank you.”

Fu Qian was always precise at catching the main point. After exactly one and a half seconds of hesitation, he gave a response that perfectly captured a complex state of mind.

As for the other listener Amira mentioned, he was naturally well aware of them.

Right in the direction Amira was facing, a figure stood quietly, silently oriented toward him.

Although it should have been a visual blind spot, the partition before him seemed to pose no obstacle to his senses.

Of course, this person probably didn’t realize that the same was even more true for him.

”Very good. From what we’ve gathered earlier, you’ve clearly had some very unique experiences recently.”

It was reassuring that Amira clearly trusted the officers’ judgment. She didn’t waste time verifying his personal information and cut straight to the point.

”Could you tell us where you went during the five days you disappeared?”