Eldritch Horror Theatre

Not only did they not eliminate him, they even ”asked” for a favor.

Faced with Amira’s solemn tone, Fu Qian once again marveled at the importance of maintaining one’s individuality.

If he had earnestly played the role of the recovered Anke, he feared he never would have encountered this situation.

Although their exact motives were still hard to gauge, he would likely get to touch upon far more interesting things next.

”Sure.”

Fu Qian did not even ask what the favor entailed, agreeing without hesitation.

Sigh...

Amira did not seem entirely thrilled by this overly straightforward answer. Instead, she let out a second soft sigh.

It was obvious that to the woman before him, all of this was nothing more than a nightmare.

Just as he had described himself earlier, the unknown only amused him. Why would he be afraid?Even though he had suffered an unexpected injury, her choice to withhold immediate aid had originally been to observe how the wound and the fear of death would stimulate him.

Unfortunately, it seemed the man had lost even his sense of pain.

”So what exactly do we need to do?”

Only then did Fu Qian finally ask about the details of the operation.

”...Night shift guard.”

Amira steadied her emotions and spoke softly.

Oh?

This was undoubtedly a novel concept. Fu Qian turned to look at the building beside them.

”Are you sure a place like this can afford a guard?”

He was not just spouting nonsense. The structure before them was visibly an ordinary residence. It was even more mundane than the Raysen Family’s home.

”They cannot afford one. The upside, however, is that the person is asleep.”

Amira shook her head slowly, taking the lead and walking straight ahead.

”We will be the night shift guards in the Nightmare.”

I see. A Nightmare victim lay resting inside. This was an interesting development indeed.

Making contact with a genuine Nightmare this quickly was quite ideal.

Although there was a high probability this wouldn’t be the Painting World, figuring out the concept itself was of great significance, as the former was clearly classified under the same category.

”Besides, it might not mean much to you.”

Before heading upstairs, Amira suddenly remembered something and added softly.

”What happened just now was not actually a dream.”

Of course I know that.

Touching the freshly healed wound on his neck, the dream expert Fu Qian mused.

”I will remember those words.”

...

It was obvious this was not the first time these two had been here.

Led by Amira, the trio navigated through the halls and rooms until they reached a slightly cramped bedroom.

The entire process was practiced and fluid. They hardly made a sound until they stood right by the bedside.

The person currently under their scrutiny was a young man with medium-length hair, no older than thirty.

The most striking detail was the obsessive neatness of his bed, matching his perfectly orderly pajamas.

The soothing scent of Incense lingered in the air, and he even wore a simple, soft nightcap.

It seemed this man was trying his absolute best to cultivate a good sleeping environment.

Of course, all of these efforts paled in comparison to the effects of the external assistance about to come.

Wasting no time, Reginald, who had remained completely silent until now, stepped forward and raised an object with both hands.

Strictly speaking, it appeared to be a sword?

Its shape, however, was incredibly peculiar. More than half of its length was made up of interlocking rings, leaving only a short segment of blade at the end. It didn’t look practical for combat at all.

The most eye-catching feature was the layers upon layers of gorgeous, ornate engravings decorating the bizarre weapon.

At this moment in Reginald’s hands, these patterns bloomed with a faint silver radiance, tracing all the way down to the drill-like spiral blade.

The next moment, Reginald pressed the tip against the sleeping man’s head and slowly pushed it in.

Miraculously, beneath the piercing blade, the hard skull yielded as softly as cotton. Not a single drop of blood seeped out.

The man even visibly settled into a more peaceful sleep.

”Let me guess. This is to share his Nightmare without actually killing him?”

Fu Qian asked curiously, captivated by the spectacle.

”Yes.”

Amira already seemed somewhat resigned to his reactions.

”I don’t doubt its feasibility, but the visual is quite striking. If someone discovers us halfway through, won’t they be terrified?”

Fu Qian pointed at the sword lodged in the man’s forehead.

”Do not worry. First, he will not wake up. Second, we will return in one minute.”

Amira had clearly fully accepted Fu Qian’s current persona. She wasn’t entirely shocked by his eccentric focus, and she even handed him an item as she spoke.

A mask?

Fu Qian reached out to take it, examining it closely.

It was cold to the touch. The main body seemed to be made of silver, shaped in an exquisite teardrop design.

What was even more unique was that it lacked any facial features—not even eyeholes. Instead, overlapping gold and gray lines wound together to outline a deep, profound vortex.

It resembled an eyeball more than a face.

”Put it on. It will help us with our work later.”

Amira offered no further explanation. She simply put on her own mask first, and Reginald followed suit beside her.

With three such faces silently staring out in the darkness, if the man on the bed were to open his eyes and see this scene, he would probably wish he had never woken up.

Fu Qian let out a sigh of admiration and followed the suggestion.

Even before they began, Amira had already helped confirm one of his hypotheses—the dream exploration here truly could not exceed one minute.

Judging by her casual demeanor, this seemed to be general knowledge among the members of The Order, rather than a closely guarded secret.

Of course, in Fu Qian’s estimation, this did not mean their upcoming task would be a breeze. The flow of time in dreams did not necessarily equate to reality.

A prime example was right there: The Rayson Couple experiencing decades of life in a single night. Such an event didn’t seem all that strange to The Order.

Speaking of which, as a Dream Dominator, he still hadn’t managed to master such high-end techniques.

Truly, Learning Has No Bounds.

”Here it comes.”

Amid his thoughts, Amira’s muffled warning sounded from behind the mask just as an invisible curtain rippled outward.

This time, they were undoubtedly in a dream.

As a seasoned veteran in this field, Fu Qian effortlessly recognized the fundamental difference between this space and the hunting ground from earlier.

Naturally, the superficial differences were also stark.

To his surprise, the mask no longer obstructed his vision, gradually turning clear and transparent.

It felt like wearing a pair of dream-walking goggles.

While marveling inwardly, Fu Qian surveyed their destination: the legendary Nightmare.

Amira hadn’t lied. They were working the night shift.

What appeared before the trio was a deep, shadowy Corridor. Dim gas lamps barely provided enough illumination to see by, and wooden doors with small glass windows lined both sides in identical fashion.

”A hospital?”

Measuring the width of the doors and noting their fixtures, Fu Qian threw Amira an inquiring glance.

”Yes. Within the Nightmare, that man suffers from excruciating illness.”

Amira’s tone was completely flat.

”Of course, that has nothing to do with our task. Next, we need to patrol the area to ensure no unauthorized individuals have breached this place.”

’’’