Eldritch Horror Theatre

”What’s wrong?”

Olinter’s intense reaction genuinely terrified the Winslows.

Given what they knew of him, it was hard to imagine anything that could rattle Olinter this badly.

He hadn’t even stepped through the door; he had merely caught a glimpse from afar.

Had the situation really deteriorated that much?

Despair and regret inevitably flooded the couple’s hearts.

Clearly, it was time to put Nathalie’s acting skills to the test.

Trailing near the back of the group, Fu Qian watched the family teacher with eager anticipation.

She did not disappoint.

Staring at her student with immense sorrow, Nathalie’s face filled with righteous indignation, tears welling in her eyes.”You...”

She choked on her words, seemingly unable to speak. However, as the targets of her blame, the grieving Winslows couldn’t quite comprehend this overly intense emotional display.

The situation seemed obvious enough. Nathalie believed the parents had made the wrong choice—one that would only squander their daughter’s chance at survival—so she had gone straight to The Order.

Even if the outcome suggested she was right to do so, wasn’t this reaction a bit too extreme for a simple family teacher?

Furthermore, the whole sequence of events had unfolded with unbelievable speed. The window between Nathalie’s departure and Olinter’s arrival was so brief that it could only be explained if he had coincidentally been taking a stroll right outside.

But this was no time to dwell on such details. The Winslows merely glanced at Nathalie before turning their attention to Olinter, waiting like prisoners for their sentence.

Unfortunately, Olinter didn’t even acknowledge their question.

The next moment, he crossed the room in quick strides, rushing straight to the bedside.

His exaggerated momentum nearly startled the despairing patient all over again.

”When did this start?”

Olinter ignored her fear, staring intently at Jane as he demanded an answer.

”Just now. Less than half an hour ago...”

Glancing at her parents who had hurried over, Jane stammered out a reply.

The moment she spoke, Nathalie clearly stiffened.

No matter how weak the tone, an adult’s voice sounded vastly different from a child’s.

From Nathalie’s perspective, Jane speaking up meant that even this final anomaly had been cured.

”Have there been any changes to your body?”

Olinter evidently didn’t care about the voice. He anxiously looked her up and down.

”Um...”

Recovering her wits slightly, Jane didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked at her parents.

Mister Winslow said nothing, offering only a subtle nod.

Calming down a little, Jane pulled back the blanket, exposing both of her feet.

...

”It’s actually real...”

Even though only her feet and ankles were exposed, the crystalline, translucent flesh was undeniably striking.

Staring at the vortex-like veins, Olinter was clearly the most staggered of them all, muttering to himself.

”Is there a problem?”

Sensing that something was unusual, Mister Winslow asked cautiously from the side.

”What did you just do?”

Unfortunately, Olinter still had no intention of acknowledging him, rapidly interrogating the patient instead.

”I didn’t do anything. I’ve just been here.”

Jane’s heart pounded under his questioning. She shook her head instinctively, her gaze darting toward the window.

”I was just lying down, looking up at the sky.”

”The sky... Yes, of course, the sky.”

Olinter took a deep breath. Looking through the nearby window at the twinkling stars, his demeanor instantly turned devout.

”Within the Stars lies endless knowledge and power... But Jane, you are a genius!”

His tone shifting abruptly, he looked back at the girl on the bed, staring at the vortices within her flesh.

”You possess the Favor of the Stars! I always thought it was just a legend. I never imagined I would see it in person.”

Huh?

While Jane wore a completely bewildered expression, more than one gasp of surprise echoed through the room.

”So this isn’t contamination? Jane is actually fine?”

Having harbored a vague premonition earlier, Mister Winslow was the quickest to recover, overcome with a mix of surprise and joy.

”Of course this isn’t contamination!”

Olinter shook his head firmly and pulled up the sleeve of his robe.

The next moment, bizarre patterns surfaced one after another along his arm, eventually converging into a complex, mystical design.

Almost the instant it formed, Olinter radiated a nearly tangible aura of majesty, making it difficult for anyone to look directly at him.

”This is a Star Law. Every pattern that forms it stems from the knowledge of the Stars.”

He delivered this explanation with deep solemnity.

”This is also why members of The Order are so captivated by the night.”

”When your mind aligns closely enough with the Stars, unique and wondrous knowledge will manifest within your consciousness. Once mastered, it ultimately takes this form.”

Olinter shifted his arm. The patterns faded away, and the majestic aura vanished.

”But legend tells of certain people who are born under the gaze of the Stars. They don’t even need to process it through their minds—the knowledge manifests directly upon their bodies.”

”Are you saying that Jane is...”

Standing nearby, Mrs. Winslow wore an expression that went far beyond mere surprise.

In just a few short sentences, her daughter’s desperate, worrying fate had undergone an earth-shattering reversal. She was now a genius in the eyes of The Order?

If not for the sake of maintaining her composure, she would have pinched herself.

”Where is this manifestation of the Star Law?”

A questioning voice rang out.

Nathalie wore a smile as she followed the crowd’s gaze to Jane, but there was an indescribable stiffness in her tone.

”Right here.”

Olinter clearly didn’t notice her rigidity, simply pointing to Jane’s transparent feet.

”Do you see the blood vessels inside? Look closely at the details—the angles and shapes of their curves, the way they intertwine. Do they bear some resemblance to what just appeared on my arm?”

”This is a natural manifestation of the Star Law, occurring without even needing the mind’s conversion process. If you look carefully, you can appreciate its beauty.”

Olinter sounded utterly intoxicated as he spoke.

”Of course, I don’t need to see this to sense just how special Jane is.”

”In short... you don’t need to worry at all. Jane is perfectly fine. Honestly, you really should have come to me sooner.”

Evidently not expecting the misunderstanding to end in such a happy resolution, Olinter seemed to be in a fantastic mood, even joking with the Winslows.

...

However, his words prompted the couple to simultaneously look toward a low-profile figure standing in the corner.

”I told you she was fine, didn’t I?”

Fu Qian smiled and made a gesture.