Eldritch Horror Theatre

Crack!

The dreamlike light finally faded, but the crisp sound of shattering ice crystals continued to echo, deepening the surrounding silence.

Although the brilliant display was over, everyone stared at that figure, not daring to drop their guard in the slightest.

That thing... had it been stopped?

Having experienced it firsthand twice, Amira had almost instinctively tried to dodge in that split second.

However, the scene that followed completely upended her understanding of reality.

Not only had this guy sensed the attack a step ahead of everyone else, but he had actually faced down an opponent that the Hunters themselves were helpless against.

More importantly, he had actually stopped it, relying on the so-called ”Guiding Moonlight.”

Only corruption could counter corruption?

Impossible. It made absolutely no sense...Deeply shaken, Amira finally couldn’t help stepping forward to search the space, yet her hands met nothing but empty air.

Whether it had been blocked or severed, beneath the thick fog, there were no invisible remains. It was as if...

”It’s possible I just struck a pose and shattered a rusted sword. That still doesn’t prove anything.”

A moment later, a voice spoke her exact thoughts.

Fu Qian instantly relaxed his posture, examining a weapon that was now little more than a hilt.

The existence of this discarded piece was truly unique.

Just as it had brought a furious impact yet left no trace, Fu Qian was absolutely certain that the entity no longer existed after his strike.

Yet its final state was quite literally ”nonexistent,” as if it had simply dissolved into the thick fog.

”No, I know it was there, although I don’t understand how you did it.”

As it turned out, perhaps due to a lack of emotional interference, Simon was quite straightforward. With a single sentence, he forced Reginald, who had been eager to share his own thoughts, to swallow his words.

”To actually crush that thing head-on... That is a very unique power, one I have never seen before.”

’That goes without saying. You won’t find an expert as creative as me just anywhere.’

Fu Qian accepted Simon’s evaluation without the slightest modesty.

The force that had disposed of the discarded piece just now was, naturally, the Tier 2 indestructible power of a False God, coupled with the Calamity Authority of the King of the Abandoned Prison.

Of course, this core burst of furious damage had been cleverly disguised beneath that flashy spectacle, attributed entirely to the mighty power of the Pope.

To make the effect as convincing as possible, Fu Qian had even added the Tyrant’s Fist on top of it.

He had already tested it before: under the effect of Burning Frost, the latter had remarkably transformed into a Frost Scythe, which paired much better with the flashy horizontal slash of the Rapier.

That was also why ice crystals continued to burst in midair even after the sword strike.

...

All in all, the performance was a massive success.

It was obvious that this three-person escort team had finally heard the voice of the shepherd.

Even this sword had fulfilled a destiny it seemed ill-equipped to bear.

”It’s not surprising you haven’t seen it.”

With a squeeze of his hand, the freezing hilt shattered into fragments. As gemstones cascaded down, Fu Qian casually let them fall to the ground and calmly replied to Simon.

”After all, within this current illusion, there were only seven people spreading this gospel to begin with.”

”...Why seven?”

Amira clearly wanted to refute his claim about this being an illusion, but she ultimately chose to satisfy her curiosity first.

”Because I am the Seventh Apostle, serving the Sublime Dark Moon.”

Fu Qian shot her a glance, his tone growing increasingly enigmatic.

”The moment I touched the moonlight back then, I became absolutely certain of this.”

It was easy to guess that he was referring to the scene of moonlight protection in the hospital basement within the Nightmare. For a moment, Amira didn’t know what to say.

”Dark Moon Apostle... What about the other six?”

Fortunately, someone else picked up the conversation. Reginald asked the question quite naturally.

’That’s exactly what I was waiting for!’

Fu Qian praised him inwardly, though his expression remained unchanged as he continued to speak in riddles.

”You’ll know when you meet them... You will definitely know.”

...

Nothing could be read from Amira’s confused face, and Simon’s face couldn’t be seen at all. Only Reginald’s expression shifted in a way that conveyed a wealth of information in that split second.

Forced composure, an uncontrollable stiffness... It seemed this wasn’t his first time hearing the title of Dark Moon Apostle.

After the Laerdin Good Doctor Incident, the higher-ups of The Order had clearly locked down all information.

And when Amira submitted her report, a mid-to-high-ranking figure like Reginald received far more feedback than she did.

For instance, he had learned about a certain Thug named Herbert, as well as the moonlight and the freezing cold he spread.

Even just a few hours ago, evidence had surfaced proving that the guy was actually a legendary vampire from the Blood Clan, trespassing into the West District Church with an incredibly arrogant attitude.

Since they were called a ”Clan,” it was very easy for one’s imagination to run wild regarding the whereabouts of the other five ”apostles.”

As for the Hunter, Simon, Fu Qian deduced that he likely had an even clearer understanding of the situation.

Because in the next moment, Reginald subconsciously glanced at him, seemingly seeking his opinion.

”Thank you for sharing. In my eyes, you have already proven a great deal.”

Meeting expectations, Simon finally spoke up, forcefully dragging the conversation back on track.

”Now that the obstacle on the road has been cleared, we should continue moving forward... I wish to remain polite, so do you still remember the way?”

”Of course. The entire reason I am here is to show you the way.”

Fu Qian was clearly completely immersed in his apostle persona. Before setting off, he even looked up.

It was as if he were gazing through the mist, admiring the moon sitting at an infinite height.

...

”I’m actually quite curious, Mr. Anke.”

The rest of the journey turned out to be rather peaceful.

So much so that after walking for a distance, Reginald finally couldn’t stand Fu Qian walking at the very front—acting as if he were truly guiding the lost—and spoke up to question him.

”Here, on this so-called Edge of Nightmare, what is your take on the attack just now? Dream guards trying to stop you from tearing at the boundary?”

The question was distinctly sharp, but Fu Qian didn’t even turn his head, immediately firing back with a question of his own.

”A reasonable deduction, but I’m more interested in your true thoughts. For example, how do you interpret the existence of the discarded piece?”

”The Supreme Law of the Stars doesn’t seem to have much effect on them. I thought you would rather believe that this fog had simply dragged you into a Nightmare.”

...

This sentence was undoubtedly a massive blow. When it came to the belief that the Law equaled ”truth,” the Celestial Sphere Cult and the Blood Clan were evidently quite aligned.

However, the fallacy was now right in front of them, even violently ripped open once again.

”Honestly, I really am curious as to why you don’t see it that way.”

Fu Qian wasn’t prepared to let them off the hook. A moment later, he simply stopped in his tracks and picked up something else from the ground.

It was a short firearm with a familiar design, very similar to the ones carried by Rafadi’s group. However, its body was now heavily rusted.

”I don’t know when you helped the police upgrade to this model, but it looks like it’s been lying here for many, many years.”

”Just like that sword.”