Eldritch Horror Theatre

So it really was just a local cultural quirk.

Despite having a gun continuously trained on him, Fu Qian showed no reaction to the devastating attack that could be unleashed at any moment. Instead, he stared at the exquisite weapon itself with a deep sigh of realization.

Given the timing of her appearance, the identity of the person standing before him was hardly a mystery.

Combined with her unquestionable Rank in the Demigod Realm, it was obvious she was the one who had given Raylan the two Talismans and helped devise the tracking plan.

Still, from the very beginning up until now, wasn’t the proportion of Night Watchers in Loss who used firearms a little too high?

Thinking back to Chief Yuan’s branch, with its massive wall of unclaimed ammunition sitting in the Warehouse, Fu Qian suddenly felt he should do them a favor and help burn through some of that inventory in his free time.

”As long as you all know what you’re doing. So, how should I address you?”

The thought flashed through his mind without delaying his polite nod, and feeling rather gratified, he asked for her name.

”A name is just a code. You can call me Thirteen.”

The demigod gunner maintained her dashing posture, answering without the slightest hesitation....

So the bald guy wasn’t named Forty-Seven, but his boss was named Thirteen?

The codename provided by the female gunner left even the widely experienced Fu Qian internally roasting the absurdity of it, clicking his tongue in quiet amusement.

”What is it? You don’t strike me as the type to fixate on something like this.”

She seemed to have completely misunderstood his reaction. Demigod Thirteen frowned slightly, asking the question in genuine confusion.

”Of course, it isn’t my real name, just as I doubt your real name is actually Grimshaw.”

”It isn’t,” Fu Qian agreed. ”I just suddenly thought that if everyone picked their codenames using your naming conventions, I’d have to start calling our buddy Raylan ’Forty-Seven.’”

He waved his hand dismissively, casually offering the explanation so she wouldn’t overthink it.

Forty-Seven?

Madam Thirteen clearly couldn’t follow his logic, the confusion on her face only deepening.

Even so, she had no intention of wasting time on the subject and chose not to press the issue.

”So, could Chief Thirteen explain that shot from just now?”

More than satisfied with her reaction, Fu Qian cooperatively steered the conversation back to the main topic.

Regardless of his actual motives, he was at least willing to feign an attitude of active communication rather than blatantly stalling for time.

”It’s very simple. Just as Raylan told you, if you refuse to cooperate, you will face an endless pursuit.”

His question seemed to remind Thirteen of the gun in her hand. She toyed with it in satisfaction as she answered.

”That shot was mainly a gentle suggestion to carefully reconsider whether you really wanted to walk away.”

”So if I don’t want to eat a second bullet, I’d better head back inside and try some more of Mrs. Weasley’s wine?”

Completely unsurprised by her answer, Fu Qian jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.

”We don’t need to disturb that poor woman, assuming you’re willing to just take a walk around the area.”

As the chief of Loss, Thirteen wasn’t overly rigid. She casually gestured toward the outside of the courtyard wall.

...

”And if you’re wondering how that single shot achieved such a destructive effect... what do you feel when you look at this?”

A moment later, walking outside the courtyard wall alongside Fu Qian, who had accepted her suggestion, Thirteen casually displayed her weapon.

”It’s a nice weapon, but on its own, it isn’t capable of producing the attack from just now.”

Fu Qian offered the casual critique after only a single glance.

He wasn’t just talking out of thin air. In the immediate aftermath of the shot, he had already confirmed that while Thirteen’s two guns and the bullets inside them were all transcendent items, their Rank wasn’t absurdly high.

Although the visual spectacle of the shot hadn’t been overly flashy, the sheer destructive power compressed within it was easily on par with his own fully charged Air Bullet.

If she could achieve that level of power using nothing but two weapons, it would be far too game-breaking.

”Spot on. In truth, it has everything to do with my own abilities.”

Casually drawing her second gun, Thirteen smoothly spun both weapons around her fingers in a flashy display of dexterity.

”Just as Raylan mentioned earlier, I can fundamentally catalyze all sorts of transcendent structures. I can force them to instantaneously combust, regardless of whether they take the form of physical objects or abstract attacks.”

”Essentially, you can think of me as an arsonist—a mage who goes around detonating everything in sight. I force transcendent power to bloom in a vastly magnified state, resulting in the effect you just witnessed.”

”Understood. I have to say, your ’staves’ have a rather unique design.”

Since she was willing to explain in such detail, Fu Qian listened attentively out of respect, offering his commentary right on cue.

”You even dual-wield them.”

He said it lightly, but a moment’s thought was all it took to realize just how terrifying the chief of Loss would be in a real fight, assuming she was telling the truth.

No charge-up time. No warning signs. Every single bullet she fired would carry that exact same devastating payload.

Naturally, an ability like that had to come with an energy cost; she couldn’t keep it up indefinitely.

But until she finally exhausted herself, she effectively possessed infinite firepower. She could pour a terrifying barrage of destruction onto her targets in the blink of an eye.

The attacks would even be highly versatile.

Apart from Raylan’s earlier display, Fu Qian could clearly sense from this distance that the bullets loaded in her guns carried a multitude of different transcendent effects.

”Staves... that’s actually a very fitting name for them.”

Accepting his comment about dual-wielding without an ounce of false modesty, Thirteen stared back at Fu Qian and gave a slight nod.

”I can indeed use both of them simultaneously. Your concern is entirely justified.”

...

”What a miraculous power. Thank you for the explanation.”

Even though her explanation carried an obvious underlying threat—and was heavily suspected of just being a stalling tactic—Fu Qian genuinely thanked her for the newly acquired knowledge.

Sure enough, learning has no bounds.

”...Which makes me all the more curious. Why did you refuse our earlier proposal?”

Sensing the genuine sincerity in his voice, Madam Thirteen couldn’t help but feel a little thrown off.

After a brief hesitation, she voiced the question that had clearly been puzzling her for a while.

”Compared to your current situation, I can’t see a single downside to friendly cooperation. Did you think we were just bluffing when we threatened to hunt you down?”

”Why would you think that? I’ve always had the utmost faith in the Night Watchers’ credibility.”

Fu Qian feigned an expression of exaggerated shock.

”In fact, that is exactly why I refused to cooperate... If I didn’t run, how else was I supposed to get you to show yourself?”

”...You were waiting for me to show up this entire time.”

Even with her oversized sunglasses hiding half of her face, the shift in Madam Thirteen’s emotions was glaringly obvious as she slightly gritted her teeth.

”I was. Just as you’ve been secretly listening in on everything happening over here.”

”...It was my plan to begin with, so isn’t it perfectly normal for me to monitor the situation?” she snapped. ”But what is the point of all this? How does forcing me to reveal myself benefit you in any way?”

Of course it benefitted him. In more ways than one.

Facing the chief of the Night Watchers, who was visibly disgruntled at having been played, Fu Qian casually activated his Lucid Dream.

”What are you doing?”

Sure enough, Madam Thirteen broke free from the influence almost instantly, simultaneously leveling the barrels of both guns straight at him.