Eldritch Horror Theatre

Pale, gaunt, and covered in cracks.

It was called a Miracle for a reason.

Under Professor Ah Kai’s guidance, as Fu Qian attempted to manifest his memories, a massive body slowly surfaced within the ancient Great Hall.

It was a perfect, one-to-one replica of Huo, the Dragon of Apoptosis.

More than that, the shocking form rapidly turned tangible. It was as if this long-dead, pure creature had descended upon the world once more through this Miracle.

But it only seemed that way.

Seeing the Benevolent Curse Institute in such decline, and noting Professor Ah Kai’s absolute sincerity, Fu Qian had simply spent a bit more effort to optimize the projection, hoping it might help the man gain some insight.

Though its appearance and aura were flawless imitations—even seemingly possessing an innate halo of withering that automatically eroded everything around it—it was ultimately nothing more than a projection bearing traces of power.

Its eyes had been tightly shut in the past because it was severely wounded and dying; now, it held the exact same posture simply because it possessed absolutely no consciousness.

But the intensity should be enough.It was a former Tier 2 entity, after all. This sliver of power meant nothing to Fu Qian, but for Brother Ah Kai, who wholeheartedly wished to witness the glory of a miraculous creature, it was more than enough.

In just a split second, Professor Ah Kai seemed to age several years.

Yet even so, he made no move to defend himself.

With shining eyes, a frozen posture, and bated breath, Professor Ah Kai’s attention was entirely captivated.

He refused to miss the slightest chance to experience it firsthand, knowing the opportunity was fleeting.

A few breaths later, the Dragon of Apoptosis before them began to wither away. Its gradually blurring body shattered and quietly faded into the void.

It complemented the surrounding retro architecture quite well, lending the scene a distinct sense of returning to history.

It wasn’t that Fu Qian had reached his limit; it was the Miracle that had hit its limit.

Professor Ah Kai’s earlier procedure had lost its effect.

Even so, Fu Qian did not rush to disturb him. Instead, he stepped forward, sat down, and leaned against the back of a chair.

Professor Ah Kai probably needed some quiet time to digest what he had seen.

...

”Thank you for your trouble, Excellency.”

Truly befitting the more polite younger generation, he didn’t make Fu Qian wait long. A moment later, Ah Kai took a deep breath, suppressed the boundless satisfaction on his face, and immediately turned to thank him.

”It was no trouble. Did you gain anything from it?”

Waving off the gratitude, Fu Qian displayed the full pragmatism of a researcher, immediately asking about the results.

A demigod was indeed a demigod—completely unaffected.

If the manifestation had lasted just a bit longer, the impact on him would likely have spiraled out of control.

Despite his surging emotions, the demigod’s overly calm response still provoked a strong reaction in Ah Kai.

He didn’t waste time on pointless flattery, however. He merely nodded earnestly.

”I am quite certain. That was the living Miracle we mentioned earlier!”

”Oh?”

Faced with such a resolute Brother Ah Kai, Fu Qian remained noncommittal, gesturing for him to continue.

”If it were purely an image, making a judgment would be very difficult. But your manifestation, Excellency, was nothing short of perfect. You even managed to draw out traces of its power... I smelled the scent of a Miracle.”

Sense of smell?

Though it sounded somewhat subjective, Fu Qian didn’t doubt the man’s confidence.

Respecting professionals was a virtue.

So could the appearance of Huo simply be a Divine Trait accidentally inputting the right cheat code?

Bizarre, but interesting.

Besides, Fu Qian wasn’t in a hurry to verify the truth of this theory; he was much more curious as to why there was a cheat code in the first place.

”Thank you again. Although I can’t present any concrete results just yet, please believe this means a great deal to me.”

”Not even having the chance to face it directly is no longer a regret for me... If a projection can exert such an influence, the true body is absolutely beyond what I can interact with right now!”

Lost in thought, Professor Ah Kai behaved quite openly. He frankly admitted his own limitations, and despite having no tangible results yet, straightforwardly acknowledged that he owed Fu Qian a favor.

”If you need help with anything in the future, seek me out anytime. I’m quite free most of the time...”

”Alright.”

Maintaining his pragmatic style, Fu Qian showed absolutely no intention of exchanging pleasantries.

”Right.”

Having finished poking fun at himself, Ah Kai suddenly seemed to remember something.

”Excellency, you mentioned earlier that this creature symbolizing apoptosis is subject to extremely strict definitions and protections. Are there any relevant symbols or concepts associated with it?”

”This would be incredibly useful for my upcoming deductions. Anything of any nature, the more accurate the better—”

”Fifty-nine.”

Almost the instant he finished speaking, Fu Qian blurted out the number.

...

Huh?

”At first glance, it only hides within the dreams of humans over fifty-nine years old. Unless it reveals itself, anyone who doesn’t meet the criteria cannot come into contact with it at all.”

Facing a thoroughly astonished Professor Ah Kai, Fu Qian casually added the details.

That was way too specific...

The clue Fu Qian provided was far more concrete than anything Ah Kai had dared to hope for.

Having only just calmed down slightly, he was instantly shocked into restlessness all over again.

”I hope you gain something from it.”

Taking in the scene, Fu Qian didn’t wait for him to say anything else. He stood up and took his leave.

Professor Ah Kai was clearly itching with impatience to begin his new research project.

”Also, I suggest you work over there.”

Just before leaving, Fu Qian pointed a finger at a nearby spot and offered one last piece of advice.

That was the exact spot where the Dragon of Apoptosis had just been entrenched...

Looking slightly confused, Ah Kai suddenly noticed that the chair Fu Qian had been sitting in had one of its armrests detached and cast aside. The broken edge exhibited a bizarre, decaying change.

The lingering traces of the withering effect would be incredibly helpful in comprehending that creature’s power...

Instantly grasping Demigod Fu’s intent, Ah Kai eagerly rushed over to stand where suggested.

...

Did this count as giving another push down the Benevolent Curse Institute’s path of ruin?

Walking away casually, Fu Qian—who had never bothered to ask about the specifics regarding Nepheli—only glanced back once he stepped out of the magnificent building.

Just like the invisible influence Huo had left on the walls while fleeing for its life earlier, its manifestation just now hadn’t appeared to damage anything, yet that gorgeous Great Hall wouldn’t stay gorgeous for much longer.

Regardless, this trip could be considered highly rewarding.

The most direct benefit was that the next time he dealt with Excellency Nepheli, he wouldn’t have to worry about lacking conversation topics.

Aside from that, according to the preliminarily verified miraculous creature theory, their appearance was both accidental and inevitable.

The sword heart and Huo were very likely not the only two special phenomena.

For instance, there was one right here.

Halting his steps, Fu Qian looked at the figure sitting leisurely in front of his Laboratory a short distance away, struggling to jog his memory.

What was her name again—Jia Keke?