Eldritch Horror Theatre

Just as Ed had said, she appeared completely obsessed with painting.

Just because the artist wasn’t offering a tour didn’t mean Fu Qian couldn’t look around on his own.

Although this room probably hadn’t been a cell originally, a single glance confirmed it was just as crude.

It held only a single wooden table and chair, along with a pile of crates and clutter clustered in the corner.

Tubes of paint, brushes, and numerous finished pieces littered the small table.

Looking at the easel set directly opposite the chair, he could easily picture Rachel sitting there, immersed in her work. The art itself leaned toward the abstract—no wonder her husband, Ed, struggled to follow her train of thought.

Fu Qian didn’t stand on ceremony. He walked right up to the table and genuinely took a moment to appreciate the pieces.

For an adult her age, wasn’t the style a little too dark?

It wasn’t that the canvases were covered in blood or twisted gore, but the overall style was undeniably oppressive.

Even the blooming flowers were painted in colors so heavy and rich they looked smeared with blood.Was this that old joke? Too immature for a teenager, but just right for a twenty-something?

Recalling his initial critique of the two missing youths’ aesthetic tastes, Fu Qian marveled at the bizarre depths of the human mind, even thinking back to Brother Peeker’s theory.

Regardless of her current state, it seemed Rachel also once had an Anchor Point in the Inner World.

He was no art professional, but as someone used to twisted scenes, Fu Qian easily recognized traces of the Inner World’s distinct flavor in these pieces.

If Rachel hadn’t been guided by some subconscious influence, but had painted these entirely from her own talent and imagination, then she had already surpassed Evan.

He had resorted to physically cultivating flesh and blood in an attempt to cross the dimensional barrier, while she had managed it through sheer imagination.

”Ed doesn’t like them.”

Sure enough, most people couldn’t stay silent when their proudest work received close attention.

Their earlier conversation hadn’t exactly been friendly, and Rachel had already grabbed her bag to leave, but seeing him study the pieces, she couldn’t resist offering a brief explanation of their creative background.

”So the ones you took home were the tamer pieces?”

Fu Qian replied casually, revealing that he had spoken with Ed about his wife’s creative drive.

”Yes... these would be much harder for him to look at.”

A young married woman complaining to a strange man that her husband didn’t understand her—Rachel clearly realized how odd the conversation had become. She turned her head with a soft sigh, her tone growing slightly strained.

”They’re good. But after seeing them, I feel like getting into a car with you just got a bit more dangerous.”

Fu Qian completely ignored the awkward shift in mood and simply continued expressing his appreciation of the art.

”...Too dark?”

Rachel had clearly wanted to drop the subject, but the comment still managed to pique her curiosity.

”No. I’m just worried your mental age isn’t old enough to drive.”

Smoothly borrowing Brother Peeker’s logic, Fu Qian turned and led the way out, leaving Rachel standing there with a complicated expression.

...

”So, where am I dropping you off?”

It was hard to tell whether she took Fu Qian’s critique as an insult or a compliment, and she remained silent until they were in the car.

”The hospital.”

Sliding into the backseat, Fu Qian stated his destination directly.

”What? Do you think the missing people went there?”

Rachel looked a little surprised, though her mind worked quickly enough.

Sure enough, she didn’t even ask which hospital.

”It’s possible, but mostly, I’m going to find Tina.”

Marveling inwardly, Fu Qian maintained his honest approach.

Rachel didn’t even ask who Tina was. She simply started the engine, clearly familiar with the name.

The social circle in this place really was small.

Still, tracking down a young married woman to act as his chauffeur—only to have her drive him to meet another young woman—was undeniably a bit awkward.

”We’re here.”

Despite the awkwardness, Rachel proved to be a steady driver, quickly delivering Fu Qian to their destination.

Fu Qian didn’t even need to look. By his sense of direction alone, he knew they had arrived at the exact spot he had scouted earlier.

That was to say nothing of the route itself; they had just driven past the building that served as the exit to the Underground passage.

His earlier assessment of this dead zone hadn’t been an exaggeration—the streets were so quiet they hadn’t seen a single rat along the way.

”Thanks. You can find a spot to park.”

Politely thanking her, Fu Qian casually dropped a new suggestion.

...

So she wasn’t just here to be a driver?

”Why?”

The look Rachel gave him perfectly encapsulated the feeling of questioning one’s life choices.

”Because later, I’ll still need you to drop me off at my car.”

Fu Qian stated it in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

”...Will it take long?”

If it was just a simple drop-off at the hospital, that would have been fine.

But given his behavior the entire trip, Rachel was clearly worried that he would keep adding demands, drawing her in deeper against her will.

She had already realized this new officer operated completely differently than Hake, and she made no effort to hide her hesitation.

”It shouldn’t take long.”

Fu Qian’s expression remained perfectly neutral.

She seemed to harbor a subconscious resistance to going home.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity.

At first glance, this situation felt a little like the premise of an adult film.

A young wife lies to her husband, is found out by a stranger, and is blackmailed into doing his bidding.

But that was only on the surface. Based on Ed’s behavior earlier, Fu Qian figured that even if Rachel had been sneaking out to see a lover rather than to paint, Ed would still likely forgive her.

As his wife, Rachel couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.

Therefore, in Fu Qian’s mind, it was entirely possible that she would simply reject his suggestion and drive away.

Yet, she had given him this half-hearted compliance.

It felt slightly submissive. Was there some special reason for it?

...

”As for where to actually find Tina, I really don’t know.”

While he pondered this, Rachel parked the car and signaled that Fu Qian could get out.

”That’s fine. I don’t know either.”

Accepting the suggestion decisively, he stepped out into the hospital grounds.

Surrounded by the imposing architecture, he surveyed the courtyard. It felt slightly less dead than the route here, but it was still eerily deserted. Seeing this, he was quite satisfied with his decision to have his female driver bring him here.

It wasn’t that he harbored any real intentions toward her; he just wanted to prevent a repeat of what had happened at the Art Prison.

Exactly. If he could slip into the Inner World without realizing it before, why wouldn’t the same thing happen in a place the Old Hunter had likely visited as well?

As far as he knew, with the exception of Brother Peeker, everyone else back at the Art Prison had likely already had their Inner World counterparts die. That meant they had lost their Anchor Points for entering it—and that included Rachel.

With a person like her as his driver, unless the car suddenly crashed into a wall and he discovered the driver’s seat was empty, her presence practically guaranteed he was still in the Surface World.