Eldritch Horror Theatre

So Excellency Nepheli was one of the ignorant fools once singled out by the Warehouse?

Even knowing the gist of the process, Fu Qian still found himself marveling in that moment.

Nepheli’s words aligned far too perfectly with a certain mission summary.

The Blood of Thorns—his mission objective when he first arrived in Shangjing, the taboo item that had sprouted within the Night Watchers’ Restricted Zone.

It even stained his Emissary Mask to this day.

He could confirm the Origin Council had used the item to help Chen Xing advance; after all, he had later pulled it right back out of him.

And yet: ”A dense condensation of pollution and errors, mistaken by the ignorant for an advanced form of life.”

Nepheli’s words just now fit that old mission evaluation perfectly.

”So Chen Xing still took the path of his family’s inherited technique, just with an extra tonic to make up for the gap in his bloodline?”

But seeking common ground while reserving differences was key here. Especially with such an emotionally charged evaluation, Fu Qian had no intention of persuading Nepheli, choosing instead to directly confirm the core of their operation method.”Yes. After all the preparations were complete, I left early. The final step was left for Deng Feizhou to execute.”

Nepheli confirmed his theory.

That explained why, after Deng Feizhou’s accident, a Tier 2 like Ariel had been sent to investigate.

It had been a project related to his pilot in the first place.

In that moment, Fu Qian gained a much clearer, logical understanding of the entire sequence of events.

”Deng Feizhou actually did quite well... Did the effects of the Blood of Thorns have anything to do with the tests you ran on Ye Island?”

He didn’t dismiss the operator’s contributions, either.

Chen Xing had genuinely reached the Demigod Realm, after all; Deng Feizhou hadn’t slacked off.

...

”Strictly speaking, they aren’t closely related. Even before I received enlightenment regarding the Blood of Thorns from Rom, I already had suspicions about certain things. I just didn’t get the chance to verify them until later.”

The experience on Ye Island clearly hadn’t been pleasant for Nepheli.

She didn’t brush off the question, however, and earnestly explained the sequence of events.

”But Kisaragi Kana is already a transcendent.”

Fu Qian gave a slight nod, offering the reminder.

”Are you trying to say Kisaragi Kana’s situation is similar to Chen Xing’s? That both involve compensating for a lack of innate talent... It’s not entirely wrong to think of it that way.”

Straightforward people speak plainly. He knew quite a bit about the potion project and had deep ties with the Kisaragi sisters.

After a moment of thought, Nepheli agreed with Fu Qian’s logic.

”Alright, we’ll stop there on this topic. I believe my sincerity has been demonstrated. Now, you can ask the question you originally wanted to ask—though I make no promises I’ll answer it.”

Unfortunately, she still had something weighing on her mind. Right as the discussion was heating up, Nepheli decisively hit the brakes and signaled it was time for the next phase.

He could even tell that her willingness to share so much on the current topic stemmed, at least in part, from a lack of confidence regarding his real question.

She was showing goodwill upfront to leave herself some room to maneuver later.

It was a very rational mindset, and stating it so bluntly gave her a rather unabashed air.

Though slightly disappointed for the moment, Fu Qian had no intention of forcing the issue. He even offered a reassuring smile.

”Don’t worry, it’s actually a field you excel in... How much do you know about the apocalypse?”

...

As the rising star of the Benevolent Curse Institute, Professor Ah Kai, had once mentioned, the apocalypse had always been a buzzword in Miracle research.

And as a leading figure in the field of Miracles—and the winner of countless lotteries—Excellency Nepheli’s insight into the subject was something Fu Qian greatly anticipated.

Especially after seeing that alternate Academy, and even an alternate Nepheli, with Master Yuhun’s help last time.

The world where he was forced to confront the Mother of Gospel had clearly been undergoing an apocalypse.

Judging by the ages of his acquaintances there, that apocalypse couldn’t be too far removed from the present time.

The apocalypse...

She had likely expected a mere pleasantry, but Fu Qian’s new question clearly caught Nepheli off guard once again.

Her reaction was understandable. Given such a rare opportunity, he really should have been digging for more hidden secrets regarding the Origin Council.

She had even dropped a few hints to show her sincerity, yet here he was, earnestly discussing something else entirely. Even so—

”Nineteen years and three months ago.”

To his surprise, Nepheli directly provided a timeframe, one that sounded incredibly precise.

”What’s that?”

How could Fu Qian not be satisfied with such a refreshing response? He played along instantly and asked.

”The time of the apocalypse. It’s also the time I left the Academy.”

Nepheli’s expression was more tranquil and still than he had ever seen it. She spoke without a trace of emotion.

...

Oh?

Not only did she know about the apocalypse, but she even knew the exact date?

Now that was fascinating.

In that moment, Fu Qian deeply felt that delaying his commute had been entirely worth it.

Furthermore, no one knew why the former dean of the Benevolent Curse Institute had quietly vanished. Based on the effects of a certain Miracle, Fu Qian had previously deduced that she might have witnessed something.

But hearing her now, was it actually tied directly to a nonexistent ”apocalypse”?

”I witnessed an apocalypse once, too. It was triggered by a Miracle and started with a dark flame. It happened right at the Academy, and the first Descender was the Mother of Gospel.”

While he could have easily reacted with sheer shock to Nepheli’s words, Fu Qian had no intention of playing dumb. Instead, he matched her honesty by directly sharing his own experience.

He told her about the vision Master Yuhun had shown him when trying to weaponize the Mother of Gospel against him.

”That Miracle was called Meria’s Resurrection, and the one who cast it was you.”

Without blinking an eye, he directly pinned the blame for triggering the apocalypse squarely on Nepheli.

”That’s right. It was me.”

Astonishingly, the accused made absolutely no attempt to defend herself and directly accepted the charge.

”Or rather, the real me.”

Her tone remained perfectly calm, but the look in Nepheli’s eyes was the strangest he had seen in all their interactions. And her words were turning cryptic.

”Come to think of it, this place really is quite suited for this conversation. I should thank you for bringing the topic up.”

She glanced around and even gestured, inviting Fu Qian to take a seat nearby.

”The real you? Are you saying the current you is a fake?”

Fu Qian didn’t decline. As he sat, he probed curiously at her strange phrasing.

”Why couldn’t I be? Do you think you are real?”

Nepheli actually smiled. She raised a hand and slowly spread her fingers.

”The first time I saw that apocalypse, I naturally assumed it was some sort of fallacy. That is, until I saw more fallacies...”

”Have you ever considered the possibility that we just happened to catch a glimpse of the truth? That everything before our eyes right now... is nothing but the ashes left behind by the apocalypse?”