Eldritch Horror Theatre

Peaches and plums do not speak, yet a path forms naturally beneath them.

He wasn’t familiar with Excellency Solondir, so he didn’t really understand the man’s style.

But when it came to establishing communication, a ready-made example lay right in front of him.

It was a known fact that Excellency Serana was looking for a bug, and because he had been mistaken for one, that earlier connection had been forged.

So, knowing that Excellency Solondir was searching for something extraordinary, how would he react if something extraordinary suddenly appeared on his ship?

Many things were never that complicated; imitating, referencing, and optimizing could solve most problems.

For Fu Qian, cultivating this little plot of land aboard the ship never required a gentle touch.

And that was only because Lucid Dream was temporarily unavailable. Otherwise, marching right up to interrogate the man would have been far simpler.

As it stood, there was no need to even pay him a visit.

While his Rank rapidly climbed, Fu Qian showed no intention of doing anything else. He simply reached out, picked up a piece of dried fruit, and popped it into his mouth.The treat he had dreamed of the entire time he was tied up was finally his.

Though compared to his sheer size at the moment, it felt somewhat like an adult indulging a childhood craving.

And as for Excellency Solondir, what had he been dreaming of all this time?

...

It remained completely quiet.

His perspective shifted from looking straight ahead to looking down, and The Port went from a blur to completely vanishing.

Even after Fu Qian finished off all his food, the entire ship remained deathly silent.

They sailed steadily away from Moore through the storm, and throughout the entire journey, not a single person came to knock on his door. It was a thorough lesson in the silent treatment.

Whatever Excellency Solondir was searching for truly gave off an unusual vibe.

Fu Qian had no objections. He merely calculated their traveled distance in silence, even coming to a conclusion.

It definitely wasn’t because his actions were too subtle to be noticed.

Being a heavy sleeper was one thing, but keeping your eyes shut while someone shoved a cockroach into your mouth was truly a case where going too far is as bad as falling short.

Although the world-destroying effect of the Resplendent Tyrant acted like a slow poison, it was still a remastered version backed by the Pseudo-Law Core.

From the moment he activated it until now, the effects had become visible to the naked eye. For instance, the power keeping the ship steady amidst the storm was clearly losing its effectiveness.

With every inch they advanced, this rootless vessel was battered more violently by the wind and rain.

Yet under such circumstances, the people on board somehow maintained a carefree attitude, acting as if they were just feasting and singing.

This not only proved they had already noticed him, but it even gave off the distinct impression they were being careful not to startle him.

Fu Qian believed that a net had already been quietly cast across the ship to deal with this anomaly.

Considering how entirely natural their response was, there was good reason to suspect it was a contingency plan prepared long in advance.

In other words, if Siren found their target, this would most likely be their exact reaction.

So what exactly was this target? It was definitely tied to Moore.

For a moment, Fu Qian felt his curiosity pique even further, though he still made no extra moves.

On one hand, tests of patience had always been the strong suit of academic workers.

On the other hand, the situation seemed to have entered a stalemate. But the way Fu Qian saw it, this phase wouldn’t drag on endlessly. A critical turning point was coming soon—it would be time to turn back.

The storm’s radius wasn’t infinite, and the extreme weather ahead was already showing signs of easing.

Once they reached the edge of the storm, how would this ship, which had been chasing the wind all along, react—

Its reaction was extremely decisive.

Drawing on his rich seafaring experience, it turned out his judgment was correct.

As the minutes and seconds ticked by, the ship hadn’t sailed much farther before the edge of the storm appeared right in front of them.

He had to admit, it was truly a spectacular sight. Apart from the residual ripples of the waves, the two sides felt clearly demarcated. It was as if stepping over that somewhat distinct boundary would instantly transport them into a completely different world—and the ship stepped right over it.

That’s right. This time, it unexpectedly broke its previous rules of movement. The deep blue ship smashed straight through the boundary and emerged beneath the sun.

...

So the thing Solondir was looking for might only appear within the storms around Moore?

And once it was found, they didn’t necessarily have to stay inside?

The situation was tense. This contest of patience didn’t seem to have a clear victor yet, but that didn’t stop Fu Qian from drawing further hypotheses.

In fact, one of his earlier guesses had practically been confirmed—not only had the Resplendent Tyrant’s commotions been detected, they had even triggered a pre-arranged contingency plan.

All he could say was that the situation was getting more and more interesting.

For starters, it was looking less and less like a physical target. Otherwise, wouldn’t the normal reaction be to lock on and capture it?

Not to mention, crossing the boundary in such a wild and uninhibited manner would generally make it far easier to lose a target.

Excellency Solondir’s behavior almost seemed like a deliberate test to see if the target would be lost.

But if it wasn’t a physical target, then what was it?

Some kind of adverse effect, similar to the Resplendent Tyrant? Had his own actions hit the mark by sheer coincidence?

That was a bit too coincidental. It didn’t feel entirely convincing.

During such a tense moment of conflict with Anjing, for a dignified demigod to spend his time surfing out here, Solondir definitely had a very good reason for seeking this thing.

Even Kelsen inviting Old Man Lu here definitely had a purpose behind it... Speaking of which, he wondered what Kelsen’s relationship with Solondir was like.

His thoughts raced, twisting continuously.

Watching the ship burst out of the storm and plunge toward the deep sea without a single glance backward—as if embarking on a quest for legendary treasure—Fu Qian showed no intention of retracting the Resplendent Tyrant. He let this silent dialogue continue—until, wait a minute, it seemed someone had finally lost their nerve.

At a certain moment while sailing under the clear sky, Fu Qian reached out, pressing his index finger against a specific spot on the small window.

That spot corresponded to the direction of the sun.

There was still a sun right now, but another one had suddenly appeared in the opposite direction.

Taking advantage of his massive hand size in the Resplendent Tyrant state, Fu Qian easily pressed his middle finger against the other side.

...

It was freezing cold.

As strange as it sounded, that was exactly how it felt.

Despite having the exact same appearance, it completely lacked the warmth brought by the first sun. From the spot his middle finger touched, it felt almost as if icy rays were connecting to him.

The chill didn’t even stop at the window; it continued to spread, filling the empty room as rapidly as a physical substance.

The damp, sinister sensation made it feel as if night was falling prematurely, while the light outside remained utterly out of reach—

Was this Excellency Solondir’s handiwork? It seemed quite interesting.

Fu Qian marveled inwardly at that moment.

There was no doubt that the waiting game was over. Certain changes were taking place, and the real show was about to begin—crack!

Accompanied by a series of eerie sounds, starting from where Fu Qian’s hand pressed against the small window, a breach was forced open inch by inch right before his eyes.

And Fu Qian’s figure simply stepped straight out through it, utterly unstoppable.

...

Excellency Solondir was undoubtedly making a rather enthusiastic attempt to make him stay.

It was just a pity that the cultivation of this little plot of land was already finished. This level was enough.

He was thankful for the free ride all the way here. The Ash Sea was already close at hand.