Eldritch Horror Theatre

It was no coincidence. Excellency Solendir had rushed to the Lighthouse specifically to investigate the commotion.

The final flare of light was simply too spectacular to ignore, especially coming seamlessly on the heels of his attack.

His anger was entirely understandable. Being attacked was one thing, but more importantly, the storm had ceased, and he found himself standing in the real Moore.

This made it abundantly clear that Solendir’s bond with the Wise Dead simply wasn’t deep enough to let him remain inside, unlike Serana before him.

A hard-won opportunity had likely just slipped through his fingers. Beneath that solemn face, his emotions were undoubtedly churning.

If he discovered exactly who had ruined his plans, that fury would surely erupt into immediate, violent action.

And then he found him.

A demigod’s vision was naturally sharp enough to spot a full-grown man standing on the Lighthouse.

Not to mention that even after being spotted, Fu Qian’s movements remained entirely uninhibited. His subsequent leap from the top was a clear display of superhuman physical prowess.

However, he might have been a little too uninhibited, causing a subtle shift in his audience’s mindset.Solendir didn’t rush in to attack, nor did he even step forward to interrogate. He merely watched from afar, hesitating out of fear of catastrophic collateral damage.

This was hardly surprising. To avoid frightening the Old Lady, Fu Qian had rearranged his Real and Fake Eyes on the way over, leaving him with a relatively normal appearance now.

Still, no matter how ordinary he looked, pairing it with a demigod’s constitution only exuded an aura of understated power.

Not to mention an even more critical point: the number of demigods.

As far as Solendir knew, the person who had confronted him back at the Escort Agency Office was already a tough opponent to deal with. But was the demigod here the same one from the office?

It seemed highly unlikely, which instantly escalated the severity of the situation.

They were all formidable figures in their own right; not just anyone could casually handle a high-stakes two-on-one battle.

Excellency Solendir’s focus had clearly shifted from seeking revenge to plotting a swift tactical retreat.

Even so, walking away now would be incredibly frustrating.

What organization was this? Was it connected to Anjing? What was their goal?

Why were they so familiar with Moore during the storm, seizing the initiative at every turn?

If these questions remained unanswered, how could he proceed with his future ascension? How could he possibly progress?

”Here you go, it’s ready.”

Deeply empathizing with his own victim while being served a delicious drink—this was undoubtedly one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Offering a casual word of thanks, Fu Qian ignored a certain demigod entirely, focusing solely on the taste of his beverage.

He looked just as appreciative as before, perfectly replicating the elegance of the Blood Clan.

”Is it really that good?”

It was hard to say what Excellency Solendir thought upon witnessing this, but the juice’s creator was suddenly lacking in confidence. The Old Lady looked Fu Qian up and down, asking the question with a bizarre expression.

”It is. Especially since it’s free.”

Fu Qian nodded, though his gaze had already drifted in another direction.

It was almost a perfect reenactment of a past scene. Laywoman Tooth-Throat, walking at a rather leisurely pace, happened to stroll by once again.

”Over here.”

This time, Fu Qian didn’t force her to struggle for an excuse as to why they had bumped into each other. He simply called out to her.

Wasn’t this... a bit too coincidental?

Despite her rich life experience, the Old Lady was visibly astonished by the scene unfolding before her.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to dwell on it for long. Laywoman Tooth-Throat froze for a moment, and by the time she accepted the invitation and walked over, Fu Qian had already finished his pomegranate juice and stood up.

”Did you bring money?”

An astonishing opening line.

”...I did.”

It was far from polite, but since the older woman had been somewhat bewildered, the blunt question actually helped her relax a bit. She answered quickly.

”Good.”

Setting down his empty cup, Fu Qian took the lead and walked ahead.

Just a few steps later, they saw that beneath the tree where Brother Shulan had previously waited, even Laurie was present this time.

...

”You arrived quickly.”

It wasn’t strange that the trio had gathered here. After all, Fu Qian had come specifically to wait for them.

Unlike himself and Serana, Laurie and the others theoretically shouldn’t possess any memories from within the Realm of the Dead.

However, given that this involved a covenant-level bond, there was a high probability that their experiences in that place had left some kind of subconscious impact.

Not to mention that the storm had started and stopped abruptly. Without a clue as to what was happening, choosing to follow their previously agreed-upon plan and seek him out for guidance was a very logical choice.

Even though this location was actually far more dangerous.

Despite the distance, there was no way Solendir wouldn’t spot them.

”Come with me.”

Laurie and his group were clearly aware that moving in full force was a rather bold move. As they hesitated over how to respond to Fu Qian’s remark, he had already called out again, signaling them to follow.

This...

At that moment, Laywoman Tooth-Throat, having paid for the drink, caught up with them. After exchanging a glance with Laurie and Brother Shulan, the trio finally answered his call and trailed behind him.

...

”Come inside.”

Fortunately, this nerve-wracking journey didn’t last long. Without walking very far, Fu Qian stopped in front of a small, quaint courtyard.

That’s right—it was Excellency Serana’s residence.

Considering it was virtually impossible for her to ever appear in Moore again, Fu Qian had unceremoniously commandeered the place.

”Excellency, it seems someone is following us...”

The group was clearly unfamiliar with this location. While discreetly observing their surroundings, Laurie offered a quiet warning.

The keen senses of the Reaper Familiars were once again on full display. Even with his overwhelming superiority in realm, Solendir had still been spotted.

”It’s fine. Ignore him.”

In response to Laurie’s concern, Fu Qian waved his hand dismissively, his attitude nothing short of domineering.

”Understood... To our shame, we haven’t come to you today with any special discoveries. We’re here simply because the recent storm was incredibly strange. It felt as if something occurred during it, leaving us feeling as though we ought to fulfill our agreement with Anjing...”

As a renowned member of the Rebirth Club, Fu Qian’s words carried a great deal of weight. Laurie visibly relaxed before sheepishly explaining their reason for coming.

”But you haven’t made your move yet?”

Fu Qian nodded, his expression noncommittal.

”No... before doing that, I felt we should come and confirm things with Your Excellency first—”

Laurie’s submissive posture was impeccable. He indeed hadn’t rushed into making any lethal moves, preferring to let Fu Qian make the final call.

However, halfway through his sentence, Laurie seemed to finally realize something. His eyes widened as he stared at his surroundings, and he immediately swallowed the rest of his words.

Just as expected. Relying on their unique geographical advantage, the Greed Worms had not only hidden themselves far too well for Excellency Serana to find, but they had also managed to passively gather quite a bit of information... such as what her residence looked like.

Fu Qian entirely understood why Laurie had reacted this way, he thought to himself.

After all, he had lured them here precisely to drive this point home, cementing the connection between the Ancient Angel and the Rebirth Club once and for all.