Eldritch Horror Theatre

Appearing at random, following no discernible pattern...

Not confined to any specific place—able to find a person even while they sat at home...

A burst of spirituality that nourished and reshaped one’s form of existence, carrying a dangerous tendency toward aberration...

And with remarkably clear boundaries, concentrated right where the Starry Sky Rose sat...

The reason people so often stressed looking past appearances to see the essence was that surface impressions were frequently deceptive.

For Fu Qian, it had been especially misleading because he carried an extra preconception: he had actually seen the Rose of Lies and knew it was tied to Annalise.

Thankfully, as noted before, he had observed it quite closely.

So closely, in fact, that he had kept turning over the reason behind his very first impression—that it was ”glaring.”

In the end, even without his Transcendent Perception at the moment, he had easily connected the dots.

Next came the process of elimination.Encouragingly enough, whatever Serana thought of the Bookstore Owner personally, she clearly had plenty of faith in his professional competence.

Once she held nothing back regarding the secrets of the Blood Clan, the mysterious facade of the Starry Sky Rose peeled away bit by bit in Fu Qian’s eyes, leaving only marvel. Could it really be the Vacuum Flower? Had Annalise even dabbled in matters concerning the Saints?

There wasn’t enough evidence yet, but it certainly sounded a lot like it.

According to those inheritors of the Blind Eye Society’s will, the Vacuum Flower flickered in and out of existence, nearly impossible to grasp.

Only through special means could it be placed under Containment and preserved, turned into a stable forge.

Didn’t that sound quite similar to this serendipitous enlightenment among the Blood Clan?

It even offered a neat explanation for a logical problem: even if advancement had grown difficult for the Blood Clan after the Long Night, some still managed to advance—like the demigod right in front of him.

Yet Annalise was certified, thoroughly dead.

Even if the Red Moon passively answered some of the bats’ prayers because of the pollution it suffered...

Expecting it to actively and eagerly hand out enlightenment seemed like asking far too much, didn’t it?

All in all, a certain possibility couldn’t be ruled out: what every member of the Blood Clan called receiving a blessing was actually just being latched onto by a Vacuum Flower.

The process didn’t even require Annalise’s involvement.

The only difference was that while the Sage led a group to capture the Vacuum Flower with a metal box, these people turned their own flesh and blood into vessels. Proving it might still be a long way off, but if the guess held true, the implications behind it were massive.

Just what had Annalise remodeled her kin into?

Was this special method of blessing not simply a way to control the clan, but aimed at some other purpose entirely?

Did the bad habits of a higher entity really rub off on others? To think such a candid young person had actually learned the art of achieving multiple benefits with one move.

Beyond that, it even indirectly confirmed another piece of information—the Vacuum Flower hadn’t first appeared after the Long Night; it had already existed back in the Mythological Era.

”Got it. Thanks for sharing.”

Drawing a deep breath, Fu Qian looked as though he had just feasted on a full course of gossip and made a point of thanking Serana.

”Then let’s get started.”

He even personally demonstrated the proper way to express gratitude.

Far from leaving it at lip service, he went right ahead and made an inviting gesture.

...

”Your Excellency means... try to advance right now?”

Serana had already thrown caution to the wind, yet faced with such an abrupt turn, she still froze for a moment.

”What else? Chief Yuan and I are both very busy.”

Fu Qian spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, not forgetting to nod toward Yuan Shan—though he couldn’t really blame the Blood Clan Demigod for making a fuss, considering even Shangjing’s chief of the Night Watchers was staring blankly.

”I understand, but it comes back to the problem I mentioned earlier. When it comes to establishing contact with the Progenitor, the current methods inevitably cross into taboo territory.”

Strange as the whole situation felt, it was still a chance to take another step forward. Once the brief shock passed, Serana’s spirits lifted.

”Unfortunately, I’m afraid I can’t bend the rules on that point.”

Before Fu Qian could say anything, Yuan Shan, who had been silent for a long while, shook her head with a helpless expression.

”The risk is simply too high. Even if it succeeds by some fluke, there’s almost no hiding it from the Evaluation Council. When that happens, Serana’s fate might not be any better than it is now.”

Her reasoning was very practical. For one, she couldn’t violate her principles; for another, even if she did look the other way and it worked, Serana would likely never escape the Evaluation Council’s reckoning afterward.

The person in question clearly knew that too, falling silent at the remark.

”Who said anything about using Ambor’s method?”

Faced with this, Fu Qian looked puzzled, as if he couldn’t understand why Yuan Shan would think that way.

”...You have another way? That would be ideal.”

Yuan Shan was actually the first to show pleasant surprise, her eyes holding no jealousy toward a peer’s potential advancement—only an eagerness to see a headache resolved.

”Goes without saying. Don’t you have one?”

Fu Qian sounded thoroughly confident, even acting surprised that the dignified Night Watchers would be at a loss.

”How would we have—”

Not expecting to be dragged into this, Yuan Shan hurried to disclaim any responsibility.

”Actually, we really do. It’s just not certain to work.”

She was undercut on the spot. Old Man Henry, who had been listening from the sidelines for a long time, opened his mouth and dropped a bombshell.

”Besides, the Evaluation Council instructed me not to use that thing lightly.”

Seeing Serana’s eyes light up instantly, however, he made sure to emphasize the practical difficulties.

”That’s fine. Just tell them I forced you.”

There was no way Fu Qian would let such a windfall slip by. Immediately entering the game as a piece, he offered to shoulder the bad reputation himself.

Old Man Henry was well-traveled, knowledgeable, and had a unique constitution; having him along as a special guest this time had certainly come with expectations.

Still, the old man’s willingness to hold nothing back was genuinely touching. Sacrificing a bit of personal image at a time like this was nothing at all.

On a normal day he might have left it alone, but with so much at stake, a resource delivered right to his doorstep had to be put to use.

As for helping Serana draw the Progenitor’s gaze, he naturally had a few methods of his own he could try.

The only pity was that the Red Moon’s overly fragile state right now placed some limits on what he could do in practice.

Anything capable of reinforcing the self-awareness of ”Annalise” carried the risk of pushing Tilanqi toward collapse.

His own Glove, for instance.

”Who would believe that?”

Before Old Man Henry could reply, his student was already sighing over how childish Fu Qian’s idea was.

”Why wouldn’t they? The Old Man is unwell right now—why couldn’t I threaten to kill you both if you didn’t help?”

Fully understanding Chief Yuan’s mood, Fu Qian gave a snort all the same.

”...Was that your plan all along?”

It was hard to say how much she believed Fu Qian would actually do such a thing, but Yuan Shan still had the distinct feeling of having stepped into a trap.

”Of course not.”

Thankfully, Fu Qian showed a shred of principle, denying it at once and pointing toward Serana.

”Originally, I was going to use that move on her—say, beating her to death if she failed to pull it off.”