Eldritch Horror Theatre

Judging by their reactions, his grasp of the "knowledge" was on point.

While successfully activating the Glove's power and condensing a Resonance Spike, Fu Qian kept an eye on the group's reactions.

As it turned out, no one looked the least bit surprised. In Ais's eyes, he could even see what looked like appreciation for his quick execution.

Meanwhile, the Native sprawled on the ground had already arched backward, tensing like a cheetah about to pounce.

From this angle, he could see that the flesh originally pressed against the floor had completely fused with its clothing—the spitting image of a living corpse that had been rotting for untold years.

Even so, Fu Qian spotted a pupil-less eye pattern on its black robe, similar to the one he'd seen earlier.

It really was a Native. What a pity.

Although he didn't know how it had ended up like this, a pouncing cheetah obviously couldn't answer questions.

With a regretful sigh, Fu Qian didn't keep the team waiting. Taking aim with the fully condensed Resonance Spike, he let it fly.

Fu Qian felt like he'd taken a headshot, too.

In that instant, it felt as if a bucket of molten iron had been poured directly into his skull. Blazing heat shot straight to the crown of his head, and he could almost smell roasting brains in his own nose.

Wasn't this recoil a bit much?

Moreover, would this kind of mental shock really be effective against a living corpse that might not even have a mind left?

Savoring the charming aroma of his own roasting wisdom, Fu Qian kept his Glove raised, ready to fire another shot at any moment.

...

It seemed it really did.

As the golden light sank into its brain, the Native living corpse completely stopped moving, though its eyeless gaze remained fixed on him.

"Hello there!"

Receiving such an intense stare, Fu Qian, ever the polite young man, gave a slight nod in return.

Sadly, although the creature did seem to open its mouth, the only sound that came out was a sharp crack like a breaking egg, which rapidly multiplied into a dense cacophony.

Within seconds, countless butterfly-like fragments began peeling away from its deathly pale face. The crumbling quickly spread across its entire body, silently reducing it to a pile of ash.

It really was highly effective against monsters?

They were clearly exploring this place for the first time, but wasn't this team a little too well-prepared?

Having confirmed the one-hit kill, Fu Qian finally lowered his hand, though suspicion began to rise in his mind.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed he wasn't the only one feeling that way.

Over half the team was currently staring at him in sheer incomprehension.

"Done."

Facing their scrutiny, Fu Qian simply nodded.

"Left Hand, are you alright?"

Sadly, no one offered a word of praise; instead, Ais couldn't help but ask first.

So these people knew the side effects were severe!

Fu Qian naturally understood the source of their shock: his reaction had been far too calm.

Truthfully, that was exactly what puzzled him as well. Even though this move had proven highly effective against monsters, the backlash was absolutely not something an ordinary person could endure.

Without some special method to mitigate the effects, being able to fire just one shot after an hour of rest would be pretty impressive.

Even someone with his special training would need reload time after firing off a volley, just to let his brain cool down a bit.

In short, saving a long-cooldown ultimate move like this for a boss made sense, but arranging for him to use it right out of the gate just to clear the path made it impossible not to suspect their true motives.

"Never better."

Fu Qian beamed at Ais, even lifting a finger on his left hand to blow on the tip.

"I granted it the gift of release."

"Well..."

At this bizarre line, not only did Ais's smile stiffen slightly, but beside her, Charlotte couldn't help looking toward Old Man Sage with an expression even graver than when someone had died earlier.

"Relax. Left Hand performed exceptionally well, and his condition is perfectly fine."

However, in response to Charlotte's doubts, Old Man Sage merely cast a glance and gestured that there was no need to worry.

"He merely relied on willpower to control that mental influence. If anything, this is good news for us."

Sure enough, there was a hidden motive for using his methods as the vanguard. That aside, Old Man Sage's perception was truly sharp.

As Charlotte and the others breathed a sigh of relief, Fu Qian quietly noted the results of his little probe, feeling more than ever that this team was worth cooperating with.

"I have to admit, Left Hand, your combat performance is truly a pleasant surprise!"

Her worries assuaged, Ais was now smiling sweetly, making no effort to hide her praise.

"But even so, the side effects of Mind Calamity cannot be ignored. Fall back and rest for a bit."

The effects of the Sacred Cloth were known by more than just the wearer.

Drawing yet another silent conclusion and noting that no one objected to Ais's suggestion, Fu Qian didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped back from the vanguard to stand beside her. For the time being, Brother Round Shield was the only one left leading the charge.

"Alright, let's continue."

Old Man Sage took only a single glance before signaling the team to continue, but the direction he pointed this time...

The passage behind the Native living corpse clearly offered only a single path, spiraling down toward a very spacious hall.

Yet Old Man Sage's Golden Staff pointed straight into thin air in an entirely different direction.

No matter how one looked at it, stepping out that way would end in a headfirst plunge.

But Brother Round Shield demonstrated his professionalism here. With only a brief hesitation, he bent down, scooped a handful of ash from the floor, and tossed it in the direction Old Man Sage had pointed.

In what had been empty air, a perfectly even, flat surface actually appeared.

At a speed visible to the naked eye, however, the dust clinging to it was gradually fading, as if melting into the surface.

That certainly explained how the thing managed to remain completely transparent.

At the same time, this display caused trust in Old Man Sage's words to absolutely skyrocket.

Brother Round Shield didn't hesitate any longer. Gesturing for the others to wait a moment, he set foot onto this "path" and stepped forward one pace at a time.

After a genuine trek across the void, Brother Round Shield finally reached the high point on the opposite side of the hall. After feeling around for a moment, he forcefully yanked open a hidden door.

In the silence, the sound of friction was exceptionally harsh.

Nothing lunged out.

Having kept his guard fully raised with the Golden Shield in front of him, Brother Round Shield subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief when he realized there was no ambush waiting behind the door.

"Above you."

Scrooge offered a warning, however.

Startled, he looked up to find that, silently, from a higher point directly above, three highly distinct faces had peered out.

Clang, clang!

Thanks to Scrooge's warning, Brother Round Shield's Golden Shield helped him block the two claws swiping at him.

However, the most eye-catching one right now was the entity furthest back, whose claws couldn't reach him.

In its deformed hand, it was actually condensing a familiar golden Spike.

So that was how it was!

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