Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Huh? Ah!"

Beneath the Amber Spire, Lisa and Ji Liushuang both cried out in surprise at Fu Qian's words, though the meanings behind their exclamations were entirely different.

Lisa furrowed her brow in shock, her expression clearly saying that he was causing trouble again, while Ji Liushuang looked faintly flattered.

"Don't mess around. She's just a student. She can't handle that kind of consumption."

"And the Sword Comprehension Institute places the utmost importance on state of mind. If the backlash ruins their future star, even Cass won't be able to protect you."

Unsurprisingly, Lisa was the first to speak, forcefully demanding that Fu Qian drop the idea.

"Your words are clearly contradictory."

Fu Qian merely glanced at her.

"You said yourself that the sword path places the utmost importance on state of mind. The path of the Transcendent Tier is full of hurdles. If she gives up in the face of a little challenge, are you sure that won't have an even greater impact on her?"

Lisa was clearly no match for him in a battle of words. She gritted her teeth and looked at Ji Liushuang beside her.

"I've heard more than one teacher say you have extraordinary aptitude and a good sense of measure. Remember to use your own judgment. Don't let this guy lead you astray, understand?"

"Mhm, I've already made up my mind, Professor Lisa."

Ji Liushuang nodded with a serious expression.

"This is a rare opportunity to challenge myself. I have a lot of confidence in my abilities."

'...I knew it!'

Lisa couldn't figure out exactly what kind of relationship these two had, but to Ji Liushuang, Fu Qian's words clearly carried far more weight than her own!

Sensing the unwavering determination in Ji Liushuang's tone, Lisa suddenly felt intense regret for her minor mischief earlier today.

"Looks like our contestant is quite confident."

Fu Qian offered a word of praise from the side, then furrowed his brow and looked over.

"Professor Lisa, you wouldn't happen to be worried about being squeezed out, would you? There are only two spots, after all."

"Remember to act within your limits."

Lisa opted to ignore him completely, looking earnestly at Ji Liushuang as she instructed her.

"I'll be right here. If necessary, I'll find a way to help you."

"I'm here too."

Fu Qian paid no mind to the cold shoulder he received and enthusiastically chimed in.

"I will stop Professor Lisa from offering any help. You have enough strength. As long as you don't get distracted by other things, you can definitely do this."

"Understood."

Ji Liushuang listened earnestly, raising no objections to their completely contradictory stances.

Before they could say anything else, she stepped right up to the front, afraid that if she delayed any longer, a fight might break out between them.

...

Weakness and lethargy crashed into her like endless tides, wave after wave.

Because of this, the movements of her hands became as heavy as mountains.

Ji Liushuang had rarely experienced such negative emotions in recent years. All sorts of unpleasant memories buried deep within her seemed to churn to the surface, merging into a weak plea urging her to give up.

Even the anticipated comfort and relaxation of withdrawing her hands had already begun to slowly seep into her will, thread by thread.

Ji Liushuang had experienced this kind of pure negative emotion far too many times during her cultivation; suppressing and expelling it was practically second nature.

However, the dial had not even completed half a rotation yet. Under the constant ebb and flow, merely clearing away those voices had nearly drained her strength completely.

Willpower was never limitless. When she had just grasped sword intent, the Dean had specifically sought her out to warn her about this very thing, fearing she would act recklessly just as she was doing now.

'But Professor Fu said my strength is enough...'

'Don't get distracted by other things...'

The next moment, Ji Liushuang realized something. She stopped rejecting those weak cries and allowed them to echo freely within her mind.

The pursuit of a clear and transparent mind was, it seemed, also a form of distraction.

Surrounded by a myriad of stray thoughts, Ji Liushuang's eyes focused solely on that golden pointer.

Her previously stalled hands began to move again at a modest pace, continuously turning until they circled all the way back to the starting point.

...

Huu...

A few seconds after the tides completely receded, Ji Liushuang let out a long exhale.

"Thank you for your hard work, Professors."

Soon after, she turned around and earnestly thanked Fu Qian and Lisa.

"You did well."

Lisa opened her mouth with a somewhat complicated expression, but she eventually sighed and offered a word of praise.

For a brief moment just now, she had almost been unable to resist stepping in.

She hadn't expected the guy next to her to actually stare her down so intently. It seemed that if she made even the slightest move, he would have reacted exactly as he'd threatened to.

Although she couldn't comprehend his deranged thought process, she had ultimately suppressed the urge to avoid causing a chaotic mess.

Crucially, the facts had proven that his judgment was actually correct—this young girl had really pulled it off.

"Very good. You caught on quickly."

Fu Qian did not hold back his praise either.

"It looks like you are already qualified for the position of Laboratory Research Assistant."

...Huh?

As soon as those words left his mouth, it wasn't just Professor Lisa who was shocked; Ji Liushuang, who was still reminiscing about her earlier sensations, also wore an expression of astonishment.

"Otherwise, why would I have you enter the management permissions?"

Fu Qian seemed unable to understand their fuss.

"As the person in charge, I won't be around very often, so I'll need you to handle some of the day-to-day management tasks. You don't need to worry about funding at all. As for the specific procedures, you can ask Professor Lisa if there's anything you don't understand."

Without even asking if she accepted, Fu Qian had already begun assigning her work responsibilities.

"Also, outside of work hours, you can use this facility as you please... Oh, right, this is your internship salary."

Fu Qian handed over the Shortsword he had been holding the entire time.

"This... this is too valuable..."

Having finally processed all this information, the bewildered Ji Liushuang subconsciously tried to refuse.

As a top student of the Sword Comprehension Institute, she had naturally noticed the weapon in Fu Qian's hand early on.

And precisely because of this, she could completely see how extraordinary this sword was.

Just a moment ago, she had been wondering where Professor Fu—who never used a sword—had captured this piece of loot. She hadn't expected it to actually be her salary!

'I...'

It wasn't even just her; beside them, Lisa was also dumbfounded.

As a professor, her eye for detail was naturally superior. Although the sword was a bit short, she could tell that even among the instructors at the Sword Comprehension Institute, very few possessed a weapon of this Rank.

'You're just giving it away so casually? As an internship salary?'

'Is our Laboratory still hiring?'

"The name of this sword is Weaver's Limb Tip."

Fu Qian completely ignored their reactions. He simply turned the blade around, handed it to Ji Liushuang, and gave a brief introduction.

"Aside from being a bit short, its performance is excellent. Of course, there's one thing I must remind you about."

"Please tell me..."

Ji Liushuang didn't bother with any more pointless pleasantries. She took the sword and listened carefully.

"This sword is enchanted with a special effect called the Curse of Oblivion, which can inflict mental devastation on its target."

"I understand. Are you saying that this sword is too fierce and that I should use it with caution?"

Ji Liushuang instantly caught on.

"Not at all. I just wanted to remind you that even though it has a special effect, you shouldn't rely on it too heavily. If you need to slash someone a few times, you still have to slash them."

"Understood..."

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