Eldritch Horror Theatre

What a strange sensation.

Agile as the fish was, its speed was still nothing compared to Fu Qian's.

Before it even had a chance to struggle, it was instantly caught in his grasp.

Holding this wriggling prize—which moved and felt exactly like a living fish—Fu Qian immediately sensed its extraordinary nature.

Starting from the point of contact, his flesh and blood rapidly melted away like thin frost beneath a scorching sun.

In their place, copper rings identical in size and shape to the ones forming the fish appeared.

Even as these rings linked together to maintain the shape of his hand, he found he could still control them freely. Amid the clinking of colliding copper rings, he kept the fish's body firmly in his grip.

The Sacred Relics of this Fallen Star Clan truly grew more bizarre with each one he encountered.

...

Just as he marveled at the item, an explosive roar erupted from his target.

Unfortunately, before the surging arcs of Turbulence could fully envelop his body, Frankie—who had been the first to react—took a crystallized giant fist straight to the chest and was sent flying.

The sudden strike was far too fast and entirely unexpected, leaving him no chance to dodge.

Although such a wound was not fatal for the "blessed" like them, the others who reacted a step slower immediately had their attention drawn away; their first instinct was to rescue him.

Except for Madam Xia.

"You lunatic! I knew your motives were impure..."

Her earlier amiability entirely gone, she spoke with a voice brimming with murderous intent, not even sparing a glance in Frankie's direction.

As for how she managed to stand there and finish her sentence without getting blasted away by another punch—the moment Fu Qian completed his attack, he had already turned his attention back to the hand holding the fish.

An anomaly had occurred.

Starting from the point of contact, the copper rings forming his palm had unexpectedly begun to intertwine with the fish.

They hadn't lost their vitality; in fact, they had grown even more active, functioning now as a part of the fish's body.

Much like how he had corrupted Mariana and the others after swallowing the fragment, this fish was using its very existence to contaminate him.

No wonder it was stored here. If released outside, this fish would be an absolute weapon of mass destruction.

Still, wasn't this contamination spreading a little too fast?

...

"Did you think we agreed to let you down here just to show our sincerity in communicating?"

Madam Xia's voice chimed in right on cue, answering his silent question.

"The first time I laid eyes on you, I knew that despite your gentle facade, you are an absolutely cold-blooded villain at your core."

"And even earlier, after admiring your performance against that siege, I was already thinking about what we should use to deal with you."

"Not only do you possess numerous tricks, but your vitality is also absurdly tenacious. You are undoubtedly a rare Nightmare construct."

"After thinking it over, the item in your hand was the only suitable choice. The only problem was figuring out how to trick you into touching it."

Madam Xia did not remain idle as she spoke. Arcs of light flashed across her hands as she moved them in eerie patterns.

With her gestures, the fish's movements grew far more frantic, and the area over which Fu Qian had lost control quickly spread to his elbow.

"So you... actually came for the Sacred Relic?"

At the same time, the two who had rushed to save Frankie returned with the wounded man, carefully guarding him.

Fu Qian's strike had been exceedingly brutal. Even though Frankie was now wrapped in black Turbulence, a horrifying depression was still visible on his chest.

Of course, despite his condition, Frankie still struggled to ask his question, his tone filled with disbelief.

"You should be glad he came for the Sacred Relic."

Before Fu Qian could reply, Xia snorted from the side.

"Otherwise, we'd be hard-pressed to find a chance like this to deal with him."

"I've said it before. No one wants to go from being a lucky one to a played fool. Without going through what we've experienced, they will never readily deny the Nightmare... even if the memories we share with them are absolutely real."

"Sorry to interrupt, but the last piece of information I just shared was also real."

Seeing Frankie fall silent under Madam Xia's lecture, Fu Qian—the target of their accusations—took the initiative to speak up and defend himself.

"Heh... To be honest, I really wish I could believe that. But it's fine; we have plenty of time to verify it."

Madam Xia offered a cold, hollow smile.

"Just a reminder. I know you still have strength in reserve. If you unleashed it all, you might even blow us to pieces. But it's meaningless."

"Even if you manage to escape from here, you will soon lose control of your body and become nothing more than a mind attached to the fish."

"And by relying on our connection to the Sacred Relic, we'll track you down with ease."

"You have nowhere to run. Hiding back in the Nightmare won't save you. You haven't even begun to grasp the true power of this Sacred Relic."

"It is indeed wondrous."

Having listened intently to Madam Xia's explanation, Fu Qian agreed, staring at his arm, which was now swaying along with the fish's body.

"I really didn't know much about it before, but that's alright. I can learn."

...

Hmm?

Fu Qian's last sentence sounded distinctly odd.

Rip!

However, before the group could react, the sound of tearing fabric rang out.

On the chest of the trapped Thug, a hideous, gaping maw had suddenly torn itself open.

In the next instant, terrifying, gleaming fangs clamped down ruthlessly on his own arm.

The Bronze Ring Fish tried to evade, but unfortunately, it was far too slow.

Amid a spray of blood, the fish's body—along with his entire left arm attached to it—was swallowed whole in a single bite.

...

"You really are a lunatic! This will only paralyze you faster!"

Following this latest piece of "praise," the onlookers appeared so shocked they were verging on madness.

Their reactions were completely uniform. Instead of brainlessly rushing forward to fight to the death with the cornered Thug, they all retreated in unison, dropping into defensive postures.

It was a reasonable choice—so much so that Fu Qian even gave them a hand.

The next moment, his one-armed body leaned back slightly, adopting a relaxed, stretched posture.

Following this, a veil seemingly devoid of thickness, radiating an icy aura, immediately enveloped the surroundings.

Countless crisscrossing lines of destruction instantly filled the interior of the veil.

It was the Myriad Tentacles under the Burning Frost Special Effect that he had used before in Mist Town.

"Retreat!"

Living up to his status as a former professional Hunter, Frankie instantly saw the danger and struggled to let out a hoarse roar.

The others acted with strict discipline, retreating frantically without a second of hesitation.

This swift response ultimately helped them flee the Stone Chamber right before the veil shattered, allowing them to dodge the furious lacerations.

However, the Sacred Relic vault of the Fallen Star Clan wasn't so lucky.

In every direction, everything shattered violently, raining down in pieces.

The scene of Flesh and Blood Cavitation from the Small Town played out once again, this time rendered in inorganic materials, but it only lasted for a fleeting second.

The Turbulence splashing out from the Pool of Origin unexpectedly failed to fall back down. Instead, it linked together, sweeping furiously across the area.

When the dust settled, Fu Qian found himself heavily surrounded.

The airtight black Turbulence squirmed like a massive black stomach, intent on digesting him entirely.

In the next moment, from a corner of that stomach, a slick, smooth object slowly began to bulge outward like a polyp.

(End of Chapter)

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