Eldritch Horror Theatre

In an instant, the entire team, the Countess included, fixed their eyes on the object in Fu Qian's hand.

It was oval, traced with strange, dark red veins, and covered in uneven spikes.

This was—

Most of them looked utterly baffled, but a flash of solemnity crossed the Countess's face before vanishing.

The reaction did not escape Fu Qian's notice.

The stone hadn't come from the Box, of course. It was the one he had found on the skeleton.

While crouching to examine the corpse earlier, he had quietly slipped it out and palmed it.

Then, exploiting a blind spot in their vision, he pretended to pull it from the Box.

He hadn't done this without reason.

However, neither the Countess nor her team trusted him in the slightest.

Just as they'd said earlier, he was nothing more than a mascot brought along to boost morale.

And any information related to the colorless curse was undoubtedly a major secret.

If he simply brought the stone out and asked about it, getting a straight answer would be difficult, and he would likely draw suspicion.

Therefore, Fu Qian chose to test the waters this way.

To his relief, judging by the Countess's reaction, she clearly knew something about it.

"If this isn't the colorless curse..." Fu Qian said. "Have you ever heard of an ability that could cause this sort of effect?"

He casually set the stone aside, turning his attention back to why the corpse had ended up in such a state.

The group just shook their heads. One of them braced himself and stepped forward to take a closer look.

"I've never heard of a vicious ability that turns someone into this, but there really aren't any signs of the colorless curse on the corpse."

So The Nun hadn't been murdered because she discovered her lover's secret after all?

Was it even possible they were both killed by the same culprit?

The situation had suddenly grown far more complicated.

The team members wore grim expressions, each lost in thought.

However, thanks to his earlier performance, their impression of Fu Qian had slightly improved.

Being able to casually rummage through and analyze that mass of flesh wasn't something an ordinary person could stomach.

Even if his combat strength was lacking, the psychological fortitude he displayed was formidable—or rather, terrifyingly abnormal.

...

"Speaking of which, there's a question I still haven't asked you."

After stepping out of the room, the Countess, who had been deep in thought, suddenly turned to Fu Qian.

"Awakening Dragon Communion while afflicted with the colorless curse—how exactly did you manage that? Such a thing has never happened before. It's practically a miracle!"

"Especially since down in the Underground Prison, you can't even pray to the Seven Lights."

The moment she said this, the others immediately looked over.

It was true that his legendary feat had boosted their morale, but even now, none of them actually knew how he had pulled it off.

"Indeed. Not only could I not see the Seven Lights, but I also had to roast over an oil lamp."

Fu Qian stared at the Countess, a smile on his face.

Hearing the words "oil lamp," her expression visibly stiffened.

It seemed she was well aware of how the guards down there treated the Colorless.

Fu Qian inwardly shook his head, though he had no intention of voicing his judgment.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out the piece of iron, and flashed it for them to see.

"It's actually quite simple. Just a heart full of devotion, combined with this."

"This is a Proof of Covenant of the Seven Lights, typically carried for indoor prayer. While a Dragon Communion imprint within one is rare, it isn't unheard of."

The Countess glanced at it, not looking entirely surprised.

"Split up and investigate for now."

As if suddenly remembering something, the Countess dismissed the others before beckoning to Fu Qian.

"Come with me."

Hm?

The others looked at Fu Qian, then at the Countess.

Catching the unnatural flush rising on her cheeks, they seemed to reach a silent conclusion. Without asking a single question, they scurried off.

Was it acting up again? If the interval was an hour, the timing was just about right.

Judging by the team's slightly strange expressions, Fu Qian realized what they were thinking.

He wasn't particularly worried, though. From what he knew of her, she wouldn't go so far as to use him as a human cauldron.

Deliberately not hiding her abnormality, even at the risk of causing a misunderstanding—she likely had something important to tell him.

Phew!

Without glancing back, the Countess took the lead. She didn't let out a long breath until they arrived at a secluded spot.

"My apologies, please give me a moment."

"Take your time."

Fu Qian took a step back. A phantom whip appeared in the Countess's hand, bristling with spikes that glittered like starlight.

In the next moment, she eagerly lashed it across her back.

The whip bypassed her clothing entirely, landing directly on her flesh with a sharp crack.

A pained grunt escaped her. Her breathing turned ragged and heavy as she gritted her teeth and lashed herself several more times in rapid succession.

Several minutes later, the Countess slowly opened her eyes. Her face had returned to its usual calm, her composed aura firmly back in place.

Resting the stone Fu Qian had given her earlier on her palm, she gave him a solemn look.

"This is a Pus Stone!"

"It's a cursed item, generally only found on the corpses of awakened ones. Being pierced by it brings unimaginable pain."

So this thing was some kind of morbid relic?

"I don't know much about Pus Stones, but for one to appear here is truly bizarre..."

"Coupled with the relentless increase in the Colorless over such a long period of time... I have a very bad feeling about this."

"So, there is a favor I must ask of you."

Staring straight into Fu Qian's eyes, her tone was more earnest than it had ever been.

"I want to ask you to go back down to the Underground Prison."

Hm?

Fu Qian looked at her without speaking, waiting for an explanation.

"There's a person in the prison who is quite familiar with Pus Stones. I want you to go see her. Find out if she's still there—or if she's even still alive."

"I understand," Fu Qian said. "But with all due respect, why don't you go down yourself? Surely you'd be a much more reliable choice than a beginner awakened one like me."

"I know it's a lot to ask, but you are the most suitable candidate."

The Countess smiled bitterly.

"The people running the prison do not get along well with those of us on the upper levels. For many years now, we haven't been allowed down there, and in turn, they never come up."

"And you are the only person who has managed to walk out of that place in all these years."

"Of course, I won't send you down to take a needless risk. Before you descend, I will do my best to help you advance and ensure you have sufficient strength."

"However, you'll have to overcome the intensified negative side-effects of advancing on your own."

"Understood. I'll take the job."

Fu Qian didn't drag things out and agreed immediately.

Of course, no matter how sincere she appeared, he didn't entirely believe the Countess.

This woman was deeply calculating and had already tested him multiple times. Even if she phrased it this way, he couldn't rule out the possibility that she was just using him to achieve some other goal entirely.

But that didn't matter. Knowing that clues related to the curse were in the prison, he would have had to make a trip back down anyway.

"Where is my target located?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No. It's been far too long since I was last down there. But I do know one thing—she is undoubtedly locked away in the deepest depths."

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