Eldritch Horror Theatre

The erosion paused during brain death?

Li He's statement instantly sparked a flurry of connections in Fu Qian's mind.

He certainly didn't doubt that Ms. Ji Ning was capable of achieving such a state.

Judging from the trap set earlier, she was clearly an expert in mental manipulation.

"What do you think this means?"

Seeing Fu Qian deep in thought, Li He seemed eager to test him.

"Based on what happened earlier, perceiving the crying doesn't rely on hearing. It reflects directly on the mental plane."

Fu Qian didn't decline the test, nor did he worry about showing his hand.

"Combining this with the changes that occurred in Ms. Ji Ning, it's highly likely that the erosion is transmitted using the crying as a carrier."

Li He chuckled.

"That was my first reaction as well. And while suspended animation seemed useless—you can't exactly find a way out as a walking corpse—it quickly gave us an idea for a second attempt."

Oh?

Fu Qian looked eager to hear more.

"Aside from suspended mental animation, I have another ability: allowing my will to temporarily leave my body and act in a spiritual state."

This time, it was Ji Ning who spoke up.

"With our previous guess about the crying, the first thing I did after waking up was use Soul Walk. As a result, something strange happened—as my distance from my physical body increased, the crying actually grew quieter."

"The crying has actually been following each of us? It isn't indiscriminately echoing throughout the entire building? That was just an illusion?"

Realization instantly dawned on Fu Qian.

"Exactly. The speed of the erosion decreased in tandem, but that's no longer important."

Li He sighed.

"Unlike you all, I don't possess many miraculous abilities, but due to my Rank and my practice of the sword path, my perception is somewhat stronger."

"After Ji Ning shared her deduction with me, I paid close attention and actually noticed something."

"Something blurry, following us in a very specific way."

...

"I understand. You weren't in a hurry to find the Nursery because you realized it wasn't the key."

Li He and Ji Ning's explanation wasn't difficult for Fu Qian to grasp, and he nodded in admiration.

"The thing trapping us here is actually more concrete than we imagined, quietly following behind each of us?"

Faced with this absurdly bizarre revelation, even the Demigod Aike, who had remained silent all this while, couldn't help but jump in to make her presence known. Her logic, of course, was still perfectly sound.

"Have you been trying to find a way to flush it out all this time? Is that why you set that trap earlier?"

"Yes, though unfortunately, we haven't achieved anything yet."

Ji Ning sighed.

"That is why we didn't share this theory from the start. Even now, it remains just a theory."

"We've busied ourselves for so long to seemingly no avail. In the end, your idea appears to be the most practical."

...The situation was truly growing more and more bizarre.

This realization clearly left Aike with mixed emotions.

Although she resisted the urge to look back, after that explanation, she almost felt as though a cluster even more abstract than the Shadow was watching her back from afar.

"It's not entirely meaningless, actually."

Despite having the lowest Rank, Mr. Anke seemed to be in excellent spirits. In this oppressive atmosphere, he was surprisingly the first to offer a different perspective.

"The mere fact that the erosion doesn't increase during suspended animation is an important discovery in itself."

Facing the surprised gazes of the three who simultaneously turned to look at him, Fu Qian gestured toward Ji Ning, casually boosting morale.

"In the most extreme scenario, if we still can't find a way out, Your Excellency could reenter that state. You could wait until even Dean Li can no longer hold out before he wakes you, thereby maximizing our time to solve this."

...

That was way too team-oriented!

In that instant, the sheer team spirit displayed by the mysterious Mr. Anke visibly shocked the other members.

Especially Ji Ning, the subject of this strategy, who almost subconsciously shot Li He a glance, her expression indescribably strange.

"Forget it. I prefer to keep my fate in my own hands."

It was truly hard to imagine what kind of love-hate drama lay between them.

Fu Qian marveled inwardly at her reaction.

It was obvious from earlier that these two seniors didn't quite get along.

But that was only on the surface. If she truly couldn't trust Old Man Li, how could Excellency Ji Ning have completed the previous test?

Of course, Fu Qian had absolutely no interest in emotional entanglements.

His only reason for paying attention to it was to gauge the reliability of the intelligence they provided.

Unfortunately, it seemed highly reliable.

The cooperation and judgment these two displayed after falling into this predicament were nothing short of professional.

And their conclusion greatly diminished the point of this desperate trek against the clock.

Even so, as stated earlier, this seemingly pointless strategy was still the only option available.

This unspoken agreement clearly existed in everyone's minds, evidenced by the fact that no one had slowed their pace even during their conversation.

Now they were sprinting at top speed, vaulting past corner after corner and door after door.

"Watch out."

The next moment, Old Man Li suddenly called out a warning.

At the same time, his body floated lightly past the group, taking the lead.

...

This is...

The moment the scene behind the door revealed itself, Aike looked visibly uncomfortable.

Sandalwood floors and low-hanging draperies.

Finally, there was a break from the endless corridors and the lampstands that resembled the folds of intestines.

What appeared before their eyes was an area exuding both luxury and secrecy.

The transition was so natural that it felt as though the group had simply taken a few extra steps and accidentally trespassed into the private living quarters of royalty.

Yet the change in scenery was far from the most significant difference.

The moment everyone crossed through that final door, a jumbled sobbing sound suddenly grew much clearer.

Distinct from the wailing that had been lingering in their minds all this time, this sobbing was obviously coming from someone else.

Old Man Li He's sudden movement earlier must have been because he noticed this as well.

"It's just ahead."

He spoke up again to warn them, signaling for them to follow.

"Unless I give the order, no one is to make a move."

Though his tone was flat, the emphasis in his words brooked no argument.

He was a veteran of the jianghu through and through. He might normally give off a gentle vibe, but when it came to a critical moment, he clearly wouldn't shrink from the responsibility of leading the team.

In fact, he had proven his qualifications to do so.

Without taking any detours, Li He swiftly led the group to a door. Taking point, he used his weapon to push it open.

The sobbing and the stench of blood intensified almost simultaneously.

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