Eldritch Horror Theatre

Tyrant...

Fu Qian's overly thorough explanation had clearly reached the other listening ears in the group.

Judging from their immediate reactions, the title really did come off as a bit chuuni.

Though by this point, his perception had been compressed almost entirely to the confines of his own body.

Still, with his knack for reading the room, arriving at this conclusion wasn't difficult.

It seemed the title of Tyrant didn't trigger any special reaction from this team of medical, academic, and judicial professionals—Old Man Li included.

"This title is indeed a bit unfamiliar to me."

Frowning slightly, he rubbed the Dark Red Ring for a moment before finally handing it back.

"However, I observed the changes in Aike the entire time. The way it affects the mind isn't just unique; it even feels somewhat familiar. That's why I wanted to borrow it for a look."

Even if the keyword hadn't triggered their special guest, his sincerity had sparked inspiration from another angle.

"Familiar?"

Taking back the ring, Fu Qian made no effort to hide his curiosity.

"That's right. Although it looks similar, to my eyes, it is fundamentally different from a typical mental attack."

Old Man Li let out a long sigh.

"It isn't mental shattering or pollution in the ordinary sense that causes a loss of self-control. Rather, it's closer to a direct erasure of the concept of self. I once felt a similar sensation from someone—"

Without waiting for Fu Qian to ask, he turned toward the pensive Night Watcher demigod.

"Someone Aike definitely knows."

Huh?

Suddenly pulled into the conversation, she was visibly taken aback.

"Stoss, a Tier 2 Transcendent of the Night Watchers. I assume you've had dealings with him?"

Noting her confusion, Old Man Li offered a smiling explanation.

...

Stoss?

More than just Aike—come to think of it, he had crossed paths with the man himself as well.

He didn't even need the Night Watcher demigod's input. The name Old Man Li He provided instantly triggered one of Fu Qian's memories—the Unseen Hill, Brother Logan's rescue team.

Aside from Aike, the other two Night Watcher members had been Tier 2. He had even bumped into one of them, Chaumont, again later at the Academy.

The other—a foul-tempered expert with red eyes and a thick beard—was none other than Stoss.

It had to be said that Old Man Li truly possessed miraculous foresight. Demigod Aike was indeed very familiar with him.

As for a mental attack from Excellency Stoss... His thoughts racing, Fu Qian quickly recalled a certain fellow known as the Clown clinging to a table, struggling.

And the fire-like gold burning in his eyes.

That was Old Man Stoss's torture method. If he remembered correctly, the man himself had described it as the Flame of Frenzy, fueled by willpower.

"Excellency Stoss? Of course. He's looked after me quite a bit."

Demigod Aike's shock only deepened, evidently never expecting this to tie back to that renowned Night Watcher veteran.

"He took care of me a bit in the past as well. That Excellency's character and strength are truly admirable."

Li He laughed heartily, his praise carrying not a trace of forced flattery.

"The method I mentioned was something I witnessed back then."

He directed this last sentence at Fu Qian.

To Fu Qian, however, it was obvious that even as the old man offered this rather hollow trip down memory lane, his attention hadn't strayed for a second; he was closely monitoring Fu Qian's reaction.

A pity. For a professional, running one's thoughts and facial expressions on entirely separate tracks was a basic skill.

"Does Excellency Stoss also possess a similar method for affecting the mind?"

Looking thoughtful, Fu Qian asked a moment later.

...

"He does, though the manifestation of that ability is similar to his usual flames, just in a rather unique golden color."

Li He didn't keep him in suspense.

"Because of my own abilities, I am quite sensitive to certain mental changes. When I saw it back then, I felt something was off, so I privately asked Excellency Stoss for guidance."

"According to him, that kind of flame was a very special existence even to him. It apparently originated from a particular conceptual domain, and he merely borrowed it."

"Of course, from beginning to end, he never mentioned the title of Tyrant."

A special conceptual domain... Could the Abandoned Prison actually be a real place?

Was the meaning behind his honorific name far more tangible than he'd imagined?

This proved just how important it was to always maintain a thirst for knowledge.

It had just been a casual inquiry, and he hadn't held much hope for it, yet Old Man Li had actually delivered a rather pleasant surprise.

Though his phrasing was tactful, Fu Qian was immediately intrigued by this claim.

For no other reason than the fact that this wasn't his only encounter with that golden flame.

Back in the Sacred Night Capital, to stop the Indigo Witch from interfering with his attempt to shoot down the sun, he had directly detonated the Calamity upon her.

The thing that appeared out of thin air and burned off her hair had also been a golden flame.

Along with the Meteor that directly struck the sun in the night sky.

Putting all this together, it was genuinely hard to call it pure coincidence.

The conceptual domain Stoss had mentioned was clearly highly valuable information, well worth investigating later.

As expected, an academic worker had to take the knowledge route. No matter how he looked at it, this felt much more like a stroke of fortune than the 'enlightenment' he had received back in Loss.

"Thank you for letting me know. I hope to have the chance to seek guidance from Excellency Stoss."

Expressing his thorough satisfaction for the moment, Fu Qian offered his earnest thanks.

"There's no need. I was also satisfying my own curiosity."

Old Man Li waved it off with a magnanimous demeanor, signaling him not to take it to heart.

"Also, if you truly wish to visit Excellency Stoss, I'm afraid you'll need Aike's help."

Was this meant to say his relationship with Stoss wasn't that deep, and he couldn't help on that front?

The problem was that his relationship with Excellency Aike couldn't be considered pleasant, no matter how one looked at it.

Fu Qian mused inwardly before looking toward the Night Watcher demigod with a smile.

"Attention!"

However, before he could voice any thoughts, Ji Ning's voice suddenly rang out.

A situation?

Aike, whose expression had originally been cold, abandoned any thought of how to respond to Fu Qian and instantly perked up.

Under Ji Ning's lead, the team had already bypassed the building's exterior and arrived at a towering hall.

Compared to the corridors from earlier, the signs of ruin here weren't quite as obvious.

Unfortunately, it was still completely empty.

Inevitably a bit confused, Aike didn't rush to speak up. She merely held her breath, focusing on Ji Ning's actions at the very front.

And this Excellency didn't keep the team waiting long. After giving the warning and making a brief observation, she stepped forward and pulled open a heavy curtain.

There was still no one there, but an object that had previously only revealed a single corner beneath its cover was instantly laid out before them.

An intricately designed dress, gorgeous and exquisite.

The only problem was that it seemed a bit too gorgeous—so much so that it didn't look like clothing meant for the living.

The next moment, Excellency Ji Ning silently took down this Shroud-like dress and slipped it over her body.

The fit was as if it had been custom-made.

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