Eldritch Horror Theatre

Commendable.

Excellency Ji Ning showed no reaction, but Old Man Li volunteered instead. This development drew a murmur of appreciation from Fu Qian.

He certainly wasn't trying to swoop in and steal the credit. Given their current situation, they were still a long way from leaving Flower City.

The Old Man clearly wanted to help shoulder the risk.

For one thing, their earlier deductions proved that the target they faced this time was truly terrifying.

At the same time, the Dagger's abnormal behavior indicated that Ji Ning's tracking method had grown somewhat unstable.

Taken together, it was hard to ignore the question of what hidden dangers might lurk within the Statue ahead.

His ability to pull out the Dagger also proved the clues weren't exclusive to Ji Ning. Having the team's highest Combat Power lead the way was a small measure of caution they could afford in this perilous situation.

"Just touch the surface with any part of your body."

The moment the other man finished speaking, Fu Qian pointed at the Statue and casually explained how to interact with it.

"That makes it much simpler. I was worried I'd have to climb up it, which would be a bit disrespectful."

Ignoring the varying reactions of the others, the Old Man strode straight forward, even cracking a joke.

...

If this was truly the work of a craftsman, it could absolutely be called a masterpiece.

Standing beneath the Statue just a step behind the Old Man, Fu Qian marveled once again as he observed it up close.

The sheer size was one thing, but from this position, the finer details were much clearer.

Although it was a single seamless structure, the suit of Armor looked meticulously polished. Even in the dim light, it gave off a genuine metallic gleam, and the texture of the exposed skin was vividly clear.

By then, Old Man Li had already placed his hand against it.

"This is..."

He frowned almost instantly and subconsciously looked up.

Above the Statue's head stretched a massive, solemn dome.

It lacked overly complicated decorations, so despite its exaggerated height, one could take it all in at a glance—and there was nothing to be seen.

But the Old Man continued to stare intently.

"Is there something up there?"

As Lu Yi, who was standing furthest away, followed his gaze but saw nothing and voiced his confusion, Fu Qian took a step forward and pressed his own hand against the surface.

It seemed it wasn't picky about who used it this time.

A seemingly familiar sensation instantly washed over him. Fu Qian then made the exact same motion as the Old Man, tilting his head up at a seventy-five-degree angle to stare at the dome.

It still appeared completely empty.

Yet at the same time, Fu Qian "saw" a scrawny little body clinging to the dome on all fours, pressed flat like a gecko.

Just like his earlier revelation after smearing blood on the Dagger, this vision stemmed from an abstract realization, as clear as the text written in the notebook.

The very next moment, as if sensing his gaze, the head—sporting only a few sparse strands of hair and grossly disproportionate to its body—slowly turned around, revealing an unusually normal face that bore a faint resemblance to the Statue.

Benjamin Laria?

[Task completed]

[Current task updated: Disrupt the coalescence of the Face of Gods and Men]

As if confirming his thoughts, the prompt rang in his ears at almost that exact moment.

...

It really was him.

Its appearance, its facial features, and the confirmation from the task prompt all seemed to indicate that this entity—which could only be "seen" through special means—was none other than the new member of the Laria Family.

It was also the source of the crying he had been looking for.

And right now, its face resembled the Statue below, which clearly depicted a family ancestor.

Even the new task objective mentioned the "Face of Gods and Men."

The Divine Human Family, the face hidden within their bloodline, and the higher power it connected to... Everything aligned perfectly with his previous deductions.

It even included that backward glance, as though some sublime, exalted will were peering through that face.

A will so imposing that even he, having recovered his Demigod Realm strength, found it difficult to resist.

Of course, Fu Qian knew he wasn't truly seeing any of this with his physical eyes.

Even the sensations following "as though"—that distinct feeling of being watched—similarly arose from that notebook-style realization, as if the text had been copied and pasted directly into his mind.

Interesting. It seemed he knew why these people had been chosen.

...

Observing this miraculous scene from two different perspectives didn't stop Fu Qian from simultaneously keeping an eye on Old Man Li's reactions.

And he was fairly certain that the Old Man had "seen" the exact same thing he had... and so had the others.

After he followed suit without waiting for the Old Man to call out, the rest of the group couldn't hold back either. One by one, they performed the same action and exhibited the same reactions.

They all saw Benjamin Laria. That was exactly the reason they were here.

Throughout the step-by-step formation of this exploration team, there was one question Fu Qian had never stopped pondering: why were these people here?

They obviously weren't task runners like him.

Were they just unlucky banquet victims, dragged into this mess because of the Laria Family's newborn Offspring?

He couldn't entirely rule out that possibility, since they did indeed have a certain connection to the Offspring.

But now, combining this with the latest task prompt, Fu Qian believed he had found a much more reasonable explanation: they weren't the victims of this trouble; they were its creators.

Their purpose for being here was to contribute consensus.

To the others, their journey down here might have seemed full of twists and turns, but by Fu Qian's standards, the entire story had progressed seamlessly.

Right up until the new task appeared.

Disrupt the coalescence of the Face of Gods and Men. If what Old Man Li said was true—that the moment that face appeared, it had already established a connection with some higher power—then where did this talk of "coalescence" come from?

Their reason for being here was to explore step by step, ultimately "see" this exact scene, and have it align one hundred percent with all their previous deductions.

It was just like how he had used them to recover his Demigod Realm strength.

And the reason they had been chosen was very likely due to their Rank. After all, the team boasted three High-Tier Transcendents.

Even at a former royal banquet, it was hard to imagine more Demigods gracing the occasion with their presence.

In short, this peculiar place before them was guiding and utilizing them to retrieve the true Face of Gods and Men, and it looked as though it was on the verge of succeeding.

"Witness His ancient glory... The unforgotten memories shall ultimately turn into reality..."

The next moment, the group was suddenly jolted out of their shock.

Looking toward the voice, they saw the mysterious Ancient Blood Clan member repeating a phrase he had spoken before, his tone carrying an unprecedented fanaticism.

But that wasn't even the main point. As he spoke, his face—which was also gazing up at the dome—was rapidly transforming into another face.

A face of extreme allure, as if it were the very incarnation of the concept of "beauty."

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