Eldritch Horror Theatre

"How bright is it?"

Professional technicians were truly a cut above the rest; the assist couldn't have come at a better time.

Fu Qian had merely shared a theory in passing to help everyone intuitively grasp the urgency of the situation.

But paired with Professor Ah Kai stepping up as a live example without a second's delay, the effect undoubtedly reached its peak.

Even Excellency Stoss could no longer sit calmly at the center of the formation. Meeting the many gazes turning his way, he frowned slightly and asked the question.

"Just a little... but it seems to still be changing."

Scanning their surroundings to ensure he didn't miss a single corner, Ah Kai continued to deliver the grim news.

Hmm...

This brought another brief silence.

Meaning, in his own field of vision, the brightness had yet to change.

He believed the other High-Tier Transcendents likely felt the same.

In contrast, Professor Ah Kai's reaction certainly wasn't due to sharper perception. It was because he had the lowest rank and the weakest resistance.

It perfectly supported the theory he had just proposed.

"How bright is it?"

But that wasn't enough. A moment later, Fu Qian broke the silence, unexpectedly repeating Excellency Stoss's question.

"...Like the sun at five in the morning?"

The same question carried a different weight when answered by a technician.

After only a brief moment of surprise, Ah Kai caught Professor Fu's meaning and provided a quantifiable metric.

Although the phrasing was a bit awkward, it undoubtedly gave everyone a much more intuitive concept, allowing them to make a judgment.

Because obviously, for the rest of them, the brightness before their eyes hadn't even reached a quarter past four.

In the gloom, more than one person's expression turned grim.

...

They knew what they were getting into; it wasn't as if they only realized the danger after stepping inside.

The problem now was precisely that they knew too well.

Thanks to the report Su Gao had submitted earlier, everyone knew that shifts between light and dark occurred inside The Ark.

Now, coupled with Professor Fu's theory, they realized this growing light actually represented their own distortion—their synchronization with their surroundings, rather than a natural day-night cycle.

Even if it remained unclear what the final outcome of synchronizing with The Ark would be, just this immediate sensation felt like a countdown had started the moment they walked through the door. It was hard for anyone to be in a good mood—except for Professor Fu.

Gazing at Excellency Stoss with the look of a man who had successfully fulfilled his duty, Professor Fu appeared perhaps a little worried, but he couldn't mask the satisfaction of having his theory validated. He fully embodied the truth-seeking spirit of an intellectual.

Excellency Stoss seemed to have rather complicated feelings about this. A moment later, he even checked Su Gao's reaction.

Unfortunately, she still showed no reaction, merely looking around in quiet thought.

She didn't seem to know much about Professor Fu's new theory.

Which was reasonable enough. Advisors always liked to hold a few things back to maintain an unfathomable image.

"It is highly likely that Professor Fu's theory is correct. The situation is exactly as planned; time is not on our side."

Quickly withdrawing his gaze, Stoss summarized the situation.

On one hand, he didn't oppose the operations advisor's statement. On the other, he was indicating that this was already within their expectations.

"Furthermore, having such a visible change will make it easier for us to judge the extent of the influence."

Not only that, he even managed to find the positive significance within it, truly worthy of his role as the team's leader.

"Professor Ah Kai, do you have a way to slow down the influence on yourself?"

Before taking further action, the old man directly prompted Ah Kai—it was time to make good on his earlier boasting.

...

"I'll give it a try."

The pressure shifted to Ah Kai. Following Excellency Stoss's words, he instantly became the center of attention.

Being influenced was one thing. The fact that the old man wasn't in a rush to move on, choosing instead to confirm this point first, carried an obvious implication: if Ah Kai couldn't handle it, they would simply toss him out right here.

But with such a rare opportunity, how could he just give up?

After a brief moment of thought, Ah Kai took a step forward. A Black Long Awl appeared in his hand, along with a handful of colorful thin flakes and beads.

These props were seemingly familiar.

Fu Qian naturally still remembered the items he had brought out.

Back at the Ye Island Kamakura Clan's estate, this very person had performed a ritual on the spot, using a pile of props just like these to manifest a Miracle and spread the prestige of the Academy.

Even as Fu Qian marveled at the memory, Professor Ah Kai rubbed his hands together, and a ball of eerie green flame ignited upon the Long Spike once again.

This time, however, he didn't stick the "candle" into the ground at his feet. Instead, he cradled it in his hands. Stepping with a peculiar rhythm and strange footwork, he traced a clockwise and then a counterclockwise circle within a small area in front of him.

At every node along his path, he crushed one of the items in his hand while muttering under his breath.

It was clear his earlier words hadn't been an empty boast; he had truly come prepared. The entire process was practiced and efficient.

Hiss—

Unfortunately, even so, the few extra steps Professor Ah Kai took still caused a disturbance.

Under the group's silent watch, one of the closest Feather and Fish finally seemed to sense the commotion, abruptly snapping its head in their direction.

The next moment, it flapped its "wings," stirring up a storm of flying feathers.

This instantly triggered a chain reaction. One after another, the Feather and Fish turned in unison to "look" at the investigation team.

Without a moment's hesitation, they charged forward on all fours.

...

'So last time, when they suddenly struck a pose and stopped attacking... was it because Su Gao and I had been in here for too long? Our fields of vision were too "bright," so we were instinctively treated as their own kind?'

'Sure enough, everything is the best arrangement.'

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Fu Qian's first reaction was that his theory had gained further support.

At the same time, as a technician facing the menacing swarm of attackers, he didn't panic in the slightest. He had no intention of moving an inch.

To his surprise, the combat personnel reacted the exact same way.

Faced with this minor accident, it was naturally impossible for them to be afraid. However, Aike of the Demigod Realm didn't rush to strike. Instead, with extreme discipline, he first glanced at Old Man Stoss.

The latter gave no signal. He allowed the swarm of attackers to charge forward, even trampling over the piles of feathers to unearth more of their kind. In the blink of an eye, the closest ones were only a few paces away—

Sizzle!

With a faint hiss, before Aike could voice an opinion, a straight line of fire struck the leading Feather and Fish head-on.

Its body, rendered hideous yet tough by mutation, acted like thin grass meeting magma. Bypassing the charring process entirely, it melted straight into flying ash, the destruction traveling inch by inch from its head to its tail.

And then it spread to the others.

In an instant, that scorching ray of light refracted onto all the attackers, scattering plumes of flying ash wildly into the air.

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