Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Classmate, if there were a Transcendent form called the Versailles Maiden, you've definitely digested it perfectly."

Research assistant Ji Liushuang usually kept her expressions under excellent control, but as she returned with a teacup, she clearly froze for a moment.

Taking in both of their reactions, Fu Qian inwardly rolled his eyes, though he could completely understand where they were coming from.

Prompted by his earlier reminder, Eldest Miss Wen had divulged her secret completely.

Ever since leaving this place last time, she had returned with a "do not bully a young person in poverty" attitude. In doing so, she had practically reaped the ultimate dividends from Apocalypse's ongoing bullying of Linghui Courtyard.

Under Old Man Weilong's direction, Linghui Courtyard had clearly decided to spare no expense, pouring resources into her.

Of course, they had no idea what kind of "expense" this sparing of no expense actually entailed.

But the final results were remarkable—she had actually managed to digest Senior Liliana's relic.

This conveniently proved the accuracy of his alternative probe: she had officially stepped into the High-Tier Transcendent Realm.

Wen Li wasn't stupid. As one could tell from how she addressed Linghui, she knew to keep distinct matters separate regardless of their motives, and remained deeply grateful for the masters' guidance.

The reason she had decisively played along with the act last time was partly out of trust in him.

On the other hand, as she had mentioned back then, she had likely noticed something amiss. After receiving his overly "radical" guidance, she had confirmed that the situation was truly far from simple.

In short, while playing along with the charade, she had already accepted her role as a pawn.

As a result, rather than leaping for joy over her astonishing new achievements, Wen Li found herself burdened with even more worries.

"Let's see your new gains."

Fu Qian didn't rush to explain the current situation to Wen Li, nor did he pry into confidential matters like the materials and the ritual. Instead, he cut straight to the point.

After all, this was a scientific breakthrough that Linghui had poured immense effort and paid a massive price to achieve. He figured he should respect their intellectual property rights for the time being.

"Alright... but please be careful. It's hard to describe, but it really is different from before."

Just as expected, she had gained something new, and unsurprisingly, Wen Li accepted his suggestion.

However, compared to her past demeanor, her warning was incredibly solemn.

Even after Fu Qian gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, she took a deep breath to steady her own emotions first.

...

"How is it?"

The moment she exhaled that deep breath, Wen Li was already eagerly awaiting Fu Qian's assessment.

"I didn't expect that even now, I still wouldn't be able to perceive your emotions, Professor Fu... so it's hard to determine the effect."

Even as she asked, she couldn't help but express her heartfelt amazement.

'That's probably because it had absolutely no effect at all.'

Fu Qian kept the thought to himself.

The Mechanical Tyrant's value was still on the rise.

As someone belonging to the Psychic Type who leaned toward a support role, Wen Li was honestly still staggeringly powerful in her area of expertise.

Even the last time he stood as her training dummy, her full-force attack—combined with what she had learned at Linghui Courtyard—had actually made his mind sway a little.

He had profoundly experienced the core theme embedded within her Beautiful Girl Kaleidoscope.

However, theoretically speaking, he was only at the Demigod Tier at the moment.

Yet against her new gains after touching divinity, his only reaction just now had been: 'Oh, it's over?'

There had been zero fluctuation. The fully realized Mechanical Tyrant felt completely immune to mental influence.

Even actively lowering his Rank didn't change a thing.

He always liked to look on the bright side. No matter how he looked at it, this was clearly a byproduct of no longer having Transcendent Perception.

Though, if he hadn't deliberately suppressed his Rank, Wen Li's test would likely have yielded the same result even without this factor.

But this way, his flexibility had undoubtedly increased by a massive margin.

No matter what form he assumed from now on, he wouldn't have to worry about unknowingly falling victim to mental attacks.

Just thinking about it casually, this completely magic-immune, rogue-like state of his would make several of his "old friends" absolutely miserable.

Was this the true terror of Mechanical Ascension?

However, a practical problem now stared him in the face: Wen Li had just run her test on him, but he could no longer serve as a proper gauge for her.

"I didn't feel anything. Why don't you try putting it into words first?"

Fu Qian blinked, delivering the test results with brutal honesty.

...

"How about I give it a try?"

Faced with Professor Fu's rare critique, Wen Li was momentarily at a loss.

Having just finished refilling Professor Fu's tea, Classmate Liushuang volunteered from the sidelines.

This newly discovered talent of Linghui Courtyard had been nothing but a spectator during both of their visits.

Given the strange looks they had exchanged moments ago, combined with their entirely out-of-character conversation, Ji Liushuang could practically confirm her earlier suspicions, and even began to view Professor Fu's previous "abduction" attempt in a whole new light.

'So they were on the same side all along? Were they just putting on an act for the people of Linghui to see?'

As for their goal—Lady Wen Li had already made it quite clear just now. She had touched divinity in just two short days, consuming a monumental amount of resources...

Recalling how this young woman had decisively turned her back on them, and picturing Professor Ni Huayuan's expression through it all, Ji Liushuang couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Linghui.

But strictly speaking, Linghui hadn't really lost anything either. Their original goal had been to prove the superiority of the Psychic Type, and they had indeed forged a Miracle.

Professor Fu had simply provided them with a little extra motivation. He had practically done them a favor by forcing them to make up their minds and invest the resources.

In just a split second, Ji Liushuang had already conjured up a perfect excuse for her leader, completely understanding Professor Fu's painstaking efforts.

"My sword intent is quite sensitive to mental influences, though we might need to watch the intensity."

Looking at the impossibly young woman standing before her, Ji Liushuang's tone became much more relaxed.

"This..."

Seeing that Wen Li was relieved but still subconsciously looking to him for approval, Fu Qian nodded, signaling for her to go ahead.

"Go ahead and try."

For one, he was fairly confident in Wen Li's ability to hold back. For another, this would conveniently confirm that there were no issues with his Decree of Return, and that it could be deployed at any moment to handle unexpected variables.

"Alright. I'll begin now."

Seeing that Fu Qian had given his blessing, Wen Li no longer hesitated. She earnestly confirmed with Ji Liushuang, and upon receiving an affirmative response, took a light breath.

"Ah?"

This time, the test subject's reaction was the exact opposite of his.

Before Wen Li even had a chance to ask, Classmate Liushuang let out a low gasp, her previously serious face unable to mask her shock.

"What is it?"

This sparked Fu Qian's curiosity.

He could tell that she hadn't been forcibly terrified by Wen Li. Instead, this seemed to be a genuine emotional response of her own making.

"My joy... it feels like it's come alive..."

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