Eldritch Horror Theatre

That was correct. Internal stress occurred during cold quenching, so Suffocation and gasping for air were perfectly logical manifestations.

Just as he had mentioned earlier, having set up the framework, Fu Qian had no intention of intervening further as the designer.

Having deactivated the Decree of Return, he fully assumed the role of a spectator, evaluating Silei's reactions.

The young man he had singled out was clearly under immense pressure.

It wasn't just him. The others standing further away, having seen Professor Velon's new appearance, knew exactly how formidable he was and uniformly couldn't bear to look.

Unfortunately, Silei could not avoid it. For the moment, all he could do was grit his teeth and endure.

But his resistance was far too weak. After just a few breaths, a "heart like dead ashes" was brutally carved into his expression, and tears were forcibly squeezed from the corners of his eyes.

Velon still didn't hold back, looking entirely ready to forge a mask of pure agony for him.

His sheer authority in Linghui was obvious; although more than one onlooker couldn't bear the sight, no one dared speak up to dissuade him.

"Go pick one up for me too."

Instead, he gestured to Professor Lisa beside him the next moment, asking her to go down and fetch a fragment of the chandelier for him.

Me...?

Such an atmosphere-ruining request immediately provoked intense dissatisfaction from the person in question.

Feeling that her role was looking more and more like a mere errand runner every day, Lisa felt deeply resistant to this instruction.

But at the same time, an intense sense of discomfort constantly urged her to take the opportunity to step away.

Ultimately, under several curious gazes, Professor Lisa caved to the difficulty. She stood up, walked to the side, and genuinely began searching the ground.

Wail—

Almost in the very next moment, a piercing wail erupted from behind her.

But what was even sharper came from another plane altogether. The Golden Rotation, which had just begun to ease, suddenly detonated with a boom.

Years of accumulated grime shot out with unprecedented sharpness, piercing straight into consciousness.

Combined, they felt like a two-stage firecracker tearing through dimensions.

Pfft—

Even with Professor Lisa's inhuman resistance, she felt the sudden urge to vomit blood in that instant.

When she couldn't help but look back, she saw that the corners of Silei's eyes had literally torn open. Tears mixed with blood streamed down his cheeks.

Yet, there wasn't a single trace of pain left on his face—only a gentle, peaceful tranquility.

...

So did this guy notice the signs and give me an excuse to get further away?

While Silei's transformation was certainly alarming, Lisa prioritized her own well-being in that moment.

The crying just now was one thing, but the Mental Shock that followed had pushed her dangerously close to her limit.

If I had stayed over there, it would have been unbearable...

I just trust the professionals.

He didn't even need to look. Fu Qian could perfectly imagine what Professor Lisa was thinking after such a seamless turn of events.

Of course, he wasn't miraculous enough to predict that Silei was going to set off a dimensional firecracker the very next second.

Just as he had said before, he simply trusted the professionals he had chosen.

With the two observers—one searching, one testing—no matter how innocent their final target looked, Fu Qian had remained convinced that a collapse would happen eventually.

Since it was hard to say exactly how the evil would reveal its true face, he casually sent away Professor Lisa, who was already under immense pressure, to avoid any reactions that might tarnish the Glory of Apocalypse.

Of course, if she had been too efficient and returned with the fragment before the incident occurred, that would have just been fate.

As for now—

Fu Qian still didn't rush to speak. He simply studied that seemingly familiar expression.

"Very impressive... even you normally couldn't achieve this level. Now, can you tell us what you've gained?"

Professor Velon had already put away the mask, instantly lifting the pressure off everyone in the room as he calmly asked for the results of the test.

"'My' gains?" Silei said. "Perhaps it is that such a word no longer exists."

This performance was undoubtedly poised, but comparisons could be cruel. Silei, who had completely become the center of attention, responded as casually as if he were chatting in a cafeteria, showing not a single trace of pressure.

"A prison forged by oneself. Professor Fu, you phrased it absolutely perfectly."

Not only that, but he specifically looked over and commended Professor Fu's academic insight.

"That goes without saying."

Professor Fu's response was naturally brimming with confidence.

...

"This feeling is so beautiful... but I suppose unless you experience it for yourselves, there's no way to make you believe it. In that case, it's best you don't know."

He truly carried the air of someone who had suddenly achieved enlightenment. Despite Professor Fu's striking remark, Silei merely paused for a second before actively explaining the reason behind his earlier behavior.

It was just as the saying went: never doubt those you employ. Old Man Velon and the others hadn't disappointed him.

Silei was the jackpot he had won simply by relying on sheer numbers.

From those seemingly familiar words, Fu Qian could perfectly picture Silei's current state of mind. It aligned perfectly with the philosophy of His Excellency Master Yuhun—that everything was an illusion, and that language and even the self were such crude constructs that they only hindered one from touching the true reality of the world.

The only difference was that upon hitting the jackpot, Silei had intended to cover up this fact.

The shift from trying his absolute hardest to spot an anomaly, to not wanting to be found out, had happened in a single instant.

Of course, it was still excusable. Fu Qian knew very well that this kind of transformation couldn't be described as mere selfishness for personal gain.

The very definition of the "individual" itself had already shifted.

To use a somewhat imperfect analogy—like Zhuangzi dreaming of the butterfly—the person involved might not tell you they dreamt of the butterfly for various reasons, but Silei simply believed he was the butterfly.

Not to mention that he had actually reaped the benefits of being the "butterfly"—

"When you say 'beautiful,' do you mean your understanding of your own abilities has become much clearer?" Professor Velon asked. "Is that why you were able to unleash that shock just now?"

In the face of Silei's uncommunicative assessment, Professor Velon displayed a rare good temper.

"That's right."

Silei admitted openly.

"...When we were calculating the ritual earlier, there was a similar process. The missing knowledge was mysteriously filled in."

Velon ignored him after that, turning instead to look at Fu Qian with a complicated expression.

What had initially been somewhat hollow speculation was now standing right in front of them as a real example.

It couldn't be said that this wasn't a gain, but...

"So you're saying you aren't Silei anymore?"

However, Fu Qian didn't pay him any attention either, turning back to Silei.

"Just a crude delusion."

The latter's posture remained as lofty as ever.

"Got it. So what are you now?"

"What am I? It seems there's no need for a specific label," he replied. "Or you can call me 'Impermanence'."

...Oh?

Amidst the casual exchange, Fu Qian found this newly acquired title deeply amusing.

Master Yuhun's condition really was a bit off, just as expected.

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