Eldritch Horror Theatre

A baseless association, but a fascinating one.

He remembered that the earliest Star Map had come from another world, the prize from a trip to a certain haunted house.

Judging by the various signs that surfaced later, there was every reason to suspect it belonged to a predecessor's legacy.

For instance, with the help of Chief Yuan and the archive staff, the location he had successfully pinpointed turned out to be a set of coordinates in the Ash Sea.

Time had been tight back then. After finding the Solar-Powered Whale, he hadn't probed any deeper.

Of course, going solely by these points, it was hard to say whether this had any direct connection to the elusive Inverted Lake that Cass had mentioned.

But what if there was?

Applying logic didn't mean relying purely on linear thinking. Deducing outcomes by freely combining disparate elements was part of the fun.

Suppose the coordinates he had obtained so early on were genuinely tied to the past tragedy at the Academy. What would that mean?

Either possibility was fascinating.

In fact, if it truly were that coincidental, holding off on rushing there back then seemed to have been the better choice.

Given the extreme danger, the delay had effectively bought him plenty of time to gather more intelligence and improve himself. Bringing specific questions into an exploration also made it easier to reap greater rewards.

All in all, he could definitely consider making that place his first stop next time—especially since Old Man Cass hadn't provided any clear objectives.

Staring at the hand-drawn map before him, Fu Qian mused that his earlier guess had been spot on. The Old Man really had taken advantage of the scientific expedition, pouring a tremendous amount of effort into it.

With just a few strokes, the contours of the Ash Sea were clearly outlined, along with the regions Cass had personally traversed. Fu Qian already had a solid grasp of just how vast the Ash Sea truly was.

Cass had obviously used special methods; otherwise, the coverage wouldn't have been this exaggerated.

Just how exaggerated was it? Fu Qian was absolutely certain that it encompassed the very coordinates he had yet to explore.

"So even after all this, you firmly believe it's located in the Ash Sea?"

He naturally felt no frustration. Instead, he found the situation all the more marvelous. Smiling, Fu Qian sought confirmation from Cass.

"I do. It's just a pity that I didn't see any trace of the Crystal Blessing you mentioned in there either."

Cass responded without the slightest hesitation.

"What about Claudora? When she escaped and returned, she shouldn't have looked the way she does now, right?"

Though her fate was regrettable, Fu Qian didn't think a man of the Dean's caliber would shy away from discussing it.

"Regrettably, no. She certainly looked more human than she does now, but her flesh and blood were clearly in a bizarre, out-of-control state, and her mind was almost entirely fractured."

Just as expected, Cass shook his head gently, offering another swift reply.

"However, I believe the reason she was able to acquire divinity has been found. Thank you for sharing this. Going forward, I will attempt to decipher the meaning of the crystal."

Clearly understanding the value of the intelligence Fu Qian had brought back, he offered his earnest gratitude.

"You're welcome. Speaking of which, I happen to have something I'd like to ask your advice on."

And he didn't just leave the politeness at words; Fu Qian put it into action the very next moment.

"Regarding the Laria Royal Family, or other transcendent lineages involving bloodline inheritance, Professor Lisa mentioned that you hold a different opinion on the decisive factors. You suspect it might be more abstract than ordinary biological genetics?"

"Also, using the Cultivation System of the Sword Comprehension Institute as a reference point seems like a highly constructive idea to me."

...

The project had been established for some time now. He had mentioned consulting Cass previously, but both of them had been bogged down with their respective tasks recently, leaving little time for idle chatter.

Since they happened to be on the subject of technical topics today, Fu Qian wasted no time in bringing it up.

"Oh? It seems you feel the same way... Yes, a fragile thread, one that makes you wonder if it even truly exists..."

"Yet it is incredibly resilient. Even when ravaged and burned, it remains difficult to sever."

Cass seemed quite gratified by Fu Qian's curiosity on the subject, letting out a soft sigh a moment later.

"I share the sentiment entirely. So, what sort of abstract factors beyond our conventional understanding do you lean toward?"

He truly lived up to his reputation as an academic leader. Certain thoughts and insights were impossible to reach without being personally on the scene. Deeply agreeing with him, Fu Qian launched into an earnest discussion.

"You remember it quite clearly."

Strictly speaking, the details Fu Qian had just dropped amounted to selling out Professor Lisa.

After all, in scientific exploration, the value of an innovative idea was universally understood.

However, after hearing his piece, Cass merely burst into laughter, his mood apparently improving even further.

"You remember it quite clearly" wasn't directed at Fu Qian, of course. It seemed that when Cass had shared some of his more whimsical theories with Lisa, the professor hadn't exactly been on board.

"Choosing the Cultivation System was actually a move born of necessity. The sample size for innate abilities is simply too small. Take the Laria Family you mentioned, for example. An entire generation might pass without a single person displaying any transcendent talent. Trying to distill a pattern from that is far too difficult..."

But the tangent was brief. Cass fell right back into his element, explaining why he was far more interested in the Sword Comprehension Institute.

"In contrast, cultivation is much better at unearthing latent talents, especially among clans that pass down specific cultivation methods. This allows us to rule out the element of pure chance as much as possible—though your assistant is an exception, as is her family."

He was naturally referring to Classmate Liushuang and the Ji Clan, and he wasn't wrong.

Honestly, in Fu Qian's eyes, if anyone from the Ji Clan besides Ji Liushuang came to the Academy for further study, they would undoubtedly be sorted into Apocalypse.

"But they're a highly useful exception for reference," Fu Qian said, offering his own thoughts in agreement. "Both in the form their abilities take and the proportion of those who master them."

"Ash Descent? It truly is a special power..." Cass said. "Anyway, you're right. The reason I suspect the existence of a more abstract factor has everything to do with why these transcendent families experience sudden gaps in inheritance."

Musing for a moment, Cass showed clear appreciation for Classmate Liushuang's background.

The question he posed next was undoubtedly the very core of his research.

A transcendent undergoing a physical metamorphosis and subsequently producing exceptional offspring—that aligned perfectly with intuition.

But what if those offspring were completely ordinary, only for a non-human to suddenly appear several generations down the line?

Recessive genetics? A genetic mutation?

Those explanations always felt a bit far-fetched.

"Over the years, I've collected numerous cases to cross-reference," Cass said. "But unfortunately... I seem to have ruled out every possible factor."

As Fu Qian silently evaluated the situation, the conclusion Cass delivered suddenly made the entire issue all the more complicated and bewildering.

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